Hello! &hlp
I am currently in Japan for three weeks. My trip will be Hiroshima > Kure > Takehara > Onomichi > Kurashiki > Osaka [+Nara, Kobe, Himeji] > Kyoto. :) :)
I will try to post my pictures here daily, but editing the RAW on this 13" thinkpad isn't the easiest thing. :-[
I am shooting using my D3200 and a few different lenses. (8mm fisheye, 30mm 1.4, 50mm 1.8, 35-70mm, 70-300mm.) and my Nikon FE armed with a few 200 and 800 iso rolls, which I plan on shooting only the best with it.
The plane trip went very well. Quite satisfied of KLM even in Economy, lots of food and drinks and quite enough legroom in the 777. I arrived this morning at Kansai International Airport and took the train directly to Hiroshima. (Haruka + Nozomi shinkansen) It was around lunch when I arrived at Hiroshima and checked in my hostel.
Not a lot of pictures for this afternoon sadly and not the best quality either. I was extremely tired due to not having had a single minute of sleep in 24+ hours. (got home at midnight to get up at 4am and go to the airport to make sure i was in time for my first flight to Amsterdam, then 4 hours to wait for my second flight to KIX, couldn't sleep at all during the flight... I just can't sleep while seating.) and a blister on my foot doesn't help either.
Anyway enough chit chat, here are some pictures I took around the Shukkeien. Which is a traditional Japanese garden that survived the atomic bombing.
I have uploaded all my pictures over at Flickr (my profile (https://www.flickr.com/photos/145935127@N08/)). Click the pictures for full size. nb: they're heavy.
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Here it is for today. Hope you enjoyed it.
What do you hear about great SC4 Japanese sites today ?
Oh boy your pictures soo make me miss my time in Japan. I spent 14 years in that wonderful and beautiful country.
My time there really opened up my eyes to a different way of living and learn to live without a lot and be so ever thankful for my simple possessions.
The Japanese people are the friendliest and most kind people in all of Asia.
If one spent the time to study the Japanese history, one will know that Japan has literally been around for thousands of years. My wife and I also visited Kyota and Nara and was in awe the age of their temples, AD 1000 and beyond.
Glad you have been able to make it to Japan Arthur :thumbsup:
I wonder if you can take some photos of the rail infrastructure while you are over there?
Hope you enjoy your stay ;)
-eggman121 (Stephen)
Hello again. Thank you for viewing the pictures. :)
Stephen, what kind of rail infrastructure you want? Well I can pretty much guess what use you will have of those photos..... :) :) ;)
Today the rain started to fall early afternoon so I couldn't finish what I had planned. Hopefully they forecast sunshine all day tomorrow so I will pick up where I left.
This morning i went to the Mazda museum, being a car enthusiast and wanting to own a miata and fc3s, it was only natural. I will upload these photos last as cars maybe aren't what people like. Also I take a habit to photograph any car I spot that I consider rare (as in I never see in the streets around Paris, so rare to me), again I will post these at the end.
I had one of the best lunch of my life, some Wakame Udon for 500yen. I've never had such good food for that low.
For the afternoon I wanted to walk around the peace memorial, but when I arrived rain started to come down a lot, so I had to abort and get on a tram home.
Here are some pictures:
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You can finish now if cars aren't your cup of tea.
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Nissan Stagea 260RS, one of my favorite station wagon.
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Mazda R360. Mazda first passenger car, powered by a rear engine and rear wheel drive.
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Mazda Chantez
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Mazda RX3 Savanna GT
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Mazda Cosmo Sport L10A/B
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The Autozam AZ-1. One of the cutest little car ever created. It has gulf-wing doors.
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Classic NA MX5 "Miata". Best selling roadster. I want one.
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FB RX7, another classic.
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FD3S RX7, one of the most beautiful car ever designed.
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Mazda Cosmo JC
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ND MX5 RF. Sat at the wheel, it felt pretty good. Leather seat was comfortable and the shifting was short, unlike my 206.
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And to finish, the almighty 787B. Winner of Le Mans 1991, making it the first Japanese car to win Le Mans, and the only to date car using a Rotary Engine to do so. As a result of the butthurt of the FIA (as per usual), Rotary engines were banned the next year.
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I hope you liked these pictures too!
Tomorrow I will be going to Itsukushima, the Peace Memorial again and the Castle.
