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  • Odd seafood in Tsukiji Outer Market In Central Tokyo southeast of Ginza, Honshu, Japan.
    1810JPN-0026.jpg
  • See Mount Fuji (3776.24 m or 12,389 ft), the highest mountain in Japan, from Arakura Sengen Shrine in Fujiyoshida city, Yamanashi Prefecture, Honshu. This dormant stratovolcano last erupted in 1707–1708. Mount Fuji lies about 100 kilometers (60 mi) south-west of Tokyo, visible on a clear day. Its symmetrical cone is snow-capped for about 5 months a year. Mount Fuji is one of Japan's "Three Holy Mountains" (Sanreizan). UNESCO recognizes 25 sites of cultural interest nearby.
    1810JPC1-399.jpg
  • See Mount Fuji (3776.24 m or 12,389 ft), the highest mountain in Japan, from Arakura Sengen Shrine in Fujiyoshida city, Yamanashi Prefecture, Honshu. This dormant stratovolcano last erupted in 1707–1708. Mount Fuji lies about 100 kilometers (60 mi) south-west of Tokyo, visible on a clear day. Its symmetrical cone is snow-capped for about 5 months a year. Mount Fuji is one of Japan's "Three Holy Mountains" (Sanreizan). UNESCO recognizes 25 sites of cultural interest nearby.
    1810JPC1-409.jpg
  • See Mount Fuji (3776.24 m or 12,389 ft), the highest mountain in Japan, from Arakura Sengen Shrine in Fujiyoshida city, Yamanashi Prefecture, Honshu. This dormant stratovolcano last erupted in 1707–1708. Mount Fuji lies about 100 kilometers (60 mi) south-west of Tokyo, visible on a clear day. Its symmetrical cone is snow-capped for about 5 months a year. Mount Fuji is one of Japan's "Three Holy Mountains" (Sanreizan). UNESCO recognizes 25 sites of cultural interest nearby.
    1810JPC1-404.jpg
  • Odd seafood in Tsukiji Outer Market In Central Tokyo southeast of Ginza, Honshu, Japan.
    1810JPN-0027.jpg
  • See Mount Fuji (3776.24 m or 12,389 ft), the highest mountain in Japan, from Chureito Pagoda, in Fujiyoshida city, Yamanashi Prefecture, Honshu. This dormant stratovolcano last erupted in 1707–1708. Mount Fuji lies about 100 kilometers (60 mi) south-west of Tokyo, visible on a clear day. Its symmetrical cone is snow-capped for about 5 months a year. Mount Fuji is one of Japan's "Three Holy Mountains" (Sanreizan). UNESCO recognizes 25 sites of cultural interest nearby.
    1810JPN-4464.jpg
  • Outward views from upper floors of Matsumoto Castle, built in 1614, in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, Honshu, Japan. Matsumoto Castle is a "hirajiro" - a castle built on plains rather than on a hill or mountain, in Matsumoto. Matsumotojo's main castle keep and its smaller, second donjon were built from 1592 to 1614, well-fortified as peace was not yet fully achieved at the time. In 1635, when military threats had ceased, a third, barely defended turret and another for moon viewing were added to the castle. Interesting features of the castle include steep wooden stairs, openings to drop stones onto invaders, openings for archers, as well as an observation deck at the top, sixth floor of the main keep with views over the Matsumoto city.
    1810JPN-4613.jpg
  • Seiganto-ji (Temple of the Blue Waves) is a Tendai Buddhist temple within the Kumano Sanzan shrine complex, in Nachikatsuura, on the Kii Peninsula, on the island of Honshu, Japan. Don't miss the iconic view of thundering Nachi-no-Taki waterfall (133 m, Japan's tallest) paired with Seiganto-ji pagoda. According to a legend, it was founded (near a previous nature worship site) by the priest Ragyo Shonin, a monk from India. Seiganto-ji is part of the Kumano Sanzan shrine complex and is one of the few jingu-ji still in existence after the separation of Shinto and Buddhism forced by the Japanese government during the Meiji restoration. Seiganto-ji is is stop #1 on Kansai Kannon Pilgrimage, and is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site listed as the "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range". Access: by bus from Nachi Station (20 min) or Kii-Katsuura Station (30 min). Ask driver to stop at base of the Daimonzaka trail ("Daimonzaka" stop); or at the entrance to Nachi Waterfall ("Taki-mae"); or at the bus terminus 10 minutes climb below Nachi Shrine ("Nachi-san"). Cars can park at Seigantoji Temple. I recommend this scenic, short walk (3.5 km with 265 meters gain): starting from Daimon-zaka bus stop, ascend a stone-paved path, humbled by massive evergreens, up to the gates of Nachi Taisha shrine, descend to Seiganto-ji pagoda, then to the falls, just below Taki-mae bus stop.
    1810JPN-5727.jpg
  • The Azusa River drains Mount Hotaka (Hotaka-dake or the Hotaka Mountains), whose highest peak is Okuhotakadake (3190 m or 10,470 ft), in the "Northern Japan Alps" (Hida Mountains) in Chubu-Sangaku National Park, Japan. This is Kamikochi ("Upper Highlands"), a high valley last logged in the mid 1800s, now a popular nature resort. The valley floor ranges from 1400 m (4600 ft) to 1600 m (5200 ft) elevation. The karamatsu, or Japanese larch (Larix kaempferi or Larix leptolepis) is a tree native to Japan, in the mountains of Chubu and Kanto regions in central Honshu. Its needle-like leaves are light glaucous green, turning bright yellow to orange before falling in autumn. The scientific name honours Engelbert Kaempfer.
    1810JPN-1873.jpg
  • Buddhist statue of Jizo / Ojizo-sama at Seiganto-ji Temple in Wakayama Prefecture, on the Kii Peninsula, Honshu, Japan. In Japan, Buddhist statues of Jizo (or respectfully Ojizo-sama) can sometimes be seen wearing tiny children's clothing or red bibs, or with toys, placed by grieving parents to protect their lost ones. Ojizo-sama is one of the most loved of Japanese divinities. His features are commonly made more baby-like to resemble the children he protects. His statues are a common sight along roadsides and graveyards. Traditionally, he is seen as the guardian of children, and in particular, children who died before their parents. Jizo has been worshipped as the guardian of the souls of mizuko, the souls of stillborn, miscarried or aborted fetuses ("water children"). Jizo is a Japanese version of Ksitigarbha (Sanskrit for "Earth Treasury", "Earth Store", "Earth Matrix" or "Earth Womb"), a bodhisattva revered in East Asian Buddhism. Ksitigarbha is usually depicted as a Buddhist monk with a halo around his shaved head. He carries a staff to force open the gates of hell and a wish-fulfilling jewel to light up the darkness.  Seiganto-ji (Temple of the Blue Waves) is a Tendai Buddhist temple. Don't miss the iconic view of thundering Nachi-no-Taki waterfall (133 m, Japan's tallest) paired with Seiganto-ji pagoda. According to a legend, it was founded (near a previous nature worship site) by the priest Ragyo Shonin, a monk from India. Seiganto-ji is part of the Kumano Sanzan shrine complex and is one of the few jingu-ji still in existence after the separation of Shinto and Buddhism forced by the Japanese government during the Meiji restoration. Seiganto-ji is is stop #1 on Kansai Kannon Pilgrimage, and is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site listed as the "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range". Access: by bus from Nachi Station (20 min) or Kii-Katsuura Station (30 min). Ask driver to stop at base of the Daimonzaka trail ("Daimonzaka" stop); or at
    1810JPN-5765.jpg
  • Kyoto Station, Japan: shinkansen ("new trunkline") reliable high speed trains are operated by Japan Railways (JR). Running at speeds of up to 320 km/h (200 mph), the shinkansen are Japan's reliable high-speed bullet trains, operated by Japan Railways (JR). The shinkansen, or "new trunkline", began with the Tokaido Shinkansen (515.4 km, 320.3 mi) in 1964. As of 2018, the network connects Japan's main islands of Honshu, Kyushu and Hokkaido for 2764.6 kilometers (1717.8 miles) with maximum speeds of 240–320 km/h (150–200 mph). The shinkansen is famous for efficiency, punctuality (often to the second), comfort (relatively silent cars with spacious, always forward facing seats), and safety (no fatal accidents in its history). The Japan Rail Pass (JR Pass) makes the shinkansen a great travel value for foreign tourists in combination with Japan's standard rail network (much cheaper than what Japanese residents pay). The original Tokaido Shinkansen, connecting Japan’s three largest cities of Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka, is one of the world's busiest high-speed rail lines. At peak times, the line carries up to thirteen trains per hour in each direction with sixteen cars each (1323-seat capacity plus standing passengers) with a minimum headway of three minutes between trains. In the one-year period preceding March 2017, it carried 159 million passengers.
