<![CDATA[REBECCA ARTHUR PHOTOGRAPHY

<![CDATA[REBECCA ARTHUR PHOTOGRAPHY - BLOG]]>Wed, 03 Jun 2026 03:41:51 +0900Weebly<![CDATA[A Different Kind of Hina Matsuri (Part 2)]]>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 02:30:04 GMThttps://www.rarthurphoto.com/blog/a-different-kind-of-hina-matsuri-part-2In the previous post, I mentioned that my husband and I visited Tsubosaka Temple in Nara, and came upon a huge Hina Matsuri display, one of the largest I've ever seen. As we were admiring the dolls, we realized something was a little different than the usual. The first row of the display was as expected but, as we moved towards the back, tucked in amongst the dolls were these hilarious setups! And, the longer we looked, the more we found—and the more we laughed! Oh, it was such a hoot! Searching out new ones kept us occupied for at least 30 minutes and my husband had to finally drag me out of there. I cannot recommend a visit to see these highly enough, although I'm not sure the display is open year-round. (Hina Matsuri is traditionally celebrated at the beginning of March.) Enjoy! (^.~)

Help! (This was when I first realized these were deliberately set up – not just some random person messing around with the display.)

Japan is serious about baseball!

A typical breakfast morning set served on fancy style.

A very studious court attendant

This couple has gone all out!

A live concert of some sort?

Preparing a meal over a campfire

The last one I saw as I was leaving the building. Made me laugh!

]]><![CDATA[A Different Kind of Hina Matsuri (Part 1)]]>Sun, 31 May 2026 13:19:36 GMThttps://www.rarthurphoto.com/blog/a-different-kind-of-hina-matsuri-part-1In late March, my husband and I spent a few days visiting the Asuka area in Nara. Unfortunately, the weather was cold, wet, and windy, forcing us to rethink our plans. As a result, we ending up stopping by an information booth in the small town of Takatori. High on the list of of recommended attractions was a visit to Tsubosaka Temple, a Buddhist temple built in 717 AD. Although the famous cherry trees were yet to bloom, we decided to see what there was to see. (Thankfully, the rain stopped just as we arrived.)

Well, the very first building we passed invited us to step inside to view their Hina Matsuri exhibition and so we did. WOW! I have never seen so many hina matsuri dolls in one place! We spent some time admiring the doll display but, as we moved towards the back, we began noticing unusual things here and there...

(More photos of what makes this a different kind of Hina Matsuri in the next post.)

Hina Matsuri Display, Tsubosaka Temple, Nara (There are two separate rows of dolls displayed with dolls set up on both sides. The area with the Buddhist statues in the back is also completely filled with dolls—some perched on the statues themselves. So, in fact, there are many, many more dolls here than can be seen in the photo.)

Hina Matsuri Display, Tsubosaka Temple, Nara

Hina Matsuri Display, Tsubosaka Temple, Nara (The 2025 Osaka Expo mascot has joined the fun!)

Hina Matsuri Display, Tsubosaka Temple, Nara (Not sure what it is but it made me laugh!)

]]><![CDATA[Welcome BacK!]]>Mon, 06 Apr 2026 14:17:34 GMThttps://www.rarthurphoto.com/blog/welcome-backWell, it has been almost a year since my last post and the time has just zipped by. No apologies, though. It has been a great year despite being a little bonkers at times. There was international travel (Norway, the UK, Canada), a few health challenges (thankfully nothing serious but enough to slow me down) and some computer drama (including a one-month stretch where I thought I may have lost all my photos). On top of that, we've been doing some serious decluttering in our home and the home of a relative who recently passed away. (We are making great progress but we're not there yet!) Add in a photographer's version of writer's block and, well, here we are—almost one year later. So, that "welcome back" in the title? It's for me!

Taken on a glorious day in February in Alberta, Canada, as I walked back through a city park to my parents' house after visiting a friend.

]]><![CDATA[My Osaka Garden Roses]]>Thu, 15 May 2025 07:50:08 GMThttps://www.rarthurphoto.com/blog/my-osaka-garden-rosesThe roses in my garden are blooming and I am thankful. I love roses but, goodness, they are hard to grow in this part of the world. While they are fussy to begin with, they really dislike the heat and humidity. It's been a battle to keep them alive and healthy, much less get them to bloom. However, I am stubborn and this year it has paid off. So, welcome to the roses that are blooming in my garden today.

You'll note that there are no captions. That's because they would read something like "This one always gets infested with bugs!" Or, "This one was a gift from a friend many years ago and would probably be much happier in a cooler climate." (^.~)

]]><![CDATA["Instagrammable"]]>Sun, 11 May 2025 07:18:21 GMThttps://www.rarthurphoto.com/blog/instagramableSomething that has become increasingly common when visiting shrines or temples in Japan is the presence of instagrammable arrangements and displays. On the one hand, I don't particularly like them. I'd rather find interesting things to photograph on my own, thank you very much! On the other hand, who can resist? Apparently, not me!

I came across this while attending the Takatsuki Jazz Festival during Golden Week. It was located next the purification basin at a small temple. And, yes, there were people battling for the best location to take a photo. I was patient...

Barrel filled with flowers at a small temple in Takatsuki, Osaka Prefecture

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