Round Museum

And what kind of bird lives in this house? There seems to be a new group each week!

08.10.25

Vacation is here, and the round of golf has started, but dude.... you have to fix your marks and divots. Your ball definitely hit the green here.

08.09.25

Bright yellow and growing in clusters, it would seem you’ve stumbled upon a Magical Donut Tree. On closer examination what we have here is a gang of golden oyster mushrooms, Pleurotus citrinopileatus, which are wood-decomposing saprobes that consume dying and fallen trees. Not quite a donut, but they are edible with a sweet, nutty flavor when sautéd with a little olive oil, butter and garlic until crispy and golden. Gather them up!

08.08.25

With its plate-sized inflorescence and bright yellow petals, a sunflower is built for attracting bees. And if you want a high yield seed-set in the end, you need them -- honeybees, native wild bees, or big ol' bumbles like this one. While sunflowers can self-pollinate, bees are much more effective for cross-pollinating from a wider area of sunflowers which creates genetic diversity and better seed production.

08.07.25

You never know what’s lurking beneath the surface. Sailors and explorers have shared tales of giant octopuses throughout history. In 1753, Danish bishop Pontoppidan wrote that the monster attacked ships and pulled them underwater. French malacologist Denys-Montfort published that the “kraken octopod" was the largest known organism in 1801. In first century Rome, our man Pliny the Elder told the tale of a giant 700 pound “polyp” with 30 foot tentacles that climbed out of the sea, up into a tree and over a fence in order to eat all the pickled fish stored in tubs on the shore.

When visiting shrines and temples in Japan, you can collect special red seal stamps called “goshuin,” which are unique calligraphic works of art that are a record of your visit. This stamp is from the Usagi Shrine at Tenjoyama Park in Lake Kawaguchi, near Mt. Fuji. The shrine was built in the early Kamakura period (1185-1333) for the deity "Uji Wakaroshi-no-mikoto,” the god of academic achievement. It is also associated with rabbits through the legend of "Mikaeri-Usagi," when a rabbit appeared to guide lost travelers to this place.

08.05.25

When I think of Kyoto, perhaps Japan’s most iconic city, my mind is filled with images of ancient temples, serene gardens, and bustling markets. Yet, one of the most evocative elements of Kyoto’s landscape is often overlooked: its iconic bridges. These bridges not only span the Kamo River but also serve as junctions between history, culture, and everyday life, creating tangible links that connect Kyoto’s past with its present.

The Kawaguchi Asama Shrine near Mount Fuji is one of about 1,300 “Asama” shrines around Japan which honor Mount Fuji and Konohanasakuya-hime, the cherry blossom princess and goddess of volcanoes. This large taiko drum is used in ritual drum performances, elaborate dances and festivals such as Daidai Mikagura, which are believed to calm the volcano’s eruptions. The sharp, swirling symbol in the center is a “mitsudomoe,” a common design with a set of three comma-like “tomoe” shapes arranged in a circle.

08.03.25

You might think a banjo would not play itself, but at the Kawaguchiko Music Forest Museum near Mt. Fuji, Japan, there is a little cabinet where the opposite is true. This banjo will speak to you. Turn a crank and maybe you’ll hear a little “Foggy Mountain Breakdown.” The museum exhibits a spectacular collection of automatic musical instruments, mechanical organs and antique music boxes. The world’s largest fairground organ, an "orchestrion” fills an entire room here, and had been originally designed for the Titanic.
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08.02.25

Since 1128 the grand temple of Heikenji (平間寺) has been a destination for locals and travelers from around the world. Known today as Kawasaki Daishi, the deities at the temple are said to have the power of Yakuyoke to ward off evil and misfortune. The temple belongs to the Chisan School of Shingon Buddhism. If you wander the grounds you can wash your hands in the lotus-shaped chozuya (手水舎) fountain, rub the enshrined Buddha to heal all your ills, or write your prayers on a wooden board for the temple's goma ceremonies.