JapanLog

April112013

Kouri-jima, Okinawa. January 2013.

Okinawa Japan Japanese beach ocean sea bridge scenery nature

March312013

Hamamatsu Castle, October 2008.

This concludes Castle Week on JapanLog — IF you count Sunday as the end of the week instead of the beginning. Back to regularly random postings in the coming weeks.

Japan Hamamatsu Hamamatsu Castle Castles Japanese

March302013

Hirosaki Castle

This castle (which I visited in August 2012 while I was in Hirosaki, Aomori) is even tinier than Hikone. But it, too, is surrounded by a huge and lovely garden. I kind of wish we’d shown up earlier in the day and had had more time to take it in. It was closing time and we were in a hurry to get to a festival that evening.

Japan Hirosaki Hirosaki Castle Aomori Castles Japanese Architecture traditional

March292013

Inuyama Castle, October 2009.

Sometime right before or after I took this, some military aircraft flew by, fairly close overhead. I was a little too slow on the draw or I might have gotten some really interesting and unique shots. Lesson learned: always be on standby because you never know when a good photo op is going to happen.

Japan Inuyama Castle Castles Inuyama Architecture traditional

March282013

3 Views at Hikone Castle

Castle Week continues!

I visited Hikone Castle in May 2008. The castle itself is pretty small. But what really stood out to me was the beautiful garden. As you can see, I wasn’t the only photo bug there.

Japan Hikone Hikone Castle Castles Japanese Japanese Castles photography photos Black and White garden

March272013

Gifu Castle: 4 Views

Apologies. I declared this “Castle Week” and then neglected actually posting any photos at all, let alone Japanese castles.

Anyway, here are four views of Gifu Castle, unique for its placement on top of a mountain surrounded by Gifu City. Great view. I love how the smaller hills throughout the city are like islands in a sea of buildings.

These photos were taken in January 2009 in Gifu, Japan.

Japan Gifu CASTLES Gifu Castle winter snow Japanese city mountains

March172013

Big Red Tori, Revisited

I’ve posted a shot of this big red gate before (HERE). This is the same spot, about 5 years later, with a new Aoki supermarket building to the left. Near Nakamura Koen Station, Nagoya. March 4, 2013.

Nakamura Nagoya Japan Gate Tori Architecture

March162013