Reset search
JapanJapan
SatelliteEdit route

Japan

December 2016 - January 2017
This was the trip that was conceived by the kids (Dylan and Foop) and promoted by Bort and Foop and attended only by Jen and I. Read more
  • 76footprints
  • 3countries
  • 20days
  • 387photos
  • 0videos
  • 21.2kkilometers
  • 21.1kkilometers
Follow Calendar Share Bucket list
Date ascending
  • TravelerJapan
    Day 8

    Senso-Ji Temple (cont’d)

    January 5, 2017 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C

    The temple is dedicated to the bodhisattva Kannon (Avalokiteśvara). According to legend, a statue of the Kannon was found in the Sumida River in 628 B.C. 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 Kannon.

    The first temple was founded in 645 AD, 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.

    The Nishinomiya Inari shrine is located within the precincts of Sensō-ji and a torii identifies the entry into the hallowed ground of the shrine. A bronze plaque on the gateway structure lists those who contributed to the construction of the torii, which was erected in 1727 (Kyōhō 12, 11th month).

    During World War II, the temple was bombed and destroyed during the 10 March air raid on Tokyo. 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, and it had regrown in the husk of the old tree and is a similar symbol to the temple itself.    Read more

  • TravelerJapan
    Day 8

    Futo Park & Rainbow Bridge

    January 5, 2017 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C

    I had a curious interaction with a robot before we travelled around the bay on a ferry.
    We went underneath Rainbow Bay bridge which was built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, with construction starting in 1987 and completed in 1993. The bridge is 798 metres (2,618 ft) long with a main span of 580 metres (1,903 ft).
    Officially called the "Shuto Expressway No. 11 Daiba Route - Port of Tokyo Connector Bridge," the name "'Rainbow Bridge" was decided by the public.

    The towers supporting the bridge are white in color, designed to harmonize with the skyline of central Tokyo seen from Odaiba. There are lamps placed on the wires supporting the bridge, which are illuminated into three different colors, red, white and green every night using solar energy obtained during the day.

    The bridge can be accessed by foot from Tamachi Station (JR East) or Shibaura-futō Station (Yurikamome) on the mainland side.    Read more

  • TravelerJapan
    Day 8

    Gundam Base - Diver City Shop Precinct

    January 5, 2017 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C

    We visited a shopping precinct and discovered the Gundam robot as well as some modern art pieces that are located around the shopping precinct.

    Welcome to one of Tokyo’s strangest tourist attractions, a 20-meter robot standing in a park, overlooking the harbor of the world’s manga metropolis.

    The lifesize, plastic replica of a robot or “Mobile Suit”, from Gundam, (a hugely popular Japanese animation series), officially opened on July 11 2009 for the celebration of Gundam’s 30th anniversary, and was closed on August 31st, however such a sight could not remain hidden away for long. After attracting 4.5 million visitors in its first month on display, it popped up again the following year in Shizuoka, where Bandai manufactures its popular Gundam models.

    It was returned to Tokyo in 2011, displayed in fragments that visitors could pay a small fee to check out or take pictures with, to raise money following the tsunami that had devastated Japan. It is now back in all its glory, outside of a new theme park and museum of all things Gundam, called Gundam Base in the Diver City shopping center.

    The robot - which shoots smoke and lasers, can move its arms and head and plays disco music - will be a number one draw on the sightseeing hitlist of visiting otaku, as anime-loving geeks are called here. The Gundam robot is large enough to be visible on the drive from Narita airport to downtown, as cars cross the Tokyo Bay-spanning Rainbow Bridge.

    The Gundam series itself remains a spectacular commentary on modern warfare, originating from a country that has seen the horrors of dramatic shifts in war technology first hand. The show’s criticisms of warfare seem even more true to life as the Gundam Robot takes its place along the real Tokyo skyline.    Read more

  • TravelerJapan
    Day 8

    Tokyo Station by Night

    January 5, 2017 in Japan ⋅ 🌙 6 °C

    This was the cool view of some of the Tokyo skyline at nightfall. Tomorrow is going to be amazing with as Jen has treated me to a Bonsai Class which I am excited to attend.
    From my memory we had a lovely meal overlooking the buildings and skyscrapers whiz NnaoanRead more

  • TravelerJapan
    Day 9

    Shunkaen Bonsai Museum

    January 6, 2017 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 7 °C

    As part of the trip Jen gifted me an experience with a Bonsai master to understand the intricacies of the art.

    Bonsai is a Japanese art form which utilizes cultivation techniques to produce, in containers, small trees that mimic the shape and scale of full size trees. Similar practices exist in other cultures, including the Chinese tradition of penzai or penjing from which the art originated, and the miniature living landscapes of Vietnamese Hòn Non Bộ. The Japanese tradition dates back over a thousand years.

    We visited a famous a bonsai garden in Tokyo called Shunkaen Bonsai Museum is a bonsai garden in Tokyo, Japan. It was founded in 2002 by bonsai master Kunio Kobayashi.    Read more

  • TravelerJapan
    Day 9

    Shunkaen Bonsai

    January 6, 2017 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C

    Shunkaen houses over 1,000 trees. One of the most famous of these is estimated to be 1,000 years old, and is located in front of the house.
    Though most of the trees are displayed in the courtyard, certain trees are displayed in traditional tokonoma alcoves inside the house. The building also houses a sizeable collection of books and antique Chinese pots and tables are also displayed.
    We also observed rock gardens for the first time which are similar in principle to Bonsai.
    The master took quite a warming to Jenny ;)    Read more

  • TravelerJapan
    Day 9

    Shibuya Ward

    January 6, 2017 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 7 °C

    Shibuya is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan.
    A major commercial and business centre, it houses the two busiest railway stations in the world, Shinjuku Station and Shibuya Station as well as one of the most famous intersections.

    During the late 1990s, Shibuya also became known as the center of the IT industry in Japan. It was often called "Bit Valley" in English, a pun on both "Bitter Valley", the literal translation of "Shibuya", as well as bit, the computer term for binary digits.    Read more

  • TravelerJapan
    Day 9

    Shibuya At Night

    January 6, 2017 in Japan ⋅ 🌙 3 °C

    The name "Shibuya" is also used to refer to the shopping district which surrounds Shibuya Station. This area is known as one of the fashion centers of Japan, particularly for young people, and as a major nightlife area.Read more

  • TravelerJapan
    Day 10

    Enoshima Island

    January 7, 2017 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 7 °C

    This quaint little island was a great place to visit. Firstly, it was a good walk across the bridge and we became aware of the hawks that would sometimes swoop down and pluck the for out of the hands of visitors whilst they were crossing the bridge. We travelled by train to the seaside town and then walked across to the island.

    Enoshima (江の島) is a small offshore island, about 4 km in circumference, at the mouth of the Katase River which flows into the Sagami Bay of Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Administratively, Enoshima is part of the mainland city of Fujisawa, and is linked to the Katase section of that city by a 600-metre-long (2,000 ft) bridge. Home to some of the closest sandy beaches to Tokyo and Yokohama, the island and adjacent coastline are the hub of a local resort area.    Read more

  • 2024© FindPenguins
  • Home
  • About us
  • Blog
  • Group Tracking
  • Press
  • Terms
  • Privacy Policy & Cookies
  • Support
  • Legal notice