Mitake forest and shrine

Rainy day hike around mountain called Mitake. Close to Tokyo and easy access with cable car, makes this place ideal destination on rainy day. On top (929 m) is famous Musashi Mitake Jinja shrine. In video, main shrine building is seen in red color and I was there when it was right in the clouds. In the yard are smaller shrines, which are devoted to specific topic, like for traffic safety, safety at home, for success in education and knowledge etc. See them in 360 degrees turn scene in shirne yard.

Further on hiked around nearby forest, where two waterfalls can be seen. Trail was muddy, forest was foggy, but the views were wonderful.

Mitake
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Video: Musashi Mitake Shrine and waterfalls in nearby forest


Image: Look on Musashi Mitake shrine


Image: Mythical dog guarding shrine entrance


Image: Low clouds made panorama views beautiful


Image: Forest is mysterious in the fog


Image: This rock looks a little bit like gorilla's head (friendly)

This place is located nearby Okutama valley. Here my previous post about trip to Okutama valley.

Access:
Train from Shinjuku to Tachikawa, then to Ome, change again for direction to Okutama. Closest station is Mitake. After getting out of station, bus stop is on the left and near big road (2-3 min walk). Bus goes to cable car station.

FYI:
In this area one hotspring is moegi no jou. It is near Okutama station - last stop of Okutama train line.

This place on the map. You can move around by draging mouse.

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Ohara hadaka matsuri 2007

This is naked mens festival in small town by the coast. Tradition of carrying mikoshi into the sea goes back to Edo period. There are around 19 Shinto shrines participating in the event.


Video: something from Ohara naked man festival. Caution: high volume sound here!

At the begining, mikoshi are gathered for a small ceremony. Interesting was to see that each team tried to throw mikoshi as high in the air as it could. After this ceremony, main event was on the beach. Many people gathered there, like there will be expected good rock concert. Police tried to control those crowds with laudspeakers and ropes. I got pretty good view even I arrived later.

Many people come to visit this festival. As you can see there is sea of cameras. Also, many foreign tourists come to see this event.


Image: Mikoshi in the sea


Image: Having some rest in car service station


Image: Many people took photo opportunity.

Access:
From Tokyo go to Chiba or Sobo station. Change to Sotobori line, which goes to Ohara station. Frequency of trains on Sotobori line is about 1-2 trains in an hour. Festival happens every year on 23rd, 24th September, but check it before going to be sure. There is nice beach near to town as well.

JATA World Travel Fair 2007

One of greatest travel fairs. Walking around there is like traveling around the world. Very good place to see travel marketing efforts of every country. This year's motto was "旅行の力をチャージしよう", which literally means "Lets charge our travel power". Don't ask me what is travel power, but charge has the same meaning as to fill-up, bring to full etc.

When entering exibition vistors were greeted with big board like in airports. Exibition was large and located in three halls in two floors - top for Asia, Japan and lower floor for other countries.


Image: Exibiton location board

Booths and exibition spaces were colorfuly decoraded. Middle East and Asian countries impressed with lights and smart appearance.


Image: Abu Dhabi and Pakistan exibition spaces


Image: Indians featured movies in their exibition space. Incredible !ndia sounds good marketing slogan

Many countries brought dancers and singers to Japan. Some hired local people to wear national dress or in other promotional activities. Many of Japanese visitors were ready to speak English.


Image: beautiful people and costumes from Brunei


Image: Dancing girls from Srilanka

There was one big stage for performances as well as bigger booths organized dances, music at their space. Here are some performances I captured:

JATA 2007
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Video: glimse on some of the performances. Included Malaysia twice - my favorite


Image: Ireland featured three mascots

I took photos of interesting people I have seen at exibition:


Image: These girls from Kenya booth, amazingly they also speak Swahili.