    1810JPN-7444.jpg
  • Seiganto-ji (Temple of the Blue Waves) is a Tendai Buddhist temple within the Kumano Sanzan shrine complex, in Nachikatsuura, on the Kii Peninsula, on the island of Honshu, Japan. Don't miss the iconic view of thundering Nachi-no-Taki waterfall (133 m, Japan's tallest) paired with Seiganto-ji pagoda. According to a legend, it was founded (near a previous nature worship site) by the priest Ragyo Shonin, a monk from India. Seiganto-ji is part of the Kumano Sanzan shrine complex and is one of the few jingu-ji still in existence after the separation of Shinto and Buddhism forced by the Japanese government during the Meiji restoration. Seiganto-ji is is stop #1 on Kansai Kannon Pilgrimage, and is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site listed as the "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range". Access: by bus from Nachi Station (20 min) or Kii-Katsuura Station (30 min). Ask driver to stop at base of the Daimonzaka trail ("Daimonzaka" stop); or at the entrance to Nachi Waterfall ("Taki-mae"); or at the bus terminus 10 minutes climb below Nachi Shrine ("Nachi-san"). Cars can park at Seigantoji Temple. I recommend this scenic, short walk (3.5 km with 265 meters gain): starting from Daimon-zaka bus stop, ascend a stone-paved path, humbled by massive evergreens, up to the gates of Nachi Taisha shrine, descend to Seiganto-ji pagoda, then to the falls, just below Taki-mae bus stop.
    1810JPN-5726.jpg
  • Seiganto-ji (Temple of the Blue Waves) is a Tendai Buddhist temple within the Kumano Sanzan shrine complex, in Nachikatsuura, on the Kii Peninsula, on the island of Honshu, Japan. Don't miss the iconic view of thundering Nachi-no-Taki waterfall (133 m, Japan's tallest) paired with Seiganto-ji pagoda. According to a legend, it was founded (near a previous nature worship site) by the priest Ragyo Shonin, a monk from India. Seiganto-ji is part of the Kumano Sanzan shrine complex and is one of the few jingu-ji still in existence after the separation of Shinto and Buddhism forced by the Japanese government during the Meiji restoration. Seiganto-ji is is stop #1 on Kansai Kannon Pilgrimage, and is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site listed as the "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range". Access: by bus from Nachi Station (20 min) or Kii-Katsuura Station (30 min). Ask driver to stop at base of the Daimonzaka trail ("Daimonzaka" stop); or at the entrance to Nachi Waterfall ("Taki-mae"); or at the bus terminus 10 minutes climb below Nachi Shrine ("Nachi-san"). Cars can park at Seigantoji Temple. I recommend this scenic, short walk (3.5 km with 265 meters gain): starting from Daimon-zaka bus stop, ascend a stone-paved path, humbled by massive evergreens, up to the gates of Nachi Taisha shrine, descend to Seiganto-ji pagoda, then to the falls, just below Taki-mae bus stop.
    1810JPN-5743.jpg
  • One of many buildings at Kumano Nachi Taisha shrine, in Nachikatsuura, Higashimuro District, Wakayama Prefecture, on the Kii Peninsula, Honshu, Japan. Kumano Nachi Taisha shrine was built in homage to Nachi-no-Taki waterfall's kami (spirit god). Don't miss the iconic view of thundering Nachi-no-Taki waterfall (133 m, Japan's tallest) paired with Seiganto-ji pagoda. Kumano Nachi Taisha shrine fuses Buddhist and Shinto influences along the 1000+ year pilgrimage routes of Kumano Kodo. For most of their history, the Buddhist Seiganto-ji and Shinto Kumano Nachi Taisha shrine functioned as one religious institution. The "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range" form an impressive entry on UNESCO's List of World Heritage Sites. Access: by bus from Nachi Station (20 min) or Kii-Katsuura Station (30 min). Ask driver to stop at base of the Daimonzaka trail ("Daimonzaka" stop); or at the entrance to Nachi Waterfall ("Taki-mae"); or at the bus terminus 10 minutes climb below Nachi Shrine ("Nachi-san"). Cars can park at Seigantoji Temple. I recommend this remarkably scenic, short walk (3.5 km with 265 meters gain): starting from Daimon-zaka bus stop, ascend a stone-paved path, humbled by massive evergreens, up to the gates of Nachi Taisha shrine, descend to Seiganto-ji pagoda, then to the falls, just below Taki-mae bus stop.
    1810JPN-5717.jpg
  • Outward views from upper floors of Matsumoto Castle, built in 1614, in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, Honshu, Japan. Matsumoto Castle is a "hirajiro" - a castle built on plains rather than on a hill or mountain, in Matsumoto. Matsumotojo's main castle keep and its smaller, second donjon were built from 1592 to 1614, well-fortified as peace was not yet fully achieved at the time. In 1635, when military threats had ceased, a third, barely defended turret and another for moon viewing were added to the castle. Interesting features of the castle include steep wooden stairs, openings to drop stones onto invaders, openings for archers, as well as an observation deck at the top, sixth floor of the main keep with views over the Matsumoto city. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
    1810JPN-4622-p1-Pano.jpg
  • Running at speeds of up to 320 km/h (200 mph), the shinkansen are Japan's reliable high-speed bullet trains, operated by Japan Railways (JR). The shinkansen, or "new trunkline", began with the Tokaido Shinkansen (515.4 km, 320.3 mi) in 1964. As of 2018, the network connects Japan's main islands of Honshu, Kyushu and Hokkaido for 2764.6 kilometers (1717.8 miles) with maximum speeds of 240–320 km/h (150–200 mph). The shinkansen is famous for efficiency, punctuality (often to the second), comfort (relatively silent cars with spacious, always forward facing seats), and safety (no fatal accidents in its history). The Japan Rail Pass (JR Pass) makes the shinkansen a great travel value for foreign tourists in combination with Japan's standard rail network (much cheaper than what Japanese residents pay). The original Tokaido Shinkansen, connecting Japan’s three largest cities of Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka, is one of the world's busiest high-speed rail lines. At peak times, the line carries up to thirteen trains per hour in each direction with sixteen cars each (1323-seat capacity plus standing passengers) with a minimum headway of three minutes between trains. In the one-year period preceding March 2017, it carried 159 million passengers.
    1810JPN-3274.jpg
  • The karamatsu, or Japanese larch (Larix kaempferi or Larix leptolepis) is a tree native to Japan, in the mountains of Chubu and Kanto regions in central Honshu. Its needle-like leaves are light glaucous green, turning bright yellow to orange before falling in autumn. The scientific name honours Engelbert Kaempfer. Yokoo Valley, Hida Mountains, Chubu-Sangaku National Park, in the "Northern Alps" of the Japanese Alps, near Kamikochi, Nagano Prefecture, Japan.
