Category: Japan Photos
The most popular tourist attraction in Beppu, Oita Prefecture, is the “Hell Tour” 「Jigoku Meguri, 地獄巡遊」. There are 8 jigoku hot springs, all with unique features. This is Umi-jigoku 「海地獄」, known as “Ocean” or “Sea” ...
It took just 6 months for 20 000 labourers to build the stone base and walls of Nagoya Castle’s main tower, led by the legendary samurai Katō Kiyomasa 「加藤 清正」 in the early 1600s. Kiyomasa ...
This single building was what drew me to Daigo-ji 「Daigo Temple, 醍醐寺」 during one hot Kyoto summer (well that, plus I’m on a mission to see all of the 17 UNESCO World Heritage sites in ...
A showcase of photos from Hakone, Kyoto, Osaka and more, taken with the Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G lens… Before my autumn 2013 traveling in Japan, I purchased my first DSLR camera – the Nikon ...
Formally nishikigoi 「錦鯉」, the decorative carp is more commonly called koi 「鯉」 and since the 1800s has been bred purely for its aesthetics. The formal name nishikigoi literally means “brocaded carp”, brocade being the art ...
My first experience of Japan was strolling through the streets of Amerika-mura 「American Village, アメリカ村」 in Dotonbori, Osaka. A friend of mine was living nearby in Takahashi, Okayama Prefecture, when way back in 2009 I ...
Eat and live like a Japanese Zen Buddhist monk by staying at a temple in Japan. Shukubō 「Japanese temple lodgings, 宿坊」 are offered throughout the entire country. Zen Buddhist monks are vegetarian, and when staying ...
Like Japanese New Year celebrations, Christmas in Japan is done in a very unique way. Well over 80% of Japanese engage in various Shinto Buddhist practices, but aren’t exactly religious. In the lead up to ...
At larger shrines in Japan you will often find a small juyosho「visitors center, 授与所」 which as well as selling general information about the shrine (e.g. maps or a written history of the shrine), usually offers ...
Good luck in exams, safety in traffic, prosperity in business and finding someone to marry… all types of good fortune that can be obtained from a small amulet – the Japanese omamori 「お守り」. Omamori 「amulet, ...
Inside the Kyoto Imperial Palace are sparse and regal grounds. Numerous halls hold National Treasures. The park surrounding the Palace is a large, lush and green space in the middle of the city. One special ...
The convenient Japanese vending machine drink. The Kocha Kaden Royal Milk Tea is my go-to sweet tea drink. Royal Milk Tea contains real cow’s milk, unlike many other tea and coffee drinks, which use a ...
Asakusa is most famous for the iconic Senso-ji 「Senso Temple, 浅草寺」 with a huge lantern hanging from the main entrance gate, its long path lined with stalls and its five storied pagoda. From Asakusa Station, ...
Just about everything you see at a shrine in Japan is a symbol. At Kamigamo-jinja, 1 of 17 World Heritage sites in Kyoto, the most predominant symbols are two standing sand cones, immediately visible upon ...
On a Thursday morning in April, just before lunch time, Hiroshima is quiet. Very quiet. I take a little nap, head propped against my backpack, as I wait to check into a capsule hotel. The ...
Fushimi Inari Shrine is a lot more than just miles of paths lined with vermilion torii gates. Situated on Mount Inari 「Inari-yama, 稲荷山」 this UNESCO World Heritage site in Kyoto contains many sub-shrines, cemeteries, a ...
When travelling, I’m not the kind of person who makes time for shopping. But when I do shop, I usually find myself near a train station… Shopping centres are almost always found at or near ...
Mirrors in Buddhism are a symbol of how we perceive life, death and the universe. Mirrors reflect, with no bias or influenced perception, everything that they see. Buddhism says that the individual and the universe ...
The convenient Japanese coffee. It’s one of my tools for a day packed full of temple touring, shrine visits and shinkansen travel. This Kyoto Matcha (Green Tea) Latte 「京都抹茶ラテ」 was actually purchased from a convenience ...
Although Tokushima City has a population of a little over a quarter of a million people, the Awa Odori festival receives over 1 million visitors every year. Awa Odori is held on the same dates ...
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