Excellent!
And I used to have a Mazda 323 BG. Very comfortable and reliable car. I would never change it if it were not for our Russian harsh climate.
Thank you so much for those pictures. Very instructive. I never was in Japan. For some I could need some explanation/comment. What are those people with the umbrellas doing?
[EDIT]
Ah, okay - on Flickr you say: "peace memorial prayer".
Hi Hi. A little late on the posting (It's already 9AM here) but I was tired yesterday and couldn't finish.
Yes the people around the cenotaph were singing prayers.
Yesterday it was sunshine alright. Maybe too much. $%Grinno$% As I said I went to Miyajima to see the Itsukushima shrine, then finished the peace memorial (not a lot of picture opportunity there sadly since there was a lot of people, specially school groups) and then went to the Castle.
Inside the castle are exhibits about the life during the samurai etc. No pictures allowed inside though. Also you can climb all the way up the keep tower for a nice view. It's 7 high floors and there are no lifts.... :D
Let's start off with the Miyajima island and the Itsukushima shrine with its big red well known Torii floating on water.
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Some more pictues of the Peace Memorial
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Memorial to the student mobilized after the bombing
Some pictures in the city
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And finally the Castle. The original castle was completely destroyed as a result of the bombing, with the entire wooden structure collapsing and being blown away by the blast. It survived the fire by being not that close to the epicenter. It was rebuilt in wood during the 60s.
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That's all for today! Now I'm off to Iwakuni and the Kintai bridge... Cya!
No replies... ()sad() ()sad()
Oh well I will proceed anyway.
So today I went to Iwakuni to see the kintai bridge and the castle.
The world famous Kintai Bridge with the castle in the background, up on the mountain.
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A view of the bridge from the other side.
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Iwakuni castle. Pretty little castle located in a very good position top of a mountain surrounded by the river.
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The view from the top, spectacular.
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Next pics are of some castles and shrines along the park between the bridge and the castle ropeway.
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Nishi-Iwakuni Station while waiting for the train to come.
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A picture I forgot to post I took in some backalleys in Hiroshima.
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As for the car spots of the day, I stumbled upon these two while coming back from the bridge to the station through some back street. In two houses side by side.
Nissan Skyline R33 GTR
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Nissan Skyline R34 GTT or GTR, hard to tell without the badge. My guess is GTT to drift it.
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Hope you liked those again!
Today was my last day in Hiroshima. Sad to leave such a beautiful city but I have to move up the coast. Tomorrow I will check in Kure.
Thank you so much for sharing the pictures. I have a special relationship with Japan and looking at your images really makes me sentimental... (and checking my options to be there again :D).
Funny... I didn't know that bridge actually existed... :-[ I hadn't seen any "real image" of it before. Well, I knew it had to exist somewhere, somewhen or somehow, but it was sort of an abstract idea of existence, not a "real" one. Thanks for sharing and revealing the entity of Kintai Bridge... :D
I really enjoy your pictures.
btw: So much envy. I would love to visit Japan.
Looks like you are enjoying Japan, as I knew you would.
Oh that bridge is very real and also very old, built in 1673. It is such a beautiful architecture and engineering feast.
Arne, nothing to envy really. It probably wasn't the best idea financially to visit Japan but I was so tired of all the bullshit at work I just needed the vacation far away badly. (That or I would have done something really regrettable.)
Today I arrived in Kure. It's not a big city like Hiroshima but it isn't my main destination. That's only where my hotel is located. Otherwise, my goal is Takehara located some 50km away... Sadly all the hotels there were booked or way too expensive. (not paying 300 euros for a night lol, that's what I'm spending in total for hostels.... :D )
Still the city got its charm alright. And well there were still a few things I wanted to see here. You see the date i chose to visit Takehara is the date of the Bamboo Light Festival which happens as well in my absolute favorite anime Tamayura... I wanted to do kind of a pilgrimage to see the main sights that happen during the anime. Kure has a few spots in the anime as well.
The big propeller of the Yamato Battleship (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_battleship_Yamato)
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That's it for today. Thanks again for viewing the pictures!
Great report! :thumbsup:
How I wanted to go there too ... &ops
Thankyou for posting these pictures. I have many fond memories of travels in Japan. I don't think I've ever experienced a more friendly people and everything is so stunning and a true visual feast! The kintai bridge looks brilliant :thumbsup:
Beautiful Japan cities, lanscapes, buildings, power lines etc... Keep posting anything about Japan! :thumbsup:
Thanks for the comments, views and likes.
