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The procession is about to leave the starting point at around 2 pm. Purple irises is another symbol of Meiwa, probably why they hold the festival in June.23 views
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Saio princess in a palanquin in Meiwa, Mie Prefecture.23 views
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Saiku government officials. 斎宮十二司官人23 views
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Kadono-osa, the security detail. They hold a tachi sword. 看督長23 views
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Posing with top-ranking court ladies called the Naishi (内侍) working at the Saiku Palace. They have fancy umbrella bearers called furyu-gasa. 風流傘23 views
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Posing with top-ranking court ladies called the Naishi (内侍) working at the Saiku Palace. They have fancy umbrella bearers called furyu-gasa. 風流傘23 views
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Yellow banners read "Saio Matsuri" (Saio Festival).23 views
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Sign saying "Saiku" which was designated as a National Historic Site in 1979. 国史跡23 views
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Saiku Heian-no-mori Park (さいくう平安の杜) opened in Oct. 2015 with three reconstructed buildings.23 views
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Today, Meiwa is a sleepy little town bypassed by most tourists going to Ise or Toba. Official Saiku info23 views
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The Child Saio princess offer an iris flower. 子ども斎王23 views
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When going down the stairs at Isehara Station's North Exit, you can drop by this tourist information office to pick up brochures.23 views
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Way to Seki-juku.23 views
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History of Kameyama Castle town.23 views
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Bentenjima island on the Koiji Coast that stretches for 1 km. It's a lover's beach because "Koiji" means "lovers' road." It comes from a lovers' tragedy legend. Lots of couples come here. 恋路海岸 弁天島23 viewsIn the foreground is a Kannon statue. 恋路観音像
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How impressive the Naruto whirlpools are depend on the day and time. Check the website for best times to go: https://www.uzusio.com/en/23 views
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View from Omaezaki Lighthouse looking east.23 views
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Seki-juku was the 47th station or lodging/post town on the old Tokaido Road. It well retains a traditional townscape with a good number of traditional Edo Period buildings including the Honjin and Waki Honjin. 23 viewsSeki-juku is preceded by Kameyama-juku and followed by Sakashita-juku. All three are in the present-day city of Kameyama. Hiroshige also created this woodblock print of Seki-juku in the 1830s. It depicts daimyo staff preparing to leave the Honjin lodge before dawn (notice the still dark sky). Unknown which Honjin it is. (Seki had two Honjin.)
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Rebun's east coast.23 views
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On the left is Lake Kushu, and ocean on the right.23 views
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Looking down a sheer cliff. Very dramatic...23 views
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Rishiri is about 63 km in circumference and has a population of about 5,000. Like Rebun, best to rent a car on Rishiri and drive around. 23 views
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These photos were taken quite some years ago, so some things may look different now.23 views
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Approaching Kutsugata Port in Rishiri. 沓形港23 views
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Himeyuri Chronology, inscribed with what happened here.23 views
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JTA plane's see-sa at Ishigaki Airport.23 views
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Runway at the old Ishigaki Airport. The slanty white building visible is the ANA hotel on the beach. That's how close the old airport was to town.23 views
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Kouri Ohashi Bridge to Kouri Island goes right over the ocean. Built in 2005, the bridge is 1,960 meters long, the longest bridge near Okinawa island. 古宇利大橋23 views
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Belonging to the Shingon Buddhist sect founded by Kobo Daishi, Kawasaki Daishi Temple is one of the Kanto Region's Big Three Shingon temples (other two being Narita-san in Chiba and Yakuoin in Mt. Takao).23 viewsOfficially named Heikenji Temple, Kawasaki Daishi worships Kobo Daishi (弘法大師), the founder of the Shingon Sect.
