Archive | Nagasaki: Weekend Adventure

With great college friend Jordan visiting, we visited Nagasaki for the weekend. The atomic bomb memorials were stirring. There is no way my video these sites justice…

One of the first things you notice when touring Nagasaki are the trolleys. On our final day, though Lori and I rented bicycles and found an excellent champon place for lunch.

Wherever I travel I always see animals that arrogantly flaunt their ability to work their way into your heart sight unseen. Especially in Japan …

I caught these shots as I was riding from Kofukuji to Sofukuji temple. The entrance was so compelling that I couldn’t help but take a few snaps before pedaling on. …

The multiple stone courtyards with ancient wooden pillars of Sofukuji Temple were fun to explore. It is considered one of the most prime examples of South China architecture from the Ming dynasty anywhere. …

In an effort to prove that they were not Christian, the Chinese residents in Nagasaki built several temples. Kofukuji was the first and so dates it as the oldest Obaku sect Chinese temple in Japan. …

These sort of play areas were created in almost every neighborhood or public area. Now, however they sit, largely unused and decaying. However, there are times when you see kids running around on them. …

After an easy 35 minute walk up Kameyama, Lori and I not only found the statue but also were delighted to see a photo shoot in progress featuring actors in traditional Edo period garb. …

The three most prominent hot spots at the festival are Chuo Park, Minato Park, and China Town (of course). I stayed only solely in Chinatown without feeling like I was missing a thing. …

Being the Chinese New Year (in China Town no less), I don’t know why I was surprised to find these ornate paper lanterns of all twelve of the Chinese zodiac.

Lanterns are paradoxical things. During the day they are easily photographed yet woefully less resplendent than at night. However, once the sun has set, they are nearly impossible to expose correctly. …

Without a tripod or skillfully deployed flash this bridge is tricky to capture during the night time when it is most majestic. With lanterns everywhere, I headed back down to the river for some long exposure shots. …

If you have your camera, I recommend using an arch of Spectacles bridge to frame a shot of the river. Unbeknown to me at the time, Spectacles Bridge is considered one of the “Three Most Famous Bridges” in Japan. …

Spectacles Bridge (眼鏡大橋) is Japan’s first (and therefore oldest) Chinese-style stone bridge. …

Also during Chinese New Year, Hamano Machi displays these larger paper lanterns depicting mythical creatures and scenes.