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Crossing the Pacific
Blog: The Adventures of D - 25 September 2011
The itinerary I had printed a day earlier from UNITED was becoming worn before I even boarded my flight from SFO to Narita, Japan. Yes. Narita. I had learned the day before my trip that the flight that was booked for me from San Francisco to Bangkok was not actually a flight from San Francisco [...]
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Photo of the Week: Colourful Japanese Kimono
Blog: Never Ending Voyage - 25 September 2011
We have been surprised by how many women we have seen wearing kimono in Kyoto.
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Sightseeing Kyoto, Yasaka Shrine Gate
Blog: Muza-chan's Gate to Japan - 24 September 2011
Yasaka Shrine, known in the past as the Gion Shrine, is one of the oldest and most important shrines from Kyoto, being established in 656. Yasaka Shrine is also one of the most visited Shinto shrines, benefiting from the fact that it is located on a very touristy route, between Kyoto’s Higashiyama and Gion districts. That way, even the tourists who never heard about it, just passing through the area are attracted by the spectacular two-story vermilion-lacquered gate from the Shijo-dori:
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Japan Architecture - Gate Tower, the Skyscraper Pierced by a Highway
Blog: Muza-chan's Gate to Japan - 23 September 2011
One of the most interesting images seen in Osaka from the Umeda Sky Building observatory was this famous skyscraper traversed by a highway, the Gate Tower Building. Interesting, there is no connection between the two structures, the highway passes through the building like a tunnel, wrapped in the noise protection walls visible in the photo. Also, the floors 5, 6 and 7, adjacent to the highway contain only elevators, stairways and machinery.
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Holiday in Japan – travelling the easy way
Blog: 501 Places - 22 September 2011
We’re coming towards the end of our month in Japan and it’s fair to say that this will be remembered as one of our best trips. As with any good trip it has had its ups and downs (my next post will list the things in Japan that I won’t miss once I’m back in [...]Holiday in Japan – travelling the easy way is a post from: 501 Places
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Hundreds of Daruma Dolls
Blog: Muza-chan's Gate to Japan - 22 September 2011
The Daruma doll is one of the most popular Japanese good luck talismans and probably the richest in symbols. The name daruma comes from the Sanskrit word dharma and it refers to Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen Buddhism. A Daruma doll is an armless, legless doll, representing Bodhidharma during its 9-year-long profound meditations, when its members atrophied. They are also painted without eyes, because it is said that after falling asleep during meditation, Bodhidharma cut off his eyelids…
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My Japanese Fortune
Blog: Never Ending Voyage - 20 September 2011
For ¥100, a vending machine at the Golden Temple in Kyoto will tell you your fortune. It told us that, if our fortune was excellent, very good, pretty good or good, we should take it with us. Otherwise, we should tie it to the appropriate place (it failed to mention where that appropriate place was). [...]
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Photo of the Week: Fushimi Inari Shrine, Kyoto
Blog: Never Ending Voyage - 18 September 2011
The Fushimi-Inari shrine was our favourite of the many stunning temples and shrines in Kyoto. A tunnel of thousands of bright orange torii gates snake through the forest up into the mountains. The black lettering is the names of individuals and companies who have donated them.
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Shukkeien Garden
Blog: Muza-chan's Gate to Japan - 18 September 2011
Built by a famous master of the Japanese tea ceremony, Ueda Soko, the Shukkeien Garden from Hiroshima was established in 1620, when Asanu Nagaakira became the daimyo of Hiroshima. Shukkeien means “shrink scenery garden” and illustrates the builder’s idea of a collection of miniaturized scenic views.
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Nikko's Famous Yakitori Shop - Hippari Dako
Blog: Living the Dream: RTW - 17 September 2011
There are many dishes iconic of Japan that I've tried and are worthy of their reputation. Takoyaki (octopus dumplings), okonomiyaki (fried "whatever-you-want" pancakes), sushi, gyoza, ramen, and more; its all good and the list is endless. There is one in particular, however, that isn't
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Mt. Minago (皆子山)
Blog: Hiking in Japan - 17 September 2011
Mt. Minago is the tallest peak in Kyoto Prefecture and one of the most secluded mountains in the Kitayama range. The views of Buna-ga-take and Mt. Horai as well as the lack of people make this a great getaway from the nearby urban Kyoto chaos. The hike: From the bus stop, walk back up the [...]
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Nagoya Castle's Fan Sloping Wall
Blog: Muza-chan's Gate to Japan - 16 September 2011
The castle from Nagoya was built by the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1612. Because a large part of the castle was destroyed in 1945, the main donjon (in the photo) was rebuilt in 1959 and the reconstruction of the castle’s former palace still continues and it will be finished in 2018.
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Otagi Nenbutsu-ji: The Coolest Temple in Kyoto No One Has Heard Of
Blog: Never Ending Voyage - 15 September 2011
As soon as I heard of Otagi Nenbutsu-ji on the Quirky Japan site I knew I’d love it. It’s not listed in the guidebooks or on most Kyoto websites, getting lost amongst the city’s 1200 other temples, but it’s definitely the coolest temple we visited.
