Scenes from Japan

One of our members, Aaron Heiner has traveled in Japan and is a professional photographer and owner of Shashinka Ichiban. Aaron has provided us with a beautiful photo essay on traveling in Japan. All photos copyright Aaron J. Heiner, all rights reserved.

Sika deer have free reign of the city of Nara as were thought to be sacred were given sovereignty of the land by the four G-ds of the area. However as tame the deer are of humans, they have learned to co-exist with not just man, but their technology as well. Nara deer have a keen sense of using the sounded cross walk signals to cross the street.

   
Rokuon-ji, or Deer Garden Temple is better known as The Golden Pavilion, one of Kyoto’s most popular and most photographed tourist attractions for both foreigners and Japanese. The most prominent striking feature of the temple which was rebuilt after being burned down in AD1950 by a suicidal monk is the pure gold leaf roof which today is one-of-a-kind.
   
Osaka is home too much of Japanese arts and entertainment establishment. Slapstick comedy still reigns supreme. The final act of a skit comedy was three men chasing each other around the stage with a giant syringe while portraying a scene from a doctor’s office in a Three-Stooges parody. After the performance the three Osakan comedians stand by to talk with patrons of a local comedy club.
   
Unbeknownst to most visitors, Japan’s dining exceeds sushi and ramen. Miyazaki Chicken, an area specialty is seen here as a rare treat to foreign visitors who have yet to experience true Japanese cuisine. With a mixture of vegetables, rice, mayonnaise and chicken, Miyazaki Chicken is a hard delicacy to be passed.
   
Kiyomizu-dera, was the most popular attraction in al of Japan prior to the opening of the Disney Resort. The stage is thirteen meters from the ground and was built in the mid seventeenth century and has been recorded that those who survive the junk will be granted great wishes. The practice has since been banned despite the eight-five percent survival rate. Even today people still make the leap.
   
Looking ahead the path splits in two. Which way to the top of the mountain? A common question asked by one who transverses the paths of Fushimi Inari Taisha. The vermilion torii tunnel of this shrine has inspired many others, but the original still remains in Kyoto. The shrine was also featured in the movie, Memoirs Of A Geisha.
   
Business men frequent many of Tokyo’s local area ramen shops after a long day in the office. Dining options in the Ueno ward are numerous such as this. As with many Japanese restaurants foreigners will have little trouble deciding what to eat as many such establishments place either models or pictures of their menu options.
   
During a random mid-Friday afternoon in March, the Yodo River is under a light drizzle on a cold day as the river is calm minus the hundreds of thousands of droplets of precipitation that land on the water every second. The regular bustles of shoppers and merchants alike have forgone the canal walk marketplace in preference to a warm drier place.
   
Small local shops line many of the side streets and scooters used by many to carry out their daily shopping is a common scene through out Japan as seen on a dreary spring day in Miyazaki, Kyushu. Scooter provide an easy solution to moving through out Japan’s metropolitan areas for short trips where the use of a car, train or bus is impractical.
   
The southwest tower of Nijo Castle was built in AD-1625. It is located on the back side of the mote. Despite heavy fortification, the castle was mostly for show and was never attacked. Today, the castle is one of Kyoto’s most visited attractions with an entry fee of ¥1500, the castle is located just northwest of the main train station.
   
A Toyota “Quick Delivery” QD200 class truck belonging to Yamato Transport sits parked outside of a building in Kyoto. The company symbol on the truck is that of the Kuroneko Coneko, a black cat who carries cat. The company logo portrays a mother cat transporting a kitten representing the level of care that is taken with ones packages.
   
A typically busy morning at the local Laox, one of the many Gundam shops in the Akihabara ward of Tokyo where many area locals go purchase models of their favorite Japanese “Giant Robots” Gundam has become a staple in the Japanese anime sub-genre. Stores such as this are immensely hectic in Japan as there is no shortage of patrons.
   
All photos copyright Arron J. Heiner, all rights reserved.

 
 
 
 
 
 

   
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