Most viewed - JAPAN PHOTOS by Philbert Ono

Most viewed

Candy vendors. The people parading in these costumes are all ordinary people who paid ¥15,000 to ¥30,000 for the privilege. To cover the makeup and costume fees.38 views

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Huge crowd. Need to get here early to get a good viewing spot.38 views

These archers belong to the Takeda School of mounted archery. They are based in Miura, Kanagawa where they practice almost weekly. They have about 60 members.38 views

38 views

Higashi Ginza Station is closest to Higashi Ginza, home of the Kabuki-za Theater, Japan's most famous kabuki theater.38 views

38 views

The Kabuki-za Theater was rebuilt in March 2013 with a design almost identical to the previous theater. The biggest difference is the tall skyscraper integrated with theater.38 views

38 views

Crowd come for the newly rebuilt Kabuki-za Theater's first New Year's performance in Jan. 2014.38 views

38 views

Inside Kabuki-za Theater. From the cheap seats, you cannot see the hanamichi.38 views

Roof of Kabuki-za Theater38 views

Kabuki-za's rooftop garden is open to the public. 38 views

38 views

Old building serving as the entrance to a small basement mall of three movie theaters called Cine-Past シネパスト and eateries. 38 views

38 views

Enter the museum through this subway turnstile.38 viewsSee Japan's first subway cars from 1927, tunnel boring machines, subway history exhibits, and simulators.

Inside Tokyo's first subway car. Refurbished.38 views

College student38 views

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Current Ginza Line subway train.38 views

Opened in October 2007, the Railway Museum in Saitama is one of Japan's largest train museums. 38 viewsThe highlight exhibits include the first locomotive that was used for Japan's first train line between Shimbashi and Yokohama, the 0 Series first-generation Tokaido shinkansen, the 0 Series first-generation Tohoku shinkansen, and sleeper trains.

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Tohoku shinkansen38 views

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0 Series Tokaido shinkansen cab section38 views

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Chuo Line, 101 series.38 views

38 views

Freight train locomotive, JNR Class EF6638 views

Tokaido shinkansen commemorative postcards38 views

Tokaido shinkansen commemorative medals.38 views

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JR Tottori Station38 views

Street signs in front of Tottori Station.38 views

Mini bus in Tottori.38 views

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Steps to go on Hagi Castle's main tenshu tower foundation.38 views

Grave of Mori Terumoto.38 views

Vestiges of the castle town remain here with white walls.38 views

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Bus stop indicator in Hagi's Maaru bus is also in English.38 views

Giant ema wooden prayer tablet with a picture of Yoshida Shoin (right) and student Yamagata Aritomo who became the father of Japanese militarism.38 views

QR code for more info in Japanese.38 views

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Lafcadio Hearn relief. Photography was not allowed inside the memorial museum.38 views

Lafcadio Hearn's former residence is next door to the museum. 小泉八雲旧居38 views

38 views

Hawai Onsen hot spring is on the western shore of Lake Togo, a small brackish lake in Yurihama town in central Tottori Prefecture. 38 viewsA 15-min. bus ride from JR Kurayoshi Station at this bus stop.

Ginza subway line. This train has a retro design based on the original subway.38 views

Ginza 4-chome intersection with Wako on the left and Mitsukoshi Dept. store on the right at night.38 views

Ginza 4-chome intersection with Wako.38 views

Closing off the road to traffic for "pedestrian's paradise."38 views

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Beggar38 views

38 views

Ichigansha Shrine 一願社 (一願成就社). Pray here for success or victory.38 views

38 views

Toward the end, there is fire-walking on the hot embers.38 views

History of the emigrant center: 2007-200938 views

Sports equipment.38 views

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Kobe Port38 views

38 views

Kobe Port Tower view of Kobe and Rokko mountains.38 views

38 views

BE KOBE38 views

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About Meriken Park.38 views

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Clacity38 views

38 views

This group of float pullers sat and sang in a circle. They were half-drunk.38 views

38 views

By 2:10 pm, all 31 floats gathered here. They would remain here here until 4 pm. Floats with karakuri mechanical puppets would perform during this time.38 views

38 views

There was a great variety of karakuri mechanical puppets including swinging monkeys. Very entertaining with amusing theatrics. 38 views

38 views

Karakuri puppet38 views

38 views

After the big gathering at the parking lot, the floats leave and go back to the streets to prepare for the evening.38 views

38 views

Boat floats for tonight.38 views

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Entrance to the main lodge.38 views

38 views

Also visited Kurotani Washi Kougei No Sato (Kurotani Washi Craft Village 黒谷和紙工芸の里) a 20-min. car ride away.38 viewsThey were using an old elementary school.