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Finding your feet in a Japanese toilet
Blog: 501 Places - 15 September 2011
“Just press the button and see what happens. You’re not going to blow anything up”. That’s the rather cavalier advice I typically offer to my wife when she asks me computer related questions. It is a philosophy that has served me well throughout my life. Until that is, I encountered the Japanese toilet. I had [...]Finding your feet in a Japanese toilet is a post from: 501 Places
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Hundreds of Lanterns, Kasuga Taisha
Blog: Muza-chan's Gate to Japan - 15 September 2011
Kasuga Taisha from Nara is one of the oldest Shinto shrines in Japan, established in 768, only 58 years after Nara become the first capital of Japan. Kasuga Taisha is also the head shrine for all the 3000 Kasuga shrines spread all over Japan. There are many interesting things to see here, but what caught my attention were the hundreds of bronze lanterns brought here by worshipers. This is the most beautiful lantern collection I have seen yet, a charming place and a paradise for taking photos…
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Kobe Aerial view
Blog: Muza-chan's Gate to Japan - 14 September 2011
Like most of the Japanese cities, Kobe looks great from above - I was amazed by this spectacular view from the 90-meters tall observatory of the Kobe Port Tower. The white steel-lace roof is the Kobe Maritime Museum and the park surrounding it is the waterfront Meriken Park. A fun fact, the name of the park, “Meriken", is a transformation of the word “American", dating from the Meiji period. The tall building on the left is the Hotel Okura and in the background you can see the Kobe Port Terminal and the red Kobe Bridge:
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Japan Architecture, Mode Gakuen Spiral Towers
Blog: Muza-chan's Gate to Japan - 12 September 2011
Inaugurated in 2008, the same year as the Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower, from Shinjuku, Tokyo, the Mode Gakuen Spiral Towers 「モード学園スパイラルタワーズ」 from Nagoya is an educational building too, hosting three schools: fashion design, computer programming and medical support.
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Photo of the Week: Giant Buddha in Nara, Japan
Blog: Never Ending Voyage - 11 September 2011
In Nara, a city close to Kyoto we visited the Todai-ji temple complex which contains the largest wooden building in the world. It’s truly immense and houses the Giant Buddha, known in Japan as Daibutsu.
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Miyajima Torii and a Travel Tip
Blog: Muza-chan's Gate to Japan - 11 September 2011
Shunsai Hayashi, a Confucian scholar who lived in the Edo period, wrote a book, Nihon Kokujisekikou (Observations About the Remains of Japan’s Civil Affairs), where he shared his travel impressions. From his travels, he selected three locations as Japan’s most scenic beauty - Nihon Sankei 「日本三景」: the pine-clad islands of Matsushima (Miyagi Prefecture), the pine-clad sandbar of Amanohashidate (Kyoto Prefecture) and the Itsukushima Shrine on the Miyajima island (Hiroshima Prefecture).
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Old Japanese Stories, the Cupid of Japan
Blog: Muza-chan's Gate to Japan - 10 September 2011
In Kyoto, inside the Kiyomizu-dera, you can find a small but colorful (and quite crowded) Shinto shrine. Although located in the temple’s premises, the shrine (built by the shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu in 1633) is separated and it is dedicated to Okuninushi-no-Mikoto, kami (god) of love, marriage and matchmaking.
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Mt. Oakan (雄阿寒岳)
Blog: Hiking in Japan - 8 September 2011
Mt. Oakan is a dormant, conical volcano situated on the shores of Lake Akan in Eastern Hokkaido. The panoramic views from the summit are incredible on the rare occasion when the cloud isn’t in. The hike: The trail starts at the end of a gravel road. Cross over the concrete dam and enter the forest. [...]
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Learning to Cook Japanese Buddhist Cuisine in Kyoto
Blog: Never Ending Voyage - 8 September 2011
Eating out in Japan is expensive and as vegetarians it can be tricky explaining what we can and can’t eat. As we are house sitting in Kyoto for three weeks and have access to a kitchen, a cooking course seemed like the perfect opportunity to learn more about Japanese cuisine.
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Tourism after tragedy: why Japan is suffering twice
Blog: 501 Places - 8 September 2011
Perhaps our news should come with a health warning. A few weeks ago I wrote about the global media’s massive sensationalism in relation to the London riots and I was reminded of this again during our travels through Japan. I was asked by the owner of a guest house we had been staying at about [...]Tourism after tragedy: why Japan is suffering twice is a post from: 501 Places
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Sightseeing Nara, the Hole in the Pillar
Blog: Muza-chan's Gate to Japan - 8 September 2011
Inside the Great Buddha Hall (Daibutsuden) of the Todaiji Temple in Nara, towards the exit - right near the souvenir area, there is one of the main pillars of the building.
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The Highest Open-air Observation Deck in Japan
Blog: Muza-chan's Gate to Japan - 7 September 2011
Right near the Nagoya Station you can find one of the most important landmarks of Nagoya: Midland Square (officially named Toyota-Mainichi Building). With its 247 meters, this is the fifth tallest building in Japan, but it also holds an important record: Sky Promenade, the Midland Square’s observatory is the highest open-air observation deck in Japan, offering an amazing view from 220 meters!