    1810JPN-1663.jpg
  • Kumano Nachi Taisha shrine was built in homage to Nachi-no-Taki waterfall's kami (spirit god). Don't miss the iconic view of thundering Nachi-no-Taki waterfall (133 m, Japan's tallest) paired with Seiganto-ji pagoda, in Nachikatsuura, Higashimuro District, Wakayama Prefecture, on the Kii Peninsula, Honshu, Japan. Kumano Nachi Taisha shrine fuses Buddhist and Shinto influences along the 1000+ year pilgrimage routes of Kumano Kodo. For most of their history, the Buddhist Seiganto-ji and Shinto Kumano Nachi Taisha shrine functioned as one religious institution. The "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range" form an impressive entry on UNESCO's List of World Heritage Sites. Access: by bus from Nachi Station (20 min) or Kii-Katsuura Station (30 min). Ask driver to stop at base of the Daimonzaka trail ("Daimonzaka" stop); or at the entrance to Nachi Waterfall ("Taki-mae"); or at the bus terminus 10 minutes climb below Nachi Shrine ("Nachi-san"). Cars can park at Seigantoji Temple. I recommend this remarkably scenic, short walk (3.5 km with 265 meters gain): starting from Daimon-zaka bus stop, ascend a stone-paved path, humbled by massive evergreens, up to the gates of Nachi Taisha shrine, descend to Seiganto-ji pagoda, then to the falls, just below Taki-mae bus stop.
    1810JPN-5693.jpg
  • Dragons are a common motif in the fountains or chozuya provided in temples and shrines for cleansing the hands and mouths of worshipers before prayer. Kumano Nachi Taisha shrine was built in homage to Nachi-no-Taki waterfall's kami (spirit god). Don't miss the iconic view of thundering Nachi-no-Taki waterfall (133 m, Japan's tallest) paired with Seiganto-ji pagoda, in Nachikatsuura, Higashimuro District, Wakayama Prefecture, on the Kii Peninsula, Honshu, Japan. Kumano Nachi Taisha shrine fuses Buddhist and Shinto influences along the 1000+ year pilgrimage routes of Kumano Kodo. For most of their history, the Buddhist Seiganto-ji and Shinto Kumano Nachi Taisha shrine functioned as one religious institution. The "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range" form an impressive entry on UNESCO's List of World Heritage Sites. Access: by bus from Nachi Station (20 min) or Kii-Katsuura Station (30 min). Ask driver to stop at base of the Daimonzaka trail ("Daimonzaka" stop); or at the entrance to Nachi Waterfall ("Taki-mae"); or at the bus terminus 10 minutes climb below Nachi Shrine ("Nachi-san"). Cars can park at Seigantoji Temple. I recommend this remarkably scenic, short walk (3.5 km with 265 meters gain): starting from Daimon-zaka bus stop, ascend a stone-paved path, humbled by massive evergreens, up to the gates of Nachi Taisha shrine, descend to Seiganto-ji pagoda, then to the falls, just below Taki-mae bus stop.
    1810JPN-5671.jpg
  • Outward views from upper floors of Matsumoto Castle, built in 1614, in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, Honshu, Japan. Matsumoto Castle is a "hirajiro" - a castle built on plains rather than on a hill or mountain, in Matsumoto. Matsumotojo's main castle keep and its smaller, second donjon were built from 1592 to 1614, well-fortified as peace was not yet fully achieved at the time. In 1635, when military threats had ceased, a third, barely defended turret and another for moon viewing were added to the castle. Interesting features of the castle include steep wooden stairs, openings to drop stones onto invaders, openings for archers, as well as an observation deck at the top, sixth floor of the main keep with views over the Matsumoto city.
    1810JPN-4645.jpg
  • View of larch trees from atop the Panorama Course trail, above our entry hike along Azusa River. The karamatsu, or Japanese larch (Larix kaempferi or Larix leptolepis) is a tree native to Japan, in the mountains of Chubu and Kanto regions in central Honshu. Its needle-like leaves are light glaucous green, turning bright yellow to orange before falling in autumn. The scientific name honours Engelbert Kaempfer. Karasawa cirque is cradled by the Hotaka Mountains, in the "Northern Japan Alps" (Hida Mountains) in Chubu-Sangaku National Park, Japan. Within the cirque, two lodges provide beds and meals for hikers and climbers: Karasawa Goya and Karasawa Hutte. Also known as Mount Hotaka or Hotaka-dake, the Hotaka Mountains reach 3190 meters elevation atop Mount Oku-Hotaka, Japan's third highest peak. About 2000 meters in diameter, the cirque bottoms out at 2300 m elevation. Snow melting here forms the River Azusa which flows through Kamikochi valley below.
    1810JPN-1437.jpg
  • Nachi-no-Taki waterfall (133 m, Japan's tallest), in Nachikatsuura, on the Kii Peninsula, on the island of Honshu, Japan. Don't miss the iconic view of thundering Nachi-no-Taki waterfall (133 m, Japan's tallest) paired with Seiganto-ji pagoda. According to a legend, it was founded (near a previous nature worship site) by the priest Ragyo Shonin, a monk from India. Seiganto-ji is part of the Kumano Sanzan shrine complex and is one of the few jingu-ji still in existence after the separation of Shinto and Buddhism forced by the Japanese government during the Meiji restoration. Seiganto-ji is is stop #1 on Kansai Kannon Pilgrimage, and is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site listed as the "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range". Access: by bus from Nachi Station (20 min) or Kii-Katsuura Station (30 min). Ask driver to stop at base of the Daimonzaka trail ("Daimonzaka" stop); or at the entrance to Nachi Waterfall ("Taki-mae"); or at the bus terminus 10 minutes climb below Nachi Shrine ("Nachi-san"). Cars can park at Seigantoji Temple. I recommend this scenic, short walk (3.5 km with 265 meters gain): starting from Daimon-zaka bus stop, ascend a stone-paved path, humbled by massive evergreens, up to the gates of Nachi Taisha shrine, descend to Seiganto-ji pagoda, then to the falls, just below Taki-mae bus stop.
    1810JPN-5709.jpg
  • Zenkyoan boar shrine in Kyoto, Japan.
    1810JPN-6601.jpg
  • Tuna packed in ice in styrofoam.  Nachikatsuura, Higashimuro District, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. In Nachikatsuura, don't miss the impressive tuna market auction at 7:00am, easily viewed from above in the open public gallery. (In contrast, Tokyo's restrictive early morning fish auction at Toyosu Market limits viewers via registration and a wall of glass). Japan is the world's biggest consumer of tuna.
    1810JPN-6211.jpg
  • The maneki-neko, "beckoning cat", is a common Japanese figurine (lucky charm or talisman) which is often believed to bring good luck to the owner. In common interpretation, the left paw raised attracts customers (as displayed in businesses); and/or the right paw raised invites good fortune and money (as displayed at home). Often made of ceramic or plastic, the figurine depicts a cat (traditionally a calico Japanese Bobtail) beckoning with an upright paw, and is usually displayed at the entrance of shops, restaurants, pachinko parlors and other businesses. Some of the sculptures have electric or battery-powered paws. Common colors are white, black, gold and sometimes red. The beckoning cat probably originated in Tokyo (or possibly Kyoto). Earliest records of Maneki-neko appear in the Buko nenpyo's (a chronology of Edo) entry dated 1852. Differing from Western body language, the Japanese beckoning gesture is made by holding up the hand, palm down, and repeatedly folding the fingers down and back, thus explaining the cat's appearance. Photo from Kumano Nachi Taisha shrine, Nachikatsuura, Kii Mountains, Japan.
    1810JPN-5656.jpg
  • A fisherman mends a net in Nachikatsuura, Higashimuro District, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. In Nachikatsuura, don't miss the impressive tuna market auction at 7:00am, easily viewed from above in the open public gallery. (In contrast, Tokyo's restrictive early morning fish auction at Toyosu Market limits viewers via registration and a wall of glass). Japan is the world's biggest consumer of tuna.
    1810JPN-5329.jpg
  • Japanese manhole cover / hatchcover. Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, Japan.
