Gundam is quite an impressive sight towering over surrounding trees and appearing to be larger than the buildings on the horizon.   At intervals he turns his head in each direction as his laser beam eyes scan the crowd below before finally looking upward as steam is emitted from the jet packs on his heals and back and look so be set to fly off to the heavens on his next mission.

Based on the popular anime and manga series, the name is a combination of the English word “gun” and the last syllable of the word “freedom”, and is not a person but a “mobile suit”  that is operated from a cockpit in the located in the torso of the suit by a real person who is aided by technology to guide Gundam in the fight against injustice and for freedom.

Other great Gundam images online:

• the view from japan – he will fight for them
• imorpheus on Flickr – Gundam
• Shibuya246 – Gundam, Odaiba

Image Credit:  Personal Collection

Sitting peacefully on the grounds of Kotoku-in in the hills to the southwest of Kamakura station this weathered bronze statue was erected in 1252, weighs in at 121 tons, and stands over 13 meters (42 feet) tall.

The statue has survived earthquakes, fires and was swept away, unharmed, along with its surrounding structure by a tidal wave wave in 1498.

Today the Daibutsu sits in the open air on an earthquake proof foundation and will likely preside peacefully over the area for hundreds of years to come.

Admission to Kotoku-in is a modest Y200 and for and additional Y20 you can take the narrow stairway into the heart of Buddha to explore the inside of this imposing structure.

Image Credit:  Personal Collection

Not wanting to go blind in my shooting eye, I decided to leave my big digital camera and 500mm lens at home. I’d use a tripod and my first digital camera (Panasonic DMC-FZ50) for a few good reasons. It’s already had close to 200,000 shots made and probably wasn’t designed for over half that activity. It also has an LCD screen that can be twisted in almost any direction you want and would keep me from looking directly at the sun. Finally, it’s a pretty light-weight gadget that I could throw in a holster and sling over my shoulder. That would keep both my hands free to do some rock-climbing.

Rock-Climbing! If I was gonna risk my eyes on the photo of the century, might as well risk life and limb, too!   So, I slung the camera holster and tripod over my shoulder about an hour before the big event and started climbing. There’s a trail going up the hill, but I knew I’d have to leave it and climb sharp coral rocks to get myself in the position I wanted. Peeking at the sun as many times as I could stand it, I kept climbing…

The sky was starting to darken, just as I knew I was at the exact spot I needed to be for my million dollar shot. The only problem was there wasn’t enough room for me and the tripod on the ledge. Something had to give up space. The tripod won’t stand on two legs, but I could stand on one!

So, as a precaution, I used the strap of my holster to tie myself to a tree. That way I could let one foot dangle off the cliff while I bent over to view the LCD screen and make exposure adjustments. Thirty-one shots later, knees, legs, elbows and hands scratched and bleeding, eyes feeling like I was tortured with high-beams, I was headed home feeling like I outdid Ansel Adams!

The shots didn’t turn out quite the way I had hoped but at least I can say I was there and have the photos that I risked my life over to prove it!

Where were you during the 21st century total eclipse of the sun? In an air-conditioned home watching it on TV? That’s what I plan on doing, next time around!

This is what the 2009 Eclipse looked like from Okinawa on July 22, 2009:

After partaking our fill of great matsuri food and beer amongst the other revelers we decided to wander through that alleys of Kagurazaka to get away from the crowds along the festive and bustling Kagurazaka Slope.

The sounds of festival music echoed in the background as we began to explore the smaller streets and alleyways of this historic part of Tokyo.  Navigating the area off the main street is a pleasurable jaunt through maze-like paths that twist and turn and where small, romantically lit, restaurants sit side by side with large elegantly appointed Japanese homes – were they ultra-exclusive ryotei, Geisha houses, that still operate in the area and have done for over a hundred years?  As I strolled past, I admit to thinking about the wealthy Japanese men who at that very moment might be enjoying some fine nihonshu (sake) and an evening of Geisha entertainment.

Other establishments looked equally posh but some looked very inviting and a place where, if we hadn’t been so full, we might have popped in for an after dinner cocktail and some tsumami (traditional Japanese hors d-oeuvres).

Kagurazaka is a great area to explore day or night, but in the evening the area evokes a special feeling that is somehow lost during the daylight hours.  It may not be on most peoples list of things to do in Tokyo but for me it ranks as one of the better places to take a stroll on a relaxing summer evening in the city.

This and other great images of Japan can be found in The Nihon Sun Japan Photo Gallery.

Image Credit:  Personal Collection

In Hugh’s own words:

Construction work in Japan should be seen as fun, it appears. As well as the uniformed guards with white gumboots, lanyards, and whistles, who stand in front of closed (and locked) gates to stop random passers-by from attempting to go through and throw themselves under a bulldozer, and the pink or purple clown trousers worn by many construction workers, there is an element of playfulness in many items of equipment. Cranes decorated as giraffes, and purple backhoes are among the offerings on many construction sites.

But these frogs brought me up short when I saw them near Shimbashi. I’ve never seen anything quite so wonderful in such an incongruous context for a long time. They were asking to be photographed, so I did so, and they all smiled nicely at me. Now you’d never dream of crossing that line, would you?

