Another school shooting today at a town in Michigan. I published a book, COME SIT BY ME, that searches for the cause of one such (fictional) shooting. You can buy it as a holiday present for a teenager you know. Here are some unsolicited reviews by readers:

"I felt Come Sit By Me was written by a guy for a guy."

--Christina Li, Net Galley

"I think this is an important read because it is such a taboo subject."

--Griff Stevens, Net Galley

"This book is exceptional....These characters are tautly defined and Mr. Hoobler's grasp of their motivations is nothing short of amazing....This is the first novel dealing with school shootings I've been able to read, and it is highly worth reading."

--Mallory Anne-Marie Forbes, Net Galley

"This is definitely a book that will split adults, you'll either love it or you'll hate it. With teens I can see this book being hugely popular, not only does it deal with things that are prevalent to their world but each character, good and bad, is easy to connect with. Combine that with a clear writing style, fast paced plot & some juicy twists and teens will gobble this one up! Highly recommended to all YA teens ages 14 and up, this is a must read! I would also highly recommend this to adults who are interested in getting inside the true psyche of today's American teenager, regardless of what you might find there!"

--Jennifer La Duca, Net Galley

Kiyomizo-dera Temple

These are pictures from the temple Kiyomizo-dera, near Kyoto. Its origins date from 778 A.D. Inside are many images of the deity Kannon, with her 42 arms (some say a thousand). Approaching the temple, one first sees a three-story pagoda, some 31 meters high. The largest feature of the site is a wooden stage where people can view the countryside and the changing leaves of trees all around. The stage is supported by 168 pillars and is constructed of 410 cypress boards. Amazingly, there are no nails in the structure. It's entirely held together by interlocking joists.Two other interesting features are the Otowa waterfall (which we would call a series of falling streams.) A long-handled ladle is provided for those who wish to drink the water, which is said to extend life and fulfill one's wishes,. A spookier feature is a tunnel that descends some stairs to enter. It's pitch dark inside, because it represents the womb of a female bodhisattva, and you emerge on the other side, reborn. (See our book THE RED-HEADED DEMON for Seikei's adventure with a boy mistaken for a bodhisattva.)

Toshugu Shrine

The Toshugu Shrine is one of the most elaborately decorated in Japan, a land that prizes simplicity. Toshugu's twelve buildings encompass the tomb of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the samurai warrior who founded the dynasty that ruled Japan for nearly four centuries. His grandson, the reigning shogun, ordered the unusual shrine to be built. Carvings shown here include an elephant sculpted by a man who had never seen an actual elephant, but only had it described to him.

Toshugu Shrine

This is the Toshugu Shrine, probably the most elaborately decorated building in Japan, a land that prizes simplicity. Its twelve buildings encompass the tomb of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the samurai warrior who established a dynasty that ruled Japan for nearly four centuries, until 1868. Among the carvings are two of an elephant (the brass one and the gray one) that were created by a man who had never seen an elephant, but only had it described to him. You can also see a sleeping cat and the famous three monkeys ("hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil.")

Japanese actor playing a foreigner

Japanese were fascinated by the strange customs, dress, and even food of the foreigners who arrived in their land. (Tempura was originally a Portuguese dish adapted by Japanese cooks.) This print shows a Japanese actor, Onoe Kikugoro V, playing an Englishman named Spencer who apparently demonstrated a hot-air balloon in Japan.

FIREFLY SQUID OFF THE COAST OF JAPAN

A species of squid called "Firefly Squid" live in the Pacific Ocean off the Japanese coast. Each spring, they draw near to the coast, where they will spawn. They glow in an attempt to attract mates. It is also said that they glow to lure smaller fish that they will feed on. Just as Japanese people enjoy observing the blooming of the cherry trees, so too do they travel to the spawning grounds to view what you see here. After the squid eggs are fertilized and laid, the squid die. Their life span is only a single year, and when the new squid hatch, the cycle begins again.

I'm putting this up in case anybody's still looking at this blog. My main posting site is on the Samurai Detective page at Facebook.
The image I'm posting here is from a "fart scroll." No kidding, that's what the two men on the left are supposed to be doing. Here's an explanation from somebody who runs a blog under the name of Tofugu:
The whole scroll, which is called He-Gassen ("The Fart Battle") is just about people farting. Farting at other people, farting at cats, farting off of horses, farting into bags; just farting everywhere. Why? I couldn't really tell you. I've tried to do some research but, believe it or not, academic literature on Japanese farting is surprisingly few and far between. [...] I did find out enough to know that this isn't the only farting scroll out there in existence – in fact, in the 90s, a collection of fart scrolls sold for $1,500 at the famous Christie's auction house. I am not making this up.