oldwrench Japan tour

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oldwrench
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oldwrench Japan tour

Post by oldwrench » January 22nd, 2016, 4:15 am

I hope I can post a few more pics than JH did. I think I took around 800, there must be a dozen good ones in there.

We flew into Narita airport near Tokyo. Our hotel was in one of the divisions of Tokyo. After a night's rest we started out with a visit to Asakusa Kannon Temple. According to legend, The temple was founded when two brothers fished the Kannon statue out of the Sumida river. They threw the statue back into the river, over and over, but it always returned to them, so they built the temple to house it forever.
Japan has Temples (Buddhist) and Shrines (Shinto) often occupying the same areas. Of the 127 million Japanese, 120 million claim to follow Shinto and 90 million to follow Buddhism.

Foo dogs greet you as you enter the temples.
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I tried the ritual washing as you enter
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Such interesting architecture
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inside the main temple
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on the temple grounds, a large area of vendors
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Yes, the first vendor is advertising ice cream burgers!
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Re: oldwrench Japan tour

Post by oldwrench » January 27th, 2016, 4:10 am

In case you hadn't noticed, it was raining.

This is a statue of some samurai in the area of the imperial palace.
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This is the moat around the palace and one of the bridges to the palace area. We didn't go to the palace.
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We visited a WWII museum and saw the Japanese perspective on the war, it is a bit different than ours.

A Zero-sen from the war.
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Canons from the army
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And a locomotive used on the infamous railroad through Burma
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Re: oldwrench Japan tour

Post by oldwrench » January 27th, 2016, 5:00 am

We left Tokyo in out tour bus, bound for Hakone, a resort area near mount Fuji. The scenery on the way was varied and interesting. There are houses almost everywhere you could build one. You get the feeling there is no open land on the island, either mountains or houses.
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The lakes and mountains were beautiful.
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We were unable to ascend mt Fuji to the fifth station due to weather, so we went to a museum of an artist, famous for his series of hand dyed Kimonos that constitute a long mural each Kimono continuing into the next in a continuously changing scene of seasons and mountain vistas. I couldn't take picts in the museum, but his home, the entrance to the museum, is quite the wonder in itself.
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This is our guide Sae, she was very good
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Next time we'll see if we can find a break in the clouds and view Mt Fuji.
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Re: oldwrench Japan tour

Post by oldwrench » February 21st, 2016, 7:03 am

some views of Mt Fuji from the area of Hakone.
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That was one thing I really liked about that Panasonic camera, a very strong telephoto
What I didn't like was the dust inside the lens...... the dark spots
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Re: oldwrench Japan tour

Post by oldwrench » February 21st, 2016, 7:24 am

My hotel room in Hakone at the hot springs bath. We slept on futons on the floor.
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A Shinto shrine at Hakone
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The wife at the shrine
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ritual washing fountain
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Re: oldwrench Japan tour

Post by Sakura » February 23rd, 2016, 10:17 am

I really envy you and your camera. To think that these pictues were done by "that old Wrench" adds to their quality in my opinion. I didn't have any money for vacation in the last 15 years. My last vacation was in 2001 right before starting AAW - and even that was paied by Olray. :meh:
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Re: oldwrench Japan tour

Post by oldwrench » February 27th, 2016, 5:10 am

If you want to take a vacation...... Minnesota is nice, particularly in spring and fall. JH and I would be glad to show you the area.

Maple syrup season is starting early this year, we are tapping trees already.
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Re: oldwrench Japan tour

Post by oldwrench » February 28th, 2016, 6:43 am

More near Hakone

A Japanese artisan who works in wood art.
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Dinner at the hot springs hotel in Hakone, not everyone liked Japanese fancy dinners to our taste. It is very different from what we are use to. Some I liked and some not.
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Re: oldwrench Japan tour

Post by Sakura » March 13th, 2016, 11:35 am

The lights in this dining room look somewhat displaced don't they? And the size of the servings look very much like something I could eat. Guess you were still hungry after dinner? :gg:

I also wondered how they could turn the temple into a shopping district. (Jesus banned all merchants from the temple once) Purrhaps ripping of tourists is considered a virtue? :pif:
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Re: oldwrench Japan tour

Post by oldwrench » April 21st, 2016, 3:52 am

Japan is a very modern country, florescent lights are everywhere.

Shinto and Buddhism have nothing to do with Jesus and Christianity. Profit is a very common god.

Shinkansen, you can only get a picture of one when they are stopping like this one, they go by too fast, 150-175mph. They only stop for 1 minute, you have to get on and off fast.
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A display of food gifts for Christmas giving
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Yes, you are seeing that right over 39900 yen about $370 US
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Kenrokuen garden park Kanazawa
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They use poles and lots of rope to hold the branches up to protect them from breaking from the winter snow, they tie them up each winter and take them off for the summer...... so much work. they do this around the whole city, even for the bushes along the streets.
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I must have 50 or more pictures of this park, every way you turned was a postcard picture scene
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