Kurashiki before dawn

The Kurashiki preserved area, still quiet but soon lively with visitors.

Kurashiki snaps

Many attractive stores with proud owners stand in kurashiki. This store sells masking tapes made in kurashiki and still produced there and its vicinities. It also holds the workshop of making your own iron chair.

And kurashiki snaps today. 

Leo Villareal: chasing Rainbow, 2004

At Lounge and Archives, Honmura, Naoshima.

Sit on the sofa, chill, and see this for the time being. 

Artwork by Leo Villareal: chasing Rainbow, 2004

Naoshima February snaps

Some days in February may not be suitable for touring but it applies to any other month. So I still think February is a good month to explore the island of naoshima: with less visitors and less loss time, you appreciate more. Now a big hall for the townspeople is being constructed. It's almost complete. Locals say it's too grand but let's wait and see how the hall functions. This hall was designed by SANBUICHI Hiroshi who did the renovation of a former copper refinery on the island of inujima. Inujima, teshima and naoshima forms a trio of Benesse islands. 

Pine forests and the space it creates

Paintings on two folding panels entitled the pine forests painted by HASEGAWA Tohaku in the Edo period. The Tokyo national museum in Ueno Park, Tokyo, owns the original. Photography is basically allowed at this museum. Photographer SUGIMOTO did his version of pine forests and it is exhibited in the Park Wing of Benesse House in naoshima. You need to stay there to see the artwork because it's in the overnight guests area.  

In both paintings, air, space, or void is real. 

At the museum, an impressive volume and variety of cultural, historical items are exhibited. Ukiyoe prints by HOKUSAI were one of the objectives of the visit this time. Below is one of my favorites. 

KUMA Kengo's architecture in Niigata

He is the architect now in charge of the design of a new Olympic stadium in Tokyo. The Tokyo Olympics is coming in2020. 

He proposes the architecture that does not insist. This city hall complex in nagaoka, Niigata prefecture, embodies his way of thinking. 

The city assembly hall is on the first floor where people engage in activities including the students working on their homework at the table or senior citizens meeting with friends and just chatting at their hearts' content. The building complex creates space where activities by people are encouraged. And naturally they are close to city hall physically and mentally. 

Details are interesting, too. The checker board design indicates that city authority and people are not separated but mixed and close to each other. The bird called Aore Bird fly on the walls. The complex has its thought and significance. 

Japan Sea viewed from trains

These pictures were taken from local trains running in Niigata along japan sea. Train ride can be this fun.

Zenko-ji will be one of your destinations on Nagano

Of course, this temple should be one of your destinations in Nagano; easy access from Nagano station where Shinkansen super express stops. The premises are very embracing and welcoming. The temple started that way any way. That's the tradition of this temple. 

Ukiyoe woodblock prints by HOKUSAI in Obuse, Nagano

A visit to Hokusai-kan makes another good day tour when you are staying at a ski resort near it in addition to seeing snow monkeys. It will be good for a change from skiing. A few hundred years ago, Ukiyoe master Hokusai came to Obuse around four times and he left his pieces of both prints and paintings to wealthy families in the village. The town and people of Obuse were wise enough to recognize what they had and built a Hokusai museum. The collection of the museum is quite impressive and the museum building is well done too.

Obuse is also known as their good chestnuts and the sweets with these chestnuts. The town also started the open garden stroll about three decades ago. The town is  the pioneer of this system. They also introduced passing through the gardens and stores. This way, interesting walkways were made in spite of the limited area of the town. Kids are also allowed to do the same and they pass through these places to come back home from school. Some people wanted to see these kids to be convinced that they really were passing. 

Nagano is now another popular destination for tourists.

And of course snow monkeys

Both bunnies and monkeys attract people. This year particularly is the year of the monkey. Many people wanted the pics of the bathing monkeys for their new year's card. Certainly the photos made the good new yest's cards. Happiness for everybody in this year of the monkey!

Bathing in onsen

A cell phone accidentally taken by a monkey. 

Kids and bunnies

The popularity of okunoshima bunny island is here to stay. Whenever I go, I see travelers from abroad in addition to the travelers I took to the island. This time, we managed to hike up to the summit and visit the poison gas museum in addition to feeding the bunnies in two hours on the island. We didn't see all but talked about the war-related history during the tour. AND bunnies are always cute and just melt you. 

This photo is from a different occasion.

Entitled a bunny and a baby

At the summit, the table is ready for the bunnies.