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Japan Memories

Rumoured to be the busiest intersection in the world (and definitely in Japan), Shibuya Crossing, is like a giant beating heart, sending people in all directions with every pulsing light change. Perhaps nowhere else says ‘Welcome to Tokyo’ better than this. Hundreds of people – and at peak times said to be over 1000 people – cross at a time, coming from all directions at once yet still managing to dodge each other with a practised, nonchalant agility.

Japanese people call this space “Genkan” and which functions as a place to take off andput on shoes. It is considered very impolite not to take off your shoes before entering a house inJapan.

There are 16,664 7-Elevens in Japan, more than double the second
most most 7-11 dense country in the world, the USA. 

Tokyo from Above

Officially called the "Shuto Expressway No. 11 Daiba Route - Port of Tokyo Connector Bridge," the name "'Rainbow Bridge" was decided by the public. The towers supporting the bridge are white in color, designed to harmonize with the skyline of central Tokyo seen from Odaiba.

Enjoying a picnic under the full bloom cherry blossom trees.

Ueno Park is a spacious public park in the Ueno district of Taitō, Tokyo, Japan. The park was established in 1873 on lands formerly belonging to the temple of Kan'ei-ji.

Street food is always a bonus because it usually comes cheap, freshly made in front of your eyes and it tastes delicious. 

Sakura is the Japanese word for cherry blossom, which blooms across Japan between March and May each year. The season is eagerly anticipated during the winter months, and while the blossom is out crowds of people flock to parks, gardens and riversides to eat, drink, and be merry underneath the flowers.

Akihabara (秋葉原), also called Akiba after a former local shrine, is a district in central Tokyo that is famous for its many electronics shops. In more recent years, Akihabara has gained recognition as the center of Japan's otaku (diehard fan) culture, and many shops and establishments devoted to anine and manga are now dispersed among the electronic stores in the district.

Wash yourself with the idea of washing away impurities in your heart as well as from your physical self. 

The Great Buddha of Kamakura is a monumental outdoor bronze statue of Amitabha Buddha located at the Kōtoku-in Temple in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. The bronze statue probably dates from 1252, in the Kamakura period.

Ema (絵馬, lit. "picture-horse") are small wooden plaques, common to Japan, in which Shinto and Buddhist worshippers write prayers or wishes. 

Japan’s Mt. Fuji is an active volcano about 100 kilometers southwest of Tokyo. Commonly called “Fuji-san,” it’s the country’s tallest peak, at 3,776 meters. 

Owakudani is an active volcanic valley.

Legend holds eating just one of these black eggs can add seven years to one's life. ... Owakudani, meaning the Great Boiling Valley, is located in the mountain town of Hakone

Emergency road - closed during event of MAJOR earthquake.

Hikone Castle is a Japanese Edo-period castle in the city of Hikone, in Shiga Prefecture. It is considered the most significant historical building in Shiga.

Bullet Train. Japan's high speed bullet trains, also known as Shinkansen trains, offer visitors an experience like no other with speeds reaching up to 320 km/hr!

The Imperial Palace, where their Majesties the Emperor and Empress reside, is situated in the center ofTokyo. The palace is surrounded by a water-filled moat and tree-covered grounds - a precious taste of nature within the bustling metropolitan city. 

The kimono (着物, きもの) is a traditional Japanese garment. The word "kimono", which actually means a "thing to wear has come to denote these full-length robes.

Japan has taken pride in the talents of its craftsmen, carpenters and woodworkers included. Because of that, you might be surprised to find that some Japanese castles have extremely creaky wooden floors that screech and groan with each step. This is used as an alarm technique for intruders. 

A Rickshaw originally denoted a two or three-wheeled passenger cart, now known as a pulled rickshaw, which is generally pulled by one man carrying one passenger.

Bamboo Forest is a natural forest of bamboo located in Arashiyama, Kyoto, Japan.

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One Kyoto must is to visit Fushimi Inari. This bright orange shrine features a long corridor of torii gates leading right up to the base of a mountain (also called Inari).

 Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto, amazing 10.000 sacrade gates

Nara Park (奈良公園, Nara Kōen) is a public park located in the city of Nara, Japan, at the foot of Mount Wakakusa, established in 1300s and one of the oldest parks in Japan.

After World War II, the deer were officially stripped of their sacred/divine status, and were instead designated as national treasures and are protected as such. Today, visitors can purchase "deer-crackers" (鹿煎餅 Shika-senbei) to feed the deer in the park. These crackers are exclusively sold by the WNOW company. According to local folklore, deer from this area were considered sacred due to a visit from Takemikazuchi-no-mikoto, one of the four gods of Kasuga Shrine. He was said to have been invited from Kashima Shrine in present-day Ibaraki Prefecture, and appeared on Mt. Mikasa riding a white deer. From that point, the deer were considered divine and sacred by both Kasuga Shrine and Kōfuku-ji. Killing one of these sacred deer was a capital offense punishable by death up until 1637, the last recorded date of a breach of that law.

The focal point of Todai-ji is the Daibutsu-den (Hall of the Great Buddha), which contains the vast grandeur of the Daibutsu, a 16-meter-high Buddha that really does seems to exude some form of spiritual energy

Mmmmm.....green tea ice-cream

Not a beet-leaf bun

Rice farming