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Crossing Yasuragi Bridge over Tsuru-no-Ike Pond. やすらぎ橋23 views
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Colorful autumn path to Saimyoji Temple.23 views
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Crossing the Meishin expressway. There's a bridge over a busy and noisy expressway which you cross to get to the other side of the temple grounds.23 views
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The path was a stunning showcase for autumn foilage.23 views
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Wedded cedar trees.23 views
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Nitenmon Gate (rear).23 views
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Saimyoji Temple Hondo hall (National Treasure) in Kora, Shiga. 本堂23 views
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Saimyoji Temple Hondo hall (National Treasure)23 views
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Saimyoji Temple Hondo hall (National Treasure).23 views
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Saimyoji Temple Hondo hall (National Treasure)23 views
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Saimyoji Temple Hondo hall (National Treasure)23 views
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Saimyoji Temple Hondo hall (National Treasure)23 views
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Saimyoji Temple Hondo hall (National Treasure)23 views
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Water basin23 views
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Water basin23 views
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"Ever-blooming" cherry tree (fudan-zakura) in autumn.23 views
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Red maple leaves.23 views
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Tree roots23 views
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Red maples towering above.23 views
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Off-season, normally you take a taxi (15 min.) from JR Inae Station if you don't have a car. There's a regular taxi that leaves the station once an hour.23 views
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After the ticket admission booth, it's a delightful and colorful path to the temple.23 views
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The first building you see. Nishiya-do hall housing Amida Nyorai buddha. Built in the Edo Period. 西谷堂 阿弥陀如来23 views
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Inside Nishiya-do hall housing Amida Nyorai buddha. 西谷堂 阿弥陀如来23 views
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Nishiya-do hall housing Amida Nyorai buddha. Kongorinji Temple, Aisho, Shiga. 西谷堂 阿弥陀如来23 views
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Akamon Gate 赤門23 views
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Famous temple garden built in the Momoyama Period (16th c.) to Edo Period. The building is the Kongorinji priest's residence. 名勝庭園 本坊23 views
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Jizo-do Hall built in 1997. Believers can train here. 地蔵堂23 views
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Inside the Jizo-do Hall built in 1997. 地蔵堂23 views
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Hondo main hall23 views
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Kongorinji's main temple hall is a National Treasure housing an 11-faced Kannon statue and 13 other statues designated as Important Cultural Properties. Aisho, Shiga.23 views
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Kongorinji Hondo main hall, National Treasure amid autumn maple leaves.23 views
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Kongorinji's three-story pagoda built in 1246, National Important Cultural Property.23 views
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Aisho Town Museum.23 views
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Small garden outside Aisho Town Museum.23 views
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Snowy mountains around Lake Biwa.23 views
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Corridor facing the Funa-roka.23 views
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Corridor and incense burner in front of the altar. The wooden pillars totally re-lacquered.23 views
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Ceiling paintings of flowers.23 views
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Worn statue of Pindola Bharadvaja (賓頭盧尊者). 23 views
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Karamon Gate door.23 views
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Front of Karamon Gate.23 views
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Right side of the kaeru-mata.23 views
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Karamon Gate before the restoration. Very drab-looking with most of the paint and lacquer weathered away by the elements after 67 years when it was last repainted.23 views
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Some of the wood carvings had pieces that broke off or worn out. So they were reconstructed too. The metal fittings were also re-plated or remade.23 views
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You can therefore traverse northern Lake Biwa between Nagahama/Hikone and Imazu via Chikubushima. Approaching Imazu by boat.23 views
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"Interlaken" cruise boat at Imazu Port with Chikubushima and Mt. Ibuki in the background.23 views
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"Interlaken" cruise boat at Imazu Port.23 views
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At the end of Imazu Port's dock, the lantern is a song monument for Verse 3 of Biwako Shuko no Uta (Lake Biwa Rowing Song).23 views
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Imazu Port's gate to the boat dock.23 views
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Imazu Port building is made of wood from Shiga.23 views
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Old tourist PR posters for Lake Biwa. Great design. They don't make them like that anymore.23 views
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The new Imazu Port, opened in March 2020. Completely rebuilt.23 views
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Biwako Shuko no Uta song monument at Imazu Port. In June 1917, a song called Biwako Shuko no Uta (Lake Biwa Rowing Song) was composed by college student Taro Oguchi during a boat rowing trip around Lake Biwa.23 views
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If you are walking from Omi-Imazu Station, you can see this large sign on the side of the old song museum showing the way to the relocated song museum.23 views
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The new Biwako Shuko no Uta Shiryokan (Lake Biwa Rowing Song) song museum is now in this building since April 1, 2020. This is the Imazu-Higashi Community Center (今津東コミュニティセンター).23 views
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The Imazu-Higashi Community Center (今津東コミュニティセンター) is across from the Imazu Shimin Kaikan concert hall. 23 views
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The accurate scale model of a fixed-seat boat is also displayed.23 views
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Exhibit for Yoshida Chiaki, credited for composing the original melody.23 views
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Uniform of the Dai-sanko college where Oguchi Taro studied.23 views
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CD listening station where you can listen to numerous cover versions of the song by famous artists.23 views
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Old records of the song.23 views
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Old records of the song covered by many famous Japanese singers.23 views
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Iida donated his notebooks and cassette tapes of many interviews related to the song. Some of it is displayed here.23 viewsOn the lower shelf are books about the song by Iida and others.
