General discussion (non-Usagi Yojimbo related) about all things Japan -- Feudal Japan, Samurai, Ninjas, Anime & Manga, Chambara films, Japanese Pop Culture, Otaku, martial arts, history, sushi, giant robots, Godzilla... anything Japan-related!
I'd like to share some photos of various sites that I have visited in Japan.
I'm not the best of photographers, so my pictures are rather so-so, but they give you a small glimpse of what to see...
I first traveled to Japan in 2005 while I was dating my wife. My wife comes from Kamakura. It is said Kamakura has more shrines and temples than any other place in Japan. My first trip was a bit of a whirlwind rush-about, and I didn't take as many pictures as I could/should have. And, I also accidently deleted a bunch of photos from my camera while learning to use it...
To begin, here are some photos of Wakamiya Ōji, the main avenue in Kamakura, which leads to Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū (the major Shinto shrine in Kamakura).
Along the center of the avenue runs a footpath lined with Cherry trees and azalea bushes. It must have been a sight to see before cars came along. In the distance you can see the San no Torii. These photos were taken in March, when the sakura were blooming. Wakamiya Ōji, Kamakura by toyotageek, on Flickr
This photo is taken from the location of the San no Torii looking back down the Wakamiya Ōji Wakamiya Ōji, Kamakura by toyotageek, on Flickr
Great photos! We had planned to visit Kamakura when we were in Tokyo a couple of years ago, but accepted an invitation to visit Studio Ghibli for that same day.
Stan, Kamakura is great if you want to visit a number of shrines and temples in one day. I highly recommend a visit if you are in the area. Although Studio Ghibili sounds nice too! I did visit the museum on my first visit to Japan, and unfortunately those were some of the pictures that were deleted from my camera.
I'll post more pictures soon. They get a little better with later visits, and I'll have more from Kamakura as well as other historical places.
I was really looking forward to going to Kamakura, but how often would I be invited to Ghibli? The museum is wonderful as well, but the recreation of the animators' studio is nothing at all like the real thing.
I'm surprised--no photos of the Daibutsu? The giant Buddha?
Stan Sakai wrote:I was really looking forward to going to Kamakura, but how often would I be invited to Ghibli? The museum is wonderful as well, but the recreation of the animators' studio is nothing at all like the real thing.
Ah yes, to visit the actual studio would be nice....
I'm surprised--no photos of the Daibutsu? The giant Buddha?
I'll eventually get around to posting my pictures of the Daibutsu...
Don't want to post everything at once...
Another shrine in Kamakura.
This is Zeniarai Benzaiten Ugafuku Shrine
The legend is, that if you wash your coins in the waters of the fresh water spring located here, your money will double!
The entrance to Zeniarai Benten. The shrine is surround by sheer rock walls and once once only approachable by a single path until this tunnel (seen behind my wife) was cut into the rock wall. Zeniarai Benzaiten Ugafuku Shrine by toyotageek, on Flickr
Sergio went to the money-washing shrine when he was a guest of Tezuka Productions in (I think) 1997. The way he told it to me, though, is that he had to hike through miles of forest. I think he got lost, and took a small trail.
When I was Tezuka's guest in 1998, we chose to go to Nikko, Ieyasu's burial place a couple hours north of Tokyo.
Stan Sakai wrote:Sergio went to the money-washing shrine when he was a guest of Tezuka Productions in (I think) 1997. The way he told it to me, though, is that he had to hike through miles of forest. I think he got lost, and took a small trail.
That sounds like a Groo adventure!
When I was Tezuka's guest in 1998, we chose to go to Nikko, Ieyasu's burial place a couple hours north of Tokyo.
Nikko is beautiful. I've got some pictures of Nikko that I will share later.
Thus concludes my photo tour of historical places of Japan taken during my trip in 2005. I visited many other places during that trip, but I felt these historical locations were best suited to this dojo. I thought that by sharing these photos of various buildings and historic locations, I can help give us a better connection with the world of Usagi Yojimbo. While some of the photo subject matter is not in the same time frame as Usagi (like the Tokyo Memorial Hall), the subject still conveys a feel for the era.
One of my interests in regards to Japan is the history of Toyota (the car manufacturer), thus my alter ego: toyotageek. During this trip in 2005 I also visited Nagoya and Toyota City, home & HQ of Toyota Motor Corporation. I also collect diecast cars, so I enjoy visiting hobby shops, of which there are many in Japan (especially Tokyo). Some of you may be familiar with Tomica (sort of the Japanese equivelant of America's Hot Wheels). You can see the rest of my photos on Flickr - Japan 2005.
I will follow-up with more photos from subsiqent trips, so stay tuned for more!
You're a diecast car collector? My good friend and lunch buddy, Mike Kazaleh, is also a collector. Whenever I travel abroad I make it a point to visit a toy or hobby shop to pick up a car for him.
It started on Sharon and my first trip to Paris, visiting the post office on level 1 of the Eiffel Tower. They were selling replicas of the Parisian mail truck, and I bought one for Mike. It's been a tradition for me since then.
Yes, I collect diecast of Toyota vehicles. Japan is a good place to do that for obvious reasons. My favorite are the Tomica Limited Vintage cars which are highly detailed models in 1/64th scale.
Diecast collecting can be addictive and fun. There are probably many regionally exclusive models throughout the world, which can make it fun to find them when traveling abroad. It's nice that you help out your buddy!
