tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46958854798791527242024-03-14T11:54:21.322+09:00Life with hubbyThe grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.
This blog with lots of photos is intended for all my friends, family, and relatives.Manisha Kundu-Nagatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13277146210049986417noreply@blogger.comBlogger296125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695885479879152724.post-49589690617310294802017-04-25T05:27:00.002+09:002017-04-25T05:27:21.635+09:00Sanmaru Museum - part 2<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">As I wrote in an <a href="http://lipikazuo.blogspot.com/2017/04/sannai-maruyama-archaeological-site.html" target="_blank">earlier post</a>, hubby and I visited Sannai Maruyama Archaeological Site in Aomori City on 23rd December 2016. After visiting the actual excavation site, we visited a museum named Sanmaru Museum located inside Jomon Jiyukan building that stands adjacent to the archaeological site. All the excavated items and collected ruins of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C5%8Dmon_period" target="_blank">Jomon period</a> are comprehensively and systematically arranged and introduced inside the museum. In fact, the museum exhibits approximately 1700 artifacts including approximately 500 important cultural properties excavated from the archaeological site. The museum is divided into two sections. One of the sections is named ‘Jomon no Kokoro’ which means ‘Basics of the Jomon Period’. This section is located to the left side on entering the museum, and about which I have written in the <a href="http://lipikazuo.blogspot.com/2017/04/sanmaru-museum-part-1.html" target="_blank">previous post</a>. The other section is a themed exhibition named ‘Jomonjin no Kurashi wo Himotoku’ which means ‘Understanding the Life of People of Jomon period’. This section is located to the right side of the museum, and reproduces many scenes of the daily lives of Jomon people as conceived by the archaeologists from the excavated articles and objects. The recreated scenes are interestingly done in an easy-to-understand manner by using figures of people wearing Jomon period clothing, fishing, hunting or performing daily tasks. Many ancient excavated pottery and fishing hooks are also displayed in this section. Today I will write about this section ‘Jomonjin no Kurashi wo Himotoku’ of the museum.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">At the entrance area of ‘Jomonjin no Kurashi wo Himotoku’ section of Sanmaru Museum, we saw a figure of a Jomon period child welcoming us and pointing towards the huge hall of this section. We entered inside the hall and saw the reproduction of many scenes of the daily lives of Jomon people as conceived by the archaeologists from the excavated ruins and objects from Sannai Maruyama Archaeological Site. The explanations about the life of Jomon people were very interesting. In addition, there was exhibition of many interesting items like flat clay figures, jade beads, earthenware, pottery, stone tools, and personal ornaments. I will write about each section in more details in the following paragraphs.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Figure of a Jomon period child pointing towards the ‘Jomonjin no Kurashi wo Himotoku’ section of Sanmaru Museum</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">On entering inside the museum hall, first we saw many excavated ruins and collected items regarding the hunting lifestyle of Jomon people. The ancient people hunted with bows, arrows, stone spears, game pits, and traps to capture game from a safe distance. For making these tools, shale and obsidian rocks, which are suited for creating sharp blades, were used. We saw several exhibits of stone tools and objects that were excavated from the archaeological site. In fact, we saw the display of many stone arrowheads and stone spearheads made during the early to middle Jomon period (approximately 5500-4000 years ago). All the stone tools were amazingly shaped and some of them were rather sharp. Some of the displayed stone tools are designated as important cultural properties. We also saw an interesting exhibit about the production procedure of such stone tools from raw materials by the Jomon people in the long bygone era. In addition, in this hunting corner, the excavated bones of various animals and birds, like fox and albatross were displayed. Archaeologists have found ruins of bones of many animals and birds like foxes, rabbits, albatrosses, deer, Japanese giant flying squirrels, and wild boars from the archaeological site. These animals and birds were hunted and captured using stone tools, and then eaten by the Jomon people. It should be mentioned here that the remains of many dogs were also found at the excavation site but they were buried with respect after their death, which led to the conclusion that dogs were used for hunting and were considered to be the hunting partners of Jomon people. We loved looking at the exhibits of various stone hunting tools and the display of several bone ruins of the ancient animals and birds. I am including the details about the displays along with the photos below.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: justify;"><i>I am standing at the hunting corner inside the museum hall where stone stools and bones from the Jomon period were displayed</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisbL0LPv0nrRlJPtBe45BJTgiZN4R7UNhpWamzCLtXGXJyuWHw0bvDRgpao7pxdJPyU_HVR4hyW7z1opjr9peZ_tvEqywlWxgJM9Xw6p-wtesBEetOBhyLWYFMu9AGiCGklcJW1DEUAmdL/s1600/3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisbL0LPv0nrRlJPtBe45BJTgiZN4R7UNhpWamzCLtXGXJyuWHw0bvDRgpao7pxdJPyU_HVR4hyW7z1opjr9peZ_tvEqywlWxgJM9Xw6p-wtesBEetOBhyLWYFMu9AGiCGklcJW1DEUAmdL/s400/3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: justify;"><i>A mannequin figure of an adult Jomon person making hunting tools along with the display of several stone hunting tools</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: justify;"><i>Dogs were the hunting partners of Jomon people</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: justify;"><i>An exhibit describing the production procedure of stone hunting tools from raw materials by the Jomon people</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7-Aycgc718MnIZxaAB_fv0YP_UPFcPHW3_JmUOvGDHkyMDhXnYcYJa3qt_cq2Jpqm_uQ0XadtBzzgpaOXDTrxwQAweq1TWYOtBIRUiSgkitj9jz_auaG0AYFVovgIxmJLglZwCm9NzfYm/s1600/6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7-Aycgc718MnIZxaAB_fv0YP_UPFcPHW3_JmUOvGDHkyMDhXnYcYJa3qt_cq2Jpqm_uQ0XadtBzzgpaOXDTrxwQAweq1TWYOtBIRUiSgkitj9jz_auaG0AYFVovgIxmJLglZwCm9NzfYm/s400/6.JPG" width="265" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: justify;"><i>Stone spearheads and stone arrowheads from early to middle Jomon period (5500-4000 years ago)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: justify;"><i>Stone arrowheads from early to middle Jomon period (5500-4000 years ago) and are designated as important cultural properties</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPagEfem8R7grMtLfo_G5a18c4E8o4CVw-wx15C-lWaaGBLQhhaygzV8CSbH06QyoDQwjhHv5RCM-WlA0mvr4CnElG2qhIgDms97pZEsYbrTh3JwS5hJgo1x3PDkDtsSYxfUIkV0VuIhyb/s1600/8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPagEfem8R7grMtLfo_G5a18c4E8o4CVw-wx15C-lWaaGBLQhhaygzV8CSbH06QyoDQwjhHv5RCM-WlA0mvr4CnElG2qhIgDms97pZEsYbrTh3JwS5hJgo1x3PDkDtsSYxfUIkV0VuIhyb/s400/8.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: justify;"><i>A stone spearhead from early to middle Jomon period (5500-4000 years ago)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: justify;"><i>Fox bones from early Jomon period (5500 years ago)</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7hOYz3KvuijwWHH3CLFzAs5D-UJJokKU7YVOtedXf9TxSTbA_ldp913qd_v6MtpJeNQunco2ZSvnhflsnCNWMQflGFU3YPR8wxKJmbHDZa9idlq_VnHDlcyCgAkTOpGE9NuP4HUqqEvzs/s1600/10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7hOYz3KvuijwWHH3CLFzAs5D-UJJokKU7YVOtedXf9TxSTbA_ldp913qd_v6MtpJeNQunco2ZSvnhflsnCNWMQflGFU3YPR8wxKJmbHDZa9idlq_VnHDlcyCgAkTOpGE9NuP4HUqqEvzs/s400/10.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: justify;"><i>Albatross bones from early Jomon period (5500 years ago)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Next, we saw many excavated ruins and collected items regarding the fishing style and techniques of Jomon people. Various data and results obtained from the archaeological site suggest that the Jomon people had thorough knowledge about the sea, from the area close to the shore to straits, as well as the land. In addition to gathering shellfish at the sea and the river, they caught fish by maneuvering dugout canoes skillfully. Excavated fishhooks and harpoon heads suggest that they caught relatively large fishes by line fishing and spear fishing. Stone weights are considered to have been used as fishing net sinkers for catching small fishes. Thus, they used fishhooks, harpoons, and nets for different purposes. At the fishing corner, we saw several exhibits of ancient fishhooks, stone net-sinkers, harpoon-heads, bone needles, and blanks that were excavated from the archaeological site. We noted that although the materials of these tools were different from those of the contemporary ones, their shapes were essentially the same. All the excavated relics displayed were made during the early Jomon period (approximately 5500 years ago), and most of them are designated as important cultural properties. In addition, in this fishing corner, the excavated bones of several fishes were displayed though we did not any take photos of them. Archaeologists have found ruins of bones of various kinds of fishes like sardine, salmon, cod, herring, mackerel, sea bass, yellowtail, sea bream, flounder, tuna, and many more from the archaeological site. These fishes were captured using the fishing tools, and then eaten by the Jomon people. We loved looking at the exhibits of various fishing tools and the display of several bone ruins of the ancient fishes. I am including the details about the displays along with the photos below.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: justify;"><i>I am learning some fishing skills from this Jomon person</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: justify;"><i>Displays of fishhooks (upper left), harpoon-heads (lower left), a composite fishhook (lower middle), stone net-sinkers (upper right), and bone needles (lower right). All these relics are from early Jomon period (5500 years ago). In addition, all are designated as important cultural properties, except for the composite fishhook.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: justify;"><i>Displays of blanks made of various materials like antler (upper left), mammal ribs (lower left), mammal bones (upper right), and bird bones (lower right). All these relics are from early Jomon period (5500 years ago). In addition, the blanks made of antler and mammal bones are important cultural properties.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: justify;"><i>Displays of fishhooks (left) and a bone needle (right). All these relics are from early Jomon period (5500 years ago) and are important cultural properties</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxq0jh_mWTxqMiGi0mPCZwL3C6uSQl5qQJF3Vx87_VvCz7OkDMAZaCjfCCIc6sQnoxEv-8dWKSniGeHfAGQEbZPpcMxjSdRQNtLWHkFhGLFRpGxqaz_HgvRflJ_DTDf8nE-w_UiMcF2l03/s1600/15.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxq0jh_mWTxqMiGi0mPCZwL3C6uSQl5qQJF3Vx87_VvCz7OkDMAZaCjfCCIc6sQnoxEv-8dWKSniGeHfAGQEbZPpcMxjSdRQNtLWHkFhGLFRpGxqaz_HgvRflJ_DTDf8nE-w_UiMcF2l03/s400/15.JPG" width="400" /></i></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: justify;"><i>Materials for making bone and antler implements</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Then followed many excavated ruins and collected items regarding the gathering style and food habits of Jomon people. Apart from hunting and fishing, Jomon people obtained their food mainly through gathering. In addition to animals, fishes and shellfishes, the Jomon people mainly ate mountain vegetables and nuts. Nuts such as chestnuts, walnuts and Japanese horse chestnuts were an important source of food for the people at the time. Chestnuts do not have a bitter taste that has to be removed, and so could be eaten without being processed. They are also suitable to be stored and preserved. Japanese horse chestnuts have to be soaked in water to remove the bitter taste, and the remains of watering places for it have been found at the excavation site. It is thought that they also ate edible wild plants like mushrooms, brackens and flowering ferns, and starch included in plant roots likes potatoes and other root crops. Hard nuts were eaten after being crushed and milled with stone pestles, grinding stones and stone plates. At the gathering corner of the museum, we saw displays of several small glass containers having the ancient ruins of many species of plants as well as various kinds of seeds and nuts that were excavated from the archaeological site. We also saw the display of several stone tools from the early to middle Jomon period (5500-4000 years ago) that were used for grinding the gathered food or for hammering the shells of the chestnuts or walnuts. Some of these stone tools are designated as important cultural properties. In addition, according to the data and results obtained from the excavation site, archaeologists believe that along with the gathering of nuts and other food items, cultivation of plants had also started during the Jomon period. We saw mannequin figures of an adult Jomon person growing a plant and a child looking on. Also, excavation of the archaeological site has revealed that there were extensive chestnut forests around the village. Chestnut trees were not only used for food but also for the wood that was used for firewood and as construction material for building dwellings. We saw a figure of a Jomon person cutting the trunk of a chestnut tree. We really loved the way the everyday lifestyle of Jomon people was depicted using such mannequin figures.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: justify;"><i>A figure of a Jomon person relaxing after having food along with the display of several glass containers having the ruins of ancient plants, seeds, and nuts in the foreground</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMsaOZoWo1lONxT2JChgdcTpKNS82DfLEDxu8K-c_EtWF7jWaXKW5zBz8neNyeVE5TzaU8dhVaKtXIxqSE8DbLPadunaZUBi0gNMtGFJnpjRsoyu03YHrVvzJJ9B0OZ0pstPRbCL6Uxm_a/s1600/17.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMsaOZoWo1lONxT2JChgdcTpKNS82DfLEDxu8K-c_EtWF7jWaXKW5zBz8neNyeVE5TzaU8dhVaKtXIxqSE8DbLPadunaZUBi0gNMtGFJnpjRsoyu03YHrVvzJJ9B0OZ0pstPRbCL6Uxm_a/s400/17.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: justify;"><i>Enlarged view of several small glass containers having the ancient ruins of many plant species as well as various kinds of seeds and nuts</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXT3jh9aHJIUYlhxL-2lpnjetbSDXvbaSbIY_IqOA7R-yQXxTTa7XrNk-tZEHIOZij7Nz-6K-OMWiebM7jmP5ofB4fWIFh7KRvMNluLp0TdOq4Cc_3PqS-5XslSoXrSNeAk-W8zMWkb8qs/s1600/18.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXT3jh9aHJIUYlhxL-2lpnjetbSDXvbaSbIY_IqOA7R-yQXxTTa7XrNk-tZEHIOZij7Nz-6K-OMWiebM7jmP5ofB4fWIFh7KRvMNluLp0TdOq4Cc_3PqS-5XslSoXrSNeAk-W8zMWkb8qs/s400/18.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: justify;"><i>On the left is a display of a saddle quern from early Jomon period (5500 years ago) and is designated as an important cultural property. There are also displays of grinding stones with pits (upper right), grinding stones (lower middle), and a hammer stone (lower right), all from early to middle Jomon period (5500-4000 years ago).</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYl_Cu-jEwMOlohdCx88kuMQqjfnJMFfEQQJICUa-8EsADTrume2SDZiGDNsejVn6gJrtUFGKgqM8CMavQJc5Zp1Hws2Dzq0caAokMJhLxxpVUVdreNuxye7eXTV3pagvaiLddCQbR9SQE/s1600/19.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYl_Cu-jEwMOlohdCx88kuMQqjfnJMFfEQQJICUa-8EsADTrume2SDZiGDNsejVn6gJrtUFGKgqM8CMavQJc5Zp1Hws2Dzq0caAokMJhLxxpVUVdreNuxye7eXTV3pagvaiLddCQbR9SQE/s400/19.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: justify;"><i>Mannequin figures of an adult Jomon person growing a plant and a child looking on</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC9CWbpq6GFB8wlosotZwmR5v16GojEEsppvGslPdTLj1PeQ3po8e1mplrecb_CDiclW2S9mUB_yszMAqLFEwJm4K4X7Zm2FkWxChamfpFuAplu3DOXX7OhZKTIcLe5Ei6QVYUAcvIcojv/s1600/20woodentools.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC9CWbpq6GFB8wlosotZwmR5v16GojEEsppvGslPdTLj1PeQ3po8e1mplrecb_CDiclW2S9mUB_yszMAqLFEwJm4K4X7Zm2FkWxChamfpFuAplu3DOXX7OhZKTIcLe5Ei6QVYUAcvIcojv/s400/20woodentools.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Figure of a Jomon person cutting the trunk of a chestnut tree</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Next, we saw a mound made of accumulated thin multiple layers of soil. A mound is a slightly elevated patch of ground formed during the Jomon period as a result of long-term disposal of dirt and waste by the Jomon people. Several such mounds have been excavated at the archaeological site. The one we saw was actually an excised 2-meter-thick cross section of such an excavated mound that was transported from the site and displayed inside the museum. In fact, it covered an entire wall of the museum. We could clearly see more than 1500 years worth of accumulation of various soil layers at the mound. Brownish and yellowish brown soil layers derived from soil that was dug to make pit-dwellings and storage pits was seen. Burnt red soil and charcoal layers were found at this section of the mound. In addition, there were potteries, stone artifacts, animal bones, and pieces of amber in other places of different excavated mounds.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtGSpAS1oqAWkwvFMnfbpzX-1ZD341ng5Xj51msDq3tDpOughXAYGgbNWQl-dGsxeFVQ6xoEdnka-YOZ4T-cPtP0JXLY52eGdoLfNoo4fHUff_DK6mrfFSd5hIj9mOijZd3iTSyvH8ARWL/s1600/21mound.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtGSpAS1oqAWkwvFMnfbpzX-1ZD341ng5Xj51msDq3tDpOughXAYGgbNWQl-dGsxeFVQ6xoEdnka-YOZ4T-cPtP0JXLY52eGdoLfNoo4fHUff_DK6mrfFSd5hIj9mOijZd3iTSyvH8ARWL/s400/21mound.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Mound made of accumulated thin soil layers</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Then we saw the exhibition of Jomon period pottery on a stepped stage in the center of the museum hall. All the displayed clay pots were excavated from the archaeological site. The pots were cylindrical shaped and such pottery style is called Ento pottery. Ento pottery was made in the northern part of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C5%8Dhoku_region" target="_blank">Tohoku</a> region and the south-west part of Hokkaido from the middle part of the early Jomon period to the latter part of the middle Jomon period (5500 to 4000 years ago). The unique shapes of such pots are like a water bucket that stretches up and down. We noted that a large number of Ento style pots were displayed on the stage and all were arranged according to age. Lower rows of the stage had older pots from the early Jomon period while the upper rows had flamboyant pots from the middle Jomon period. We noted that the pots exhibited on the lower rows from the early Jomon period (5500-5000 years ago) had cord marking which was decorative and also made the pots less susceptible to cracking when they were fired. The pots exhibited on the middle rows from the middle Jomon period (5000-4500 years ago) had elevated pinches on their rim and are thought to be the earliest forerunners of the spectacular flamboyant style of the latter part of the middle Jomon period. The pots exhibited on the upper rows from the latter part of the middle Jomon period (4200 years ago) had decorative styles where a broad interlinked herringbone pattern, of circles connected by lines, was superimposed upon the comb markings of pots. It was fascinating to see how the pottery technology developed with time. We loved looking at the display of these pots in details from various positions and angles. Also on the stage, we saw a mannequin figure of a female potter making pots. Archaeological studies have indicated that the potters used to be females during the Jomon period although there is no concrete evidence supporting this. In addition, the excavation studies have also shown that the larger pots, while used for ordinary purposes (like cooking, storage etc.) in life, were sometimes repurposed for child burials.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw02gNL8q59Ya1AxhnrfI8CemIS2KXwNYPab5UwMc8GHTKrZbQwqn4aLZrPYZ8kuGL9AcUUG5aAwQgXYTVw3msMibUr5uN-GuhWkcEVOFvnOvSCZBpOT6gOvzpipIM_92rwE9mTMkPDUlp/s1600/22potterystage.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw02gNL8q59Ya1AxhnrfI8CemIS2KXwNYPab5UwMc8GHTKrZbQwqn4aLZrPYZ8kuGL9AcUUG5aAwQgXYTVw3msMibUr5uN-GuhWkcEVOFvnOvSCZBpOT6gOvzpipIM_92rwE9mTMkPDUlp/s400/22potterystage.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: justify;"><i>Exhibition of the Jomon period Ento style pottery on a stepped stage in the center of the museum hall as seen from the left side</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjR8rNDR7bukpGJIOQ1eNx58Jsikj_Gb4ALzsaNzDeoBtHOQPcHJsT_Aplat63T6ZH7DuSsPpb4fO-OeG9NE7OJD4gb3qCbSV41jSvCy1C8P-9EtVFzKTKMoYPvPTRJAJjOIrspTva94ot/s1600/23.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjR8rNDR7bukpGJIOQ1eNx58Jsikj_Gb4ALzsaNzDeoBtHOQPcHJsT_Aplat63T6ZH7DuSsPpb4fO-OeG9NE7OJD4gb3qCbSV41jSvCy1C8P-9EtVFzKTKMoYPvPTRJAJjOIrspTva94ot/s400/23.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: justify;"><i>Display of the Jomon period pottery on the stage as seen from the front</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqM5GNfowhxB4fLSo059pu_cgxq8Hum3wHhaKnGNtIAFV7kvDNG8apVp5hIB3mCLaBL5QmE5EGVfcPJYDuIFLZWg9msEyjd-ZemVjwct8h3OtTBRjQO4cXrdtKsjtvzXoIxN0Qro-ZtB0G/s1600/24.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqM5GNfowhxB4fLSo059pu_cgxq8Hum3wHhaKnGNtIAFV7kvDNG8apVp5hIB3mCLaBL5QmE5EGVfcPJYDuIFLZWg9msEyjd-ZemVjwct8h3OtTBRjQO4cXrdtKsjtvzXoIxN0Qro-ZtB0G/s400/24.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: justify;"><i>Display of the pottery on the stage as seen from the right side</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisz7vO5vcPkqvkXH5-QSOABQKvTrjZP1vsERCkRMjGb9CT9VXR7nzqgv761Vi-pNZklZTKBRpFWRUfkghRKyMdtlDkq717D724FPbhjpQ9G0c0MdWNKI9gn2z7PEXcJ8miN3lMyt-eUCn5/s1600/25.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisz7vO5vcPkqvkXH5-QSOABQKvTrjZP1vsERCkRMjGb9CT9VXR7nzqgv761Vi-pNZklZTKBRpFWRUfkghRKyMdtlDkq717D724FPbhjpQ9G0c0MdWNKI9gn2z7PEXcJ8miN3lMyt-eUCn5/s400/25.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: justify;"><i>Hubby standing in front of the pottery stage</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheZeXy-KJsk-L0gq_c6eRr6jMARzLAH9v5a6aa3_dPkN9S0rx1Dd7k4cOZNNa9u4PmlvnYUE7hsfajBKqOVGHGdx7g0Qv-_yCMX7Y2nTCdp5Ds_XHVKzk7tv0TrgM_4c0n-bODPbAQQ0-m/s1600/26.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheZeXy-KJsk-L0gq_c6eRr6jMARzLAH9v5a6aa3_dPkN9S0rx1Dd7k4cOZNNa9u4PmlvnYUE7hsfajBKqOVGHGdx7g0Qv-_yCMX7Y2nTCdp5Ds_XHVKzk7tv0TrgM_4c0n-bODPbAQQ0-m/s400/26.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: justify;"><i>Display of a few pots from the early Jomon period about 5500-5250 years ago</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbcdhAB_pQlbduorMjQ9w6YqbyUUghJb33cY8Tq_9E6L3W3w4BboTMGdVnNU6Ru3e_1TcU2h8NUzbyckg9rCnfsdZHVPpUPq7TZlhZmLRV7IQR74teysf3dgGdfiC1qyhKGn9rAjqrxlAH/s1600/27.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbcdhAB_pQlbduorMjQ9w6YqbyUUghJb33cY8Tq_9E6L3W3w4BboTMGdVnNU6Ru3e_1TcU2h8NUzbyckg9rCnfsdZHVPpUPq7TZlhZmLRV7IQR74teysf3dgGdfiC1qyhKGn9rAjqrxlAH/s400/27.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: justify;"><i>A few pots from the early Jomon period about 5250-5000 years ago</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Ccn0XFAG_fMjYnndKAQ2eu_3N7TrekX9uruezsZOBr2RBJHczAs1wfd_2d6lym0fkCs2jrKER8E9FZm8lZFkt07r2NQUjBvwc4wUvHiiN0r-WcrgpO-XROjHpJlFIEPQwJNNp-cPaSTX/s1600/28.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Ccn0XFAG_fMjYnndKAQ2eu_3N7TrekX9uruezsZOBr2RBJHczAs1wfd_2d6lym0fkCs2jrKER8E9FZm8lZFkt07r2NQUjBvwc4wUvHiiN0r-WcrgpO-XROjHpJlFIEPQwJNNp-cPaSTX/s400/28.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: justify;"><i>A pot from the middle Jomon period about 5000-4750 years ago</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4uTcEf7Vf6dOX-uOGNbx0MN5juGRcOo-_UrE4wmdmtxQTchvzcya8O5v3uwr7B3ejyQMKB-Sxx4OhK_0X4y308JB3lKQd5OzNRxPwIP3WQ7S05j-HkMFtu8rs5kSR1mb6Ei-VzPvmY7WV/s1600/29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4uTcEf7Vf6dOX-uOGNbx0MN5juGRcOo-_UrE4wmdmtxQTchvzcya8O5v3uwr7B3ejyQMKB-Sxx4OhK_0X4y308JB3lKQd5OzNRxPwIP3WQ7S05j-HkMFtu8rs5kSR1mb6Ei-VzPvmY7WV/s400/29.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: justify;"><i>A few pots from the middle Jomon period about 4750-4500 years ago</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: justify;"><i>A few pots from the latter part of the middle Jomon period about 4200 years ago</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDb7XghbbfVIaASAdi7PCINBvEZB6J9Tm3k4m395mn3AF9kyKJBb2LjDqTDGbdxJIXmvEy6-UnrzsfSFyL6QmTNTvo2cnrQS3LXUga_140-bgfejVAWmB6V3Nx2myt8-8JbGCWlrNsfmzh/s1600/31.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDb7XghbbfVIaASAdi7PCINBvEZB6J9Tm3k4m395mn3AF9kyKJBb2LjDqTDGbdxJIXmvEy6-UnrzsfSFyL6QmTNTvo2cnrQS3LXUga_140-bgfejVAWmB6V3Nx2myt8-8JbGCWlrNsfmzh/s400/31.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Many potsherds collected from the excavation site are displayed inside the museum</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Next, we saw the display of several miniature clay pots that were excavated from the mounds at the archaeological site. The excavation results suggest that miniature pots might have been buried as grave goods, to ease the deceased person's existence in the afterlife. The dead, according to ancient belief, have to eat and drink just like the living people. Or they might have been used in other rituals, for example as offerings to the gods or symbols of abundance for the living. We noted that the displayed miniature pots had many interesting shapes and were made during the middle Jomon period (5000-4000 years ago).</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhggGSilrTjxnv5UzA4neDbesNxQUbJj8c4bcSp4nxlwPfE1fA4D50hwH6Ra75Z9HR80JZg-REPnCJOFrcdtPjo4PHeY8qraly27XNnVmD60aJuENjBz1zC7eJGr9lGiB1Lm7QnTPsgG0GT/s1600/32.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhggGSilrTjxnv5UzA4neDbesNxQUbJj8c4bcSp4nxlwPfE1fA4D50hwH6Ra75Z9HR80JZg-REPnCJOFrcdtPjo4PHeY8qraly27XNnVmD60aJuENjBz1zC7eJGr9lGiB1Lm7QnTPsgG0GT/s400/32.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Miniature clay pottery from middle Jomon period (5000-4000 years ago)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">There was another corner inside the museum where we saw the display of several lacquered pottery and wooden items that were excavated from the archaeological site. Excavation studies have shown that lacquer was used by the Jomon people and lacquering technology may have been invented by them and was an established part of the Jomon culture. Unfortunately, we did not take any photos of the displayed lacquerware though we did click the photo of a mannequin figure making a lacquerware utensil.