April 25 - 29 / Pai-chan is Absent
Mount Fuji ( Fuji-san ) 3776m from Oshino Village… Read more
Apr 21 / Nitchitsu Mine Ruins and Abandoned Houses
Why do we travel? Abandoned buildings are teeming with the answers to this question. Jordy Meow is on a mission to explore and record parts of Japan that not many others see. His love of abandoned places and buildings in Japan is well documented in his blog, and he uses his camera to capture their strange and lonely beauty. Since he first came to Japan from southern France 12 years ago, the freelance software developer has discovered new loves. Jordy continues "That’s another way of saying, why do we t… Read more
April 18 / Senso-ji and Kaminarimon of Asakusa
Early in the morning on March 18, 628, when the capital of Japan was in Asuka, now a part of Nara Prefecture, two men were fishing in the Sumida River. Bringing in their net, they were surprised to see that it held one statue. When the statue was brought to the village headman he realized it was a statue of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva (Sho Kanzeon Bosatsu), Kannon. Later he devoted himself to Buddhism and remade his house into a temple and devoted the rest of his life for worshipping and holding memorial services for this Kannon. https://blog-imgs-101.fc2.com/s/k/b/skbjkjsk/history_img01… Read more
April 16 / Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route Opened
The Snow-Wall of Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route was now open to public yesterday. Pedestrians' walk is canceled this year. https://blog-imgs-101.fc2.com/s/k/b/sk… Read more
April 14 / Bamboo and Japanese
A typical bamboo grove can release up to 35% more oxygen into the atmosphere compared to similar-sized regular trees. A bamboo plant can mature and can be replanted in just seven years as opposed to about 30 years to 50 years for regular trees. It is fast-growing, yielding up to 20 times more timber compared to trees in the same area. In Japan it is often said that it's safe to escape into a bamboo forest when a big earthquake occurs. Bamboo roots are strongly nested together underground, so they protect yourself from earth… Read more
