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This museum is run by Takenaka Corporation, one of Japan's leading general contractors and was founded over 400 years ago. An extensive number of old carpentry tools, used and collected through its long history, are displayed together with traditional wooden construction method in Japan. This museum building, which consists of one above-ground floor and two basement floors having a total floor area of 1,900 square meters, appears at first glance to be a wooden structure. But, in fact, it is constructed using a combination of reinforced concrete and steel. This was constructed in 2014 on the old site of former head office of Takenaka Corporation, as the second generation of the museum. Because the original museum built in 1984 on the different site in Kobe became too old and too small. Genuine carpentry tools and some replicas from ancient times up to now are mainly displayed. In addition, a variety of Japan’s traditional wooden frame construction methods featuring no nails is also on display. The first photo shows the entrance of the museum, which looks like that of Japanese high-end ryokan hotel or ryotei restaurant. http://tour-guide-japan.jp/

Following the forced abolition of Japan’s national isolation policy, the Tokugawa shogunate opened five ports to Western powers for the trade with them. Hakodate, Yokohama, Niigata, Kobe and Nagasaki were agreed with the UK, France, the USA and the Netherlands by the Treaty of Edo concluded in 1866, and the then government set about the construction of eight lighthouses in Western style to ensure the safe navigation in Japanese waters. To begin with, they constructed Kannonzaki Lighthouse in Kanagawa Prefecture in 1869, followed by Nojimazaki Lighthouse in Chiba Prefecture in 1869, Kashinosaki Lighthouse in Wakayama Prefecture in 1870, Mikomotsushima Lighthouse in Shizuoka Prefecture in 1870, Iojima Lighthouse in Nagasaki Prefecture in 1871, Tsurugisaki Lighthouse in Kanagawa Prefecture in 1871, Satamisaki Lighthouse in Kagoshima Prefecture in 1871 and Shionomisaki Lighthouse in Wakayama Prefecture in 1873. As there were no Japanese specialists on lighthouse facility at that time, those were constructed by hired Western engineers, Leonce Verny from France and Richard Brunton from the UK. The first photo shows the second generation of Nojimazaki Lighthouse in Chiba Prefecture. The original was destroyed in the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923. The second photo is a distant view of Shirahama-onsen hot springs from the top floor of the lighthouse. http://tour-guide-japan.jp/

Rokko Mountains made up of Mt. Rokko, 931meters high, and Mt. Maya, 702 meters high, stretches east and west behind downtown Kobe City, one of the leading port towns in Japan. Kobe has been inhabited by many foreign traders since the second half of the 19th century, following the opening of Japan to the West. So, it’s regarded as a sophisticated international city the same as Yokohama City. Rokko Mountains, commanding the urban area of Kobe, have been developed as a tourist spot since the early 20th century. Maya Cable Line in 1925 first, followed by Rokko Cable Line in 1932, Maya Ropeway in 1955 and Nunobiki Ropeway in 1991 as shown in the photo. This aerial tramway is running between Shin-Kobe Station of Shin-Kansen bullet train and Kobe City Subway. Once getting off the tram at the last stop, the herb gardens spread out along the hillside before your eyes. The gardens featuring a variety of herbs are dotted with many restaurants, observation platforms and other related facilities. http://tour-guide-japan.jp/

Tsuwano Town, peacefully lying in a small basin in a mountainous region of southwestern Shimane Prefecture, was a castle town during the Edo period, in the 17th- 19th century. Known as the birthplace of Mori Ogai, a master writer, and Nishi Amane, a famous enlightenment thinker, the town attracts many sightseers featuring their old houses. On the other hand, surprisingly, this quite town has a dark chapter in its history. During the late Edo period, when the Christian faith was strictly banned in Japan, hidden Christians captured in Nagasaki were exiled to this castle town, where they were subjected to severe torture. This incident later escalated into a diplomatic issue with Western powers. The photo shows Tonomachi Street in the heart of the old quarter. Both sides of the street are lined with earthen walls and traditional townhouses. In the narrow waterways by the street, 400 colorful carp are swimming. This scenery is a symbol of Tsuwano. Lastly, an antique steam locomotive goes back and forth a day between Tsuwano Town and Yamaguchi City for sightseeing purposes. http://tour-guide-japan.jp/