It's never too late Alan, specially now that plane tickets are getting cheaper.
I bought my flight 3 weeks in advance (That's pretty late) and got it for 750 euros wth KLM from CDG to KIX. Sure I had a 4h stop at Amsterdam, but still pretty good.
Japanese people really are very polite. It is part of their society and I believe is what stands them apart from other people on earth.
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Yesterday I went to see what I wanted to the most. The Takehara Bamboo light festival. It is featured heavily in the anime Tamayura so ever since I have seen that anime I wanted to go there.
The reality i that it's crowded. But it's still nice!
For two nights around the end of October (this year was 27-28) they crave bamboos and put candles in them and lay them all around the historical district of the city. It gives for some very nice views of the streets and temples.
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The anime being based in this small town, it obviously is plastered everywhere... Not that I mind of course, I like it.
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Statue of Momoneko... Some kind of cat divinity? It also is featured a lot in Tamayura.
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The old Hinomaru photo studio.... Featured in the anime as well.
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The old district
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Stairs to Saihoji Temple
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View from the same stairs
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...Same Temple...
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Shogunji Temple. This temple and its view is featured a lot in Tamayura too, being one of the main spot the characters hang out. I didn't go further in because I would have had to remove my shoes and there were also a LOT of nasty (though harmless) spiders.
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Folk Culture museum.
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Shoren-ji Temple
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Some small alley prepared for the festival..
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Old street. This was taken around the corner of the restaurant Horikawa, which serves very tasty Okonomiyaki. It is also featured massively in the anime Tamayura. Because of that the price are a bit high compared to the other Okonomiyaki I ate in Hiroshima. (1250yen, which is still about half of what it would cost in Paris.) The queue was long, very long. I waited 1h45 before I could eat. :D (It was worth it though)
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Going back to the station..
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Along the way are several signs attached to the arcades showing the different characters from the Anime. This is the main charachter Fuu-chan
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Kao-tan
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BONUS: Massive panorama of the city taken from Shogunji Temple.
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Car spot of the day, Nissan Silvia S15 Itasha style.
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Hope you liked today's picture as well!
I don't think I will take any pictures today. I'm tired. I've been walking km non stop since I arrived a week ago. And I pretty much saw all there is to see in Kure anyway.
Tomorrow I move briefly to Onomichi during the day, and then make my way to Kurashiki for the evening and night. The following morning I move up to Osaka.
No comments. >:( :D Thanks for the views and likes!
Today I stopped at Onomichi. It's a coastal industrial town spread between the mainland and a large island, between mountains... (wait doesn't that describe basically every Japanese city on the coast??! :D JK )
First, two pictures I took in Kure yesterday before leaving.
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Now onto Onomichi
View of the castle from outside the train station.
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Inside the covered shopping street.
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Some Showa-era robot statue in front of a old-game store.
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Now we will be going up this old ropeway.
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Onomichi castle and the many islands of the Seto inland sea as background.
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While going down the mountain I came across these two rusting old Honda
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BONUS, Two panoramas of Onomichi seen from the top of the mountain.
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Today's car spot: Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV
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That's it for today! Tomorrow I make my way to Japan second largest city: Osaka.
Thank! Very informative and beautiful! A delightful country, a delightful culture! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Thanks for the awesome pics man!!! Must be a hell of a trip, so happy for you being able to make it there :bnn:
Love the pictures! The Gingko trees in the first set from Kure are so typically Japanese, I always marvelled at how such an ancient tree could grow so well in the congested streets of Tokyo ;)
Thanks guys. :)
I arrived yesterday in Osaka. Took some pictures today of the area around Shinsekai, Nakanoshima, Osaka CDB and the Castle.
What I can say so far is, I don't like Osaka. Maybe it's just the area where my hotel is (Dobutsuenmae) but so far I don't have a great impression of this city. I much preferred the smaller cities such as Hiroshima and Takehara.
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Special for Kelis, Osaka famous Tsutenkaku tower, located in the Shinsekai area.
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Dotonbori Canal
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Alfa Romeo bicycle...
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Japan's tallest skyscraper, the Abeno Harukas tower. 300m tall.
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Some pictures from around Nakanoshima.
