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Tokyo Station Shinkansen

I have been traveling a bit for work recently. It is always nice to arrive at the station for your train and to have it leave exactly on time. It is even…

Aqueduct at Nanzenji Temple

The aqueduct seen here brings water down from Lake Biwa and was constructed during the Meiji Period. The water is processed in a plant near Nanzenji…

Kiyamachi Dori

Kiyamachi Dori in Kyoto is one of the well known streets in Kyoto city. The Takase river which was built in the 1600's to transport materials and goods between Kyoto and Osaka runs along the street.

Walking through Kyoto

Kyoto is a great place to walk since the center of town is quite flat, the roads are built on a grid system which makes navigating easy and the road…

Kinkakuji

Yesterday I visited Kinkakuji after the rain from the typhoon. The pond was a bit murky, but the gold was glittering.

Kawaramachi dori

Kiyomizudera in June

A morning at Kiyomizudera in June. It was the rainy season, with big clouds over the hills and everything a deep green. It was…

Isetan at Kyoto Station

Taking a look down the long escalators in the Isetan building at Kyoto Station. This is the same architect that designed the Osaka Umeda Sky Building.…

Aoi Matsuri

The Aoi Matsuri is one of the three main festivals held in Kyoto each year in addition to the Festival of the Ages (Jidai Matsuri) and Gion Festival. The festival has its origins from the time of Emperor Kinmei back in the 500′s, and was started to ward off floods and severe winds which had ruined crops and epidemics which had spread throughout the country.

Hikarie shopping

Taking a look inside the new Hikarie building in Shibuya. I'm attempting this post from the Wordpress iPhone app, but might resize the photo later if it's…

Aoi Matsuri

The Aoi Matsuri is one of the three main festivals held in Kyoto each year in addition to the Festival of the Ages (Jidai Matsuri) and Gion Festival. The…

Japan Rails

Thinking about the next train to catch

Osaka's Umeda Sky Building

The Umeda Sky Building is one of the well known landmarks on Osaka's city skyline. The building was designed by the same architect that designed the new Kyoto Station building and also Sapporo Dome. The main feature of Umeda Sky Building is its rooftop observatory known as the "The Floating Garden Observatory".

Nata Tera Temple

Nata tera Temple was founded in the first year of the Nara Period, 717. It is well known for its temple grounds having stone walls with caves carved out of the rock face. In Autumn the colors were great and the grounds very beautiful.

Ninnaji Temple

Ninnaji (仁和寺) is a temple in Kyoto listed as a World Heritage Site. It is the head temple of the Omuro School of the Shingon sect of Buddhism and was founded in 888. As well as its religious hitory and background it is also famous for its locally cultivated, late blooming sakura trees called Omuro Sakura. Mid April is normally a good time to see the cherry blossoms here.

Kyoto Imperial Palace

A leisurely walk past the Kyoto Imperial Palace (京都御所) inside the Kyoto Gyoen.

Mt Fuji from Shinaksen, Sony NEX-7 video

On my way from Kyoto to Tokyo the other day, I captured this HD video with the new Sony NEX-7. I am not sure how to edit or mix in some music, so here it…

Kamogawa Sakura

Another photo I took of the Kamogawa river area with Sakura here. This was a really nice afternoon walk with good weather and great atmosphere on the…