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Japan Photographs
| Yoshiko, energetic as
usual. I, on the other hand, . . . have jet lag. |
Yoshiko attired in
one of her finer kimonos. |
An early picture of us in Japan. It is nice to be
young and in love. |
| The Nijo Castle
Ninomaru Garden in Kyoto was the private 16th century garden enjoyed by
the Shogun. |
For the curious, here
is a unisex restroom. Use your imagination, but I will say
exercise your legs before travel to Japan! |
Kinkakuji, the Golden
Pavilion, is plated with 106 lbs. of real gold. The original
building dated to 1397 but burned in 1950, so the current building is a
replica. |
| Two rarely seen and talented
Geisha perform traditional Japanese arts for
tourists occasionally and for the affluent frequently. |
The Great Buddha of
Kamakura is 44 ft. tall. Shortly after it was cast in bronze in 1252 the building
that surrounded it was washed away by a massive tidal wave. |
While strolling through Gion, Kyoto, I chanced upon a
Maiko, or Geisha in training, who graciously allowed me to take her
picture. |
| Yoshiko comfortably at home in
Kyoto, an ancient city of 1,500 temples and myriad gardens. |
The Heian Shrine Garden in
central Kyoto is my favorite spot for feeding turtles and fish. |
Koi, or temple fish, swarm when bread crumbs are
tossed into the water. |
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| Ryoanji is a 15th century Zen rock
and gravel garden. What do the 15 stones and raked gravel signify? |
Typical teenagers
out enjoying the hot July evening during the Gion Matsuri Festival. |
The national dish of
Japan, Sushi. It is eaten out, or delivered right to the door like
American pizza. |
| Our darling nieces,
Yukino on the left, and Hinano. At their tender age, they already speak
better Japanese than Uncle Dan does! |
Ninnaji Temple
compound inaugurated in 888 A.D. The temple is known for its low, squat
Omuro Cherry trees. |
Horyuji Temple in
Nara is home to the world's oldest wooden buildings. The construction of
the Golden Kondo
Hall shown above was completed in 680. |
| The fall splendor of Kyoto's
Ninnaji Temple. It was formerly known as Omuro Palace, a complex of 60
buildings that dated to 888. |
Ninnaji Temple is renowned for
its colorful cherry trees. The five storied pagoda was constructed in
1644. |
Ryoanji Temple houses the world renown Zen rock
garden, but the great pond and exotic plants that surround it are also impressive. |
| The maple trees of the 123 acre
Ryoanji compound, ablaze with fall color behind a hand tied bamboo
fence. |
The phoenix crown of the Golden Pavilion
Temple peeks out through the canopy of the colorful fall foliage. |
The Gold Pavilion, built
by Shogun Yoshimitsu in 1397 for his retirement villa. The inside and outside of
the top two floors are decorated in gold leaf. |
| Yoshiko standing beneath the
eaves of an eight-sided pagoda at the Tofukuji Temple compound. |
A tsukubai water basin accents a
hillside garden and stone walkway at Tofukuji Temple. |
Raked gravel courtyard
surrounded by a wall and gate at the Tofukuji compound. |
| Yoshiko, my darling wife, waits for me
on the
valley bridge at Tofukuji Temple. |
Tofukuji courtyard that
demonstrates the minimalist approach to garden design. |
Another Tofukuji courtyard illustrates
a similar theme, but using greenery this time. |
| Near the top of a
mountain on Enoshima Island we came upon a sanctuary of Jizo Statues, which memorialize
deceased infants and fetuses. |
Near Tokyo on the east coast of
Japan, we encountered this interesting deity in a Kamakura garden. |
Montage of the Yokohama
skyline and harbor, which is actually a southern bedroom community of Tokyo. |
| Appearing to be
Geisha, they are young girls who have paid a fee to a salon to make them
up as the revered artisans. |
The ensconced private garden at
the Ninnaji Temple compound, which was reserved for the ancient aristocracy. |
Ground zero for Zen philosophy,
the world renown Ryoanji Temple rock and raked gravel garden, which was
constructed around 1500. |
| One of many incarnations of the
famous ultra high speed bullet train, known in Japan as the Shinkansen,
which
travels nearly 200 miles per hour. |
A rare dancing exhibition given by
two beautiful Geisha of the world renown Gion area in Kyoto. |
A dancer performs under the
moonlight dressed in the many layered kimono of a 12th century woman. |
| The Great Daibutsu Buddha of
Todaiji Temple in Nara is 49 ft. tall, dates to the 8th century, and
weighs 996,000 lbs. |
This Nijo Castle compound tea house
was used by the Shogun and other
aristocrats for moon viewing parties. |
One of many ornately decorated
gates that surround the Higashi Honganji Temple compound located in downtown Kyoto. |
| The Nijo Castle Garden pond
traversed by a stone
bridge. A tea house is in the distance. |
The Ginkakuji Temple or Silver
Pavilion, which dates to 1460, sits obscured behind evergreen garden foliage. |
An inner courtyard at the
Nanzenji Temple, founded in 1291, illustrates the Zen influence on garden design. |
| Gnarled, twisted evergreen trees
and meticulously placed stones populate this Silver Pavilion garden. |
A small Silver
Pavilion pond that is full of brightly colored Koi fish and green turtles. |
Ginkakuji's garden architecture
showcases the simplicity of the white, checkered
courtyard wall juxtaposed against the more traditional gate in the
background. |
| The Silver Pavilion was built
around 1460 as an aristocrat's retirement villa. |
The Silver Pavilion sits in the
center of a garden that features a pond, evergreens, and raked gravel. |
The South Central Gate at
Todaiji Temple in Nara. The lantern dates to the 8th century. |
Japan
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