 Most viewed - KYOTO 京都府 |
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You can see their card winnings. The person who got the most cards wins.84 views
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Jomyo-yama 浄妙山84 views
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Meet Gion Matsuri's new boat float, Ofune-hoko.84 views
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Hanagsa beauties.84 views
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Geisha/geiko from Miyagawa-cho.84 views
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Geisha/geiko from Miyagawa-cho.84 views
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Geisha/geiko from Gion Kobu.84 views
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100 series shinkansen, 2nd generation with the slit headlights and pointy look.84 views
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Otsu-e oni painting from Otsu, Shiga Prefecture. 大津絵84 viewsJapanese Oni Exchange Museum in Fukuchiyama, Kyoto Prefecture.
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Panoramic view of Nishi Hongwanji temple, Kyoto. The layout of the buildings is almost the same as Higashi Hongwanji.83 views
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Amida-do Hall83 views
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Goeido Hall 83 views
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The priest blesses the karuta players as he waves his sacred staff.83 views
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Front entrance of Kyoto International Community House, a municipal facility with event hall and conference rooms for rent and language/cultural classes for Kyoto's foreign community.83 views
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Near the front entrance is our signboard for Kyoto International Photo Showcase 2011 held during Nov. 16-20, 2011 featuring seven artists.83 views
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Bottom is a shot of Pittsburgh, PA taken when Peter was a young boy.83 views
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Jomyo-yama 浄妙山83 views
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Kuronushi-yama 黒主山 - From the Noh play called "Shiga," it shows 10th-century poet Otomo no Kuronushi looking up at cherry blossoms.83 views
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Gion Matsuri now has two boat floats. The boat float (Fune-hoko) in the Saki Matsuri procession is said to be going to battle, while the Ofune-hoko is on a triumphant return from battle. Both boat floats worship the legendary Empress Jingu.83 views
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Geisha/geiko from Gion Kobu.83 views
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Heron dancers83 views
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Otsu-e oni painting from Otsu, Shiga Prefecture. 大津絵83 viewsJapanese Oni Exchange Museum in Fukuchiyama, Kyoto Prefecture.
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Mukai Shuzo's big Japanese evergreen tree outside, 300 years old.83 viewsIne, Kyoto Prefecture
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Momdo Kaikan Hall is a lodging facility. 聞法会館82 views
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Kyozo or Scripture Repository. It houses the Daizokyo or the entire collection of Buddhist texts published by Tenkai. There are 6,323 scrolls and books stored in 665 boxes. They were purchased from the Tokugawa government and received in 1648. 経蔵82 views
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Altar inside Amida-do Hall, Nishi Hongwanji, Kyoto. 82 views
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Amida-do Hall. 阿弥陀堂（本堂）82 views
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82 views
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The start of the Gion Matsuri Ato Matsuri yama-hoko procession on July 24, 2014. Held 1 week after the main Saki Matsuri procession on July 17.82 views
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Jomyo-yama 浄妙山 - Depicts the famous 12th-century battle between the Heike and Genji Clans at Uji River in Kyoto in the Tale of the Heike. It shows warrior-monk Ichirai jumping over Jomyo to take credit as the first to engage the enemy.82 views
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Minami Kannon-yama 南観音山 - Worships Yoryu Kannon (揚柳観音), which dispels illness. The large willow branch also dispels illness. Medicine balls are on the four corners.82 views
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Big tuna fish as an offering.81 views
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Director's carriage 総長81 views
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Directional sign81 views
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View from corridor.81 views
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Kita Kannon-yama 北観音山 - Worships Yoryu Kannon (揚柳観音) to dispel illness, and Idaten, a guardian deity. 81 views
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Hachiman-yama 八幡山 - Worships the god Hachiman in a miniature shrine, whose spirit was transferred from the local Hachiman-gu shrine.81 views
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Kawaramachi-dori going to Shijo-dori road.81 views
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81 views
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En no Gyoja-yama 役行者山 - Depicts En-no-Gyoja, in the middle, an ascetic who had Hitokoto Nushi (standing on left) build a stone bridge between Katsuragi and Mt. Omine in Nara. On the right is the Goddess Katsuragi.81 views
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Geisha/geiko from Miyagawa-cho.81 views
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Geisha/geiko from Gion Kobu.81 views
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New Year observance schedule.80 views
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Roof of Goeido Founder's Hall80 views
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Corridor connecting the Goeido (left) and Amida-do (right) Halls.80 views
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Amida-domon Gate 80 views
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Children's room.80 views
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Welcome message to exhibition visitors.80 views
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Minami Kannon-yama about to turn at the Kyoto City Hall corner.80 views
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Koi-yama 鯉山 - Shows a carp (koi) swimming up a ryumon waterfall to become a dragon. The tapestries, depicting the Trojan War, were made in Belgium in the 16th century. (Important Cultural Properties)80 views
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Costing over US$10 million, this float always appears last in the Ato Matsuri. It rejoins the Gion Matsuri after being absent for 150 years when the previous float was caught in a fire in 1864.80 views
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The parasol floats are reminiscent of Gion Matsuri's earliest floats.80 views
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Geisha/geiko from Gion Kobu80 views