    1810JPN-4543.jpg
  • Kegon Waterfall (Kegon no taki, 97 metres or 318 ft) is the thundering outlet of Lake Chuzenji. Paying for the 100 meter deep elevator gives more impressive views than the free viewing above. Kegon Waterfall  is a short walk from Chuzenjiko Onsen bus terminal. Nikko National Park, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
    1810JPN-3893-p1-Pano.jpg
  • Carvings on Yomeimon Gate, one of Japan's most intricately decorated structures. Toshogu Shrine is the final resting place of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate that ruled Japan for over 250 years until 1868. Ieyasu is enshrined at Toshogu as the deity Tosho Daigongen, "Great Deity of the East Shining Light". Initially a relatively simple mausoleum, Toshogu was enlarged into the spectacular complex seen today by Ieyasu's grandson Iemitsu during the first half of the 1600s. The lavishly decorated shrine complex consists of more than a dozen buildings set in a beautiful forest. Countless wood carvings and large amounts of gold leaf were used to decorate the buildings in a way not seen elsewhere in Japan. Toshogu contains both Shinto and Buddhist elements, as was common until the Meiji Period when Shinto was deliberately separated from Buddhism. Toshogu is part of Shrines and Temples of Nikko UNESCO World Heritage site.
    1810JPN-3614.jpg
  • Kurobe Dam is Japan's tallest dam at 186 meters / 610 ft. Built with many difficulties over 7 years, it was completed in 1963. Over 170 people lost their lives to the project. Its hydropower plant supplies electricity to the Kansai Region. Kurobe Dam spans across Kurobe Lake in an arc, and it can be accessed via electric bus from the east or the cablecar from the west. Visitors walk over the dam to get between the bus and cablecar stations in about 10-15 minutes. At the eastern end of the dam, a long flight of stairs leads up the concrete-covered mountain slope for an aerial view of the dam and its surroundings. The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route carries visitors across the Northern Japan Alps via cablecars, trolley buses and a ropeway. Completed in 1971, this transportation corridor connects Toyama City in Toyama Prefecture with Omachi Town in Nagano Prefecture. The Tateyama Mountain Range lies within Chubu Sangaku National Park. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
    1810JPN-3038-p1-Pano.jpg
  • Shinmura Bridge near Tokusawa-en mountain hut. Kamikochi ("Upper Highlands") is a high valley within the Hida Mountains, in Chubu-Sangaku National Park, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. Last logged in the mid 1800s, it is now a popular nature resort. Embraced within the "Northern Alps" of the Japanese Alps, the valley floor ranges from 1400 m (4600 ft) to 1600 m (5200 ft) elevation. Its highest peak is Okuhotakadake (3190 m or 10,470 ft).
    1810JPN-1712.jpg
  • Seen here in the fog, the infamous Daikiretto Gap, secured by chains and ladders, is one of the most difficult non-technical routes in Japan. Kita-hotaka Mountain Hut perches near the summit of Mount Kitahotaka, which reaches 3106 m elevation (10,190 ft, Japan's 9th highest) in Chubu-Sangaku National Park, Japan. This is the highest hut in Japan, excluding those on Mt Fuji. I hiked Kitahotaka (or Kitahotaka-dake) 4km round trip from Karasawa Goya hut via a steep trail secured with chains & ladders ascending 800 meters. Mt Kitahotaka is the second highest peak on Mount Hotaka (Hotaka-dake or the Hotaka Mountains), which are in the "Northern Japan Alps" (Hida Mountains). North of Kitahotaka-dake lies an exposed 3.5+ hour scramble via Daikiretto Gap helped by chains and ladders, connecting with Minamidake Mountain Hut. I avoided the Daikiretto by returning to Karasawa cirque, then walking all the way back to a comfortable dorm slot reserved at Tokusawa-en backcountry lodge (16 km, 800 meters up, 1615 m down).
    1810JPN-1618.jpg
  • "One monkey faces the world head on, while another, looking down with trepidation is encouraged by a friend." Hidari Jingoro may have carved these panels to incorporate Confucius's Code of Conduct, using the monkey as a way to depict man's life cycle. Art work on storehouse in Toshogu shrine in Nikko, Japan. The monkeys are Japanese macaques, a common species in Japan. Toshogu Shrine is the final resting place of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate that ruled Japan for over 250 years until 1868. Ieyasu is enshrined at Toshogu as the deity Tosho Daigongen, "Great Deity of the East Shining Light". Initially a relatively simple mausoleum, Toshogu was enlarged into the spectacular complex seen today by Ieyasu's grandson Iemitsu during the first half of the 1600s. The lavishly decorated shrine complex consists of more than a dozen buildings set in a beautiful forest. Toshogu contains both Shinto and Buddhist elements, as was common until the Meiji Period when Shinto was deliberately separated from Buddhism. Toshogu is part of Shrines and Temples of Nikko UNESCO World Heritage site.
    1810JPN-3471.jpg
  • Fall foliage colors at the foot of Byobuiwa rocks in Yokoo Valley, Hida Mountains, Chubu-Sangaku National Park, in the "Northern Alps" of the Japanese Alps, near Kamikochi, Nagano Prefecture, Japan.
    1810JP2-010.jpg
  • Art work along the Philosopher's Path in Kyoto. The pleasant stone Philosopher's Path follows a canal lined with cherry trees through Higashiyama district in Kyoto, Japan. The 2-kilometer path begins at Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion) and ends in Nanzenji neighborhood. A famous Japanese philosopher Nishida Kitaro was said to meditate while walking this route to Kyoto University. This is part of Lake Biwa Canal which tunnels 20 kilometers through the mountains to Lake Biwa in nearby Shiga Prefecture. Built during the Meiji Period to revitalize the stagnating local economy, the canal powered Japan's first hydroelectric power plant.
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  • Rooftop view of Himeji Castle, built 1609, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. Himeji Castle is both a national treasure and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Unlike many other Japanese castles, it was never destroyed by war, earthquake or fire and survives to this day as one of the country's twelve original castles. History: Starting as forts built in 1333 and 1346, Himeji Castle (aka White Heron Castle or White Egret Castle) was remodeled in 1561, remodeled in 1581, enlarged in 1609 to its present complex, extensively repaired in 1956, and renovated in 2009-15. Displayed inside are historic samurai armour and swords. From the upper floors, view fish-shaped roof ornaments that are believed to protect from fire. Across the moat, visit Koko-en, a pleasing reconstruction of former samurai quarters, nine Edo period homes, plus movie-set gardens. Himeji Castle starred in the 1967 James Bond movie "You Only Live Twice"; in Akira Kurosawa's 1980 film "Kagemusha" and 1985 "Ran"; and in the 1980 television miniseries Shogun (portraying feudal Osaka castle). By train, Himeji is 3 hours round trip from Kyoto. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
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  • Women in kimonos bowing. Nishijin Textile Center regularly presents beautiful kimono fashion shows, in Kyoto, Japan.
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  • Bridge over pond in Gonaitei Garden at Otsunegoten (Imperial Residential Palace) in Kyoto Imperial Palace (Kyoto Gosho), the residence of Japan's Imperial Family until 1868, when the emperor and capital were moved from Kyoto to Tokyo. Kyoto Gosho is within spacious Kyoto Imperial Park (Kyoto Gyoen National Garden) which also encompasses Sento Imperial Palace. The current Imperial Palace was reconstructed in 1855 after it had burnt down and moved around town repeatedly over the centuries. The complex is enclosed by long walls and has several gates, halls and gardens. The enthronement ceremonies of Emperors Taisho and Showa were held in the palace's main hall. Tokyo Imperial Palace is now used for enthronement ceremonies. The palace grounds (but not the buildings) can now be entered and explored without joining a tour and without any prior arrangements.
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  • "Don't touch the geishas, no loitering, no smoking, no eating while walking, no littering, no selfies" sign in Gion district, Kyoto, Japan.
