A photo blog from Tokyo. A blog started in 2014 in Chiangmai, then moved to Vientiane, continues now in Japan. Daily photos and some stories to share my life in Tokyo with friends, families and others.
Sunday, 30 June 2019
Saturday, 29 June 2019
More hydrangeas
One more photo of hydrangeas, just to show the abundance of the bloom and the blueness of the colour - maybe its the volcanic soils of Japan that produce such vibrant blues??
Friday, 28 June 2019
Round Window
A "Play School" moment at this round window at Meigetsu shrine - the hydrangea temple in Kamakura. Would love to walk through to the other side.
Thursday, 27 June 2019
Sooo Blue
Today I (along with 100s of others) visited a shrine known for its hydrangeas in Kamakura. Sooo many people, soo many hydrangea and soooo blue - almost living in a Paul Kelly song!
Wednesday, 26 June 2019
Nachi Falls
Tuesday, 25 June 2019
Three Shrines on a Tuesday
Kumano Hayatama Taisha Shrine - Shingu |
Kunano Hongu Taisha Shrine- Hongu |
Kumano Naichi Taisa - Nachisan |
The Kumano Kado is also known as the Kumano Sanzan - referencing the three grand shrines (san is three in Japanese) in the Kii Mountains.Originally, each of these three Grand Shrines had their own distinctive form of nature worship; later in the 10th century, they started to give worship to all of the three guardian deities at the same time under the influence of Buddhism.
Monday, 24 June 2019
The Money Shot(s)
The Three Storied Pagoda with Nachi waterfall in the background is the famous or most common image used for promotion of the Kumano Kado as a walk. It looked fantastic- vermillion and green make a great combination.
Sunday, 23 June 2019
Misty morning Rice
A misty morning in the mountains. This was next to the small cottage we stayed in after our first day of walking. The cottage was lovely, with great views and nice spaces.
Saturday, 22 June 2019
Rice Paddies on the Kumano
Rice planting season meant small reflective paddies of freshly planted rice along the trail as we walked out of the mountains into the valley floors on the Kumano Kado.
Friday, 21 June 2019
Walking through a Gate
This week I have walked through many Torii gates. At the entrance to Shinto shrines they are a separation between the secular and sacred realms. This elderly gentleman was walking under one of the Torii gates at the beautiful Ise Shrine.
Thursday, 20 June 2019
Moss, Stone , Cedar
Over the past week I walked the Kumano Kado - a pilgrim trail - on the Kii Peninsula south of Tokyo. It was a trail through forests with moss, giant trees and stone shrines and structures.
This is a tombstone - one of over 200,000 at Okunoin Temple at Koyasan. Koyasoan is the centre of Shingon Buddhism and was a gorgeous mountaintop town of temples and mist that I would love to explore further.
Tuesday, 18 June 2019
Friday, 14 June 2019
Bike Parking Part 3
Each bike park has a pay station. They take your money and talk to you - saying thank you when you make a payment. One cool thing is you can pay with cash or swipe your Pasmo card(public transport card).
The one on the right is at the Futakatamagawa mall and the one below is at the Yoga shopping centre. It shows the back of the pay station with the brooms and and bins to keep the place tidy. A series of older gentleman work there, sweeping, tidying, helping you find a park if its crowded and generally be kind and helpful. Not sure if they are paid or if its just neighbourhood community work which many of retirees seem to do.