Last Updated on 10/29/24 by Rose Palmer
Tori gates are a classic symbol of Japan. These Tori gates snaked up the mountainside at the Takayama Inari Shrine. Though smaller and less visited than the famous Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto, I thought it was much more serene and beautiful.
This summer I spent 6 weeks in Japan, going beyond the typical tourist routes. After spending a few days in Tokyo, I took two different cruises that circumnavigated the Japanese islands which was a very easy way to tour towns and cities that are not usually visited on a land based tour.
Even though this was my fourth trip to Japan, I continued to discover new intricacies to the Japanese culture. These are some of my favorite Japan photos from this journey.
My favorite Japan photos
TeamLab puts on multi sensory, immersive, digital installations that intersect the realms of art, science, technology, and nature. At the TeamLab Planets display in Tokyo, a boy has fun with the bouncy balls as they change colors.
At TeamLab’s Borderless exhibit in Tokyo, the line between the spaces was indistinct and the projections travelled along the walls from one room to another. Despite the constantly changing displays, this trio young Japanese seem bored by their environment.
In Japanese, the word taiko means drum. A master Taiko drummer leads a group of students in a performance at the Hiroshima cruise port as our ship was preparing for departure. We experienced a variety of such musical farewell performances at each port throughout Japan.
Aomori is known for its annual summer Nebuta Festival where colorful, larger than life floats made out of paper mache are paraded throughout the town. The rest of the year, many of these colorfully lit floats are on display at the Nebuta Museum.
The island of Naoshima is called the Art Island because of the many art museums and public art displays throughout the island. The trademark sculptures are the polka dot pumpkins by world renowned Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama.
In Osaka’s Dotonbori district, fantastical sculptures decorate the front of buildings, all designed to attract passers by to the restaurants they are meant to advertise.
For fans of master glass artist Dale Chihuly, the Toyama Glass Art Museum is a must visit destination. In a Japanese version of a classic Chihuly installation, a Japanese style wooden boat is filled with his multicolored glass orbs. Chihuly was inspired by the Japanese glass fishing floats when he first created these colorful glass balls.
On Sado Island, young women in local, traditional dress, give rides in typical tarai bune tub boats. These traditional boats were used to fish for abalone and mollusks in the narrow, winding coves that are characteristic of the island’s coastline.
The Japanese Crane Reserve in Kushiro has been instrumental in bringing back this revered bird and national symbol from near extinction. From barely a handful of cranes in the 1920’s, the red crowned crane population has now increased to 1900 in Japan, though it is still considered endangered.
In the town of Sakata, third grade students practiced their new English skills as they welcomed tourists in the Sankyo Warehouse District.
Temari balls are an intricate form of embroidery that has been practices in Japan since the 12th century. This art for combines complicated three dimensional geometry with colorful, meticulously sewn patterns.
In Kagoshima, 85 year old Yoshi continues to practice the regional weaving style that she has been doing for almost 70 years.
In Otaru, a master chef creates edible sushi art in front of his customers. My meal was as good to eat as it was to look at.
A very young boy pets a stone rabbit statue for good luck at the Izumo Taisha Shrine. In the Japanese culture, the rabbit has become a symbol of good fortune and benevolence.
In Sakata, an older Geisha and her two young apprentice Maiko demonstrated traditional music and dance to our group of visitors. After their performance, they agreed to pose for photos.
As the birthplace of famous Manga artist Mizuki Shigeru, Sakaiminato proudly celebrates his contribution to this very Japanese art form. For almost a kilometer, 177 funky statues called yokai representing his many characters line both sides of the street. Trying to find all the yokai is a fun activity for young and old alike.
It was peak cantaloupe season in the town of Hakodate. 5800 yen or $38 for one fruit was quite pricey. I later learned that all the fruits but one are removed from each vine so that all the energy goes into producing just one sweet and luscious melon. I did not buy one so cannot attest to just how delicious they were.
Eating gold leaf covered ice cream in Kanazawa’s historic district is a popular attraction.
The Mt. Fuji World Heritage Center celebrates The UNESCO World Heritage designation for Japan’s most famous mountain. The building was specifically designed so that its reflection would mimic the shape of the nearby mountain.
It was a pleasure to discover so many more facets of the Japanese culture. Japan is one of my favorite countries to visit and I hope to have the chance to go back yet again.
Thanks for visiting.
Rose
Other related stories:
Collecting temari balls in Japan: Indulging My Obsession With Japanese Temari Balls
More details about some of my port stops: Japan Off the Beaten Path With Heritage Expeditions
Pin this!