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The location of this art museum is where Katsushika Hokusai, a towering figure in the world of Ukiyo-e woodblock prints, spent most of his life from the 18 th  to the 19 th century.  Known all over the world by the masterpiece in the second photo, his numerous artworks had a significant influence on the Impressionist painters in Europe.  Such as Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, Edgar Degas and Gustave Moreau adopted adventurous perspective for their own basic composition.  Compared to the oil paintings in Europe before Impressionism in the 19 th  century, those works of Impressionism are very popular among Japanese people because there is remarkable similarity between Ukiyo-e and their works.  It is also said that the major Impressionists were enthusiastic collectors of Ukiyo-e.  This art museum focuses on the artworks of Hokusai and the number of the collections reaches over 1,000 works.  The uniquely designed building in the first photo is by Sejima Kazuyo, a famous architect in Japan. As the elevation around here is almost zero meters, the storage for the precious masterpieces is located above the second floor of the building just in case of flooding. http://tour-guide-japan.jp/

Miidera Buddhist Temple and nearby Enryakuji Buddhist Temple came into conflict with each other over the originator of the Tendai sect Buddhism in the first half of the 13 th  century.  Benkei, a strong and combative Buddhist monk of Enryakuji Temple, commanded many monk soldiers to attack Miidera and burnt down most buildings of it. Having to do with this legend, a merchant who sold sweet rice-cake to the visitors appeared in the grounds of the temple advertising that you would be strong like Benkei with this sweet rice cake.  Since then, in the 17 th  century, the sweet rice-cake has become the well-known specialty of the temple.  The rice-cake was sold at an arbor named *Ema-do as shown in the second photo in the second half of the 19 th century.  *Ema-do is a small hall to display many votive wooden tablets painted with a picture of a horse, presented as a prayer. However, it is sold at a teahouse as shown in the third photo now.  The Ema-do was designated as an important cultural asset recently.     I tried this rice-cake with a cup of green tea at the teahouse.  It was good, but I’ve not felt to be strong like Benkei yet. http://tour-guide-japan.jp/

This bridge was named after the place names of both ends of the bridge, KIYOsumi and nakaSU, at that time.  As a symbolic work of rebuilding and rehabilitation after the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923, the bridge was constructed together with Eitai Bridge 1 kilometer downstream from here.  It was elaborately designed putting importance on seismic resistance so that it can be durable against massive quakes coming next.  The steel materials for battleships were chosen for that reason.  As to design, it was with reference to Deutzer Bridge, a suspension bridge in Cologne, Germany.  Kiyosu Bridge, 186 meters long and 22 meters wide, was designated as an important cultural asset together with Eitai Bridge rebuilt in 1926 and Kachidoki Bridge built in 1940, both of which also span the Sumida. They are all beautifully lit up in the night as shown in the photo. http://tour-guide-japan.jp/

According to the history book of the temple, it originated from when the monks built a small temple by a pine tree with graceful branches beside springs.　The springs still exists by the Honden main building of the temple, and the pine tree, 2 meters in trunk circumference and 10 meters high, stands extending branches for about 20 meters in the four cardinal directions. It’s said that the entire view of the pine looks like a dragon as shown in the first photo.  The tree is supposed to be 500 years old, which is one of the oldest pine trees in Tokyo.  The people in Edo, present time Tokyo, began to worship the temple in the 18 th  century, thus the main approach gradually became bustling.  As for now, the 200-meter-long main approach, lined with many old shops such as restaurants, souvenir stores and sweet parlors, leads to the temple as shown in the second photo.  After the Meiji period, when Japan’s modernization started, the temple was repeatedly depicted as a scene of novels and films.  Since, it is a nationally well-known temple now. http://tour-guide-japan.jp/

