Shot this bronze statue of Jikokuten at Hase-dera Temple, Kamakura, Japan. Jikokuten literally means “Guardian of the Nation”. Jikokuten is the Keeper of the Kingdom, the Upholder of the Country, the Protector of the World. Jikokuten usually carries a sword in right hand, with closed left hand resting on hip; sometimes shown holding a stringed...
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Hase-dera (known more formally as Kaikozan Jishoin Hase-dera) is one of the great Buddhist temples in the city of Kamakura in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, famous for housing a massive wooden statue of Kannon. The temple is the fourth of the 33 stations of the Bando Sanjusankasho pilgrimage circuit dedicated to the goddess Benzaiten. The temple...
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Tags: architecture, Asia, Asian, Buddhism, Buddhist temple, building, East Asia, Eastern religion, Edo, faith, flow, fountain, grass, green, Hase-dera, Hase-dera Temple, Hasedera, history, holy, Honshu, Japan, Japanese, JP, JPN, Kaikozan Hase-dera Temple, Kamakura, ladle, landmark, leave, leaves, metal, old, purification, religion, sacred, spiritual, spring, stone, stream, temple, travel, tree, water, worship
Himeji Castle, also called Hakurojo or Shirasagijo (“White Heron Castle”) due to its white outer walls and it is widely considered Japan’s most spectacular castle. Unlike many other Japanese castles, Himeji Castle was never destroyed in wars, earthquakes or fires and survives in its original form. It is the best preserved castle in all of...
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Okayama Castle, also known as “Crow Castle” (U-jo) due to its black exterior, was built in 1597 in the style of the Azuchi-Momoyama Period. It is located in the Okayama city on the Asahi River, which was used as a moat, and next to the famous Korankuen Garden. The original castle was destroyed on June...
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Tags: architecture, Asia, Asian, black, building, castle, Chugoku, destinations, East Asia, exterior, external, facade, green, heritage, Honshu, horizontal, Japan, Japanese, JP, JPN, landscape, leaves, Nihon, Okayama, Okayama Castle, outdoor, prefecture, region, tourism, tourist, travel, tree, trees, vertical, world
Korakuen (Koraku-en) Garden is one of Japan’s official Three Great Gardens (along with Kanazawa’s Kenrokuen and Mito’s Kairakuen) and hence Okayama’s number one attraction. The name means “Garden of Pleasure After”, a reference to a famous Confucian quote stating that a wise ruler must attend to his subjects’ needs first and only then attend to...
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Hiroshima is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chugoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. When the first atomic bomb was dropped over Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, the city became known worldwide for this unenviable distinction. The destructive power of the bomb was tremendous and obliterated...
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Built in 1523 by the priest Shukan, Tahoto is a pagoda with a height of 15.6 meters. Although constructed mainly in Japanese style, parts of the structure have Indian and Chinese architectural features. It presents the unique combination of a square shape on the lower level and a round shape on the upper level. More...
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Tags: architecture, Asia, Asian, Buddhism, Buddhist temple, building, East Asia, Eastern religion, Edo, elevation faith, forest, green, height, high, history, holy, Honshu, Japan, Japanese, JP, JPN, landmark, leaves, Miyajima, old, pagoda, religion, sacred, Shukan, spiritual, Tahoto Pagoda, temple, tower, travel, tree, trees, vertical, wood, worship