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  • Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) is a Zen temple whose top two floors are covered in gold leaf, in Kyoto, Japan. Formally known as Rokuonji, the temple was the retirement villa of the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, and according to his will it became a Zen temple of the Rinzai sect after his death in 1408. Kinkakuji was the inspiration for the similarly named Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion), built by Yoshimitsu's grandson, Ashikaga Yoshimasa, on the other side of the city a few decades later. Kinkakuji overlooks a large pond. It has burned down numerous times throughout its history including twice during the Onin War, a civil war that destroyed much of Kyoto; and once again more recently in 1950 when it was set on fire by a fanatic monk. The present structure was rebuilt in 1955. The first floor is built in the Shinden style used for palace buildings during the Heian Period. The second floor is built in the Bukke style used in samurai residences, with its exterior completely covered in gold leaf. The third and uppermost floor is built in the style of a Chinese Zen Hall, is gilded inside and out, and is capped with a golden phoenix.
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  • Harbor boats. Nachikatsuura, Higashimuro District, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. The impressive Kumano Nachi Taisha, one of the three Kumano Shrines, is just 20 minutes by bus from Nachi Station. These shrines form part of the "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range" UNESCO World Heritage Site. In Nachikatsuura, don't miss the impressive tuna market auction at 7:00am, easily viewed from above in the open public gallery. (In contrast, Tokyo's restrictive early morning fish auction at Toyosu Market limits viewers via registration and a wall of glass). Japan is the world's biggest consumer of tuna.
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  • Boats in Nachikatsuura harbor at sunset, Kii Peninsula, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan.
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  • A delicious maguro (tuna) dinner at Katuragi restaurant included tuna sashimi, fried breaded tuna and user-cooked tuna, in Nachikatsuura, Higashimuro District, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. Maguro is found at virtually all restaurants that list sashimi on their menu. Most parts of the fish are eaten. The most common is akami, the deep red loins of the fish which are lean, firm and meaty. Higher up on the scale is toro, the pink, fatty belly meat, which is especially prized for its rich, buttery flavor. Toro usually comes in two grades: chutoro (medium) and otoro (premium) depending on the fat content. Some of the most prized tuna are caught off Cape Oma at the northernmost tip of Aomori Prefecture. In Nachikatsuura, don't miss the impressive tuna market auction at 7:00am, easily viewed from above in the open public gallery. (In contrast, Tokyo's restrictive early morning fish auction at Toyosu Market limits viewers via registration and a wall of glass). Japan is the world's biggest consumer of tuna.
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  • Mode Gakuen Spiral Towers is a 170-meter (558 ft), 36-story educational facility in Nakamura-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan. The building is home to three vocational schools: Nagoya Mode Gakuen, HAL Nagoya and Nagoya Isen. It is one of the tallest buildings in Nagoya.
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  • Frog statue on Nawate Dori shopping street, Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. Matsumoto has an annual two-day Frog Festival.
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  • Lit at night, Matsumoto Castle reflects in the moat by its red bridge. The castle was built from 1592-1614 in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. Matsumoto Castle is a "hirajiro" - a castle built on plains rather than on a hill or mountain, in Matsumoto. Matsumotojo's main castle keep and its smaller, second donjon were built from 1592 to 1614, well-fortified as peace was not yet fully achieved at the time. In 1635, when military threats had ceased, a third, barely defended turret and another for moon viewing were added to the castle. Interesting features of the castle include steep wooden stairs, openings to drop stones onto invaders, openings for archers, as well as an observation deck at the top, sixth floor of the main keep with views over the Matsumoto city.
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  • Ryuzu Waterfall (Ryuzu no Taki, "dragon head waterfall") on Yukawa River near its discharge into Lake Chuzenji, in Nikko National Park, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. Autumn foliage colors typically peak here in early October, but we saw good colors on October 23, 2018. Follow the river upstream for 300 meters for more views of the rushing river, then catch the bus, or continue on the trail towards Senjogahara Marshlands.
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  • Toshogu Shrine is the final resting place of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate that ruled Japan for over 250 years until 1868. Ieyasu is enshrined at Toshogu as the deity Tosho Daigongen, "Great Deity of the East Shining Light". Initially a relatively simple mausoleum, Toshogu was enlarged into the spectacular complex seen today by Ieyasu's grandson Iemitsu during the first half of the 1600s. The lavishly decorated shrine complex consists of more than a dozen buildings set in a beautiful forest. Countless wood carvings and large amounts of gold leaf were used to decorate the buildings in a way not seen elsewhere in Japan. Toshogu contains both Shinto and Buddhist elements, as was common until the Meiji Period when Shinto was deliberately separated from Buddhism. Toshogu is part of Shrines and Temples of Nikko UNESCO World Heritage site.
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  • Toshogu Shrine is the final resting place of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate that ruled Japan for over 250 years until 1868. Ieyasu is enshrined at Toshogu as the deity Tosho Daigongen, "Great Deity of the East Shining Light". Initially a relatively simple mausoleum, Toshogu was enlarged into the spectacular complex seen today by Ieyasu's grandson Iemitsu during the first half of the 1600s. The lavishly decorated shrine complex consists of more than a dozen buildings set in a beautiful forest. Countless wood carvings and large amounts of gold leaf were used to decorate the buildings in a way not seen elsewhere in Japan. Toshogu contains both Shinto and Buddhist elements, as was common until the Meiji Period when Shinto was deliberately separated from Buddhism. Toshogu is part of Shrines and Temples of Nikko UNESCO World Heritage site.
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  • Toshogu Shrine is the final resting place of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate that ruled Japan for over 250 years until 1868. Ieyasu is enshrined at Toshogu as the deity Tosho Daigongen, "Great Deity of the East Shining Light". Initially a relatively simple mausoleum, Toshogu was enlarged into the spectacular complex seen today by Ieyasu's grandson Iemitsu during the first half of the 1600s. The lavishly decorated shrine complex consists of more than a dozen buildings set in a beautiful forest. Countless wood carvings and large amounts of gold leaf were used to decorate the buildings in a way not seen elsewhere in Japan. Toshogu contains both Shinto and Buddhist elements, as was common until the Meiji Period when Shinto was deliberately separated from Buddhism. Toshogu is part of Shrines and Temples of Nikko UNESCO World Heritage site.
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  • Old Japanese lantern. Toshogu Shrine is the final resting place of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate that ruled Japan for over 250 years until 1868. Ieyasu is enshrined at Toshogu as the deity Tosho Daigongen, "Great Deity of the East Shining Light". Initially a relatively simple mausoleum, Toshogu was enlarged into the spectacular complex seen today by Ieyasu's grandson Iemitsu during the first half of the 1600s. The lavishly decorated shrine complex consists of more than a dozen buildings set in a beautiful forest. Countless wood carvings and large amounts of gold leaf were used to decorate the buildings in a way not seen elsewhere in Japan. Toshogu contains both Shinto and Buddhist elements, as was common until the Meiji Period when Shinto was deliberately separated from Buddhism. Toshogu is part of Shrines and Temples of Nikko UNESCO World Heritage site.
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  • Lighted southeast faces of Matsumoto Castle, built 1592-1614, backed by twilight over Japan Alps, in Nagano Prefecture. The castle was built from 1592-1614 in Matsumoto. Matsumoto Castle is a "hirajiro" - a castle built on plains rather than on a hill or mountain, in Matsumoto. Matsumotojo's main castle keep and its smaller, second donjon were built from 1592 to 1614, well-fortified as peace was not yet fully achieved at the time. In 1635, when military threats had ceased, a third, barely defended turret and another for moon viewing were added to the castle. Interesting features of the castle include steep wooden stairs, openings to drop stones onto invaders, openings for archers, as well as an observation deck at the top, sixth floor of the main keep with views over the Matsumoto city.
