iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

The only live craft demo at Maison & Objet #Paris (daily at stand N120/P119): master Yoshimasa Shibata's Magewappa #曲げわっぱ traditional #JapaneseCraft from #Akita. Watch cedar softened at 80℃ bent by hand; hear it creak at 32s 🪵 On site, win his demoed bento boxes 🍱 Father & son work with pure joy 🙂

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

At Maison & Objet #Paris to connect EU traders & journalists with #Japan wood pros for the Japanese Forestry Agency until Monday 🌳 DM me for press invites to film bent-woodware demos, touch 40+ artworks from Akita/Hakone/… and interview 1 of only 16 master craftsmen worldwide in English/French 🎤

"Welcome Home" banner at the entrance of the exhibition centre. In English, the event name means "Home & Object".

Map of this massive event at the entrance.

Inside Hall 6 (where I work), which extends far in all directions.

The master craftsman (centre) with his wife and son, behind objects he made (lunch boxes, cups, wine holder, matcha set box…) that you can see, touch, smell… on our booth N120/P119 (at the very end of Hall 6, on the right). To see him demo his crafts, 10:30-12:30 seems best.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

🧵3/ Most impressive at Matsuri Japan: Iwami Kagura! Kids went wild when the 8-headed serpent spilled into their ranks 🐍 Props reminded me of #Shinto mythical sites I explored in Shimane Prefecture in June. I enjoyed watching Susanoo overwhelmed then victorious, handing the heads to kids 🤩 #祭 #石見神楽

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

🧵2/ Nagai city (Yamagata) festival's mythical black lion roamed our hall, snapping its jaws over kids to ward off evil 🦁 Easily the longest "shishi" I've seen; its black & white tail fit 10+ kids from the audience underneath 🖤 Matsuri #Japan surprised even Japanese parents. #祭 #ながい黒獅子まつり #長井市

Festival performers on stage alongside a traditional black lion costume, whose long fabric body extends into the audience area.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

🧵1/ In #Tokyo now & tomorrow: Matsuri Japan festival inside Takanawa Gateway Convention Centre. Organised yearly by Happo-en. Kudos to the performers of the dragon dance from Nagasaki Prefecture; 10 intense minutes 🐉 matsuri-japan.happo-en.com/2026/ #祭 #龍踊り

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

🧵2/ The blizzard tunnel was so immersive that I got (safely) dizzy 🌀 A great reminder of why I moved to #Japan in 2003: #VR research. This perfect cool escape from Tokyo's scorching summer for all ages runs until 27 September. Stop by the nearby giant Gundam robot afterwards! dainankyokuten.jp #未来館

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

🧵1/ I just touched 1,000s-year-old Antarctic ice 🧊 while exploring the interactive #Antarctica exhibition at #Tokyo Miraikan with a VR researcher friend and his family! Organized with #Japan National Institute of Polar Research, it covers 70 years of polar history in English & Japanese 👍🏻

Touching big blocks of Antarctic ice with my left hand.

Walls of bilingual explanations in English and Japanese, with drawings and photos.

Photo of me before the poster of the Antarctica exhibition at the entrance of the Miraikan (National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, literally translated as "Hall Of The Future").

Miraikan seen from an automated elevated train (Yurikamome line departing from Shimbashi station).

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

🍜 Back to life thanks to cold vegan #ramen inside Tokyo station at T's Tantan: Mexican spices whiff, salsa, crunchy tortilla chip, avocado, and veggie rainbow on bamboo-charcoal rice-based noodles. Squeeze the lemon over then taste 🍋 1,480 yen. #VeganJapan #VeganTokyo

Chopsticks over a plate of ramen, holding spicy black sesame mixed noodles, cold salsa style.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Great lunch with Japanese partners in Tokyo yesterday! I shared cross-cultural tips for their upcoming business trip to Paris and highly recommended Riuzen in Fukui (best sauce-based #vegan soba I ate in Japan in 21 years) 🥢 It felt good to be useful while discussing my next steps: job hunting…

Lunch set at Riuzen. Buckwheat noodles (top right) and 3 sauces: watershield and grated yam (centre), sesame (bottom left), and mushrooms and grated radish (top left).