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Osaka Central Public Hall
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Osaka Castle in the distance..
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Osaka Castle.
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Such a magnificent Castle.
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That's it for today. Tomorrow I will be going to Kobe.
Quote from: art128 on October 31, 2018, 05:59:56 AM
I arrived yesterday in Osaka. Took some pictures today of the area around Shinsekai, Nakanoshima, Osaka CDB and the Castle.
What I can say so far is, I don't like Osaka. Maybe it's just the area where my hotel is (Dobutsuenmae) but so far I don't have a great impression of this city. I much preferred the smaller cities such as Hiroshima and Takehara.
Well, I hope you'll enjoy the trip anyway. It looks like you do and it's nice to see taht you are taking your time to take the pictures. Thx for sharing them!
Again, nice pictures. Truly does remind me of my time in Japan.
You must give credit where credit is due, Yokohama Landmark Tower is ONLY 4 meters shorter and was the tallest in Japan from 1993 to 2014 when Abeno Harukas tower in Osaka opened. Ya, Abeno Haruka is taller but again ONLY by 4 meters, not even an entire floor which by the way, Yokohama Landmark Tower has 70 floors and Abeno Haruka has only 60 floors, so there.
Again, lovely pictures and I truly do miss that wonderful country of Japan.
I would also like to add that it totally amazes me that the country of Japan is still in one piece after being constantly rocked by massive earthquakes and Tsunami's. Japan is part that awful "Burning Ring of Fire, that burns, burns and burns while the flames are getting higher", as Johnny Cash would put it. I realize his song is about marriage and not the Burning Ring of Fire in the Pacific.
Regardless, for the age that Japan truly is still blows me away that these structures are still standing. It goes to show you that Japanese Engineering is top notch and must be to adsorb the shake. I also whole heartily believe that those thousand year temples are built with pegs and wood that truly belong together and does not shake out to prevent the structures from falling.
Hello!
Thanks for the comments.
I know the Landmark tower is almost as high. It has more floor so what? The tower was built to prove a point that there isn't just the Tokyo Metropolitan area in Japan,even Kansai can build a 300m tall modern skyscraper. ( at least that's what I believe.)
Indeed a lot of old structures are still standing despite all the natural disaster, earthquakes and all. But a lot of things you see from Japan are relatively new.... You must not forget also that 70 years ago more than 40 Japanese cities were completely razed by fire bombings and air raids. People often tend to not know that but the air raids on these cities did more direct casualties than both Atomic bombings. (as high as 1 million) That's more than 40 cities that had to be rebuild from scratch under strict economic laws forced by the Americans...
In the recent Kumamoto earthquake in Kyushu the castle collapsed. They're now in the process of rebuilding it. They're labeling each stones to place it exactly where it was prior to collapsing. That's dedication.
Yesterday I went to Kobe but didn't take any pictures. I just didn't feel like there was anything worth taking pictures of. -shrug-
Today I went to Nara. It was crowded as there were a lot of tourist -from everywhere including Japan- around. That was to be expected, after all it IS Nara.
Nara was the capital of Japan from 710 to 784 before being moved to Kyoto. It is a beautiful city with many old temples.
JR West 221 Series EMU. My favorite commuter EMU from Japan. Such a beautiful train. /train autism
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The old Nara Station building.
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About these two following pictures. I wanted to center the subject a bit more but sadly there were just too much people gathered around that I had to cut the bottom short.
Nara Kofuku-ji Temple Chu-Kondo (Central Golden Hall)
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Kofuku-ji Temple Pagoda
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Nara Prefecture office
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Nara Park
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Todaiji Temple's Nandaimon (Great South Gate)
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Todaiji Temple
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Nara Park
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The view from Wakakusayama
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Plus a panorama taken from Wakakusayama. It was a 560m tall climb. It was painful. (Definitely the most physical exercise I got in many years) but worth it. The view was spectacular.
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Tomorrow I'm going to Mount Yoshino.
Hope you liked the pictures!
Todaiji Temple was my favorite of all the temples in Japan. Still in awe the age the temple was initially built and to this day, still standing.
Yes, "man" has caused tons of devastation due to wars. Japan and one time in the PAST was the dark side of the Imperialist mentality attempting to gobble up a much of land no matter the foe they could handle. WWII really opened Japan's eyes to the global way of life and adopted a form of democratic life and due to U.S. wars, put Japan in the fore front of the industrial revolution building U.S. war machines for not only the Korean War but also the Vietnam war.
