“No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn” Today in Tokyo area (Kanto region), Hokuriku, southern Kyushu and Amami the season's first strong south winds of the year blew, which tells us finally spring has come. (The cold days still last though !)　 It's called "春 一番" (Haru ichiban, Haru=spring, ichiban=number one, or first) which is an official meteorological term. Specifically, "Haru ichiban" is declared by t… Read more

Origins of Samurai (侍、さむらい) : is a class of highly skilled warriors, gradually developed in Japan after the year 646 (of Taika reforms ). The reforms included land redistribution and heavy new taxes. As a result, many small farmers had to sell their land and work as tenant farmers. (The tale of Genji by Kanoh Osanobu) Meanwhile, a few large landholders amassed power and wealth, creating a feudal system similar to medieval Europe's. As in Europe, the new feudal lords needed warriors to defend their ric… Read more

Yokohama Station (横浜駅 Yokohama-eki) : The busiest station in Kanagawa-ken and the 5th busiest in the world as of 2013, serving 760 million passengers a year. In addition to the JR line(originally called JNR : Japan National Railway), Tokyu-Toyoko Line (May 18, 1928), Keikyu (Keihin Kyuko, February 05, 1930), Sotetsu (December 27, 1933), Yokohama City Subway Line No. 3 (September 4, 1976), Minato Mirai Line (February 1, 2004) are in service through th… Read more

The City of Yokohama and Mt Fuji Japan's second biggest city, Yokohama is the capital of Kanagawa-ken (Kanagawa-prefecture) with population of 3.7 million (as of February 01, 2017). From Tokyo it is about a 30 to 40 minute train ride. The port of Yokohama is Japan's second largest port after Kobe and a luxury cruise destination. Historically, the city has been nation's gateway to the world, giving it something of a cosmopolitan air. http://b… Read more

Pai-chan's Valentine present for you . My Wish is Your Wish ... Have a Wonderful Valentine Day !… Read more

February is the coldest month of a year in Japan. Mount Fuji looks snowy as usual... (13:00LT Feb13,2017) Winter snow falls are so far so so except some part of Hokuriku (especially a part of Tottori-ken is roughly 10 times thicker than the past years usual depth) 250cm is Daisen which is twice only though, City of Yonago's 23cm seen here at border of Shimane-ken is 11.5 times heavier than the past average. http://bl… Read more

An abandoned villa in rural Japan. A building so grand and beautiful that it more than made up for never finding anything even remotely similar. Long-abandoned homes aren’t uncommon finds in Japan, but western-style ones are another matter altogether. This villa was a wealthy politician’s house. ht… Read more

Takeda Castle (竹田城 Takeda-jō) is a ruined castle in the city of Asago, in the northern part of Hyōgo-ken. It is located north of Himeji, and north-west of Kyoto, and is situated some 353m (1158ft) above sea level. The phenomenon often occurs in Autumn between September and November when the morning mist and fog forms a sea of clouds on a clear day. The fog is caused by the sharp drop in overnight temperatures experienced at that time of the year between day and night. http://blog-imgs-74.fc2.com/s/k/b/skb… Read more

Kabuki ”Kanjincho” (歌舞伎 勧進帳) (Kabuki "Kanjincho" performed at the National Theater) Background : The Kabuki "Kanjincho" is a copy of Noh (能) play "Ataka (安宅)" which is about an episode after the wars (1180-1185) between the Genji (源氏) and Heike (平家) clans which the Genji won, making Minamoto no Yoritomo (源 頼朝) shogun. Even though Yoritomo's b r o t h e r Yoshitsune（源 義経 also called "Ushiwaka-maru" at young age in Kyoto) was largely responsible for the victory, Yoritomo suspected Yo… Read more

Mio-chan is an AV gal. Women in Japan do sometimes wear Kimono : the traditional clothing mostly on certain occasion like ceremonies only if needed. In usual daily life Japanese women wear ordinary western clothing not Kimono. It's not easy to wear complete Kimono set by oneself at the beginning. Kimono is totally different from western wear. [… Read more

Mikuni Maisaki ,a Japanese AV gal. Young women's kimonos have longer sleeves, signifying that they are not married. Kimono comes with parts like "Obi" (帯): a belt used to tuck excess cloth away from the seeing public. A kimono is age and seasonally specific. The brighter the color, the younger the wearer. http://blog-imgs-99.f… Read more

"Shukuba (宿場)" were post stations during the Edo period in Japan, generally located on one of the Edo Five Routes "Gokaido (五街道)" or one of its sub-routes : E - Tōkaidō : Edo <-> Kyoto, 53 stations, 490km D - Nakasendō : Edo <-> Kusatsu, 67 stations, 530km C - Kōshū Kaidō : Edo <-> Shimosuwa , 22 stations, 214km A - Ōshū Kaidō : Utsunomiya <-> Shirakawa , 9 stations, 84km B - Nikkō Kaidō : Edo <-> Nikko Toshogu , 21 stations, 150km The post stations (or "post towns") were places where travelers could rest… Read more

(Tanzawa Mountains 丹沢山地 from Tokyo ) Although it's spelled the same : "大山" the mountain in Kanagawa-ken is called "Ooyama" instead of "Daisen" of Tottori-ken. (Above pic is Daisen 大山 of Tottori-ken, 1729m) Ooyama in Kanagawa-ken is a popular mountain for hikers within Tanzawa mountains. http://blog-imgs-99.fc2.com/s/k/b/skbjkjsk/000000000000-Shinjuku_20170127135825a46.jpg[/im… Read more

"The months and days are the travellers of eternity. The years that come and go are also voyagers. Those who float away their lives on ships or who grow old leading horses are forever journeying, and their homes are wherever their travels take them. Many of the men of old died on the road, and I too for years past have been stirred by the sight of a solitary cloud drifting with the wind to ceaseless thoughts of roaming." This is the introductory part of "Oku no Hosomichi 奥の細道 ("The Narrow Road to the Deep No… Read more

Steam Locomotives "Winter Marshland" (冬の湿原号) is JR Hokkaido Senmō Main Line's seasonal service train, operated between Kushiro and Shibecha (48.1km). Days of operation : Jan. 28, 29, Feb. 02,03,04,05,06,07,08,09,10,11,12,16,17,18,19,23,24,25,26 The steam locomotive is Class C11 (C11形), a type of 2-6-4T built by the Japanese Government Railways and the Japanese National Railways from 1932 to 1947. A total of 381 Class C11 locomotives were built.… Read more

http://blog-imgs-99.fc2.com/s/k/b/skbjkjsk/2017011615… Read more

The Shirakawagō (白川郷) and neighboring Gokayama (五箇山) regions were regsitered as UNESCO World Heritage (1995) site along the Shogawa (庄川) River Valley in the remote mountains that span from Gifu to Toyama-ken. In Shirakawagō there are approximately180 thatched farmhouses, sheds, and barns . The Gassho-style (合掌造り) houses of Shirakawa-go (白川郷) in Gifu-ken and Gokayama (五箇山) in Toyama-ken are rare examples of their kind in Japan. Some of the traditional farmhouses are more than 250 years old. "Gassho-zuk… Read more