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

🧵26/ Finally, Amaterasu's grandson Ninigi ruled and planted earth's first rice field using Amaterasu's heavenly seeds 🌾 His great-grandson Jimmu became #Japan first emperor, far from Shimane 👑 Enjoy #Kashihara city like me: Jimmu's enthronement site (Kashihara Shrine), Jimmu's tomb (just beside)…

Sébastien Duval wearing a samue at the Mausoleum of Emperor Jimmu in Kashihara in 2016. I went there many times.

Sébastien Duval wearing a samue before a giant votive plaque at Kashihara Shrine in the year of the monkey 2016. I went there many times.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

🧵25/ Okuninushi exchanged his earthly realm for a bedrock-rooted heaven-reaching palace: Izumo-taisha ⛩️ Every 10th lunar month, Japan's 8 million gods gather here to decide fate 🌙 #Shimane Prefecture celebrates this Month With Gods 🥂 Meanwhile, the rest of #Japan cautiously spends a Godless Month ⚠️

Shrine maiden wearing a pair of red hakama trousers, a white kosode short-sleeved top, and a white hair ribbon, walking at Izumo-taisha.

Grand hall for performance of traditional rituals at Izumo-taisha, featuring the largest sacred straw rope in Japan.

Izumo-taisha's prayer hall (left) and eight-legged gate (right) with mountains mostly hidden by clouds in the background.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

🧵24/ During negotiations, Okuninushi's son Ebisu (sea safety & business god) was enshrined at Cape Jizozaki (🧵2/17/22). Head of 3,000+ Ebisu shrines worldwide, Miho Shrine welcomes you daily (08:30 & 15:30) with free #kagura dances 🤩 Bad timing for me but I saw the blue-during-rain paving 🌧

Roadside welcome monument at Cape Jizozaki, featuring Ebisu (left) holding a fish and bamboo rod.

Miho Shrine main hall surrounded by forest.

Inside of Miho Shrine main hall with beautiful wooden beams and wooden foldable seats. A taiko drum is partly visible on the right.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

🧵23/ As Okuninushi completed nation-building, Amaterasu decreed her lineage should rule. After consecutive envoys failed to acquire his land, the final negotiators met Okuninushi at Inasa Beach 🏖️ When you visit, join its famous sand-exchange ritual and watch where 8 million gods arrive annually!

Sébastien Duval wearing a samue at Inasa Beach during the rainy season. In the background, a big rock features a Shinto gate, small shrine, and vegetation.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

🧵22/ Fleeing his 80 brothers, Okuninushi met and fell in love with one of Susanoo's daughters ❤️ After deadly trials, Susanoo allowed their wedding but ordered Okuninushi to build a nation & palace 👑 He began his quest by partnering with a tiny son of Kamimusubi met at Cape Jizozaki (🧵2 & 17) 🌊

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

🧵21/ Beside, Shimizu-gawa Shrine uniquely houses 3 deities of regeneration (Okuninushi's mother and the clam goddesses) famed for illness recovery and #MindReset 🙏🏻 As my 8-year job at Japan Travel KK ends in 5 weeks, praying here felt profoundly timely, reflecting on my life, career, and next step 🔮

Flowers and tall grass covered the path to Okuninushi's resurrection spot.

A stone sign marks where Okuninushi resurrected.

Shimizu-gawa Shrine looks like a simple modern house surrounded by forest.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

🧵20/ Okuninushi's mother secured help from Kamimusubi "Sacred Generative Force" primordial god, who dispatched two clam goddesses. Dissolving shell powder in water, they healed Okuninushi's burns and resurrected him as a handsome youth 🐚 The residents use Shimizu-i pure-water well in everyday life💧

Shimizu-i well, accessible using stone steps.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

🧵19/ The grateful hare prophesied Okuninushi would marry a local goddess. Jealous, his brothers tricked him into catching a "red boar", actually a rolling-down red-hot boulder that burnt him to death 🐗 That boulder is deeply buried & sealed at Akaiiwa Shrine so that it doesn't defile the land 🪨

Wooden votive plaques featuring Okuninushi and the mythical red boar.

