#38: Bird's-Eye Buddha — February 7, 2013 The early bird apparently gets the Manga University Daibutsu, too.  (Photographed inside Higashi-Kawaguchi Station in Saitama Prefecture.)

  #37: Buddha & The Bear (and Gumi, too) — February 6, 2013 This cuddly teddy bear has a past that is shrouded in mystery. The tale is so sacred, it has been shared with only a handful of distinguished visitors to the Manga University Campus.  Today, we let the Manga University Daibutsu and Gumi in on the secret. You can ask.  But they're not telling ;-)

  #36: Punxsutawney Buddha — February 5, 2013 The Manga University Daibutsu sees his shadow. Six more weeks of winter weather.

  #35: Origami Buddha — February 4, 2013 The Manga University Daibutsu seems smitten with this little origami doll someone left atop an antique cabinet inside a warehouse we visited on our tour of Tochigi. 

  #34: Bean-Tossing Buddha — February 3, 2013 Setsubun is a holiday that marks the beginning of spring according the ancient Japanese lunar calendar.  Households throughout the country celebrate the holiday every February 3rd by tossing fukumame, roasted soybeans that are supposed to symbolize good luck, as the head of the household parades through the house wearing a demon's mask.  As they throw the beans, everyone shouts "Oni wa soto! Uchi ga fuku!" (Demons out! Happiness In!) The ritual is said to purify the home and bring luck to the family for another year.