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  • Tateyama Ropeway down to Kurobedaira station of Kurobe Cablecar. The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route carries visitors across the Northern Japan Alps via cablecars, trolley buses and a ropeway. Completed in 1971, this transportation corridor connects Toyama City in Toyama Prefecture with Omachi Town in Nagano Prefecture. The Tateyama Mountain Range lies within Chubu Sangaku National Park.
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  • Tateyama Murodo Sanso mountain hut in snow. At 2450 meters elevation, Murodo is the highest point along the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, offering lodging, hiking and views of the Tateyama Mountain Range. The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route carries visitors across the Northern Japan Alps (Hida Mountains) via cablecars, trolley buses and a ropeway. Completed in 1971, this transportation corridor connects Toyama City in Toyama Prefecture with Omachi Town in Nagano Prefecture. The Tateyama Mountain Range lies within Chubu Sangaku National Park.
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  • The NTT Docomo Yoyogi Building rises above Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, in Shinjuku ward, Tokyo, Japan. At 240 metres (790 ft) tall, this skyscraper is the fourth tallest building in Tokyo. It mainly houses technical and switching equipment for the company's cellular telephone service, plus some offices. Shinjuku Gyoen originated during the Edo Period (1603-1867) as a feudal lord's Tokyo residence. Later it was converted into a botanical garden before being transferred to the Imperial Family in 1903 who used used it for recreation and the entertainment of guests. The park was almost completely destroyed during World War II, but was eventually rebuilt and reopened in 1949 as a public park. Access Shinjuku Gyoen park via three gates: Shinjuku Gate is a ten minute walk east from the "New South Exit" of JR Shinjuku Station or a five minute walk from Shinjukugyoenmae Station on the Marunouchi Subway Line. Okido Gate is a five minute walk from Shinjukugyoenmae Station on the Marunouchi Subway Line. Sendagaya Gate is a five minute walk from JR Sendagaya Station on the local Chuo/Sobu Line.
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  • Three-storied Koyasu Pagoda. Kiyomizu-dera ("Pure Water Temple") is an independent Buddhist temple in eastern Kyoto, Japan. Otowa-san Kiyomizu-dera temple is part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) UNESCO World Heritage site. Kiyomizu-dera was founded on the site of the Otowa Waterfall in the early Heian period, in 780 by Sakanoue no Tamuramaro. Ordered by Tokugawa Iemitsu, its present buildings were built entirely without nails in 1633.
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  • Fall foliage colors reflect in Hojo Pond at Eikando (formally known as Zenrinji Temple), in Kyoto, Japan. Eikando belongs to the Jodo sect of Japanese Buddhism. It is found just north of the large temple complex of Nanzenji. A court noble of the Heian Period (710-1185) donated his villa to a priest, who converted it into a temple named Zenrinji ("temple in a calm grove"). At its founding, Zenrinji was part of the Shingon sect. In the 11th century, Zenrinji had a popular head priest named Eikan, after whom the temple is popularly named Eikando ("Eikan Hall").
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  • Young men pose in suits at Fushimi Inari Taisha, an important Shinto shrine in southern Kyoto, Japan. Bright vermilion Senbon Torii ("thousands of torii gates") straddle a network of trails behind its main buildings. The trails lead into the wooded forest of the sacred Mount Inari (233 meters). Fushimi Inari is the most important of several thousands of shrines dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice. Foxes are thought to be Inari's messengers, honored in many statues. The shrine predates the capital's move to Kyoto in 794. The torii gates are donated by individuals and companies, as inscribed on the back of each gate. Prices for small to large gates run from 400,000 to over one million yen.
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  • Wash hands atop toilets after flushing. Lodging in Kyoto, Japan.
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  • Nijo Castle (Nijo-jo) was built in 1603 as the Kyoto residence of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Edo Period (1603-1867). His grandson Iemitsu completed the castle's palace buildings 23 years later and further expanded the castle by adding a five-story castle keep. After the Tokugawa Shogunate fell in 1867, Nijo Castle was used as an imperial palace for a while before being donated to the city and opened to the public as a historic site. Its palace buildings are some of the best surviving examples of castle palace architecture of Japan's feudal era, and the castle was designated a UNESCO world heritage site in 1994.
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  • School tour group. Nijo Castle (Nijo-jo) was built in 1603 as the Kyoto residence of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Edo Period (1603-1867). His grandson Iemitsu completed the castle's palace buildings 23 years later and further expanded the castle by adding a five-story castle keep. After the Tokugawa Shogunate fell in 1867, Nijo Castle was used as an imperial palace for a while before being donated to the city and opened to the public as a historic site. Its palace buildings are some of the best surviving examples of castle palace architecture of Japan's feudal era, and the castle was designated a UNESCO world heritage site in 1994.
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  • Tuna auction in Nachikatsuura, Higashimuro District, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. In Nachikatsuura, don't miss the impressive tuna market auction at 7:00am, easily viewed from above in the open public gallery. (In contrast, Tokyo's restrictive early morning fish auction at Toyosu Market limits viewers via registration and a wall of glass). Japan is the world's biggest consumer of tuna.
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  • Fall foliage colors at Kirifuri Waterfall (Kirifuri no taki, "falling mist"), an impressive, 75 meter high, two-tiered waterfall below the Kirifuri Highlands, a few kilometers northeast of the temples and shrines of Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. Foliage colors turn red, orange and gold in autumn, best around late October to early November. Walk 10 minutes to the observation deck from the parking lot and bus stop, near two restaurants and public toilets.
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  • Brackets of fungi cover a tree trunk. Lake Chuzenji (Chuzenjiko) is a scenic lake in the mountains above the town of Nikko, in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. It's at the foot of Mount Nantai, Nikko's sacred volcano, whose eruption blocked the valley below, thereby creating Lake Chuzenji 20,000 years ago. Chuzenjiko's shores are mostly undeveloped and forested except at the eastern end where the growing hot spring town of Chuzenjiko Onsen was built. Chuzenjiko is especially beautiful in mid to late October, when the autumn colors reach their peak along the lake's shores and surrounding mountains. See panoramic views of Lake Chuzenji along the Chuzenjiko Skyline, an eight kilometer long former toll road accessible by bus or car, which also connects to scenic hiking trails.
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  • Views from upper Chuzenjiko Skyline Road, Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. This area is especially beautiful in mid to late October, when the autumn colors reach their peak. See panoramic views of Lake Chuzenji along the Chuzenjiko Skyline, an eight kilometer long former toll road accessible by bus or car, which also connects to scenic hiking trails.
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  • Bus window view. The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route carries visitors across the Northern Japan Alps via cablecars, trolley buses and a ropeway. Completed in 1971, this transportation corridor connects Toyama City in Toyama Prefecture with Omachi Town in Nagano Prefecture. The Tateyama Mountain Range lies within Chubu Sangaku National Park.
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  • Mossy roof. In Ogimachi, the peaceful Gassho-zukuri Minka-en Outdoor Museum displays farmhouses relocated from surrounding villages. Ogimachi is the largest village and main attraction of the Shirakawa-go region, in Ono District, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995, Ogimachi village hosts several dozen well preserved gassho-zukuri farmhouses, some more than 250 years old. Gassho-zukuri means "constructed like hands in prayer", as the farmhouses' steep thatched roofs resemble the hands of Buddhist monks pressed together in prayer. Their thick roofs, made without nails, are designed withstand harsh, snowy winters and to protect a large attic space that was formerly used to cultivate silkworms. Many of the farmhouses are now restaurants, museums or minshuku lodging.
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  • Japanese women in kimonos in Asakusa district, Tokyo, Japan.
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  • Japanese manhole covers / hatchcovers (center photo by Tom, the other six by Carol Dempsey).
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  • Fall foliage colors reflect in Hojo Pond at Eikando (formally known as Zenrinji Temple), in Kyoto, Japan. Eikando belongs to the Jodo sect of Japanese Buddhism. It is found just north of the large temple complex of Nanzenji. A court noble of the Heian Period (710-1185) donated his villa to a priest, who converted it into a temple named Zenrinji ("temple in a calm grove"). At its founding, Zenrinji was part of the Shingon sect. In the 11th century, Zenrinji had a popular head priest named Eikan, after whom the temple is popularly named Eikando ("Eikan Hall").