Cursed boulder deeply buried & sealed at Akaiiwa Shrine, surrounded by a stone fence, beside a holy tree, with the hall in the background.

Holy trees with impressive moss-covered roots at Akaiiwa Shrine.

Entrance of Akaiiwa Shrine, with lion-dog guarding both sides of the path, and with the well-maintained red hall visible beyond the Shinto gate.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

🧵18/ Crossing the sea from Oki Islands, a hare was skinned by sharks 🦈 Ame-no-Fuyukinu's cruel sons incited it to wash in harsh seawater 🌊 Arriving last, youngest Okuninushi cured the hare with a freshwater bath then rest on reeds! See the healing pond & reeds (+ sand sculpture) at Hakuto Shrine 🐇

Sand sculpture by Kenta Hanai featuring the hare of Inaba, Okuninushi (right) and the local goddess Yagami-hime (left).

Temizu-ya with a Hare Of Inaba figurine providing the holy water.

Orange-brown healing pond surrounded by trees.

Hall of Hakuto Shrine, with a giant sacred straw rope at the entrance, trees on both sides, and the Japanese flag waving in the wind on the left.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

🧵17/ Susanoo's great-great-grandson (also Ame-no-Fuyukinu's father) Omizunu wanted to enlarge Izumo so he pulled & sewed lands from afar: Matsue from Oki Islands, Cape Jizozaki (🧵2) from Noto Peninsula… 🗾 #PrincessMononoke fans: Omizunu's deer-and-tree aspect inspired the Forest Spirit 🦌

Sébastien Duval at Ryuzugataki, one of Japan's 100 great waterfalls, during the rainy season. In addition to the rain, water from the falls was flying in all directions at the bottom!

Colourful holy Wedded Rocks linked by a rope at Cape Jizozaki. The large rock with trees represents the husband; the small one (centre right) represents the wife. The "husband" was vividly orange.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

🧵16/ Furthermore, Susanoo created #Japan first fire where Matsue's Kumano-taisha stands ⛩️ This Shrine Of First Fire houses a dedicated thatched hall and holds every 15 October the major Sanka-sai Fire #Festival, during which fire is revered as Susanoo's living spirit 🔥 I'd love to join; you?

Thatched fire-making hall with a forest in the background, during the rainy season.

Tunnel of red torii Shinto gates beside a wooden one in the forest.

Sébastien Duval's head, tiny below a giant holy straw rope.

Plaza with the main hall and its giant sacred straw rope on the left, and with the ceremonial dance pavilion on the right, with trees in the background, under a grey sky.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

🧵15/ Don't confuse Suga & Susa shrines. Susanoo made Susa Shrine his final/true home ⛩️ Walk around to find the seawater well he used to purify the land, shadowless cherry tree (east of Amaterasu's #Shinto shrine), mountain with white light (star!) predicting good/bad harvests, 1,300 y.o. holy cedar…

Holy seawater well at Susa shrine, fenced with wood.

Holy "shadowless" cherry tree east of Susa shrine, in a rice field, with mountains in the background, during the rainy season.

Board in Japanese explaining that white light visible on the mountain is a star predicting good/bad harvests. The mountain is unsurprisingly hidden by clouds during the rainy season.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

🧵14/ Clouds arising as his palace was completed, storm god Susanoo composed the first ever waka poem, naming the area #Izumo (= emerging clouds): The many-fenced palace of Izumo Of the many clouds rising— To dwell there with my spouse Do I build a many-fenced palace: Ah, that many-fenced palace!

Clouds partly hiding mountains in the green countryside of ancient Izumo province.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

🧵13/ Yamata-no-Orochi defeated, Susanoo found a spot so suga-suga-shii (= refreshing) that he built a palace there to live with Kushinada-hime. First ever #Shinto shrine, it's Suga Shrine ⛩️ Buying charms at this must-visit cradle of gods for me, home & friends felt extra-ordinary. #Japan fan? Go!