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_u5HjN6dsIYunNatqXDYV4hgHaaxQWtufDwgnmYDAjeLc7V07oJrlTJmlo2Dx2MUE9IAX5AKccEC5sYHHxO4FeMMg8qyQiZeVRMyHstgcgYmvGG9ra3-FTPC0iK0wdGNYDlBI16pK5njn/s1600/33pottery.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_u5HjN6dsIYunNatqXDYV4hgHaaxQWtufDwgnmYDAjeLc7V07oJrlTJmlo2Dx2MUE9IAX5AKccEC5sYHHxO4FeMMg8qyQiZeVRMyHstgcgYmvGG9ra3-FTPC0iK0wdGNYDlBI16pK5njn/s400/33pottery.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A mannequin figure making a lacquerware utensil</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Next, we saw the display of the ruins of several flat clay figurines that were excavated from the archaeological site. They were made during the middle Jomon period (5000-4000 years ago). Archaeologists are uncertain as to what they represent but the figurines conveyed a sense of mysteriousness and importance to us.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Several flat clay figurines from middle Jomon period (5000-4000 years ago)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Then we saw a corner named ‘decorated bodies’ which had several displays consisting of the ruins of jewelries and accessories that were excavated from the archaeological site. Jomon people used such accessories for decorating their bodies. Fashion was an important aspect of the lifestyle culture during the long bygone era. Hair ornaments, combs, ear ornaments, bracelets, pendants etc. were found at the archaeological site. In fact, hair ornaments made of bone and antler as well as ear ornaments and pendants made of stone and clay were excavated from the site. Archaeologists believe that though these accessories were partly for daily use, they may have been used for special days, including festivals and so on. We saw the display of many stone pendants, stone accessories, jade pendants, and several other accessories made during the middle Jomon period (5000-4000 years ago). We noted that most of the worked and polished stones had holes drilled through them, which might have been a laborious and tedious job for the Jomon people. This indicates that such stones were worn by living people in the form of pendants or accessories that were sewn or strung onto headbands, necklaces, pectorals, etc. and then buried with their owners after death. We also noted that some of the displayed stone accessories resembled the shape of a peanut, and may have been a precursor of the comma-shaped jades (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magatama" target="_blank">Magatama</a>) of later royalty. We loved looking at the display of all the interesting jewelries and accessories made of clay, wood, or stone. Also, the display of a pair of jade pendants was remarkable and exceptional. I am including the details about the displayed jewelries and accessories along with the photos below.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE2Qpn2BMg7XgOIiwDy5VVpP1H1lfUJTFk-Av6VWVXH7km9rmb8qoL_q8Wh2rgfY6oTyxuZHGqhoVkR64qh_9k89mx_y3Yw3Kk3d9gYrKAiYv-nRWH9gDKikU218rvh2SeHtMaiheVAgzC/s1600/35.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE2Qpn2BMg7XgOIiwDy5VVpP1H1lfUJTFk-Av6VWVXH7km9rmb8qoL_q8Wh2rgfY6oTyxuZHGqhoVkR64qh_9k89mx_y3Yw3Kk3d9gYrKAiYv-nRWH9gDKikU218rvh2SeHtMaiheVAgzC/s400/35.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: justify;"><i>Mannequin figures of an adult combing or styling the hair of a child and I am trying to learn the styling tactics</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcWJ0gphV9YoCvZBhjIIC79xYINPZdkslkx26_BkSv4oytVGYx0beCL4CBgXh2WJCWQHxAmUWWRSloUWeO3TnOT4hjOeRmbjTfAQfebA_UTH8zo6VaMsjC47KfhOWOydHDptoQW4a6nOdw/s1600/36.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcWJ0gphV9YoCvZBhjIIC79xYINPZdkslkx26_BkSv4oytVGYx0beCL4CBgXh2WJCWQHxAmUWWRSloUWeO3TnOT4hjOeRmbjTfAQfebA_UTH8zo6VaMsjC47KfhOWOydHDptoQW4a6nOdw/s400/36.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: justify;"><i>Stone pendants from middle Jomon period (5000-4000 years ago)</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOx5z8loAgj80p-Y-JDvw1YGH84ZmwVU_mQ3C4N-GiE15A916XLgTnBTaXtn3nhSoCl9hgbPk-qpzhKpZQbAZtKHRWuxAP89CdtCaYlkXo4YMlFEoObKNVk5Bhe7RcgqfpZuP07K6rvzcm/s1600/37.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOx5z8loAgj80p-Y-JDvw1YGH84ZmwVU_mQ3C4N-GiE15A916XLgTnBTaXtn3nhSoCl9hgbPk-qpzhKpZQbAZtKHRWuxAP89CdtCaYlkXo4YMlFEoObKNVk5Bhe7RcgqfpZuP07K6rvzcm/s400/37.JPG" width="352" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: justify;"><i>Stone accessories from middle Jomon period (5000-4000 years ago)</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBdMsnXl-e_Y4yBxPOUQ-UHwrsC4vqA6fHHtnustlYiu0ptvKwWIgomHRetE_Dea4U3Q0NdIaX7htFnqqVK32EbNmIpW9AT9rWNHc6__NtTAQR-53W0_huEkmVsdJ9EeKQHSJuzwjccNlj/s1600/38.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBdMsnXl-e_Y4yBxPOUQ-UHwrsC4vqA6fHHtnustlYiu0ptvKwWIgomHRetE_Dea4U3Q0NdIaX7htFnqqVK32EbNmIpW9AT9rWNHc6__NtTAQR-53W0_huEkmVsdJ9EeKQHSJuzwjccNlj/s400/38.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: justify;"><i>Many more stone accessories from middle Jomon period (5000-4000 years ago)</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEksHPLdvPntQJ3hvLcrbKoR3MPvflU6VwwcuhdiYb77uc-T7W4_-itDwNlKHppPhmi84ZBUJOQjCJj-3MguwAsluGt6DrgR-CR3GHRAx6B9cJbVNbIQMAr0pzXCQN_kQizhCxh8qqqema/s1600/39.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEksHPLdvPntQJ3hvLcrbKoR3MPvflU6VwwcuhdiYb77uc-T7W4_-itDwNlKHppPhmi84ZBUJOQjCJj-3MguwAsluGt6DrgR-CR3GHRAx6B9cJbVNbIQMAr0pzXCQN_kQizhCxh8qqqema/s400/39.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A pair of jade pendants from middle Jomon period (5000-4000 years ago)</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">In the ‘decorated bodies’ corner of the museum hall, we also saw a display of the Jomon people’s clothing. Unfortunately the displayed clothing was a reproduction because original clothing itself has not been found from the archaeological site. However, many woven cloth pieces were excavated from the site. Based on such woven cloth pieces as well as the patterns on the flat clay figurines excavated from the site, archaeologists have reproduced the Jomon period clothing. Although the reproduced clothing is simple, it looks elegant and has a good aesthetic sense. Many such reproduced Jomon period outfits are kept in this corner for the visitors to try on. I wore one such reproduced clothing and took a souvenir photo inside the museum surrounded by the Jomon period relics.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqWLsGqQ-eRW54Ua56VSiUj57db4aDUVUiW_6WehOjH6MNLaxNXLiaBazF4oJGNSWZAnvHLnppEiIaQ8Cf_fy6W8XCsustCQprzOuetbsRlkDOeMxoEl744LtfFkZlmrdeTih4Kc-us0z4/s1600/40.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqWLsGqQ-eRW54Ua56VSiUj57db4aDUVUiW_6WehOjH6MNLaxNXLiaBazF4oJGNSWZAnvHLnppEiIaQ8Cf_fy6W8XCsustCQprzOuetbsRlkDOeMxoEl744LtfFkZlmrdeTih4Kc-us0z4/s400/40.JPG" width="283" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: justify;"><i>Display of a reproduced clothing of the Jomon people</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjpdppgPoSYZcbcCJLBqS80G_Ij7BAX6i8WjO21y0gmiSlKGHQqo4AFRK9uibuuWC_7fWMn1E3uobUH7o9Z4as8A0H36zuwqIMjOgv4Ir2Mzx5R5q43HW92aTb9XX9-TcXr9Yy_0L8hYmf/s1600/41.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjpdppgPoSYZcbcCJLBqS80G_Ij7BAX6i8WjO21y0gmiSlKGHQqo4AFRK9uibuuWC_7fWMn1E3uobUH7o9Z4as8A0H36zuwqIMjOgv4Ir2Mzx5R5q43HW92aTb9XX9-TcXr9Yy_0L8hYmf/s400/41.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: justify;"><i>Several such outfits are kept in this corner for the visitors to try on</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC9VnfA3Nw1251Tf4ZYi53SsreRK52snu0Fi8SmWumoNyO7elvWDIlnN5Y_xrPVkJ3TRkKiBhJZrXJbBe_Gylv0MD5pjOgrNXsz-AH3E54z3phNdGQWtLEGU5KG3XcX37wGxNiP5z9_xK9/s1600/42.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC9VnfA3Nw1251Tf4ZYi53SsreRK52snu0Fi8SmWumoNyO7elvWDIlnN5Y_xrPVkJ3TRkKiBhJZrXJbBe_Gylv0MD5pjOgrNXsz-AH3E54z3phNdGQWtLEGU5KG3XcX37wGxNiP5z9_xK9/s400/42.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am from the long bygone Jomon period</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Next, we saw a diorama that recreated the lifestyle of the people of Jomon period. The mannequin figures in this diorama showed Jomon people living inside a pit-dwelling and engaged in various activities, such as weaving and cooking. Details of costume were authenticated by flat clay figurines obtained at the excavation site and also exhibited inside this museum hall.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQVWf4PPvWqknGuW2xuZpn7SOkkqFkAOPF5M9R7WHikCD_jFkxh5I48sk1dXsuUocnECaoxyBs9nnOPWakU7BHPvJpazsrhmWj3WDyYqNLoFDm6EplEqOwPt6aS_0X8oI1-HsW4pwLF8Px/s1600/43lifestyle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQVWf4PPvWqknGuW2xuZpn7SOkkqFkAOPF5M9R7WHikCD_jFkxh5I48sk1dXsuUocnECaoxyBs9nnOPWakU7BHPvJpazsrhmWj3WDyYqNLoFDm6EplEqOwPt6aS_0X8oI1-HsW4pwLF8Px/s400/43lifestyle.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: justify;"><i>Diorama showing mannequin figures of Jomon people living inside a pit-dwelling</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Bktsx8R7Kvoo9zTnsxjJ8RUkb_K0nXTaYtIksk5ggbNpiy7Sg_UfKH_5F2tjJJvo7pDG_-AB2Ilj4bPBYZYiR7UjGCGEQuKZ5hJwnVAoN1rAaGtBj6_ZiRSJEkbWRKZ7Js4zKynw4yg9/s1600/44.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Bktsx8R7Kvoo9zTnsxjJ8RUkb_K0nXTaYtIksk5ggbNpiy7Sg_UfKH_5F2tjJJvo7pDG_-AB2Ilj4bPBYZYiR7UjGCGEQuKZ5hJwnVAoN1rAaGtBj6_ZiRSJEkbWRKZ7Js4zKynw4yg9/s400/44.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The Jomon people engaged in various activities like weaving and cooking</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Then we saw the displays of graves of a child and an adult. All the materials for the displays were excavated from the archaeological site and then rearranged inside the museum hall. Children were buried in pottery jars after their death. Jars used for cooking daily were turned into coffins. The Jomon people made holes or broke the bottom of such jars intentionally. Fist-sized round stones were found inside the jars in some cases. It was interesting to read about the graves of children of the Jomon period. Adjacent to the recreated grave of a child, we saw the display of several burial jars for children that were obtained from the excavation site, and were from the early Jomon period (5500-5000 years ago). Next, we saw a recreated grave of an adult. Adult graves were found to be arranged in a queue along the roads of the Jomon village that was excavated at the archaeological site. Oval pits were dug into the ground and wooden boards were lined up along the wall in the pits. In addition, stones were arranged in a circle around the pits. In some cases stone arrow heads, stone tools for cooking, and ornaments were found in the pits. The recreated adult grave displayed inside the museum was very interesting.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV70Km4ODKNSXT7Vty0MLC50Y5cH6RWtBMFU31A_Xm57Lwvwy-Am7X6QpXPI5Lmy2gXpvGb7kvukpL7cWFr_pRrArWRog4DJUhhwADaNa1GQ27Us7a7nnEROUHAZ9cnquTo7sGtzXa0j1N/s1600/45burial.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV70Km4ODKNSXT7Vty0MLC50Y5cH6RWtBMFU31A_Xm57Lwvwy-Am7X6QpXPI5Lmy2gXpvGb7kvukpL7cWFr_pRrArWRog4DJUhhwADaNa1GQ27Us7a7nnEROUHAZ9cnquTo7sGtzXa0j1N/s400/45burial.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjprq2V6CKfoQEk-DRBnNVfLUOIIec54a5Jf-3Co17qI6W5frFD1OkBJIHgIlkKIzBRKRmHmODt6k7ZBNUKEYdgKf8qSYsOEojw0XW_2JDHPymrvyOWsa4NyZhwXumjFN5mCwcwX8q9k70I/s1600/46.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjprq2V6CKfoQEk-DRBnNVfLUOIIec54a5Jf-3Co17qI6W5frFD1OkBJIHgIlkKIzBRKRmHmODt6k7ZBNUKEYdgKf8qSYsOEojw0XW_2JDHPymrvyOWsa4NyZhwXumjFN5mCwcwX8q9k70I/s400/46.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHEfR-KzS9ybYtMSoOP_5gBVmKL8o7qW2X5T-q0WK9P_bDNGKP8_y2PUoMB3PLEDZwqhKUTZHtx_2qINAV-S_yAvhzeCdomiuUTrj-qv4_dEgyVP7_tGR7GrYj9tL15_fNTn4du1K-QKwq/s1600/47.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHEfR-KzS9ybYtMSoOP_5gBVmKL8o7qW2X5T-q0WK9P_bDNGKP8_y2PUoMB3PLEDZwqhKUTZHtx_2qINAV-S_yAvhzeCdomiuUTrj-qv4_dEgyVP7_tGR7GrYj9tL15_fNTn4du1K-QKwq/s400/47.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Finally, we saw a map of northern Japan that explained about the trading practices of the Jomon people of Sannai Maruyama Site. Many products from distant areas were carried into the site. For example, obsidian produced in Hokkaido and Nagano prefectures, asphalt in Akita prefecture, and jade at the border between Niigata and Toyama prefectures were transported to the site. These products were mainly carried with dugout canoes.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqw2P-RsStfPLYiDSwpF8Hypmft6gldPOF6mjQhqnwsXoKgxHiaqpXAOCHm9oGDNNyuTnxshCRcS2UvoBzRS6WzjCwPUbTQPaAX1rHtj9x2YKKeNZWQr5b1J0twBCmn87wK3CGHP0yw2hq/s1600/48.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqw2P-RsStfPLYiDSwpF8Hypmft6gldPOF6mjQhqnwsXoKgxHiaqpXAOCHm9oGDNNyuTnxshCRcS2UvoBzRS6WzjCwPUbTQPaAX1rHtj9x2YKKeNZWQr5b1J0twBCmn87wK3CGHP0yw2hq/s400/48.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Map of northern Japan explaining the trading practices of the Jomon people of Sannai Maruyama Site</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">At this point, we finished seeing the reproduced scenes of the daily lives of Jomon people that were exhibited inside ‘Jomonjin no Kurashi wo Himotoku’ themed section of Sanmaru Museum. Sanmaru Museum is a wonderful facility to understand the lifestyle of the people of Jomon period.</span></span><br />
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Manisha Kundu-Nagatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13277146210049986417noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695885479879152724.post-4283066083046714242017-04-15T23:00:00.001+09:002017-04-15T23:00:42.988+09:00Sanmaru Museum - part 1<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">As I wrote in the <a href="http://lipikazuo.blogspot.com/2017/04/sannai-maruyama-archaeological-site.html" target="_blank">previous post</a>, hubby and I visited Sannai Maruyama Archaeological Site in Aomori City on 23rd December 2016. The archaeological site is the largest and one of the most complete and best preserved <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C5%8Dmon_period" target="_blank">Jomon period</a> village in Japan. After the excavation and study of the site by archaeologists in 1994, the village ruins were reburied with earth for preservation. First we visited the grounds of the actual site where a number of reconstructed pit-dwellings, large pit-dwellings, pillar-supported buildings, and a large tower were built on top of the preserved site. We loved visiting the reconstructed structures to get a sense of bygone olden times. After finishing the tour of the archaeological site, we went to a modern building named Jomon Jiyukan located adjacent to the site and had lunch. Then we visited a museum named Sanmaru Museum located inside the building itself. The museum has artifacts related to or excavated from the archaeological site, about which I will write in this post.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Sanmaru Museum is located inside Jomon Jiyukan building that stands adjacent to Sannai Maruyama Archaeological Site. This indoor museum was opened in 2010. The museum exhibits ruins, objects, and artifacts excavated from the archaeological site. All the excavated items and collected ruins are comprehensively and systematically arranged and introduced inside the museum. In fact, the museum exhibits approximately 1700 artifacts including approximately 500 important cultural properties excavated from the archaeological site. In addition, the museum has an interesting demonstration of the lifestyle of people who lived during the Jomon period. The museum is divided into two sections. One of the sections is named ‘Jomon no Kokoro’ which means ‘Basics of the Jomon Period’. This section is located to the left side on entering the museum, and has the exhibition of many interesting items like large flat clay figures, large jade beads, large chestnut pillars, earthenware, stone tools, and personal ornaments. The other section is a themed exhibition named ‘Jomonjin no Kurashi wo Himotoku’ which means ‘Understanding the Life of People of Jomon period’. This section is located to the right side of the museum, and reproduces many scenes of the daily lives of Jomon people as conceived by the archaeologists from the excavated articles and objects. The recreated scenes are interestingly done in an easy-to-understand manner by using figures of people wearing Jomon period clothing, fishing, hunting or performing daily tasks. Many ancient excavated pottery and fishing hooks are also displayed in this section. Entrance to Sanmaru Museum is free. Today I will only write about the first section ‘Jomon no Kokoro’ of the museum, and in the next post I will write about the second section.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">We entered inside ‘Jomon no Kokoro’ section of Sanmaru Museum and saw the exhibition of many interesting relics and excavated items from the Jomon period. This room was rather dark and had a dramatic dimmed lighting which made the ambience of the room fantastic. The lighting focused only on the exhibited items to make them appealing and interesting. Such lighting really enhanced the impact of the exhibited items.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>‘Jomon no Kokoro’ section inside Sanmaru Museum</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">Arranged in a semicircular fashion in the middle of ‘Jomon no Kokoro’ room, we saw the remains of four large pillars made of big chestnut tree boles that were exhibited inside glass cases. These remains of the pillars were excavated from the Sannai Maruyama Archaeological Site and probably formed the pillars of large pillar-supported buildings. Archaeologists have determined all these pillars to be from middle Jomon period (approximately 4200 years ago).</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLFmd0czGrfsUk0wjElgQRkw7nrFxsWJKZY5uSgU1nn5Mvhzt3qGDLyir1UeP-sb6xMpk-1iRZu8O-igb3W16Gh5x_Qr2OB4iXIDDIz5IpAnXmfSDopMKUh83hOHvEUpvUL6NXCR7oFGgf/s1600/2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLFmd0czGrfsUk0wjElgQRkw7nrFxsWJKZY5uSgU1nn5Mvhzt3qGDLyir1UeP-sb6xMpk-1iRZu8O-igb3W16Gh5x_Qr2OB4iXIDDIz5IpAnXmfSDopMKUh83hOHvEUpvUL6NXCR7oFGgf/s400/2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A large pillar from middle Jomon period (4200 years ago)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY-b2H-tuX2QndzHIc-k-9AmOU7YUZxHDlid_aGfe5tF8Lce-NdnErqhjPbKnine6aPBvf8BIdsP7OwqK1hbDpTABTA1JQ47KsFk34g7d2ZUs-GwmGr5xWIyY_u2nVUtxoQV9_z3b0-Ukn/s1600/3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY-b2H-tuX2QndzHIc-k-9AmOU7YUZxHDlid_aGfe5tF8Lce-NdnErqhjPbKnine6aPBvf8BIdsP7OwqK1hbDpTABTA1JQ47KsFk34g7d2ZUs-GwmGr5xWIyY_u2nVUtxoQV9_z3b0-Ukn/s400/3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Another large pillar from the same period</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOv0s1MM33emHIWbBKPElXTgDNLdd768r4EpGx-ZK2ailp0HMMGdagw0Gxf7k2_OfueRkPHu6KDgpsPndnhSqf3hNqbn74eo1jBKY2jCANmc2hzz0s0lVlEBBZbtam_nmJVrm-z9chgLmB/s1600/4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOv0s1MM33emHIWbBKPElXTgDNLdd768r4EpGx-ZK2ailp0HMMGdagw0Gxf7k2_OfueRkPHu6KDgpsPndnhSqf3hNqbn74eo1jBKY2jCANmc2hzz0s0lVlEBBZbtam_nmJVrm-z9chgLmB/s400/4.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Yet another large pillar from the same period</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt8yuhunWX63JY3EdxwkVj36OnRHqK1ZWSTN6j112as4JGkM4a-R8XiQthHYqJByKoOKUhTWO1pY5hzgvpmxW5wg3-RUXRjXUvE3ufrg2VGIh4h9saiRSegT2trjUJpRCr6zd1ErkfjjFR/s1600/5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt8yuhunWX63JY3EdxwkVj36OnRHqK1ZWSTN6j112as4JGkM4a-R8XiQthHYqJByKoOKUhTWO1pY5hzgvpmxW5wg3-RUXRjXUvE3ufrg2VGIh4h9saiRSegT2trjUJpRCr6zd1ErkfjjFR/s400/5.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>One more large pillar exhibited from the same period</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Right in the middle of the room, surrounded by the above-mentioned four large pillars, we saw the remains of a basket (pochette) from the early Jomon period (approximately 5500 years ago). It was found during the excavation of the archaeological site near the midden mound area. Interestingly, a half shell of walnut was found inside the basket. We noted that the basket was woven in wickerwork-like pattern with bark of coniferous tree. The basket had a height of 16 centimeters and a width of 10 centimeters, and is designated as an important cultural property. The weaving pattern of the basket clearly indicates that the Jomon people possessed high skills and techniques.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKQ-gx4O8ABSzHrTx8WCmB4kzNXPOVHXNJUZun9Wx7PtCcv1u7rmptWJZxOXEAVUT9qA62y7ZtQS8sygujiqUbAh-S17K0hNxLsIPByRag2lIp2cL_DRdtRlbiEJwbHn5RqtkAYg6bt4Q3/s1600/6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKQ-gx4O8ABSzHrTx8WCmB4kzNXPOVHXNJUZun9Wx7PtCcv1u7rmptWJZxOXEAVUT9qA62y7ZtQS8sygujiqUbAh-S17K0hNxLsIPByRag2lIp2cL_DRdtRlbiEJwbHn5RqtkAYg6bt4Q3/s400/6.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Basket (pochette) from early Jomon period (5500 years ago) and is designated as an important cultural property</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz1KfbAGrEyqL_0DkNnrFyJpoNB1vGqP4Oic2du7VKsYdvmHBWIvZ9A-M5Qn5LuSoUJeoX3pGKBiqcx3chaylG0apXNMLwFbwHDocWrOy56tY1ci95Ag_YH_uAHQwd9W14JOfyBeyMMme_/s1600/7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz1KfbAGrEyqL_0DkNnrFyJpoNB1vGqP4Oic2du7VKsYdvmHBWIvZ9A-M5Qn5LuSoUJeoX3pGKBiqcx3chaylG0apXNMLwFbwHDocWrOy56tY1ci95Ag_YH_uAHQwd9W14JOfyBeyMMme_/s400/7.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The basket as viewed from another angle</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Next, we saw many excavated items and collected relics exhibited along the walls of the room. We moved around inside the room in a clockwise direction and appreciated all the exhibited items. First we saw the display of pottery from the early to middle Jomon period. We noted that three pots were displayed. The pot to the left was called early stage pottery and was from the early Jomon period (5500 years ago). This pot had cord marking which was decorative and also made the pot less susceptible to cracking when it was fired. The pot exhibited in the middle was called middle stage pottery and was made during the middle Jomon period (5000 years ago). Such pots with simple elevated pinches on their rim are thought to be the earliest forerunners of the spectacular flamboyant style of the latter part of the middle Jomon period. The pot exhibited on the right was also called middle stage pottery but was made during the latter part of the middle Jomon period (4200 years ago). We noted that this third pot had a decorative style where a broad interlinked herringbone pattern, of circles connected by lines, was superimposed upon the comb markings of this pot. The line-and-circle upside-down-V patterns were striking. All the three pots are designated as important cultural properties. We loved looking at these pots in details.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL0pai7ftnZsBiGe7MOAxeNcuS7csnv3iPQolFFnVy9Gn2m5ePxpXkR9y3UyRBh9QRqMfzUoIMU3AbIhiaCPDlL-oRycQr8vRIkNWWxil0wA-9GgUipXAc_IyeypAIeJGUQjprF4QTyK3K/s1600/8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL0pai7ftnZsBiGe7MOAxeNcuS7csnv3iPQolFFnVy9Gn2m5ePxpXkR9y3UyRBh9QRqMfzUoIMU3AbIhiaCPDlL-oRycQr8vRIkNWWxil0wA-9GgUipXAc_IyeypAIeJGUQjprF4QTyK3K/s400/8.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Early stage pottery (5500 years ago, left), middle stage pottery (5000 years ago, middle), latter middle stage pottery (4200 years ago, right), and all are important cultural properties</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Then we saw several displays of stone tools, objects, and figurines that were excavated from the archaeological site. We saw the display of stone rods, stone swords, and crown shaped stones. All the stone tools were amazingly shaped and some of the stone objects were rather sharp. Along with the stone tools, we saw an interesting sword-shaped artifact made of whale bone. In addition, we saw a few stone figurines which were very cute. I am including the details about the displays along with the photos below.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnLq8gRuEUfFx-5gfzIHsEbMBbKesQShgbxbzri8bx-6UBKXYBkvkwBLzZVqA_x33R-M9rIqCmPohFV7XimhjmUdbY_Gztt_-jIzVldAzZBNmpuUspE5Eqzh8WF5S46Gw7HUjolRJJBVg0/s1600/9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnLq8gRuEUfFx-5gfzIHsEbMBbKesQShgbxbzri8bx-6UBKXYBkvkwBLzZVqA_x33R-M9rIqCmPohFV7XimhjmUdbY_Gztt_-jIzVldAzZBNmpuUspE5Eqzh8WF5S46Gw7HUjolRJJBVg0/s400/9.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Stone rods from middle Jomon period (5000-4000 years ago) and are designated as important cultural properties</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib_I4PD1_lGWWKIoDTE4vLn9oLPK9r0rRYa174Qv1A6eLaGOjuyc97uYm9HZ0DR2T7mwiL-dEa8SO9kl-lZTtYU6dsoSokFa-MwIhyphenhyphen-OuLRkWcrdveh99ljTzuU9wCWrjXkWbHbJhtD5rQ/s1600/10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib_I4PD1_lGWWKIoDTE4vLn9oLPK9r0rRYa174Qv1A6eLaGOjuyc97uYm9HZ0DR2T7mwiL-dEa8SO9kl-lZTtYU6dsoSokFa-MwIhyphenhyphen-OuLRkWcrdveh99ljTzuU9wCWrjXkWbHbJhtD5rQ/s400/10.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The display on the left is a stone artifact shaped like Seiryuto (Chinese broad blade sword) from middle Jomon period (5000-4000 years ago). The display on the right is a sword-shaped artifact made of whale bone from early Jomon period (5500 years ago) and is an important cultural property.</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH9WZR25EakXvHorBNtxnJ_hUvqSxcrpWhe2h713nwy5vrf_zpGGlmYHLcMPnn7TC1iHzeWeksvJOpWRKn-gvuc_pRjqC6OCVNs02VnQji96yRbeFFaHgHgAt2Pf85ij6a02Li93gFx1RV/s1600/11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH9WZR25EakXvHorBNtxnJ_hUvqSxcrpWhe2h713nwy5vrf_zpGGlmYHLcMPnn7TC1iHzeWeksvJOpWRKn-gvuc_pRjqC6OCVNs02VnQji96yRbeFFaHgHgAt2Pf85ij6a02Li93gFx1RV/s400/11.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Crown-shaped stones from middle Jomon period (5000-4000 years ago) and are important cultural properties</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiothhK0TwoJKxZ8TSPfbAt0_EbkdaVkCEL8Rx83BIzviFWlmEZaGMjFoo8uzM82A3YnrChCdNpLgO3T_UngohFBZnbZS7sRXN8dFX50Pe2Rd56-L5KixakrPNXot3uT8F0prEWL6W6aQaX/s1600/12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiothhK0TwoJKxZ8TSPfbAt0_EbkdaVkCEL8Rx83BIzviFWlmEZaGMjFoo8uzM82A3YnrChCdNpLgO3T_UngohFBZnbZS7sRXN8dFX50Pe2Rd56-L5KixakrPNXot3uT8F0prEWL6W6aQaX/s400/12.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Many stone objects from middle Jomon period (5000-4000 years ago) and are important cultural properties</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja1SocjXicor7Je-hCNboBvmmTH6WC2HC-D1sdcg-8_ar9CZafUaU8i-jVs7esD0PzNuYw-c1Q7OAfzzHQnqKKFpf7z9-9_h1seVs6yiGDpcLyD4bQI-Z7OSaM7Av1HzZn4i_BUzznb0OB/s1600/13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja1SocjXicor7Je-hCNboBvmmTH6WC2HC-D1sdcg-8_ar9CZafUaU8i-jVs7esD0PzNuYw-c1Q7OAfzzHQnqKKFpf7z9-9_h1seVs6yiGDpcLyD4bQI-Z7OSaM7Av1HzZn4i_BUzznb0OB/s400/13.