W is for 不思議

Categories Photography, , , , 54 Comments on W is for 不思議

W is for fushigi, or the Japanese word for wonder. There are so many wondrous, marvelous places in Japan; too many to speak of them all in a post like this. Since coming to Japan, I have gone to so many interesting places and had so many wonderful experiences. I can only hope that when I go to Canada, the energy that Japan has imbued in me carries forward, so I never lose the sense of adventure I received here.

The following photos are from all across Japan. If you’re curious about any of them, feel free to ask about them in the comments below. I can’t recommend these places enough, though none of this sampling is from Kyoto, since I’ve been blogging about it all month.

Images hosted on Flickr. 

https://flic.kr/p/nHfyz6

Sapporo Snow Festival 2011

Otaru Canal

Tokyo I

Tokyo I

Tokyo I

Tokyo I

Kinosaki Onsen

Kinosaki Onsen

Takarazuka

54 thoughts on “W is for 不思議”

    1. Thank you! Taking photos is just a hobby… but it helps me remember the whole of the day. ❤

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    1. Awww, I’ll be missing Glasgow too! The lanterns were taken as the Festival of Sound and Light in Fukui prefecture. It was really amazing.

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  5. Alex, I have to tell you that your posts about Japan are exquisite and fascinating. My own participation to this challenge has unfortunately kept me away from reading eacc and every one of your posts. But I intend to return in a few days since we are now so close to the final line. In any case, your photos show me that Japan is as photogenic as my native France.

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    1. France is definitely photogenic! I have a friend who lives there and all of her pictures make me swoon. 🙂 I’ll have to visit one day. Please don’t worry about not having been able to read every post! I am just hoping to make friends for beyond the challenge, that’s all. 🙂

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  6. “Wonder” seems like the most appropriate word to describe Japan, especially after all the amazing photos you’ve shared with us, Alex. I’d love to know more about these three images, since they’re my favorite of the bunch:

    1) Lanterns (2nd photo)
    2) Ice sculpture (3rd photo – it reminds me of the spikes on a stegosaurus’s back…??)
    3) Rocky coast (2nd to last photo – I wish I could go there right now! I love the ocean!)

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    1. Sure thing, Sara!

      1) This is from the Harmony of Light and Sound in Fukui Prefecture, with about 5,000 lanterns and 12,000 rounds of fireworks. It happens on August 16th every year. 🙂

      2) You are right! It is a stegosaurus ice sculpture! This was from the Snow Festival in Hokkaido, 2011. It usually happens in early February. 🙂

      Sapporo Snow Festival 2011

      3) That rocky coast is in Kinosaki, a two hour train ride from Kyoto, on the Japan Sea. It’s famous for hot springs, beaches, and a fun aquarium. Totally a place to visit in summer!

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    1. I do indeed count myself as lucky, and know I will visit often in the future. The problem with living here is you do get “stranded” in one location!

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    1. That picture actually is from Kyoto! (Whoops!) It’s from the Festival of Ages, held on October 22nd in Kyoto. The same day there is a large fire festival in Kurama. The Festival of Ages is sort of hit-or-miss for entertainment. It’s a good photo opportunity, if you get a good seat, but it’s usually hot, the parade participants are uncomfortable, and there’s not much else to it but the promenade. But I was really happy with that shot, haha.

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  10. I have to say, wonder is the emotion I feel most when reading your posts and looking at your photos. In some ways, Japan feels so alien. And then you talk about it’s wonderful people and I’m reminded of the hospitality I’ve experienced around the world. You’re a fantastic emissary!

    TD Harvey
    A to Z participant
    http://www.tdharveyauthor.com

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  11. Love the shot of the shoes (not sure what they’re called), reminds me of the pair we had by the bathtub in our house when I was younger from my mom’s Japan days.

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    1. They’re called geta and they’re pretty comfortable (though I can’t get womens’ in my size!) And that would be the place you saw them, since this was taken at a hot spring town called Kinosaki. 😉

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    1. Thank you so much, Michelle! That means a lot coming from you! I’ve been loving your photography as well. The lantern photo is from the Harmony of Light and Sound in Fukui prefecture. 🙂

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    1. It was a wonderful festival. It’s known as the Harmony of Light and Sound in Fukui prefecture. I definitely recommend going if you can!

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    1. The lanterns are from a festival known as the Harmony of Light and Sound in Fukui prefecture. 🙂 And the second to last is on the coast of the Japan Sea, in Kinosaki. It was really, really beautiful. There was also a small shrine out on a rock in the middle of nowhere.

      Kinosaki Onsen

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    1. That’s Sugamo in Tokyo. 🙂 I lived there for six weeks when I first came to Japan! I loved it there. Cheap fruits, neat festivals and night markets, however, when I moved, people told me that it was known as “Baa-chan Town” or “Granny Town” across Japan…. guess I know now why it was so fun and quirky. 😛

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    1. Thank you, Jeff. I’m glad you’ve been enjoying them. I take too many photos… but 1 in 40 are true keepers. 😉

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    1. Sometimes it’s hard to go visit a place, even when we intend to. There are a lot of places really close to my home that I -should- go to more, but between money and energy, it doesn’t happen. Besides, you’ve gone to SO many places!! I think it’s wonderful. 🙂

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  25. LOve the floating lanterns. For Easter, my kids sea scout group made lanterns and floated them on our local waterway, North of Sydney in Australia. I wonder if these Japanese lanterns inspired our leader?

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  26. Pingback: #AtoZChallenge 2015 Reflections | Alex Hurst

  27. I must be the strange one in this group, because I was attracted by the view from the pavillion, and I don’t think anyone else has asked about it! 🙂 It looks so peaceful.

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    1. Oh, it was very peaceful. A little bit of paradise in the middle of the city. Sort of Tokyo’s version of Central Park.

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