Anyone staying in Tokyo for an extended period of time will, sooner or later, want to temporarily escape the endless, neon lit concrete jungles and its endless masses of people. Although there are many options to spend a day in the vicinity of Tokyo in relative calmness – such as Mount Takao to the west or the famous tourist place of Nikko two hours north – another nice place to consider for a day trip … Continue reading
Last year I posted a photo series called ‘A trip through memory lane: Japan 1977 & Japan 2010‘, consisting of twelve posts with photos taken in Japan in 1977 by my father and in 2010 by myself (to see these series, click here). As a follow up and to show you the beauty of Japan this year another series: panorama photos taken in Japan during my several stays there. Today the first part: a panorama … Continue reading
Tokyo. Capital of Japan, the largest metropolitan area of the country with almost nine million inhabitants divided among 23 special wards. Part of a conglomeration home to more than 35 million people. One of the biggest cities in the world. Moreover, home to millions of signs and neon lights, drawing attention and reaching out to (potential) customers day and night in a city that never sleeps. The most striking signs are those translated from Japanese … Continue reading
The twelfth and last episode of A trip through memory lane: Japan 1977 & Japan 2010 once again takes us to Nikko, the famous tourist attraction about two hours north of Tokyo. Nikko and its surroundings are home to an impressive amount of cultural heritage and tourist attractions such as Lake Chuzenji and the nearby Kegon waterfall. The main attractions however are temples, such as Futarasan Shrine and Rinno-ji, and the mausoleums of the founder … Continue reading
Higashi Honganji (West Honganji) is a large Buddhist temple complex in the center of Kyoto, a few minutes away from the central train station. Higashi Honganji was established in 1602 by the first Tokugawa Shogun, Ieyasu, when he split the so-called Shin sect in two in order to weaken its power. The main hall of Higashi Honganji, the Goeido, is Kyoto’s largest wooden structure. Next to it and almost of the same size is the … Continue reading
Shibamata is one of the few remaining traditional neighborhoods in Tokyo (also called shitamachi) where skyscrapers have not (yet?) arisen and where one can still enjoy more ‘traditional’ types of buildings and styles of living. Perhaps this is also the reason I did not see many young people in Shibamata when I visited the place myself in early spring 2010. The neighborhood is perfect for a relaxing stroll, especially if you want to escape from … Continue reading
In this ninth part of A trip through memory lane: Japan 1977 & Japan 2010 we once more return to Nikko, the famous tourist attraction and resting place of the first Tokugawa shogun Ieyasu, about two hours north of Japan’s capital Tokyo. The two photo’s below show the heavily decorated Yomeimon, the entrance gate to the Toshogu mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Handboeien om en worden weggevoerd naar een cel door een strenge Japanse in uniform. In aanraking gekomen met de Japanse politie en justitie? Opgenomen in een (psychiatrisch) ziekenhuis in Tokio? Neen, niets van dat alles. Recentelijk bezocht ik in Shibuya, een populair uitgaansgebied in Tokio, The Lockup, een op zijn zachtst gezegd nogal aparte izakaya (restaurant in Japanse stijl). De entree van The Lockup is een soort doolhof, gelijk aan een spookhuis op een kermis, … Continue reading