Sensō-ji is an ancient Buddhist temple located in Asakusa. It is Tokyo’s oldest temple, and one of its most significant. Formerly associated with the Tendai sect, it became independent after World War II.

The temple is dedicated to the bodhisattva Kannon, also known as Guan Yin or the Goddess of Mercy. According to legend, a statue of the Kannon was found in the Sumida River in 628 by two fishermen, the brothers Hinokuma Hamanari and Hinokuma Takenari. The chief of their village, Hajino Nakamoto, recognized the sanctity of the statue and enshrined it by remodeling his own house into a small temple in Asakusa, so that the villagers could worship the Kannon.

The first temple was built on the site in 645, which makes it the oldest temple in Tokyo. In the early years of the Tokugawa shogunate, Tokugawa Ieyasu designated Sensō-ji as tutelary temple of the Tokugawa clan.

During World War II, the temple was bombed and for the most part destroyed. It was rebuilt later and is a symbol of rebirth and peace to the Japanese people. In the courtyard there is a tree that was hit by a bomb in the air raids, it had regrown in the husk of the old tree and is a similar symbol to the temple itself.

The Tokyo Sky Tree, formerly known as New Tokyo Tower, is a broadcasting, restaurant and observation tower under construction in Sumida, Tokyo, Japan. It has been the tallest artificial structure in Japan since 2010. The tower reached its full height of 634.0 metres (2,080 ft) in March 2011 but will not be finished until at least February 2012.

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The Golden poo is on the Asahi beer hall.
The Asahi Beer Hall (a.k.a. Super Dry Hall, or Flamme d’Or) is one of the buildings of the Asahi Breweries headquarters located on the east bank of the Sumida River in Sumida, Tokyo, Japan. It was designed by French designer Philippe Starck and was completed in 1989. It is considered one of Tokyo’s most recognizable modern structures.

It is noted for the Asahi Flame, an enormous golden structure at the top, said to represent both the ‘burning heart of Asahi beer’ and a frothy head.[2] The 360-tonne golden flame was made by shipbuilders using submarine-construction techniques. It is completely empty.

The Asahi Flame is often colloquially referred to as “the golden turd” (kin no unko, 金のうんこ) and the Asahi Beer Hall itself as “poo building” (unko-biru, うんこビル) by many Tokyo residents.

I think they don’t want any pigeon on that! They can’t put more spike than what they did! ^_^

Itsukushima (厳島) is an island in the western part of the Inland Sea of Japan, located in the northwest of Hiroshima Bay. It is popularly known as Miyajima (宮島), the Shrine Island. The island is one of Hayashi Razan’s (林羅山) Three Views of Japan (日本三景 Nihon Sankei). Itsukushima is part of the city of Hatsukaichi in Hiroshima Prefecture. The island was the town of Miyajima prior to the 2005 merger with Hatsukaichi.

Itsukushima is famous for the Itsukushima Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. According to records, the shrine was established in the time of Empress Suiko. The warrior-courtier Taira no Kiyomori gave the shrine its present form. In 1555, Mōri Motonari defeated Sue Harukata at the Battle of Miyajima. Toyotomi Hideyoshi built a large building, the Senjō-kaku, on a hill above the shrine.

The island of Itsukushima, including the waters around it (part of Seto Inland Sea), and are within Setonaikai National Park. This sea is affected by strong tides. At low tide, the bottom of the sea is exposed past the island’s Torii. At high tide, the sea covers all the previously-exposed mud and fills areas underneath the Shrine.

Itsukushima is mountainous and sparsely settled. It does have an elementary school and a middle school. There are no traffic signals.

Frequent ferry services, operated by JR West (JR Miyajima ferry) and by Miyajima Matsudai Tourist Ship, carry traffic between the island and the mainland. The trip takes about ten minutes. There is an hourly express passenger ferry to Hiroshima harbour.

Miyajima’s maple trees are renowned throughout Japan, and blanket the island in crimson in the autumn. Momiji manju, pastries filled with azuki jam or custard, are popular souvenirs, and carry maple-leaf emblems. Many other varieties such as chocolate and cheese are also available. Because the island is seen as sacred, trees may not be cut for lumber. Deer and monkeys roam freely. Deer are thought of as sacred in the native Shinto religion because they are considered messengers of the gods.

A style of wooden spoon used to serve cooked rice, without impairing the taste, is said to have been invented by a monk who lived on the island. This style of spoon is a popular souvenir and there are some outsized examples around the shopping district.

The peak of Mount Misen, at 535 m, is the highest point on the island. Miyajima Ropeway carries visitors to within a 30-minute hike to the top. There are several sites related to the historical Buddhist priest and founder of Shingon Buddhism, Kōbō Daishi (弘法大師^?) (774–835), near the top. The island also contains the Miyajima Natural Botanical Garden (宮島自然植物実験所 Miyajima Shizen Shokubutsu Jikkensho^?) on its north coast.

