| Japan |
| Japan is an island nation about the size of California, and is one of the most populated countries in the world. I've gone to Japan more times than any other country, right now I'm at 6. Several things make this country famous, first off Japan is the most high tech country in the world, many cars, computers, video games, and other top of the line electronics are designed and built in Japan. Also famous are the cartoons and animation, commonly referred to as Japanimation that are watched all over the world. Aside from the high tech side of Japan, there are many natural and historic places throughout the country that attract travelers as well. |
| Japan is a very mountainous country, and these two pictures were taken in the Yamanashi prefecture. You can see a natural bridge going over a road to the left, and to the right you can see the sheer cliffs that still have trees on them. |
| Last are three pictures from Japan's Shosenkyo Gorge. It is said to be Japans most scenic gorge, and it is very popular to visit in the fall time when the leaves are changing color. Shosenkyo Gorge is located near the city of Kofu which is about a 2 hour ride from Tokyo's downtown area. |
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| Japan's original capital was Kyoto, but it was moved to Tokyo in the 19th century by the emperor. Today Tokyo has grown to one of the largest cities in the world, and currently holds the record for the largest metropolitan area. With tens of millions of peoples in a relative small area, space can be hard to find, and a hotel room or apartment can be extremely expensive. There are even some hotels called capsule hotels that have $35 rooms a night. These tiny 'rooms' are nothing more than bunks stacked up on top of each other with just a single bed and small TV. |
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| The city of Hiroshima became famous after the United States dropped the atomic bomb here during world war 2. On the upper left is one of two buildings to survive the atomic bomb. The eternal flame on the right is located in Peace Park, and is going to be extinguished when all nuclear weapons in the world are destroyed. |
| The above picture is Hiroshima castle which had been destroyed during war but is now rebuilt to its original design. The bridge you see is called Kintai Bridge and is built without nails. Hundreds of years ago, only samurai were allowed to cross this bridge so it is also known as Samurai Bridge. Below is a picture of Miyajima which is a unique island in Japan that is visited by many Japanese tourists. The right picture shows some more of the unique architecture of Japan. This building is also on the island of Miyajima. |
| For years Hiroshima had radioactive problems as a result of the atomic bomb. You might expect Hiroshima to be deserted due to long term radiation, but today it is a thriving city that has fully recovered from the attack. Above are two pictures of Hiroshima, one in a crowded shopping mall and the other of the city's downtown area. |
| Japan's southwestern part is made of up the large island of Kyushu. The very southern part of the island has the city Kagoshima, which is home to one of the most active volcanoes in the world. The volcano Sakurajima is constantly smoking and has erupted within the past few years. Some still think it's a good idea to build a house on the volcano, as there are many shops and homes here. |
| On the island of Kyushu is Mt. Takasaki, a place where monkeys are free to live. On the left you can see them taking over a temple, and on the right is a monkey holding its baby. |
| These are some photos of Takachiho Gorge found in eastern Kyushu. You can rent a small canoe and go through the gorge like the Japanese man on the right. The water is a very nice color, and the waterfalls around you make the trip very worthwhile. |
| Like Central Park in New York City, Tokyo has a few acres of forest right in the middle of the city. This place is known as the Meiji Jingu Palace which was dedicated to the emperor Meiji and his wife Shoken in 1920. The area is about 175 acres with around 365 species of trees that were donated from people around all parts of Japan. Looking at the forest it almost looks like you are far from civilization, but sky scrapers and crowds of people are only a few blocks away. Above is also a photo of a wedding taking place at Meiji Jingu Palace.. |
| Beer and seafood is plenty in Japan. On the left a friend of mine drinks from a huge mug of Japanese Kirin beer. On the right is maguro, which is the Japanese word for tuna. The tuna here is raw, which we tried along with raw horse meat later on in the night. Our traditional style dinner also included, fish, pork, beef, and the Japanese liquor Sake |
| I've spent a lot of time in the small city of Kofu which is a few hours west of Tokyo. From Kofu you can see Mt. Fuji on a clear day, but in the summer months those are hard to find. On the left is Kofu city taken from a higher elevation. On the right is a garden that belongs to Kofu castle. |
| On the left is a praying mantis that was found on the side of a building. Even though most of Japan has been heavily developed many animals have learned to adapt to their new enviornment. On the right is a very big spider that was found up in the mountainous. The scientific name is nephila clavata, known as Joro Gumo in Japan. |
| Many Japanese and tourists also visit Mt. Fuji just to go hiking and to enjoy the scenic views around the mountain. As you can see when I actually visited Mt. Fuji it was very cloudy so I couldn't get any photos of the peak. Above you can see Mt. Fuji's slopes during the fall time, notice the slope of the left has no trees. |
| At 3776 meters or 12,388 feet, Mt Fuji is Japan's highest mountain and its most famous. For hundreds of years Mt. Fuji has been depicted in Japanese art and stories; a tradition that is carried on today through paintings and photographs. Climbing Mt. Fuji is relatively easy and can be done in a single day during the summer. On the left is Mt. Fuji, you can see the snow covered summit easier than the base. On the right is a flower at the bottom of Fuji. |
| When I was in elementary and middle school my life revolved around video games. The past times I visited Tokyo it never occurred to me to try to visit one of the company headquarters. I tried to visit Square Enix who is responsible for many popular games such as the Final Fantasy series. Unfortunately they do not offer any kind of tours, but I did get to briefly meet one of the game designers. Sony does offer tours and has a museum in their headquarters in Tokyo. |
| As most electronics and video games are designed in Japan, of course Tokyo offers some great deals and all the latest gadgets and toys. On the left is an electronics store in Tokyo selling cameras, laptops, TVs etc. On the right is a video game store, displaying Nintendo's Wii and their new Mario Brothers. |
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