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  • Traffic in street by Kyoto's Minamiza Kabuki Theatre, a prime place in Japan to see kabuki. It is located in a grand building on the corner of Shijo-dori and Kawabata-dori in Gion district, Kyoto, Japan.
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  • Kimono clad couple in Gion district, Kyoto, Japan.
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  • Tiny octopus on skewers in Nishiki Market in Kyoto, Japan. Nishiki Market is a narrow five-block shopping street lined by 100+ shops and restaurants, in Kyoto, Japan. Known as "Kyoto's Kitchen", this lively retail market specializes in all things food related, like fresh seafood, produce, knives and cookware, and is a great place to find seasonal foods and Kyoto specialties, such as Japanese sweets, pickles, dried seafood and sushi. It all started as a fish wholesale district, with the first shop opening around 1310. The market has many stores that have been operated by the same families for generations. Nishiki Ichiba often gets tightly packed with locals and visitors.
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  • Matsumoto Castle, built 1592-1614, lit at night reflecting in moat, in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. The castle was built from 1592-1614 in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. Matsumoto Castle is a "hirajiro" - a castle built on plains rather than on a hill or mountain, in Matsumoto. Matsumotojo's main castle keep and its smaller, second donjon were built from 1592 to 1614, well-fortified as peace was not yet fully achieved at the time. In 1635, when military threats had ceased, a third, barely defended turret and another for moon viewing were added to the castle. Interesting features of the castle include steep wooden stairs, openings to drop stones onto invaders, openings for archers, as well as an observation deck at the top, sixth floor of the main keep with views over the Matsumoto city.
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  • Swan pedal boats on Lake Chuzenji (Chuzenjiko), a scenic lake in the mountains above the town of Nikko, in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. It's at the foot of Mount Nantai, Nikko's sacred volcano, whose eruption blocked the valley below, thereby creating Lake Chuzenji 20,000 years ago. Chuzenjiko's shores are mostly undeveloped and forested except at the eastern end where the growing hot spring town of Chuzenjiko Onsen was built. Chuzenjiko is especially beautiful in mid to late October, when the autumn colors reach their peak along the lake's shores and surrounding mountains. See panoramic views of Lake Chuzenji along the Chuzenjiko Skyline, an eight kilometer long former toll road accessible by bus or car, which also connects to scenic hiking trails.
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  • Late October, fall foliage colors at Lake Chuzenji (Chuzenjiko), a scenic lake in the mountains above the town of Nikko, in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. It's at the foot of Mount Nantai, Nikko's sacred volcano, whose eruption blocked the valley below, thereby creating Lake Chuzenji 20,000 years ago. Chuzenjiko's shores are mostly undeveloped and forested except at the eastern end where the growing hot spring town of Chuzenjiko Onsen was built. Chuzenjiko is especially beautiful in mid to late October, when the autumn colors reach their peak along the lake's shores and surrounding mountains. See panoramic views of Lake Chuzenji along the Chuzenjiko Skyline, an eight kilometer long former toll road accessible by bus or car, which also connects to scenic hiking trails. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
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  • Matsumoto Castle, built 1592-1614, lit at night reflecting in moat, in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. The castle was built from 1592-1614 in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. Matsumoto Castle is a "hirajiro" - a castle built on plains rather than on a hill or mountain, in Matsumoto. Matsumotojo's main castle keep and its smaller, second donjon were built from 1592 to 1614, well-fortified as peace was not yet fully achieved at the time. In 1635, when military threats had ceased, a third, barely defended turret and another for moon viewing were added to the castle. Interesting features of the castle include steep wooden stairs, openings to drop stones onto invaders, openings for archers, as well as an observation deck at the top, sixth floor of the main keep with views over the Matsumoto city.
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  • As seen by the castle's red bridge, moonrise reflects in the moat of Matsumoto Castle, which was built 1592-1614 in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. Matsumoto Castle is a "hirajiro" - a castle built on plains rather than on a hill or mountain, in Matsumoto. Matsumotojo's main castle keep and its smaller, second donjon were built from 1592 to 1614, well-fortified as peace was not yet fully achieved at the time. In 1635, when military threats had ceased, a third, barely defended turret and another for moon viewing were added to the castle. Interesting features of the castle include steep wooden stairs, openings to drop stones onto invaders, openings for archers, as well as an observation deck at the top, sixth floor of the main keep with views over the Matsumoto city.
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  • Snow & fog on Mount Tate (Tate-yama or Tateyama, 3015 m or 9892 ft). Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, Murodo, Toyama Prefecture, Chubu Sangaku National Park, Northern Japan Alps. Along with Mount Fuji and Mount Haku, Tateyama is one of Japan's "Three Holy Mountains" (Sanreizan).
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  • Lion dance billboard. The city of Takayama ("tall mountain") lies in the heart of the Japan Alps, in the Hida region of Gifu Prefecture. Commonly differentiated as Hida-Takayama, city has the largest geographic area of any municipality in Japan.
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  • Fall foliage colors. Kamikochi ("Upper Highlands") is a high valley within the Hida Mountains, in Chubu-Sangaku National Park, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. Last logged in the mid 1800s, it is now a popular nature resort. Embraced within the "Northern Alps" of the Japanese Alps, the valley floor ranges from 1400 m (4600 ft) to 1600 m (5200 ft) elevation. Its highest peak is Okuhotakadake (3190 m or 10,470 ft).
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  • Mount Mae-Hotaka 3090.5 m / 10,138 ft. Karasawa cirque is cradled by the Hotaka Mountains, in the "Northern Japan Alps" (Hida Mountains) in Chubu-Sangaku National Park, Japan. Within the cirque, two lodges provide beds and meals for hikers and climbers: Karasawa Goya and Karasawa Hutte. Also known as Mount Hotaka or Hotaka-dake, the Hotaka Mountains reach 3190 meters elevation atop Mount Oku-Hotaka, Japan's third highest peak. About 2000 meters in diameter, the cirque bottoms out at 2300 m elevation. Snow melting here forms the River Azusa which flows through Kamikochi valley below.
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  • Tokyo Imperial Palace and Garden, the current residence of Japan's Imperial Family. The current Imperial Palace is on the former site of Edo Castle, a large park area surrounded by moats and massive stone walls in the center of Tokyo, a short walk from Tokyo Station. Edo Castle was formerly the seat of the Tokugawa shogun who ruled Japan from 1603-1867. In 1868, the shogunate was overthrown, and the country's capital and Imperial Residence were moved from Kyoto to Tokyo. In 1888 construction of a new Imperial Palace was completed. The palace was once destroyed during World War Two, and rebuilt in the same style, afterwards.
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  • Woman in wedding dress sips a soda in Kabukicho entertainment and neon red-light district in Shinjuku ward, Tokyo, Japan. Kabukicho was named from late-1940s plans to build a kabuki theater which never happened.
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  • Godzilla (Gojira) head and claw on Hotel Gracery (2015), in Kabukicho entertainment and neon red-light district, in Shinjuku ward, in Tokyo, Japan. The character first appeared in Ishiro Honda's 1954 film Godzilla and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films produced by Toho, three Hollywood films and numerous video games, novels, comic books and television shows. It is often dubbed "the King of the Monsters", a phrase first used in "Godzilla, King of the Monsters!", the Americanized version of the original film. Hotel Gracery supports a life-sized bust of Godzilla on the eighth floor, a tribute to the legendary movie monster and production company Toho Co. The building hosts a 12-screen cinema and IMAX theater. Kabukicho was named from late-1940s plans to build a kabuki theater which never happened.
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  • Popular for its path through a small bamboo grove, Arashiyama is a touristy district in the western outskirts of Kyoto, in Japan. Pleasure boats can be rented on the river near Togetsukyo Bridge.