Ancient stone gate framing successive stairs leading to the main hall of Suga Shrine, with two tall trees and a hill in the background, under a grey sky. The carved writing at the bottom left is the name of the shrine.

Main building of Suga Shrine, with its golden name on a wooden board at the top, wooden seats on a red carpet, and more.

Wooden votive plaque cutely illustrated with sake jars, and Susanoo in ancient white clothes cutting the heads of drunken Yamata-no-Orochi.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

🧵12/ Susanoo offered the Heavenly Sword Of Gathering Clouds to Amaterasu via Ame-no-Fuyukinu ☁️ A sword-offering ritual remains celebrated on New Year's Eve at Hinomisaki Shrine ⛩️ Protecting #Japan at night, it's in a sense a Top 2 #Shinto shrine (distant #Ise Shrine guards Japan by daytime) 🌌

Sébastien Duval under the rain at Hinomisaki Shrine, with numerous oracle papers attached on the right, and with the main red building visible in the background.

Numerous wooden shrines on the left at Hinomisaki Shrine, with a red shrine beyond stairs on the right, during the rainy season. The rope represents the sky, the vertical straw represents rain, and the white zigzags represent lightning.

Sacred island featuring a white Shinto gate and numerous birds under grey & black clouds.

Coast of Cape Hinomisaki, with a calm sea, numerous tiny islands, and mountains partly hidden by clouds.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

🧵11/ From the valley-spanning Yamata-no-Orochi's tail, far off on Mount Sentsu, Susanoo pulled a sword that's now 1 of 3 imperial treasures. Rainy season clouds hid the panorama… Perfect fit while I hiked and for the summit monument dedicated to the storm god's Heavenly #Sword Of Gathering Clouds ☁️

Slippery vegetation-covered path while hiking to the summit of Mount Sentsu during the rainy season.

Misty clearing with flowers while hiking just before reaching the summit of Mount Sentsu during the rainy season.

Sébastien Duval beside the monument marking where Susanoo found the Heavenly Sword Of Gathering Clouds, at the summit of Mount Sentsu, under a grey sky.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

🧵10/ Susanoo beheaded the drunk-asleep Yamata-no-Orochi, buried its 8 heads in a circle, and planted 8 cedars above to prevent resurrection 🌲 Sadly no go-shuin/charms at the underwhelming Hii shrine 170m east. Go & drop a donation to help enhance this unassuming mythical #Shinto power spot ⛩️

Illustration of Susanoo fighting Yamata-no-Orochi, surrounded by sake jars.

8 thin cedars planted by Susanoo above the heads of Yamata-no-Orochi, with modern houses just behind, under menacing clouds.

Cedar seen from its foot, forking toward a grey sky.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

🧵9/ Susanoo used 8 sake jars to get the 8-headed Yamata-no-Orochi drunk 🏺 One remains at Inze-no-tsubogami, buried under stones after a mortal caused terrifying omens by touching it! The 8 neighbouring exorcizing gohei wands are a sight I've never encountered elsewhere during my 20+ years in Japan.

Hill where the Inze-no-tsubogami jar is buried.

Shinto gate marking the entrance of the holy grounds. Vegetation covers the path going through.

Small wooden Shinto shrine at the top of the hill, surrounded by a forest. The fenced area on the left protects the mythical jar.

Rocks covering the buried cursed jar, beside a line of 8 arrow-shaped exorcizing wands firmly planted in the ground, fenced in a narrow area, with trees in the background.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

🧵8/ Susanoo brewed potent sake in a cauldron where the Kama-ishi rock remains. This myth revealing humans inherited sake-making from Shinto gods cements Shimane as the birthplace of #sake and its cultural importance. I tasted local ones at an izakaya in Izumo city… incredibly fine & flavourful 🍶

Clearing in the forest, arriving at Kama-ishi rock.

Kama-ishi rock with a "Kama-ishi" sign in Japanese.

