Traveling around Japan I'm often struck by an attention to detail that impacts many aspects of the "look" both in terms of how buildings and other things are presented. First off one of the things that strikes you is how incredibly clean the entire place is. It's not just "clean" but almost "hygienic", though not in a bad way. The meticulous attention to detail is … [Read more...] about Japanese Wooden Roofing
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Hiroshima and Peace
One of the things that is hard to forget when travelling in Japan is how much of the country was destroyed during the Second World War. There are constant reminders as you travel around some of the destinations popular with tourists. But when you get to Hiroshima you're dealing with something on a whole other level. On August 6 1945 at 815 am a US B-29 bomber, known as … [Read more...] about Hiroshima and Peace
Chopsticks, Soy Sauce and Crockery
When you're wandering around some of the bigger tourist attractions in Kobe there are plenty of shops selling tat for tourists. Some of it might be "nice", but most of it is fairly hideous, much as what you'd find if you were to head to the Blarney Stone or out to Bunratty Castle. However there are some gems out there, so it's worth keeping your eyes open. But for the … [Read more...] about Chopsticks, Soy Sauce and Crockery
Blending Modern and Ancient in Kyoto
Unlike many Japanese cities Kyoto was able to escape most of the bombing during the Second World War, so there are quite a few areas of the city that are full of quite old buildings. The streets in some of these areas are narrow and the architectural style has a certain grace to it. But this is Japan, where modern and old combine. While in the central shopping districts of … [Read more...] about Blending Modern and Ancient in Kyoto
The Golden Pavilion Kinkakuji
I'm currently enjoying a few days in Japan prior to attending a business meeting. I'll be talking further about the trip in detail, but I wanted to highlight a couple of things that I've seen on my trip so far. Yesterday I was at "The Golden Pavilion" or "Kinkakuji". It's a Buddhist temple which sits beside a small lake on the outskirts of Kyoto. It's beautiful and the way … [Read more...] about The Golden Pavilion Kinkakuji