Taiji, Wakayama

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Taiji (太地町, Taiji-chō?) is a town located in Higashimuro District, Wakayama, Japan.

As of 2007, the town has an estimated population of 3,444 and a density of 577.85 persons per km². The total area is 5.96 km². Taiji is the smallest local government by area in Wakayama Prefecture because, unlike others, it has not experienced a merger since 1889 when the village of Moriura merged into Taiji. Taiji shares its entire overland border with the town of Nachikatsuura and faces the Pacific Ocean. Taiji has been well-known as a whaling town and is considered as the birth place of Japan's traditional whaling method. Taiji's annual dolphin hunting attracts international criticism from many sectors.

Annual dolphin hunt
Main article: Taiji dolphin drive hunt

An annual dolphin hunt takes place off the coast of Taiji. This gained worldwide attention and criticism in 2009 following the release of the documentary film The Cove, which focused on the cruelty of the hunt as well as the high mercury levels present in dolphin meat. The dolphin hunt provides income for local residents and whale and dolphin meat are part of the diet for many local residents.[8] According to the Japanese Fisheries Research Agency, 1,623 dolphins and small whales were caught in Wakayama Prefecture in 2007 for human consumption or resale to dolphinariums, and most of these were caught at Taiji.

In 2010, hair samples from 1,137 Taiji residents was tested for mercury by the National Institute for Minimata Disease. The average amount of methyl mercury found in the hair samples was 11.0 parts per million for men and 6.63 ppm for women, compared with an average of 2.47 ppm for men and 1.64 ppm for women in tests conducted in 14 other locations in Japan. One hundred eighty-two Taiji residents showing extremely high mercury levels underwent further medical testing to check for symptoms of mercury poisoning. None of the Taiji residents, however, displayed any of the traditional symptoms of mercury poisoning, according to the Institute. Japan's National Institute of Population and Social Security Research, however, reports that the mortality rate for Taiji and nearby Koazagawa, where dolphin meat is also consumed, is over 50% higher than the rate for similarly-sized villages throughout Japan.

Source: Taiji, Wakayama - Wikipedia

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Winner of the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, The Cove follows a high-tech dive team on a mission to discover the truth about the international dolphin capture trade as practiced in Taiji, Japan. Utilizing state-of-the-art techniques, including hidden microphones and cameras in fake rocks, the team uncovers how this small seaside village serves as a horrifying microcosm of massive ecological crimes happening worldwide.


The Cove exposes not only the tragedy of dolphin slaughtering in Japan, but also the dangerously high levels of mercury in dolphin meat and seafood, the cruelty in capturing dolphins for entertainment, and the depletion of our oceans fisheries by worldwide seafood consumption. We also see how the mandate of the International Whaling Commission has been manipulated by the Japanese Fisheries Agency for its benefit and its subsequent effect on the rest of the world.

SHIBUYA 109 (渋谷 109)

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109 (Ichi-maru-kyū?) is a department store in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan The store is operated by the Tokyu Malls Development (TMD), a company under the Tokyu Group.

Source: 109 (department store) - Wikipedia

Karuizawa, Nagano

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Karuizawa (軽井沢町, Karuizawa-machi?) is a town located in Kitasaku District, Nagano, Japan.

As of January 1, 2008, the town has an estimated population of 17,833 and has a total area of 156.05 square kilometres (60.25 sq mi).

Karuizawa is known throughout Japan as a popular tourist spot. People from Tokyo will travel to Karuizawa to get away from the city especially in summer. There is a Shinkansen station as well as a large outlet store shopping mall. It is also known for its historic shopping street known as "Ginza dōri" or "Kyū-dō" (Ginza Street, or the Old Road).

Karuizawa hosted equestrian events in the 1964 Summer Olympics. The town also hosted curling in the 1998 Winter Olympics. To date, it is the only city in the world having hosted both Summer and Winter Olympic events.

Source: Karuizawa, Nagano - Wikipedia

軽井沢周辺の滝/Waterfalls near Karuizawa(Shot on RED ONE)

Kiyomizu-dera (清水寺)

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Kiyomizu-dera (清水寺?), full name Otowa-san Kiyomizu-dera (音羽山清水寺?) is an independent Buddhist temple in eastern Kyoto. The temple is part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) UNESCO World Heritage site.[1] Not one nail is used in the whole temple. The temple should not be confused with Kiyomizu-dera in Yasugi, Shimane, which is part of the 33-temple route of the Chūgoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage through western Japan.[2]

Kiyomizu-dera - Wikipedia

Hirosaki Castle (弘前城, Hirosaki-jō)

Hirosaki Castle (弘前城, Hirosaki-jō) is a 17th century Japanese castle located in Hirosaki city, Aomori prefecture, Japan. It was constructed in 1611 by the local Tsugaru clan. A three-storied castle tower, fortified moats, castle gates and some corner turrets (yagura) survive or have been reconstructed.

The surrounding Hirosaki Park is one of Japan's most famous cherry blossom spots. Over a million people enjoy the park's 2600 trees during the sakura matsuri (cherry blossom festival) when the cherry blossoms are in bloom, usually during the Japanese Golden Week holidays in the end of April and beginning of May.

Hirosaki Castle - Wikipedia


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Okinawa Prefecture (沖縄県)

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Okinawa Prefecture (沖縄県 ,Okinawa-ken?, Okinawan: Uchinā) is one of Japan's southern prefectures, and consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over 1,000 km long, which extends southwest from Kyūshū (the southwesternmost of Japan's main four islands) to Taiwan. Okinawa's capital, Naha, is located in the southern part of the largest and most populous island, Okinawa Island, which is approximately half-way between Kyūshū and Taiwan. The disputed Senkaku Islands (Mandarin: Diaoyu Islands) are also administered as part of Okinawa Prefecture at present.

