Japan - Kyoto - Sanjūsangen-dō Temple

Sanjūsangen-dō Temple Inner Sanjūsangen-dō Hall, Kyoto.

Sent by Kaori from Saitama-ken, Japan.

Sanjūsangen-dō (三十三間堂; Temple of thirty-three bays) is a Buddhist temple of the Tendai sect in the Higashiyama district of Kyoto, Japan.

The temple was founded in 1164 by Taira no Kiyomori for the cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa. It is officially known as Rengeō-in (蓮華王院; hall of the Lotus King) and belongs to the Myōhō-in temple complex.

Sanjūsangen-dō is most famous for its massively long hondō (main hall) dating from 1266 (Kamakura period) and designated a National Treasure of Japan, and the collection of sculptures it houses, including 1001 standing Thousand-armed Kannon, 28 standing attendants, a statue of Fūjin and a statue of Raijin, and the principal image of the temple, a big seated statue of Thousand-armed Kannon, all of them designated National Treasures in the category of sculptures, most of them dating to the Heian to Kamakura periods.

Sanjūsangen-dō was founded by the famous samurai and politician Taira no Kiyomori (1118-1181) in 1164 for the cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa. He built the temple in the emperor's own compound Hōjūji-dono in order to gain a noble title, that of Chancellor of the Realm, becoming the first samurai to do so. Go-Shirakawa's compound was around 1100 square meters in size, divided into Minamidono (the southern estate) and Kitadono (the northern estate). When Go-Shirakawa died in 1192, he was buried in the temple's east Hokkedō (hall of the Lotus Sutra) (read more).

Japan - Niigata Prefecture - Snow Festival

Snow Festival in Yuzawa, Niigata, Japan, where people are participating in a snow mikohi (portable shrine) event and are wearing traditional festival kimonos called happi.

Sent by Shimizu from Nagawa, Japan.

The Echigo Yuzawa Onsen Snow Festival is held on a local ski slope just as the ski season is coming to an end and boasts a beautiful fireworks display over snow for a heated celebration in the cold of winter. It offers chances for visitors to participate (reservation needed) with attractive events like the Torch Descent where skiers cruise down the slope in line holding torches and a snow mikoshi (portable shrine) parade on the slope as well.

The Yuzawa Kogen area including the Nunoba ski slope in which the festival is help sits at an elevation of 1,000m above sea level. The festival venue is a short walk from the Echigo Yuzawa Station with easy access to the famous hot spring section of town.

One of the highlights of this festival is the Snow Mikoshi. Visitors are able to join in on the carrying of this portable shrine. There is a limit to amount of participants so please sign up early. If you have never carried a shrine on a ski slope before this is the perfect opportunity for an experience you'll never forget (read more).

Japan - Ehime Prefecture - Dōgo Onsen

Footbath in the Dōgo area.

Sent by Ryoji from Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture in Japan.

Dōgo Onsen (道後温泉) is a hot spring in the city of Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture on the island of Shikoku, Japan.

Dōgo Onsen is one of the oldest hot springs in Japan, with a history stretching back over 1000 years. The springs are mentioned in the Man'yōshū (written c. 759) and, according to legend, Prince Shōtoku (574–622) used to partake of the waters.

Dōgo Onsen was the favorite retreat of writer Natsume Sōseki (1867–1916) when he was working near Matsuyama as a teacher in what was at the time rural Shikoku. In Soseki's loosely autobiographical novel Botchan, the eponymous main character is a frequent visitor to the springs, the only place he likes in the area.

Dōgo Onsen is famous for the Dōgo Onsen public bathhouse, which was organized by Dōgo Yunomachi mayor Isaniwa Yukiya and built in 1894. Built on three levels for maximum capacity, the baths remain popular and are usually crowded at peak times, such as in the early evening before dinner.

While Dōgo is largely engulfed in the suburban sprawl of modern-day Matsuyama, the area around Dōgo retains the feeling of a resort town, with guests from all over the country wandering the streets in yukata robes after their bath. Dōgo is easily accessible from central Matsuyama by tram and has regular bus services to and from the air and ferry ports (read more).

Japan - Tokyo - Tokyo Imperial Palace

Seimonbashi (West Gate Bridge) at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan.

Sent by Daizo from Tokyo, Japan.

The Imperial Palace (皇居, Kōkyo; lit. 'Imperial Residence') is the main residence of the emperor of Japan. It is a large park-like area located in the Chiyoda district of the Chiyoda ward of Tokyo and contains several buildings including the Fukiage Palace (吹上御所, Fukiage gosho) where the emperor has his living quarters, the main palace (宮殿, Kyūden) where various ceremonies and receptions take place, some residences of the Imperial Family, an archive, museums and administrative offices.