Corridor to rooms.38 views

Entrance hall with origami cranes made of Kurotani washi. It really looks like an old school.38 views

Washi papermaking room where we tried making Kurotani washi paper (postcards).38 views

Kami-suki is what everyone can experience.38 views

The washi shets are dried on wooden boards.38 views

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Flower Clock in front of Fukuchiyama Station.38 views

Walk uphill to the castle.38 views

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Impressive stone work.38 views

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Top floor of the castle tower.38 views

Views from Fukuchiyama Castle.38 views

38 views

Next to the main castle tower is the Akaganemon Bansho guardhouse that was located next to the Akaganemon Gate east of the city hall. 銅門脇番所38 views

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Roadside river near Oeyama Mountains.38 views

Some of the funaya offer lodging where you can stay above the boat garage. They get booked up quickly though. They let you go fishing by boat or from shore. 38 views

Across from Ineura Park is the new Ine Tourist Information Center on the 1st floor and a restaurant (Funaya Shokudo 舟屋食堂) on the second floor where we had lunch.38 views

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This is a replica of an obi sash that was selected and worn by Empress Michiko recently for her birthday.38 viewsThe company is especially proud of this, but can't publicly brag about it. (The empress does not know who made the obi. She just liked the design.)
http://tamiya-raden.jp/

Mineyama Branch Manager Yoshioka Hitoshi shows a PR poster of Bando Tamasaburo V posing with a Tango chirimen fabric in front of the shop's kura storehouse near where Yoshioka is standing.38 viewsTamasaburo V is one of the most famous and popular kabuki actors in Japan and Living National Treasure. He loves Tango chirimen fabrics and kabuki costumes also use Tango chirimen.

Inside their kura storehouse.38 views

Lobby entrance.38 views

Maizuru City Hall is next to Maizuru Brick Park.38 views

How to promote crab.38 views

Ceiling of the huge Maizuru World Brick Museum.38 views

Ancient dugout canoe found in Maizuru.38 views

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During World War II, the brick buildings were painted black to make them less noticeable. The black paint still remains here and there. 38 viewsAmazing that these buildings have survived. Maizuru's weapons factories and navy base got heavily bombed by American planes in July 1945, but not this arsenal.

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Private dining room.38 views

Sanmon Gate. 山門38 views

Monjudo38 views

About the Power stones.38 views

Former Kaya Town Hall (旧加悦町役場庁舎) that was built in the 1930s. 38 views

One house had a small chirimen factory we could view through a window.38 views

Sake cellar.38 views

38 views

Ceiling wood is very rare, made of yaku-sugi cedar wood (屋久杉). Yaku-sugi is hundreds of years old, native to Yakushima island in Kagoshima Prefecture, and now illegal to cut down.38 views

To Bathroom.38 views

The line formed along these wide roads that were blocked off from traffic. 38 views

Kobe Luminarie finally in sight. Everybody was amazed and thrilled as we got closer and closer...38 views

Galleria Coperta (ガレリアコペルタ).38 views

38 views

Kobe Luminarie is made possible by many corporate sponsors and donations from the public. When you put in a coin, etc., into the front slot, the box lights up and I think the doll inside dances or something.38 views

Kimono shop.38 views

Caban Street in Toyooka, Hyogo. カバンストリート38 views

Nice bags at Artisan Avenue.38 views

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Izushi Castle's Honmaru has a large stone foundation for the main tower,38 views

Izushi Castle's West Corner Turret.38 views

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Food stalls on the way out.38 views

Offertor pit at Haiden worship hall on New Year's Day 2019.38 views

Otori Danjiri Matsuri is held in Oct. Similar to the one in Kishiwada.38 views

Otori shopping arcade.38 views

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Glass Studio Silica main exhibition room. ガラス工房シリカ38 views

Gallery Salamat Po. "Salamat Po" means "Thank you" in Tagalog. (ぎゃらりーさらま・ぽ) (ぎゃらりーさらま・ぽ)38 views

They taught us how to make Hina ningyo dolls for Girl's Day (March 3). We could pick any of these plastic pins and decorative bands for our Hina dolls. Yes, that's all we needed to make the dolls.38 views

Inside Tengokoro.38 views

Our dorayaki teacher and Tengokoro store manager.38 views

It's unlike the old Tsukiji fish market or the new Toyosu Market in Tokyo.38 views

Akatsukien onsen minshuku dining room where we had monkfish hot pot. ¥14,000/night including dobujiru. 民宿暁園38 views

The boat, with shrine priests and musicians aboard, is rocked side to side as it is dragged on the street for several hours. This festival will be held on May 2nd–3rd, 2019. At least 160,000 spectators are expected to see it. 38 views

Yo-soro Museum also has this kami-shibai storytelling room. Story about British whalers who landed on Otsuhama beach in Kita-Ibaraki in May 1824 in search of food and water.38 viewsIt was during the time Japan largely prohibited contact with foreigners. By the 1800s, whaling ships from the West were frequently seen off the coast of Japan. In May 1824, multiple British whaling ships appeared off the coast of Kita-Ibaraki.