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Shijo-dori80 views
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Inside the 0 Series shinkansen driver's cockpit.80 views
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Ponto-cho alley, enclave of geisha.79 views
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A large willow branch sticks out from the rear.79 views
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Kimono beauties79 views
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Lantern dancers79 views
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Shijo-dori going to Yasaka Shrine.79 views
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Large flags outside the temple gates.78 views
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Amida-do Hall is the main hall or temple, also called the Hondo Hall. 阿弥陀堂（本堂）78 views
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Next to the Amida-do Hall is this modern building housing a gift shop, restaurant, and temple offices. 宗務総合庁舎78 views
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Goeido Hall 78 views
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Amida-do Hall veranda.78 views
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Ofune-hoko 大船鉾 - Gion Matsuri's brand new float parading for the first time today on July 24, 2014. 78 views
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During the Ofune-hoko's 500-year history, it repeatedly suffered from fires, but was rebuilt each time until 1864 when it caught fire caused by a skirmish (Hamaguri Gate Rebellion 蛤御門の変) at the Kyoto Imperial Palace.78 viewsNotice the boat rudder.
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The Hanagasa Parade (花傘巡行) is a parade of mostly children and women accompanied by flowery parasol floats. It starts (10 am) and ends (noon) at Yasaka Shrine. On Kawaramachi-dori road, they follow right after the main float procession.78 views
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Geisha/geiko from Gion Kobu.78 views
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Geisha/geiko from Gion Kobu.78 views
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Misora Hibari Museum in Arashiyama.78 views
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Kawara roof oni ornament.78 viewsJapanese Oni Exchange Museum in Fukuchiyama, Kyoto Prefecture.
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Shrine ema tablets.77 views
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Goeido Hall and Amida-do Hall77 views
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Karamon Gate, a National Treasure. 唐門77 views
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But I got a good view from my free seat.77 views
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When the Saki Matsuri and Ato Matsuri's processions were combined on July 17, 1966, the Hanagasa Parade was started on July 24, 1966 to compensate for the Ato Matsuri's procession. 77 views
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Tatami mat shop in a thatched roofed building.77 views
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Last year's Toka Ebisu decorations are brought to the shrine and trashed.76 views
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Outside the walls of Nishi Hongwanji.76 views
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East edge of Amanohashidate looking toward Kasamatsu Park on the hill.76 views
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Kita Biwako steam locomotive 76 views
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Shrine maidens happily sell and attach lucky decorations on the branches.75 views
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Carvings on Nishi Hongwanji's Karamon Gate, a National Treasure. 唐門75 views
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The white kemari ball is made of deer skin.75 views
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19th Century Hall, SL & Piano Museum75 views
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Inside Ryoanji75 views
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0 Series shinkansen driver's seat.75 views
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The kemari players include women. Kemari originated in China.74 views
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Pokkuri clogs worn by maiko. Very expensive ones going for 51,000 yen per pair.74 views
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Ryoanji rock garden. 74 views
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Ryoanji74 views
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0 Series shinkansen driver's cockpit.74 views
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Hoiro, a hot drying plate for kneading tea buds to make sencha. 74 viewsIt produced excellent color, aroma, and taste of sencha tea. He taught his technique to anybody who flocked to his home. It spread nationwide and his basic technique is still in wide use today.
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People line up for bamboo branches.73 views
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Ryoanji temple73 views
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Shrine maidens happily sell and attach lucky decorations on the branches.72 views
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Karamon Gate, a National Treasure. 唐門72 views
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Shimogamo Shrine map.72 views
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Besides free seating, they provide paid spectator seating in the two pavilions on the right and left. 2000 yen per seat.72 views
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The ball sometimes bounce into the crowd.72 views
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The Kyoto International Manga Museum is housed in a former school. This space in front was the playground.72 views
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Shrine offerings71 views
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Last year's Toka Ebisu decorations are brought to the shrine and trashed.71 views
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Kemari is held at other shrines at other times of the year.71 views
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There is a cafe on the 1st floor. The walls are autographed by manga artists.71 views
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Kyoto International Manga Museum71 views
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71 views
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Amanohashidate is northern Kyoto's main attraction and very famous for centuries as one of Japan's Scenic Trio (Nihon Sankei 日本三景). 71 viewsThe other two in the scenic trio are Miyajima (vermillion torii and shrine on the ocean) in Hiroshima and Matsushima (pine tree islands) near Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture. It's about 3.6 km long, totally flat, and you can cross it on foot or by bicycle (rentals available) on a dirt road in the middle. The road is lined with thousands of Japanese pine trees and closed to vehicular traffic. This view is from the northern end atop Kasamatsu Park. Near Amanohashidate Station.
