Japan Photos

[dinosaw]

For Rick (and anyone else interested) some of my way too numerous photos of Japan, must have taken hundreds!. I will delete this after a week so it doesn't clutter up the board.

 

[Marigold]

these photos are wonderful, Dinosaw, please don't delete them. It's nice to have some posts that aren't just about chickens, for a change. The one of the sumo wrestlers would make a great jigsaw!

 

[dinosaw]

Marigold, your right it would make one of those jigsaw that drive you round the bend.

 

[rick]

Love the sake barrels, and Tokyo tower... and the castles!
Some people on the course who went recently brought back temple books - an empty scroll like folded book that you get a red stamp and calligraphy in by the monks for each visit (for a small donation.) Thing is, they said, each temple you visit has a better book so you have to start again!

That dome is pretty chilling. Apparently it was the only thing for miles not pulverised as it was exactly under the shock wave.

 

[dinosaw]

That dome is pretty chilling. Apparently it was the only thing for miles not pulverised as it was exactly under the shock wave.

Yes it was very close to the epicentre, it was also one of the sturdier non wooden buildings in the city. Despite it being a naval base the US had purposely not bombed Hiroshima prior to August 45 so they could gauge the effectiveness of the bomb. If you look behind the dome you can see the floodlights of the Hiroshima Carp baseball stadium (they've since moved to a super new stadium), a more positive symbol of US influence on Japan where Baseball became the top sport in the 1930's. Japanese baseball is a lot of fun btw, good atmosphere, a lot noiser than in America and possibly the only place you will come across thousands of people dancing with plastic umbrellas or young women dispensing beer from barrels strapped to their backs!.

 

[bigyetiman]

Fantastic photos, thanks for putting them on here

 

[Minorcafan]

Beautiful photos. Did you visit a koi establishment too?

 

[LadyA]

Lovely photos! I remember, I think it was Michael palin, visited a classical Japanese Theatre performance near Himeji Castle. It was very long, and very slow, apparently! My late husband loved travel in his younger years, but in the last few years of his life, he loved watching travel documentaries and documentaries on Architectural History, where the presenter traveled the world showing architectural treasures, and wildlife series, which of course also involved far away places!

 

[dinosaw]

Thanks all. We spent most of our thirties doing a lot of travelling, it was our one real extravagance and I'm so glad that we did because by the time we hit 40 we found the energy just wasn't there for handling the hassle of airports and long haul flights in the same way. It's also a lot harder to get anyone to agree to look after 20 odd chickens than it was when we only had 6. Never visited any Koi places but they had some lovely fish in the ponds of their ornamental gardens.

 

[rick]

One week to go. The butterflies have started their pre-flight warm ups!

 

[Minorcafan]

I do like to return here to revisit your photos

 

[rick]

Sorry Minorcafan, that was a bit random and confusing from me -
They are Dinosaw's photos. I'm going very soon, have a camera and intend to use it!
Among other stuff (who knows what), I'm determined to get a picture of the sacred chickens in Ise

 

[dinosaw]

One week eh, how exciting!. I reckon the Japanese have a habit of taking sedatives before take-off, everyone around us always seemed to be asleep as we took off.

 

[rick]

That's probably a very good idea. Carol was saying this morning that she wont be able to sleep on the plane and I'm thinking is not an option.

 

[Hen-Gen]

As a man who 35 years ago made a commitment to Soto Zen you might have thought I'd have visited Japan. In fact a combination of penury and idleness means I never have.
I particularly enjoyed the first two pictures. The Japanese seem to have a natural eye for placing buildings in the environment who's proportions and design are totally harmonious. The Angel of the North and those hideous kelpies, by contrast, make me grimace every time I see them.
The Falkirk Wheel by contrast. Beautiful!

 

[Minorcafan]

What I meant was I like to see these photos and look at them frequently.

 

[dinosaw]

So nice of you both to say. Well I have hundreds more if anyone wants to see some of them, including a few of zen gardens. I love seeing other peoples photos so looking forward to yours Rick. No easy way to deal with long haul flights unfortunately, if only your holiday could pass as slowly.

 

[Hen-Gen]

Zen gardens? Yes please.

 

[dinosaw]

I'll dig out the memory sticks then.

 

[dinosaw]

Crikey, I have got a lot of photos of Japan, lots of temples, city skylines, blossom trees and baseball matches. Didn't post any of these as I don't want to include anything Rick might be likely to post. Only had a couple of Zen gardens as it turned out, taken in Kyoto. The others are the Rikugugien garden in Tokyo's suburbs, the Asahi building, known locally as "the golden turd" and one of the seven sculptures of Maman the spider.