Japan

Always look on the bright side!

Happy tuna was smiling away cos he fetched a high price at the Tsukiji Fish Market... Didn't die in vain! =D

Tokyo, Japan (13 November 2004)

Aesthetically and gastronomically pleasing Tako at Tsukiji Fish Market, Tokyo, Japan (13 November 2004).

The photo speaks volumes of the freshness of the catch of the day. =)

Slaughterhouse! =D

Gory scene at Tsukiji Market where bodies of multiple victims had been uncovered. The known weapon that was used to mutilate the bodies was also found at the scene. Cause of death: Suffocation. *Tongue in cheek* Hahaha the reasoning for such a description is the result of watching too much CSI on TV. =D

Tokyo, Japan (13 November 2004)

The New York of Japan! =)

Odaiba, Tokyo, Japan (16 November 2004)

Frozen... It was so cold that I just wanted to "Let It Go" (with reference to the famous soundtrack of the cartoon "Frozen").... AHHHHHHHH! =D

This place is one of the coldest places I have ever visited. The moment I alighted at the bus stop, I just wanted to go straight back onto the bus and stay there. The strong freezing wind which created huge waves on the nearby Lake Chuzenji showed us no mercy, and left no part of our bodies unpierced. I truly felt my innards curdling!  And to demonstrate the coldness further, when I took out my handphone from the warmth of my bag and positioned it to snap a photo of this waterfall, it decided to hibernate! Really smartphone! =D

Kegon Falls, Nikko National Park, Japan (28 December 2005)

Winter Wonderland in Yumoto Onsen, Nikko National Park, Japan (28 December 2005)

This is Yunodaira Marshland where most of the town's hot water bubbles up from the ground. Even heat from the hot water cannot melt the snow covering the marshland fast enough!

Close encounter with the monkey god "Sun Wukong" (from "Journey to the West") at the mountains of Arashiyama.  Didn't stop and stare too long at him in case he produced his weapon, Ruyi Jingu Bang! =D

Monkey Park Iwatayama, Kyoto, Japan (24 December 2006)

Closer...

A pair of touchy-feely Japanese Macaque monkeys in Iwatayama Monkey Park, Kyoto, Japan (24 December 2006)

Sitting on the fence...

Iwatayama Monkey Park, Kyoto, Japan (24 December 2006) with a panoramic view of Kyoto.

Snow monkey waiting for her massage appointment after a therapeutic session in a monkeys only onsen. =D
Weather condition: Light snow.

Jigokudani Yaen-koen, Yudanaka, Nagano, Japan (28 December 2006)

Here is an accompanying video of my time spent in Jigokudani Yaen-koen, Yudanaka, Nagano, Japan (28 December 2006):

Iconic Osaka Signboard!

This Glico Man neon signboard next to to the Dōtonbori canal is synonymous with Osaka, Japan (5 December 2008). It's hard to miss the bright lights!

Frozen Heart...

It was extremely cold walking to this heart-shaped waterfall, Hirayu Otaki. Along the way, I slipped on ice and fell no less than 5 times during my 20-minute cautious walk to this waterfall. The waterfall was already semi-frozen. It is among the top 3 falls in Hida.

Okuhida, Japan (6 December 2008)

The look of cold...

This was the scenery I saw while our bus was crossing a bridge enroute to Takayama from Shin-Hotaka, Japan (6 December 2008).

Cloud shadows...

Clouds casting their shadows on the snowy mountains. Taken on a moving bus while on our way from Shin-Hotaka to Takayama, Japan (6 December 2008).

Standing on hell (a live volcano) but feeling like somewhere between heaven and earth on Mt Aso, Japan (8 December 2008). It was one of those waterlogged days... rain from above, huge puddles below, rain on my face, everywhere. I remember thinking as I sat at the bus station at the foot of Mt Aso, "What could I possibly see up there when the entire mountain is blocked from view by clouds?". And here was the reply.

Sky habitat...

The background is made up of clouds against the face of a nearby mountain. Perhaps it might give the horses the feeling of living in the clouds at the altitude they were at. This photo was taken when my bus was descending Mt Aso, the largest active volcano in Japan (8 December 2008).

Mystical reflections...

Itsukushima Shrine at low tide in Miyajima, Japan (9 December 2008)

The two symbols of Miyajima, Japan (9 December 2008).

A tangible link to the ravages of war...

This is the Atomic Bomb Dome, formerly the Prefecture Industry Promotion Hall and one of the few buildings that remained standing after the Atomic Bomb unleashed its power on 6 August 1945.

Hiroshima, Japan (10 December 2008)

A wheel with a view...

Riding on a public bus along the Kobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway and just crossing the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge from Kobe, I saw this ferris wheel ahead. I think the bus's tinted glass provided a really good filter against the sun. =)

Awaji Island, Japan (11 December 2008)

In the eye of the whirlpool...

Always thought that whirlpools are one of the scariest and most mysterious things out there in the sea. What if a boat gets sucked into a whirlpool? Does it twirl round and round, down into the trough and disappear into another world, like in the "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea"? I found out it was not at all like what was depicted in these stories. It was like tumbling dry in a washing machine set to the lowest speed! And I am still here! =D

Naruto Whirlpools, Shikoku, Japan (11 December 2008)

Here is a video of the Naruto Whirlpools, Japan that I have filmed on 11 December 2008:

Sharpening the claws!

This kitty looks ready to pounce on someone and scratch his eyes out! 

Taken at a cat cafe in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, Japan (13 December 2008).

Para Para Sakura...

Ueno Park, Tokyo, Japan (27 March 2010)

Amanohashidate, meaning "Bridge in the Heaven", is one of Japan's three most scenic views (1 April 2010).

To view the sand bar as a "bridge in the heaven", turn your back towards the bay, bend over and look at it from between your legs. According to the HK ghost movies that I watched when I was a kid, when you bend over and look behind from between your legs, you see ghosts. Fortunately that was not the case here! Hahaha =D

Admiring hanami, the Japanese way...

A picnic at the park is the way to go in admiring the beautiful cherry blossoms (hanami) in Japan.

Ueno Park, Tokyo, Japan (4 April 2010)