For the most part, the attention to detail and dedication, the Japanese have is what makes that country what it is. In the beginning of one's life, one is taught one significant aspect of life and that is "respect for your elders". Today, the people themselves are very friendly and have an over arching concern for one another is what makes that country what it is.
These are all wonderful and fascinating pictures.
I must admit that seeing the images of Tōdai-ji and reading the reference to Mt. Yoshino instantly made me think of the lofty taiga drama "Yoshitsune," where the Heike clan in that epic has Nara with the Tōdai-ji and Kofuku-ji burned and the betrayed hero Minamoto no Yoshitsune and his followers are later to forced to flee up Mt. Yoshino.
If I recall the bunraku tale and televised scene correctly, the doomed lovers Yoshitsune and Lady Shizuka are forced to part on Mt. Yoshino, and the pregnant Shizuka is captured and taken back down to the town of Yoshino to face Yoshitsune's scheming brother Minamoto no Yoritomo, who can afford no popular nor familial rivals to his upcoming shogunate. To end his brother Yoshitune's line, Lord Yoritomo's assertively stern wife Lady Hōjō forces Shizuka to miscarry. As a further humiliation and denunciation of Yoshitsune, the former court dancer Shizuka is also forced by Lady Hōjō to dance for Yoritomo and his court right after her agonizing miscarriage, but Shizuka's poetic song of pure love for the wronged Yoshitsune still fighting on Mt. Yoshino instead scandalizes Yoritomo and the audience, who demand her execution for such effrontery. However, Lady Hōjō admires Shizuka's stoic boldness in the face of impossible adversity and persuades her shamed husband to spare Lady Shizuka's life.
You can watch the scene here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZsY3hh_nzQ).
Yeah, it's all lofty television melodrama, but it also stars Tackey!
Looking forward to seeing the next batch of great pics.
Hello thanks for the comments!
Japanese people really are great. Never met such friendly people before.
Just three pictures put of mount Yoshino. I wasn't feeling so good today and the climb literally killed me so didn't take a lot of pics worth keeping.
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That's it for today. Tomorrow I do absolutely nothing! Well maybe I will go around the area a bit. But Monday I move to Kyoto.
The panorama from the last set is awesome. Autumn looks to be getting into full swing :)
Thanks for the comment Matt. :)
Today I arrived in Kyoto and visited the Fushimi Inari-Taisha. The head shrine to the god Inari, the Kami of Foxes.
I didn't climb all the way to the top mainly because I was tired, and also because there were a LOT of spiders. Way too much for my well being.
The Kyoto Tower seen in the background.
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Decoration at Keihan Fushimi Inari Station
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The head shrine
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One of the many Fox Statue
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One of the Torii path
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Deep inside the forest along the torii paths
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That's it for now. Tomorrow I'm going to see the famous Kinkakuji.
Photo #8 is such a great example of Orientalism. In this case, European architects and European styles were imported into Japan during its rapidly Westernizing Meiji period, with a then-modern style appropriate for Japan still being developed. British architects often coming by way of Suez, British India, and Singapore brought their own particular image of an exotic Asia largerly influenced by British India and applied it with local materials and construction, creating many of these Mughal, Ottoman, and Saracenic domes and arches mish-mashed with upturned rooflines on essentially Victorian red-brick buildings. It's stylistically absurd and colonialist, but, like much Orientalism, charmingly picturesque.
There's a whole area in the suburbs of Kobe, close to the mountain with Meiji-era European style residences.
Went to see the famous Golden Pavilion today. On my way back to the hostel (15KM) I stopped by the Imperial Palace Garden. It's an impressive 1300m x 600m park. It feels really nice walking through it.
Higashihonganji Temple.
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Decoration on the roofs at the entrance of Kinkakuji.
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The famous kinkakuji, Golden Pavilion.
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Some shots through the streets of Kyoto.
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Now onto the beautiful Imperial Garden.
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And some cute bus.
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Wouldn't be complete with some car spots...
Subaru Impreza WRX STI in classic Subaru blue and bronze alloys.
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And a cutie little Honda Beat. It's a mid engine (behind the driver) rear wheel drive Kei (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kei_car) sports car. Kei car are the best.
