Japan (2006)
Photos per year (number): 2006 (312)
The shortest walkway ever!

Symbol of Japan

Welcome to Japan...

Immigration counters

Men on their laptops, also connected by phone

On board the Narita Express

And this is just the view of the rail network...

Narita Express, here I come

A middle-aged man reads his manga in the train

Quiet street near my hotel

My basic 10sqm room

Some pretty techy toilet!

Night buzz of Shinjuku

Bright neons of Shinkuju

Bustle of Yasukuni-dori Avenue

Side streets are also very busy

Tokyo the way people imagine it

More lights everywhere

All having a good Saturday night

Baseball practice fields

Another baseball practice place

A singer in Shinkuju

My first meal in Japan!

Recovering from a surely wild night

Here's the place I'm looking for

Empty Tsukiji fish market!

An old man is one of the rare people around

Ginza skyscrapers contrast with the fish market

The empty stalls of Tsukiji

A stall in the fish market

Small shrine near Tsukiji

A great choice of sushi!

Here's my full sushi set!

Preparing the restaurant for lunch time

Full choice of nigiri-sushi

Chef writing some offers on paper

Tsukiji Sushi Sen restaurant

Subway arriving

Ginza buildings next to the Moat of the Imperial Palace

Joggers near the Imperial Palace and Ginza business district

Japanese love to get their picture taken, of course

The classic view of the Nijubashi bridge and Imperial Palace

A group coming for pictures in front of the Imperial Palace

Pine trees and vertical buildings

Kikyo-mon Gate of the Imperial Palace

Modern beauty

A man cycles with his dog

Men resting in the park

Tokyo National Museum

Honkan building front

Jomon Vessel (3000-2000 BC)

Dawn of the Japanese Art

A beautiful statuette

Typical Japanese clay work

Reading about this Important Cultural Property piece

Seated Nikko Basatsu

An ancient Buddha statue

Admiring the Pine Trees by Hasegawa Tohaku

Fascination of the Japanese with this work

Detail of the 4 seasons landscape

Four seasons landscape

Samurai war equipment

Samurai swords

Japanese fashion

Snow and frozen pond

48 bronze statues

Avalokisevara statue

Gallery of Horyuji Treasures

Painter working on the Gallery of Horyuji Treasures

Set to continue painting

Gate of former warlord palace

People returning from Toshogu Shrine

Alley to Toshogu Shrine

Wishes of good fortune

Wishes in all languages

Toshogu Shrine

Deciphering inscriptions

Shinobazu Pond

The ducks rush to bread given out

Ducks in Shinobazu Pond

Benten-do Temple

Altar of Benten-do Temple

Ringing the gong

Enjoying a meal together

Benten-do Temple in the middle of Shinobazu Pond

Shinobazu Pond

An avid photographer

Poverty amidst riches

A poor homeless man eats on the floor

Benten-do Temple in the middle of Shinobazu Pond

Tank full of fugu fish

Fugu fish aquarium in a busy street

Screams from the roller coaster ride

An impressive vertical drop machine

Snoopy Town

Cos-play zoku girls

Fooling around in pretty extreme attire

Groups of cos-play-zoku girls

The gangs, near Harajuku station

Typically short skirts with high knickers or boots

Extravaganza of cos-play-zoku

The girls are very amused, as passer-bys watch

A few men join in as well

Eastern entrance to Meiji Garden

Beautiful dusk light on the tall trees

Offerings in Meiji Shrine Park

Entrance of Meiji Shrine

Inside the Meiji Shrine grounds

Writing wishes on wooden blocks

Placing wishes in Meiji Shrine

Also a notice for foreigners

And so even foreigners join in with wishes

Making wishes inside the shrine

Monks in Meiji Shrine

Beautiful alignment

Skyscraper seen from the Meiji Park

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office

Shinjuku tall buildings

The round building facing the TMG Towers

The Park Tower

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office Towers

View of Shinjuku

Busy Yasukuni-Don Avenue

View of Sendagaya

Beautiful dawn silhouette of Mount Fuji

Western Tokyo

Western view from the Park Hyatt

TMG towers

TMG towers and western Shunjuku

View towards central Tokyo

Bright lights of Shinjuku

New York Cafe

Washington Hotel's stunning design

Lights of the Washington Hotel

Games in a loud room

Yodobashi store

A busy shopping street in western Shinjuku

My gyoza dinner

Japan rail in the evening

Sleeping or with an electronic gadget

Amusement Park

My local sushi dinner

Japanese dinner at the hotel

About to go to the onsen

The onsen dry room

Japanese bath

Foot massage machine

A whole manga collection on offer

Vitaliy's habu snake

Crowds at Shin-Yokohama station

Shinkansen platter

A small kiosk

A typical Japanese girl

Rail station crowd and shops

Young girl enjoying a free ride

Here comes our shinkansen

First view of Mount Fuji

The lady points out the sea

Mount Fuji towers over Central Honshu

Sleeping in the Shinkansen

Snowy landscapes

The sun is out again

Schoolchildren at the Kyoto train station

Entrance gate to Horyu-ji temple

Detail of a roof figure lion

Beauty of the site

A group of tourists gets a big picture taken

Entering the centre of Horyu-ji

Horyu-ji pagoda

Altar

Main shrine

Beautiful and massive wooden structure

The ancient bronze buddhas

Gold-covered Buddha

What a tourist!

