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A Trip To Japan
Japan is simply amazing and it is a special place for me to visit because I have a real passion for a few different japanse things including Samurai, samurai swords, Bonsai and Origami. What more can I say? I traveled to mainland Japan and also spent some time on the island of Okinawa. Bonsai, Samurai, Castles and Origami |
I had several very specific goals for my visit to Japan. They included getting some exposure to authentic Japanese swords, authentic Japanese Bonsai and some real Origami. And I got some great exposure to all three of these and of course I had a great time experiencing other things about Japan.
This picture shows the highlight of my trip. It is me buying a samurai sword (katana). I don't really have to tell you much about Japan being the place to go for a nice katana.
I bought this in a famous little shop in Kyoto.
It was a whole adventure to me because they tend to be very secretive about what is a national treasure to them. The katana, it's history and the crafting of them have a high value in their society and rightly so. And they have a national museum of swords. If you are a fan of swords you really have to visit there.
The Bonsai Village - This is probably the most important bonsai collection in the world. And it is a collection of privately owned bonsai gardens. Some of the collections are simply phenomenal. It's in the village of Omiya. It is a suburb just north of Tokyo. You can get there by taking a train to Omiya station. Then it is a short walk to the bonsai village.
Origami - I didn't get to see the Countries finest Origami Museum (Nippon Origami Museum) but I did get to visit two other museums.
Narito Airport in Tokyo has an Origami Museum - It also sells all kinds of Origami stuff including papers and books. I have visited this museum and have taken videos.I will be creating a youtube video and posting it here so you can see it. I do have some pictures that I extracted from the video. One of the most striking things about this museum is the dioramas that are made out of origami. They are just wonderful. Beautiful Japanese scenes made out of paper.
The Medieval Castles -
Japan has its share of magnificent medieval castles and the picture here shows what is probably the most famous of then all - Himeji castle. Its perfectly preserved, open to the public and has been used as a set for several movies including "The Last Samurai".
Watch Will's Video of Himeji Castle right here:
Here are some pictures from various places in Japan including a Bonsai Garden and a Botanical Garden.
This picture is from Shuri Castle. I have more about it here: Shuri and Himeji Castle
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Make a Metal Earth Himeji Castle
Fun little metal kit you can buy. It is a replica of Himeji Castle in Japan. Make a Miniature Himeji Castle