Shinto festivals are held mainly in spring and autumn in Japan.  These festivals are to pray for a good harvest or to give thanks for the harvest.  Mikoshi is used for these festivals.  It is believed that a Shinto spirit, usually existing in the main building of a Shinto shrine, temporarily moves to a Mikoshi during a festival.  The locals parade through the streets in the neighborhood shouldering a Mikoshi with a Shinto spirit on, to entertain the spirit while spreading divine favor over there.  Generally speaking, there are two types of Mikoshi, one of which is shouldered and the other one is with wheels to be pulled.  The details of the Mikoshi are different from place to place and the number of them belonging to a Shinto shrine also ranges from one to many.  Even in the heart of big cities like Tokyo and Osaka, a Mikoshi parading on the streets can be seen as shown in the photo.  Japan’s old tradition still remains here and there in the urban areas. http://tour-guide-japan.jp/

Lake Biwa, with an area of 669 square kilometers, perimeter of 235 kilometers, maximum depth of 103 meters and water reserves of 28 cubic kilometers, is Japan’s largest lake by a decisive lead.  About 450 rivers and streams flow into the lake from surrounding mountains and hills, and just one river, the Yodo, flows out from the southern tip of the lake.  The Yodo runs for 75 kilometers through Kyoto Prefecture and Osaka City toward Osaka Bay.  About 40 ponds connected with narrow waterway were found along the lakeshore, but about 15 ponds have disappeared by reclamation work since the end of the Second World War.  A residence of an emperor was set up in Otsu, lying along the southern shore of the lake, in the 7 th century, then Kyoto, just 10 kilometers west of Otsu, became a capital city of Japan in the 8 th  century, in addition Osaka, just 55 kilometers south of Kyoto, prospered as the largest commercial city in Japan in early-modern times.  Thus, the lake was depicted so often from olden times in poetry, novels, paintings and performing arts as a leading picturesque scenery in the country.  In this connection, a famous Japanese saying “Isogaba Maware”, meaning “More haste, less speed”, stems from a verse in the 16 th century depicting the water route of the lake.  When people traveled to Kyoto, it was usually faster to use a boat crossing the lake.  But once a strong wind hit the lake, the boat service was necessarily suspended.  In this case, it was faster to take a longer land route along the lakeshore instead. http://tour-guide-japan.jp/

Japan produced many kinds of warplanes until the end of the Second World War, though GHQ for the Allied Powers strictly banned it after the war.  GHQ also prohibited aircraft-related study at universities in Japan.  After Japan’s sovereignty was recovered in 1951, a national project for Japan-made passenger airplanes was established.  Many technical experts focusing on warplanes before and during the war were summoned for the project.  YS-11 was the fruit of the project and the maiden flight of it was in 1962.  Being designed too stoutly since it was planned by the former engineers for warplanes, the body was heavier and the cost was higher than other passenger airplanes in the world.  But thanks to its good performance of short takeoff and landing, 182 planes were sold for the route between small cities in Japan as well as in developing countries.  On the other hand, as the cost reduction effort reached to the very limit, it was driven into the end of production in 1982.  Only three YS-11 are flying now as spy planes of the Air Self-Defense Force of Japan.  The photo shows a static preservation of YS-11 in the Tokorozawa Aviation Memorial Park, the old site of Japan’s first airport in 1911, in Saitama Prefecture. http://tour-guide-japan.jp/

Old Kudan-Kaikan was built by the association of reservists of Japan as a commemorative project for the enthronement of the Emperor Hirohito, a grandfather of the present Emperor Naruhito, in 1928.  Completed in 1934, it mainly was used for the military training and accommodation for the army reserves till the end of the Second World War.  After the war, it was confiscated by GHQ for their accommodation under the name of Army Hall.  Returned to Japan, thereafter, it was rent to Japan War-Bereaved Association for free of charge and was operated by them as a hotel ceremonial hall.  Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011 unfortunately hit Tokyo involving many casualties attending a ceremony held in this building.  This tragedy triggered the reconstruction plan of building.  The building, with a unique façade called Teikan-Style peculiar to Japan at that time, is one of the architectural masterpieces in the country, so they elaborately designed the reconstruction plan leaving the original exterior walls as much as possible.  The new building substantially is a modern building but it looks like the old one. http://tour-guide-japan.jp/

