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A Japan Photo per Day - Tokyo's Survivor Buildings, Gokoku-ji Temple
Blog: Muza-chan's Gate to Japan - 2 April 2011
The Gokoku-ji Temple from Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, was built in 1681 by the shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, the fifth shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty.
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Photo Essay: Tsukiji Fish Market
Blog: GoBackpacking - 31 March 2011
The market was a flurry of activity as fish was being prepped, sold, and processed.---------Join Travel Blog Success today and learn to build a better travel blog. Membership includes 27 tutorials, personal and private support forum, expert audio interviews, and much more.
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A Japan Photo per Day - Imperial Palace, aerial glimpse and travel tips
Blog: Muza-chan's Gate to Japan - 28 March 2011
The Tokyo Imperial Palace is the official residence of the Emperor of Japan since 1868. Located inside a beautiful tree covered park, surrounded by moats and traditional walls, it includes the palace, private residences of the Imperial family and administrative offices.
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Red Cross Alternatives
Blog: Travels with Herb - 24 March 2011
Click on the photo of Japan on the top of my side bar, yeah that's it, and go to Todd's Wanderings for info about helping out in Japan. This Gentleman's blog is chocked full of great info and right now he is sharing knowledge about charitable organisations. Read the list and find one that fits you and send a donation, a little or a lot, whatever you can. If you would like to educate and entertain yourself go ahead and poke around Todd's site, he is a pro on Japan and has great stories to share. If you go to my December 2010 post you will see our Tokyo travels.
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Blogging For Japan – Help Raise Money for Tsunami Victims
Blog: freewheelings.com - 21 March 2011
This page is dedicated to helping the survivors of the Friday 11 March 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan by channeling international donations to local efforts.
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A Japan Photo per Day - Memorial for the Victims of the Earthquake
Blog: Muza-chan's Gate to Japan - 12 March 2011
After watching the news of the terrible earthquake that hit Japan yesterday, which was the strongest earthquake in the recorded history of Japan, I felt a strong desire to share with you this somber monument to the victims of the Great Kanto Earthquake from 1923, which with a magnitude of 8.3 was the earthquake that caused the largest number of victims in the history of Japan, about 140,000.
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Photo Favorite: Tokyo Tower
Blog: GoBackpacking - 3 March 2011
Built in 1957, the Tokyo Tower was inspired by none other than the Eiffel Tower in Paris.---------Join Travel Blog Success today and learn to build a better travel blog. Membership includes 27 tutorials, private forum, audio interviews, and more.
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Suntory Whisky at the Park Hyatt
Blog: GoBackpacking - 2 March 2011
Suntory's Hibiki whisky was the brand Bill Murray's character consumed in Lost in Translation.---------Join Travel Blog Success today and learn to build a better travel blog. Membership includes 27 tutorials, private forum, audio interviews, and more.
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A Japan Photo per Day - Sightseeing Tokyo, Inside the Fuji-TV Sphere
Blog: Muza-chan's Gate to Japan - 2 March 2011
From the several areas opened for visitors inside the Fuji-TV building, my favorite is the Observation Deck located inside the sphere, at the height of 123 meters (25th floor). When I first entered, I was surprised how big it looks from the inside. It has a diameter of 32 meters, and the design of the ceiling makes a great impression…
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A Japan Photo per Day - Traffic Safety Temple, plus a Travel Tip
Blog: Muza-chan's Gate to Japan - 1 March 2011
Fukagawa Fudōson is a temple located in Kōtō-ku, Tokyo, holding a very special ritual: You may notice one or more cars parked inside the temple’s courtyard, right in front of the main building. The reason is that there is a custom here to bless the car before departing for a voyage… Of course, you’ll also find inside a big assortment of nice traffic safety charms and, of course, I couldn’t resist and I bought one… After all, I do travel a lot.
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A Japan Photo per Day - Airex, Unusual Shrine Building
Blog: Muza-chan's Gate to Japan - 25 February 2011
If you’re looking for unusual places to visit, very close to the Kudanshita Station in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, you can visit the Airex Building. The building itself has a great design (and it received a prize for architecture in 1994), but what is unusual about it is the fact that this is a… shrine building.
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Couchsurfing Tokyo
Blog: GoBackpacking - 22 February 2011
I had a local connection, a place to sleep for 4 nights, and an extra $160+ in my pocket.---------Join Travel Blog Success today and learn to build a better travel blog. Membership includes 27 tutorials, private forum, audio interviews, and more.
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A Japan Photo per Day - Koban, Travel Tip
Blog: Muza-chan's Gate to Japan - 22 February 2011
What to do when you get lost in Tokyo? If you’re a tourist in Japan, it is often advised that if you need directions, just go to a police station, a kōban 「交番」. It’s a good advice, but… because the kōban architecture varies greatly (I don’t think I’ve seen two alike), sometimes it can be difficult for a tourist to identify them… Usually, a kōban is a small two storied building, marked with KOBAN signs (Roman characters) and with a golden star, the Japanese Police logo.