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Many stone figurines from early to middle Jomon period (5500-4500 years ago)</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Next we saw the display of several flat clay figurines that were excavated from the archaeological site. They were made during the early to middle Jomon period (5500-4500 years ago) and a few of them are designated as important cultural properties. Archaeologists are uncertain as to what they represent but the figurines conveyed a sense of mysteriousness and importance to us.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqaGQ-z36Y_q8Negj0ZyQ8RjCtLFoQ3SuZ6TWvaPLRFOKK127JuRUZ9jtC0fAtuXis4U4Ke5BW7nollVtepPiK-FuF5b1F46nMirpbM20i2bHnG-Az7KzDzcIEcxBLVOOSwjpNflHk9pXn/s1600/14.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqaGQ-z36Y_q8Negj0ZyQ8RjCtLFoQ3SuZ6TWvaPLRFOKK127JuRUZ9jtC0fAtuXis4U4Ke5BW7nollVtepPiK-FuF5b1F46nMirpbM20i2bHnG-Az7KzDzcIEcxBLVOOSwjpNflHk9pXn/s400/14.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Several flat clay figurines from early to middle Jomon period (5500-4500 years ago)</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">The next several displays consisted of Jomon people’s jewelries and accessories that were excavated from the archaeological site. We saw a wooden container, large jade beads, a creeper bracelet, a shell bracelet, a braided rope, pendants made from the teeth and whale bones, slit stone earrings, bone hairpins, and several other accessories. I am including the details about the displays along with the photos below.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivvsawnSg_FLlwmwdoSfUlaHJet2qraDUYitnW6dAzke1RIlSa4a1aQEq8cWBbGf4QpXM8w-YjvBlT-fhVVuBrc4xOnIaALAHQusJj2Fzb7Bz-A_AjgyHeyJIsn0AnIpFzzufW0r2WDQQe/s1600/15.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivvsawnSg_FLlwmwdoSfUlaHJet2qraDUYitnW6dAzke1RIlSa4a1aQEq8cWBbGf4QpXM8w-YjvBlT-fhVVuBrc4xOnIaALAHQusJj2Fzb7Bz-A_AjgyHeyJIsn0AnIpFzzufW0r2WDQQe/s400/15.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Wooden container from early Jomon period (5500-5000 years ago)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWzlV8MxmRuSVUsNDIrikzcLOy10KtcgRYlHLkZdMb9vj8_6XDs936LpeuGfcDGpcB6dEta6KKb3BJso2xqWiIu3DpBgBtvMjYd6sKB8ke3WbMyb2OJ9u_a6_dvda4fPamHVgGT4ZazcEP/s1600/16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWzlV8MxmRuSVUsNDIrikzcLOy10KtcgRYlHLkZdMb9vj8_6XDs936LpeuGfcDGpcB6dEta6KKb3BJso2xqWiIu3DpBgBtvMjYd6sKB8ke3WbMyb2OJ9u_a6_dvda4fPamHVgGT4ZazcEP/s400/16.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Large jade beads from middle Jomon period (5000-4000 years ago)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivejRAjnSVTWuy4wuE1R9mSnMoCFQLiqMEAvhmYZIbQizHvT1mIxVUXHS4IM3wPGUtOdAibHQcc-hsp7NiI06FCLDq0Tn80p3wS_3ptM0U4g7Wni3jgEWcuDNhA0y7_5XqrvxhBupvtxnJ/s1600/17.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivejRAjnSVTWuy4wuE1R9mSnMoCFQLiqMEAvhmYZIbQizHvT1mIxVUXHS4IM3wPGUtOdAibHQcc-hsp7NiI06FCLDq0Tn80p3wS_3ptM0U4g7Wni3jgEWcuDNhA0y7_5XqrvxhBupvtxnJ/s400/17.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Creeper bracelet (left) and five-braided rope (right), both from early Jomon period (5500 years ago)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7MXLsWtBtJj7m-wbZe-cgPSmh2KBkeMA5HUvOeNcXOQHdvglP0zmJfTKPx1-VY8NzmfeijjH4RBpSyhPHfGTFBT5quUyxJWjB7ac7_lNJi5ldlStjnePhYZ2Dyo92s4Za_8GabustwWl0/s1600/18.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7MXLsWtBtJj7m-wbZe-cgPSmh2KBkeMA5HUvOeNcXOQHdvglP0zmJfTKPx1-VY8NzmfeijjH4RBpSyhPHfGTFBT5quUyxJWjB7ac7_lNJi5ldlStjnePhYZ2Dyo92s4Za_8GabustwWl0/s400/18.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Displays of a shell bracelet (upper left), accessories (upper right), pendants made from the teeth (lower left), and pendants made from the whale bone (lower right). All these relics are from early Jomon period (5500 years ago) and are important cultural properties.</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO-g2uv8-JcVbDsEYIuI-vh0zY9zPmDKkQPrZfCYAPgH7FQNdn5Qn20Epp7NlCRV6Hz44ROqNpJrpkExknSFARtj6ODx09hT2qGbqHG4B7VzwQAoGr6XpBzXQ0CYmN7Iphzl4ivGgNRofn/s1600/19.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO-g2uv8-JcVbDsEYIuI-vh0zY9zPmDKkQPrZfCYAPgH7FQNdn5Qn20Epp7NlCRV6Hz44ROqNpJrpkExknSFARtj6ODx09hT2qGbqHG4B7VzwQAoGr6XpBzXQ0CYmN7Iphzl4ivGgNRofn/s400/19.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>On the left is the display of several slit stone earrings from early Jomon period (5500-5000 years ago). On the right is the display of a pair of bone hairpins also from early Jomon period (5500 years ago), and are designated as important cultural properties.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Next, we saw several displays of bone tools that were excavated from the archaeological site. We saw many drills, points, and needles made of bone. We also saw a hammer made from antler and an antler itself. I am including the details about the displays along with the photos below.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixecgmrrUAehQa-g5DbgLVo9ZWAl4ouTX1H8UdKda5aFSOJr5S1sDdVwtWsCitS2TSdAXx9mudNqnPraEhobozpzGbW1QLvez6g428JgTvndfu7kMbiQ58ctjKpids2MZIZwRpO7iUHp2B/s1600/20.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixecgmrrUAehQa-g5DbgLVo9ZWAl4ouTX1H8UdKda5aFSOJr5S1sDdVwtWsCitS2TSdAXx9mudNqnPraEhobozpzGbW1QLvez6g428JgTvndfu7kMbiQ58ctjKpids2MZIZwRpO7iUHp2B/s400/20.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A few bone drills from early to middle Jomon period (5500-4000 years ago) and are designated as important cultural properties</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSvCGfi4YdqjztQxxFmOR2IzNNkrfnNxxm7r0g5FNblmQd75KbbLvsASkenZb6fLfjtJpFKils0xxgU5b5kvpo5A5iITX2A-RItZkXTjADB6ul7-vO4a409ewDxQ0WRMqYnD9dWiuyzcOc/s1600/21.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSvCGfi4YdqjztQxxFmOR2IzNNkrfnNxxm7r0g5FNblmQd75KbbLvsASkenZb6fLfjtJpFKils0xxgU5b5kvpo5A5iITX2A-RItZkXTjADB6ul7-vO4a409ewDxQ0WRMqYnD9dWiuyzcOc/s400/21.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Many bone points from early Jomon period (5500 years ago) and are important cultural properties</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTXWNWybRzYQ8tMGtJDxDK0538daddm4Saoosgl-lmZw9h642LiBfESZdR3hK1AmhYQ3g07S09kLIZCqrP4EvyXLpxFlu8xj5eq2zccXgUD1Yuto4aV4yZzvZjz6wVws5MXjKnvQ8Kyspw/s1600/22.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTXWNWybRzYQ8tMGtJDxDK0538daddm4Saoosgl-lmZw9h642LiBfESZdR3hK1AmhYQ3g07S09kLIZCqrP4EvyXLpxFlu8xj5eq2zccXgUD1Yuto4aV4yZzvZjz6wVws5MXjKnvQ8Kyspw/s400/22.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Many bone needles from early Jomon period (5500 years ago) and are important cultural properties</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTKdgR8IWWz-u9BIJwv7Uvup6zmqZgVVRIMn-y5k4rlAfX0VxNW04V3jtsgM0OAmtBefZiL_N1gtBImwSutFaL1g1dm09INSVHQJNTnEStuiJQYL3BlLZvy3eecNIlsHqCk3xoNpT1Oaht/s1600/23.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTKdgR8IWWz-u9BIJwv7Uvup6zmqZgVVRIMn-y5k4rlAfX0VxNW04V3jtsgM0OAmtBefZiL_N1gtBImwSutFaL1g1dm09INSVHQJNTnEStuiJQYL3BlLZvy3eecNIlsHqCk3xoNpT1Oaht/s400/23.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Displays of a hammer made from antler (left) and an antler itself (right). Both are from early Jomon period (5500 years ago) and are important cultural properties.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Then followed the display of a large flat clay figurine that was excavated from the archaeological site. It was made during the middle Jomon period (4500 years ago) and is designated as an important cultural property. It is 32 centimeters tall and archaeologists are uncertain as to what it represents. The presentation of this clay figurine is greatly enhanced by dramatic lighting inside the museum room, and it seems like a figurine of a surprised or a singing alien.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8FZvs2UdqsdqxCdj60ZScB342TZc4eCBjB8Y8oDYurf8iGZYKpPQrQ9LEZWU8YfgJ98GXAcDKQwQYfKf395iDJkaVbtnyeH2s6L4fVoOov4zhyphenhyphenw1FIov5BGGag4y3FIM9QAatuA1vHb1/s1600/24.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8FZvs2UdqsdqxCdj60ZScB342TZc4eCBjB8Y8oDYurf8iGZYKpPQrQ9LEZWU8YfgJ98GXAcDKQwQYfKf395iDJkaVbtnyeH2s6L4fVoOov4zhyphenhyphenw1FIov5BGGag4y3FIM9QAatuA1vHb1/s400/24.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Large flat clay figurine from middle Jomon period (4500 years ago) and is designated as an important cultural property</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Next, we saw several more displays of stone tools and objects that were excavated from the archaeological site. We saw the display of whetstones, saddle querns, anvil stones, grinding stones, hammer stones, and flat chipped stone tools. All the stone tools and objects made us think about the lifestyle of the long bygone Jomon period. I am including the details about the displays along with the photos below.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjapscrYGEk_KjPdLPhXGAgfZiOlhewfRIWqUiLRHP4voqRDNw4pgFzh3WOXTqXt7ZzoAuHAJ-9Ngjc4WrGlHWdKuFp8eBcc7tS_3ap8saVOd3DcW3Yt8T9olVcvdSIJ4w9tXQ534u_frN3/s1600/25.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjapscrYGEk_KjPdLPhXGAgfZiOlhewfRIWqUiLRHP4voqRDNw4pgFzh3WOXTqXt7ZzoAuHAJ-9Ngjc4WrGlHWdKuFp8eBcc7tS_3ap8saVOd3DcW3Yt8T9olVcvdSIJ4w9tXQ534u_frN3/s400/25.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Whetstones from middle Jomon period (5000-4000 years ago) and are designated as important cultural properties</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4QYTPk6zvOb1ZXkDUvPVU7vEVzhj6sm14jCIWQByQ9SIX3JWQtbNJwQva3N_7mPv7FksveZwz280-7OnfhZcTOFtg9FSpT0fhahP4DFoGzP3RmnH8AAD3uvZSLh0w0d6czgBJ4rML1RZx/s1600/26.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4QYTPk6zvOb1ZXkDUvPVU7vEVzhj6sm14jCIWQByQ9SIX3JWQtbNJwQva3N_7mPv7FksveZwz280-7OnfhZcTOFtg9FSpT0fhahP4DFoGzP3RmnH8AAD3uvZSLh0w0d6czgBJ4rML1RZx/s400/26.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Saddle querns and anvil stones from early to middle Jomon period (5500-4000 years ago) and are important cultural properties</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7wMH7CMA_3E8hlP1KVIn5AbBaq44xe6u7xXr9jf6bYnOyCQG1nu6lEwZwbSpyrhipxdtMuxSDDiDXq_XZlMXxd6bCt74PVJsNXdqCTt2zHhBUwGOthpzAEjmnhyq4IoeVmO1JgJv87mk5/s1600/27.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7wMH7CMA_3E8hlP1KVIn5AbBaq44xe6u7xXr9jf6bYnOyCQG1nu6lEwZwbSpyrhipxdtMuxSDDiDXq_XZlMXxd6bCt74PVJsNXdqCTt2zHhBUwGOthpzAEjmnhyq4IoeVmO1JgJv87mk5/s400/27.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Grinding stones with pits from early to middle Jomon period (5500-4500 years ago) and are important cultural properties</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigFiKQxobB-LBhLxcrZgX-30OXvQsn3taDWNYMk9YovE3sVnjJQfL2COZXM-IwSA4BF0Y5pjrvIUmye57bJ5sYXIcNE1xQFj4P38F__lRABjj64PRWYeYUkNqOqkq-l1h2z9IJP0GTJeEy/s1600/28.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigFiKQxobB-LBhLxcrZgX-30OXvQsn3taDWNYMk9YovE3sVnjJQfL2COZXM-IwSA4BF0Y5pjrvIUmye57bJ5sYXIcNE1xQFj4P38F__lRABjj64PRWYeYUkNqOqkq-l1h2z9IJP0GTJeEy/s400/28.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hammer stones from early to middle Jomon period (5500-4500 years ago) and are important cultural properties</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYMWOtQ6G3u4KWqk5peFFm998tLo8twXVHKwgmryVqkIyXeKClMqnZ0Fh_tjubnr7IxD9RRLty-fIsFM05wjSvESNsYRt6nbRanmEfNQWfWCNABrQwsZL1rlHd7maEkBPqZTdfLTaGPliP/s1600/29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYMWOtQ6G3u4KWqk5peFFm998tLo8twXVHKwgmryVqkIyXeKClMqnZ0Fh_tjubnr7IxD9RRLty-fIsFM05wjSvESNsYRt6nbRanmEfNQWfWCNABrQwsZL1rlHd7maEkBPqZTdfLTaGPliP/s400/29.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Grinding stones from early to middle Jomon period (5500-4500 years ago) and are important cultural properties</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhafznqCW8_QVP5aS8fDY7z2jn3OysiQ6gAO4Fh5vuv_a6v5TZLEXpgYS2l5nWxZ53iplaI1PE0j2BynRRSrM7FxZZqFD2CUXRsySk6G-l5bYP5smwxKe0QpyKGVjph1QAQ38K4YJFk_c2p/s1600/30.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhafznqCW8_QVP5aS8fDY7z2jn3OysiQ6gAO4Fh5vuv_a6v5TZLEXpgYS2l5nWxZ53iplaI1PE0j2BynRRSrM7FxZZqFD2CUXRsySk6G-l5bYP5smwxKe0QpyKGVjph1QAQ38K4YJFk_c2p/s400/30.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Semi-circular flat chipped stone tools from early to middle Jomon period (5500-4000 years ago) and are important cultural properties</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Then followed several displays of stone hunting tools that were excavated from the archaeological site. We saw the display of stemmed scrapers, side scrapers, stone drills, tanged stone scrapers, stone spear heads, and stone arrowheads. Such stone tools were used for hunting by the Jomon people. These tools were mostly made of shale and obsidian rocks, which are suited for creating sharp blades. We also saw the display of crystal arrowheads which looked like cute jewelry rather than hunting tools. I am including the details about the displays along with the photos below.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfjlRVNQwXuMUS5Gwo5gcj9sXJu_99hDZoTAzpoZwoljZV9KdgLzmrV0k9Eo3xBmxN1pqDhtp4My0lfwOXWCzw4day_97flrOlb0I7ODXA44VpVTqhAQQTlCChVM99lHAzKU5JeKun1XCz/s1600/31.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfjlRVNQwXuMUS5Gwo5gcj9sXJu_99hDZoTAzpoZwoljZV9KdgLzmrV0k9Eo3xBmxN1pqDhtp4My0lfwOXWCzw4day_97flrOlb0I7ODXA44VpVTqhAQQTlCChVM99lHAzKU5JeKun1XCz/s400/31.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Stone stemmed scrapers from early to middle Jomon period (5500-4000 years ago) and are designated as important cultural properties</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzoPbQkjavFIBAefT9jnTsBQYdd6yjQ33UbF9GWPMKFA96rE0apZ1iiACkIJE29nuhG9jGjt_p7X82iim1Ky6kM6mtduerJtcIUGcxkuI4TF4y5dSmNxt7SyDHfuTksQuczF5RFTsCxfFI/s1600/32.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzoPbQkjavFIBAefT9jnTsBQYdd6yjQ33UbF9GWPMKFA96rE0apZ1iiACkIJE29nuhG9jGjt_p7X82iim1Ky6kM6mtduerJtcIUGcxkuI4TF4y5dSmNxt7SyDHfuTksQuczF5RFTsCxfFI/s400/32.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Stone side scrapers from early to middle Jomon period (5500-4000 years ago) and are important cultural properties</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFpDKs6MczUj_4s201KYgg0NCpXGekz6MnvFmQWqpYkhx_PZoqsfgYwWuk5_Z9-iYBzXUHc_EmgKbPVP3PhZ4kVNV05db12BuHiSKFdgdF5UMNtlyL-rR8zQVqwE1ZHA_PxobSJ0ndvywr/s1600/33.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFpDKs6MczUj_4s201KYgg0NCpXGekz6MnvFmQWqpYkhx_PZoqsfgYwWuk5_Z9-iYBzXUHc_EmgKbPVP3PhZ4kVNV05db12BuHiSKFdgdF5UMNtlyL-rR8zQVqwE1ZHA_PxobSJ0ndvywr/s400/33.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Stone drills from early to middle Jomon period (5500-4000 years ago) and are important cultural properties</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGJXKIrKHzMsvttruh6GIk6SadAoxbIEIwLtC_JV8rncTzTJ2vTbbS642FuIr543MF9cbQOCtIuBX8lxON9s2uSsYs_VG8VieHWYRyhh7IXS-yvucc0YZw5PejHgsECT9cvu_IZ8jvwRGC/s1600/34.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGJXKIrKHzMsvttruh6GIk6SadAoxbIEIwLtC_JV8rncTzTJ2vTbbS642FuIr543MF9cbQOCtIuBX8lxON9s2uSsYs_VG8VieHWYRyhh7IXS-yvucc0YZw5PejHgsECT9cvu_IZ8jvwRGC/s400/34.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Tanged stone scrapers from early to middle Jomon period (5500-4000 years ago) and are important cultural properties</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvxwgsmaXavqbHtThonUOQJ277Hd3Ym_A_sEZTUusVFNF9LifWDjLg7mqnhp30DJtn3dhK5MG_QBtS50L_dNvAZ43sxand-933CUgI4jwxCLdGRmMYCvcdMcpQUWTuICn3g5LNFV6cpFNY/s1600/35.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvxwgsmaXavqbHtThonUOQJ277Hd3Ym_A_sEZTUusVFNF9LifWDjLg7mqnhp30DJtn3dhK5MG_QBtS50L_dNvAZ43sxand-933CUgI4jwxCLdGRmMYCvcdMcpQUWTuICn3g5LNFV6cpFNY/s400/35.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Displays of stone spear heads (left) and stone arrowheads (right). All the exhibits are from early to middle Jomon period (5500-4000 years ago) and are designated as important cultural properties.</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjBnBvb8dZWxAy3J_bha2OICXVYAqonNJyZtO1YPdXFlEEL4nA7w7n490jFpGsQf6sQfIpo3mSul2TU4tRgivg59JkN7C_0scFJC5DwW99A4_u2_pp1qsxdvwSY22dldNwN3mjsBixcCsu/s1600/36.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjBnBvb8dZWxAy3J_bha2OICXVYAqonNJyZtO1YPdXFlEEL4nA7w7n490jFpGsQf6sQfIpo3mSul2TU4tRgivg59JkN7C_0scFJC5DwW99A4_u2_pp1qsxdvwSY22dldNwN3mjsBixcCsu/s400/36.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Black stone spear heads from middle Jomon period (5000-4000 years ago)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhszsjJVOhZ-EvjSZ4O4_c8nX1mCkvIIhbifl510kZB86D4DApoF25uHpE3iOIxFHfG2ghTLov4TGbigy3BQ4PnUhin0nKF9t8TmRYQ_LrlCXT97PNFDOvrBvHv8xeluMJeE_OVgSUa9iYd/s1600/37.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhszsjJVOhZ-EvjSZ4O4_c8nX1mCkvIIhbifl510kZB86D4DApoF25uHpE3iOIxFHfG2ghTLov4TGbigy3BQ4PnUhin0nKF9t8TmRYQ_LrlCXT97PNFDOvrBvHv8xeluMJeE_OVgSUa9iYd/s400/37.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Crystal arrowheads from early to middle Jomon period (5500-4000 years ago)</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Next, we saw several more displays of pottery that were excavated from the archaeological site. We saw the display of a shallow clay bowl, a pedestaled dish, and two pots from early to middle Jomon period. The details about the displays are included along with the photos below.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH_cZZCvbBO4hOXCGlYgRy_xpTKF0qSgFzi2JoFtG0Td79WeNTVWRmWIio2etMjPm3Nj0EP7IhdP-zMQkL_tVurx-y_wh9od9LT38BgYlGJ-4yM_tR2D6eJUT-j2MlW_3beZcB1g2PtMGd/s1600/38.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH_cZZCvbBO4hOXCGlYgRy_xpTKF0qSgFzi2JoFtG0Td79WeNTVWRmWIio2etMjPm3Nj0EP7IhdP-zMQkL_tVurx-y_wh9od9LT38BgYlGJ-4yM_tR2D6eJUT-j2MlW_3beZcB1g2PtMGd/s400/38.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A shallow bowl with stand from middle Jomon period (5000-4500 years ago) and is designated as an important cultural property</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNuGAhO9pcLtvI_j9P5S3uxrJ9-pZqqlGqHbAw0f89vnqgil9hXJHNQIUzN4LIfgCJEsIRcJ8ftU9do3K17iuNpaOMGSD-n-Zr4ENPqdxTUodJXovFpoZW380-1d_nZNt8jdXafpD7G44I/s1600/39.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNuGAhO9pcLtvI_j9P5S3uxrJ9-pZqqlGqHbAw0f89vnqgil9hXJHNQIUzN4LIfgCJEsIRcJ8ftU9do3K17iuNpaOMGSD-n-Zr4ENPqdxTUodJXovFpoZW380-1d_nZNt8jdXafpD7G44I/s400/39.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A pedestaled dish from middle Jomon period (5000-4500 years ago) and is an important cultural property</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>On the left is displayed a pot (early stage) from early Jomon period (5500-5000 years ago) and on the right is a pot (middle stage) from middle Jomon period (5000-4500 years ago). Both the pots are important cultural properties.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Finally, we saw the display of human bones that were excavated from the archaeological site. Seeing the bones, I somehow felt close to the ancient Jomon people.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9-QEZ-BgTuqcZ0sJIkkuuxb7i7ZQuVrqQY4CfihedBe6IDJ4erq7pOZ6T6R2W__j0zBFRhM3M2DqeRBaoxH9gq2jfKESJad22MPKjCpOOWBfLikh68cJSnAzBTHQNRN_lM1p-li368_d3/s1600/41.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9-QEZ-BgTuqcZ0sJIkkuuxb7i7ZQuVrqQY4CfihedBe6IDJ4erq7pOZ6T6R2W__j0zBFRhM3M2DqeRBaoxH9gq2jfKESJad22MPKjCpOOWBfLikh68cJSnAzBTHQNRN_lM1p-li368_d3/s400/41.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">At this point, we finished seeing the excavated items and ruins collected from Sannai Maruyama Archaeological Site that were exhibited inside ‘Jomon no Kokoro’ section of Sanmaru Museum. Next, we visited ‘Jomonjin no Kurashi wo Himotoku’ themed exhibition section of the museum about which I will write in the next post.</span></span></div>
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Manisha Kundu-Nagatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13277146210049986417noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695885479879152724.post-80116461609167897632017-04-07T23:48:00.001+09:002017-04-07T23:48:13.778+09:00Sannai Maruyama Archaeological Site<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">As I wrote in an <a href="http://lipikazuo.blogspot.com/2017/02/tomb-of-jesus-christ-in-shingo-village.html" target="_blank">earlier post</a>, hubby and I had been on a sightseeing trip to Aomori City in December 2016. On the morning of 23rd December, we visited Sannai Maruyama Archaeological Site located in the southwest of Aomori City. Sannai Maruyama Archaeological Site is the largest and one of the most complete and best preserved <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C5%8Dmon_period" target="_blank">Jomon period</a> village in Japan. The site consists of the remains of a long-term human settlement, and the excavation of the ruins indicate that an enormous village had existed and people lived continuously in the area for more than 1500 years from the early to middle Jomon period, which is approximately about 5500 to 4000 years ago. The ruins have been known to exist since the 17th century and small test units were excavated in the 1950s. But the size and complexity of Sannai Maruyama was clearly understood in 1992, when Aomori prefecture started surveying the site area for a planned community baseball stadium and discovered large ancient ruins. The construction of the stadium was halted and a large-scale excavation was undertaken in 1994. Subsequently, the whole site was preserved and archaeological surveys were initiated to clarify the nature of the ruins. On the enormous site that covers 350000 square meters, excavations have uncovered a large number of structures and dwellings including 11 large pit-dwellings, over 700 regular-sized pit-dwellings, about 120 pillar-supported stilt-houses, many above ground storage structures, many storage pits, 3 clusters of clay mining pits, trash pits, 380 burial pits for adults, 900 burial jars for children, 2 large mounds, and 3 remains of roads. The excavation has also uncovered a large number of everyday artifacts including pottery, stoneware, clay figures, earthenware, woodenware, as well as those composed of jade and skillfully created lacquer. The rich and varied diets of the people at that time have been analyzed from the stupendous amount of recovered bones of animals and fish, and seeds and nuts. All the valuable evidence that the site has produced has helped to unravel some of the many mysteries of life during the ancient Jomon culture. Archaeologists have used this site to further their understanding of the transition to sedentism and the life of the Jomon people. Their findings have revealed changes in the structure of the community, architecture, and organizational behaviors of the Jomon people, as well as the natural environmental changes over time. Archaeologists, however, estimate that only about 40% of the site has been excavated, and many clues to the ancient culture is still hidden at the site area. After the excavation and study of the site, the village ruins were reburied with earth for preservation. But a number of reconstructed pit-dwellings, a large pit-dwelling, and a large tower were built on top of the preserved site. Visitors can see the reconstructed structures as well as see a few of the original excavated sites around the grounds which give a sense of ancient times. Because of the importance of this site, Sannai Maruyama was designated as a national special historical site in November 2000. The site is currently a major tourist attraction with several reconstructed buildings and a museum exhibits open to the public.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">On 23rd December 2016, hubby and I reached near Sannai Maruyama Archaeological Site in Aomori City at about 10.30 am. We noted that within the site premises, a modern building named Jomon Jiyukan has been constructed surrounding the actual archaeological site. This building houses several site related offices, shops, restaurants, and a museum. We went to the Visitors Center inside the building where a staff welcomed us to the site premises and then crossing that building, we entered the grounds of the actual site. Since it was peak of winter season, there was snow all around on the site grounds. It should be mentioned here that after the excavated village ruins of Jomon period were studied and analyzed by experts, the ruins were reburied with earth for preservation. However, a number of reconstructed pit-dwellings, large pit-dwellings, pillar-supported buildings, and a large tower were built on top of the preserved site. In addition, a few original excavated sites around the grounds were also kept exposed under heavily controlled environment. We wished to see the reconstructed structures as well as the exposed excavated sites around the grounds to get a sense of bygone olden times.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJfTtQMgLUpN_z67fcjQLV48Q2Uhyphenhyphen0AD9S4ifSzMGaWx8UIHZIkPInmiIhQAcIHC_RfRLfBbKGDb23wBK85eB1rLgAVpJ7fC08MKExd4iA56Pmpb86wwyDtf7CyDWp3-q4FIfMFIB2j2RQ/s1600/1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJfTtQMgLUpN_z67fcjQLV48Q2Uhyphenhyphen0AD9S4ifSzMGaWx8UIHZIkPInmiIhQAcIHC_RfRLfBbKGDb23wBK85eB1rLgAVpJ7fC08MKExd4iA56Pmpb86wwyDtf7CyDWp3-q4FIfMFIB2j2RQ/s400/1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing near Sannai Maruyama Archaeological Site</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhie2zuuXU9KPaijuKNI0FCo_4uvWzdnQQWgFJ_vlpjOck3QJDy4r-rDLOxbJG5HyJ5AN32bdoC7Dm61FZXrhY27cyOIPR6H811GolPu69X_FBdkmsJLRQJ4c1veQd1oznxfHaG3RMo4Hmw/s1600/2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhie2zuuXU9KPaijuKNI0FCo_4uvWzdnQQWgFJ_vlpjOck3QJDy4r-rDLOxbJG5HyJ5AN32bdoC7Dm61FZXrhY27cyOIPR6H811GolPu69X_FBdkmsJLRQJ4c1veQd1oznxfHaG3RMo4Hmw/s400/2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing in front of the entrance area of Jomon Jiyukan building</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGq04WjuLdzHXBAx7_bY158-TUIqccebaJHS9lLHOQ4YQtcBY45fCMox9D6mrdQ0vUOsfJEHeKM0Iczwaw0P-7KwIBuAdixfPQNiV4EglNiOVbuwDrGmhQ2hpA-8Zmj0JtoiqE6clLuLOE/s1600/3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGq04WjuLdzHXBAx7_bY158-TUIqccebaJHS9lLHOQ4YQtcBY45fCMox9D6mrdQ0vUOsfJEHeKM0Iczwaw0P-7KwIBuAdixfPQNiV4EglNiOVbuwDrGmhQ2hpA-8Zmj0JtoiqE6clLuLOE/s400/3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing near a stone monument with ‘Sannai Maruyama Iseki (ruins)’ inscribed on it that is located at the grounds of the actual site</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzMzWMlaP1P1SQvZ03U1mOvK1Iui59-N2wctt6TuNGpYjcWH1MYi_k6OjSZ4VP4ethYHgjXw5xVfslpIlY2JvdufrBgfhWmbwtYaiGnEGJTPkuPlTQOsTGm1bvUIPwrRiQHGoNNLdzrz-9/s1600/4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzMzWMlaP1P1SQvZ03U1mOvK1Iui59-N2wctt6TuNGpYjcWH1MYi_k6OjSZ4VP4ethYHgjXw5xVfslpIlY2JvdufrBgfhWmbwtYaiGnEGJTPkuPlTQOsTGm1bvUIPwrRiQHGoNNLdzrz-9/s400/4.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing near an information board giving details about the site</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy6HSu6oBLJ3uMBFmuLiGCb8kIDwm_u7WVhs31NGuQr1JiQLo6bhWL7Pa6vP_Pa7Umi3IRm-z-HYCBYvN_ZhP8rYA4LtNriT1I6EBoyuxz2JYHrpaymWi7wI2IYnh1jfYLCX9AcPrDKd11/s1600/5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy6HSu6oBLJ3uMBFmuLiGCb8kIDwm_u7WVhs31NGuQr1JiQLo6bhWL7Pa6vP_Pa7Umi3IRm-z-HYCBYvN_ZhP8rYA4LtNriT1I6EBoyuxz2JYHrpaymWi7wI2IYnh1jfYLCX9AcPrDKd11/s400/5.