An exotic land, the most foreign of all the places I’ve visited, with the most gracious people I’ve ever met. Japan is a country I hope to return to.
The steel and concrete tower of the Osaka Castle is a 1995 restoration. Faithful to its Tokoguwa era splendour in appearance, and the final in a series of rebuilding attempts since its founding in the 16th century. The castle’s very modern interior houses a small but informative museum, with exhibits on the Shoguns (warlords), who were an intrinsic part of […]
Read MoreRitual cleansing prior to worship, is an age old practice. The use of water to purify oneself, being obligatory in most world religions until today. Traditionally, this purification was done at a river, stream or seashore. As religions evolved, ablution fountains and Lavers started appearing in the outer courts of places of worship. The temple tank […]
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As some of you already know, I am off again, this time with R to Laos & Cambodia for two weeks. That is misleading actually. R was very sure he didn’t want an in depth cultural immersion, so we are only going to Luang Prabang and Siem Reap, with brief stopovers in Vientiane and Phnom […]
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“No, that can’t be Mount Fuji” I dismissed my sisters query very authoritatively, as I snuggled back into my seat. “Where is the snow cap and cloud cover?” My sister’s faith in my opinion was plain for all to see, when she turned to our guide for confirmation. “Nooooo! Where is the snow cap and cloud cover?” she […]
Read MoreThe Tokyo Skytree is a freetsanding tower that is as different from the Window Tower of Uzes as you can possibly imagine. At 634m it is the world’s tallest tower and the second highest freestanding structure. My one thought, gazing at the soaring latticework of steel tubing looming in front of me is…..how much higher can […]
Read MoreWe arrived late. And in the race up to the night festival and back, we left with little or no impression of this historic market town, in the heart of the larger Takayama city. On our return the next morning, after a night at an Onsen nearby, its medieval charm and picturesque setting, took us completely by surprise! Presiding over […]
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I can’t seem to get Japan out of my head! Here’s a green, green gallery from the land of the rising sun: Thank you for visiting and have a great weekend.
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No temple festival in India is complete without a procession of the temple chariot around town. Like the Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath in Puri for example…..that incidentally gave the English language the word ‘Juggernaut’! Originating in the early 17th century, as thanksgiving for a good harvest, and to mark the onset of winter, the Takayama Hachiman […]
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Yes I think to myself………what a wonderful world! And if you still aren’t convinced, I think you should go check out my archives…
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I had assumed for some reason, that the word ‘Rickshaw’ was an Indian export to the English language. Much like Bandanna, Khaki, Pyjamas or even Cot! (R thought that was dumb, because “it is so patently Chinese” ) I was also under the impression that the hand pulled Rickshaws had been banned or discontinued around the […]
Read MoreDespite rare, high tech instances of nuptials being led by robots, the majority of Japanese are said to prefer traditional Shinto weddings at venues of their choosing, or more commonly, in their neighbourhood Shinto shrines. We must have chosen a very auspicious weekend to visit the Meiji Jingu Shrine in Tokyo and the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu […]
Read MoreGassho-Zukhuri means ‘Hands folded in prayer’ in reference to the roof of the distinctive thatched buildings in the Shirakawa-Go district. Ogimachi – a living, traditional Gassho village with 59 original Gassho-style houses – is one of three villages designated UNESCO heritage sites, .
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The Urge To Wander 