Photos
Recent18 September 2008 Shikoku Break This year I took my summer holiday in Shikoku, one of the four main islands that comprise Japan. I have travelled to many places in Japan but this was my first time to leave Honshu. I was surprised at how much slower the pace of life seemed. I visited Takamatsu, Matsuyama, Kochi, Oboke Gorge and Naruto. At Takamatsu I enjoyed some time relaxing in Ritsurin Koen, a large green park full of trees and ponds. Next I went to Matsuyama, the capital city of the island. At Dogo Onsen I went to a very old bath house at a natural hot spring. I also visited Matsuyama castle: I have only visited a few castles in Japan, this one is definitely the largest and most impressive so far. Following a brief stop at Kochi on the south coast I took a train up the very picturesque Oboke Gorge and spent half a day white water rafting. Finally I went to Naruto to view the natural whirlpools from an observation deck on O-Naruto bridge.
21 August 2008 Gozan no Okuribi The 16th August is the high point of the Obon festival in Japan. Bonfires on 5 mountains around Kyoto are lit to guide ancestral spirits back to their homes. The fires can be seen for miles and are lit in a time delayed sequence so there is more chance of seeing them. Last year I saw the Daimonji and Ho; this year I saw Myo, Ho, Hidari Daimonji and the Funagata (boat). Next time I will have to see the Tori at Arashiyama. Unfortunately, it's very difficult to take good photos of fire at night, without a tripod so I hope you can get some sense of what I experienced.
28 July 2008 Casual Visit to Shimogamo Jinja I have travelled past Shimogamo Jinja shrine many times but never actually visited it. Hidden away in the woods by the side of the Kamo river, for a long time I was unaware of what was inside. Looking at the map I realised that there must be quite an impressive shrine building and gate. It turns out to be one of the oldest shrines in Kyoto and designated a National Treasure. The other Sunday I cycled down to take a look and I was glad that I had made the effort.
18 July 2008 Visiting Castles Recently I visited Nijo castle in Kyoto and later Osaka castle. Nijo castle, originally built in 1603 doesn't actually feature a donjon but has two palaces. Osaka castle has a double moat and a very imposing donjon.
29 April 2008 Hanami (Cherry Blossom Viewing) It seems that when seasons change in Japan it happens quickly and is very obvious. Recently it was Hanami, when cherry trees blossom and everyone goes to enjoy a picnic sitting underneath a delicate snow white tree, wandering through parks or taking photos. This year wet and windy weather quickly knocked most of the flowers off the branches. Perhaps it is their precarious nature that makes these little flowers so endearing.
26 February 2008 Byodo-in Temple A few weekends ago, one snowy day I hopped on a train to Uji (15 minutes away) to see Byodo-in Temple, a world heritage site containing a number of officially designated national treasures. If you think you recognise the photos that's because it's the temple on the back of a 10 yen coin. The temple was originally built in 1052 by Fujiwara Yorimichi, then chief advisor to the emperor. The surrounding garden is intended to be viewed from inside the main hall. Uji is a small town famous for tea. I had just paid my 600 yen entrance fee and walked through the gates when the batteries on my camera died. Fortunately I still had my phone with me, so I whipped it out to take a frontal view before anything else could go wrong. At that moment, a hundred kids appeared from nowhere, ran in front of the pond (and my view) and got out 10 yen coins to check the image.
28 January 2008 Snowy View from my Balcony Last week I woke up to this! Snow was blowing over the balcony onto my washing and everything was covered in a white blanket. It didn't last long but it has been snowing on and off for several days.
27 January 2008 Winter on the Beach A few photos from my recent trip to Ko Chang and Ko Samet over Christmas and the New Year.
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