Frederic Ringer was working in China as a specialist in the tea trade in the mid-19th century. Hired by The Glover & Co., a British trading company in Nagasaki, which was well known for selling a variety of Western weapons to anti-Tokugawa regimes at that time, he moved to Nagasaki to be the person in charge of tea trading of the company. In 1868, he left the company to establish his own company named The Holme Ringer & Co. together with his colleague. He started tea trading first then extended the business area to the trade of coal, weapons, oil and industrial machinery in line with Japan’s modernization. His company was handed over to his son after his death in 1909, but the company was obliged to be shut down due to imminent deteriorating relations between Japan and the UK. The pretty building in the photo is The Holme Ringer & Co. in Moji Port, Fukuoka Prefecture. The name of the company is the same as the original one, but the present one was established by the employees of the original one after the Second World War. These two companies are different from each other. The present one is not a trading company but an agency for port entry and clearance formalities, cargo handling arrangement, insurance and the like. For your information, Frederic Ringer’s old house still stands on the hilltop of Nagasaki together with the old houses of Tomas Glover and Wiliam Alt as they were in the mid-19th century. They usually overlooked a fine view of Nagasaki Bey as Madame Butterfly might have done the same while singing a famous aria. http://tour-guide-japan.jp/

Present Moji Port area used to be no more than a small village of the salt industry and coastal fishery till the mid-19th century. But it drastically changed to a great port town in line with a national policy to raise international port towns late in the 19th century. Following the establishment of the Moji customs in 1885, those who were working for international trades like trading companies and shipping companies gathered here from all over the country. It came to the zenith of prosperity as a base of sea transport together with Yokohama and Kobe early in the 20th century. In those years, some parts of East Asia were Japan’s territory, so Moji was ideally located in terms of the distance to these remote territories. After the Second World War, however, Japan lost these territories in East Asia. In other words, Moji’s geographical advantage as an important trading port with those remote territories rapidly disappered. Although Moji isn’t a big port town anymore, the locals strive to make the most of many surviving buildings to revive the old port town. It has become one of the leading sightseeing tour spots in Kyushu thanks to their efforts. The first photo shows the facade of JR Mojiko Station being still active, followed by the former branch building of Osaka Shosen Kaisha (present O.S.K. Lines) and the former building of the Moji customs. http://tour-guide-japan.jp/

Being designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, “Shrines and Temples of Nikko” consists of Futarasan Shrine, Rinno-ji Temple and Nikko Toshogu Shrine. They are adjacent to each other on the mountainside of Mt. Nikko. Futarasan Shrine and Rinno-ji Temple have attracted many devotees since the 9th century as holy places. After Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first Tokugawa shogun, built Nikko Toshogu Shrine here as his mausoleum in 1617, this area reached its golden time through the Edo period in the 17th-19th century as a spiritual, sacred place. The bridge in the photo is Shinkyo Bridge to the area of the World Heritage Site. This originally was built in 1636 when Nikko Toshogu Shrine underwent full-scale renovation works. Many successive Tokugawa shoguns paid visits to the mausoleum accompanied by powerful daimyos, who wanted to show their loyalty to the Tokugawa family. Walking across this bridge was the special privilege of the shoguns. A flood unfortunately washed away the original bridge in 1902, but it was faithfully rebuilt in 1904, which is present one. In this connection, anybody can walk across this bridge for a fee now. http://tpour-guide-japan.jp/

