Miyazaki

Miyazaki in Kyushu probably has the consistently best

waves in Japan. If you enjoy big city life it might be a tough

place to live as it's a bit remote and slower paced. I loved it.

The profile of Miyazaki has recently been raised due

to their tireless celebrity Governor Higashikokubara,

a former comedian and TV presenter.

For more information on Governor Higashikokubara check out this

not completely flattering link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hideo_Higashikokubaru

Despite the incidents in his past he's

very popular and it seems like he's on TV virtually

everyday promoting something Miyazaki.

This is me on the overnight ferry in Osaka

Next stop Miyazaki.

Better surf than it looks. I don't know if the locals knew

something I didn't because they all were sitting on the

inside while me and one other guy had the outside

with good waves all to ourselves. Go figure.

Takachiho, Miyazaki

This is an important place in Japanese mythology.

It is where the founding god of Japan supposedly

descended from heaven. Many of the local shrines

have regular performances of the Japanese creation myth.

If I remember correctly this is Takachiho Shrine.

Takachiho Gorge, Miyazaki

Kyoto

I usually go to Kyoto three or four times a year. It's a great place

to see in the different seasons although mid-summer and

mid-winter are both pretty brutal. Of course the major temples

are usually quite crowded but it's fairly easy to find beautiful

out of the way places that still retain the Kyoto "hannari" atmosphere.

Hannari, as far as I understand it, means a kind of elegant beauty.

Anyone who has ever been to Kyoto has (or should have) this exact same photo!

Kinkakuji/The Golden Pavilion

Koto-in at Diatokuji Temple 京都のちょっとした穴場

Lanterns at Yasaka Jinja Gion, Kyoto

The lanterns have the names of companies or people

who have made contributions to the temple

Kiyomizu Temple, Kyoto

There is a famous Japanese saying that when you do something risky,

take a big chance on something or take a leap into the unknown you are

"Jumping off the platform at Kiyomizu Temple"

『清水舞台から飛び降りる』

That's the platform behind me. Of course, really jumping

off it would probably be fatal.

Geisha trainees called "Maiko" and a local pensioner

No doubt they are talking baseball or sharing stock tips.

何について話しているかな？

Nagasaki

A city famous the world over due to having been

the second city to suffer an atomic bomb attack.

A pretty city in a beautiful setting with a long history

of contact with the outside world. Nagasaki was one of

only places in Japan that maintained some contact with

western countries when Japan was largely closed to the

outside world. This is me relaxing and waiting for my tea

to come at a small museum in Nagasaki's Chinatown.

This is a photo from a house in Glover

garden where some of the wealthy western traders

lived when Japan opened back up to the west in the

late 19th century. The weather wasn't the best that day

but maybe you can get a sense of the scenery of

the city and it's wonderful setting on the harbor. This is

looking toward the city while to the left the

harbor eventually opens up to the open sea.

Dejima is the very small

island in the harbor on which the Dutch traders were housed.

This photo is of the inside of what a Dutch traders house

on Dejima might have looked like; it's an interesting

combination of Japanese and western styles.

My favorite part of Nagasaki was the quiet and atmospheric Chinatown

(at least it was on the days I was there).