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That's it for today. Tomorrow is my last day (well technically no) and I will be going to see the Kiyomizudera temple, Higashiyama district and just walk around the backstreets.
Have you seen the Kyoto station? It's a building that seriously impressed me and still find it the most remarkable station I've ever seen...
Hehe. I wasn't intending to cross it until tomorrow morning to catch the Haruka train for KIX. But I had time to kill after visiting Kiyomizudera so I just wandered the backstreets of Kyoto and ended up at the station. It is indeed a quite impressive structure. It's like 15 stories high with lattice structures apparent and large glass atrium. It's pretty cool. The view from the top was good too but sadly it was through some thick glass panels so no pictures would ever look good with all the reflection and dirt.
Here are today picture. My last day in Japan. I went to the Kiyomizudera temple, but sadly the main stage was covered in scaffolding so it wasn't that great.
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Approaching Kiyomizudera temple.
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Kyoto Station.
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Kyoto Tower.
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Inside the Station atrium.
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And here are today car spots.
Honda S660, another small kei sports car. The successor of the Honda Beat.
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Mitsubishi Starion.
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Toyota Corolla AE86 Levin. Classic Japanese 80s/90s sports car. The Trueno Version is also a big classic.
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Some American station wagon. 1985 Toyota Cressida Wagon
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One of the most beautiful car ever made. Mazda RX-7 FD3S with some aero mods.
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That's it for my trip in Japan! I still have 3 36 shots films to develop but that will wait until I'm back.
Once I'm back home I will write up a summary of things, how it went, what I liked, disliked. How things are different etc.
Fantastic set of images. Such a beautiful and fascinating country.
It's on my list to visit within the coming 2-4 years.
Another great batch of pics.
Seeing the skyline of Kyoto with the Kyoto Tower and Kyoto Station reminds me of the design competiton the new station. The previous incarnation of Kyoto Station was a starkly Modernist concrete building from 1952 that then wildly contrasted with and "towered" over an older post-war Kyoto after the previous Taishō Era station had burned down:
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DOwd1pWU8AAz_NY.jpg)
With the rise of Japan as a modern economic superpower, the station had become cramped and dated even after numerous expansions, and was finally replaced by the current one in 1997 following Hara Hiroshi's design chosen from a competiton of many of Japan's then-leading star architects. Among the issues was the necessary scale of the new building given the scale of Kyoto, and many then and now fear the current building is too bulky for the skyline. However, I rooted for the megastruture design by Kurokawa Kishō, which would have actually gone further:
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/_J0XsQeUu1tE/Ry18SLm_vjI/AAAAAAAAD_g/GiIKDnJKKrk/s1600/Sin%2Bt%C3%ADtulo-5.jpg)
(https://userdisk.webry.biglobe.ne.jp/013/128/03/N000/000/034/148810137217078583178_IMG_0274.JPG)
The tip of the spire of nearby Kyoto Tower barely peaks over what was then likened to the Death Star, complete with an open-air docking bay large enough to tractor in a captured Millenium Falcon. The monumental design was meant to evoke the long lost Suzakumon, the romantically remembered great south gate of ancient Heian-kyō that would have stood nearby as the ceremonial entry to the imperial capital. The views of the city from the great observation bridge between the towers would have been astounding. Views of such a station from Kiyomizu-dera would have been monumental. It was perhaps intimidatingly too much, both in scale and pricetag, for the the poor citizens of Kyoto.
Awesome pics! Thankyou so much for posting them :thumbsup: I bet you're sorry to leave...it's certainly made me want to go back (although I hear that Japan, like Bali, is getting over-run by trashy Australian tourists *sigh*)
thx Odainsaker, I didn't know that and it's interesting to read.
Quote from: Odainsaker on November 08, 2018, 01:09:49 AM
With the rise of Japan as a modern economic superpower, the station had become cramped and dated even after numerous expansions, and was finally replaced by the current one in 1997 following Hara Hiroshi's design chosen from a competiton of many of Japan's then-leading star architects.
Ah, I vistited in 1999, so it was just 2 yers old then. Didn't expect it to be that new. Of course it was looking clean and new, but so did almost every other bigger station as the Japanese people really like cleaning their streets and public places... :)
Kyoto station is was truly the best station I have ever visited. My wife and I stayed at the hotel in the station which was 4 star accommodations. The station could be seen for miles up the hills near by for an even better view.