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Japan 2018

Started by art128, October 22, 2018, 03:29:39 AM

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mattb325

Love the pictures! The Gingko trees in the first set from Kure are so typically Japanese, I always marvelled at how such an ancient tree could grow so well in the congested streets of Tokyo  ;)

art128

Thanks guys. :)

I arrived yesterday in Osaka. Took some pictures today of the area around Shinsekai, Nakanoshima, Osaka CDB and the Castle.
What I can say so far is, I don't like Osaka. Maybe it's just the area where my hotel is (Dobutsuenmae) but so far I don't have a great impression of this city. I much preferred the smaller cities such as Hiroshima and Takehara.

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Special for Kelis, Osaka famous Tsutenkaku tower, located in the Shinsekai area.




Dotonbori Canal


Alfa Romeo bicycle...


Japan's tallest skyscraper, the Abeno Harukas tower. 300m tall.


Some pictures from around Nakanoshima.




Osaka Central Public Hall














Osaka Castle in the distance..














Osaka Castle.




Such a magnificent Castle.













That's it for today. Tomorrow I will be going to Kobe.
I'll take a quiet life... A handshake of carbon monoxide.

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Seaman

Quote from: art128 on October 31, 2018, 05:59:56 AM
I arrived yesterday in Osaka. Took some pictures today of the area around Shinsekai, Nakanoshima, Osaka CDB and the Castle.
What I can say so far is, I don't like Osaka. Maybe it's just the area where my hotel is (Dobutsuenmae) but so far I don't have a great impression of this city. I much preferred the smaller cities such as Hiroshima and Takehara.

Well, I hope you'll enjoy the trip anyway. It looks like you do and it's nice to see taht you are taking your time to take the pictures. Thx for sharing them!

dyoungyn

Again, nice pictures.  Truly does remind me of my time in Japan. 

You must give credit where credit is due, Yokohama Landmark Tower is ONLY 4 meters shorter and was the tallest in Japan from 1993 to 2014 when Abeno Harukas tower in Osaka opened.   Ya, Abeno Haruka is taller but again ONLY by 4 meters, not even an entire floor which by the way, Yokohama Landmark Tower has 70 floors and Abeno Haruka has only 60 floors, so there.

Again, lovely pictures and I truly do miss that wonderful country of Japan.

dyoungyn

#24
I would also like to add that it totally amazes me that the country of Japan is still in one piece after being constantly rocked by massive earthquakes and Tsunami's.  Japan is part that awful  "Burning Ring of Fire, that burns, burns and burns while the flames are getting higher", as Johnny Cash would put it.  I realize his song is about marriage and not the Burning Ring of Fire in the Pacific. 

Regardless, for the age that Japan truly is still blows me away that these structures are still standing.  It goes to show you that Japanese Engineering is top notch and must be to adsorb the shake.  I also whole heartily believe that those thousand year temples are built with pegs and wood that truly belong together and does not shake out to prevent the structures from falling. 

art128

Hello!

Thanks for the comments.

I know the Landmark tower is almost as high. It has more floor so what? The tower was built to prove a point that there isn't just the Tokyo Metropolitan area in Japan,even Kansai can build a 300m tall modern skyscraper. ( at least that's what I believe.)


Indeed a lot of old structures are still standing despite all the natural disaster, earthquakes and all. But a lot of things you see from Japan are relatively new.... You must not forget also that 70 years ago more than 40 Japanese cities were completely razed by fire bombings and air raids. People often tend to not know that but the air raids on these cities did more direct casualties than both Atomic bombings. (as high as 1 million) That's more than 40 cities that had to be rebuild from scratch under strict economic laws forced by the Americans...

In the recent Kumamoto earthquake in Kyushu the castle collapsed. They're now in the process of rebuilding it. They're labeling each stones to place it exactly where it was prior to collapsing. That's dedication.


Yesterday I went to Kobe but didn't take any pictures. I just didn't feel like there was anything worth taking pictures of. -shrug-
Today I went to Nara. It was crowded as there were a lot of tourist -from everywhere including Japan- around. That was to be expected, after all it IS Nara.

Nara was the capital of Japan from 710 to 784 before being moved to Kyoto. It is a beautiful city with many old temples.

JR West 221 Series EMU. My favorite commuter EMU from Japan. Such a beautiful train. /train autism


The old Nara Station building.


About these two following pictures. I wanted to center the subject a bit more but sadly there were just too much people gathered around that I had to cut the bottom short.

Nara Kofuku-ji Temple Chu-Kondo (Central Golden Hall)


Kofuku-ji Temple Pagoda


Nara Prefecture office


Nara Park


Todaiji Temple's Nandaimon (Great South Gate)


Todaiji Temple


Nara Park






The view from Wakakusayama




Plus a panorama taken from Wakakusayama. It was a 560m tall climb. It was painful. (Definitely the most physical exercise I got in many years) but worth it. The view was spectacular.




