Japan Through Photo #23

Snowy rice fields in Aichi prefecture as photographed from the window of the Shinkasen (bullet train.)

Japan Through Photo #22

The Asakusa skylime by night. The interesting colour reflection is from a hotel next door, the massive building in the background is the Tokyo Skytree, Japan's tallest structure.

Japan Through Photo #21

Nabe, the traditional winter hotpot of Japan. This one is a collection of vegetables and pork served in a light, white miso broth.

Japan Through Photo #20

A student of Kyoto's Ritsumeikan University preforming Sado (the traditional Japanese art of tea ceremony) in a Japanese home in the Nijo area of Kyoto.

Japan Through Photo #19

The autumn leaves in the busy Shinsaibashi area of Umeda in Osaka, Japan. Umeda is the center of Osaka both culturally and physically. Not featured in this photo are the swarths of businessmen and office ladies moving between meals.

Japan Through Photo #18

Kiwomizu Temple in Gion District of Kyoto. During the fall the temple is illuminated at night to display the changing colours of the leaves. This photo was taken at night in November and the placde was crawling, and for good reason. It is really a spectacular event to see.

Japan Through Photo #17

A Student organized, Cultural Festival at the Fukakusa Campus of Kyoto's venerable Ryukoku University. The stands you see are almost exclusively food and drink vendors raising funds for various University Clubs.

Japan Through Photo #16

The Gardens in Gosho (the old Imperial Palace) in Kyoto, Japan. Unlike most historical sites in Kyoto, Gosho is seldom open to visitors but when it is it is swamped by eager tourists and photographers keen to see the illusive gardens and such.

Japan Through Photo #15

The seafront by nightfall in Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. Kobe is known outside of Japan for it's extraordinary Wagyu beef (which is unbelievable by the way) but in the land of the rising sun it is equally known for its spectacular and very new skyline built mostly after a devestating earthquake in 1995.

Japan Through Photo #14

The Sony Booth at the Tokyo Game Show in Maikuhara Messe in Chiba Prefecture just outside of Tokyo, this booth was the belle of the ball with immense lines and absurd ammounts of spectators.

Japan Through Photo #13

The Tokyo Skyline as viewed from Tocho (old Tokyo City Hall) in the Shinjuku District in Tokyo, Shinjuku is pretty much what people think of when you say Tokyo and it's not hard to see why when you look at that skyline, that's the urban jungle in the purest form possible.

Japan Through Photo #12

Sensoji Temple in Asakusa-ku, Tokyo. This is one of the largest temples in Eastern Japan and while a standby of the photo circuit in Tokyo I've never seen it shot at night and the illumination is pretty cool in my humble opinion.

Japan Through Photo #11

Fugu, one of the world's most nefarious dishes. The Fugu is a type of Japanese blowfish ripe with venemous neurotoxins. The liver contains most of the venom which is spread sparingly on the fish which gives a numbing sensation once ingested. This delectible selection was purchased in Asakusa-ku, Tokyo.

Japan Through Photo #10

Pedestrian Heaven in Akihabara, Tokyo, Japan. Kanda street, the street shown here is closed to vehicle traffic on sundays allowing hundreds of nerds the convinience of not waiting for pesky cars. In 2008 it was the scene of a grisly crime spree which led to the end of pedestrian heaven for 3 years.

Japan Through Photo #9

A Vintage Gekkeikan Sake ad from before the second world war. I found this one in the Gekkeikan museum in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto City. Cheap to get into (a mere 300 yen) and with the benefit of a free jar of sake (better then you'd expect too!)

Japan Through Photo #8

Kinkakuji Muchi, the Golden Pavillion in Northwestern Kyoto. The shrine itself was built by the emperor Yoshimitsu as a tomb/treasure house. It is mostly the original construct due to the fact that most armies (Japanese and otherwise) have exhibitted a great deal of care when deciding not to sack the city (or bomb it as has become the custom in wars these days.)

Japan Through Photo #7

It's been quite some time since I put one of these up, so here's a few to tide you folks over! This first one is rain rolling off of the roof of the south gates of Nijo Castle in Kyoto.