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Historic Monuments of Ancient NaraArchaeological Sites in Osaka, Japan Nara was the capital of Japan from 710 to 784. During this period the framework of national government was consolidated and Nara enjoyed great prosperity, emerging as the fountainhead of Japanese culture. The city's historic monuments – Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and the excavated remains of the great Imperial Palace – provide a vivid picture of life in the Japanese capital in the 8th century, a period of profound political and cultural change. Copyright © UNESCO/World Heritage Centre. All rights reserved.
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Review by Photo by flickr user Hyougushi |
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Waterfalls of Sounkyo GorgeWaterfalls in Hokaido, Japan Hokkaido's Sounkyo Gorge is known for its many waterfalls. None is especially large but many are very beautiful. A road leads through the gorge and there are many viewpoints from which to observe the lovely waterfalls.
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Review by Photo by mikelyvers |
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Toji TempleTemples in Kyoto, Japan Stocky and wooden, the Toji Pagoda isn't as gracefully beautiful as some of the other temples I've seen in Kyoto, but it is the tallest, at 55metres, in Japan, and this latest construction was built at the very beginning of the 17th Century, which is excellent going for a wooden structure. You don't have to pay to go into the pagoda and garden, but you do have to pay to go into the temple proper and the treasure house which was built from wood but without nails – I have a theory that this is what helped it to survive earthquakes. You can't go inside the pagoda, but it was actually really pleasant to stroll though the garden taking photos of the pagoda – the manicured park with the pagoda at the focal point is literally as pretty as a picture. Koi and turtles co-exist in seeming harmony in the huge lotus laden pond, the trees go about their business slowly turning golden with the seasons and people take photos of the big, wooden, five storey pagoda, taking note of the lack of fancy ornamentation but the rather lovely metal details on the doors and wood gargoyle-esque characters who help hold up the roofs. Not far from Kyoto station – about 15 – 20 mins walk so worth visiting even for the beautiful free garden if you have a spare hour and a half or so.
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Review by Photo by flickr user MShades |
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Alts Bandai BoardingSnowboarding in Tohoku, Japan Japan is very popular with Australia and New Zealand boarders and you’ll find lots of talent here ripping up the four parks. There’s good powder and wide open runs which are pretty ordinary during the day but really come alive at night under the lights. The two pipes are pretty popular here and if you want to see some great tricks this is the place to come. If you’re coming in February bear in mind you’ll see the Japanese Open Competition, which I went to a couple of years ago and it blew me away, but you probably won’t be able to get a look in on the pipes yourself. There’s only one resort to stay at here and it’s not cheap, so it’s not too busy, but it’s a really good place to come to learn some new tricks and us Antipodeans are known for our friendliness, so you’re bound to find someone to help you master your tricks. Locals like to improve their English skills and contrary to what I thought about the Japanese, they like to get up late, board late and party into the night. They’ll also tell you the snow here is pretty reliable.
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Review by Photo by flickr user ulysses_powers |
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Ryōgoku Kokugikan, Tokyo's Sumo CentralSpectator Sports in Tokyo, Japan To the uninformed sumo is two fat men in loincloths hugging and stomping like baby elephants trying to push each other over, to those with an appreciation of the sport it's seeped in honour, religious significance and tradition. Professional sumo matches are only held in Japan so if you want a chance to form your opinion in the flesh (lots of it), this is the only place to experience it. The Ryogoku Kokugikan is where three of the largest annual sumo matches are held, the Hatsu Basho in January, the Natsu Basho in May and the Aki Basho in September. 10,000 spectators fill the sloping hall set up similar to a boxing ring with the raised platform of clay and sand where the match takes place in the centre. Traditional rituals and ceremonies are closely observed at these major bouts; starting on a Sunday and lasting for fifteen days the amateurs and novices are up first and competition progresses through to the masters, ‘winner takes all’ style. When it’s their turn, wrestlers mount the sandy platform and perform a Shinto ritual to ward off evil spirits involving swaying and leg stomping then it’s on - wrestlers squat in front of each other, clap their hands as a show that they are weapon less and wait for the charge… In contrast to the extended ritual of the preparation a bout can be short, it often takes less than a minute for one of the combatants to be pushed out of the ring or touch the ground with anything other than his feet. On a day by day basis competition starts at around 9, the top division wrestlers arrive at about 4 and the highest ranking bouts take place at around 6. Cheap day seats are available on the upper levels, but if you get there earlier in the day you can give yourself a free upgrade to the morning bouts before most of the audience arrives. Ryogoku Kokugikan also has a sumo museum with hundreds of years worth of stories and relics of sumo history. The museum is free but closed on the weekends. Ryogoku is Tokyo’s sumo central and matches have been held here for hundreds of years. Sumo gyms, or stables, where wrestlers live and train and restaurants serving chanko, the staple hot pot meal of wrestlers are grouped around this area and wrestlers are still expected to dress in traditional dress in public so they’re easy to spot (but even if they weren‘t dressed differently they would probably still be recognisable.). Some local stables let visitors watch early morning training which is a good alternative to seeing a match because you can get closer to the action.
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Review by Photo by flickr user heschong |
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