Tomorrow I'm going to Mount Yoshino.

Hope you liked the pictures!
I'll take a quiet life... A handshake of carbon monoxide.

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dyoungyn

Todaiji Temple was my favorite of all the temples in Japan.  Still in awe the age the temple was initially built and to this day, still standing.

Yes, "man" has caused tons of devastation due to wars.  Japan and one time in the PAST was the dark side of the Imperialist mentality attempting to gobble up a much of land no matter the foe they could handle.  WWII really opened Japan's eyes to the global way of life and adopted a form of democratic life and due to U.S. wars, put Japan in the fore front of the industrial revolution building U.S. war machines for not only the Korean War but also the Vietnam war. 

For the most part, the attention to detail and dedication, the Japanese have is what makes that country what it is.  In the beginning of one's life, one is taught one significant aspect of life and that is "respect for your elders".  Today, the people themselves are very friendly and have an over arching concern for one another is what makes that country what it is.

Odainsaker

#27
These are all wonderful and fascinating pictures.

I must admit that seeing the images of Tōdai-ji and reading the reference to Mt. Yoshino instantly made me think of the lofty taiga drama "Yoshitsune," where the Heike clan in that epic has Nara with the Tōdai-ji and Kofuku-ji burned and the betrayed hero Minamoto no Yoshitsune and his followers are later to forced to flee up Mt. Yoshino.

If I recall the bunraku tale and televised scene correctly, the doomed lovers Yoshitsune and Lady Shizuka are forced to part on Mt. Yoshino, and the pregnant Shizuka is captured and taken back down to the town of Yoshino to face Yoshitsune's scheming brother Minamoto no Yoritomo, who can afford no popular nor familial rivals to his upcoming shogunate.  To end his brother Yoshitune's line, Lord Yoritomo's assertively stern wife Lady Hōjō forces Shizuka to miscarry.  As a further humiliation and denunciation of Yoshitsune, the former court dancer Shizuka is also forced by Lady Hōjō to dance for Yoritomo and his court right after her agonizing miscarriage, but Shizuka's poetic song of pure love for the wronged Yoshitsune still fighting on Mt. Yoshino instead scandalizes Yoritomo and the audience, who demand her execution for such effrontery.  However, Lady Hōjō admires Shizuka's stoic boldness in the face of impossible adversity and persuades her shamed husband to spare Lady Shizuka's life.

You can watch the scene here.

Yeah, it's all lofty television melodrama, but it also stars Tackey!

Looking forward to seeing the next batch of great pics.

art128

Hello thanks for the comments!

Japanese people really are great. Never met such friendly people before.


Just three pictures put of mount Yoshino. I wasn't feeling so good today and the climb literally killed me so didn't take a lot of pics worth keeping.











That's it for today. Tomorrow I do absolutely nothing! Well maybe I will go around the area a bit. But Monday I move to Kyoto.
I'll take a quiet life... A handshake of carbon monoxide.

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mattb325

The panorama from the last set is awesome. Autumn looks to be getting into full swing  :)

art128

Thanks for the comment Matt. :)

Today I arrived in Kyoto and visited the Fushimi Inari-Taisha. The head shrine to the god Inari, the Kami of Foxes.

I didn't climb all the way to the top mainly because I was tired, and also because there were a LOT of spiders. Way too much for my well being.

The Kyoto Tower seen in the background.


















Decoration at Keihan Fushimi Inari Station


The head shrine






One of the many Fox Statue




One of the Torii path


Deep inside the forest along the torii paths











That's it for now. Tomorrow I'm going to see the famous Kinkakuji.
I'll take a quiet life... A handshake of carbon monoxide.

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Odainsaker

Photo #8 is such a great example of Orientalism.  In this case, European architects and European styles were imported into Japan during its rapidly Westernizing Meiji period, with a then-modern style appropriate for Japan still being developed.  British architects often coming by way of Suez, British India, and Singapore brought their own particular image of an exotic Asia largerly influenced by British India and applied it with local materials and construction, creating many of these Mughal, Ottoman, and Saracenic domes and arches mish-mashed with upturned rooflines on essentially Victorian red-brick buildings.  It's stylistically absurd and colonialist, but, like much Orientalism, charmingly picturesque.

art128

#32
There's a whole area in the suburbs of Kobe, close to the mountain with Meiji-era European style residences.


Went to see the famous Golden Pavilion today. On my way back to the hostel (15KM) I stopped by the Imperial Palace Garden. It's an impressive 1300m x 600m park. It feels really nice walking through it.

Higashihonganji Temple.


Decoration on the roofs at the entrance of Kinkakuji.