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On Jan. 4, Kemari hajime at Shimogamo Shrine starts at 1:30 pm. Free seating is provided, but getting there early assures you of a better view if you want to take pictures.70 views
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The game is preceded by a ceremony. 70 views
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The object of kemari is to keep the ball in the air. And whoever kicks the ball, must make it easy for the next person to kick it. But this is hard to do.70 views
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Kyoto Tower as seen from the open-air roof of Porta shopping mall.70 views
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Another 0 Series shinkansen whose cockpit was open to the public.70 views
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Roof of Amida-do Hall69 views
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Shimogamo Shrine torii69 views
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Ine is kind of out of the way to visit, but well worth the trip.69 views
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Sometimes the ball went way up, and once it went up on the roof. These players weren't so skilled in my opinion.67 views
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Yoshihara Inlet is a picturesque waterfront fishing neighborhood with boats moored right outside. Fishing village since the Edo Period. 67 viewsLocated on the north end of Isazu River (伊佐津川). "Yoshihara" means reed fields, so this area used to have reed beds on marshy land. About 20-min. walk from JR Nishi-Maizuru Station (JR Maizuru Line). Map here
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The thing about Amanohashidate is that it looks very different from different lookout points. The most popular spots to view Amanohashidate are on the hilltop on the southern end and northern end.67 viewsIf you have time, I highly recommend that you see it from both the southern end and northern ends. Which means you should rent a bicycle and ride across Amanohashidate.
This is from the hilltop on the southern end, from a small amusement park called Amanohashidate Viewland easily accessible via chair lift or cable car, and a short walk from Amanohashidate Station. Map: https://goo.gl/maps/yNhxjwK2ocz
This southern end connects to mainland Japan, so what you see in the distance is Tango Peninsula up north.
The left side is the west side with an enclosed, but connected ocean named Asoumi Sea. The right side is the east side with white-sand beaches facing the open ocean. Ships can still go through both sides of the sandbar through a narrow strait on the southern end.
The greenery area on the lower left facing the sandbar is Chionji Temple.
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Near Karamon Gate is Ryukoku University affiliated with Nishi Hongwanji.66 views
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Tatami mat shop66 views
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We had a special sample of the curry rice, cabbage roll, stewed hamburger, and potatoes and meat (niku-jaga). Curry rice is famous as a navy dish in Japan.66 viewsShoeikan restaurant, Maizuru, Kyoto Prefecture.
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Tamiya Raden (民谷螺鈿) had this stunning silk kimono on display for us. "Raden" means inlay (using shell, ivory, etc.). 62 viewsTypically, we think of lacquerware, but they do it on fabrics. This kimono took 2.5 years to make and is worth more than a Lamborghini or Rolls Royce.
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Map of the Byodo-in temple complex. It's not that big. The Phoenix Hall has a central hall flanked by two L-shaped wings in front of a pond. 61 views
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Byodoin Museum Hoshokan displays many Buddhist art treasures of the temple. Opened in 2001. You can visit this museum after you see the Phoenix Hall.61 views
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Since photography inside the central hall is not allowed, here's a photo of the replica at Valley of the Temples in Hawaii. It is very similar. One thing missing are the celestial Buddhas decorating the white walls behind the Buddha.61 views
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But these unconventional stones have been placed in prominent places so people can see them. 61 viewsSo prevailing theory is, these stones (many are upside down) were to show that the castle lord and the local people were working together since only the local people could obtain these gravestones, etc. Gravestones and stone Buddhas also contain ancestral spirits so embedding them in the castle walls give more power to the castle.
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A local fish delicacy called "heshiko." Heshiko is made in this coastal region of Kyoto and Fukui Prefectures. It uses mackerel (saba), sardines (iwashi), or Pacific saury (sanma) that are salted and then fermented in rice bran (nuka). 61 viewsFor heshiko, mackerel is most popular and the process takes two years. It is a traditional way to preserve fish for later consumption without refrigeration. It was a common (and cheap) food for the masses, but now it's a delicacy.
This restaurant believes too much salt is not so healthy, so they take only two weeks to salt and ferment the fish. This method is called asazuke (浅漬け) which means "lightly pickled." We sampled the mackerel prepared this way (and grilled), but I thought it was very salty already and hardly any taste of fermentation.
