Jul 10, 2019 - Kyoto to Kotohira-Visit Shrine of Sculpted Faces,100 Stepped Garden

Todays bus ride is a long one and we visit many beautiful sights. First we make a stop at the 100 Stepped garden. It is located on the grounds of a huge hotel. The final group of photos in this section is of a brand new rest stop on the highway, It had everything from great goodies to eat to a talking robot to assist you. For our accommodations tonight we stay at traditional Japanese ryokan. After checking in we walk 800 steps to a wonderful shrine on the hill above our ryokan. It is mostly shaded and well worth the walk.

May 25, 2019 - Yokohama Day One

Saturday May 25, 2019 Good Morning 𯌏𯒫 from Yokohama, It is currently 9pm in Calgary Friday, May 24 for most readers and noon Saturday May 25 for me! Yes that silver time machine (aircraft) that lands us in different parts of the globe has deposited me in Japan. I have never got over the magic of flying𯛫𯛬. It is simply amazing. Yesterday I took the direct flight from Calgary to Tokyo in under ten hours, crossed the date line, arriving at 2:30 pm. A quick bag collection followed by the direct 90 minute bus trip south east of Tokyo to...

May 9, 2019 - Japan-Jared/Tokyo and beyond

In 2019 Jared's tour in Japan was coming to a close. We decided a visit would be a good idea so he could show us around. We also signed up for a 13 day Trafalgar Tour. We did not know what to expect from Japan and we both did not know if we would have visited had Jared not been there. We planned 6 days with Jared at his apartment in Yokosuka near the navel base. It is a long flight so we decided to take a flight from Redding to SF, then to Haneda the closest airport. This journal tracks our visit and experiences in the Land of the Rising...

Apr 10, 2019 - Fukuoka

Once again the day began with multiple train trips. First an express train for two hours, then a local train for another hour. We continue to be amazed by the rail system; fast, timely, ultra clean, smooth and quiet. The stations in most large cities are incredibly busy and crowded with people rushing everywhere, without our guide we'd probably be lost in minutes. After arriving on a local train in Dazaifu we took a taxi to the Kyushu National Museum to view the collections of calligraphy, sculpture and arts from Japan and its Asian...

Apr 9, 2019 - Nagasaki

We began the day at the Nagasaki Confucius Shrine, one of only a handful of shrines in Japan dedicated to the Chinese philosopher. It was built in 1893 by the Nagasaki Chinese community. The ornate Chinese style building are adorned with yellow roofs and stone dragons. In the courtyard there are 72 lifesize stone statues depicting Confucius' disciples. Next we took a funicular and an elevator high above the city to Glover Gardens. Created by Thomas Glover, Scottish merchant who contributed to the modernization of Japan in shipbuilding,...

Apr 8, 2019 - Nagasaki

After a walk around the small lake near our ryokan we headed out by mini-bus to Nagasaki. Lunch was at a rest stop along the highway that had a convenience store, bakery and ice cream shop. The toll road we were driving on was a 4 lane divided highway but the speed limit (which seemed to be observed by most everyone) was only 50 mph. The highway was nicely landscaped, very well maintained and extremely clean. As this area is quite mountainous we passed through many, many tunnels on the highway to Nagasaki. After arrival we had a short...

Apr 7, 2019 - Kyushu Island

An early morning departure from Hiroshima took us by express train, then local train, then mini-bus to the Tennenji Temple in Kyusa. The temple was built in 710 and is both a Buddhist Temple and a Shinto Shrine. The figures carved in the rock at the river are called Kawanakafudoson and they are guarding the approach to the temple. It was particularly nice driving through the countryside on Kyushu Island away from the very large population centers that we've been visiting. The rolling hills and mountains are lush with trees and heavy bamboo...

Apr 6, 2019 - Hiroshima

Our hotel overlooks the Hiroshima Memorial Peace Park where we headed after breakfast. The park and Peace Museum are a memorial to the 240,000 people who died as a result of the A-bomb dropped on the center of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. It is also dedicated to world peace and the elimination of all wars and nuclear weapons. The museum reminds all visitors of the horrible consequences of the rabid nationalism and xenophobia present in Japan in the first half of the 20th century. We began our visit with a lecture from the daughter of a...

Apr 5, 2019 - Miyajima Island

First thing in the morning we headed for the Kyoto station to board the Shinkansen bullet train to Hiroshima. The Japanese rail systems is amazing, handling millions of people per day with all trains packed and running exactly on time. The 220 mile trip from Kyoto to Hiroshima took only 2 hours despite five station stops on the way. At Hiroshima we boarded a local train and then a ferry which took us to Miyajima Island. The island contains the Shinto Itsukushima Shine which was built on pilings over the sea almost 1400 years ago. This was...

Apr 4, 2019 - Museums, Shrines & Temples

The morning began with a visit to the Kyoto Museum of Tradition Arts where we viewed artisan crafts such as lacquerware, textiles, woodworking, metalwork, basketry, etc. The dyemaking was particularly interesting as it yielded beautiful fabrics with such deep rich color. Following the museum visit we walked to the nearby Heian Jingu, a vast Shinta shrine complex that is a 5/8 model of the original palace of the early emperors of Kyoto. The complex was built in 1895 to celebrate the 1100th anniversary of the founding of Kyoto as the capital...

Apr 3, 2019 - Tea, Temple and Castle

Today we had an introduction to the Japanese Tea Ceremony from a Tea Master. The ceremony is normally 4 hours with an elaborate set of rules for both the host and the guests at the ceremony. Our Tea Master gave us a brief description of the history and mechanics of the ceremony and brewed and served us delicious green tea. Next we walked through a residential section of Kyoto to visit the Buddhist Daitoku-ji Temple, the "Temple of Great Virtue" founded in 1315. There are actually 22 sub-temples in the 56 acre complex which has many...

Apr 2, 2019 - Takayama to Kyoto

Yikes, it was 28 degrees out when we woke up in Takayama. We decided to skip the walk to the open air market as we were not prepared for such cold weather. After a late checkout from the hotel we walked around town and browsed in a few stores while heavy snow flurries made a picturesque, if cold, scene. Lunch was vintage American, hamburger and fries. At 3 pm it was time to head to the train station and a 3-3/4 hour trip to Kyoto. Upon arrival we had a nice multi course Japanese dinner and checked into our Kyoto hotel where we'll spend the...