More glimpses of unfamiliar Japan

A bit of non-Japanese architecture as I work my way through my photo backlog :) The building known as the Gherkin in London was finished in ...

I love wandering around the old neighborhoods of Japanese towns and villages. All these photos are from one of the old parts of the castle a...

There are steps leading up to Hamada Hachiman Shrine. More than 100 of them. There are steps leading up to most shrines and temples. I did a...

When giving directions to people driving to our place, the one landmark we can easily give is the pastel pink bridge across the Gonokawa con...

This short video is from my favorite of all the Omoto Kagura dances. The tengai is the canopy above a kagura performance space. The kami des...

A view over the rooftops in Hakata, Fukuoka; though it could be any Japanese city.

This is one of the draincovers from town of Misumi which lies near the Japan Sea coast about halfway between Hamada and Masuda. It depicts a...

Today is Hina Matsuri, when displays of dolls in Heian Period costume are put up in homes. The dolls at the top are of the Emperor and Empre...

Shakechi Hachiman Shrine is tucked away in a quiet neighborhood just off Route 186, the main road south out of Hamada towards Hiroshima. Lik...

Invented traditions are not unique to Japan, they are the mainstay of all nation-states, but Japan does seem to have an inordinate amount of...