The 1.15-square-kilometer (0.44 sq mi) palace grounds and gardens are built on the site of the old Edo Castle.

After the capitulation of the shogunate and the Meiji Restoration, the inhabitants, including the Shōgun Tokugawa Yoshinobu, were required to vacate the premises of the Edo Castle. Leaving the Kyoto Imperial Palace on November 26, 1868, the Emperor arrived at the Edo Castle, made it to his new residence and renamed it to Tōkei Castle (東京城, Tōkei-jō). At this time, Tōkyō had also been called Tōkei. He left for Kyōto again, and after coming back on May 9, 1869, it was renamed to Imperial Castle (皇城, Kōjō) (read more).

Japan - Ōita Prefecture - Yufuin

Yufuin at daybreak.

Sent by Sakiko from Hyogo, Japan.

Yufuin (湯布院町, Yufuin-chō) was a town located in Ōita District, Ōita Prefecture, Japan. Yufuin is now a district (町) within the city of Yufu. Its elevation is approximately 400 meters above ground.

As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 11,342 and density of 88.77 persons per km². The total area was 127.77 km².

On October 1, 2005, Yufuin, along with the towns of Hasama and Shonai (all from Ōita District), was merged to create the city of Yufu. This controversial decision resulted in the recall of the mayor and a snap election in which he regained office.

Located in a green valley beneath the spectacular Mount Yufu (由布岳, Yufudake), a short walk from the town centre is a mix of paddy fields, housing and upmarket ryokan, with a few temples. Mount Yufu, or Yufu-dake, can be hiked in about 90 minutes. Although still connected to its rural roots, Yufuin is a tourist town and a popular destination for coach tours, especially among Korean, Chinese, Thai, and Taiwanese tourists. There is the picturesque Lake Kinrin and rivers flow down and across the valley. Some hotels have outdoor baths called rotenburo with a view of Mount Yufu (read more).

Japan - Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama

Historic village of Shirakawa-go in Gifu Prefecture, Japan, during a winter snowfall. The houses shown are a type of traditional farmhouse known as gassho-zukuri.

Sent by Eiichi from Tokyo, Japan.

The Gassho-style houses found in the Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama are rare examples of their kind in Japan. Located in a river valley surrounded by the rugged high-mountain Chubu region of central Japan, these three villages were remote and isolated, and access to the area was difficult for a long period of time. The inscribed property comprises the villages of “Ogimachi” in the Shirakawa-go region, and “Ainokura” and “Suganuma” in the Gokayama region, all situated along the Sho River in Gifu and Toyama Prefectures. In response to the geographical and social background, a specific housing type evolved: rare examples of Gassho-style houses, a unique farmhouse style that makes use of highly rational structural systems evolved to adapt to the natural environment and site-specific social and economic circumstances in particular the cultivation of mulberry trees and the rearing of silkworms. The large houses have steeply-pitched thatched roofs and have been preserved in groups, many with their original outbuildings which permit the associated landscapes to remain intact. 

The Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama are outstanding examples of traditional human settlements that are perfectly adapted to their environment and their social and economic raison d’être (read more).

Japan - All Nippon Airways (ANA)

All Nippon Airways (ANA), highlighting their "Inspiration of JAPAN" brand statement and a Boeing 777-300 aircraft.

Sent by Ayano from Shiga, Japan.

All Nippon Airways (ANA) is a Japanese airline headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. ANA operates services to both domestic and international destinations and is Japan's largest airline, ahead of its main rival Japan Airlines. As of March 2024, the airline has approximately 12,800 employees. The airline joined as a Star Alliance member in October 1999.

In addition to its mainline operations, ANA controls several subsidiary passenger carriers, such as its regional airline ANA Wings, Air Nippon, Air Do (a low-cost carrier operating scheduled service between Tokyo and cities in Hokkaido), Air Japan and Allex Cargo (ANA Cargo – the freighter division operated by Air Japan). ANA is also the wholly owned shareholder in Peach, a low-cost carrier joint venture with Hong Kong company First Eastern Investment Group (read more).

Japan - Ishikawa Prefecture - 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art at Kanazawa

21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa.

Sent by Makiko from Toyo, Japan.

The 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa (金沢21世紀美術館, Kanazawa Nijūisseiki Bijutsukan) is a museum of contemporary art located in Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan.