The View From Japan is a community photo blog where ten photographers from around Japan share their views with you.  From the traditional to the modern and from architecture to people and events, the photographers all make their home in Japan and offer a different perspective of life in Japan through their lenses.  Stop by and take in the view…

The fish roe melts in your mouth, the nori is crisp and flavorful and sushi tastes great even at 7:30AM after a tour of the market and tuna auction.  It’s a highly recommended dining experience in Tokyo!

Sushi for breakfast may not be everyone’s idea of good dining but it’s a dining experience in Tokyo that I highly recommend.  The streets of around Tsukiji are filled with closed shops on most afternoons but the market area is a beehive of activity in the early morning with lorries, bicycles and fish carts weaving about the streets narrowly missing pedestrians daring enough to wander about.

The stalls are filled with the freshest seafood, as you might expect, but also an amazing variety of dried seafood, pickled & fresh vegetables as well as tea, other condiments, dishes and cooking supplies.  Many stand up bars offer all sorts of culinary treats including ramen, tempura and grilled unagi (eel) for diners that may want options other than sushi.

More about the market itself and a suggested overnight itinerary with do’s and don’ts for your visit after I have had a chance to wade through the hundreds of photos that I took and get over yesterdays 4:30AM wake up call.

If you too would like to have sushi for breakfast then try one of the  Sushi Zanmai restaurants in the Tsukiji area – you won’t be disappointed!

Tsukiji Update: Photos and information about visiting the Tsukiji Morning Market & the Tsukiji Tuna Auction.

Image Credit:  Personal Collection

The path to the shrine itself is usually a peaceful portal even if it is the midst of a bustling city.  As you reach the end of the path you likely will pass by a purification fountain where worshippers stop to cleanse themselves before heading the the main hall of the shrine to pray.  (To learn more about the etiquette of visiting a shrine in Japan take a moment to read Purity & Prayer at Japanese Shrines.)

In addition to what one might refer to as a traditional prayer, worshipers often write their prayers on tiny white strips of paper and leave them tied to a sacred tree or to a special structure.  The white paper strips present an accumulation of the wishes of many and is a sight I often stop to ponder for a moment.

Worshipers may also purchase ema (wooden prayer plaques) and write their message on the back before leaving it behind.

The scene pictured on the left is not quite typical and one of those vignettes.  In addition to the colorful ema of Kameido Tenjin, there are also groupings of 1,000 paper cranes hanging in a silent wish that is traditionally made for peace.

I can spend hours wandering about the nooks and crannies of almost any shrine precincts and am rarely disappointed in the view.

This and other great images of Japan can be found in The Nihon Sun Japan Photo Gallery.

Image Credit:  Personal Collection

The small wooden Daruma pictured above were found on the grounds of the Zuiganji Temple in Matsushima, Miyagi Prefecture.  Look closely and you will notice that each one is hand painted and carries a unique facial expression.

Daruma come in many forms, but the most common ones are bright red in color, made of paper mache and sold with the pupils left blank.  When you get one you should make a wish and draw in one of the pupils (usually the right) and when your wish comes true it is time to draw in the other pupil.  Daruma come in other colors as well with red symbolizing good luck, white representing purification and new birth and blue representing the vitality of the spirit.

The fact the that these Daruma have both eyes painted is symbolic of the persistence and dedication required by those who achieved their wishes and left their dolls at the temple in thanks.

Matsushima is considered one of the three most scenic spots in Japan and is located in the Tohoku region of Japan.  The Zuiganji Temple was built in 1609 and is one of Japan’s national treasures.

This and other great images of Japan can be found in The Nihon Sun Japan Photo Gallery.

One such statue is Jizo, the Buddhist divinity known as patron saint of expectant mothers, children, firemen, travelers and pilgrims.  In Japan Jizo is also considered the guardian of unborn, aborted, miscarried, and stillborn babies. 

A common sight at temples around Japan, somber and pensive statues of Jizo are often adorned with a bright red bib and hat that fades to orange over time and exposure to the elements.    On many occasions I have witnessed people pausing for a moment of prayer in front of Jizo and leaving a few Yen at his feet or placed upon his body – I often wonder if they have lost a child and silently say a little prayer of my own wishing them peace.

Matsushima is considered on of the three most scenic spots in Japan and is located in the Tohoku region of Japan.  Visit Miyagi Tourist online search to find our how to visit Oshima Island.

This and other great images of Japan can be found in The Nihon Sun Japan Photo Gallery.

Today, statues and images of Kobo Daishi abound in Japan and many believe that he has been in a state of perpetual meditation since his death in 835 and that he continues to provide relief to those who seek salvation.

“Kobo Daishi is known as the father of Japanese culture. He is renowned for his talents as a teacher, engineer, inventor, poet, calligrapher and for creating the first public school in Japan.”
Source: Kobo Daishi & Koyasan

The site of Kobo Daishi’s seminary and school, Koyasan, is part of the “Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range” (more commonly known as the Shikoku Eighty-eight Temples Pilgrimage), one of Japan’s fourteen UNESCO as a World Heritage sites.

The statue of Kobo Daishi pictured above is typical and was found on the grounds of a temple near Nippori in Tokyo.  It represents how he would have looked as he made the Shikoku pilgrimage: a robed monk with his sleeping mat tied to his back, wearing a straw hat and carrying a walking stick and a small bowl to collect offerings along the route.

Image Credit: Personal Collection