Bottle & glass of Izumo-Fuji sake by Fuji-shuzo small local sake brewery. The name of the sake comes from the area (Izumo) and from the belief this sake would be loved like Mount Fuji. The blue label features the name of the sake in Japanese, and clouds in a "Mount Fuji" formation.

Black label of Rihachi sake by the small local Tanabe Takeshita Brewery. That sake notably won a gold award at the 2025 International Wine Challenge.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

🧵7/ There, Susanoo started an epic quest, vowing to save Kushinada-hime from the unimaginably huge 8-headed 8-tailed serpent Yamata-no-Orochi (fans of #Naruto know the name!) 🐍 Its lair Ama-ga-fuchi sits along the Hii River, fed by Torikami Falls. In Japan, the sacred number 8 symbolizes a myriad ♾️

Traditional woodblock print with Susanoo, Kushinada-hime and her parents.

Ama-ga-fuchi: Hii River water surrounded by a lush forest during the rainy season.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

Yep! The mailbox to message the dead is the brown box centre-right on this photo. The box bottom-left is for donations. Letters are regularly taken out then burnt as part of a ritual (burning writings to transmit prayers/messages to gods, etc. is standard in Japanese culture).

Mailbox to message the dead at the entrance of the underworld in Shimane prefecture.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

🧵6/ Izanagi's needed purification birthed gods: Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi, Susanoo (fans of #Naruto know the name!). Banished from heaven for upsetting his father & sister, Susanoo descended to Torikami on Mount Sentsu 🏞️ I hiked to its falls, roaring in a quiet forest due to the rainy season 🥾

Torikami Falls hiking course was slightly submerged in many places due to the rainy season.

Torikami Falls left & centre, with the path leading to Mount Sentsu summit on the right.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

🧵5/ In the world of the dead to rescue Izanami, Izanagi was so horrified by her decay that he fled, sealing the path behind him with a boulder at Yomotsu Hirasaka 🪨 I stood at that border today in heavy rain, praying for my dog 🐕 There's even a mailbox to message the dead 📮

Path to Yomotsu Hirasaka, with a bamboo grove and blue hydrangeas.

Rocky torii Shinto gate marking the entrance of Yomotsu Hirasaka.

Boulder marking the entrance of the underworld at Yomotsu Hirasaka. Which boulder? The one that you feel is the right one, according to the locals…

Sign above the mailbox to message the dead, to tell them your love (thoughts & thanks). Donating 110 yen is considered appropriate to cover the stamps for the underworld, according to the locals…

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

🧵4/ Arriving at Izanami's tomb (Kume Shrine Oku-no-miya) was dramatic. The forest opened to a broken torii #Shinto gate, something I had not seen in 20+ years in #Japan! It felt apocalyptic, like stepping into a dark manga; I was stunned… After catching my breath, I walked to pay my respects.

Broken torii Shinto gate just before reaching Izanami's tomb.

Sign indicating that the mound behind is Izanami's holy tomb, at Kume Shrine Oku-no-miya.

Izanami's tomb at Kume Shrine Oku-no-miya.

Sébastien Duval praying at Kume Shrine Oku-no-miya, at the summit of Mount Hiba.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

🧵3/ Burnt to death birthing a fire god, Izanami was buried at the summit of Mount Hiba (Kojiki's first named peak). My hike there today was quest-like: misty forest, spiderwebs, eerie birdsong, climbing chain, overgrown paths… Chilly yet sweaty 🌫️ It felt exactly like in some movies 🕷️

Path on leaves, rocks and logs with a sign mentioning 700m to reach the summit of Mount Hiba.

I used that chain while climbing Mount Hiba. It was extremely useful (much safer) when going down on the way back!

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

🧵2/ Heaven & seas first came into existence then primordial gods. The last primordial gods Izanagi & Izanami wed then birthed islands: Awaji → Shikoku → Oki. Luckily, I caught a glimpse of the Oki Islands today from Cape Jizozaki! Sadly, the rainy season haze made them too faint for photos.