The museum was designed by Japanese architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa of the architectural office SANAA in 2004. In October 2005, one year after its opening, the Museum marked 1,570,000 visitors. In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic it attracted only 971,256 visitors, a drop of 63 percent from 2019, but it still ranked tenth on the list of most-visited art museums in the world.

The Museum is located in the center of Kanazawa, near Kenroku-en garden and the Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Art. The building has a circular form, with a diameter of 112.5 metres. This shape aims to keep the appearance of the overall building volume low, to mitigate the scale of the project and allows access from multiple points of entry. The transparency of the building further manifests the wish to avoid the museum being perceived as a large, introverted mass (read more).

Japan - Kōchi Prefecture - Kōchi Castle

Kōchi Castle, in Kōchi City, Kōchi Prefecture, on the island of Shikoku, Japan.

Sent by Sayaka who lives in Kōchi Prefecture, Japan.

Kōchi Castle (高知城, Kōchi-jō) is an Edo Period Japanese castle in the city of Kōchi, Kōchi Prefecture, Japan. It is located at Otakayama hill, at the center of Kōchi city, which in turn is located at the center of the Kōchi Plain, the most prosperous area of former Tosa Province on the island of Shikoku. From 1601 to 1871, it was the center of Tosa Domain, ruled by the tozama Yamauchi clan under the Tokugawa Shogunate. The castle site has been protected as a National Historic Site since 1959, with the area under protection expanded in 2014.

During the Sengoku period, Tosa Province was dominated by Chōsokabe Motochika, who conquered most of Shikoku from stronghold at Okō Castle. However, Okō Castle was a mountain stronghold with little room for the development of a castle town. After his defeat by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1585, Motochika decided to construct a new castle at Otakayama hill and the ruins of an ancient fortification which had been constructed by Otakasa Matsuomaru sometime during the late Heian or Kamakura period. Although the new castle had the advantages of space and a central location, the area around the hill at this time was extremely swampy, due to the influx of alluvial sediments from the Kagami River, and was prone to flooding. Motochika shortly afterwards moved once again to a new location at Urado Castle on the coast, which also had the advantage of being closer to his fleet (read more).

Japan - Himeji-jo (2)

Himeji Castle (World Cultural Heritage) in Spring / Hyogo / Japan.

Seny by Yukino from Ōta, Japan.

Himeji-jo is the finest surviving example of early 17th-century Japanese castle architecture. It is located in Himeji City, in the Hyogo Prefecture, an area that has been an important transportation hub in West Japan since ancient times. The castle property, situated on a hill summit in the central part of the Harima Plain, covers 107 hectares and comprises eighty-two buildings. It is centred on the Tenshu-gun, a complex made up of the donjon, keeps and connecting structures that are part of a highly developed system of defence and ingenious protection devices dating from the beginning of the Shogun period. The castle functioned continuously as the centre of a feudal domain for almost three centuries, until 1868 when the Shogun fell and a new national government was created.

The principal complex　of these structures is a masterpiece of construction in wood, combining function with aesthetic appeal, both in its elegant appearance unified by the white plastered earthen walls – that has earned it the name Shirasagi-jo (White Heron Castle) – and in the subtlety of the relationships between the building masses and the multiple roof layers visible from almost any point in the city read more).

Japan - Tokyo Rainbow Bridge

Rainbow Bridge/Statue of Liberty

From the observation deck of Odaiba Seaside Park, you can see a grand panorama of Tokyo Port, including a Statue of Liberty, Rainbow Bridge, and beyond that, the city center and Tokyo Tower.

Sent by Thais from Kazo in Japan.

The Rainbow Bridge (レインボーブリッジ, Reinbō Buridji) is a suspension bridge crossing northern Tokyo Bay between Shibaura Pier and the Odaiba waterfront development in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.

It is named Tōkyō Kō Renrakukyō (東京港連絡橋) as the official name in Japanese.

It was built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, with construction starting in 1987 and completed in 1993. Officially called the "Shuto Expressway No. 11 Daiba Route - Port of Tokyo Connector Bridge", the double-decker bridge is 798 m (2,618 ft) long with a main span of 580 m (1,903 ft). 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. There are lamps placed on the wires supporting the bridge, which are illuminated into three different colors, red, white and green every night using solar energy obtained during the day.

The bridge can be accessed by foot from Tamachi Station (JR East) or Shibaura-futō Station (Yurikamome) on the mainland side (read more).

Japan - Traditional Japanese Gate (Torii)

Traditional Japanese Gate (torii), Tachiki Kannon Temple, Utagahama Beach.