- Okinawa Prefecture - Wikipedia -

Itsukushima Shrine (厳島神社), Hiroshima, Japan

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Itsukushima Shrine (Japanese: 厳島神社, Itsukushima Jinja) is a Shinto shrine on the island of Itsukushima (popularly known as Miyajima) in the city of Hatsukaichi in Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Japanese government has designated several buildings and possessions as national treasures.

The first shrine buildings were probably erected in the 6th century, but the present shrine dates from the 12th century[1]

The current shrine has been in its present state since 1168 when funds were provided by the warlord Taira no Kiyomori. The shrine's construction, consisting of pier-like structures built over the bay, is due to the holy status that the island once commanded. Commoners were historically not allowed to set foot on the island, and had to approach by boat, entering through the gate that appears to float. Beside the shrine is a noh stage.

The dramatic gate (torii) of Itsukushima Shrine is one of Japan's most popular tourist attractions[citation needed], and the view of the gate in front of the island's Mount Misen is classified as one of the Three Views of Japan (along with the sand bar Amanohashidate, and Matsushima Bay). The gate has existed since 1168, though the current gate dates back to 1875. The gate, built of camphor wood, is about 16 metres high and was built in a four-legged style to provide additional stability.

The gate only appears to be floating at high tide; when the tide is low, the gate is surrounded by mud and can be accessed by foot from the island. It is common practice for visitors to place coins in the cracks of the legs of the gate and make a wish. Gathering shellfish near the gate is also popular at low tide. At night, powerful lights on the shore illuminate the gate.

Retaining the purity of the shrine is so important that since 1878, no deaths or births were permitted at the shrine. To this day, burials on the island are still forbidden.

Itsukushima Shrine@Wikipedia

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The famous "floating" torii at Itsukushima Shrine, a Ryoubu-style torii.
A torii (鳥居, torii?) is a traditional Japanese gate commonly found at the entry to a Shinto shrine, although it can be found at Buddhist temples as well.

The basic structure of a torii is two columns called that are topped with a horizontal rail called the kasagi[1]. Slightly below the top rail is a second horizontal rail called the nuki. Torii are traditionally made from wood and are frequently painted vermilion. When unbarked logs are used for the torii it is called a kuroki, or "black wood" torii[1]. Since the Kamakura period of early Japan, torii have been erected from stone[1]. In recent times, makers have started to use both steel and stainless steel[citation needed]. However, the material a torii is made of is not restricted in any way, so metal, concrete, and even plastics are acceptable torii materials[2].

One type of torii gate is the Shimmei-style. In a Shimmei-style torii the kasagi bar is a round log that juts out over the edges of the two supporting columns while the nuki bar simply connects the them[1]. One example of a Shimmei-style torii is the torii that is located outside of Emperor Shōwa's gravesite. Another type of torii is the Ise-style, where the nuki is the same as the the Shimmei but the kasagi is not round, but pentagonal-shaped[1]. The most popular, and modern, style of torii is the Myojin-style. Myojin-style torii are built with curved kasagi rails that sit on top of a secondary upper bar called the shimaki[1]. There is also a vertical beam called the gakuzuka which connects the shimaki to the nuki. The gakazuka is often the location where a shrine will hang a tablet with its name. The forth type of torii is the Ryoubu-style, which is also known as yotsuashi, or the "four-legged style"[1]. This type of torii is similar to the Myojin-style except it has four supporting posts that surround the two columns. The "floating torii" at the Itsukushima Shrine is a good example of a Ryoubu-style torii.

Torii mark the transition from the sacred (the shrine) to the profane (the normal world) (see Sacred-profane dichotomy). Inari shrines typically have many torii. A person who has been successful in business often donates a torii in gratitude. The Fushimi Inari shrine in Kyoto has thousands of such torii.

Torii@Wikipedia

Mount Aso (阿蘇山)

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Mount Aso (阿蘇山, Aso-san?) is the largest active volcano in Japan, and is among the largest in the world. It stands in Kumamoto Prefecture, on the island of Kyūshū. Its peak is 1592 m above sea level. Its caldera is 25 km across north to south and 18 km across east to west. The caldera has a circumference of around 120 km (75 miles), although sources vary on the exact distance.

Wikipedia

Osaka Castle (大坂城)

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Osaka Castle (大坂城・大阪城, Ōsaka-jō?) is a Japanese castle in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan.

Originally called Ozakajō, it is one of Japan's most famous castles, and played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century of the Azuchi-Momoyama period. Osaka Castle is situated on a plot of land roughly one kilometer square (1100 yards square). It is built on two raised platforms of landfill supported by sheer walls of cut rock, using a technique called Burdock piling, each overlooking a moat. The central castle building is five stories on the outside and eight stories on the inside, and built atop a tall stone foundation to protect its occupants from sword-bearing attackers.

source: Wikipedia

Rainbow Bridge in Odaiba (御台場 彩虹大橋/レインボーブリッジ)

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The Great Buddha of Kamakura (鎌倉大仏‎)

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The Great Buddha of Kamakura is a monumental outdoor bronze statue of Amitābha Buddha in the Kōtoku-in Temple in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.

It is believed that the statue was originally cast in 1252, following an idea by the priest Joko, who also collected donations to build it. The sculptors were One-Goroemon and Tanji-Hisatomo.

The statue is approximately 13.35m tall and weighs approximately 93 tons. The statue is hollow, and visitors can view the interior for 20 Yen a person.

source: Wikipedia





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Tokyo Tower (東京タワー)

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東京タワー　*　TOKYO TOWER