Image: Miss Guam Tourism has really nice smile


Image: Korean casino organized casino plays and they got a long queue waiting

Midland Square in Nagoya

Very tall building near Nagoya station. It is 247 m high with more than 44 floors. There is around-the-house panorama walkway on top, which starts at 44th and gradually descends to 42nd floor. Good view on city through glass windows, even elevator has glass windows, which gives maximum experience of the hight.

Nagoya doesn't have many high-rise buildings, except for area near Nagoya station. Nagoya station itself has two tall towers. Since new tall buildings are being built this area could become small Manhattan in the middle of Nagoya.


Image: Small model of Midland Square

Nagoya Midland square
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Video: Look from panorama floor


Nagoya can be seen far away. Here Nagoya castle in the middle of green park


Image: Midland Square got competitor

Access:
It is just accross Nagoya station. Link to Midland Square home page is here (in Japanese).

Midland Square on Google map. Move around this place by dragging with mouse.

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Meiji mura museum

This is museum of old houses of Meiji period (1868 - 1912) in Japan. Very beautiful place on hillside near lake. Houses are collected all over Japan and now they have over 67 houses, which ranges from completly Western till Japanese style. Museum exists for about 40 years and I saw new houses are being built.

Everything looks real here - houses, train, tram etc. Even food in cafes and restaurants are from that period. I saw matches placed on the table for smokers, while matches are very rarely or not at all used in Japan now.

Sometimes in the museum concerts are held in churches and halls. During my stay there, I listened to horn and singing performances. Very nice atmosphere and feels that it is not museum, but you actually have traveled back to that era.


Image: Whole streets have been recreated.

There are people through museum working in costumes of that Meiji era. For example, this police man has full Meiji era uniform. They are always ready to talk in Japanese and English about house they represent.


Image: Meiji era policaman infront of old police station. Mustasche is also real

There are also steam locomotive running, albeit its a short course - 800m oneway. Train runs all day in short intervals and is disconnected, turned and connected again at both ends.


Image: old steam locomotive for visitors enjoyment


Image: Looking out of train

Meiji mura museum
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Video: Here me overenjoying while riding steam locomotive

Natsume Soseki house
It was nice, Japanese house with tatami rooms and some musical instruments displayed. This in video is called biwa. I chatted with this old man and suddenly he started to play. This instrument came to Japan from Persia some 1200 years ago by Silk road. Now only two persons in Japan can make it. It is played just in concerts, not in events like weddings or banquets.


Image: Biwas inside Natsume Soseki house

Here is some short example how it sounds:


Video: sounding example of biwa instrument

Here are some examples of other buildings:

Image: Mie prefectural office


Image: Higashi-Yamanashi district office


Image: Areal view of sector 5. Tall building in background is head office of Kawasaki Bank


Image: Kitasato institute


Image: Also some traditonal houses are featured in museum. This gate was in backyard of old bank building

On the map are shown 5th stage. This can be seen from museum train. Drag your mouse on the map to see around this place. Rest of museum and entrace is on Southern direction.



Access:
There are few buses early morning from Meitetsu Nagoya station to museum (note: two big stations in the center of Nagoya - Meitetsu Nagoya station and JR Nagoya station, they are next to each other). Otherwise if you did not make to buses, Meitetsu railway train to Inuyama town and then bus to museum. It costs 1600 yen for museum, but its really worth every yen.

Typhon No 9

This is strongest typhoon I have experienced so far. Don't ask me why it is number nine. Very strong blasting wind at times (around 20-25 m/s) with much rain. On sea level barometer suggests low pressure - about the same as in altitude of 500m, 970 hPa.

Some train lines have stopped, airplanes don't fly and usually no ferries go into sea. In such strong wind, there is no need for umbrella, except if you want to fly with it like paragliders do. Anyway, everybody tries to stay dry and inside.


Image: Waves are very spectacular during typhon

It is not in evening, but just was little dark because of rain clouds.


Video: captured near ocean. It was raining much, but rain could not be seen so well