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>There was snow all around on the site grounds</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">We walked along a paved pathway in the snowy grounds of the preserved archaeological site. After walking for a few minutes, we reached a spot where stone circles with burials for adults are lined up along the pathway. Unfortunately we could not see the burial sites as everything was covered in snow that time. We continued walking along the pathway for several more minutes and saw many reconstructed structures like a large pit-dwelling, many regular-sized pit-dwellings, a large pillar-supported building, and a few regular-sized pillar-supported buildings located in the snow covered vast grounds of the site. Stepping into this region was like taking a step back in time.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8HRZKiYmZxU0SrOTVUDggXXqavswWWsvb0QAn2q1rTZ6ems3RBqkIGhf1hnsF4pZn7mZeDGR76TljNgMjcefH6ZHJ-mXcVON-ESq4Vm6yNQf9MCJbv1SVeNCNKJCPHqGr6LHYsd4ExIJA/s1600/6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8HRZKiYmZxU0SrOTVUDggXXqavswWWsvb0QAn2q1rTZ6ems3RBqkIGhf1hnsF4pZn7mZeDGR76TljNgMjcefH6ZHJ-mXcVON-ESq4Vm6yNQf9MCJbv1SVeNCNKJCPHqGr6LHYsd4ExIJA/s400/6.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am walking along a paved pathway in the snowy grounds of the archaeological site</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0_vkx5o2SKMu7TuFzULivbODJ1xl0bLwXvYc5Bgrd5pgHuBWkNWcfVeYm60FM4XdIiQmgVk8ALOUVbL327Wq5mG7OTTQ_xnzg7JpXJcLNjW_q_sXw0LlppealGIr7f6HOb8lWkfHp7yJl/s1600/7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0_vkx5o2SKMu7TuFzULivbODJ1xl0bLwXvYc5Bgrd5pgHuBWkNWcfVeYm60FM4XdIiQmgVk8ALOUVbL327Wq5mG7OTTQ_xnzg7JpXJcLNjW_q_sXw0LlppealGIr7f6HOb8lWkfHp7yJl/s400/7.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby is standing near the spot where stone circles with burials for adults are lined up along the pathway</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfM6yrkM-HjJuO5hv2jCZFi0jxyWbCBMalWWlCK5iHztiOk4CPS7JjSx7oMRNVZoS7DuDzMf_61ZX7DnAom_C0VRSo2gjB24iBr_m-CMhUTO9I2304YjqTBm-NTBEomeGhIBOP2vgOVmCL/s1600/8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfM6yrkM-HjJuO5hv2jCZFi0jxyWbCBMalWWlCK5iHztiOk4CPS7JjSx7oMRNVZoS7DuDzMf_61ZX7DnAom_C0VRSo2gjB24iBr_m-CMhUTO9I2304YjqTBm-NTBEomeGhIBOP2vgOVmCL/s400/8.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing in the snow covered grounds of the archaeological site along with several reconstructed structures like a large pillar-supported building structure (partially seen in the left), a large pit-dwelling, and a few regular-sized pillar-supported buildings in the background</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxqdjoa0r7YKA8waEQqqvJkA0BdlQyrmIcIW10PQlNDadS9PFor9aBdAsxLkOgUnS7SwY5mHiDh0LkZ2eUPghwJNpLGhBbiRDpKy5hiIBOfNmf50GMxwvRWBPtjuCizFcY4QwoEoIpmC2k/s1600/9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxqdjoa0r7YKA8waEQqqvJkA0BdlQyrmIcIW10PQlNDadS9PFor9aBdAsxLkOgUnS7SwY5mHiDh0LkZ2eUPghwJNpLGhBbiRDpKy5hiIBOfNmf50GMxwvRWBPtjuCizFcY4QwoEoIpmC2k/s400/9.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A few reconstructed regular-sized pit-dwellings located in the snowy grounds of the site</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">First we walked up to the reconstructed large pit-dwelling located in the grounds of the site. The reconstructed large pillar-supported building structure (discussed later) in the background looked huge. A pit-dwelling longer than 10 meters in length is called large pit-dwelling. Eleven large pit-dwellings have been excavated at Sannai Maruyama site. Such pit-dwellings were large, oval-shaped semi-subterranean structures that were built at the end of the Middle Jomon period (approximately 4000 years ago). According to archaeological theories, these structures served as a gathering space or as a communal workshop. The reconstructed model of the large pit-dwelling located at the site is the largest of such structures in Japan, which is approximately 32 meters long, 9.8 meters wide, and has a floor area of about 250 square meters. For entering inside, we walked down a few stairs located at the entrance area of the large pit-dwelling. The stairs descended into the pit-dwelling that had a slightly-below-ground foundation. Such below-ground foundation made the building more stable. We loved looking at the exterior as well as the interior details of the large pit-dwelling.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A reconstructed large pit-dwelling along with a reconstructed large pillar-supported building structure located in the grounds of the site</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhx4wkpCo9duOphw6SITCoPXvEIuCy02afIuNMkSSMv1IXLGLVy1pIOlmW6Z6YVSog758qwC0joX9gSm-BIvDPPjZPTIJS7E9_R7vzCPOrRIWI1q8pgwrU_ribCpUf2wGRb0UYdX3hn9tm/s1600/11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhx4wkpCo9duOphw6SITCoPXvEIuCy02afIuNMkSSMv1IXLGLVy1pIOlmW6Z6YVSog758qwC0joX9gSm-BIvDPPjZPTIJS7E9_R7vzCPOrRIWI1q8pgwrU_ribCpUf2wGRb0UYdX3hn9tm/s400/11.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing along with the reconstructed large pit-dwelling</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcIOf0YzSNpc5ruxi2_5zbBi-49vIRDqXx88I7NvL1Zl9YkTtTlf2Q7TffKt_fXENHLe9InWH2KOBq0c43UwE0Q7yVqdujjGKnVzRiy-zMaZFDwFlM8Qz49-G251pA0-mEPbTEpBD2Wfr5/s1600/12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcIOf0YzSNpc5ruxi2_5zbBi-49vIRDqXx88I7NvL1Zl9YkTtTlf2Q7TffKt_fXENHLe9InWH2KOBq0c43UwE0Q7yVqdujjGKnVzRiy-zMaZFDwFlM8Qz49-G251pA0-mEPbTEpBD2Wfr5/s400/12.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing at the entrance area of the large pit-dwelling</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigsUWqLUUFCKZCrmtBXNVAO-4XSofvD6QcMAdZS4wwbqYrpmnAgRSEtdpBS3Z85mb5OiOr-dToUWYi_xqD4Jv95hk_MmWQWF2UNlHxVGfc5pBv0apT8saSBtsqAfUGg5KOxUQB0Rr5K9zC/s1600/13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigsUWqLUUFCKZCrmtBXNVAO-4XSofvD6QcMAdZS4wwbqYrpmnAgRSEtdpBS3Z85mb5OiOr-dToUWYi_xqD4Jv95hk_MmWQWF2UNlHxVGfc5pBv0apT8saSBtsqAfUGg5KOxUQB0Rr5K9zC/s400/13.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Interior details of the large pit-dwelling</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9vGQTVmNYU2evx8L_3tS5VDcoPziKyXhyphenhyphenk5uOrdXqK_yQHM5apgVpGewpZ7afMXDIDGoO4a53_aZ3pEyHG6u1be8ftp-bwK0DfMTi53f_Uzrlcp80Vg25R6EOOC8TMY96BP-EZPqA3N1R/s1600/14.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9vGQTVmNYU2evx8L_3tS5VDcoPziKyXhyphenhyphenk5uOrdXqK_yQHM5apgVpGewpZ7afMXDIDGoO4a53_aZ3pEyHG6u1be8ftp-bwK0DfMTi53f_Uzrlcp80Vg25R6EOOC8TMY96BP-EZPqA3N1R/s400/14.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>It is a huge building</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj549xBuDcwpgvS2AqxI_pVss660ui9xPWOiiWGz_ceviFvMLqD0ya1qqZYasYFxGBHLGvavvLwSGxlUOevZUkyxqxw28ToYwirs8VXS9fBK7ddbhyphenhyphenMPeJIruDHDu3zz5h5Mq6kptX5krMX/s1600/15.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj549xBuDcwpgvS2AqxI_pVss660ui9xPWOiiWGz_ceviFvMLqD0ya1qqZYasYFxGBHLGvavvLwSGxlUOevZUkyxqxw28ToYwirs8VXS9fBK7ddbhyphenhyphenMPeJIruDHDu3zz5h5Mq6kptX5krMX/s400/15.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby sitting inside the building</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Next, we saw three reconstructed regular-sized pillar-supported buildings in the grounds of the site. From the excavation of the site, archaeologists have found that six postmolds were set in a rectangular pattern in several places. Postmolds are circular stains in the earth, signs where wooden posts were purposefully placed in the earth which eventually rotted away. These data led to the conclusion that the pillar-supported buildings were built by supporting them with pillars erected in holes formed in the ground. Such six-pillared buildings had the pillars installed at intervals of multiples of approximately 35 centimeters. Since no remains of hearth or built floors have been found at the ground level, they are thought to be raised-floor buildings. Such structures were built during the first half of the middle Jomon period (approximately 5400-4900 years ago) and were interpreted as special storage facilities to protect the stored contents from vermin and rot. We noted that the three reconstructed models of regular-sized pillar-supported buildings looked amazing in the snow covered grounds of the site. We clicked several photos of these reconstructed buildings from various positions and angles.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSmANLPKsOGz81eK2DkzkUgZzk402F4P3YEiibSr3lY1u1kS06GFvYEEQtZkrRtX79_EGWjRHmybgvwdXp39s8IiISMKlkPqXHrqbIqdV0HYles92RjksxLn0tPAzSxnKgVGKbHIsJ4kq1/s1600/16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSmANLPKsOGz81eK2DkzkUgZzk402F4P3YEiibSr3lY1u1kS06GFvYEEQtZkrRtX79_EGWjRHmybgvwdXp39s8IiISMKlkPqXHrqbIqdV0HYles92RjksxLn0tPAzSxnKgVGKbHIsJ4kq1/s400/16.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Three reconstructed regular-sized pillar-supported buildings in the grounds of the site as viewed from the southwest</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUUzzeA1hI6BBXT6ETMhl1OoVJ2UHNjSjcnnYXBScp60bD0L1GxMeHO1OJa_96hocjJF0wKYE7soaOH0_4-i-Dxu07G4bjZhr7nUQQPVAEDXag-ctkk4MkitXR45VpxDd12f9gqd68r_GC/s1600/17.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUUzzeA1hI6BBXT6ETMhl1OoVJ2UHNjSjcnnYXBScp60bD0L1GxMeHO1OJa_96hocjJF0wKYE7soaOH0_4-i-Dxu07G4bjZhr7nUQQPVAEDXag-ctkk4MkitXR45VpxDd12f9gqd68r_GC/s400/17.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The three reconstructed pillar-supported buildings as viewed from the northwest</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5guSrmF_69dQtbZpX0kUCSzZI5oGDefNcqZMA4nyr8JSm16f-OykBH0hbLOEL5seA5AnT5PvD1NHcqi3JKUnwgmcOSNeyy7xk4HLt5uP0pcWZOTUqAi844V-QL4En0x3eWCi3St_Z8Xif/s1600/18.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5guSrmF_69dQtbZpX0kUCSzZI5oGDefNcqZMA4nyr8JSm16f-OykBH0hbLOEL5seA5AnT5PvD1NHcqi3JKUnwgmcOSNeyy7xk4HLt5uP0pcWZOTUqAi844V-QL4En0x3eWCi3St_Z8Xif/s400/18.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The three buildings as viewed from the northeast</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjWUSOBR3e52vynramz2QmMTWLhYyEitx7qZE7aUMMSvDyuxIzMebSVrgH4Ey2QwZqcLPFWPztiuMb3429XxY5MKKJmvq31ibK0VfTYRbqACiJYcBDwmDxfF-lMlytfWsoben-rkT6GgLt/s1600/19.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjWUSOBR3e52vynramz2QmMTWLhYyEitx7qZE7aUMMSvDyuxIzMebSVrgH4Ey2QwZqcLPFWPztiuMb3429XxY5MKKJmvq31ibK0VfTYRbqACiJYcBDwmDxfF-lMlytfWsoben-rkT6GgLt/s400/19.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Two of the pillar-supported buildings as viewed from the southeast</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi43ZiGGdorwlKQ0wVm1NhswVelhscUtXH6dzHV3nHOxEIKz4VAfbrLEoXdWOfunSNldkrNTGZ9ppitFfUKg-rWA_YrcD0OZgRODoH_auKnXFFUUXY4Mz2yhm28Shyphenhyphen7LmQ4f7-cVX7QRXUu/s1600/20.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi43ZiGGdorwlKQ0wVm1NhswVelhscUtXH6dzHV3nHOxEIKz4VAfbrLEoXdWOfunSNldkrNTGZ9ppitFfUKg-rWA_YrcD0OZgRODoH_auKnXFFUUXY4Mz2yhm28Shyphenhyphen7LmQ4f7-cVX7QRXUu/s400/20.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>One of the three pillar-supported buildings as viewed from the north</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaIO9fSTRRGc1uegwvqCxXSxixJ7tiiLl7DGiXl9MvntVMR0nc0xWEKzNS6E1O8230Si1OXohUaj3Q3tHy4qcKis57jYBaC-EhepIBahpIauB8C0gOLCo2GzvbfyUQRKCoX2taqc9jNpvW/s1600/21.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaIO9fSTRRGc1uegwvqCxXSxixJ7tiiLl7DGiXl9MvntVMR0nc0xWEKzNS6E1O8230Si1OXohUaj3Q3tHy4qcKis57jYBaC-EhepIBahpIauB8C0gOLCo2GzvbfyUQRKCoX2taqc9jNpvW/s400/21.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing next to the east facing entrance area of the above building</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2NWLI10hWnORx1r9tAM3NBrksI-5EGyeu9TAz5Mbto-68bAXg8xw-SrknkStOMSu18WEXFmotCkNUaIE88S_z5dXjP6AbJudQ-h8TDZPBoqckNy5hNQAysZR0lReYhmWg2JAwDqAnlJk7/s1600/22.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2NWLI10hWnORx1r9tAM3NBrksI-5EGyeu9TAz5Mbto-68bAXg8xw-SrknkStOMSu18WEXFmotCkNUaIE88S_z5dXjP6AbJudQ-h8TDZPBoqckNy5hNQAysZR0lReYhmWg2JAwDqAnlJk7/s400/22.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Yet another of the three pillar-supported buildings as viewed from the south</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwIMHHKvt7QC-L4Nj84FsZqZb4Ry-C5GfTqsOsAH26wH84BtOz8A-wWDOFeEjI486pM1QpHP5AvSSm8DGqTt9GNyFd7si0DS-ORtiprzJ2yhyphenhyphen3jCtg-6sq3eV9_rh6cTCL9NddmdlfY1QC/s1600/23.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwIMHHKvt7QC-L4Nj84FsZqZb4Ry-C5GfTqsOsAH26wH84BtOz8A-wWDOFeEjI486pM1QpHP5AvSSm8DGqTt9GNyFd7si0DS-ORtiprzJ2yhyphenhyphen3jCtg-6sq3eV9_rh6cTCL9NddmdlfY1QC/s400/23.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The back side of the above building as viewed from the west</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNKsGrI0VC8cHHT5qD1gBOIYL4qQ07Ns06THXNUBfI6tGTxnNkpCvjbGCSRxE2STZnkSRsKXKkSyFYxFf5ZOzIKpCXzo84wv8yYZ-KYVTVmTGSVEZkFdtvDSUw4IK8IWKbMk-sBZPwENWE/s1600/24.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNKsGrI0VC8cHHT5qD1gBOIYL4qQ07Ns06THXNUBfI6tGTxnNkpCvjbGCSRxE2STZnkSRsKXKkSyFYxFf5ZOzIKpCXzo84wv8yYZ-KYVTVmTGSVEZkFdtvDSUw4IK8IWKbMk-sBZPwENWE/s400/24.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing next to the east facing entrance area of the above building</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">In front of (south of) the three reconstructed pillar-supported buildings, we saw many reconstructed pit-dwellings in the grounds of the site. Pit-dwellings were the most common type of residential structures of people during the Jomon period. According to the excavation data and results, pit-dwellings were set at the ground level and were constructed with pillars, a roof, and a floor created by removing soil. The pit-dwellings had different floor shape, pillar arrangement, furnace structure, and location depending on when they were built during the Jomon period. In addition, such pit-dwellings had three types of roofs, namely bark, thatched, and mud roofs, which also depended on when they were built. The average size of a pit-dwelling was found to be between 3 to 4 meters in diameter with a floor plan of about 12 square meters. About 700 pit-dwellings have so far been discovered, and the excavation data showed that most of the pit-dwellings were built in the middle Jomon period (approximately 4500 years ago) but the earliest of the pit-dwellings with bark roof were built during the early Jomon period (approximately 5900-5400 years ago). At the site, we saw all the three kinds of reconstructed pit-dwellings having roofs made of bark, thatch, or mud. We also noted that each dwelling was reconstructed with a slightly different form, in order to show a variety of interpretations that are possible from the archaeological evidence. We really had fun looking at the reconstructed pit-dwellings in details.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7P0h6m6uR_ax8Oxa1Jn-9Wq7wUPfvBLFYlylnLZJjkBBQilOceuKbNvWzveTT_Yr1jPfLdq_ucmRshKfDOZ3kGKEAzzLS_-RQ2uIbq0uA-tyz5XciiByI-R7ivoSi2p-Jli3smN4r4N0s/s1600/25.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7P0h6m6uR_ax8Oxa1Jn-9Wq7wUPfvBLFYlylnLZJjkBBQilOceuKbNvWzveTT_Yr1jPfLdq_ucmRshKfDOZ3kGKEAzzLS_-RQ2uIbq0uA-tyz5XciiByI-R7ivoSi2p-Jli3smN4r4N0s/s400/25.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Many reconstructed pit-dwellings in the grounds of the site</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6dYdl4vjLSHe4UjxT2OibRwpZGwy3TWJJWJjPGv_-czIjgwgEfUj1P6EnDC1SESFNy1BldL2_NPLIS6A74QYQy1VEPXskZ0G5o6ndBfzF0cmYjQXd94ZrotRDdodBFpD_8C4HKCj4ga3/s1600/26.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6dYdl4vjLSHe4UjxT2OibRwpZGwy3TWJJWJjPGv_-czIjgwgEfUj1P6EnDC1SESFNy1BldL2_NPLIS6A74QYQy1VEPXskZ0G5o6ndBfzF0cmYjQXd94ZrotRDdodBFpD_8C4HKCj4ga3/s400/26.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Several pit-dwellings with thatched roofs</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhks4GU4-podxIcDYiU45mM8Azr79ZnZffO7faHw5rrdojyvrSTSydETdsDs6avEWBady5SFXwc7pEiM9GydtE3jYjKP-vGIxNoB5ii3jRgi7k8zqzO9VkiwZt8MbmOHMQsnp4QTdxZbWes/s1600/27.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhks4GU4-podxIcDYiU45mM8Azr79ZnZffO7faHw5rrdojyvrSTSydETdsDs6avEWBady5SFXwc7pEiM9GydtE3jYjKP-vGIxNoB5ii3jRgi7k8zqzO9VkiwZt8MbmOHMQsnp4QTdxZbWes/s400/27.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing in front of a pit-dwelling with thatched roof</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjWom9vXKYf68s4H6-gEoivCccpdLqQ2Ln4xOaaeYlKP7oFefzGuNV5EORxgbZP_SjQ_1DQzMK84PgGfU9pggWyXW_zhmCsZ0jS4VE0IwXT9kv1E1Dkp-vNxK4rqSww9oMNOl7QkCe__I8/s1600/28.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjWom9vXKYf68s4H6-gEoivCccpdLqQ2Ln4xOaaeYlKP7oFefzGuNV5EORxgbZP_SjQ_1DQzMK84PgGfU9pggWyXW_zhmCsZ0jS4VE0IwXT9kv1E1Dkp-vNxK4rqSww9oMNOl7QkCe__I8/s400/28.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Another pit-dwelling with thatched roof</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCEkC5L9E8i1diw_OhmvUE_eWWUlYMwoBq42Hi6tOE_gb595pzuGKPpLZuFgqFp5Q8qRymdSgtWKvmtNJubyxURoPw8Bbb_gUNb1BqqE64TW1QEE4eK_myx_sQN3Go63d7yuaf6pj1pMjP/s1600/29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCEkC5L9E8i1diw_OhmvUE_eWWUlYMwoBq42Hi6tOE_gb595pzuGKPpLZuFgqFp5Q8qRymdSgtWKvmtNJubyxURoPw8Bbb_gUNb1BqqE64TW1QEE4eK_myx_sQN3Go63d7yuaf6pj1pMjP/s400/29.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Yet another pit-dwelling with thatched roof</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd7BpEQY0nqyQ6VzvqhHixo07NruI-sPHMGsrKMjJFYmmkOFIqaTiFPaZP11SXIMnGRQGf7QpkxDxr8blyPpUVmDKFFAecVLHvYSoI42GmVx7J0bIwO1vR0cS7GOROKSwG_BTOeTxhXWm0/s1600/30.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd7BpEQY0nqyQ6VzvqhHixo07NruI-sPHMGsrKMjJFYmmkOFIqaTiFPaZP11SXIMnGRQGf7QpkxDxr8blyPpUVmDKFFAecVLHvYSoI42GmVx7J0bIwO1vR0cS7GOROKSwG_BTOeTxhXWm0/s400/30.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>One more pit-dwelling with thatched roof</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOOIJEFvoeCZsUwP4eNPwqahADp8Y1GxDf4uze51eQMsDXc0hHIs59Rg0MIkeNOg4t9LDF8Y9Lb81ktiFQMtPAxB0oInTbmjF14HHRC9y_fkb1BqFuNYDYf_cmI2PDdq-QMj7DuIl_0foB/s1600/31.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOOIJEFvoeCZsUwP4eNPwqahADp8Y1GxDf4uze51eQMsDXc0hHIs59Rg0MIkeNOg4t9LDF8Y9Lb81ktiFQMtPAxB0oInTbmjF14HHRC9y_fkb1BqFuNYDYf_cmI2PDdq-QMj7DuIl_0foB/s400/31.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Pit-dwellings with mud roof (left) and bark roof (right)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh52xTTwlAIyO4Ay4w0sWMkyMZi8DHrLBnAMPQTu0ReUXcd68F4gbqcFPpe9gznNWEvAUWIJ3O2C0TrwQlzQtJv1zp0ZGj0H-uScKXcKo6ciHoEaWZDWuuwkk5EnWXARSGggjTyF2fUw3RV/s1600/32.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh52xTTwlAIyO4Ay4w0sWMkyMZi8DHrLBnAMPQTu0ReUXcd68F4gbqcFPpe9gznNWEvAUWIJ3O2C0TrwQlzQtJv1zp0ZGj0H-uScKXcKo6ciHoEaWZDWuuwkk5EnWXARSGggjTyF2fUw3RV/s400/32.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing in front of another pit-dwelling with mud roof</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOCs1dCk3cL1zCYYoGgpVKlvhiv4l0Rmjckc1cFN9p7eoRSIUYus9KeZdMY9w9Z4qkXcl5PWZNi6K71p-ixRR2hr45ZqvWRM7AdEKggW2bXZ3grMhliJblsME5uS4vRDVnYXL5c5h7i1KY/s1600/33.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOCs1dCk3cL1zCYYoGgpVKlvhiv4l0Rmjckc1cFN9p7eoRSIUYus9KeZdMY9w9Z4qkXcl5PWZNi6K71p-ixRR2hr45ZqvWRM7AdEKggW2bXZ3grMhliJblsME5uS4vRDVnYXL5c5h7i1KY/s400/33.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing in front of yet another pit-dwelling with mud roof</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2PaC-V6_RCLm-ADnvn8SLsT0QLlhL1L1ob1EyRpKjpPkuPmAl4lkwFp0l01s-GCoE3g0cGcqh9PKscqvzhHidVBrttqubl_iIAKaYCaeC5voJ7qot9PzsFEXuq7bhzoXXSw4Ff1RZ_erl/s1600/34.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2PaC-V6_RCLm-ADnvn8SLsT0QLlhL1L1ob1EyRpKjpPkuPmAl4lkwFp0l01s-GCoE3g0cGcqh9PKscqvzhHidVBrttqubl_iIAKaYCaeC5voJ7qot9PzsFEXuq7bhzoXXSw4Ff1RZ_erl/s400/34.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am pointing towards a pit-dwelling with bark roof</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCCGSTLHOwpDCQ1VERdSL9PxCGAphPblo1vsDEOZzp1GZx54UufgC_z1zwvtLPbWIN1Syjw6XXVg8v6-GROpqyG0wiJH75VMF24C_G3yKdBj76rjymQXR6D5_lY58k-GRRa80CBbEeaxU8/s1600/35.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCCGSTLHOwpDCQ1VERdSL9PxCGAphPblo1vsDEOZzp1GZx54UufgC_z1zwvtLPbWIN1Syjw6XXVg8v6-GROpqyG0wiJH75VMF24C_G3yKdBj76rjymQXR6D5_lY58k-GRRa80CBbEeaxU8/s400/35.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby sitting in front of the above-mentioned pit-dwelling with bark roof</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm943kV71rar-B8ZHSbH4SDvIgwsH0qTNUiuzEIbfrjEz2gBn-A3fncJRgoOCwgXANJ5eRf6gTD3cIm3G_lNn3cAwpQxjYDn_h9KaRNmBPzff7ypawaD4kiKHaOZOL48PHTJi-_GwjcETP/s1600/36.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm943kV71rar-B8ZHSbH4SDvIgwsH0qTNUiuzEIbfrjEz2gBn-A3fncJRgoOCwgXANJ5eRf6gTD3cIm3G_lNn3cAwpQxjYDn_h9KaRNmBPzff7ypawaD4kiKHaOZOL48PHTJi-_GwjcETP/s400/36.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby’s favorite pit-dwelling is damaged as the bark roof seems to have disappeared</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Just north of the reconstructed large pit-dwelling, we saw a reconstructed large pillar-supported building structure in the grounds of the site. From the excavation of the site, archaeologists have found that six postmolds were set in a rectangular pattern, in the same manner as the regular-sized six-pillar structures (discussed earlier). But in this case, each of the postmolds was about 2 meters in diameter with an average depth of more than 2 meters. At the bottom of each postmold was a piece of the post itself, a large chestnut tree bole, approximately 1 meter in diameter. Several such large pillar-supported structures have been found scattered around the site grounds. They were built in the middle Jomon period (approximately 4500 years ago). Archaeologists feel that these posts might represent the support posts for a large watch tower. However considering the assemblage of such structures as a whole, like most of them faced the same direction and had multiple floors, they could also have been a palace or ritual building. The large pillar-supported building we saw was reconstructed on a scale based on estimates derived from the archaeological excavation research results and the analysis of pressure exerted on the soil at the bottom of the excavated pillar holes (postmolds). The reconstructed tower structure is 14.7 meters tall, three-storied building with 4.2 meters wide floors that fit the distance between the pillars. The roof has not been reconstructed since there are several possible theories as to its form. We loved the enigmatic reconstructed large pillar-supported building structure very much.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZg60XceOd8fT9_BVEcuMIUz_gzfql9PkBO2C3noipkKbK1R9ijTs-voG9Ah8gTvMbV-dWacFyLUSSNqmEx5Sicmjhbl9uzOt2dG3Xxg6jDZcMqPs1zj1qCbNLQQxpU_nhzG3rBor3Nb5J/s1600/37.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZg60XceOd8fT9_BVEcuMIUz_gzfql9PkBO2C3noipkKbK1R9ijTs-voG9Ah8gTvMbV-dWacFyLUSSNqmEx5Sicmjhbl9uzOt2dG3Xxg6jDZcMqPs1zj1qCbNLQQxpU_nhzG3rBor3Nb5J/s400/37.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Reconstructed large pillar-supported building structure in the grounds of the site as viewed from the south</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGpV4_acoSVKUmU8Qil_rFWdFCg_37JuBYoBHItTIWMuhDgNzMncT4uo7hqpt1sPMP_POvs3YhE95cea7ZHjREBIbXSu97sy8I_SZ4Fl8szt7cW4Vjd-3mP8xI82LrAIOtnoyt0hUtHQEV/s1600/38.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGpV4_acoSVKUmU8Qil_rFWdFCg_37JuBYoBHItTIWMuhDgNzMncT4uo7hqpt1sPMP_POvs3YhE95cea7ZHjREBIbXSu97sy8I_SZ4Fl8szt7cW4Vjd-3mP8xI82LrAIOtnoyt0hUtHQEV/s400/38.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Reconstructed large pillar-supported building structure as viewed from the north</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhum62T7A-WU_cjv6pv3IY1o4VohvE-81d7Oz41mRweg9hpilBrqT9lhw7Knb2cWtAjiDXqLf6L3vi6o-z7oLpdkqF8XdkwbaTSJm9GzoVr9eRQeT5f3OtsTDgXsjCCYlND7IOLvBtYb9xF/s1600/39.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhum62T7A-WU_cjv6pv3IY1o4VohvE-81d7Oz41mRweg9hpilBrqT9lhw7Knb2cWtAjiDXqLf6L3vi6o-z7oLpdkqF8XdkwbaTSJm9GzoVr9eRQeT5f3OtsTDgXsjCCYlND7IOLvBtYb9xF/s400/39.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby and the enigmatic building structure</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIWZGcvFBptptU_qbAPx4e3Bxv-C-ZtBj5eOyZE2V8nCqC57x1BNLwHXl38EXPuyiKFzrKN5JG84weKcpiwIS1GTbssQ49OWbFgrMgDed6z-GUl6zgc9KwCIKd1Sw2WKLLZtBZDk9F2bAK/s1600/40.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIWZGcvFBptptU_qbAPx4e3Bxv-C-ZtBj5eOyZE2V8nCqC57x1BNLwHXl38EXPuyiKFzrKN5JG84weKcpiwIS1GTbssQ49OWbFgrMgDed6z-GUl6zgc9KwCIKd1Sw2WKLLZtBZDk9F2bAK/s400/40.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The large six-pillared building structure as viewed from the northwest</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy11cjdbpr4k501IvTWPSqr27zCVIPRSsva2CmT4O5x918-vkT0uM2Ru-SfRqaxQMTCZp8alWybgcBO6Pk2eolTYb5LCzr87AzY61SRryvrcuqvxxOAdH4yWlUQfmeqQ28RR1Uxn6kqRU3/s1600/41.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy11cjdbpr4k501IvTWPSqr27zCVIPRSsva2CmT4O5x918-vkT0uM2Ru-SfRqaxQMTCZp8alWybgcBO6Pk2eolTYb5LCzr87AzY61SRryvrcuqvxxOAdH4yWlUQfmeqQ28RR1Uxn6kqRU3/s400/41.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The six-pillared structure as viewed from the west (right) along with two dome shaped buildings (left)</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Just north of the reconstructed large pillar-supported building structure, we saw a dome shaped hemispherical metal building in the grounds of the site. It was an ugly looking modern building and we thought that it was used by the staff members for maintenance of the site grounds. We almost did not enter inside. But hubby opened the doors of the building to find inside one of the most interesting original Jomon period structures of Sannai Maruyama that was not reburied with earth after the excavated village ruins were studied and analyzed by experts. Seeing such an original excavated site really gave us a sense of ancient times. The original structure we saw was the remains of a large pillar-supported building structure of the Jomon period. This pillar-supported building was built by erecting pillars in excavated holes to support the floors and roof. At this site, archaeologists found two parallel lines of three-pillar holes (postholes) with a diameter and depth of approximately 2 meters. The pillar holes were neatly arranged at intervals of approximately 4.2 meters. We noted that wooden columns made of chestnut tree bole with a diameter of about 1 meter protruded from these holes. These columns are believed to be from the middle Jomon period (approximately 4500 years ago). Seeing such original postholes even retaining some of the original wood was an amazing experience for us. This original large pillar-supported building structure is preserved underneath the modern dome shaped building equipped with sandbags and drains to assist in its conservation. The controlled environment does not allow the structure to completely dry out but it is not totally flooded either. We moved around inside the modern building and appreciated the remains of the large pillar-supported building structure from various positions and angles. It should be mentioned that remains of several such original large pillar-supported building structures have been found scattered around the site grounds but all others were carefully reburied after excavation studies.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCwiNu6oWcfuQOzzkoxGJL1rbnqPThM0VfzqwV_Nk_Oexg3TNLHR32WnN_Rbr_9484jhKHrzodkOZvkxJfOWtULPGOgTu65EsAjw7mQqa4DSkeuJB_G2KUEPZbSwlFlc373ECbSWhRDYJz/s1600/42.