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Surrender & Serendipity in Japan
Blog: GoBackpacking - 21 February 2011
I couldn't shake the image of my flight ending up on the evening news.---------Join Travel Blog Success today and learn to build a better travel blog. Membership includes 27 tutorials, private forum, audio interviews, and more.
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Inside Tokyo’s Red Light District Kabukicho
Blog: Todd's Wanderings - 14 February 2011
As far as red light districts go, Tokyo’s Kabukicho near Shinjuku station is relativity tame. Unlike Amsterdam there are no pot houses (aka “coffee shops”), prostitutes are not for sale in windows like a pimped out version of a holiday display, and at only 600 square meters it’s not even that big. What Kabukicho lacks in overtness it makes up for in subtlety and uniqueness. I spent a day walking around during the day time, but come after 6 pm and the streets are packed with partying salary men showing business associates a “good time” and getting hammered.
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A Japan Photo per Day - Rokkakudo, the oldest building in Senso-ji
Blog: Muza-chan's Gate to Japan - 11 February 2011
Established in the year 645, Senso-ji Temple is the oldest temple in Tokyo. Since then the temple and its buildings were rebuilt countless times, last time after the World War II, when the temple was almost completely destroyed… But inside the complex, there still is an old building with an impressive age: Senso-ji Rokkakudo, a wooden construction built in 1618. Because of its shape, it is also called the Hexagonal Temple, and its historical and architectural value is enhanced by the fact that the hexagonal shape is very rare in Tokyo.
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Japanese Advertising, a Pokemon Egg
Blog: Muza-chan's Gate to Japan - 9 February 2011
Last summer, one morning, while passing through the Japan Rail Ueno Station, I discovered on the side of the main hall, a huge… egg:
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The Kindness of Strangers: Clunky cliche or the point of it all?
Blog: Inside the Travel Lab - 9 February 2011
I’m far from the first to string those four words together. Legendary journalist Kate Adie looped them in a line to describe her autobiography; Vivien Leigh sighed them in A Streetcar Named Desire. Writing courses rail against them and editors hang their heads and demand something fresh. I've even...
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A Japan Photo per Day - Sumida Old and New
Blog: Muza-chan's Gate to Japan - 5 February 2011
Since the start of the construction works for Tokyo Sky Tree and the associated mall, the Narihirabashi/Oshiage area from Sumida Ward became a place of contrasts: the futuristic white tower versus the old Shitamachi [下町] ("low city") houses from the banks of the river. But this will probably soon change, since millions of tourists will start coming every year, and the area will become one of the “hottest” places in Tokyo…
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A Japan Photo per Day - Shinjuku Southern Terrace Winter Illumination
Blog: Muza-chan's Gate to Japan - 4 February 2011
There are many places in Tokyo where to spend a great Valentine’s day, but for a romantic evening stroll, I think I would choose Shinjuku Southern Terrace. Since November, and lasting exactly until the Valentine’s day, on February 14th, between 5PM and midnight, thousands of white and blue lights are creating one of the most beautiful winter illuminations from Tokyo:
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A Japan Photo per Day - De Beers Ginza Building
Blog: Muza-chan's Gate to Japan - 2 February 2011
Designed by Jun Mitsui Architects and finished in 2007, De Beers Ginza Building, the flagship store of the diamonds company, is one of the most interesting constructions from Tokyo. With a cutting-edge architectural design, the sleek tower made of stainless steel cannot pass unnoticed. Unfortunately, the space between the tower and the surrounding buildings is quite small and the building can be admired only from close distance. But that’s quite normal since we are in Ginza, and the land prices here are truly astronomical…
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Ultralight Packing List for Japan
Blog: GoBackpacking - 1 February 2011
My packing list is the smallest amount of stuff I've taken on an international trip, ever.---------Join Travel Blog Success today and learn to build a better travel blog.Membership includes 12 lessons, community forum, audio interviews, and a blog.
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A Japan Photo per Day - Odd buildings in Tokyo: a Samurai helmet?
Blog: Muza-chan's Gate to Japan - 30 January 2011
I love watching Tokyo from above, searching for known places. And sometimes, I get to discover some unusual constructions. I noticed this odd looking structure on a roof from Roppongi… Seen from above, it kind of looks like a giant Samurai helmet (kabuto)…
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12 Views of Rainbow Bridge
Blog: Muza-chan's Gate to Japan - 26 January 2011
Crossing Tokyo Bay and connecting the Odaiba artificial island to the Shibaura Pier, Rainbow Bridge is the largest bridge in Tokyo. Rainbow Bridge, View from Odaiba The construction started in 1987 and was completed 6 years later.
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A Japan Photo per Day - Reflections on Sumitomo Fudosan Akihabara
Blog: Muza-chan's Gate to Japan - 15 January 2011
Once an area characterized by small, narrow constructions, Akihabara is slowly becoming another concentration of high-rise office buildings. That’s too bad in my opinion, because a large part of the “Electric Town” charm was given by the maze of small stores scattered all over the place, in backstreets and passageways…
