Posted in writing and poetry, nature, travel and places, kyoto, haiku on May 2nd, 2007 1 Comment »
One of the weirdest Shinkansen stations is without a doubt Shinkobe. The station building hangs on the side of Mt Rokko, above the city, with only a green mountain at the back. The trains arrive and depart via long tunnels bored in that same mountain. Right under the station a river comes cascading down the […]
Posted in calendar, travel and places, temples, kyoto on Apr 29th, 2007 2 Comments »
With the sprouting of the fresh green and the red splash of the azaleas, in May Japan bursts out in a frenzy of festivals.
[Shiobune Temple fire festival. Photo Ad Blankestijn]
Late April - Early May, Nara: Opening of Hokuendo Hall of Kofukuji (2007: 4/27-5/6).
May 1- 4, Kyoto: Nenbutsu Kyogen at Senbonshakado Temple.
One of the three greatest kyogen […]
Posted in nature, technology, history, travel and places, kyoto on Apr 28th, 2007 No Comments »
The Hozu River is the designation for the upstream section of the Katsura River, between the Hozu Bridge in Kameoka City and the Togetsu Bridge in Arashiyama. The river originates in the Tanba mountains and finally, south of Kyoto, flows into the Yodo River. It changes name three times, because the upper reaches above […]
Posted in technology, architecture, travel and places, museums, kyoto on Apr 25th, 2007 No Comments »
Kyoto is often seen as purely a historical city for tourists. Indeed, when you sit in a quiet Zen garden you tend to forget that it is also a hothouse of advanced research and industry.
That was already so in the past. In the last 30 years of the 19th century, after the capital was transferred […]
Posted in nature, travel and places, gardens, temples, kyoto on Apr 23rd, 2007 1 Comment »
Although now most flowers are gone, last weekend (April 14-15) there were still some beautiful sakura left in Kyoto. After having seen the “Kansetsu sakura” of the Philosopher’s Path (planted by the wife of nihonga painter Hashimoto Kansetsu, in the memory of her husband) and the famous trees of Arashiyama (originally from the sacred groves […]
Posted in travel and places, religion and philosophy, museums, temples, kyoto on Apr 13th, 2007 No Comments »
There is one very special image of Sakyamuni, the historical Buddha, one that claims to be modeled after the Buddha himself, during his lifetime, and that therefore became the object of a particularly fervent popular cult in Japan in the 13th century. This wondrous image still can be seen in the Shaka-do, the Sakyamuni Hall […]
Posted in nature, travel and places on Apr 12th, 2007 No Comments »
Hokkaido has the following six National Parks:
1. Daisetsuzan National Park:
The largest national park in Japan, more or less in the center of Hokkaido, near Asahikawa. Called the “Roof of Japan” for its large volcanoes as Mt Asahidake (2290 meters high), Mt Tomuraushi and Mt Tokachi. There are extensive fir and spruce forests on the […]
Posted in nature, calendar, travel and places, kyoto on Apr 8th, 2007 1 Comment »
The Philosopher’s Path (Tetsugaku no Michi) in Kyoto is one of my favorite walks, but I had been there only in summer, autumn (good for momiji leaves) and winter, as I discovered yesterday, because I never realized that it is also the prime sakura spot in Kyoto!
The philosopher’s Path is a 2 kilometer trail along […]
Posted in travel and places on Apr 6th, 2007 No Comments »
Skip getting up at a terribly early time to go to the Tsukiji fish market, as everybody is going there already.
Instead, start your adventurous day slowly by having a late coffee in a maid cafe in Akihabara and then (as you have to buy souvenirs anyway and might as well get over with it as […]
Posted in nature, calendar, travel and places, kyoto on Apr 5th, 2007 No Comments »
One of the most famous places for seeing cherryblossoms in Osaka is the Mint, or Zoheikyoku, which features a long lane where rare cherry trees form a veritable tunnel of blossoms.
As the branches hang down low, the flowers are surprisingly closeby.
There are apparently 120 different kinds of cherrytrees and about tree times as many trees; […]
- Next »