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCwiNu6oWcfuQOzzkoxGJL1rbnqPThM0VfzqwV_Nk_Oexg3TNLHR32WnN_Rbr_9484jhKHrzodkOZvkxJfOWtULPGOgTu65EsAjw7mQqa4DSkeuJB_G2KUEPZbSwlFlc373ECbSWhRDYJz/s400/42.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing at the entrance area of the modern dome shaped hemispherical metal building in the grounds of the site</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNBYh0R0vJsB28vFHIsJnBU0-KZEQZPTKv9SqT2aAsz2f5x0SZU7y_C6svSHDjU1x2fY06H7Pdtp0WkmI9_B3lNqw_yWNvbYCHt44nVb3jqpM5OSnA_qZF2ABGmUz2HRmIVMRf2W89xHJ4/s1600/43.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNBYh0R0vJsB28vFHIsJnBU0-KZEQZPTKv9SqT2aAsz2f5x0SZU7y_C6svSHDjU1x2fY06H7Pdtp0WkmI9_B3lNqw_yWNvbYCHt44nVb3jqpM5OSnA_qZF2ABGmUz2HRmIVMRf2W89xHJ4/s400/43.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The remains of a large pillar-supported building structure is preserved underneath the modern dome shaped building</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwjMMrgOiat9LCWjv_bEy4H6KWKSNYkQ06M4cw17Qods2dMkgnVHQskAQDpBOz9fky80SaClGLYJKtCQzhFnEHO78tYwSyotkTSwPC504KMulyIANWCo-DXjC1hjRFsuU3eplhjxDOxVwL/s1600/44.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwjMMrgOiat9LCWjv_bEy4H6KWKSNYkQ06M4cw17Qods2dMkgnVHQskAQDpBOz9fky80SaClGLYJKtCQzhFnEHO78tYwSyotkTSwPC504KMulyIANWCo-DXjC1hjRFsuU3eplhjxDOxVwL/s400/44.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The remains consist of two parallel lines of three-pillar holes (postholes)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTSgFxDAZHd748MAycELb8YgNicaBJYbBeu0KQVUQ20dffrmtKGwD1aRgQHWY6HsqdYVEJQmNT7pYxRtd53enk8IHPxIYij2EK2ruBaHPMzD41UlTd1Ryl_tf9n1eMZf6C9rK8ePyM1Sdf/s1600/45.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTSgFxDAZHd748MAycELb8YgNicaBJYbBeu0KQVUQ20dffrmtKGwD1aRgQHWY6HsqdYVEJQmNT7pYxRtd53enk8IHPxIYij2EK2ruBaHPMzD41UlTd1Ryl_tf9n1eMZf6C9rK8ePyM1Sdf/s400/45.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The remains as viewed from another direction</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH9ARgpQgdRKTZA-6EFYINUhJeMe6rDwszubG6VB4S34optyCl5qhEf0utWuZ7sJzd1LpxHXFX3Wz9R6icsKxCi0PZwQwxyUN88_QL5DXy4K88wa3TtpFGTgJxL-BxUhV-KilHO8NnUCoG/s1600/46.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH9ARgpQgdRKTZA-6EFYINUhJeMe6rDwszubG6VB4S34optyCl5qhEf0utWuZ7sJzd1LpxHXFX3Wz9R6icsKxCi0PZwQwxyUN88_QL5DXy4K88wa3TtpFGTgJxL-BxUhV-KilHO8NnUCoG/s400/46.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby observing the remains and the postholes in details</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir5v8rqhp2cAfRNhjbnIK6CpYY6HU9VYx80fDEowmY2-Ye8HAL7tvlhD1zwyQTbwqBZLVrhLv0QFmjsTdNRJVjnqGqzB2kt_uNNB4T20es_oMNRq2S85hjSk_m4VYIa-M7poD2pqxkIu7B/s1600/47.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir5v8rqhp2cAfRNhjbnIK6CpYY6HU9VYx80fDEowmY2-Ye8HAL7tvlhD1zwyQTbwqBZLVrhLv0QFmjsTdNRJVjnqGqzB2kt_uNNB4T20es_oMNRq2S85hjSk_m4VYIa-M7poD2pqxkIu7B/s400/47.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Two of the postholes and I</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcTYufolsqPvwjdivavm1Zr11siBHzXIVY-oN2A9ln9P1tQ5tGVPmvnOSfY-2ojh5bTuTBQKHOY8ZZI4UiiBGHA2L5bqEmaLYbsY5lOJAQVf2ywP84_mLkzjblxQt6yzsacq9UZLwmTG84/s1600/48.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcTYufolsqPvwjdivavm1Zr11siBHzXIVY-oN2A9ln9P1tQ5tGVPmvnOSfY-2ojh5bTuTBQKHOY8ZZI4UiiBGHA2L5bqEmaLYbsY5lOJAQVf2ywP84_mLkzjblxQt6yzsacq9UZLwmTG84/s400/48.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Retained portion of the original wooden column made of chestnut tree bole is protruding from one of the postholes</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCFp-AaQeXF4yENXi0QP20DAtACVzxoA7DEn2U6KQaReXS-SRr_6Er5M4We08Q3AwWhdJRN0Y-bAUQ7QseQXAZhLhYQhQ2ubDWFZOPNBnSbG_Z4ft4HdieNjAc9pCQ0NjzjUwCdx00SAkz/s1600/49.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCFp-AaQeXF4yENXi0QP20DAtACVzxoA7DEn2U6KQaReXS-SRr_6Er5M4We08Q3AwWhdJRN0Y-bAUQ7QseQXAZhLhYQhQ2ubDWFZOPNBnSbG_Z4ft4HdieNjAc9pCQ0NjzjUwCdx00SAkz/s400/49.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Retained portion of the original wooden column protruding from yet another posthole</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Next, we went inside another modern dome shaped hemispherical metal building located in the northern area in the grounds of the site. There we saw the excavated original remains of the burial jars for children of the Jomon period kept under controlled environmental factors. During the Jomon period, children were placed in pottery and buried after their death. Approximately 900 tombs have been found in this excavated site. Pottery used as coffins had a round hole or a broken rim or bottom, which differentiated such pottery from those used for cooking. A fist-size stone was found in one of the pottery. Seeing the remains of the burial jars for children had a sobering effect on us even though they were from the long bygone Jomon period.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrY5EjbtR-GU3ngRNlHFvtTLLMSYLc3hP42vK6gLJrbiLs-Re9Q_TsA4vGblop0O81wr0lcVAlvGbn9PCVV0kkdJMu9ztVLVXs2Fr0nOu6XPr26FTd7OtM9OsrmSqL0dwWeq71jPMa1imU/s1600/50.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrY5EjbtR-GU3ngRNlHFvtTLLMSYLc3hP42vK6gLJrbiLs-Re9Q_TsA4vGblop0O81wr0lcVAlvGbn9PCVV0kkdJMu9ztVLVXs2Fr0nOu6XPr26FTd7OtM9OsrmSqL0dwWeq71jPMa1imU/s400/50.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A modern dome shaped hemispherical metal building in the grounds of the site inside which are located the remains of the burial jars for children of the Jomon period</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwJZkYTcK8tjknEWiJM8ZjyHHUuX3YM0zK3LDSGWG2YT0__0fRLav4vm6CGZwlt_i0MaC0PHCLPCoC_11nBwyiGt4J6X2HUr2YnwZsNG9AbTCbRMQUwLxDErFaQBeE7VEeoJasIvABkKNK/s1600/51.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwJZkYTcK8tjknEWiJM8ZjyHHUuX3YM0zK3LDSGWG2YT0__0fRLav4vm6CGZwlt_i0MaC0PHCLPCoC_11nBwyiGt4J6X2HUr2YnwZsNG9AbTCbRMQUwLxDErFaQBeE7VEeoJasIvABkKNK/s400/51.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Excavated site where the original remains of the burial jars for children are preserved underneath the modern dome shaped building</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrC0ZAFuCXJY7UyYr8HC3Qip9tAEEHQDPOsOK9_MdFEOFy3z0lV0qm__GXWpDn2kMUPXT5q5szFLQ1IMnmGPn62Dt7_WpIqRLiZzqzPDzsTTEPluSZzWQIBCQBUA3BjuCAj8r_P1nxmQDQ/s1600/52.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrC0ZAFuCXJY7UyYr8HC3Qip9tAEEHQDPOsOK9_MdFEOFy3z0lV0qm__GXWpDn2kMUPXT5q5szFLQ1IMnmGPn62Dt7_WpIqRLiZzqzPDzsTTEPluSZzWQIBCQBUA3BjuCAj8r_P1nxmQDQ/s400/52.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A few remains of the burials jars can be seen here</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ceUbYKh1i3YTUb0d7dykHC1g0vD3TXWN0PsqtQ_aleKi3R9aOmDOupSTijrZFhPfavgNgIJg2-XEepL13MPNEzofV0Dn3jEklwmxUefyMWG843jAu-PejmetBVCZ9uf7mSSI147Nm5ix/s1600/53.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ceUbYKh1i3YTUb0d7dykHC1g0vD3TXWN0PsqtQ_aleKi3R9aOmDOupSTijrZFhPfavgNgIJg2-XEepL13MPNEzofV0Dn3jEklwmxUefyMWG843jAu-PejmetBVCZ9uf7mSSI147Nm5ix/s400/53.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby observing the remains of the burial jars for children in details</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Afterwards we went inside yet another modern building located in the northern area in the grounds of the site. There we saw an original mound from the Jomon period that has been displayed just as it was at the time of its excavation. This mound is called northern mound and is kept under controlled environmental factors inside the building. A mound is a slightly elevated patch of ground formed during the Jomon period as a result of the long-term disposal of dirt and waste during the construction of pit-dwellings or the digging of holes, burned soil, burned coals, stone artifacts, and broken clay pots. We saw that a huge amount of potsherds covered the mound surface. All these potsherds were created in the middle Jomon period (approximately 4500 years ago). Although a mound is usually covered with several layers of such remains, we noted that only one section was exhibited.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3ktXsqh9WIG0UAp94fYgjW7wTAoKq2yXNcRSjxe3Z6kjO71bDy4WyEx6kg2SHOehGuQYpIV4fwlfuQRrpWj0x-igXjyB1vNEYaZMXmWyRHJMYNqFoxJtTXeSLUQDkSiQG4C4veiggK-N/s1600/54.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3ktXsqh9WIG0UAp94fYgjW7wTAoKq2yXNcRSjxe3Z6kjO71bDy4WyEx6kg2SHOehGuQYpIV4fwlfuQRrpWj0x-igXjyB1vNEYaZMXmWyRHJMYNqFoxJtTXeSLUQDkSiQG4C4veiggK-N/s400/54.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Northern mound with excavated objects and potsherds preserved underneath a modern building</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Jh1sEsBWRGgsYmRIZXuiG6rZsCNLoYpC-u7Jb-gw_ucay29Fkjx67s2GIM5DTPBCUGY98att2L8KrcC1aM2c26CrSu-TJg4yfwTSk3_PLL3_msmGHkC5WjQhPtrPaXhNcXTmSCV4siom/s1600/55.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Jh1sEsBWRGgsYmRIZXuiG6rZsCNLoYpC-u7Jb-gw_ucay29Fkjx67s2GIM5DTPBCUGY98att2L8KrcC1aM2c26CrSu-TJg4yfwTSk3_PLL3_msmGHkC5WjQhPtrPaXhNcXTmSCV4siom/s400/55.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Northern mound as viewed from a slightly different angle</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Finally, we went inside one more modern building located in the southern area in the grounds of the site. There we saw yet another original mound from the Jomon period that has been displayed just as it was after the excavation studies. This mound is called southern mound and is kept under controlled environmental factors inside the building. The northern mound (previous paragraph) as well as the southern mound may have been ritual sites because a large number of clay figures had been discovered during the excavation. We noted that the cross sectional view of the southern mound was exhibited, and many pieces of discarded pottery protruded from the cross section.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWHXyac3Vi62AsLvrHWlopLvw8BH7YKTNNQNYA0Cfb8BZMi5cBw7umBoqLTKbBXDLTf-QzzVWsY_2q6jDIYkhh3XopKBAly_f18ujSYjQGU6_kqSOLTfbCdIKnnagTF2VUiY7-e9VgCc9E/s1600/56.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWHXyac3Vi62AsLvrHWlopLvw8BH7YKTNNQNYA0Cfb8BZMi5cBw7umBoqLTKbBXDLTf-QzzVWsY_2q6jDIYkhh3XopKBAly_f18ujSYjQGU6_kqSOLTfbCdIKnnagTF2VUiY7-e9VgCc9E/s400/56.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Cross sectional view of the southern mound preserved underneath a modern building</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiX498ZgalOMlvoqFLYVZikMhwStRIgz8EWclt8nddqVZAHVOf70HgJNeHNR3szvf2C9NHfDOMY3NhK5y4HldWKacl_vOnKS8w7BW43XROOt5jBJjuWNYBpKVwRFCkaBy7yGtuS0wBhNuR/s1600/57.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiX498ZgalOMlvoqFLYVZikMhwStRIgz8EWclt8nddqVZAHVOf70HgJNeHNR3szvf2C9NHfDOMY3NhK5y4HldWKacl_vOnKS8w7BW43XROOt5jBJjuWNYBpKVwRFCkaBy7yGtuS0wBhNuR/s400/57.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Excavated objects and potsherds protruding from the cross section of the southern mound</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">At this point, we finished the tour of Sannai Maruyama Archaeological Site. We returned to the Jomon Jiyukan building and bought a few replicas of the flat as well as rounded clay figurines from a shop located inside the building. Many such Jomon period clay figurines were found during the excavation of the archaeological site. Afterwards, we had lunch at a restaurant located inside the building itself. After lunch, we visited Sanmaru Museum also located inside the same building. The museum has artifacts related to or excavated from the archaeological site, about which I will write in the next post.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVaQcR2ZpHlAInMvGP2809lHL_Vk5f-klbIaTgGRuJW5O0chG3ZsSn2WyvKhl75Haf4hvNSQEyX0gAiTGqPWpdM-X4HNbv29Mm7fAOMpzpUkQG1ERtMN09gXn7jHg-BpbQEQeQr-pp52L6/s1600/58.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVaQcR2ZpHlAInMvGP2809lHL_Vk5f-klbIaTgGRuJW5O0chG3ZsSn2WyvKhl75Haf4hvNSQEyX0gAiTGqPWpdM-X4HNbv29Mm7fAOMpzpUkQG1ERtMN09gXn7jHg-BpbQEQeQr-pp52L6/s400/58.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Replicas of a pair of Jomon flat clay figurines</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOvZybSXKsawWKCZCAN5iEpgOF6ZFY_0blp0btjqjEnC6kqbXCHe0U1p3Kq0l_P4yUSfkZlDHKk10lRFV4RWir4crIWCY8SXBFLhXRTjJfJG5DGJsrdev2MCkvk5p9-DQsRmjxQRnqPpT3/s1600/59.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOvZybSXKsawWKCZCAN5iEpgOF6ZFY_0blp0btjqjEnC6kqbXCHe0U1p3Kq0l_P4yUSfkZlDHKk10lRFV4RWir4crIWCY8SXBFLhXRTjJfJG5DGJsrdev2MCkvk5p9-DQsRmjxQRnqPpT3/s400/59.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Replicas of rounded and flat clay figurines</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby’s lunch with scallops for the main dish</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby having lunch</i></span></span></div>
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Manisha Kundu-Nagatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13277146210049986417noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695885479879152724.post-88295984783467302582017-03-29T02:21:00.001+09:002017-03-29T02:21:50.796+09:00Tom and Jerry’s funny world exhibition in Aomori City<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Hubby and I had been on a sightseeing trip to Aomori City in December 2016. On the afternoon of 23rd December, we went to see an exhibition named ‘Tom and Jerry’s funny world exhibition’ held in the city. Such an exhibition was held for the first time in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C5%8Dhoku_region" target="_blank">Tohoku region</a> and we took the opportunity to visit the exhibition. It was held at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aomori_Museum_of_Art" target="_blank">Aomori Prefectural Art Museum</a> from 26th November 2016 to 15th January 2017. There were various kinds of Tom and Jerry related exhibits that included animations, art collections, comic panels, television series corner, short films and movies corner, and photography corner. Several Tom and Jerry themed special events were held throughout the exhibition period. In addition, a makeshift shop was set up that sold popular Tom and Jerry goods, limited items as well as new products to the visitors. Photography was allowed everywhere inside the exhibition area to capture the beautiful moments with Tom and Jerry.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Hubby and I reached in front of Aomori Prefectural Art Museum in Aomori City at about 3 pm on 23rd December 2016. The museum building was a white colored modern structure. We entered inside the museum building and purchased two tickets each worth 700 Yen as admission fee to see the ‘Tom and Jerry’s funny world exhibition’. Next we walked for a few minutes inside the museum building and reached the Community Gallery area where the exhibition was held. There we saw a huge signboard of Tom and Jerry welcoming all the visitors to the exhibition. At the lobby area of the Community Gallery, we had an obligatory photo opportunity with huge colorful figures of Tom and Jerry. It felt great to introduce ourselves to Tom and Jerry.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing in front of an information board of Aomori Prefectural Art Museum. The museum building is partly seen in the background.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing in front of the museum building</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing next to a huge signboard of Tom and Jerry welcoming all the visitors to the exhibition held at the Community Gallery inside the museum building</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing along with the huge figures of Tom and Jerry at the lobby area of the Community Gallery</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing along with the figures of Tom and Jerry at the lobby area</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing along with Tom and Jerry</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">We entered the first exhibition room at the Community Gallery area and saw huge colorful panels depicting and celebrating the characters Tom and Jerry. Next, we saw many panels with information and images of various characters of the Tom and Jerry animated series and short films. There was another section in this room that provided detailed information about the history of the animated series and short films. We loved reading about the historical details and some really interesting little tidbits. In addition, this room had many exhibits of artworks by artists from Japan as well as abroad. Right in the middle of this room, we saw Jerry’s room named ‘Jerry’s Sweet Hole’. We could look through the room, which was magnified and so colorful with interesting details. Tom and Jerry seemed to play around in the exhibition room and we loved meeting them.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing in front of colorful panels depicting the characters Tom and Jerry in the first exhibition room at the Community Gallery</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmrIDgoT917JgWy15Pis_zXld_5fOQ-NGaXmsEBUe75U5ScyLwGb3X3q_mBJsCUHdOI87XMLsh9bV-jXou7e7yjECWeA5peneiNBSZwNViaQ_w1SYzeWxGNsg8FcGNhdAzQO4P8cbbrO4K/s1600/8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmrIDgoT917JgWy15Pis_zXld_5fOQ-NGaXmsEBUe75U5ScyLwGb3X3q_mBJsCUHdOI87XMLsh9bV-jXou7e7yjECWeA5peneiNBSZwNViaQ_w1SYzeWxGNsg8FcGNhdAzQO4P8cbbrO4K/s400/8.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Many panels with information and images of various characters of the Tom and Jerry animated series and short films</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am reading the panels depicting various characters</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing in front of the panels depicting various characters</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am reading the historical details about Tom and Jerry</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing in front of Jerry’s room named Jerry’s Sweet Hole</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am posing at the entrance area of Jerry’s Sweet Hole</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby posing with a figure of Jerry</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Next, we went to the second exhibition room at the Community Gallery area where many images from the old as well as new Tom and Jerry short films and movies were exhibited. The room was done so artistically and had many colorful images from various short films and movies. There were many panels with interesting information about the short films and movies made through the decades. We loved seeing the colorful images and reading the detailed information about the short films and movies.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwWABvUph8Xl6dA5Pt1R-L4-haPZlNddkqxATwElm6ebKUeiFEerGAKQ27MZnzRNC-KkyqqzqnBS9EeKJAxgHKbk_QGdW1pxJbsvcPjlqAsJ30hQldYSUqlJkROGOM1NGu3XnQDBgrylvZ/s1600/15.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwWABvUph8Xl6dA5Pt1R-L4-haPZlNddkqxATwElm6ebKUeiFEerGAKQ27MZnzRNC-KkyqqzqnBS9EeKJAxgHKbk_QGdW1pxJbsvcPjlqAsJ30hQldYSUqlJkROGOM1NGu3XnQDBgrylvZ/s400/15.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing in the second exhibition room where information and images from many Tom and Jerry short films and movies were exhibited</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTKEG49aHdAfvsfMo_Eq39zcK-ro5eNJJ5XQzqKm7Tnb-3zhNPhwl497QfThCQzVzvRed2ILc0BGwgLXuxLS0e-iLxR6YdHuICRFW7u0USpHP15lKh66qxlrDDk9pu5dBLDOrPEPB82arg/s1600/16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTKEG49aHdAfvsfMo_Eq39zcK-ro5eNJJ5XQzqKm7Tnb-3zhNPhwl497QfThCQzVzvRed2ILc0BGwgLXuxLS0e-iLxR6YdHuICRFW7u0USpHP15lKh66qxlrDDk9pu5dBLDOrPEPB82arg/s400/16.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing in the second exhibition room</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZuSeRdOowxqLur5COeQ1428n0-cjeoXQKCO_Wdzq2euVGVp4tFXojSrjvrZwyWd9itmDYh90rujXnzq2ROWCyKmFAoJdeour0_-laUgJnOl2Imy-0uXt93N2l09dEKs2rklIE978OFobC/s1600/17.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZuSeRdOowxqLur5COeQ1428n0-cjeoXQKCO_Wdzq2euVGVp4tFXojSrjvrZwyWd9itmDYh90rujXnzq2ROWCyKmFAoJdeour0_-laUgJnOl2Imy-0uXt93N2l09dEKs2rklIE978OFobC/s400/17.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing inside the exhibition room</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Afterwards, we went to the third exhibition room at the Community Gallery area of the museum. Here we saw a few brain teasers like puzzles, quizzes, and finding mistakes or differences in pictures. This section was very interesting and we spent a lot of time there. In another section of the room, there was continuous screening of many Tom and Jerry animated series and we saw children as well as adults glued to the screens. We also watched one of the old-time Tom and Jerry animations. In addition, we saw trick art photography exhibition in yet another section of this room. It was funny to pose with a few of such trick art photographs. Finally, we saw a collection of comic panels and posters of the old-time Tom and Jerry animated series in one more section of the room. This room had plenty of fun exhibits, and we loved looking at them and time passed so quickly.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg2fiymnani0Mbv1LteSLqjc0qb-AeaWNmsaSEHLEMaAkEUD5rWOzSQil7kIvBUTp72fEypelYw38JhNx0iZYVmBsPUJtFEFhneeckG7GiBFp5NMzTDM_gGB1fLyTlUMx2KfvGeO5Z47R-/s1600/18.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg2fiymnani0Mbv1LteSLqjc0qb-AeaWNmsaSEHLEMaAkEUD5rWOzSQil7kIvBUTp72fEypelYw38JhNx0iZYVmBsPUJtFEFhneeckG7GiBFp5NMzTDM_gGB1fLyTlUMx2KfvGeO5Z47R-/s400/18.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing in front of a panel to spot the differences or mistakes between the two pictures in the third exhibition room</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2w0E8RfefnwB77NHs6XxK8HBzpN-srMHeRMULryPZEI_4Clp2a0jXDuxkb1mvD13n15ngm1rT9Sxm7XJyP_OW0zbNq7P5jyrk4-MfnxCQIe5miXYeIAa-hj2HpU27AjJ7W6hYRH2qkxNP/s1600/19.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2w0E8RfefnwB77NHs6XxK8HBzpN-srMHeRMULryPZEI_4Clp2a0jXDuxkb1mvD13n15ngm1rT9Sxm7XJyP_OW0zbNq7P5jyrk4-MfnxCQIe5miXYeIAa-hj2HpU27AjJ7W6hYRH2qkxNP/s400/19.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Another panel to spot the differences between the two pictures</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDY-bK9GOGkCn3-gMoNHFSGp0rjK7UtwjiyhCnPoV086pd3EBUpYPZXEuw9LsaPxduB7cLOt4mLqpvM81pQCxGk7ucz27kcpSRCEUQdK-RxuVB0PpRQJUn0QsrS6gAlqjbvkRraJ59cEVD/s1600/20.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDY-bK9GOGkCn3-gMoNHFSGp0rjK7UtwjiyhCnPoV086pd3EBUpYPZXEuw9LsaPxduB7cLOt4mLqpvM81pQCxGk7ucz27kcpSRCEUQdK-RxuVB0PpRQJUn0QsrS6gAlqjbvkRraJ59cEVD/s400/20.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Yet another panel to spot the differences between the two pictures</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYyfQW0tQTakgCTSwCd72FqJ-Xde8v9G8soCjnwcOAvOUFGdCgeIMcQQSiIEO4ehg_ZdT8iPvm5krhcEaiFhu0jCX2bMNmShA1NsnL1PLadeMu40s8Z8OwQs9XJ_sva9-et2xUNg2Bojup/s1600/21.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYyfQW0tQTakgCTSwCd72FqJ-Xde8v9G8soCjnwcOAvOUFGdCgeIMcQQSiIEO4ehg_ZdT8iPvm5krhcEaiFhu0jCX2bMNmShA1NsnL1PLadeMu40s8Z8OwQs9XJ_sva9-et2xUNg2Bojup/s400/21.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A photo with a quiz question</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq4TttvTOgDGhNbjhKckVrwe1ENW9ovxCXojkY7EaeTHAqAKScMXhvuX_VxDqDGF6WnlTG_RKp9Dd1enempI2oiElrPMKSdz33h9Bpb4GcB1tFBYlHmeJ_YFI6eBX4b9__OYkgUetIWqH0/s1600/22.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq4TttvTOgDGhNbjhKckVrwe1ENW9ovxCXojkY7EaeTHAqAKScMXhvuX_VxDqDGF6WnlTG_RKp9Dd1enempI2oiElrPMKSdz33h9Bpb4GcB1tFBYlHmeJ_YFI6eBX4b9__OYkgUetIWqH0/s400/22.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Many characters from the Tom and Jerry animated series playing various musical instruments inside a music hall</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJZVfewhVxFMY2YVJuNO5TrE0laPXAlp3Tbw6GSiWtFb5X3lmtsvNoLnjc9fsEs1pNZQgb0_8hwvUdqrTsHJC-hHseZqTgsok6h67Lo4p6L_Um_mVXM5iKYJm48fJIlwux5rtPuxe74LBJ/s1600/23.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJZVfewhVxFMY2YVJuNO5TrE0laPXAlp3Tbw6GSiWtFb5X3lmtsvNoLnjc9fsEs1pNZQgb0_8hwvUdqrTsHJC-hHseZqTgsok6h67Lo4p6L_Um_mVXM5iKYJm48fJIlwux5rtPuxe74LBJ/s400/23.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing in front of the picture of the music hall and trying to spot the characters Tom and Jerry in the picture</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieTFEu9aQHhlb6D9zsm4Lf076kLIJ3mrt6neiPqXsQqncVh8JbJpvPm5Hno8Po3SRl5yI35WFY8SxOjr7fvpwmlfv0olVlt_UHiZ-3e3zUEeFu4lcfKsEmp2MwdXiLwQBsb1-kAfjXSB-A/s1600/24.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieTFEu9aQHhlb6D9zsm4Lf076kLIJ3mrt6neiPqXsQqncVh8JbJpvPm5Hno8Po3SRl5yI35WFY8SxOjr7fvpwmlfv0olVlt_UHiZ-3e3zUEeFu4lcfKsEmp2MwdXiLwQBsb1-kAfjXSB-A/s400/24.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing inside the third exhibition room</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgryNG81ncpn5S50DdSTg2W0jVsUorxfHE5LdWrsrl3tP9ZmFvVLmAs984mUASL9FgVsBk0yK23T0_-Zi1u98hs9xryriWnHsLsSHlJiADSxsXhuR4JHgWz7wDCVlRWuxwVrhXxXunvmYkQ/s1600/25.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgryNG81ncpn5S50DdSTg2W0jVsUorxfHE5LdWrsrl3tP9ZmFvVLmAs984mUASL9FgVsBk0yK23T0_-Zi1u98hs9xryriWnHsLsSHlJiADSxsXhuR4JHgWz7wDCVlRWuxwVrhXxXunvmYkQ/s400/25.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Screening of a Tom and Jerry animated series going on</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0KpVlDtEYaB3TMtF3Zd2RZF7pmXLxfRM80yt0fUTmN3vuYyzVqMgXEs2fzn1UGg9LhBPxF1O3fy6ZBoZUcW0_n2dai_HMFPFGNp35bIiagS4EXnKYRe-1DMNYIxEO5MeuEpg3hli4Ug_B/s1600/26.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0KpVlDtEYaB3TMtF3Zd2RZF7pmXLxfRM80yt0fUTmN3vuYyzVqMgXEs2fzn1UGg9LhBPxF1O3fy6ZBoZUcW0_n2dai_HMFPFGNp35bIiagS4EXnKYRe-1DMNYIxEO5MeuEpg3hli4Ug_B/s400/26.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Trick art photography where Tom and Jerry are laughing at me for being upside down inside a television</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEI955Xyz2kIlY2Ke4_1lQMRkn2PM-EaKXngewQVhVAnuk9y1VWjDUVBGUbrspqFyH0s9Wpoimg7wAFv-PbGHvJWsR4c5XjXXBX9ZRIw4cvYQjA_n1vyxCprFk-67vrlSIHQs3R0vWpAJj/s1600/27.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEI955Xyz2kIlY2Ke4_1lQMRkn2PM-EaKXngewQVhVAnuk9y1VWjDUVBGUbrspqFyH0s9Wpoimg7wAFv-PbGHvJWsR4c5XjXXBX9ZRIw4cvYQjA_n1vyxCprFk-67vrlSIHQs3R0vWpAJj/s400/27.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Tom is confusing me with a baseball</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRVZgsl1UTNHGXzBXieU_g2kANZj2lurKVxvIIGiBcItLsg2N79U_YN0VoZL2ood5_bHJKheNgLH62gntuXfnBIjLowB1zW6xJ16R0nBooOlhwXdh8ejmX9X3TWnA9BKHrR-Vr0tx968yP/s1600/28.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRVZgsl1UTNHGXzBXieU_g2kANZj2lurKVxvIIGiBcItLsg2N79U_YN0VoZL2ood5_bHJKheNgLH62gntuXfnBIjLowB1zW6xJ16R0nBooOlhwXdh8ejmX9X3TWnA9BKHrR-Vr0tx968yP/s400/28.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby enjoying seeing the comic panels and posters of the old-time Tom and Jerry animated series</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaS9li4-0CRpwOn1yIVd8tLouQZokH-E9qidMP5wgPzwvnX2JQ6L2ObbuUPew903ycc4c3Yd2ZxXN1J1HOqRvoR9UBVBzXbUxOrkj8CtNZK0QwMLWNpeiNiQkIvkX2H0NWbPaWoTH21YiI/s1600/29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaS9li4-0CRpwOn1yIVd8tLouQZokH-E9qidMP5wgPzwvnX2JQ6L2ObbuUPew903ycc4c3Yd2ZxXN1J1HOqRvoR9UBVBzXbUxOrkj8CtNZK0QwMLWNpeiNiQkIvkX2H0NWbPaWoTH21YiI/s400/29.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby loves the old-time Tom and Jerry animated series</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Finally we went to a makeshift shop that sold popular Tom and Jerry goods, limited items as well as new products to the visitors. We bought a couple of DVDs and a few collectible items and left the exhibition area. We enjoyed the sweet and funny world of Tom and Jerry and got lost in the fantasy world, even if just for a little while.</span></span></div>