There are many shrines and temples on the island. It is rural and mountainous, only 12 sq. miles, and has a population of about 2000. There are no cities, only small towns with simple houses and privately-owned shops. The islanders work hard to preserve the forests and respect nature. People often take the ten-minute ferry ride from mainland Japan to pray at Miyajima’s shrines and to marvel at the beauty of its forests.

text source: wikipedia

This video entered the Show me Japan weekly event on Budgettrouble.com! check out the other entries here

J∙Festa is a blogging festival showcasing the best of Japan. Here you will find a regular round-up of inspiring articles, thought-provoking stories and arousing images prompted by the announcement of a Japan-related theme. Best of all, everyone is invited to participate!

Participating in a blog carnival is a good way to get your blog noticed by others. Submitting articles also helps to improve your link popularity by building backlinks as well as sending direct traffic to your site.

This is my entry for the July 2011 Blog Carnival!

Hiroshima (広島市 Hiroshima-shi) is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M. on August 6, 1945, near the end of World War II.

Destruction of the old Baseball stadium.. the new zoom zoom mazda stadium is brand new.. Video and photo to come soon

Hiroshima Peace Memorial, commonly called the Atomic Bomb Dome or A-Bomb Dome (原爆ドーム Genbaku Dōmu), in Hiroshima, Japan, is part of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. The building serves as a memorial to the people who were killed in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. Over 70,000 people were killed instantly, and another 70,000 suffered fatal injuries from the radiation.

More on wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroshima_Peace_Memorial

Hiroshima Castle (広島城 Hiroshima-jō), sometimes called Carp Castle (鯉城 Rijō) is a castle in Hiroshima, Japan which was the home of the daimyō of the Hiroshima han . Originally constructed in the 1590s, the castle was destroyed in the atomic bombing in 1945. It was rebuilt in 1958, a replica of the original which now serves as a museum of Hiroshima’s history prior to World War II.

More about Hiroshima castle on wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroshima_Castle

This is my entry for the Show Me Japan Vol 1 Issue 28! don’t hesitate to check the other entry too!

Shōkoku-ji (相国寺), formally identified as Mannen-zan Shōkoku Shōten Zenji (萬年相国承天禅寺), is a Buddhist temple in northern Kyoto, founded in 1382 by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu.

Shōkoku-ji was founded in the middle Heian period. Initial construction of the central temple structures was begun in 1383, and the entire temple complex was initially dedicated in 1392. In the eighth month of the third year of Meitoku, Yoshimitsu organized a great banquet attended by all the great officers of the Imperial court and the military leaders of that time. The pomp and ceremony of the affair was said to have equaled an Imperial event.

The entire temple complex was destroyed by fire in 1394; but reconstruction financed by Yoshimitsu followed soon after. This process of damage and rebuilding has been repeated many times over the centuries, notably during the Onin War.

After the Muromachi period, Shōkoku-ji was supported by several national leaders such as Toyotomi Hideyoshi, his son Toyotomi Hideyori, and Tokugawa Ieyasu, all of whom helped finance the temple’s various reconstruction projects.

• Hideyori financed the 1605 reconstruction of the Hatto (Dharma Hall); and this structure, designated as an Important Cultural Property, is presently the oldest building of its type in Japan.
• Ieyasu donated the Sanmon (Mountain Gate) in 1609.
• Emperor Go-Mizunoo donated an imperial palace building to serve as the Kaisando (Founder’s Hall).

Other buildings were reconstructed during this period, but, with the notable exception of the 17th century hatto, the temple complex was largely devastated during the conflagration of 1788

Kiyomizu-dera (清水寺), officially 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. (It 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.)

More on wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiyomizu-dera

Kinkaku-ji (金閣寺 Temple of the Golden Pavilion), also known as Rokuon-ji (鹿苑寺 Deer Garden Temple), is a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan. The garden complex is an excellent example of Muromachi period garden design. It is designated as a National Special Historic Site and a National Special Landscape, and it is one of 17 World Cultural Heritage sites in Kyoto. It is also one of the most popular buildings in Japan, attracting a large number of visitors annually.

more about the kinkaku-ji on wikipedia

How to go there?

Afficher yokohama china town sur une carte plus grande

Which train?

* Minatomirai Line, Motomachi-Chūkagai Station (35 min from Shibuya Station in Tokyo)
* Negishi Line, Ishikawachō Station (50 min from Shinagawa Station in Tokyo)
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Street and temple in Chinatown.. So much people who came to watch the chinese new year parade!

Show me Japan Vol 1 issue 13:

Already Friday! that means issue 13 of  “Show Me Japan”form budgettrouble.com where peo­ple from all over Japan sub­mit pics and vids show­ing off what­ever cor­ner of the coun­try they are in. This post  is my entry for this week (fev 11-13  2011) — go check out some of the other ones.