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  • Kyoto Shibori Museum opened in 2001 in Kyoto, Japan, to protect and pass down the knowledge of this traditional fabric dyeing technique.  To license this Copyright photo, please inquire at PhotoSeek.com.
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  • On September 4, 2018, typhoon Jebi (strongest in 25 years) snapped trees and extensively damaged the grounds of Kurama Temple. During our visit in November, the cablecar was required to reach walking trails to the main hall; and the steep 1-hour hiking trail between Kurama and Kibune was closed until further notice. Kurama-dera is a peaceful Buddhist temple along the steep wooded mountainside above the rural town of Kurama, in the northern mountains of Kyoto City, Japan. A cablecar takes you halfway up the mountain.
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  • Nijo Castle (Nijo-jo) was built in 1603 as the Kyoto residence of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Edo Period (1603-1867). His grandson Iemitsu completed the castle's palace buildings 23 years later and further expanded the castle by adding a five-story castle keep. After the Tokugawa Shogunate fell in 1867, Nijo Castle was used as an imperial palace for a while before being donated to the city and opened to the public as a historic site. Its palace buildings are some of the best surviving examples of castle palace architecture of Japan's feudal era, and the castle was designated a UNESCO world heritage site in 1994.
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  • Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) is a Zen temple whose top two floors are covered in gold leaf, in Kyoto, Japan. Formally known as Rokuonji, the temple was the retirement villa of the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, and according to his will it became a Zen temple of the Rinzai sect after his death in 1408. Kinkakuji was the inspiration for the similarly named Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion), built by Yoshimitsu's grandson, Ashikaga Yoshimasa, on the other side of the city a few decades later. Kinkakuji overlooks a large pond. It has burned down numerous times throughout its history including twice during the Onin War, a civil war that destroyed much of Kyoto; and once again more recently in 1950 when it was set on fire by a fanatic monk. The present structure was rebuilt in 1955. The first floor is built in the Shinden style used for palace buildings during the Heian Period. The second floor is built in the Bukke style used in samurai residences, with its exterior completely covered in gold leaf. The third and uppermost floor is built in the style of a Chinese Zen Hall, is gilded inside and out, and is capped with a golden phoenix. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
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  • Tuna auction in Nachikatsuura, Higashimuro District, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. In Nachikatsuura, don't miss the impressive tuna market auction at 7:00am, easily viewed from above in the open public gallery. (In contrast, Tokyo's restrictive early morning fish auction at Toyosu Market limits viewers via registration and a wall of glass). Japan is the world's biggest consumer of tuna.
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  • Restaurant plastic food examples. Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. In 2015, Nagoya's population was 2,283,289 (3rd largest incorporated city in Japan), with a metropolitan area commuter population of 9,107,414.
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  • Japanese dinner at a minshuku (family pension). Tsumago preserves an Edo Period post town on the fuedal Nakasendo route between Kyoto and Edo (present-day Tokyo). To enforce historic ambiance, phone lines and power cables are concealed, and cars are prohibited during daytime. Visitors are encouraged to stay in minshuku and ryokan lodging, and to hike a portion of the trail preserved between Tsumago and Magome villages, via pleasant rural and forest scenery. The Nakasendo, or "Central Mountain Route", was one of Five Routes (Gokaido, begun in 1601) which helped the Tokugawa shogunate to stabilize and rule Japan (1600-1868). Tsumago is in Nagano Prefecture, Japan.
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  • Irohazaka Downward Winding Road, Nikko National Park, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. Irohazaka is a pair of winding roads with 48 hairpin turns that connect central Nikko to the higher elevations of the mountainous Okunikko region. "Iroha" are the first three of 48 syllables of the formerly used Japanese alphabet (which is now known as "aiueo"), and "zaka" means "slope". Today's downward road was built in 1954 and the upward one in 1965, among Japan's first toll roads, but were later free. Spectacular autumn colors along Irohazaka can usually be enjoyed from late October to early November. Due to the autumnal popularity of Nikko, traffic can get very bad along the Irohazaka, causing delays to both cars and buses. Visitors are advised to avoid weekends and national holidays and to try to go as early as possible.
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  • Myozenji Buddhist Temple in Hida Shirakawa-go. Ogimachi is the largest village and main attraction of the Shirakawa-go region, in Ono District, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995, Ogimachi village hosts several dozen well preserved gassho-zukuri farmhouses, some more than 250 years old. Their thick roofs, made without nails, are designed withstand harsh, snowy winters and to protect a large attic space that was formerly used to cultivate silkworms. Many of the farmhouses are now restaurants, museums or minshuku lodging. Some farmhouses from surrounding villages have been relocated to the peaceful Gassho-zukuri Minka-en Outdoor Museum, across the river from the town center. Gassho-zukuri means "constructed like hands in prayer", as the farmhouses' steep thatched roofs resemble the hands of Buddhist monks pressed together in prayer.
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  • Kita-hotaka Mountain Hut perches near the summit of Mount Kitahotaka, which reaches 3106 m elevation (10,190 ft, Japan's 9th highest) in Chubu-Sangaku National Park, Japan. This is the highest hut in Japan, excluding those on Mt Fuji. I hiked Kitahotaka (or Kitahotaka-dake) 4km round trip from Karasawa Goya hut via a steep trail secured with chains & ladders ascending 800 meters. Mt Kitahotaka is the second highest peak on Mount Hotaka (Hotaka-dake or the Hotaka Mountains), which are in the "Northern Japan Alps" (Hida Mountains). North of Kitahotaka-dake lies an exposed 3.5+ hour scramble via Daikiretto Gap helped by chains and ladders, connecting with Minamidake Mountain Hut. I avoided the Daikiretto by returning to Karasawa cirque, then walking all the way back to a comfortable dorm slot reserved at Tokusawa-en backcountry lodge (16 km, 800 meters up, 1615 m down).
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  • The comfortable Tokusawa-en mountain hut is an easy walk of 7.5 km with 100 meters gain from Kamikochi. Kamikochi ("Upper Highlands") is a high valley within the Hida Mountains, in Chubu-Sangaku National Park, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. Last logged in the mid 1800s, it is now a popular nature resort. Embraced within the "Northern Alps" of the Japanese Alps, the valley floor ranges from 1400 m (4600 ft) to 1600 m (5200 ft) elevation. Its highest peak is Okuhotakadake (3190 m or 10,470 ft).
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  • Kachidoki Bridge was built in 1940 for the commemoration of the victory of the Japanese army at Lushun during the Russo-Japanese War. This bridge is the only drawbridge on the Sumida River, and has not been raised since 1970. Sumida River Dinner Cruise on a Yakatabune traditional Heian Period Japanese boat, in Tokyo, Japan. Depart from Harumi Asashio Small Craft pier on Harumi Island, at Reimei Bashi Bridge, 5-min walk from Kachidoki Station of Oedo line. Harumiya company's "Odaiba & Skytree route". Seating is at horigotatsu low table with a sunken floor to comfortably stretch your legs. Rainbow Bridge has an arching suspension designed named for its shape (and changing night-time illuminations also resemble a rainbow).
    1810JPN-0720.jpg
  • Sumida River Dinner Cruise on a Yakatabune traditional Heian Period Japanese boat, in Tokyo, Japan. Depart from Harumi Asashio Small Craft pier on Harumi Island, at Reimei Bashi Bridge, 5-min walk from Kachidoki Station of Oedo line. Harumiya company's "Odaiba & Skytree route". Seating is at horigotatsu low table with a sunken floor to comfortably stretch your legs. Rainbow Bridge has an arching suspension designed named for its shape (and changing night-time illuminations also resemble a rainbow).
    1810JPN-0688.jpg
  • Kabukicho entertainment and neon red-light district glows brightly at night in Shinjuku ward, Tokyo, Japan. Kabukicho was named from late-1940s plans to build a kabuki theater which never happened.
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