Texture and Colour – Heian Shrine Kyoto
Gravel, Bark on Pine tree, red lacquered wood, brass, bamboo, rope, folded paper, ceramic tiles... All combined in a uniquely Japanese composition. Photo taken at Heian Shrine, Kyoto January 2012.
Nikko – World Heritage
A long day return trip by Shinkansen and local train from Tokyo brings you to Nikko, approximately 85 miles (140 kms) to the north.This is home to a World Heritage temple complex nestled into a mountainside packed with centuries old cedars.You...
Sake Barrels at Shinto Shrine
A wall of Sake Barrels A great wall of colourful Saké Barrels can be seen along the path to Meiji Jingu, the main Shinto Shrine in Tokyo. The barrels are wrapped in straw and have wonderful unique graphics. However, as an article in the...
Gion backstreet Okonomiyaki
Wander the back streets of Gion at night, beside shallow rippling canals in neat stone borders, to find an un-assuming restaurant just near a small shrine at the intersection of Shirakawa Minami Dori and Shinbashi Dori. Shrine at intersection of...
Japan the beautiful and myself
In December 1968 Japan’s first Nobel Laureate, novelist Yasunari Kawabata, began his Nobel lecture entitled “Japan the Beautiful and Myself” with these words: “In the spring, cherry blossoms, in the summer the cuckoo.In autumn the moon, and in...