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Unlike the old museum, the relocated museum does not have a gift shop. However, it does sell these stationary.23 views
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Blue Spring is also a limestone dam.23 views
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Local sights.23 views
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Shigaraki Kogen Railways Shigaraki Station. You can take a bus to reach Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park in 5 min., or walk for 20 min. 信楽駅23 views
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In winter, most everything is covered with deep snow.23 views
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Lake Yogo from Mt. Shizugatake on a day in Sept. when the lake was green with algae.23 views
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Mt. Yotei-zan can be clearly seen from Niseko Hirafu. Hokkaido's Mt. Fuji. ニセコ ヒラフ・羊蹄山23 views
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Bihoro Pass (Bihoro Toge) is on Route 243 going through the mountains on the border of Bihoro (north) and Teshikaga (south) Towns. Major tourist stop with great panoramic views of Lake Kussharo, Japan's largest caldera lake. 23 viewsThe island in the lake is named Nakajima.
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Bihoro Pass Scenic Point has two lookout points a short walk from each other. This is from the second lookout point. Both have similar views of Lake Kussharo. Bihoro Pass is within Akan-Mashu National Park in Hokkaido. 23 views
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Lake Akan at sunset.23 views
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Lake Penketo's water flows to Panketo and ends up in Lake Akan. ペンケトー23 views
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New JR Ishibe Station, Kusatsu Line. New station under construction in late 2022.23 views
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Adan アダン (Pandanus odoratissimus)23 views
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Tropical garden setting for this fabric factory. Oshima tsumugimura, Amami Oshima.23 views
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Sago palms with a cone. Oshima Tsumugimura, Amami Oshima, Kagoshima. ソテツ23 views
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Picture made with colored toothpicks.23 views
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The FISA flag is given to the Canadian host of next year's FISA World Rowing Tour.22 views
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After moving from Hiroshima, Mori Terumoto built Hagi Castle in 1604, and his Mori Clan rules Choshu domain here for about 260 years.22 views
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Entering Hagi Castle grounds.22 views
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Hagi Castle, including the main tenshu tower, was at the foot of this mountain, Mt. Shizuki. It wasn't on top of the mountain. Flatland type. 指月山22 views
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Views from Hagi Castle's main tenshu tower foundation.22 views
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Scale model of Hagi Castle.22 views
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Hagi Youth Hostel designed like a castle.22 views
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Tenjuin Mausoleum entrance. The graves of Mori Terumoto and his wife. There used to be a temple here, but only the graves remain.22 views
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About Tenjuin Mausoleum.22 views
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The graves of Mori Terumoto and his wife.22 views
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About Motofusa Nagai and his loyal cat.22 views
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Front gate of Mori Clan's detached residence.22 views
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Nice traditional townscape in Hagi, Yamaguchi.22 views
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Mud wall of Toida Masuda residence.22 views
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This road goes to Hagi Museum. 22 views
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Scale model of Hagi Castle.22 views
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Hagi Station platform.22 views
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Yoshida Shoin's living quarters.22 views
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The school building is the original from Yoshida's days.22 views
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Filial piety bamboo.22 views
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Mori Shigetaka's tea room in his villa.22 views
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Shoin listening to a lecture at the school that hr would later take over.22 views
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Yoshida Shoin studying.22 views
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Yoshida Shoin riding on a boat to Commodore Perry's USS Powhatan flagship to try and stowaway to America.22 views
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Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum and residence are next to each other on the same road on the fringe of Matsue Castle,22 views
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Entrance to Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum. 小泉八雲記念館22 views
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Lafcadio Hearn's former residence is next door to the museum. 小泉八雲旧居22 views
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Byobu folding screen.22 views
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Lafcadio Hearn's desk.22 views
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Entrance to Gesshoji Temple with numerous tombs for the Matsudaira clan who ruled the Matsue domain.22 views
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Go to the reception desk.22 views
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Dairenji Temple.22 views
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Hawai Onsen hot spring is on the western shore of Lake Togo, a small brackish lake in Yurihama town in central Tottori Prefecture. 22 viewsA 15-min. bus ride from JR Kurayoshi Station at this bus stop.
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Bridge to Sennentei. I decided to bathe in their outdoor bath. Most of the inns have baths for visitors costing up to ¥1,000. 千年亭22 views
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Inside, Sennentei had a nice flower arrangement.22 views
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Adachi Museum of Art is celebrated for its beautiful Japanese garden and superb artworks especially by Yokoyama Taikan. And in such a rural place. Amazing. 22 views
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Adachi Museum of Art garden.22 views
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Koi pond22 views
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Adachi Museum of Art garden, Shimane Prefecture.22 views
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The hall includes a gift shop and restaurant. Yasugi-bushi Engeikan is next to Adachi Museum of Art. Easy to see both places.22 views
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Playing the tsuzumi shoulder drum.22 views
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The most famous Yasugi-bushi song is "Dojo-sukui" (Loach Scooping) danced by a Hyottoko comical man. The dancer uses a basket scoop to catch the loaches.22 views
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Names of the performers from the Yasugi-bushi Preservation Society.22 views
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Tsuzumi shoulder drums used in Yasugi-bushi.22 views
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Yurakucho Mullion i22 views
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Flame juggling.22 views
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