Japan Photo Guide

The first forecast for the 2008 Cherry Blossom season has been released!

If you can choose anytime of the year to come to Japan, cherry blossom season is the best time (also fall is a great time). During this time, the seasonal flowers can be seen all over Japan and make for great photos. The 2007 cherry blossom forecast will be released around late February or early March and can be seen at the site of the Japan Meteorology Agency.

When the winters are mild (like the winter of 2007 is) the cherry blossom trees tend to bloom a little earlier than normal. While the forecasts are usually pretty close, like the weather, when cherry blossoms bloom are still slightly unpredictable! Also, different factors such as how much sun a tree gets, play a large role as well.

See more photos and read the rest of this entry »

Back in August I had a photo show at the Apple Store in Sendai. Basically, it is a slide show of some of my favorite photos of Japan accompanied by shamisen artists Rika Ooba and Yuya Takahashi. If you are unable to use the sound on your computer I strongly suggest waiting until you have access or are able to use the sound, as their music is beautiful. Enjoy!

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A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site (such as a forest, mountain range, lake, desert, building, complex, or city) that has been nominated–and confirmed–for inclusion on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee.

The programme aims to catalogue, name, and preserve sites of outstanding cultural or natural importance to the common heritage of humankind. Under certain conditions, listed sites can obtain funds from the World Heritage Fund. The programme was founded with the Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage, which was adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO on 16 November 1972. Since then, 182 state parties (countries) have ratified the convention.

As of 2005, a total of 812 sites are listed: 628 cultural, 160 natural, and 24 mixed properties, in 137 state parties. UNESCO references each World Heritage Site with a unique identification number; but new inscriptions often include previous sites now listed as part of larger descriptions. As a result, the numbering system currently ends above 1100, even though there are fewer on the actual list.

Each World Heritage Site is the property of the country on whose territory the site is located, but it is considered in the interest of the international community to preserve each site for future generations of humankind. The protection and conservation of these sites are a concern of all the World Heritage countries.

Please see the Wikipedia for more information or see the Japan-Guide.com for a complete list of sites in Japan.

Not only is Himeji Castle considered by many to be the best castle in all of Japan, but it is also considered by many to be one of the best places to view the annual cherry blossoms. Knowing this I made plans to go during cherry blossom season season and I would have to say that in both ways Himeji Castle lives up to it’s reputation. Himeji Castle is lucky enough to never have been damaged by war or earthquake and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

I had planned to spend only half a day at Himeji Castle (this would have been easily possible if I wanted to) but I found Himeji Castle and the surroundings too beautiful to only spend half the day making photographs there. Many people do make this a day or half day trip when visiting Kyoto or Osaka. If possible I STRONGLY recommend you visit Himeji Castle during cherry blossom season (around 1st week of April) but if you are in Japan at another time of year, the castle itself (and view from the top of the castle) is worth the trip.

By Shinkansen, Himeji Castle is an about 45 minutes to an hour away from Kyoto and about 3.5 hours from Tokyo. For detailed information about getting to and around Himeji Castle please see Japan-Guide.com. Also, here is the official Himeji Castle English Homepage

The Kansai (Japanese: 関西) region of Japan, also known as the Kinki region (近畿地方, Kinki-chihō), lies in the Southern-Central region of Japan’s main island, Honshu.

The word ki (畿) in Kinki is also read in Japanese as miyako meaning capital. It stems from the fact that up until the Edo era Japan’s capital was located in this region.

The Kansai region includes the prefectures of Nara, Wakayama, Mie, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, and Shiga. The Kansai region is often compared (yet more often contrasted) with the Kantō region, which lies to the east and is comprised primarily of Tokyo and the surrounding area.

The Kansai region is the mainstay of the counterculture to the Kanto region (Tokyo/Yokohama), and can be said to define the character of Western Japan.

For more information, please see wikipedia or the Japan-Guide.com.