Utagahama, Chuzenji lakeside.

Utagahama is located on the eastern shore of Lake Chuzenji, from where you can see the entirety of Mount Nantai (2,480 meters above sea level), and the area around the large torii gate of Tachiki Kannon, which is associated with Shodo Shonin, is a famous scenic spot.

Sent by Ayu from Tokyo, Japan.

A torii (Japanese: 鳥居; [to.ɾi.i]) is a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the mundane to the sacred, and a spot where kami are welcomed and thought to travel through.

The presence of a torii at the entrance is usually the simplest way to identify Shinto shrines, and a small torii icon represents them on Japanese road maps and on Google Maps.

The first appearance of torii gates in Japan can be reliably pinpointed to at least the mid-Heian period; they are mentioned in a text written in 922. The oldest existing stone torii was built in the 12th century and belongs to a Hachiman shrine in Yamagata Prefecture. The oldest existing wooden torii is a ryōbu torii (see description below) at Kubō Hachiman Shrine in Yamanashi Prefecture built in 1535 (read more).

Japan - Mount Fuji (5)

Bright autumn leaves will begin to change color in the lake of Mount Fuji near fall. Of autumn leaves Mount Fuji in the superb view, many people visit to guide this landscape.

Sent by Kevin from Saga, a small city in South Japan.

My other postcards of Mount Fuji are here, here, here, and here.

Japan - Mount Fuji (4)

Majestic image of the snow-capped Mount Fuji, a prominent symbol of Japan and a UNESCO World Heritage site, with a postal stamp and a special postmark. Last eruption was in 1707.

Sent by Yuko who mentioned that she can see the Mount Fuji from her house.

My other postcards of Mount Fuji are here, here, and here.

Japan - Hokkaido - Hakodate Christmas Fantasy

Hakodate Christmas Fantasy.

Sent by Erika from Hokkaido, Japan.

A traditional harbinger of happiness, the fir tree plays a central role in Christmas in Hakodate. Every winter, a splendid fir tree—a gift from Halifax, Hakodate’s Canadian sister city—is shipped across the North American continent and the Pacific Ocean to the Hokkaidō city.

The great fir, soaring more than 20 meters high, is set up on a barge in the harbor and lavishly decorated with lights, after which it is pulled by a tug boat to the bay area, where it stays through Christmas day.

Japan - "Double Diamond Fuji"

"Double Diamond Fuji" is a phenomenon wherethe morning sun overlaps the summit of Mt. Fuji and its reflection is cast on the surface of the lake.

Sent by Eriko from Kanagawa, Japan.

As a spiritual symbol of Japan, Mt. Fuji is one of only three sacred mountains of the country and its tallest at 3,776 meters. Its designation as a UNESCO world heritage site further exemplifies its importance to not only the people of Japan but to the world as well.

When my wife and I went to Japan in the Spring of 2017, I had the opportunity to capture a widely known event called diamond Fuji — the time when the sun rises behind the apex of Mt. Fuji, creating a sparkle on top, much like a diamond would on top of a ring.

The term double diamond Fuji refers to this event and its reflection caught in a body of water in the foreground. This happens around April 20 and August 20 of every year (give or take a few days) at Lake Tanuki (read more).

Japan - Kyoto - Kyoto Tower

Kyoto Tower - Located at the entrance to Kyoto Miyako Tower Building has 3 basement floors, 9 floors above ground, and a rooftop. There is a candlestick-shaped observation tower131 meters above ground. The observation room can accomodate about 400 peopleand offers a panoramic view of the ancient capital.

Sent by Erina from Matsue, Japan.

Kyoto Tower (京都タワー, Kyōto-tawā) is an observation tower located in Kyoto, Japan. The steel tower is the tallest structure in Kyoto with its observation deck at 100 metres (328 ft) and its spire at 131 metres (430 ft). The 800-ton tower stands atop a 9-story building, which houses a 3-star hotel and several stores. The entire complex stands opposite Kyōto Station.

Kyoto Tower was proposed in the early 1960s, and it was planned to be constructed and completed in time to correspond with the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Construction began in 1963 on the former site of Kyoto's central post office and was completed near the end of 1964. Unlike many other towers (such as Tokyo Tower) that are constructed using metal lattice frames, Kyoto Tower's interior structure consists of many steel rings stacked on top of each other. The structure was then covered with lightweight steel sheets with a thickness of 12–22 mm (0.47–0.87 in). The sheets were then welded together and painted white. The intended overall effect was for the tower to resemble a Japanese candle (read more).