Party Yuko

This was taken at a live show that some of our friends had put on. Amazing music and interesting art with an incredible light show.

Captured by Indonesian School Girls

This was taken at Borobudur temple in Yogjakarta, Indonesia. The temple was crawling with Indonesian school children on school trips to the site. For a few seconds, we felt like movie stars!

Mirror Cube

Reflection from a mirror cube plaque at the first lookout over Kobe on our hike today behind Shin-Kobe station.

Hiking Minute

This small shrine is along one of our favourite hiking routes in Kobe. The building is not really looked after very well but it still beckons us to stop and say a prayer for the spirits in the forest of Kobe.

Big Brother is Watching You

This was a wall for a construction project in Kyoto near Heian Shrine.

Ando Tadao Wall

This is a typical design of architect Ando Tadao. His buildings are known for the use of curved walls and raw concrete. This is at HAT Kobe.

Under the Tracks Again

There is some big construction going on under the tracks in Motomachi so many of the shops are painting their shutters in interesting ways.

Outside a Japanese Restaurant

There are many small restaurants in Kobe filled with good food and oozing with old world charm.

Suma Pier

Walking along Suma Beach one summers day and enjoying the view from the small pier. From here we can see all kinds of creatures in the water.

Kobe Gion Festival

Climbing the stairs that go to Kobe Gion Shrine for the summer festival. It is one of my favourite festivals because it has a little bit of everything and feels like a small town event. Lots of kids enjoying the games and it seems to signify the beginning of summer holidays.

Maishima

Again at the beautiful garbage facility in Osaka. This place and its buildings are truly underrated in my opinion.

Museum

Usually one is not allowed to take photos in a museum or an art gallery but during this exhibition at the Hyogo Museum of Art, photography was OK... just no tripods.

Under Shin-Kobe

This is a wall under the shinkansen tracks and at the start of the hiking course to Nunobiki Falls. It is not in a very conspicuous place... it is just "there" with the car rentals and some taxis but it is an interesting wall of light just the same.

Senta Building

Yesterday was a miserable day so we went exploring some of the buildings in downtown Kobe that we have never really looked at. This was from one of those buildings that has a good view of the train tracks and the mountains.

Minatogawa Shrine

There are three (3) main shrines in Kobe; Ikuta Shrine, Nagata Shrine and Minatogawa Shrine. This is at Minatogawa Shrine in the spring.

Zippidee doo dah

Kicking up her heels on a beautiful spring day on a road through a bamboo grove. Feeling inspired!

Going Downstairs

We often go hiking in the mountains behind the Shin Kobe Station and we use this underground route to get to the start of the hiking course.

Petting the Bull

This cow statue sits in the Kitano Tenmengu Shrine in Kyoto. I have no idea why there is a cow there but some shrines have cow statues. It is good luck to scratch the cow.

A Temple in Tatsuno

One of my hobbies is taking photos of the different styles of roof tiles. Temples, shrines and castles are an interesting source for new styles. This was when we were exploring the town of Tatsuno which is famous for its soy sauce.

Outdoor Art

This statue is just outside the main doors of the Hyogo Prefectural Art Museum.

Hunterwassen in Osaka

On one of the man made islands in Osaka Bay is an island dedicated to garbage. This island has some of the most spectacular modern buildings in Japan designed by Austrian architect, Hunterwassen. Colorful, beautiful and a lot of subtle curves.

Climbing the Stairs

Temples and shrines always seem to be located high on a hill. This small temple in Mino was no exception and it was not exceptional.

Himeji Sake Bar

There is a bar in Himeji station that has all the different kinds of sake made in Hyogo prefecture. It is a great place to visit if you have some time to kill before catching the train to your next destination.

Outside Junkudo

There is  a place outside Junkdo book store on the 3rd floor that has a makeshift tunnel made with 2x4's and some benches for people to sit and relax. Interesting structure.