Life In Japan

Saturday, 29 November 2008

Autumn In Kyoto 2007

Early Autumn 2007. Kyoto.

Mmmmmm....

It has being a year since my blogging activities. I could still remember the time, my fellow friend, Minami-san offered to show me around the famous places around Kyoto. (Arigato Minami-san!!!)

So our first stop: Kinkaku-ji Temple, Kyoto

From JNTO website, the Kinkaku-ji Temple was designated as World Cultural Heritage in 1994, aka the golden pavilion, and it was famous for Shari-den, the gold-plated sanctuary that enshrines Buddha's bones in the precincts. (Wow!!!)
It was a really pleasant feeling visiting this place, and it was always packed with tourists all around the year. A must visit place in Kyoto indeed...
After paying the admission fee, we don't receive an admission ticket but an amulet (COOL...)

Here are the photos:

The main entrance

I just love the Japanese ancient building structure

"Hey, who tie my leg... :P"

The guardian

The famous Kinkaku-ji Temple....
The temple was sparkled in gold colour caused by the afternoon sunlight :)

Love the place so much, I took a couple of photos before moving on to the next destination :)

Lovely Japanese gals as a subject near the temple

The lovely autumn atmosphere... Just loving it !!!

Next stop: Kiyomizu-dera Temple

One of the most famous Temple in Kyoto, and the most celebrated photo shoot in Japan.
I have seen it from the local Japan magazine, but I was so excited to see the place. Though these photos are not taken during the night, Minami-san told me to come here again later, nearly end of Nov for the spectacular night scenery... :)

This Temple is famous for its principal sanctuary built on a steep cliff. (Wonder how they did it ?!!!) And from JNTO website, There is a metaphor in Japan, "to jump from the balcony of the Kiyomizu-dera Temple" used when you resolve to do something daring because of its height.

This balcony is a stage for ancient music and dance performance dedicated to the deity, but it is a popular site for the tourists because it commands a wonderful view of the city of Kyoto.
The limpid water that falls in three streams is the Otowa-no-taki Fall.
The name Kiyomizu means pure water, and it derived from this sacred fountain that plashes and dimples.
It is believed that if you ladle the water with a dipper and drink it, you will live long and your wishes will come true. (Try it on the second trip, I hope... )

Here are the photos:

(Silly me, huh??)

Oh God of Fortune... Please bring me good luck and fortune for many years to come :P

The limpid water that falls in three streams is the Otowa-no-taki Fall.
The name Kiyomizu means pure water, and it derived from this sacred fountain that plashes and dimples.
It is believed that if you ladle the water with a dipper and drink it, you will live long and your wishes will come true. (Try it on the second trip, I hope... )

People around:

Stay Tune for other amazing Kyoto experience next weekend...

Beautiful Kyoto night scene from hilltop, and later Minami-san and I had a delicious Sushi dinner together... too bad he was driving, dont have the chance to drink with him... maybe some other time...

One Year Anniversary Coming Back from Japan

30 Nov. Sunny. Kuala Lumpur

It has been nearly one year since I came back from Kyoto, Japan. For the whole 2008, I wanted to post processed those photos I shot during my stay in Japan.
But in vain, it took me months just to do the editing and post them on the web.

At last, I have completed just a min percentages of my Japan trip collection.
And I would like to take this opportunity to thanks to all Panasonic staffs in Uji and Yamaguchi for your kind warm hospitality and supporting me throughout my training in Japan.

Lastly, hope I could visit to Japan in near future again. :)

Sunday, 8 July 2007

Golden Week Part 2 - Nagasaki

Golden week holiday Part 2: Nagasaki (Cloudy, Windy day)

It took me time to restart this blog due to the amount of work recently. Quite a big distintion between the photo contrast for this blog, i.e. JPEG file directly from my Nikon D70 and after post processing NEF JPEG file. Still I am quite satified with the outcome.

According to history, Nagasaki port was Japan's only gateway to the outside world. And so Nagasaki has been heavily influednced by Christian culture. Quite a change of scene from Hakata. Nevertheless, it was a wonderful experience.

Nagasaki is served by streetcars known as "chin chin densha" because of the sound their bell make and there are convenient for sightseeing. I bought the one-day travel ticket from the JR station and boarded this streetcar to Heiwa Koen Peace Park. According to my travel guide, this place is close to the blast center of the atom bomb dropped in 1945!!! The location is near to the prison at that time.

This park was constructed for the rememberance for peace. Inside the park is a peace memorial with airms raised high in the air, as well as a fountain containing monuments send from different countries. This parl is still visited by lots of people, and is a place where you can feel the importance of peace. I think this World War 2 (WWII) really brought nothing but sufferring to human kind. "Make Love, Not War" is the message I wish to spread...
For my next stop, I wanted to visit the Urakami Tenshudo Catholic Church. This church was destroyed by the atomic bomb blast, and the current structure was built in 1959. However, I didn't manage to drag myself up to the hills. So I changed course to Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum nearby the Peace park. This place exhibits scenes of peaceful Nagasaki before and after the devastating explosion. I was amazed by the awesome and destructive power of the atomic bomb. Inside this museum, photo taking was not allowed, too bad I could not show those stuffs they preserved to show its power. The money was well spend, as I refreshed my history lesson...

After checked in hotel, I went to China town in Nagasaki, not much interesting stuffs. I had my simple lunch break in China town. Although this place is China town, I doubt those people in China town are chinese. Anyhow, glad to see some chinese restaurant once in a while. But the price is nearly triple the price in Malaysia !!! Wow....

Raining. Next stop Oura catholic church and Glover garden. Didn't have the chance to enter, as I have passed the vistor time (5pm). And so I wander around the port, had my dinner at the seaside. Walking around the shopping mall and headed back before the rains start to pour.
This traveller's hotel was very comfortable. Download all the photos from my camera onto my laptop. Watch NBA games before bed....ZZZZZzzzzz

Next stop: Kumamoto city

Nagasaki station