Memories and hints of a travelling IT professional.
The Shinkansen is the Japanese super-train non-comparable to anything in Europe. I took it for a very short trip from Kyōto to Ōsaka, Japan. It is fast, it is clean, it is always on schedule, stops at the correct marks at the railway station and always arrives with the correct order of waggons. Precision seems to be a real goal of Japanese railways. Continue reading “Shinkansen”
Visiting the city of Nara from Kyōto, Japan is an easy short trip by regional train – and it is really worth it. There are lots of important temples (including the largest Buddha statue) and a situation I’ve never seen before: deer living within the city center. Continue reading “Deer at the city”
The Kasuga-Taisha is a Shintō shrine in Nara, Japan and is a UNESCO world heritage site. It is located close to the two holy mountains Kasugayama and Mikasayama. The shrine is said to be built in 768. Continue reading “Kasuga-Taisha”
Japanese children learn to not talk to any stranger. This seems to be deeply engraved into Japanese culture and gives you the feeling of not being a foreigner, as nobody ever takes notice of you – even if you’re the only gaijin on the whole subway train. But it also doesn’t help you feel at home if nobody communicates with you. Continue reading “I’m from Jamaica”
An important Buddhist temple in Nara, Japan is Nigatsu-dō; the hall of the second month. It is located at the foot of the Wakakusa mountain in the east of the hall of the great Buddha. It was founded in the year 752 by a monk. Continue reading “Nigatsu-dō”
The Heian-jingū is a Shintō shrine in Kyōto, Japan. It was opened in 1895 to commemorate the foundation of the city 1100 years ago. In 1940 the remains of the last Tennō who reigned in the city was brought into the shrine. The torii at the entrance is the second largest in Japan, following the Yasukuni-jinja in Tōkyō. Continue reading “Heian-jingū”
The Tōdai-ji is an important Buddhist temple in Nara, Japan. It houses the biggest Buddha statue (daibutsu) with a height of 15 meters and a weight of 452 tons. The temple dates back to the year 745 and was last rebuilt in 1708. Continue reading “Tōdai-ji”
Another Buddhist temple in Nara, Japan: the Kōfuku-ji is located next to the Kasuga-Taisha. You can easily find the pagoda Gojūnotō next to it. It was founded in 669 in Kyōto and then shifted to Nara in 710. Within the Gempei war in 1108 it was destroyed. Continue reading “Kōfuku-ji”
The Tō-ji (eastern temple) or Kyō-ō Gokoku-ji (protecting temple of the kings of the scripture) is a Buddhist temple in Kyōto, Japan. It is easily findable because of its 57 meters high pagoda which is the highest in Japan. Continue reading “Tō-ji”
It is a great pleasure the bamboo wood of Arashiyama in Kyōto, Japan. It feels pretty unreal to walk through this vast wood with its special atmosphere; it reaches from Tenryū-ji to just below the Ōkōchi Sansō villa. Continue reading “Bamboo woods”