日本の一年間 – One Year Japan

This Blog is intended for sharing the experiences I will make and the impressions I will gain during my ten-month stay in Japan. From April 2013 on, there are going to be regular posts containing pictures and information mainly concerning the Kyōto area and its environs. As English is not my native language (unfortunately), please forgive me if there are some mistakes. All posted photos were taken by myself. If not so, there will be a source given. I furthermore do not take responsibility for any of the links I might post, as they are external content which I cannot have any influence on.

[yadawara]

Seoul’s skyline (at least a small part of it)

[yadawara]

Update

It’s already been nine months since the last post, which surprised me quite a bit. Nevertheless, the blog isn’t dead, I just had a ton of stuff going on. :) During the next week, I’ll upload some pictures I took in Korea last week. While I know that the blog is mainly about Kyōto and Japan, it still was a unique experience and I would like to share it.

[yadawara]

For all those of you who are interested in Classical Japanese; you might want to have a look at this new app allowing you to study hentaigana anywhere and any time.

[meyer-sensei]

京都のあきまへん

京都への外国人観光客は嬉しいことに増えていますが、京都の観光をより快適に楽しく過ごしてもらうために知っておいていただきたいルールもあります。例えば土足で畳に上がる、帽子やサングラスをしたまま参拝するなどの「あきまへん」は、もしかしたら文化・風習が違うために知らない方も多いのかもしれません。 日本人でもドキッとするかも

„Please check a list of manners in Kyoto and enjoy your stay more!“

[meyer-sensei]

ノスタルジックな光景が今も数多く残る京都。子供の頃の記憶が思い起こされるポエムとともに、京阪沿線に残る昔懐かしい光景に出会える場所をご紹介します。

[yadawara]

京都散策　明治末〜大正初期 - Exploring Kyoto    From the end of Meiji to the Beginning of Taishō

This is a collection of photos taken at various places in Kyōto between 1870 and 1915 and made accessible by the Google Cultural Institute. For those interested in history, why not have a look? It’s in Japanese, but you still have the pictures to look at, if you cannot read the characters.

[yadawara]

Ōsaka nights (6)

[yadawara]

Ōsaka nights (5)

[yadawara]

Ōsaka nights (4)

[yadawara]

Ōsaka nights (3)

Shin-sekai and the Hitachi Tower.

[yadawara]

Ōsaka nights (2)

The Glico signboard in this picture is still the old one. It has been replaced since the picture was taken about a year ago.

[yadawara]

Ōsaka nights (1)

[meyer-sensei]

The deep, shiny luster of black or dark red lacquerware, often gorgeously decorated with gold and silver or inlaid with mother-of-pearl, is a Japanese handicraft form that has long fascinated the world. No other application style can match the deep hues and smoothness of Japanese lacquer (urushi in Japanese). Lacquerware stands as one of the most distinctive forms of Japanese beauty. Read more…

[yadawara]

Kyōto is World’s Best City (again)

So Kyōto has been named world’s best city two years in a row. It doesn’t surprise me at all, but anyway, I thought I’d share the happy news. ^^

[yadawara]

A photo blog about Japan between the 1860s and 1930s with rare vintage photographs of a traditional Japan that has long since dissapeared. Discover how and why Japan changed.

[yadawara]

A maiko surrounded by photographers, Kitano-Tenmangū Shrine, February 2014

[yadawara]

Plum blossom at Kitano-Tenmangū Shrine, February 2014