George Mueller's Travel Blog: 2015

JAPAN

Mount Fuji-san

富士山

Even from Tokyo Japan's highest mountain (3776 m) can be seen on a clear day 100 km away. Japan's holy mountain is a place of scenic beauty. The symetrical cone has inspired artists and poets alike. The mountain is climbed by about 300'000 persons per year.

Tokyo Skytree, TV and Radio Tower, 634m high

東京スカイツリー

Mount Fuji the magic mountain seen from Tokyo in a distance

The great wave (Tsunami) off Kanagawa by Hokusai (about 1830) with Mount Fuji in the focus.

The Geisha

芸者

Skilled in discussion, dance, poetry and calligraphy, impeccably dressed, combed and made up, an attempt to present the perfection of a woman as a men's personal entertainer.

Calligraphy

書道

Introduction to writing Kanji characters

Tokyo

東京

Capital of Japan since Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu transferred the government from Kyoto to Tokyo (then Edo) in 1603. Today Tokyo is the most populous metropolitan area in the world. About 37 Million (30% of Japan's 127 Mio) live in this area. 50 of the Fortune 500 largest companies are in Tokyo. For travellers it is one of the best city experiences you can have and Tokyo is the city with most Michelin stars of any city in the world.

Imperial Palace, Tokyo

皇居

The current Imperial Palace is located on the former site of Edo Castle the seat of the Tokugawa shogun who ruled Japan from 1603 until 1867. In 1868, the shogunate was overthrown, and the country's capital and Imperial Residence were moved from Kyoto to Tokyo. In 1888 construction of a new Imperial Palace was completed. The palace was once destroyed during World War Two, and rebuilt in the same style, afterwards. The palace is not open to the public except on January 2 for the New Year's Greeting and December 23 for the Emperor's Birthday, visitors are able to enter the palace grounds and the members of the Imperial Family sometimes make a public appearance on the balcony.

Kyoto

京都市

Nijo Castle

二条城

The construction of the Nijo Castle was initiated by in 1601 by Tokugawa Ieyasu as the Kyoto residence of the Tokugawa Shoguns. The castle has two concentric rings of fortifications, protected by a wall and a wide moat. An interesting feature of the Ninomaru Palace are the "nightingale floors" in the corridors. For protection the floors of the corridors were constructed to squeak like birds when intruders would walk on them. One of the seventeen assets of Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto which have been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Fushimi Inari-taisha, Kyoto

伏見稲荷大社

one of the heighest ranked Imperial shrines is located in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto. The shrine is famous for its path lined with thousands of torii leading up the mountain to the inner shrine.

Byodoin Temple, Uji

平等院

Temple built in 1052 by Fujiwara no Yorimichi then Chief Advisor to the Emperor. The Amida Hall or the Phoenix Hall displays an opulent seated statue of Amitabha Tathagata (celestial Buddha) sculpted by Jocho, the most highly regarded master sculptor of Buddhist images of the Heian Period.
The building, with its Buddhist images constructed nearly 1,000 years ago, is is listed as a World Heritage Site. The museum displays 52 wooden Worshiping Bodhisattvas on clouds. The temple is also featured on the 10 yen coin.

Todaji Temple, Nara

東大寺

The temple's beginning can be dated to 724. The current building was finished in 1709 after a great fire and houses the Great Buddha Hall with the world's largest wooden statue of the Buddha Vairocana known in Japanese as Daibutsu.