I suspect that people who announce that there are taboos usually do it as part of a scheme to persuade the credulous that only they have the skill to ensure that the taboos are not broken - and so that they can then charge the credulous large amounts of money for their services.......

As I remember it this is part of the oral transmission and was no doubt exagerated to make sure the wingnut apprentice got the importance of the message.
I am surprised you don't have a picture of "credulous large amounts of money", or a taboo Herb.

Inky - Pictures of the credulous might annoy them, & pictures of large amounts of money might be difficult to arrange, but pictures of a taboo would be quite a challenge. Maybe verse would be better? E.g. -

I'm a taboo,
How do you do!
I terrify those,
Who haven't a clue....?

Hi John
we can send man to moon . but some people do not have good feeling on 13th of Friday, and when He /She is wishing some thing, peoples crossing their finger. :) :):)
Many of things you read on Sakuteiki are still hortilculturly and archectuarly make sense..........yama

Hi John.
we are reading and trying to understand old literature(s)with 21 century science back ground.
I was reading article of two Japanese inweb site you provided. I saved it in "favortes " /Aol. now I don't know where those information went to . I cannot find it . I cannot find it in "favorites" also I cannot see web site in this post either. will you give me that web site again ? yama

Mike...I'm not sure of the link you are missing. Was it the Environmentalism and Japanese Gardens link?
John