Greetings from Japan

[TiNM@N]

The current temple, even though 33% smaller than the original, is the largest wooden building in the world.

unbelievable! Its hard to imagine this picture being a 1/3 of the original.

[donkey_nutz]

btt]The poor guy that made them there marks. Centuries later and people can still see his crappy work.

those rocks probaly come from some one swinging a primitave hammer probaly some form of steel or bronze hammer head tied to a stick.. and dont tell me you dont leave marks with that 2 pound sledge you use..

[[ecgn] btt]

I would never leave marks on something exposed. Although all my work is covered up so I can swing away. Although I almost never use a hammer to drive a nail. That's what nail guns are for.

I was just messing around. I think it is fascinating that you can see things like the hammer marks from the original workers.

[Chacal]

On Sunday I went to Hiroshima on the Shinkansen (the bullet train), which runs at 300 km/h. At that speed, it is almost impossible to take pictures from the train, but I have managed to take a few movies between tunnels.

Pretty much everything has been said about Hiroshima. I have heard all the arguments and the conspiracy theories. What I had never done was to actually go there and feel the place. Let's just say, being there, seeing, seeing with your own eyes, is not the same as reading about it.

Sunday morning was a fine, sunny morning, and such was it on that fateful day 63 years ago at 8:15. There was no sign, no announcement at all, the world just ended.

Hiroshima is a modern city and there is not much special to it except for the peace memorial, which is a vast public place with a museum, a ceremonial arch, an eternal flame, all of which are aligned with the A-bomb dome on the other side of the river.

The A-bomb dome is a building that was almost directly under the explosion, which is probably why it was left standing. It has been preserved in the same exact state it was left after the bomb, except for some structural reinforcements in recent years.

I saw tourists and groups of schoolchildren walking around it, staring and taking pictures. I also saw an old lady, old enough to be a survivor, leaving an offering of flowers in a kind of small shrine, presumably for some member of her family.

Hiroshima has dedicated itself to promoting peace, in the view that no other city should ever live through what it went through. The museum is gruesome and disturbing. It shows facts and artefacts. It makes no attempt to hide the war crimes Japanese troops have themselves committed. It shows documents that explain why the bomb was used on Japan, and why it was used on Hiroshima.

[Chacal]

The last picture shows a young, beautiful and tiny Japanese woman in a kimono (aka gift wrap), waiting for the train.

Such beauty is actually painful to witness, especially when you're just a clumsy giant gaijin.

[Chacal]

Also there was much animation around the site because it was such a fine day. People tend to flock towards the river, sit on benches, chat, play music. I shot this movie with my digital camera (not a video camera), it is crude and the sound is bad but it seemed fitting.

[Wesley]

Thanks for the pictures Chacal, if you got more keep em coming.

[Chacal]

Stuck at Kansai airport, the plane has mechanical problems and we had to go back to the gate. The flight is delayed 21 hours.
Fortunately the VIP lounge is comfortable and has Internet access, so I'm happy as long as I stay in 1st class.
There's a Japanese man behind me who doesn't seem to agree, he's crying and banging his head on the desk.


The last 4 days in Kyoto were fascinating. I explored lots of temples and Zen gardens. A few sample pictures...

[Chacal]

Air Canada has booked me into a deluxe hotel attached to the airport.
My room is roughly the size of Nebraska, which is good after two weeks spent in a 8 x 8 room in Kyoto.

[=ender=]

I'm really glad you made it to Kyoto and saw Kinkakuji Temple. Did you get a chance to visit Nijo Castle?

Very kickass trip, Chacal. Makes me jealous and want to return!

[Chacal]

I didn't get to see the Nijo castle.
Kinkakuji, althought beautiful, was somewhat disappointing because of the thousands of visitors ar any time, and the tourist infrastructure that was developped to deal with them.

I much preferred Ginkakuji, at North-East of the city, where buses of tourists and schoolchildren were nowhere to be found, and you could go for a quiet stroll in the woods.

I switched to lesser-known temples and gardens. I actually had beautiful gardens to myself for long periods of time.

[=ender=]

Funny enough, I experienced the same thing at Ginkakuji Temple -- a lot fewer people and a more positive experience. That was YEARS ago though and I figured that they would have upped its attractiveness to tourists resulting in a lot of crowding by now. I guess not and thankfully so.

Cool pics, BTW

[Chacal]

Here's a couple of pics from Ginkakuji.
Overcast day, nice colors.
Sadly the silver pavilion itself was under repair and hidden under scaffolding. Some power tool noises broke the otherwise quiet atmosphere.

[cavalierlwt]

Great pics and video Chacal. I'm amazed that Hiroshima looks great and is thriving 60 years later, contrast that with parts of our cities like Detroit, New Orleans etc that look like they just got hit by an atomic bomb. You have to admire the Japanese for bouncing back like that.

[Sabres]

really good pics Chacal, thank you for sharing!