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Manisha Kundu-Nagatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13277146210049986417noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695885479879152724.post-54266331002188319892017-03-21T02:01:00.002+09:002017-03-21T02:01:07.042+09:00Drive from Aomori City to Shingo Village<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">As I wrote in an <a href="http://lipikazuo.blogspot.com/2017/02/tomb-of-jesus-christ-in-shingo-village.html" target="_blank">earlier post</a>, hubby and I had been on a sightseeing trip to Aomori prefecture in the month of December 2016. On 22nd December, we visited the Tomb of Jesus Christ in Shingo Village in the nighttime, and later stayed at a hotel in Aomori City that night. The next day on 23rd December, we visited Sannai Maruyama archaeological site and a related museum in Aomori City and an exhibition of Tom and Jerry products in the city itself. That night also we stayed at the same hotel in Aomori City. On 24th morning, we checked out of the hotel and started on our return trip to home. When we reached around Shingo Village, we took a detour and again visited the Tomb of Jesus Christ. In this post, I will write about our car ride from Aomori City to Shingo Village and the beautiful snow covered nature all around us.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">While driving within Aomori City, we noted that although the weather was fine that time, it had snowed heavily the previous two nights, and there was snow all around us along the road. A lot of snow had accumulated, and the trees and faraway mountains were fully covered in snow. We clicked a few photos of the snow covered Aomori City and the faraway views from inside our car.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A few photos of the snow covered Aomori City area and the faraway mountains</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">After about an hour of driving along a highway, we reached a mountainous road with dense forest along both sides of the road. We saw blankets of heavy snow all around us along this curvy road. There was deep snow on the mountains and everything seemed to be purified and white in color. We loved looking at the wonderful pure white forest along the road. The snow covered nature looked so beautiful and it seemed to welcome everyone for a white Christmas. Although I do not like such extreme cold weather, seeing the snow covered nature and pure whiteness all around us was a treat to our eyes. We clicked many photos of the snow covered mountainous road, the white forest along the road, and the mountain itself from inside our car. All the photos look like the back and white era photos with a hint of blue sky sometimes. Please enjoy looking at the photos.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Many photos of the snow covered mountainous road with beautiful white forest along the road</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">After about two hours of car ride, we reached Shingo Village where we loved looking at the <a href="http://lipikazuo.blogspot.com/2017/02/tomb-of-jesus-christ-in-shingo-village.html" target="_blank">Tomb of Jesus Christ</a> in the daytime and enjoyed playing with the fluffy snow near the tomb area. We left Shingo Village at about 2 pm and started on our way back home. Along the way, we saw snow covered <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Iwate" target="_blank">Mount Iwate</a> in Iwate prefecture. The mountain looked majestic.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Snow covered Shingo Village</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby and snow covered trees</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing next to fluffy snow</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Snow covered Mount Iwate</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCo6D1N83idXuN2ksXjMeqBjTbNHAOXOAmzv2jGUZcNfGuWoO6prS6nizpiZUYid57h58zrCplrAl2E3F3DA1z1W81_dK4UdHZmowFlRquCAvx3x0WTh2CMQgpaDSlWT11ry0F-DxPuDjs/s1600/44.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCo6D1N83idXuN2ksXjMeqBjTbNHAOXOAmzv2jGUZcNfGuWoO6prS6nizpiZUYid57h58zrCplrAl2E3F3DA1z1W81_dK4UdHZmowFlRquCAvx3x0WTh2CMQgpaDSlWT11ry0F-DxPuDjs/s400/44.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Majestic Mount Iwate</i></span></span></div>
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Manisha Kundu-Nagatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13277146210049986417noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695885479879152724.post-83087893516587105852017-03-16T01:03:00.002+09:002017-03-16T01:07:32.927+09:00Home-cooked food - part 3<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">In earlier two blog posts of <a href="http://lipikazuo.blogspot.com/2015/08/home-cooked-food.html" target="_blank">August 2015</a> and <a href="http://lipikazuo.blogspot.com/2016/04/home-cooked-food-part-2.html" target="_blank">April 2016</a>, I had written that since April 2015 hubby started taking photos of some of the food items I cook at home and posts them on his page of social networking site Facebook. Today I realized that he has posted so many more food-related photos on his Facebook page since April 2016. Although he has taken photos of various kinds of home-cooked food items, I am not exactly sure about the basis of his preference and selection of a particular food item as a candidate for photography. It probably just depends on his mood on that particular day. I am sharing some more photos of home-cooked food items here that hubby clicked since April 2016.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-FOFoKhiseSJEcCB2Zw98IptKcRDzhfaiyplULKecwW3NKe7pMiefRqg29d4VJ5mDdyXGiTTyj5RBTiZazYwm1LFaRrcFwawysxr5C9vrBThusjTuwVpRmETl6hLE85lm_UdqrB6x0-iW/s1600/1apr18.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-FOFoKhiseSJEcCB2Zw98IptKcRDzhfaiyplULKecwW3NKe7pMiefRqg29d4VJ5mDdyXGiTTyj5RBTiZazYwm1LFaRrcFwawysxr5C9vrBThusjTuwVpRmETl6hLE85lm_UdqrB6x0-iW/s400/1apr18.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Bacon <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bok_choy" target="_blank">Chingensai</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chahan_(food)" target="_blank">Chahan</a> (April 18, 2016)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxBM1qrAJkA1pSjb8jEjM_sZuJKeGZTJTgMFKZBjiRSX1zEfVE_VJqIgXeQP58IpHk6FcZ9LBMSmK4SDau-IB-KxWDebhdSG_sw8KtrlaKo8-Fux7D-G4cKuTDS7epIcxSBJYa7eE33UFs/s1600/2apr22.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxBM1qrAJkA1pSjb8jEjM_sZuJKeGZTJTgMFKZBjiRSX1zEfVE_VJqIgXeQP58IpHk6FcZ9LBMSmK4SDau-IB-KxWDebhdSG_sw8KtrlaKo8-Fux7D-G4cKuTDS7epIcxSBJYa7eE33UFs/s400/2apr22.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Chicken <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karaage" target="_blank">Karaage</a> (April 22, 2016)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX7eJJKZrMSfF_AsEB88pwcZY3X4Zy9q7Ui82a4D3yWxENbtD44e-c3jEIhFMoFGM8702EHPZyeEhSbm1vqHgOgZRh_2FbkCqBNHia4bRiy3Qrh5uDH0PFN9413jvLf14vj6xdZjCo4wrI/s1600/3apr22.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX7eJJKZrMSfF_AsEB88pwcZY3X4Zy9q7Ui82a4D3yWxENbtD44e-c3jEIhFMoFGM8702EHPZyeEhSbm1vqHgOgZRh_2FbkCqBNHia4bRiy3Qrh5uDH0PFN9413jvLf14vj6xdZjCo4wrI/s400/3apr22.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_rice" target="_blank">Genmai</a> risotto (April 22, 2016)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVZnHNpwvpR2LqxAAFyWGRAFoqFpOnrTyqszG3TFThW5ACp0IGD3uMYbqVREFupDmPkZ5UD_n01LpAfB56sRy83-Yg8oGpWEOYUxBDjlFVEZ5PqFiVvf59Iaggww6JnK-e5u4eunr5fVul/s1600/4apr27.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVZnHNpwvpR2LqxAAFyWGRAFoqFpOnrTyqszG3TFThW5ACp0IGD3uMYbqVREFupDmPkZ5UD_n01LpAfB56sRy83-Yg8oGpWEOYUxBDjlFVEZ5PqFiVvf59Iaggww6JnK-e5u4eunr5fVul/s400/4apr27.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Stir fry of pork and mushroom in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miso" target="_blank">Miso</a> and butter (April 27, 2016)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLyOZh9GilWySoL5KruOB-1o83c_l4Fi-US_d6kO7CNvcRpWtkkccfvjmEiDjw0skFsDoDR53pE4e2xoEtSjjN-b2i9O5BtXwrG4xqDZ8pIhnHfEiNLacXDOuSEOC-sNoyQVgmmV7Io8VD/s1600/5may15.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLyOZh9GilWySoL5KruOB-1o83c_l4Fi-US_d6kO7CNvcRpWtkkccfvjmEiDjw0skFsDoDR53pE4e2xoEtSjjN-b2i9O5BtXwrG4xqDZ8pIhnHfEiNLacXDOuSEOC-sNoyQVgmmV7Io8VD/s400/5may15.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Genmai <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congee" target="_blank">Okayu</a> (May 15, 2016)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjFXrDKcUFxqBwr1dEyFNQk9VjdBZ7vKyC83KAZjtLUV7ZVu8XYtQaVY5qJhySSczo_4Dwb_OTcxOclDOI0vhju48YANx9GE3ZBAguQijWnXHRnuddhpYSSX_eLbJojUQnPliBYxrQ4-0I/s1600/6may19.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjFXrDKcUFxqBwr1dEyFNQk9VjdBZ7vKyC83KAZjtLUV7ZVu8XYtQaVY5qJhySSczo_4Dwb_OTcxOclDOI0vhju48YANx9GE3ZBAguQijWnXHRnuddhpYSSX_eLbJojUQnPliBYxrQ4-0I/s400/6may19.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Bacon lettuce burger with homemade buns, sauce, and cucumber pickles (May 19, 2016)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXFCRv3YZLQtSiSFBdvOOTkb6zfFCgDgjCdcMlyuDZLqmcB1jmfVCZ2zSJsM9D_DJ7IIy1i9hBD5G3gWs-uhBx4G-YrB1f7-mLTJbVXwsC-efBhbQwZuyJnLRjnAIi8kr0rksUg1CRVttC/s1600/7may22.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXFCRv3YZLQtSiSFBdvOOTkb6zfFCgDgjCdcMlyuDZLqmcB1jmfVCZ2zSJsM9D_DJ7IIy1i9hBD5G3gWs-uhBx4G-YrB1f7-mLTJbVXwsC-efBhbQwZuyJnLRjnAIi8kr0rksUg1CRVttC/s400/7may22.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Chicken fillet burger (May 22, 2016)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiSLq9gDpprkf0yXv0XJW-2OlhOpFR1lOUEotVWDevLYfSaScoliKt7dyWHJb21fRceB0MiF_peI6W8OX1YuwjcF8lCOXNBBrGkb5FyDWnDa1qFO-_NFvUqcBbvZyyGlZvt27i9KVU-5GO/s1600/8jun5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiSLq9gDpprkf0yXv0XJW-2OlhOpFR1lOUEotVWDevLYfSaScoliKt7dyWHJb21fRceB0MiF_peI6W8OX1YuwjcF8lCOXNBBrGkb5FyDWnDa1qFO-_NFvUqcBbvZyyGlZvt27i9KVU-5GO/s400/8jun5.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anpan" target="_blank">Anpan</a> (June 5, 2016)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-YWeOYEm8WPGcWt8U9DLomIdh9b6lSQ7HXNFEpMtqZXZ_alXz-YENubDGeFdS68lyDGWJt0N3rGSXnGdNTgmvSCcmb6RycJFU-xyiTmGKFEkypgsGHdYIzqEznbmNwR10t-47qJlAD1fL/s1600/9jun23.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-YWeOYEm8WPGcWt8U9DLomIdh9b6lSQ7HXNFEpMtqZXZ_alXz-YENubDGeFdS68lyDGWJt0N3rGSXnGdNTgmvSCcmb6RycJFU-xyiTmGKFEkypgsGHdYIzqEznbmNwR10t-47qJlAD1fL/s400/9jun23.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xiaolongbao" target="_blank">Shoronpo</a> (June 23, 2016)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmxZZyQzD5BEBsYqYhXpQNY6a0OMTmWIZg3GlJ4yru6bmv75tIk4dL_H0YzozA5U9IGsnPUrjXCntAqs0D6_Pq5SsLqomOS4nDeClgQbiFjDEozo4mU2r5dg4tXHxUA4sU6t9B5AG9vgMq/s1600/10jun25.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmxZZyQzD5BEBsYqYhXpQNY6a0OMTmWIZg3GlJ4yru6bmv75tIk4dL_H0YzozA5U9IGsnPUrjXCntAqs0D6_Pq5SsLqomOS4nDeClgQbiFjDEozo4mU2r5dg4tXHxUA4sU6t9B5AG9vgMq/s400/10jun25.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i><a href="https://www.japancentre.com/en/recipes/1438-miso-hoikoro-japanese-pork-and-cabbage-stir-fry" target="_blank">Hoikoro</a> (June 25, 2016)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8WVnMHqcU4eI1P8cy1VWg2Kl3XvRpW6vVB-Px_ccgPG9-Iam-QC57W7t-aqvNqsod8-Zt-EQTgN1cT2_yvh4xi93IJ6AxGP7hhn9_4nZNMz9qHQGXgLurjkHGinOTzME_4iIi4T4rhU2H/s1600/11jun25.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8WVnMHqcU4eI1P8cy1VWg2Kl3XvRpW6vVB-Px_ccgPG9-Iam-QC57W7t-aqvNqsod8-Zt-EQTgN1cT2_yvh4xi93IJ6AxGP7hhn9_4nZNMz9qHQGXgLurjkHGinOTzME_4iIi4T4rhU2H/s400/11jun25.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Fruit jelly (June 25, 2016)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqlPO713_zdmT5oeCPXbMZZjrJc0eHYBaE2g03WTFyHDdiy16hIoZiynIy7j44PHbMxELbkTGniGEuZ47_OHrom7d70uEdxR8meFHh2LlDkoEh0m64uvFUqAFAC24ei0esjKD42Y7SCQzt/s1600/12jun30.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqlPO713_zdmT5oeCPXbMZZjrJc0eHYBaE2g03WTFyHDdiy16hIoZiynIy7j44PHbMxELbkTGniGEuZ47_OHrom7d70uEdxR8meFHh2LlDkoEh0m64uvFUqAFAC24ei0esjKD42Y7SCQzt/s400/12jun30.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Garlic shrimp stir fry (June 30, 2016)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyIowZNdzoD9OF1w-lTRNWV4ItKbyhGbGkXGjhnujTW6D3pF7fuJ4s11_Sto_4L2gFSvXjcCZy1R48lKsO2pG3ovxI405EWlGgi-PmayAiUqyPMqAFkKWmABHDdXUoFTTn7lSQ7M125Jn3/s1600/13july4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyIowZNdzoD9OF1w-lTRNWV4ItKbyhGbGkXGjhnujTW6D3pF7fuJ4s11_Sto_4L2gFSvXjcCZy1R48lKsO2pG3ovxI405EWlGgi-PmayAiUqyPMqAFkKWmABHDdXUoFTTn7lSQ7M125Jn3/s400/13july4.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Coffee jelly (July 4, 2016)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4hixRWDLwIs_LI-rDukDtHP5cBqd98NauYvK-9MfwDhI00MSZMkn7qv4ImoByMYlDGevb3lzjeFwFELWdox_m5t8fSFFshRQSqhpw9TiFty1V5gWg55RS7GlBui55zTWE707Jw7sKPpsT/s1600/14july5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4hixRWDLwIs_LI-rDukDtHP5cBqd98NauYvK-9MfwDhI00MSZMkn7qv4ImoByMYlDGevb3lzjeFwFELWdox_m5t8fSFFshRQSqhpw9TiFty1V5gWg55RS7GlBui55zTWE707Jw7sKPpsT/s400/14july5.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Potato <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korokke" target="_blank">Korokke</a> (July 5, 2016)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnL63boRqJO8PJXGsiYiQx2LDHCppdSTHBZX6FgEQl6uUBBld0FrdpdbLR9-l0VA0-2QYrgGXGkApBvHU9YXm7An6GZ29o1docns7D7NDSKvx-1e-RBVezW935d8S8fuzF9RdJ06a3paBw/s1600/15july6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnL63boRqJO8PJXGsiYiQx2LDHCppdSTHBZX6FgEQl6uUBBld0FrdpdbLR9-l0VA0-2QYrgGXGkApBvHU9YXm7An6GZ29o1docns7D7NDSKvx-1e-RBVezW935d8S8fuzF9RdJ06a3paBw/s400/15july6.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Japanese style <a href="http://www.justonecookbook.com/keema-curry/" target="_blank">Keema curry</a> (July 6, 2016)</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curry_bread" target="_blank">Karepan</a> (July 7, 2016)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoIzt0RWq554FWVP0rmqUeuEVK2SrZ-ROluizO1Bk2EUf0XZTF4jAmfIrvyuzXN1fwTuuLmN2k0HrNeWBL3_aljAKUnYMTup8ZDyg3aNTYiBRV4naH9pj53YvxZKVJMXFK-QHT6yU6N9Me/s1600/17july8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoIzt0RWq554FWVP0rmqUeuEVK2SrZ-ROluizO1Bk2EUf0XZTF4jAmfIrvyuzXN1fwTuuLmN2k0HrNeWBL3_aljAKUnYMTup8ZDyg3aNTYiBRV4naH9pj53YvxZKVJMXFK-QHT6yU6N9Me/s400/17july8.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Chicken saute and macaroni salad (July 8, 2016)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlQdA8GzVaYKluYzx3NjylKsNhEGW9t_Lyfwkd3OOB7OQi0K5n5DC_KOqKFCilPhyGHNEYAUCGlRLDUfY_AhjyQObTxV0WEv9-5WKfWN58K80rVIXAHBnMlifrG2Dnnyek9uJwGKwtqX2q/s1600/18july13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlQdA8GzVaYKluYzx3NjylKsNhEGW9t_Lyfwkd3OOB7OQi0K5n5DC_KOqKFCilPhyGHNEYAUCGlRLDUfY_AhjyQObTxV0WEv9-5WKfWN58K80rVIXAHBnMlifrG2Dnnyek9uJwGKwtqX2q/s400/18july13.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonton" target="_blank">Wonton</a> soup (July 13, 2016)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmv7QP95Y4n2Fh-A_dLamOzX2WzVhNCW6f3i9drBeaJYJ8G51QYPbp_dCUgO58gy1uCDtVYfhbhcC2K5pYOZfMgCE2OILHgLpc6cmK-RPMFJYn7Iu7MYnYGb4knVE9pmnzKzYDQ4DeNjzS/s1600/19july21.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmv7QP95Y4n2Fh-A_dLamOzX2WzVhNCW6f3i9drBeaJYJ8G51QYPbp_dCUgO58gy1uCDtVYfhbhcC2K5pYOZfMgCE2OILHgLpc6cmK-RPMFJYn7Iu7MYnYGb4knVE9pmnzKzYDQ4DeNjzS/s400/19july21.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_and_sour" target="_blank">Sweet and sour</a> chicken Sudori (July 21, 2016)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYvk9ddR1iWUFqaQ5ETXwOGZ-LQ1txyojzSby4QkDbrnf2QVpq_Ntrw5vAjlDnddJ4qKJJBZXusb8T0MLQVjRI3i3DkD7lDCqiXg_JLuFYbtUr6j99zqvObSnbZy1aoyZ7eXNOqF4smzA7/s1600/20july22.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYvk9ddR1iWUFqaQ5ETXwOGZ-LQ1txyojzSby4QkDbrnf2QVpq_Ntrw5vAjlDnddJ4qKJJBZXusb8T0MLQVjRI3i3DkD7lDCqiXg_JLuFYbtUr6j99zqvObSnbZy1aoyZ7eXNOqF4smzA7/s400/20july22.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Udon#Dishes" target="_blank">Misonikomi Udon</a> (July 22, 2016)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSfk5ETRZsZoXKwsjuj5vtA576CKbwuRbYw5R8TVNZgeICw74nvsBeChtaxM9HmrThRYuAlMXBn3JKRAppITqJr-V-t9FA0Ag7MsggLdtkLMqeejro5O8uuSGJexKPB8YP-Mp7snnM1Ch3/s1600/21july24.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSfk5ETRZsZoXKwsjuj5vtA576CKbwuRbYw5R8TVNZgeICw74nvsBeChtaxM9HmrThRYuAlMXBn3JKRAppITqJr-V-t9FA0Ag7MsggLdtkLMqeejro5O8uuSGJexKPB8YP-Mp7snnM1Ch3/s400/21july24.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_roll#India" target="_blank">Bengali style</a> egg roll (July 24, 2016)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaWsshFqor0qbqAOxfQirFKek9i5LLWrFZP4BthqCmjNX4VQgthhsqadNMgZO4YZP-xXikx7qzr7Rt1dwrjwZm4zt-qbTYKuttjKzf8wPgMlcyLtbX3MxN_FozX63XoXuyeMtRjsIcGO_l/s1600/22july24.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaWsshFqor0qbqAOxfQirFKek9i5LLWrFZP4BthqCmjNX4VQgthhsqadNMgZO4YZP-xXikx7qzr7Rt1dwrjwZm4zt-qbTYKuttjKzf8wPgMlcyLtbX3MxN_FozX63XoXuyeMtRjsIcGO_l/s400/22july24.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Offal stew <a href="http://www.oksfood.com/appetizer/motsuni.html" target="_blank">Motsuni</a> (July 24, 2016)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhh3K8g9AfFR0P7FW5SG16akWEpghctFLis0Ym93wydrfPwJWx1J4OUvIV13NMXvjeWntIBxwrz37sUlqwwAnvfe7ooC9T6zlHICmjzBGBpWdk5PvL4ukHJJI8DHLrFqS2UBUZY86OX8NF/s1600/23july25.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhh3K8g9AfFR0P7FW5SG16akWEpghctFLis0Ym93wydrfPwJWx1J4OUvIV13NMXvjeWntIBxwrz37sUlqwwAnvfe7ooC9T6zlHICmjzBGBpWdk5PvL4ukHJJI8DHLrFqS2UBUZY86OX8NF/s400/23july25.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Ice pops (July 25, 2016)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWZ7ODa9YS6o1FaN9ljknJQ54xNrz9VWtNGyNUjV-477VxrKkMI6apINVePZaJl8VvJ1QMi2NfxFenV4NROiBgtnG6m0rTIN6IVm-MzHwN3NgDGUwNhyphenhyphenwTCksuTbmCq5NFGbpfB-cnH2lN/s1600/24july28.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWZ7ODa9YS6o1FaN9ljknJQ54xNrz9VWtNGyNUjV-477VxrKkMI6apINVePZaJl8VvJ1QMi2NfxFenV4NROiBgtnG6m0rTIN6IVm-MzHwN3NgDGUwNhyphenhyphenwTCksuTbmCq5NFGbpfB-cnH2lN/s400/24july28.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempura" target="_blank">Tempura</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soba" target="_blank">Soba</a> with homemade Soba noodles (July 28, 2016)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFTd-h53lLSKB1OO7nq4BTzbNDyEEEwnrOjK4yaItKk52xjKM0Ez-ZXkfGN-JhLH0F6pX1BNXd94nOS6OuNul2APjCRxTh3jgIG7BW4tHEEoNN03Fe-VgJw62c35ZxM7LaH0dnirup4jUH/s1600/25aug1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFTd-h53lLSKB1OO7nq4BTzbNDyEEEwnrOjK4yaItKk52xjKM0Ez-ZXkfGN-JhLH0F6pX1BNXd94nOS6OuNul2APjCRxTh3jgIG7BW4tHEEoNN03Fe-VgJw62c35ZxM7LaH0dnirup4jUH/s400/25aug1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Beef <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shabu-shabu" target="_blank">Shabu</a> salad (August 1, 2016)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2m93hSMZskhZ963sNvbo6c-80xlwp5Uj1WqXQnYeayfW6ePKhBbtTRceFdQIF5ZCq0H6Iukq98EKe1QfGPp70vFmup6msOFain2snOkNMMBJqgaAqG4gUUfyhuTNpEXzqCXNEyi8cxz3T/s1600/26aug25.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2m93hSMZskhZ963sNvbo6c-80xlwp5Uj1WqXQnYeayfW6ePKhBbtTRceFdQIF5ZCq0H6Iukq98EKe1QfGPp70vFmup6msOFain2snOkNMMBJqgaAqG4gUUfyhuTNpEXzqCXNEyi8cxz3T/s400/26aug25.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i><a href="http://sumokitchen.com/JapaneseRecipes/shrimp-katsu/" target="_blank">Ebi katsu</a> with homemade tartar sauce (August 25, 2016)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1bXecVyPAA0AlrShZ6EOtYazoHiaWr-7hVXQrqeW30ceTdrCbm6ZCy5zJzvmN8sCELy2H6EoSxDGqAsbQGCmuc0xZR6IuuX9O89ZNco-kb5hKqo2c9oSBcfYffTQe3iQX6Sp5sDBXuoVS/s1600/27sep3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1bXecVyPAA0AlrShZ6EOtYazoHiaWr-7hVXQrqeW30ceTdrCbm6ZCy5zJzvmN8sCELy2H6EoSxDGqAsbQGCmuc0xZR6IuuX9O89ZNco-kb5hKqo2c9oSBcfYffTQe3iQX6Sp5sDBXuoVS/s400/27sep3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hainanese_chicken_rice" target="_blank">Kaomangai chicken rice</a> (September 3, 2016)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ7vAFES-3X3qcoOL07tLu7zW2hk2oyce_MSEULQt1qtrUEpIhYfkGN_HFJYL9EW0NsKOpkakgXsPHcyeuZXUavsUqkgRzb_JZ9njEmDR7AIHXmNYr832F8PxCIBYXHww7PAorq5cAwrGH/s1600/28sep7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ7vAFES-3X3qcoOL07tLu7zW2hk2oyce_MSEULQt1qtrUEpIhYfkGN_HFJYL9EW0NsKOpkakgXsPHcyeuZXUavsUqkgRzb_JZ9njEmDR7AIHXmNYr832F8PxCIBYXHww7PAorq5cAwrGH/s400/28sep7.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oyakodon" target="_blank">Oyakodon</a> (September 7, 2016)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn5b5-FLFunpd9Hz-nLSFyuEmPp5tYntyqiaG-o-9Vom4cr4UoV2kIkTwIzmb6np66m0x0LxfSZ2J18I6FeWIVX7RMM69-mO7qzDK8IM4iCBSEzA4YUJQaj1G2sdMSlkadq6z5Fxq1BCya/s1600/29oct28.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn5b5-FLFunpd9Hz-nLSFyuEmPp5tYntyqiaG-o-9Vom4cr4UoV2kIkTwIzmb6np66m0x0LxfSZ2J18I6FeWIVX7RMM69-mO7qzDK8IM4iCBSEzA4YUJQaj1G2sdMSlkadq6z5Fxq1BCya/s400/29oct28.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i><a href="http://www.justonecookbook.com/braised-pork-belly-kakuni/" target="_blank">Buta no Kakuni</a> (October 28, 2016)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2IYMZZL6fyPKVqZ8pe7q6ipHVHWqB9OwgCqijQAb_Dn4lbt8Nf0tHFkbsIpe38HMmaQy1UYVH7utKQ-SHJpmSMtftimydobGOjbFPzpNnRLHQ6ajC4mdYAfaMyzGV8FDCcGxhEmmhknzE/s1600/30nov22.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2IYMZZL6fyPKVqZ8pe7q6ipHVHWqB9OwgCqijQAb_Dn4lbt8Nf0tHFkbsIpe38HMmaQy1UYVH7utKQ-SHJpmSMtftimydobGOjbFPzpNnRLHQ6ajC4mdYAfaMyzGV8FDCcGxhEmmhknzE/s400/30nov22.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chawanmushi" target="_blank">Chawanmushi</a> (November 22, 2016)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSAlxg7YilBz8LhQvwPN9BE_mn2gjVUqYdLq4rvdzUCuE7ryU31fVZBfVuyB9aEMdQndhIVDcfX5l8dGXC18AR5D0vRW8a7dvLs5hjRSgo-uXTJxNRA_SYT6UmPlEfNYp47WN0OnfFknzK/s1600/31nov24.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSAlxg7YilBz8LhQvwPN9BE_mn2gjVUqYdLq4rvdzUCuE7ryU31fVZBfVuyB9aEMdQndhIVDcfX5l8dGXC18AR5D0vRW8a7dvLs5hjRSgo-uXTJxNRA_SYT6UmPlEfNYp47WN0OnfFknzK/s400/31nov24.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Asparagus pork rolls Butamaki (November 24, 2016)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi5CvUJAuKBlXoifOb-mwfWmPVk-YtQDGRjfutwMggwcZLnWgFTJ9HVSWjJ4c_SEz3ZcLfOipCZr5rh6sCRoCHNO9FLzQWwyVQ6eKYS9iQ5FMz54X43kEkmmNxAvQL3V-RArQlkQSNJXmA/s1600/32nov27.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi5CvUJAuKBlXoifOb-mwfWmPVk-YtQDGRjfutwMggwcZLnWgFTJ9HVSWjJ4c_SEz3ZcLfOipCZr5rh6sCRoCHNO9FLzQWwyVQ6eKYS9iQ5FMz54X43kEkmmNxAvQL3V-RArQlkQSNJXmA/s400/32nov27.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Apple pie (November 27, 2016)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WJ4kQila3sIGNBNbNla_uGvI9NFf21JyF-IQVGmSxZ1i79G-rtRtmkezCdv7JN7o2dA1Uw4tFubZMXVU2xaUqKsq7ZCMMsgGymlIigIymI4H89hkh5v15KRSn79cV8kssj-boFOXUon8/s1600/33nov29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WJ4kQila3sIGNBNbNla_uGvI9NFf21JyF-IQVGmSxZ1i79G-rtRtmkezCdv7JN7o2dA1Uw4tFubZMXVU2xaUqKsq7ZCMMsgGymlIigIymI4H89hkh5v15KRSn79cV8kssj-boFOXUon8/s400/33nov29.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tofu#Soft_or_silken_tofu" target="_blank">Kinugoshi Tofu</a> (November 29, 2016)</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Shoronpo (November 30, 2016)</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Corn potage soup (December 5, 2016)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi8H4yTcl8-9CIwIxkbJE23jEIlFtWaIdpp87NMXo7mTa-cB4XMbi0gxCtRbocccaNnvH3Dya6IDqbyBMkiEeizBz_-GYg-Cwa36PierNP62tzIPCSAJ2scOrh40JIR97M9O5gh4T7F2yV/s1600/36dec11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi8H4yTcl8-9CIwIxkbJE23jEIlFtWaIdpp87NMXo7mTa-cB4XMbi0gxCtRbocccaNnvH3Dya6IDqbyBMkiEeizBz_-GYg-Cwa36PierNP62tzIPCSAJ2scOrh40JIR97M9O5gh4T7F2yV/s400/36dec11.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motsunabe" target="_blank">Motsunabe</a> (December 11, 2016)</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z%C5%8Dni" target="_blank">Zoni</a> (January 9, 2017)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPbbhj1uNcLQUM3FPaRVkfN_MQUMAM5N8iBJLgJhxjNPHa2aYQrLrJE4-Z_Csu9uBAumzbWbqc8D_mxRmEob2x2YXheFNk1m930kzZy4WmylisrJp4SnOs6SN7Uc8b03kl5awXKACK0bMz/s1600/38jan16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPbbhj1uNcLQUM3FPaRVkfN_MQUMAM5N8iBJLgJhxjNPHa2aYQrLrJE4-Z_Csu9uBAumzbWbqc8D_mxRmEob2x2YXheFNk1m930kzZy4WmylisrJp4SnOs6SN7Uc8b03kl5awXKACK0bMz/s400/38jan16.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhokla" target="_blank">Dhokla</a> (January 16, 2017)</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabudana_Khichadi" target="_blank">Sabudana Khichdi</a> (January 17, 2017)</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i><a href="http://www.justonecookbook.com/nagoya-style-fried-chicken-wings/" target="_blank">Tebasaki</a> (January 23, 2017)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH9_ow0Z7lsUdpLo6RB2XVIpuP7dzlItGnRh-xA2JExwySc6vkgFjoJwkA5WHNB2srszjJchONM_YlzM9X8Nnv19mZbCtndJpK9ir8aAak54ZpLk1y66D7e6jwYPzC4SVtDrQJBJ4MFnQL/s1600/41jan27.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH9_ow0Z7lsUdpLo6RB2XVIpuP7dzlItGnRh-xA2JExwySc6vkgFjoJwkA5WHNB2srszjJchONM_YlzM9X8Nnv19mZbCtndJpK9ir8aAak54ZpLk1y66D7e6jwYPzC4SVtDrQJBJ4MFnQL/s400/41jan27.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Roast beef (January 27, 2017)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoRpTvvEQfQszvbntbyVRRoRaJUq17WezzXXh-ruCnWyD5eHwGPmlzyMhhH78ladRWnr1UgL4qwERG0pkGg0CESZYk_i3hamueTFQexfmrxJZyVNdVE0ZO3d72S1K7gU2pRCUSmdiaoULm/s1600/42feb14.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoRpTvvEQfQszvbntbyVRRoRaJUq17WezzXXh-ruCnWyD5eHwGPmlzyMhhH78ladRWnr1UgL4qwERG0pkGg0CESZYk_i3hamueTFQexfmrxJZyVNdVE0ZO3d72S1K7gU2pRCUSmdiaoULm/s400/42feb14.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daifuku" target="_blank">Daifuku</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorayaki" target="_blank">Dorayaki</a> with homemade <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_bean_paste" target="_blank">Anko</a> bean paste filling (February 14, 2017)</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Spaghetti <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naporitan" target="_blank">Napolitan</a> (March 6, 2017)</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Stuffed cabbage rolls (March 8, 2017)</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">I hope that you all enjoyed seeing the photos of various home-cooked food items. And I hope to share more photos of such home-cooked food items yet again after several months.</span></span></div>