The National Theater of Japan, built in 1966, is just for Japan’s traditional performing arts such as Kabuki (a traditional form of drama with a musical accompaniment performed by mail actors), Bunraku (a traditional puppet-show with a musical accompaniment), Nihon Buyo (a classical Japanese dance), Hogaku (a traditional Japanese music) and the like. In addition, this theater raises apprentice Kabuki actors as well as Kabuki musical accompaniment players. It has two theaters, the main theater for Kabuki and Nihon Buyo, and small theater for Bunraku and Hogaku. In this connection, the New National Theater in Shinjuku, built in 1997, is for the Western performing arts such as opera, ballet and Western dance. The photo shows the facade of the theatre building, which is now closed to be reconstructed. The new building is expected to be completed around 2035 at this moment. http://tour-guide-japan.jp/

Japan’s democracy was fixed both in name and reality by the accomplishment of separation of the governmental three powers of administration, legislation and judicature after the Second War. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the highest body of judicature, is one of the 15 justices of the Supreme Court and is officially designated by the emperor based on the appointment by a cabinet. This structure of designation is the same as other tops of a prime minister and Speakers of both Houses of Parliament. All the justices, Chief Justice included, are to be reviewed by Japanese people every ten years. The photo shows the building of the Supreme Court in the heart of Tokyo, built in 1974, which was designed by Okada Shinichi who was the winner of the first prize in the design competition. It goes without saying that unauthorized entry to the building and its enclosure is strictly forbidden. Only public prosecutors, lawyers and relevant observers with permission can enter. http://tour-guide-japan.jp/

It had been prohibited in Japan to eat the meat of four-footed animals like beef and pork, because Buddhist belief banned believers from killing them. In the second half of the 19th century, however, edible meat supply became imperative particularly in Tokyo, hand in hand with the increasing number of the population from Western countries. Then central government of Japan accordingly constructed the first full-scale slaughterhouse in Imazato, Shirogane, Tokyo, in 1867. Thereafter, additional slaughterhouses were constructed in Tokyo, whose total number reached 10 at the peak, including both public and private facilities. As slaughterhouses are not welcomed by neighbors in general, the authorities abolished these ones to integrate to one big one in 1938. This is present Shinagawa slaughterhouse. The vicinity of Shinagawa Station is a busy area now, but the area was very sparsely inhabited at that time. The first photo shows the multitenant buildings in front of the Konan Exit of Shinagawa Station. The second photo is the other side of these buildings, where alleys run intricately. These alleys are lined with many Korean barbecue restaurants serving a variety of the internal organs of the four-footed animals slaughtered at the nearby institution. http://tour-guide-japan.jp/

This quasi-national bank was established to provide international financial support for Japan, which had begun to modernize and achieve economic development following the Meiji Restoration. As a foreign exchange system didn’t exist at that time, the main role of the bank was settlement in cash for international commerce. The bank was once a very prestigious institution, so much so that its president was considered a stepping stone to the position of the Governor of the Bank of Japan. However, it was dismantled by GHQ after the Second World War, and its functions were taken over by the Bank of Tokyo established in Tokyo at that time. The photo shows the old head office of the Yokohama Specie Bank, built in 1904, in Bashamichi, Yokohama City. This building is used now for Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Cultural History. This bank used to have 19 branch offices in Japan, mainly in big port towns, and foreign countries, mainly in China. 15 of 19 buildings survived and they are used for museums or offices of different financial institutions. http://tour-guide-japan.jp/

Tokyo’s meteorological data collection began at the first Tokyo Meteorological Observatory in Akasaka, Tokyo, in 1875. In accordance with the relocation of the meteorological observatory to Otemachi, Tokyo, in 1923, the data collection was carried out there till 2014. As this area is Japan’s largest business district, the data collection site was moved to a better place, on the green ground of Kitanomaru Park in 2014 to avoid an urban heat island effect as shown in the first photo. Kitanomaru Park is a big green zone as shown in the second photo. This park originally was a part of old Edo Castle, where successive shoguns' relative families lived. After the end of the samurai government, it once was used for the Imperial Guard Division and was converted into a public park after the end of the Second World War. Thanks to the ideal surroundings for the purpose, the meteorological facility works night and day to record important data of the metropolis. http://tour-guide-japan.jp/