Coast, sea and horizon seen from Cape Jizozaki during the rainy season.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

I savoured a flabbergasting vegan carrot cake gooey cookie at Ovgo Baker Edo Street in Tokyo, just after fasting for my free annual health check 🥕 This big 3D dessert with crinkled exterior was delicately crisp and surprisingly spicy 🍪 Go test if you can identify its hidden ingredients! #VeganTokyo

Vegan carrot cake gooey cookie with the interior of Ovgo Baker Edo Street bakery in the background. This 3D dessert has a brown crinkled exterior and a white creamy top.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

I just savoured a seasonal gluten-free vegan "yuzu jasmine cookie" takeaway from Ovgo Baker Edo Street in Tokyo 🍋 This large golden snack blending yuzu peels and jasmine tea leaves has a botanical whiff and is delicately crispy 🍪 Wholesome & unique! #VeganJapan #VeganTokyo

Golden vegan yuzu jasmine cookie on a plate at my home, beside my finger to understand its size.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 12/04/2026

Never eaten before: vegan mentaiko (明太子)! Komeda Is Higashi-Ginza's rare plant-based mentaiko cream pasta was delicious 🍝 Go taste this Japanese savoury spicy red dish with a unique popping texture (originally fish eggs)… 🌶️ Creative & surprising #VeganTokyo #VeganJapan 👍

Plant-based mentaiko cream pasta at Komeda Is Higashi-Ginza. The yellow creamy pasta is topped with red vegan mentaiko and dark-green stripes of nori seaweed. A tree is visible in the background.

Empty plate: my first vegan mentaiko cream pasta was delicious!

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

A real treat after guiding 11 days, transferring from KIX to Tokyo home: my usual Vegan Paitan Spicy Ramen at Ramen Kiou under Shin-Osaka Station 🍜 You'd love its sumptuous soup 🌶️🌶️! Bowl emptied; no better proof 🙂 Appeasing & energising, quick slurpers, 1680 yen… #VeganOsaka #VeganJapan

Noodles held by chopsticks above an orange broth with a floating slice of vegan meat.

Menu describing the dish in Japanese & English.

Policy of the restaurant: separate cookware for vegan dishes, etc.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

🧵19/ At Kakurinbo on Mount #Minobu for a hands-on #VeganJapan cooking lesson (bento: inari-zushi, maki-zushi, pickles, yuba) then lunch on our work + natto + yuba crisps + amazake ice cream. National award-winner for yuba & pasta, the chef uses Akebono soybeans protected by the Japanese government 👩‍🍳

Group making maki-zushi, with rice on nori on a bamboo tray.

Traveller making inari-zushi, stuffing fried thin tofu with vinegared rice.

Traveller showing the plate she prepared: maki-zushi (bottom), pickles (top left), and inari-zushi (top right).

Local hoto noodles (top), yuba (middle right), natto with crispy yuba (middle left), tofu (bottom right).

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

🧵18/ Gorgeous weeping cherry tree in full bloom at Kuon-ji temple on Mount #Minobu. Such silence; just a few footsteps on gravel… Local temple stays with English-speaking staff are available (enjoy the morning prayer/chants and Buddhist cuisine) 💡 #CherryBlossoms #Yamanashi #JapanTravel

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

🧵17/ Dense hour at Kuon-ji (Nichiren Buddhism head temple) on Mount #Minobu: weeping cherry trees in full bloom, #Japan 4th-tallest wooden pagoda, 287 steps (for those motivated), a painted dragon watching you from the ceiling wherever you stand in the main hall, monk chants… #Yamanashi #JapanTravel

View of Minobu town in full bloom from Kuon-ji temple.

Pink weeping cherry trees in full bloom, red religious building, and carefully-shaped pine trees at Kuon-ji Buddhist temple.