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Manisha Kundu-Nagatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13277146210049986417noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695885479879152724.post-48509973930682807242017-02-28T21:38:00.002+09:002017-02-28T21:38:04.732+09:00Tomb of Jesus Christ in Shingo village<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">During the end of December 2016, hubby and I had been on a sightseeing trip to Aomori prefecture. We visited several places like the Tomb of Jesus Christ in Shingo village, Sannai Maruyama archaeological site and a related museum in Aomori City, and an exhibition of Tom and Jerry products also in Aomori City. In this blog post, I will write about the Tomb of Jesus, and will consecutively write about the other places in the following posts.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Let me briefly introduce the Tomb of Jesus Christ. The purported tomb is located in Shingo village of Aomori prefecture. According to the local folklore, Jesus came to Japan when he was 21 years old, during a 12 year gap in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Testament" target="_blank">New Testament</a> known as his lost years. It is said that he came to study theology, and that he made his first landing at a port called Amanohashidate on the west coast of Japan. Upon his arrival, Jesus is said to have studied with a great master of theology near Mount Fuji, where he learned about Japanese religion, philosophy, language, and culture. This study continued until he was 33 years of age, after which he took the long voyage back to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judea" target="_blank">Judea</a>, where he told about his exotic adventures in the far away mysterious eastern sacred land. People in Judea did not like or accept his preachings, and Jesus was arrested and sentenced to his crucifixion. The folklore further states that Jesus did not die on the cross at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvary" target="_blank">Calvary</a> (Golgotha) and he was able to escape when his brother called Isukiri secretly traded places with him. In the folklore, it was Isukiri rather than Jesus who was crucified on the cross, while Jesus himself fled back to Japan carrying a lock of the Virgin Mary’s hair and a single severed ear of his brother. After an arduous journey across the frozen Siberia, Jesus arrived in the town of Hachinohe in Aomori prefecture, before traveling on to the nearby village of Shingo. In Shingo, Jesus is said to have taken up a simple life growing garlic and helping the needy. He married a local farmer’s daughter and had three children with her. The folklore story says that Jesus lived a long and happy life in the mountain village of Shingo, and lived to be 106 years old. When he died, his body was subjected to the burial customs of the time. The body was laid out exposed on a hilltop for four years, after which his bones were bundled up and interred in a grave, which can still be found in the village. The ear of Jesus’ brother Isukiri and the lock of the Virgin Mary’s hair were also purportedly buried in an adjacent grave. To this day, the living descendants of Jesus are said to live in the village, the most well known of which being the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_bloodline#Claimants" target="_blank">Sawaguchi</a> family. This local folklore claim started after a collection of apocryphal religious writings known as the <a href="http://www.takenouchi-documents.com/" target="_blank">Takenouchi Documents</a> were supposedly transcribed from a scroll that was found in the area in 1933 and dated to the time of Jesus. Within the scroll were texts that outlined the last will and testament of Jesus, as well as musings on his life in Japan. The documents are said to have been transcribed around 1500 years ago from even older documents and scrolls. These documents were allegedly seized by the Japanese authorities and taken to Tokyo shortly before World War II and have since disappeared. But the copies of the documents are available at a museum located near the Tomb of Jesus. Whether this folklore is real history or entertainment, the local people certainly do not mean any disrespect for the religion.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">On 22nd December 2016, hubby and I left our home in Yurihonjo City at about 10 am for our sightseeing trip to Aomori prefecture. That day we visited the Tomb of Jesus Christ in Shingo village. Shingo village is located about 270 kilometers northeast of our home, and it took us about 6.5 hours of car ride to reach the tomb area. We reached Shingo village at about 4.30 pm and it was already pitch dark that time. We saw a beautiful colorful illumination in the village to celebrate and commemorate the Christmas season. We got out of our car for some time to enjoy the wonderful illumination. After another 10 minutes of car ride, we reached the tomb area. After parking our car at a parking lot, we walked along a paved pathway leading to the Tomb of Jesus Christ located on a hilltop. While walking, we saw an information board with interesting folklore details about the Tomb of Jesus. Further along the pathway, to our left side we saw a small grave-site with many Buddhist graves. It is actually the burial area for the Sawaguchi family, and the Tomb of Jesus is located adjacent to this grave-site. In fact, right across these Buddhist graves, we saw a small hill with two protruding wooden crosses. We climbed up a few steps and reached the top of the hill. Sitting atop this hill, to our right side, we saw the Tomb of Jesus Christ which is known as Kurisuto no Haka in Japanese. The village people claim it to be the final resting place of Jesus who is said to be deified there. The tomb is an unassuming circular burial mound of raw earth marked with an unpainted prominent wooden cross. In front of the tomb sat a basket of coins where pilgrims leave coins in thanks for answered prayers. There was also a vase holding a fresh bouquet of flowers. Adjacent to the Tomb of Jesus, to our left side atop the hill, we saw another nearly identical circular burial mound with an unpainted wooden cross. This grave is said to hold a single ear of Jesus’ brother Isukiri who took his place on the cross during crucifixion at Calvary. This grave is said to also contain a lock of hair of the Virgin Mary. In front of this grave also sat a basket of coins and a vase holding flowers. We prayed in front of the Tomb of Jesus and his brother’s grave and felt so peaceful. In addition, we saw a rather big yellow colored stone, inscribed with poetry in Hebrew letters, laid on the ground in between the two graves at the hilltop. This stone is from the outer-wall of Jerusalem and was gifted to the village by the Ambassador of Israel to Japan, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eli_Cohen_(politician_born_1949)" target="_blank">Eli Cohen</a>, in 2004 as a sign of friendship and goodwill, and not as a sign of endorsement of the folklore tale. We loved looking at the Tomb of Jesus and the surroundings. It was pitch dark and hubby reminded me that it was a grave-site, so we left the area after about 20 minutes or so.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing in front of the Christmas illumination in Shingo village</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJWNoNMcnhMa-9YqR4e8d96AC8MPrasdr0wL0EzGEA0AVkYmj0556F7kn4dju4RPlNVKyytcrKwztPH8wuu8nHNpP1ScNx5BKi8WFkBCxX2nP_pt1Ls0mo7AOfTlxJ-l0rYhFmePg65bwk/s1600/2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJWNoNMcnhMa-9YqR4e8d96AC8MPrasdr0wL0EzGEA0AVkYmj0556F7kn4dju4RPlNVKyytcrKwztPH8wuu8nHNpP1ScNx5BKi8WFkBCxX2nP_pt1Ls0mo7AOfTlxJ-l0rYhFmePg65bwk/s400/2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>We almost reached the site of the Tomb of Jesus Christ. A board indicating that the tomb is located about 220 meters further up the hill adjacent to a Buddhist grave-site.</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirVSORjfFPPmjT5BRM52MiNKzRWUWWy_FYZ8JcZ6dOZ2dAInYXNJHv-gn70HZq_S28LiKibVFBdJQDtlqIaTqJIlRmSsF65-GoDSXsqjXpJLAA6ie11BT0rFhBBJ3EwEHL_0TpCmb8dBfe/s1600/3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirVSORjfFPPmjT5BRM52MiNKzRWUWWy_FYZ8JcZ6dOZ2dAInYXNJHv-gn70HZq_S28LiKibVFBdJQDtlqIaTqJIlRmSsF65-GoDSXsqjXpJLAA6ie11BT0rFhBBJ3EwEHL_0TpCmb8dBfe/s400/3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing next to a map of the tomb area</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaH2wPMbMTO4hSqmine1n6lT52dhni7pc_AOfvJLF1tU3sIMe629R8EhEGd29OPjqk6asnzK8Moz65TiEcONzLF693hguc6GRsgRLQZwkLahTR2fdfqFWLun9DUL97R0hNf9cTHLIqeYa9/s1600/4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaH2wPMbMTO4hSqmine1n6lT52dhni7pc_AOfvJLF1tU3sIMe629R8EhEGd29OPjqk6asnzK8Moz65TiEcONzLF693hguc6GRsgRLQZwkLahTR2fdfqFWLun9DUL97R0hNf9cTHLIqeYa9/s400/4.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing next to an information board with folklore details about the Tomb of Jesus</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqn-2DbZ03yEviqiCUdtQloBcISh2oNMPWZLmD_2UsJzYZZx8OACrDyW80tWawhY4Vc7B1JaB2zwp1Hb4hVgWuBDGEY0H-6Sl3Y3FWj00dpRjRe3bKYMcMYT7aWxVsC8O_w5qjRBE45AZv/s1600/5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqn-2DbZ03yEviqiCUdtQloBcISh2oNMPWZLmD_2UsJzYZZx8OACrDyW80tWawhY4Vc7B1JaB2zwp1Hb4hVgWuBDGEY0H-6Sl3Y3FWj00dpRjRe3bKYMcMYT7aWxVsC8O_w5qjRBE45AZv/s400/5.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The Tomb of Jesus Christ located on the hilltop is a circular burial mound of raw earth marked with a prominent wooden cross</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqRNMPRBWAFVrJLVe6Svtq1SSiKwD1q4G6xoxzmM8fQSZ_ii33qJsyVU3txzK_6ycYtRLYsdQoPLrIe6R114ZxCYt_ibxZn658uwVp5g-WWxuyxYZTdj906Kd5764PRa8IhLRoT8rQJ-kS/s1600/6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqRNMPRBWAFVrJLVe6Svtq1SSiKwD1q4G6xoxzmM8fQSZ_ii33qJsyVU3txzK_6ycYtRLYsdQoPLrIe6R114ZxCYt_ibxZn658uwVp5g-WWxuyxYZTdj906Kd5764PRa8IhLRoT8rQJ-kS/s400/6.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing in front of the Tomb of Jesus</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9gvBwkaxeWf7IEHx6Sc8-6IDwe_NhLYNhRfQzo0Y6c1pBAXac3iEpcK5YIr50fWg6DXKURvnj3vC7eXMPamGMLCyenxbDQ1BmkOQxhaMlBYi4MQ6kMAvTB5x_lQu5PXexgkLn-lfQwVoR/s1600/7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9gvBwkaxeWf7IEHx6Sc8-6IDwe_NhLYNhRfQzo0Y6c1pBAXac3iEpcK5YIr50fWg6DXKURvnj3vC7eXMPamGMLCyenxbDQ1BmkOQxhaMlBYi4MQ6kMAvTB5x_lQu5PXexgkLn-lfQwVoR/s400/7.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A grave which is said to hold a single ear of Isukiri and the Virgin Mary’s lock of hair located adjacent to the Tomb of Jesus</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjugALq7cNrFVKofP1lilMk0FcPvcgLE0zeoTyoqYne8wLEwvpVfjO0n_NFDpIN__jtTVxfqqH-gACxPSghDs_qm_bLIa1vcIgYRQtDrbyBvHV4YmCanAB6QQrFr2iYyCiwO1oPCKO6RvsH/s1600/8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjugALq7cNrFVKofP1lilMk0FcPvcgLE0zeoTyoqYne8wLEwvpVfjO0n_NFDpIN__jtTVxfqqH-gACxPSghDs_qm_bLIa1vcIgYRQtDrbyBvHV4YmCanAB6QQrFr2iYyCiwO1oPCKO6RvsH/s400/8.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing in front of the grave that holds Isukiri’s ear and the Virgin Mary’s lock of hair</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1_CyLEwaCYFfZ_kfjXnlR1nOXr1DqxTtQibQIUiOxgDhW8Ul8v07t8hbGOQw2T8UkhOMo0_9Oi2n22WUV8g7bqi2azmCj99zCDS-ex9RVemhdSpaidLQlg7Doxa2JLSkyfOgnTYuQPIDS/s1600/9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1_CyLEwaCYFfZ_kfjXnlR1nOXr1DqxTtQibQIUiOxgDhW8Ul8v07t8hbGOQw2T8UkhOMo0_9Oi2n22WUV8g7bqi2azmCj99zCDS-ex9RVemhdSpaidLQlg7Doxa2JLSkyfOgnTYuQPIDS/s400/9.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A stone located on the ground in between the two graves is from the outer-wall of Jerusalem</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Afterwards, we continued on our journey to Aomori City. Aomori City is located about 90 kilometers northwest of Shingo village, and it took us another 2 hours of car ride to reach Aomori City where we stayed at a hotel that night. The next day, on 23rd December, we visited Sannai Maruyama archaeological site and a related museum in the city, as well as an exhibition of Tom and Jerry products held in city itself. That night also we stayed at the same hotel. On 24th morning, we checked out of the hotel and started on our return trip to home. When we reached around Shingo village, we took a detour and again visited the Tomb of Jesus Christ. This is because we had ample time that day and we wished to see the place in the daylight also.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">As we neared the site of the Tomb of Jesus Christ, we saw an indicator board along the road with the sign ‘Tomb of Christ’ written on it. On reaching the tomb site, we noted that although the weather was fine that time, it had snowed heavily the previous day and everything was covered in snow. There was snow all around us and the place looked white and so beautiful. After parking our car at a parking lot located near the tomb area, we walked along a paved pathway leading to the Tomb of Jesus located on a hilltop adjacent to the Buddhist grave-site area. The pathway was fully covered in snow and was so slippery but the climb was worth it. Along the way, we again saw the information board with the folklore details about the Tomb of Jesus. Hubby read the information and became very curious to know more details about the folklore.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1CrTO1WsniYUyqXztzWbrwidDdHczzHycFNN7s5AjAbEVdWjyH2cT40VkSf7Fnc1izLAsSFvGagCBmgvZZHLPC6MqieKhFDN6HtUOSTKBOKLYi0lNP0TNkPIergd49-wnhZegR-wZUVM4/s1600/10dec24.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1CrTO1WsniYUyqXztzWbrwidDdHczzHycFNN7s5AjAbEVdWjyH2cT40VkSf7Fnc1izLAsSFvGagCBmgvZZHLPC6MqieKhFDN6HtUOSTKBOKLYi0lNP0TNkPIergd49-wnhZegR-wZUVM4/s400/10dec24.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>An indicator board along the road with the sign ‘Tomb of Christ’ written on it</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirJRECgJo2O2yVPtUunZDuhgTg8BLtWL1LYwKIq9IjaMzmfmGjekaS7-HLNdF9I4dUyElcHR-K3dqXQqy0aYBXU-lDvC__zjBTnSBY15Ur1KHUWBfaNQ3elCEvyQFfbXka3v-UCq5uel3p/s1600/11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirJRECgJo2O2yVPtUunZDuhgTg8BLtWL1LYwKIq9IjaMzmfmGjekaS7-HLNdF9I4dUyElcHR-K3dqXQqy0aYBXU-lDvC__zjBTnSBY15Ur1KHUWBfaNQ3elCEvyQFfbXka3v-UCq5uel3p/s400/11.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing next to a map of the tomb area</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNflcIkF6K3DSVJyvW_aTV3sNb1zZxknxWMdVwnHLhRyVhEvAEEU-oNFbaZK6a3bHSzDYrK5blkOAYiM_ZX7TK7-twBwSI9YhSZOOmXPDdDnPU79qe4wD5JtP1cihNTD3FsMXn40uH2Uiy/s1600/12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNflcIkF6K3DSVJyvW_aTV3sNb1zZxknxWMdVwnHLhRyVhEvAEEU-oNFbaZK6a3bHSzDYrK5blkOAYiM_ZX7TK7-twBwSI9YhSZOOmXPDdDnPU79qe4wD5JtP1cihNTD3FsMXn40uH2Uiy/s400/12.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing next to a board indicating that the tomb is located about 220 meters further up the hill adjacent to the Buddhist grave-site</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOF_HyOZtlug3PKIth5CClViujzjUMFgCC0BUgEI8_1gm-q5xSMgOqfF0HNLZgqNdldLYkfFszH9ETPzb1Bup9LmFLwdX3WptVce1eGywc7Fm_0fn5v0cnXBq-HNYgz99cGiqnPWoX6ocq/s1600/13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOF_HyOZtlug3PKIth5CClViujzjUMFgCC0BUgEI8_1gm-q5xSMgOqfF0HNLZgqNdldLYkfFszH9ETPzb1Bup9LmFLwdX3WptVce1eGywc7Fm_0fn5v0cnXBq-HNYgz99cGiqnPWoX6ocq/s400/13.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby walking up the pathway leading to the grave-site</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJyJSQWXDr1rEfJ16LsKqmC8H7ItvP_1AwgT5juuV4itJS-MjBLU26A27FI6Dc9zf6XkMNCZjq_nxV2TVDwgaSpEkVx68ZKYbbEFirbV2tP2GIjiEJPFK2FrWIlDX87WdvQLi0YR6EAwLh/s1600/14.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJyJSQWXDr1rEfJ16LsKqmC8H7ItvP_1AwgT5juuV4itJS-MjBLU26A27FI6Dc9zf6XkMNCZjq_nxV2TVDwgaSpEkVx68ZKYbbEFirbV2tP2GIjiEJPFK2FrWIlDX87WdvQLi0YR6EAwLh/s400/14.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am walking up the pathway leading to the grave-site</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj21FzOIE7k38d4oNJHYsHtuUmiuhxKoEIcbsJikau6oVOwax84RQs_dwN27XYOMengICtW50FlDh5TzmK7GBz8QfoSo2KQrtEqsXl9pwh_429CNbR21_qUe0s61WIVcS4JbjeFnsuU0JLj/s1600/15.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj21FzOIE7k38d4oNJHYsHtuUmiuhxKoEIcbsJikau6oVOwax84RQs_dwN27XYOMengICtW50FlDh5TzmK7GBz8QfoSo2KQrtEqsXl9pwh_429CNbR21_qUe0s61WIVcS4JbjeFnsuU0JLj/s400/15.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing next to an information board with the folklore details about the Tomb of Jesus</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">On reaching the Buddhist grave-site area, we were amazed by the sheer beauty of snow all around us. From this Buddhist grave-site area, we saw two protruding snow-covered wooden crosses standing proudly on the top of a small hill located right in front of us. We climbed up a few steps beautifully covered in snow and reached the hilltop. Sitting atop this hill, to our right side, we saw the Tomb of Jesus. The tomb having circular burial mound of raw earth marked with an unpainted wooden cross looked so white and pure fully covered in snow. Adjacent to this Tomb of Jesus atop the hill, to our left side, we saw the grave holding a single ear of Isukiri and a lock of hair of the Virgin Mary. This grave also had circular burial mound with an unpainted wooden cross fully covered in snow that time. We again, though this time in daytime, prayed in front of the Tomb of Jesus and his brother’s grave and felt so peaceful.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrSnmGiJ7wu7hP2EM0jXlN4dgaKTFO9i57HHWN87bP3W5U4b0yi5n1CNH0ieq0cmjb31skAauQzUDblIHq6mXsvxj-TR1CNAVYkhu5qs0yTZhjpVpoJCsbZW9qm53qX1BoYMoK_JUaSC1m/s1600/16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrSnmGiJ7wu7hP2EM0jXlN4dgaKTFO9i57HHWN87bP3W5U4b0yi5n1CNH0ieq0cmjb31skAauQzUDblIHq6mXsvxj-TR1CNAVYkhu5qs0yTZhjpVpoJCsbZW9qm53qX1BoYMoK_JUaSC1m/s400/16.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A few steps beautifully covered in snow leads to the top of the hill where the Tomb of Jesus Christ is located</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSFJn-xai4sJ7tvTtT1ZCaH-6K88vwxwntOv78bX3b6j_XzFNQpGCiHBa8XKZ75Ybb8DruoLqZVBxJLrz6rAAs4nQdtUiCsSG9QWe7VDSs6-bCUnec4eRdVDUowJy_CZkCfAC28sVICo_r/s1600/17.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSFJn-xai4sJ7tvTtT1ZCaH-6K88vwxwntOv78bX3b6j_XzFNQpGCiHBa8XKZ75Ybb8DruoLqZVBxJLrz6rAAs4nQdtUiCsSG9QWe7VDSs6-bCUnec4eRdVDUowJy_CZkCfAC28sVICo_r/s400/17.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am walking up the steps</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIJbfMzqvNP21CdYVQFEcShelZSgMM8-03zFYJBL4sXeTQxK59yE7alCGS0xqns8J6-32CCORqu-DwvbBOXZ6axmaL9HawlAUXNFmMgXvnkAt6d8s_JPmC3LNNPxVoGxRjXID09Rxrdb3m/s1600/18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIJbfMzqvNP21CdYVQFEcShelZSgMM8-03zFYJBL4sXeTQxK59yE7alCGS0xqns8J6-32CCORqu-DwvbBOXZ6axmaL9HawlAUXNFmMgXvnkAt6d8s_JPmC3LNNPxVoGxRjXID09Rxrdb3m/s400/18.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>An unpainted wooden cross marking the Tomb of Jesus as viewed to our right side from the bottom of the steps</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8i7NJKu-MOxu8q854IRI5ThnjlKIm66RTXo0ifsVpYWfz7vj4NiGq6jBxm2hYa6pjtyofR5rDlTd-vDc6Ploae9GGGZY6qHCplLrcjyehs_i5CobEo2LLf5dOfw0utFaLnUsgChGwhb2c/s1600/19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8i7NJKu-MOxu8q854IRI5ThnjlKIm66RTXo0ifsVpYWfz7vj4NiGq6jBxm2hYa6pjtyofR5rDlTd-vDc6Ploae9GGGZY6qHCplLrcjyehs_i5CobEo2LLf5dOfw0utFaLnUsgChGwhb2c/s400/19.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Another unpainted wooden cross marking the grave holding a single ear of Isukiri and a lock of hair of the Virgin Mary as viewed to our left side from the bottom of the steps</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNMfRsrTbVxXfYHhDWgZTN0oljiqryRS5k8HF3M2guirKffCdlqxVY2qpDkpzqmygbg5U13IjoQE-Ny4r-67uC3eWGLLBwnBiKvxYRS-mzxg8xmfZd1vcioleEXlpNVlgUMEEMqeBa-cQk/s1600/20.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNMfRsrTbVxXfYHhDWgZTN0oljiqryRS5k8HF3M2guirKffCdlqxVY2qpDkpzqmygbg5U13IjoQE-Ny4r-67uC3eWGLLBwnBiKvxYRS-mzxg8xmfZd1vcioleEXlpNVlgUMEEMqeBa-cQk/s400/20.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The Tomb of Jesus located on the hilltop marked with a prominent wooden cross and fully covered in snow</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc_QzkiC0qdq1y8z53QgSSwBtE-wfTjTkjHZTeGiGijJf4FawSNlh97qp1OdLz3tEFQaOHKsBZ9sb_CiOlZgtqNMJmdyuDVNz7YxazWVDH9B-zbFJ6EuSVzUTaIwU2T14NUSvqpM-TYHax/s1600/21.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc_QzkiC0qdq1y8z53QgSSwBtE-wfTjTkjHZTeGiGijJf4FawSNlh97qp1OdLz3tEFQaOHKsBZ9sb_CiOlZgtqNMJmdyuDVNz7YxazWVDH9B-zbFJ6EuSVzUTaIwU2T14NUSvqpM-TYHax/s400/21.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The wooden cross was decorated with a Christmas wreath for the Christmas season</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-trjw_ftK4LBpU-u5BNqzuPYnF8OPkOx5WHfu2IcJW56qpPK6IBFTPjgxx1oxJgxI9lqySy0W95MDmbsGoJKcwVectnEVImUzaSI6aovBF_0R9ihG7eASFitdV9dusqYomcNobUaxwrPQ/s1600/22.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-trjw_ftK4LBpU-u5BNqzuPYnF8OPkOx5WHfu2IcJW56qpPK6IBFTPjgxx1oxJgxI9lqySy0W95MDmbsGoJKcwVectnEVImUzaSI6aovBF_0R9ihG7eASFitdV9dusqYomcNobUaxwrPQ/s400/22.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing in front of the Tomb of Jesus</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrcDtX9x0jR9DNAboWC8vvfGohalTzhmEK8Iv5ZntlQm3XSfoOy13o7sH-AvlboM2bhGnh7R2x838PSKIX1EGSxt_7a8so8vvMu6TNEQTxdrLuM5nBzdwxemIbYaGAVa8Jpqa-EbcFeCZQ/s1600/23.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrcDtX9x0jR9DNAboWC8vvfGohalTzhmEK8Iv5ZntlQm3XSfoOy13o7sH-AvlboM2bhGnh7R2x838PSKIX1EGSxt_7a8so8vvMu6TNEQTxdrLuM5nBzdwxemIbYaGAVa8Jpqa-EbcFeCZQ/s400/23.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing in front of the Tomb of Jesus</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5LWFoqz2zwIUw3XegoKaHwMxYYP9eVjCdMbinOdV_Vm1tPJKcO6kiB2ovggDzTHIuarw0qGHC2lRtM_uMHBM0vyMP15h-3BkDhErG7bYzOX2_GgaRHHOdEHnCxyBhiFiYAWO5BgTh-w2v/s1600/24.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5LWFoqz2zwIUw3XegoKaHwMxYYP9eVjCdMbinOdV_Vm1tPJKcO6kiB2ovggDzTHIuarw0qGHC2lRtM_uMHBM0vyMP15h-3BkDhErG7bYzOX2_GgaRHHOdEHnCxyBhiFiYAWO5BgTh-w2v/s400/24.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A grave supposedly holding a single ear of Isukiri and a lock of hair of the Virgin Mary is located adjacent to the Tomb of Jesus. This grave was also marked with a prominent wooden cross and was fully covered in snow.</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGBcHNOzba1BCbhdOIr0NoFamZO7UmlKL_80wTrCEkvVBx3vfTDyLzGNhBzM2GHcPkQSETSj_WWnHJXLrA9EYp84TJL1FkhPp2dGrHVLPN4gJ7efeEnSOPvNzNYiAa_Y0vm4SVUzmHVs_O/s1600/25.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGBcHNOzba1BCbhdOIr0NoFamZO7UmlKL_80wTrCEkvVBx3vfTDyLzGNhBzM2GHcPkQSETSj_WWnHJXLrA9EYp84TJL1FkhPp2dGrHVLPN4gJ7efeEnSOPvNzNYiAa_Y0vm4SVUzmHVs_O/s400/25.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>This wooden cross was also decorated with a Christmas wreath for the Christmas season</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_GKz135ECaKTJCbuNV5LXgkj1zIYa556NcLB2beNdmVQZY-5_Iq5NB-8tVlG9zG3f4TnoNupJsr5NoUjeRZ7eOZSzAzx_RW4jesgQk0eP6yUq1o9K5gKC20RPo-dD8ruTTMt0vKXnixW4/s1600/26.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_GKz135ECaKTJCbuNV5LXgkj1zIYa556NcLB2beNdmVQZY-5_Iq5NB-8tVlG9zG3f4TnoNupJsr5NoUjeRZ7eOZSzAzx_RW4jesgQk0eP6yUq1o9K5gKC20RPo-dD8ruTTMt0vKXnixW4/s400/26.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing in front of the grave that holds Isukiri’s ear and a lock of hair of the Virgin Mary</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_U2L7AMvR8ZeynNAlf8nWEaIYII9Hs1il2vKmrpS8Ajz6F9BCC2ss4H60tT5vSggP3QpGUwZGg-U83vQUK6D-rPBGSqT4UjmzsiLTa-bUowcT-cQUy7VU1V3u2Ta0I7UvNxUOCTVpCR21/s1600/27.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_U2L7AMvR8ZeynNAlf8nWEaIYII9Hs1il2vKmrpS8Ajz6F9BCC2ss4H60tT5vSggP3QpGUwZGg-U83vQUK6D-rPBGSqT4UjmzsiLTa-bUowcT-cQUy7VU1V3u2Ta0I7UvNxUOCTVpCR21/s400/27.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing in front of the grave</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Afterwards, we appreciated the area surrounding the Tomb of Jesus. In fact, the grave-site is a forest area, and beyond the hilltop we saw forest trees fully covered in snow. It was pure white all around us. We loved the serene atmosphere so much. We walked around that area a bit and saw a snow covered narrow pathway with many steps leading down to a stream which was frozen at that time. Only hubby went down the steps to have a look at the frozen stream as the steps were too slippery due to the frozen snow, and I am not used to walking on snow.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Wf2wTS6VB8FsaaX2EXH_CDTnRlKxWQfYb1xTlvajAYIIEnG8z2bqhhA178do-I1HMQLwJowArH1rLF8JqFPY1hlbepg-hKNchyphenhyphenBfux4YusT8eZfqLVpo1ePUT83e1hf9WWk4Fyz8u1vf/s1600/28.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Wf2wTS6VB8FsaaX2EXH_CDTnRlKxWQfYb1xTlvajAYIIEnG8z2bqhhA178do-I1HMQLwJowArH1rLF8JqFPY1hlbepg-hKNchyphenhyphenBfux4YusT8eZfqLVpo1ePUT83e1hf9WWk4Fyz8u1vf/s400/28.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A few trees in the forest area fully covered in snow as viewed from the hilltop</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipLJ7LCsdIAwtHALh1N3V7ZyIBctrRuSoYAFn_NnhUKMDBIyZnJYfwajZ3UhOMhyphenhyphenCYepOh2mKRn63-iMFkAqyD-__xmvlyBvGBtk1RtsIgDBWsb_KG40FFj411eLAI023KWatvCluPfyWo/s1600/29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipLJ7LCsdIAwtHALh1N3V7ZyIBctrRuSoYAFn_NnhUKMDBIyZnJYfwajZ3UhOMhyphenhyphenCYepOh2mKRn63-iMFkAqyD-__xmvlyBvGBtk1RtsIgDBWsb_KG40FFj411eLAI023KWatvCluPfyWo/s400/29.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby and the snowy hilltop</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaYjNpc4yW9RDA5XaHYFK1iXnLifMIFEOwXXiw6hyeAB6x7HZpzL3CcT8wFvZrpigLRVLca4bIc1ir_wdjWzru8bO7gEaUX8FyAhRTA9oeaIQ2fpq4o6sb-aQ2eGwmVpJiWh0_QQU7HA_Z/s1600/30.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaYjNpc4yW9RDA5XaHYFK1iXnLifMIFEOwXXiw6hyeAB6x7HZpzL3CcT8wFvZrpigLRVLca4bIc1ir_wdjWzru8bO7gEaUX8FyAhRTA9oeaIQ2fpq4o6sb-aQ2eGwmVpJiWh0_QQU7HA_Z/s400/30.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing next to snow covered bushes</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVWQ4I9jcBynIpJrgZgUHDv0np3pTxF3VlkeQdlqT0iDVrcia5Q3xffiQHS1cfixWRf81VivKw-NVh5ljQnlbfa0hVYUn1tY1_rx0ekh2Ul1r584vfCYI6R4Adm_UnCIsb-vVs9-zQJ6cD/s1600/31.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVWQ4I9jcBynIpJrgZgUHDv0np3pTxF3VlkeQdlqT0iDVrcia5Q3xffiQHS1cfixWRf81VivKw-NVh5ljQnlbfa0hVYUn1tY1_rx0ekh2Ul1r584vfCYI6R4Adm_UnCIsb-vVs9-zQJ6cD/s400/31.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A snow covered pathway with many steps that led down to a stream</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Next, we saw a museum named The Legend of Christ Museum located adjacent to the Tomb of Jesus Christ. The museum is devoted to the legend of Jesus in Japan. The museum contains the reproduction of Takenouchi Documents, English translations of these documents, and various other relics and memorabilia related to the life of Jesus Christ in Shingo village. Unfortunately the museum is closed during the winter months and we could not enter inside the museum to read about the interesting folklore. Anyway, while walking near the museum building, we saw a snow covered fir tree located right in front of the museum, which got us into the Christmas spirit. We also saw a pyramid constructed near the entrance of the museum building. We enjoyed walking around the museum building surrounded by snow all around.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSAymJrvukcXbeVOTxjXDorz6-HLbVhXqws399fRR3Giv1kWNeKd0iHDp0-NUH5jkQPYUbeYN2kWyH1IRCZ3mIMdJNEY0nO3_i3rwER9JOGkdAR_F8ClziT8TdOW2GCrFjv0KaTq0QLgSX/s1600/32.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSAymJrvukcXbeVOTxjXDorz6-HLbVhXqws399fRR3Giv1kWNeKd0iHDp0-NUH5jkQPYUbeYN2kWyH1IRCZ3mIMdJNEY0nO3_i3rwER9JOGkdAR_F8ClziT8TdOW2GCrFjv0KaTq0QLgSX/s400/32.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The Legend of Christ Museum and a snow covered fir tree (left) located in front of the museum</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF_KEMrhem_Ut3fWDsqC_VnROA4OaqK863ghXxpXk52tLzEpPQ6ZLLrS6tMtWCFtzmHMa22DfS7iBGrS0TlcgDqpd72nIlpAqHIDQys4Q6IA0AFSbthC5Lau8yjrw2TFQukc6IR9COJQvF/s1600/33.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF_KEMrhem_Ut3fWDsqC_VnROA4OaqK863ghXxpXk52tLzEpPQ6ZLLrS6tMtWCFtzmHMa22DfS7iBGrS0TlcgDqpd72nIlpAqHIDQys4Q6IA0AFSbthC5Lau8yjrw2TFQukc6IR9COJQvF/s400/33.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing next to the snow covered fir tree</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBdnbFy14GVszzerRa926vToHJ3Jm_LyjtTgARxhspRaJxnO0Ne5NT49E0MqnsY3TTvf9RXJk6Je7cFG1gN3ulvR8Rh3o1CVUmiUZpVCM7syBAc3WNZ10BfgvzlOYaFBl3uAU34Y9TlVTI/s1600/34.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBdnbFy14GVszzerRa926vToHJ3Jm_LyjtTgARxhspRaJxnO0Ne5NT49E0MqnsY3TTvf9RXJk6Je7cFG1gN3ulvR8Rh3o1CVUmiUZpVCM7syBAc3WNZ10BfgvzlOYaFBl3uAU34Y9TlVTI/s400/34.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing next to a pyramid located near the entrance of the museum building</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">It was very cold winter time, but we enjoyed visiting the Tomb of Jesus Christ in Shingo village twice, once in the nighttime on 22nd December and then during the daytime on 24th December 2016. In the next post, I will write about our visit to Sannai Maruyama archaeological site in Aomori City.</span></span></div>