The famous kinkakuji, Golden Pavilion.










Some shots through the streets of Kyoto.






Now onto the beautiful Imperial Garden.
































And some cute bus.



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Wouldn't be complete with some car spots...

Subaru Impreza WRX STI in classic Subaru blue and bronze alloys.


And a cutie little Honda Beat. It's a mid engine (behind the driver) rear wheel drive Kei sports car. Kei car are the best.



That's it for today. Tomorrow is my last day (well technically no) and I will be going to see the Kiyomizudera temple, Higashiyama district and just walk around the backstreets.

I'll take a quiet life... A handshake of carbon monoxide.

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Seaman

Have you seen the Kyoto station? It's a building that seriously impressed me and still find it the most remarkable station I've ever seen...

art128

#34
Hehe. I wasn't intending to cross it until tomorrow morning to catch the Haruka train for KIX. But I had time to kill after visiting Kiyomizudera so I just wandered the backstreets of Kyoto and ended up at the station. It is indeed a quite impressive structure. It's like 15 stories high with lattice structures apparent and large glass atrium. It's pretty cool. The view from the top was good too but sadly it was through some thick glass panels so no pictures would ever look good with all the reflection and dirt.


Here are today picture. My last day in Japan. I went to the Kiyomizudera temple, but sadly the main stage was covered in scaffolding so it wasn't that great.





Approaching Kiyomizudera temple.






















Kyoto Station.


Kyoto Tower.


Inside the Station atrium.




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And here are today car spots.

Honda S660, another small kei sports car. The successor of the Honda Beat.


Mitsubishi Starion.


Toyota Corolla AE86 Levin. Classic Japanese 80s/90s sports car. The Trueno Version is also a big classic.




Some American station wagon. 1985 Toyota Cressida Wagon


One of the most beautiful car ever made. Mazda RX-7 FD3S with some aero mods.






That's it for my trip in Japan! I still have 3 36 shots films to develop but that will wait until I'm back.
Once I'm back home I will write up a summary of things, how it went, what I liked, disliked. How things are different etc.
I'll take a quiet life... A handshake of carbon monoxide.

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belfastsocrates

Fantastic set of images. Such a beautiful and fascinating country.

It's on my list to visit within the coming 2-4 years.
A unique nation fusing technological prowess and unparalleled grandeur

"Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination" - Oscar Wilde

Odainsaker

#36
Another great batch of pics.

Seeing the skyline of Kyoto with the Kyoto Tower and Kyoto Station reminds me of the design competiton the new station.  The previous incarnation of Kyoto Station was a starkly Modernist concrete building from 1952 that then wildly contrasted with and "towered" over an older post-war Kyoto after the previous Taishō Era station had burned down:



With the rise of Japan as a modern economic superpower, the station had become cramped and dated even after numerous expansions, and was finally replaced by the current one in 1997 following Hara Hiroshi's design chosen from a competiton of many of Japan's then-leading star architects.  Among the issues was the necessary scale of the new building given the scale of Kyoto, and many then and now fear the current building is too bulky for the skyline.  However, I rooted for the megastruture design by Kurokawa Kishō, which would have actually gone further:





The tip of the spire of nearby Kyoto Tower barely peaks over what was then likened to the Death Star, complete with an open-air docking bay large enough to tractor in a captured Millenium Falcon.  The monumental design was meant to evoke the long lost Suzakumon, the romantically remembered great south gate of ancient Heian-kyō that would have stood nearby as the ceremonial entry to the imperial capital.  The views of the city from the great observation bridge between the towers would have been astounding.  Views of such a station from Kiyomizu-dera would have been monumental.  It was perhaps intimidatingly too much, both in scale and pricetag, for the the poor citizens of Kyoto.

mattb325

Awesome pics! Thankyou so much for posting them  :thumbsup: I bet you're sorry to leave...it's certainly made me want to go back (although I hear that Japan, like Bali, is getting over-run by trashy Australian tourists *sigh*)

Seaman

thx Odainsaker, I didn't know that and it's interesting to read.

Quote from: Odainsaker on November 08, 2018, 01:09:49 AM
With the rise of Japan as a modern economic superpower, the station had become cramped and dated even after numerous expansions, and was finally replaced by the current one in 1997 following Hara Hiroshi's design chosen from a competiton of many of Japan's then-leading star architects.

Ah, I vistited in 1999, so it was just 2 yers old then. Didn't expect it to be that new. Of course it was looking clean and new, but so did almost every other bigger station as the Japanese people really like cleaning their streets and public places...  :)

dyoungyn

Kyoto station is was truly the best station I have ever visited.  My wife and I stayed at the hotel in the station which was 4 star accommodations.  The station could be seen for miles up the hills near by for an even better view.