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One home on the Chirimen Kaido Road the public can enter is the Former Bito Family Merchant's House (Kyu-Bitoke 旧尾藤家). The Bito family was a raw silk and chirimen wholesaler since the Edo Period. 61 viewsVery prominent and rich local family who also became active in local government and business during the Meiji Period.
http://www.yosano.or.jp/chirimen-kaido/?page_id=162
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Byodo-in on the back of the ¥10 coin.60 views
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Entrance to Byodo-in. Pay admission fee to enter.60 views
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Karahafu roof gable60 views
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Only part of the original Okunoyama Chaen remains as a tea field. The original Okunoyama tea field was larger. Notice the shade.60 views
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You might think that castle lord did not have enough money to procure enough stones for the walls. Or maybe he was in a real hurry to build the castle and used any stones he could find. 60 viewsIn such cases, it would be embarrassing for the lord.
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Front (entrance) view of Fukuchiyama Castle. Inside is a modern building housing a local history museum. 60 viewsAlthough Fukuchiyama Castle was occupied by a number of lords, it is most strongly associated with Akechi Mitsuhide who built it and occupied it for only three years before he was killed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1582 for assassinating Oda Nobunaga. Fukuchiyama, Kyoto Prefecture.
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The first shinkansen "Green Car" 1st class car.59 views
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Inside the first shinkansen "Green Car" 1st class car.59 views
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The pond as seen from the Phoenix Hall.59 views
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Entrance to the see the sitting Amida Buddha. Photography inside the central hall is not allowed.59 views
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Although the major renovations were completed, they were still restoring the paintings on the doors, etc., of Byodo-in.59 views
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Uji River is near Byodo-in.59 views
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Sitting Amida Buddha replica at Valley of the Temples in Hawaii. It is very similar to the real one at Byodo-in.59 views
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Uner the corrugated tin, you can see the thatched roof edge.59 views
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Rear view of Fukuchiyama Castle. 59 views
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Fukuchiyama Castle is also noted for its stone walls using stones that were originally something else, like gravestones, stone lanterns, and even Buddha stone statues (転用石).59 viewsFukuchiyama, Kyoto Prefecture.
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Miei-do Hall (Daiden)58 views
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The central hall houses a sitting Amida Buddha with celestial floating Buddhas on the surrounding walls. The Phoenix Hall was originally constructed in 1053 (Heian Period).58 views
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In Uji, Kyoto, Byodo-in is one of Japan's most famous temples and most recognizable buildings.58 viewsByodo-in is acuallly a temple complex, but this building, called the Phoenix Hall (Ho'odo 鳳凰堂), is the main attraction and a National Treasure.
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The center structure of both the original and replica houses a statue of a sitting Buddha.58 views
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Entering the Phoenix Hall.58 views
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Looks like intricate work and it's gonna look fabulous when it's done.58 views
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People from Hawaii would know Byodo-in since there's a ferro-concrete replica in a park-like cemetery called Valley of the Temples on the island of Oahu.58 viewsThe replica of the Phoenix Hall was built in 1968 to mark the 100th anniversary of the first Japanese immigrants to Hawaii. I photographed the one in Hawaii last year and now I can compare the two.
As you can see, the replica is very accurate. They say that the one in Hawaii is a smaller scale, but it looks the same as the original (made of wood) in Kyoto. Perhaps only the surrounding garden is smaller. Also, the one in Hawaii seems to house offices on the upper floor. (If you look behind the building, you can see stairs and air conditioners.) The original one's upper floor is see-through with no walls.
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Icho-an restaurant serves Chinese-style shojin-ryori (religious vegetarian cuisine) called fucha-ryori (普茶料理). This is another thing about Manpukuji. The sect's founder Ingen helped to spread Chinese cuisine in Japan from the 17th c.58 views
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Yoshihara Inlet 58 views
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Tenryuji's Japanese garden.57 views
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Tenryuji57 views
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Hojo-ike Pond. Notice the two-story pagoda (Tahoto) in the distance.57 views
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Entrance to the Byodo-in Phoenix Hall where you can see the sitting Amida Buddha after paying the extra ¥300 admission. Have to buy a ticket to enter at the specified time because only a limited number can fit inside.57 views
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The Byodo-in admission ticket does not include admission to the Phoenix Hall's central hall (sitting Amida Buddha).57 views
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The center structure of both the original and replica houses a statue of a sitting Buddha.57 viewsThe replica in Hawaii has a much more dramatic backdrop with the Koolau mountains. The original Byodo-in has no mountains in the background, and thankfully and miraculously, no tall, modern buildings either.
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