Sun and wind brushing the temple building

Beautiful details on the roof

A tortuous old tree

Purifying water

Suddenly snow, in the Horyu-ji treasures museum

Lovely snow flakes at Horyu-ji

A simple side building at Horyu-ji

Snow storm at Horyu-ji!

The scene changes completely with the snow

Picturesque and timeless snow on Horyu-ji

Feeding the cheeky deer near Todai-ji

Curiosity meets fright

Those deer are hungry for more from the tourists

Here come the deer!

Deer food for sale

Feeding the deer in Nara

Welcome to Todai-ji

Cheeky deer of Todai-ji up close

Massive entrance to Todai-ji

Impressive wooden entrance

Splendid Todai-ji temple at sunset

How splendid is Todai-ji?

The biggest bronze Buddha in Japan at Todai-ji

Peace of the Buddha

Another bright bronze Buddha

Fearsome wooden warrior

The hole that brings luck to those who pass through it

Working my way inside the hole in the pillar

Making my way through the lucky hole

Squeezing my way out

Large butterfly on a decorative bronze vase

Peaceful sunset colours in the empty Todai-ji

Detail of Todai-ji's monumental facade

Quietness of Todai-ji

A few deer remain as the night falls

Simple light of Todai-ji's gate

An old wooden house

Koy carps

Charm of Japanese wooden houses

A simple pagoda in Nara

Shrine in Nara

Each shrine is unique

Having dinner

In our guesthouse

Looking at the map carefully...

Trying to figure out my next Carcassonne move

A side street of old houses

Waking up at breakfast

Imperial Gardens and Palace

Long walls of the Imperial Palace

Just look at this (cold) tourist...

A typical Japanese dog

Entrance of Ryokan-ji

A fierce protective guardian

Finesse of wooden decorations

Pagoda in Ryokan-ji temple complex

The main shrine of Ryokan-ji, on top of the hill

Bronze inscriptions on an incense burner

Tying prayers

Each detail is superb

Figurine on the roof's edge

Making an offering and a prayer

Ryokan-ji shrine

Light caresses the exquisite structure

Peaceful lake and colours

Wooden bridge and red gate

Simple elegance

The former mansion now hosting the zen garden

Simple beauty of the interiors

Crowds gather to see the zen garden

Makes you wonder...

Nature shaped by man

One of Japan's most famous zen gardens

Bronze bell

Calligraphy as a form of art

Light and shades in the soft and peaceful gardens

Pureness of lines going to a small building

Another quiet garden

A revered figure

The lake sits still

The splendid golden Pavillion

Snow falls gently on the Golden Pavillion

Coin offerings for good luck

Golden Pavillion in its natural setting

An old tea house

Tea ceremony setting

Last views of the Golden Pavillion

I love Japanese architecture!

Kanji sign for "big" in the mountain

Gates leading to the shrine

Entrance of the shrine with two cones

The main shrine, surrounded by water and gardens

A woman leaves her consultation with a priest

Inside the main shrine building

Where one can be purified before entering the shrine

Entrance of a small shrine on a hill

Lanterns in the small shrine

Simple offerings in a small shrine

The basic altar

Me and a pagoda friend

Fellow traveller and photographer

Beautifully simple lines and shades

Silhouette of the shrine's entrance

A man-pulled cart for tourists

Arriving at Shiyozomu temple on top of the hill

View onto Kyoto

Snow blesses our visit

The most gorgeous ritual fountain

Take water if you dare

The main building

A splendid site on the hillside

Inside the main building

The famous fountain bringing luck

Gorgeous temple and setting

Rich and bright shrine

Amazing nature around ...

Taking water for luck

Vitaliy gets a special angle

The site on the hill's slope

Toji pagoda - the country's tallest

Entering the grounds of Toji temple

Lake reflection of the pagoda

Red and white of winter in Kyoto

Kyoto Tower

Entering Nishi...

Bottom of a light decoration

Elegant doors to a temple building

Praying peacefully

Snow forms new shapes on the wooden passageway

Richness of the shrine

Music-playing apsara

Golden room on the side

Nishi... temple

My last dragon fountain

Full length of the Noizumo Shinkansen

        
We meet a maiko on the train platform

What goes on in her mind?

        

 

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