Me before a gorgeous light-pink weeping cherry tree and a smaller vibrant pink one under a big blue sky that cleared just before our departure from Kuon-ji Buddhist temple.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

🧵16/ Hello #Yamanashi! Arriving on Mount #Minobu as all weeping cherry trees reach full bloom. While Japan is famous for #CherryBlossoms, these cascading branches are a rare ethereal sight 🌸 I've been 20+ years in Japan, yet it's my first time seeing this beauty 🙂 #JapanTravel #sakura

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

🧵14/ Next at #Shizuoka Shirakabe: faeric Kyoboku #rotemburo carved from a 1,200 y.o. African rosewood tree that you can't import anymore. After smooth stone, this bumpy wood felt alive, remarkably warm under my feet. Even the steps are wood! This unique open-air experience combo rejuvenated me ♨️

My feet & legs inside Kyoboku, with water flowing in from stone on the right, with a wooden roof above, and with trees beyond in front of me. Photo taken with special authorization from Shirakabe's manager.

My left foot & leg inside Kyoboku, showing wooden textures and bumps. Photo taken with special authorization from Shirakabe's manager.

Kyoboku bath, with water flowing in from stone at the centre. Photo taken with special authorization from Shirakabe's manager.

Kyoboku bath, with water flowing in from stone at the centre, wooden steps on both sides, and the (pre-)washing area on the left. Photo taken with special authorization from Shirakabe's manager.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

🧵13/ Early morning inside Kyoseki #rotemburo at #Shizuoka Shirakabe. This unique 3-ton bath was carved from a 20-million-year-old volcanic rock polished by river waters. Soaking at 43℃ while watching misty mountains felt exactly like I wanted to be. Perfect silence, just water flowing ♨️ #JapanTravel

My legs & feet inside Kyoseki bath, alone, with trees in view, and misty mountains beyond. Photo taken with special authorization from Shirakabe's manager.

Kyoseki bath: water flowing in from a wooden canal on the left, bathing area at the centre, rocky perimeter around, and stone steps leading back to the entrance on the right. Photo taken with special authorization from Shirakabe's manager.

Kyoseki bath area, with green trees and pink flowers on the left, and the 3-ton rock that you'd climb to bath on the right. Photo taken with special authorization from Shirakabe's manager.

Wooden path of the building leading back to the entrance hall, with a garden on the left and water featuring carps in between.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

🧵12/ Final dinner at #Shizuoka Shirakabe. I'm grateful to the chef for this vegan seasonal dream! Highlights: cherry blossom tofu, Amagi watercress, slowly simmered furofuki-daikon (@miyokoschinner.bsky.social's favourite Japanese dish?), beautiful assortment… Some were flabbergasted ✨ #VeganJapan

Yellow furofuki-daikon topped by a pink cherry blossom decoration.

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

🧵11/ At #Shizuoka Gyokuro-no-sato, rare #matcha calligraphy met a premium Gyokuro #tea ceremony 🍵 The ink browns over months, making the art feel alive 🖌️ I loved the duo of traditional master in kimono + modern USA-experienced teacher. Great inspiration for the 2027 Green Expo! #JapanTravel

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 23/03/2026

🧵10/ Had a lovely local lunch at #Shizuoka Gyokuro-no-sato roadside station! Highlights included matcha buckwheat noodles, matcha warabi-mochi for dessert, and even #matcha salt for the tempura. The hot pot cover looked like Mount Fuji, spotted on the way! Such a #VeganJapan treat 🍵

Lunch set with a hot pot (top left) for the udon noodles (centre left).

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 23/03/2026

🧵9/ Soul-stirring Suruga Take-sensuji-zaiku #craft at #Shizuoka Takumishuku 🎋 Watch Master (only 4 worldwide!) Shigeyasu Sugiyama in action. I loved interpreting as he guided our group's hands through delicate bamboo work. "Safe" knife that splits (no cuts); then quite some shopping! #JapanTravel

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Sébastien Duval @sebastienplus.bsky.social · 23/03/2026

🧵8/ What does your #breakfast look like? Our experience was regional at Shirakabe inn: we grated fresh local #Shizuoka #wasabi to top fried tofu and seasonal sides. As surprising & fun as delicious! Plus, plenty of local green tea (coffee OK too) 🍵 #VeganJapan

Fried tofu with toppings such as ginger.

Entrance of Shirakabe inn, welcoming, relaxing, and warm.

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