Rock Bondage
Wandering around the Denpo-in garden the other day, I spied this rock. Why did it have twine tied around it like that?
It’s a biter, so it needs a muzzle?
Zen discipline?
A gift that got left out in the rain?
Nope, nope, and nope. According to my Japanese friend, it’s the old way of saying Do Not Enter! It was sitting in front of a teahouse that looked so inviting, I was tempted to plead ignorance, but the little bar they put up behind it was close enough to something people are familiar with all over the world, I knew I’d get caught.

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Jonelle Patrick View All
Writing mystery books set in Tokyo is mostly what I do, but I also blog about the odd stuff I see every day in Japan. I'm a graduate of Stanford University and the Sendagaya Japanese Institute in Tokyo, and a member of the International Thriller Writers, the Mystery Writers of America, and Sisters In Crime. When I'm not in Tokyo, I live in San Francisco. I also host a travel site called The Tokyo Guide I Wish I'd Had, so if you're headed to Japan and want to check out the places I take my friends when they're in town, take a look!