The historic Matsuda-ya Hotel, established in 1675, stands in Yuda Onsen hot springs in the heart of Yamaguchi City, the prefectural capital of Yamaguchi Prefecture.  Yamaguchi City used to be the government office of the Choshu domain in the second half of feudal years, so it became the most important meeting place to plan the strategy to overthrow the Tokugawa shogunate.  Because the Choshu domain, present time Yamaguchi Prefecture, formed an alliance with the Satsuma domain, present time Kagoshima Prefecture, to cope with the Tokugawa feudal government in the 19 th century.  Hence, they finally sat the major seats like prime minister and other ministries of the Meiji new government.  They frequently gathered at Matsuda-ya secretly, so there are many traces of them around this hotel.  The Japanese garden in the first photo originally was a dry landscape garden though, it was totally redesigned by Ogawa Jihei the 7 th , a well-known master landscape gardener in Kyoto, under the felp of Yamagata Aritomo, a prime minister from the Choshu domain.  Yamagata, having excellent gardening idea, is said to have given Ogawa helpful advice about Japanese garden. The second photo shows the hut in the garden named Nanshu-tei, which was used for a meeting place with Saigo Takamori, Okubo Toshimichi and Kido Koin, who are from the Satsuma domain and the Choshu domain.  They are well-known political heroes in Japan in the 19 th  century. http://tour-guide-japan.jp

Quality ceramic ware like Arita ware and Imari ware has been produced in the vicinity of Karatsu region since the 16 th century.  These products were collected here by river water transport to deriver by cargo boats all over the country and even to Western countries.  Among these products, quality earthen ware was highly reputed as tea utensils in Japan and white porcelain was very much prized in Western countries.  The name of Karatsu was globally known as a byword for quality ceramic ware.  When a castle was built here was in 1608.  Terasawa Hirotaka, a newly appointed feudal lord, built the castle at the present site.  He also developed an urban area adjacent to the castle, while bolstering the function of sea transport by changing the flow route of the Matsuura River direct to the Bay of Karatsu as shown in the second photo.  In addition, he built a windbreak with so many pine trees along the coast on the west of the castle.  The windbreak remains now and is a popular sightseeing spot for the locals under the name of “Niji-no- Matsubara” literally meaning a rainbow pine grove.   In this connection, the castle tower in the first photo was built in 1966, which didn’t originally stand but was built just for tourism. http://tour-guide-japan.jp/

Emperor Taisho Yoshihito, a great grandfather of present time Emperor Naruhito, was sickly by nature.  Three Imperial villas were built for him to avoid winter coldness and summer heat in Tokyo.  The Numazu Imperial Villa by the sea in Shizuoka Prefecture was built for him as a winter residence because Numazu area has a wild climate even in winter.  The main building was built in 1893, when he was the Crown Prince, and many buildings were additionally built, thereafter, to be counted 100 rooms in total in its best time.  During the Second World War, however, the original main building was reduced to ashes in the fierce air raids.  The Imperial villa without the main building was used by the Imperial families until 1969, then the right of ownership was transferred to Numazu municipality.  It is now opened to the public as a park run by the municipality.  In this connection, Emperor Showa Hirohito, the grand father of present time Emperor Naruhito, lived here in his childhood.  Hence, he was very much fond of the villa.  In fact, he stayed here so many times over 50 years after the coronation. http://tour-guide-japan.jp/

The museum, built in 1959, owns a variety of western art collected by Matsukata Kojiro, who was a president of present time Kawasaki Heavy Industries, before the Second World War.  His vast collection of western art, the so-called Matsukata Collection, mainly consists of Impressionists works, and most of them were left in France at that time.  The French government confiscated them right after the war as Japan gave up the war.  In response to the return request from the Japanese government, the French authorities decided to return them, but insisted on the condition that a new museum capable of housing and displaying them should be built.  Hence, the museum designed by Le Corbusier was built in Ueno.  After a full-scale seismic retrofit work in 1998, it was designated as a national important cultural property in 2007.  In 2016, thereafter, it was placed on the World Heritage List as one of the masterpieces by the architectural giant.  The original purpose of the museum was just for the Matsukata Collection though, the museum has advanced to purchase additional western art.  So, it has completed systematic western art collection from the Renaissance times to the Early-modern times. The second photo shows “The Gate of Hell” by Auguste Rodin standing in the front yard of the museum , which is one of the seven copies in the world. http://tour.guide.japan.jp/