Erwin Miyasaka

Born and raised among humans, the famous shika deer of Nara are not only unafraid of humans but they are actually seeking their company. Well, maybe they are just always looking for someone to give them the very tasty Shika-senbei , crackers especially made for deer. Click on photo for higher resolution: Shika deer, Nara If you want to license my photos for commercial use, please contact me EXIF Info: Nikon Df Lens: 24-70mm F/2.8G Focal Length: 40mm Aperture: F/6.3 Shutter Speed: 1/200s ISO Sensitivity: ISO 640 Yesterday’s Japan Photo: Kyoto Hogon-in autumn illumination Ver fuente

The garden of the Hōgon-in temple in Kyoto features a complex design, with many symbols. I already presented the wooden lantern that creates through light and shadow the image of the Rising Sun flag . Photographed here is another area, with symbols emphasized through light colors: in the foreground there’s a dry area lit in blue, symbolizing the Buddhist concept of the Sea of Suffering (the real world), with a warm colored area in the background symbolizing Nirvana, while the several rocks are representing Buddha. Click on photo for higher resolution: Hōgon-in, Arashiyama, Kyoto If you want to license my photos for commercial use, please contact me EXIF Info: Nikon Df Lens: VR 28-300mm F/3.5-5.6G Focal Length: 24mm Aperture: F/2.8 Shutter Speed: 1/60s ISO Sensitivity: ISO 4000 Yesterday’s Japan Photo: Konpon Chudo hall, Japan’s oldest building made of beechwood Ver fuente

Like this post? Help us by sharing it! Tour Leader Ben Walker was recently tasked with the responsibility (and honour) of introducing bestselling romance novelist Erica James to Japan’s most romantic city, Kyoto. Here’s how he got on. I have a confession to make, and I’m going to ruin the tough guy image I’ve built […] The post Kimono Romance in Kyoto appeared first on InsideJapan Blog . Ver fuente

In the old times wood was the preferred construction material in Japan. The original castles were made of wood, and the oldest wooden buildings in the world , the main hall and the five-story pagoda of Horyu-ji, Nara, built 1,300 years ago, were made of hinoki (Japanese cypress) an extremely resistant type of wood that also has a very pleasant scent. The building photographed here, the Konpon Chudo hall of Yamadera , was made 662 years ago and it is the oldest building in Japan made of beechwood, a strong and durable type of wood, with a good resistance to abrasion. Click on photo for higher resolution: Konpon Chudo, Yamadera, Yamagata If you want to license my photos for commercial use, please contact me EXIF Info: Nikon Df Lens: VR 28-300mm F/3.5-5.6G Focal Length: 28mm Aperture: F/6.3 Shutter Speed: 1/200s ISO Sensitivity: ISO 320 Yesterday’s Japan Photo: Japanese art, Akita Ranga Ver fuente

We’re saddened by the news of the passing of Wakako Kawagoshi-Fisher, who was a collaborator and model for both From Parts Unknown and the predecessor to this site Ninja80. Condolences to the Fishers and her family in Japan, we’ve lost … Continued Ver fuente

For a short period of time, at the middle of the Edo period, in Akita was developed a particular style of painting known as Akita ranga. Practiced by the lord of Akita, Satake Shozan, and several of his retainers, it was part of ranga , a Japanese painting genre also known as Dutch-style painting. The Akita ranga artists were using Western-style techniques such as perspective, shadows and backgrounds, to paint traditional Japanese themes such as plants, birds and insects. Click on photo for higher resolution: Akita Ranga, Ishiguro Samurai House, Kakunodate, Akita If you want to license my photos for commercial use, please contact me EXIF Info: Nikon Df Lens: 24-70mm F/2.8G Focal Length: 34mm Aperture: F/6.3 Shutter Speed: 1/60s ISO Sensitivity: ISO 2000 Yesterday’s Japan Photo: Nishijin Textile Center Kimono Show Ver fuente

For more than half of century the Nishijin district of Kyoto produces a type of high class woven brocade, named just like that, Nishijin. A history of this art, the fabrication process, and a collection of representative textiles can be admired at the Nishijin Textile Center, which also features a very attractive store. Also, several times a day, here takes place a beautiful parade of kimono, made of course from materials produced in Nishijin. Click on photo for higher resolution: Nishijin Textile Center, Kyoto If you want to license my photos for commercial use, please contact me EXIF Info: Nikon Df Lens: 24-70mm F/2.8G Focal Length: 24mm Aperture: F/8 Shutter Speed: 1/60s ISO Sensitivity: ISO 3200 Yesterday’s Japan Photo: The five-story pagoda of Horyu-ji, a 1300 years old wooden building Ver fuente

The wood of the Japanese cypress ( hinoki ) was used for constructions ever since the oldest times, being mentioned in Nihon Shiki, one of Japan’s oldest writings, as “a good tree for building palaces". The oldest constructions made of hinoki are the main hall and the five-story pagoda of Hōryū-ji, Nara , erected more than 1,300 years ago. An amazing fact is that the durability of hinoki increases after 200 years, slowly becoming weaker after 1,000 years. Click on photo for higher resolution: Horyu-ji, Nara If you want to license my photos for commercial use, please contact me EXIF Info: Nikon Df Lens: 24-70mm F/2.8G Focal Length: 24mm Aperture: F/7.1 Shutter Speed: 1/200s ISO Sensitivity: ISO 200 Yesterday’s Japan Photo: High ranking samurai Yakuimon gate Ver fuente

Like this post? Help us by sharing it! Having grown up glued to Grand Designs and studied urban design at university, Claire has long been fascinated by the contemporary architecture of the big cities. Architecture in Japan When it comes to style and design, you don’t have to look much further than Japan. Traditionally characterised […] The post 6 of the best hotels in Japan for architects and design lovers appeared first on InsideJapan Blog . Ver fuente

During the Tokugawa shogunate the gates of the samurai houses were strictly regulated, being symbols of status. The type of the gate, the size and the ornaments were all indicating the rank of the samurai, with the top represented by the shogun. Thus, the shogun’s palace at the Nijō castle was made with a Karamon gate with golden ornaments. Photographed here is the gate of the highest ranking home in the Kakunodate samurai district, belonging to the Aoyagi family, an important retainer of the Satake clan. As a reward for his services he received the right to have a 3 bays wide Yakuimon gate. The gate impresses with its roof height, with the width - triple than a lower ranking version - and the style, which was normally used for nobility mansions. Click on photo for higher resolution: Aoyagi Samurai House, Kakunodate, Akita If you want to license my photos for commercial use, please contact me EXIF Info: Nikon Df Lens: 24-70mm F/2.8G Focal Length: 24mm