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Manisha Kundu-Nagatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13277146210049986417noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695885479879152724.post-14079122390178132212017-02-19T23:59:00.001+09:002017-02-19T23:59:34.122+09:00Akita Furusatomura<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">One of our friends living in Akita City will be leaving Japan soon. He is an Indian working on a time-limited research project at Akita University in Akita City. Hubby and I met him and his family for the first time in 2014 and we were very happy to meet an Indian family in faraway northern Japan where foreigners are still a rare sight. His family left for India before the winter season probably to avoid the severe cold of Akita. On 11th February, hubby and I hosted a farewell dinner for him at a Nepalese restaurant named Namaste located in Akita City. The restaurant serves Indian as well as Nepalese food. We invited another Indian couple also. We all enjoyed having various kinds of Indian dishes for dinner and it was fun recalling the nice time we had over the last couple of years. We wish him good luck and best wishes for his future endeavors.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Our friend (middle) soon to leave Japan</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>We all having dinner at a Nepalese restaurant</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">While having dinner, I remembered about hubby and my trip to a sightseeing place called Akita Furusatomura with our Indian friend who is leaving Japan. It was way back in July 2016, and his wife and young son also had accompanied us. I had completely forgotten about that trip and therefore thought about writing a blog post about Akita Furusatomura today. Akita Furusatomura is located in Yokote City of Akita prefecture. It is an amusement theme park where we can play and learn. The park has various facilities like the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akita_Museum_of_Modern_Art" target="_blank">Akita Museum of Modern Art</a>, the <a href="http://www.akitafurusatomura.co.jp/pages/page?parent=14" target="_blank">Wonder Castle</a>, a planetarium, and an exhibition and demonstration of traditional handicrafts facility. In the theme park, we especially focused our visit to the Wonder Castle, which features trick art and indoor playground fun for kids.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">On the morning of 16th July 2016, hubby and I first went to Akita City by our car where we picked up our Indian friend and his family and then went to Akita Furusatomura in Yokote City. Akita Furusatomura is located about 75 kilometers southeast of Akita City and is situated near the Yokote junction of the Akita expressway. It took us about 1.25 hours of car ride to reach Akita Furusatomura. We parked our car at a parking lot located outside the theme park. On entering inside the theme park, first we took a ride on a bright red colored train type bus named Choo Choo train. It is very popular with kids and we thought that our friend’s son would like it. We bought 4 tickets each worth 410 Yen for the adults and another ticket worth 200 Yen for the kid for the bus-train ride. When the bus-train started moving we felt the pleasant breeze and enjoyed the short journey inside the theme park. As the bus-train moved along the route, adults as well as children became curious and started wondering out loud about various buildings, play area for kids, and many statues along the way. Fortunately a train guide announced the salient features of each facility in an easy-to-understand manner. It was a fun ride.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby fastening the seatbelt of the son of our Indian friend before starting on our car ride to Akita Furusatomura</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Our friend’s wife and son inside Choo Choo train at Akita Furusatomura</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am enjoying the Choo Choo train ride</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Next, we went to Akita Museum of Modern Art but decided not go inside the museum building as we thought that the 3-year-old kid will not find it interesting. So we all strolled outside the museum building for quiet some time. It was a cloudy day but we enjoyed the walk surrounded by many huge outdoor statues. I found three statues to be very interesting. One of them was named Koeyoshidori, which is a long-crowing chicken breed of Akita prefecture and is designated as a national treasure of Japan. The statue was sculpted by Aikawa Zenichiro in 1952. It is 1.1 meters high and looks majestic and cheerful. The second statue was named Daichi no Kodo which was sculpted by Ando Izumi in 1993. It is a statue of a huge mammoth and measures 3.5 meters high. This statue was constructed using forged copper plates by hammering them several thousands of times. The third set of statues was named Inu mo Arukeba. This set of statues was sculpted by Yabuuchi Satoshi in 1993. All the statues in this set are 79 centimeters high and is a playful work with the motif of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akita_(dog)" target="_blank">Akita dogs</a>. This set of statues has a sense of continuity as if a dog is walking. Children as well as adults enjoy riding them. We enjoyed taking a stroll outside the museum building and took several photos of us with a few of the statues.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>We all are strolling outside the museum building in Akita Furusatomura</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby, our friend and his son enjoying a walk</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby and our friend’s son enjoying a walk</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Statue of Koeyoshidori as viewed from two different angles</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Our friend and his family standing in front of the statue of a huge mammoth</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby and I standing in front of the mammoth</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>We all enjoyed riding the statues of Akita dogs</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby sitting on a statue of Akita dog and clicking photos</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Afterwards we temporarily left Akita Furusatomura premises to have lunch at a Nepalese restaurant located about 8 kilometers south of the Furusatomura. The restaurant serves Indian as well as Nepalese food. We enjoyed having various kinds of Indian dishes. Hubby especially loved having cheese <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naan" target="_blank">Naan</a> which came with his set menu. We were quite full and satisfied with the lunch. After lunch, we returned to Akita Furusatomura and entered the local handicrafts, food, and gift shops. It was nice to look at all the handicrafts but we did not buy anything. In addition, we skipped visiting the planetarium as there was not enough time to visit all the facilities of Akita Furusatomura that day itself.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7tVdGc85S83wRKiJ_B491SuY0xfrqCu0diig-6KnJef9a1bAirLZBCvTbA2SwHKnB0I5QH_dNdKmuiHr8u8YoGN4SidSAe2wJuJp_zboAOMjfxnX8IZgqUm4TTQi5dGqoGj12aWaQyS1b/s1600/14.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7tVdGc85S83wRKiJ_B491SuY0xfrqCu0diig-6KnJef9a1bAirLZBCvTbA2SwHKnB0I5QH_dNdKmuiHr8u8YoGN4SidSAe2wJuJp_zboAOMjfxnX8IZgqUm4TTQi5dGqoGj12aWaQyS1b/s400/14.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>My lunch that I had at a Nepalese restaurant located in Yokote City</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwhcT-myRxHob1JCq_KQmyiy-9DyHBUAKPU1bp7zUPQKaGfOOS35W8M9NQA14zildrElHaEMgw2l3pZseZh6hTlQ3OWJFrvosg6f49W7ji-8u8vDIkCD-QP9hTJ0cFiOlGTSd9oBFWS08t/s1600/15.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwhcT-myRxHob1JCq_KQmyiy-9DyHBUAKPU1bp7zUPQKaGfOOS35W8M9NQA14zildrElHaEMgw2l3pZseZh6hTlQ3OWJFrvosg6f49W7ji-8u8vDIkCD-QP9hTJ0cFiOlGTSd9oBFWS08t/s400/15.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby’s lunch set</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid4Rlt_RXPJ08D8qzyvyYMbJZySRfDsCr8UhjqbTj5pFkZHT4V_bnRw1uxrx2kWuB9OQa7dsXHL7IHwlSlF4x0jq7jP-DcO-qtzuWTr0bJHEyMlRLAGUZPK0S3ffCnMN33n_5YxQzTf0Ym/s1600/16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid4Rlt_RXPJ08D8qzyvyYMbJZySRfDsCr8UhjqbTj5pFkZHT4V_bnRw1uxrx2kWuB9OQa7dsXHL7IHwlSlF4x0jq7jP-DcO-qtzuWTr0bJHEyMlRLAGUZPK0S3ffCnMN33n_5YxQzTf0Ym/s400/16.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby enjoying having Cheese Naan</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQB5hH5D19vWrqkC5BZOMagJgnNYw59xvfoncwNE0Tfi4g-Rn0gT8fuzQ6qENoG7wtsUnk0mA09gURAwG343jNoEfPE-iK4NQDpUFdLTBbRggIidC7FaCb_kOVQUJG7O0c0FHkTs8upjMY/s1600/17.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQB5hH5D19vWrqkC5BZOMagJgnNYw59xvfoncwNE0Tfi4g-Rn0gT8fuzQ6qENoG7wtsUnk0mA09gURAwG343jNoEfPE-iK4NQDpUFdLTBbRggIidC7FaCb_kOVQUJG7O0c0FHkTs8upjMY/s400/17.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Our friend and his family enjoying lunch</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnmkxoEx8Ag0AqF5AKavQZwnISYMQWcT7DTNW8mSei2JAV6D5jHEQbGxcHvH6zkuzWtZSan4lVsg9CrAmQrl_DH2gHELJo8V7qbr_lkrf45rnYCnrlyjN329TZvN0Z1u6w9atxNF4Qop6U/s1600/18.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnmkxoEx8Ag0AqF5AKavQZwnISYMQWcT7DTNW8mSei2JAV6D5jHEQbGxcHvH6zkuzWtZSan4lVsg9CrAmQrl_DH2gHELJo8V7qbr_lkrf45rnYCnrlyjN329TZvN0Z1u6w9atxNF4Qop6U/s400/18.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing with our friend’s wife and son inside the local handicrafts, food, and gift shop at Akita Furusatomura</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Next we visited Wonder Castle building located inside Akita Furusatomura premises. Wonder Castle has an exhibition of illusion type pictures and a lot of trick arts. This place is ideal for kids as well as families. At the first floor entrance area of the building, we bought tickets worth 520 Yen for the adults and it was free for the kid. First we went to the fourth floor of the building and enjoyed being inside the Mirror Room and the Giant’s Room. Next, we saw a wonderful trick art area named ‘The World above the Clouds’ where we enjoyed ‘balancing’ ourselves while coming out of a castle located amongst the clouds. We also enjoyed flying like a bird amongst the clouds in this area. Then we went inside the Slanting Room also located on the fourth floor. It is a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity_hill" target="_blank">gravity hill</a> type distorted room that is used to create tilt-induced visual illusion. We really loved this room where the rules of gravity did not seem to apply as we expect them to. Once we stepped inside this room, we felt as if we had abandoned all sensations of balance, proprioception, and general physical stability. Thanks to the architectural trickery, it felt as if we could tilt our bodies unrealistically in this room. We loved being in this room and it is no wonder that the Slanting Room is the most popular corner of the Wonder Castle. Afterwards we went to the third floor of the building where more trick arts and optical illusions were present. We enjoyed tightrope walking, cage for human, pulling a portable <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikoshi" target="_blank">Mikoshi</a> Shrine, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ames_room" target="_blank">Ames Room</a> at this floor. I loved the optical illusion of the Ames Room very much where hubby standing in one corner of the room appeared to be a giant while I standing in the other corner appeared to be a dwarf to the our friend photographer standing outside the room. The illusion was so convincing that hubby walking back and forth from the left corner to the right corner appeared to grow or shrink. It was really impressive optical illusion. At this point, the exhibition of various trick arts and optical illusions were over. We adults enjoyed looking at various trick arts and loved the place more than the kid. I guess we adults are still kids at heart!</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUNrD01p_bg8-lUUrDN0IwBMXmySs7H5zwooh-KvUTknCAB-7GsVHr64koma6qZmS1cQ4unt9B_6JvusbDnLy6u7aHhVrY0rEqSjQqyi2ndonRWDu16HQ2lwHpI7E800gjOOwbbQyVa1ni/s1600/19.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUNrD01p_bg8-lUUrDN0IwBMXmySs7H5zwooh-KvUTknCAB-7GsVHr64koma6qZmS1cQ4unt9B_6JvusbDnLy6u7aHhVrY0rEqSjQqyi2ndonRWDu16HQ2lwHpI7E800gjOOwbbQyVa1ni/s400/19.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Our friend’s wife and I inside the Mirror Room</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYFppwuXgW0MQyCTmI2thO3wdtFai9zwv7wet0oxSZoTnKk1hcCqd7zYxXdJC5zOe9oSVwIulqIKuY3LeFFGYC0F7LHwfu1mwpvxf6ZkkY1h6t58t13B0ozoUwTzsJhq_IVmznS7jQmKrC/s1600/20.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYFppwuXgW0MQyCTmI2thO3wdtFai9zwv7wet0oxSZoTnKk1hcCqd7zYxXdJC5zOe9oSVwIulqIKuY3LeFFGYC0F7LHwfu1mwpvxf6ZkkY1h6t58t13B0ozoUwTzsJhq_IVmznS7jQmKrC/s400/20.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing inside the Giant’s Room</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQXT9wD6Yf79cO_pzA_mZKt7vGwj0KeyIr6AYlqmLqpqx6cwEhr5cs_qHjPYCqcIFvmRP9L4s__DLpGiktyHKUHckLNy9AqQl2tc5P0XfmEM3XZ53iuGYS9HuKZ4eY3-fobAg53fv7p-oJ/s1600/21.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQXT9wD6Yf79cO_pzA_mZKt7vGwj0KeyIr6AYlqmLqpqx6cwEhr5cs_qHjPYCqcIFvmRP9L4s__DLpGiktyHKUHckLNy9AqQl2tc5P0XfmEM3XZ53iuGYS9HuKZ4eY3-fobAg53fv7p-oJ/s400/21.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>We are the food for the Giant</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7s3dvCU-9L-fL8wJVI-pF-Qs6GXAZvBQVHY0f3vKntgT4CeNl-7t3DJ4NMoOMflcSK05rjNAKYl-GYpadbFsK9S_8sWYSjD01HiTWM7FfFC0bLwStmaw46gmPzbMrF1vXYKccU6Am3hvP/s1600/22.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7s3dvCU-9L-fL8wJVI-pF-Qs6GXAZvBQVHY0f3vKntgT4CeNl-7t3DJ4NMoOMflcSK05rjNAKYl-GYpadbFsK9S_8sWYSjD01HiTWM7FfFC0bLwStmaw46gmPzbMrF1vXYKccU6Am3hvP/s400/22.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>We are ‘balancing’ ourselves while coming out of a castle located amongst the clouds</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-6PCLZOMsUVS2XnR1gGfJuPTgc1egEfivVIWGxxQzJbGR4E_IbdZonMmsg-eaXi6q_gV80w_zi8nJHNc7TUlREKPDndG0x2ylUFb1ZdZ6sEC6dF_GrwYWIpOrSl25LLn2tvjoN2ikoYjb/s1600/23.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-6PCLZOMsUVS2XnR1gGfJuPTgc1egEfivVIWGxxQzJbGR4E_IbdZonMmsg-eaXi6q_gV80w_zi8nJHNc7TUlREKPDndG0x2ylUFb1ZdZ6sEC6dF_GrwYWIpOrSl25LLn2tvjoN2ikoYjb/s400/23.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am flying amongst the clouds</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihfHmZ5RmSYYlOJalPUbzgZKRRwx6j8269VeteJm1nBCzvP-TzZnz1ruL-ssVdhw6NXUGYRIdHAftUXL-1OXKdlpDN1rAxitB8hMQP8S-N9qYymMr90f4iV3FN8zzKSPLqPIdHxzZJ23w7/s1600/24.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihfHmZ5RmSYYlOJalPUbzgZKRRwx6j8269VeteJm1nBCzvP-TzZnz1ruL-ssVdhw6NXUGYRIdHAftUXL-1OXKdlpDN1rAxitB8hMQP8S-N9qYymMr90f4iV3FN8zzKSPLqPIdHxzZJ23w7/s400/24.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Wondering how hubby can tilt his body so much inside the Slanting Room</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA7C-94o1ttqO78pA_gr7_tzR-zZRLryYGgAbY-pcWBkM_Rhzsgs24MkUeNpx0E54NxNo5uzd4Rs68N5wr9eUW-YGI6Gnkyo8MxlHNfXw4YHnoF4BQcpALIFQqUJOeQ1HGQMUjaKfWQoiz/s1600/25.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA7C-94o1ttqO78pA_gr7_tzR-zZRLryYGgAbY-pcWBkM_Rhzsgs24MkUeNpx0E54NxNo5uzd4Rs68N5wr9eUW-YGI6Gnkyo8MxlHNfXw4YHnoF4BQcpALIFQqUJOeQ1HGQMUjaKfWQoiz/s400/25.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Well, I can tilt my body too</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQPQmqShEtX1y3oRYQSRvLT0oJpxBk5alHI3EtlCIsA-fIOjjnT4pjNP8adceS_TlPWHFt9FAzTywhKKOaMqOA7ertDUkREI87ZKILRQz77R-Hlr80OjIbvWJVTd2cQ0eW5Cr6fBzNkkAR/s1600/26.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQPQmqShEtX1y3oRYQSRvLT0oJpxBk5alHI3EtlCIsA-fIOjjnT4pjNP8adceS_TlPWHFt9FAzTywhKKOaMqOA7ertDUkREI87ZKILRQz77R-Hlr80OjIbvWJVTd2cQ0eW5Cr6fBzNkkAR/s400/26.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am a tightrope walker</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrLibh5w3fBG8bqXyBBmR0QCRSFnYPUYKlBPtSXqL1DtBCQxO0Ivg0dhHi56Led-qXCP21Il68KMCseSeEuRe-MXZdV5Ubjp_mRhDGBsakrAUbh_s-JClb-IVFypmYF6FAgvQiRycm3_O6/s1600/27.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrLibh5w3fBG8bqXyBBmR0QCRSFnYPUYKlBPtSXqL1DtBCQxO0Ivg0dhHi56Led-qXCP21Il68KMCseSeEuRe-MXZdV5Ubjp_mRhDGBsakrAUbh_s-JClb-IVFypmYF6FAgvQiRycm3_O6/s400/27.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am inside a cage for human</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw3viDUmZ-OYdi5N-xDFG1XRYBv4p312vzEXrUe387ahTdc3SLViN9UpBzVZLyqsXGRREBiIdrRKK6n3QbbhSlVysz6nQangmi72nMXLE8XayN2XylmTk1OopCTb76H5U3XLyYLwXNJ2gR/s1600/28.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw3viDUmZ-OYdi5N-xDFG1XRYBv4p312vzEXrUe387ahTdc3SLViN9UpBzVZLyqsXGRREBiIdrRKK6n3QbbhSlVysz6nQangmi72nMXLE8XayN2XylmTk1OopCTb76H5U3XLyYLwXNJ2gR/s400/28.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am pulling a Mikoshi Shrine</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgplTs-toa2TuUP5F9qOssol0gutcylVIneLYwiALWeNX4i_fie4TGLn0GJxTCR1OsBMdSleLS5T8XcDZS1CcXUESJLfO11AUuIJQNrhVsKqi59h_trYBQzMOVTZACVWyWb885rLxwT1588/s1600/29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgplTs-toa2TuUP5F9qOssol0gutcylVIneLYwiALWeNX4i_fie4TGLn0GJxTCR1OsBMdSleLS5T8XcDZS1CcXUESJLfO11AUuIJQNrhVsKqi59h_trYBQzMOVTZACVWyWb885rLxwT1588/s400/29.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby is a giant and I am a dwarf inside Ames Room</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Kf9SX0AXQIUuFIjf-lJFNl7-Sl3PtSYpv7MWkvJG-rmZnMwj2nC7QtoIZLA6oskyxDRu8qkMKGdS0L7QY8yW1M9djZk5toVjx3ktJky9k0lcFsddWDsM6h1HO1jtG3fupfUCIVtvuei-/s1600/30.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Kf9SX0AXQIUuFIjf-lJFNl7-Sl3PtSYpv7MWkvJG-rmZnMwj2nC7QtoIZLA6oskyxDRu8qkMKGdS0L7QY8yW1M9djZk5toVjx3ktJky9k0lcFsddWDsM6h1HO1jtG3fupfUCIVtvuei-/s400/30.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Our friend and his family inside Ames Room</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Afterwards we returned to the first floor inside the Wonder Castle building where we saw a giant ball pool. Our friend’s kid became very excited seeing the ball pool filled with colorful balls. The kid, his mother, and I had so much fun playing in the ball pool. We spent about 40 minutes at the ball pool. The amusement park closes at 5 pm and so the kid very reluctantly left the ball pool area where he seemed to have maximum fun.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am playing in the ball pool</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuYyC-bwZGn64-xCzKYonUzCVE7sl8tdBgi1lYdQ2OthZtpmyFNl8LZH0zFSgtCd3p8qGDPzCBTJ2XSSuVEMKnv-Suc6NooK9PLaQ7upPAUMp5fi8Hr8pekdd8-rwlg5djE73sfjVWXjQS/s1600/32.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuYyC-bwZGn64-xCzKYonUzCVE7sl8tdBgi1lYdQ2OthZtpmyFNl8LZH0zFSgtCd3p8qGDPzCBTJ2XSSuVEMKnv-Suc6NooK9PLaQ7upPAUMp5fi8Hr8pekdd8-rwlg5djE73sfjVWXjQS/s400/32.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am playing with the kid in the ball pool</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp1LlL-vxF3bebZkmwSyk3tNNyG-tXRKEjfcuEn5FQa9jQNpioCZM4frr-yFJccFBnz1SeBfLp4oWjkEz3YrzfziSawAzvsQFgwOntd31TVaHeFg0zYQwvbMHfCoejcNvUEtFKB0WBi0qT/s1600/33.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp1LlL-vxF3bebZkmwSyk3tNNyG-tXRKEjfcuEn5FQa9jQNpioCZM4frr-yFJccFBnz1SeBfLp4oWjkEz3YrzfziSawAzvsQFgwOntd31TVaHeFg0zYQwvbMHfCoejcNvUEtFKB0WBi0qT/s400/33.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The kid, his mother, and I having fun in the ball pool</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvQK6In8KpEwvtBJecT7mS-KYTUDDctP4wWdVnxWfL-582cHYiwYsvDMSrsHtLn6Yjoj48YX2U-jHG8kSxrGUPDaE7tSv7SwY09gfWM3FS22MVxq53dpI8FkFUuNeCjGWRjPLPFN3TE89t/s1600/34.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvQK6In8KpEwvtBJecT7mS-KYTUDDctP4wWdVnxWfL-582cHYiwYsvDMSrsHtLn6Yjoj48YX2U-jHG8kSxrGUPDaE7tSv7SwY09gfWM3FS22MVxq53dpI8FkFUuNeCjGWRjPLPFN3TE89t/s400/34.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Tired hubby and our friend taking rest while we played in the ball pool</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">We all had a nice time at Akita Furusatomura and left the premises at about 5 pm. We then took our friends back to their home in Akita City. It was about 7.30 pm when we returned to our home in Yurihonjo City. It was a fun filled outing with friends.</span></span></div>
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Manisha Kundu-Nagatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13277146210049986417noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695885479879152724.post-88245762703210101562017-02-10T23:28:00.001+09:002017-02-10T23:28:46.970+09:00Winter months in Akita<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">It is now winter and snowing heavily almost every day in Akita prefecture. Most days I am unwell due to the cold weather. Everyday I think of writing the next post for my blog but somehow keep postponing it. In this post, I will write about the nature and weather of Akita for the past three months or so.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">On the evening of 14th November 2016, hubby and I visited <a href="http://lipikazuo.blogspot.com/2014/12/hamadate-koen-park.html" target="_blank">Hamadate Koen Park</a> to see the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supermoon" target="_blank">supermoon</a> that day. The park is located on a hill in Nishime Town of Yurihonjo City in Akita prefecture. As we all know, the full moon of 14th November was a supermoon. Supermoon is the full moon when it is at its closest point to our planet as it orbits earth. In fact, the full moon of 14th November was not only the closest full moon of 2016 but the closest full moon to earth since 1948. The supermoon of 14th November was considered an astronomical event of 2016 because the full moon was 356509 kilometers away from the earth, and appeared up to 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter than an average full moon. This full moon was called extra-supermoon and we will not see another such supermoon again until 25th November 2034. Although a supermoon is bigger and brighter than a normal full moon, it is not always easy to tell the difference. A 30% difference in brightness can easily be masked by clouds or the competing glaring lights of the city area. So, as written earlier, hubby and I went to a small hill in Hamadate Koen Park at about 8 pm. The park is isolated and located in a place with hardly any inhabitants around. It was pitch dark and an ideal place to view the supermoon. That day the weather was cloudy in entire Japan and the supermoon was actually seen only in Akita and Aomori prefectures. Although it was cloudy in Akita prefecture also, the full moon peeked from the clouds from time to time. We were fortunate to be able to see the supermoon as the weather cooperated at the time we went to the park. We loved seeing the stunning full moon hanging high overhead. But with no reference points to provide a sense of scale, the size of the supermoon looked much like any other normal full moon though we felt that the moon was brighter and more yellowish that day. Hubby clicked a few photos of the supermoon for the sake of memories.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2uCBHu1-8YgFvMKI8yzHnJwZ5fdX_CeECpQgQHX8V0t8sJPxJ8BDeVlO-aQT-3ythwtyMBrG_7zc4l5yEU58hRZ6pw3JfJSA3ENfjBrZrvER4RKY7QrpqI8pgRfNfb89rRmBtZ98ZZ4hZ/s1600/1nov14.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2uCBHu1-8YgFvMKI8yzHnJwZ5fdX_CeECpQgQHX8V0t8sJPxJ8BDeVlO-aQT-3ythwtyMBrG_7zc4l5yEU58hRZ6pw3JfJSA3ENfjBrZrvER4RKY7QrpqI8pgRfNfb89rRmBtZ98ZZ4hZ/s400/1nov14.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The full moon almost covered with clouds</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji0eoXatoY0nuoBTAebZw1dBqQL0s0VUNANPjzgiGGXv-1u17XQNwH5AeK1fdXLVN-u32Od65RkhEhboH7PG286T2rFkXyhUYpQAoLwDGK299mOi7EADlD-0kaFVUD0jAm1AO5iuNwTo8d/s1600/2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji0eoXatoY0nuoBTAebZw1dBqQL0s0VUNANPjzgiGGXv-1u17XQNwH5AeK1fdXLVN-u32Od65RkhEhboH7PG286T2rFkXyhUYpQAoLwDGK299mOi7EADlD-0kaFVUD0jAm1AO5iuNwTo8d/s400/2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The full moon peeking from the clouds</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRSeVxjKzeFz34kMs1MA0Wb319LNUNBn56JlBwpS4Q49RP9KwF0ur_0rcHAcDF_FfmWPIixgTvTNUEgocHpQ29rZLFeERVVW-YEskdpLI9L78SIPu23oEbfuXParVxH6zAs-w4JGciMsem/s1600/3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRSeVxjKzeFz34kMs1MA0Wb319LNUNBn56JlBwpS4Q49RP9KwF0ur_0rcHAcDF_FfmWPIixgTvTNUEgocHpQ29rZLFeERVVW-YEskdpLI9L78SIPu23oEbfuXParVxH6zAs-w4JGciMsem/s400/3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The supermoon</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr-lWA9a6_jZka67Q8JR3q3vBYbUpTO4Q8BvjtZF6VHgpfN2tt4fR62t3RPz1ORhQE-ticuG8CqwcUdjT3IgiESU3qznigRey_2TQ7Bzy9AH6cDtfWvZQq9kp4dJrDj_1TfRGlWeBBk3Ed/s1600/4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr-lWA9a6_jZka67Q8JR3q3vBYbUpTO4Q8BvjtZF6VHgpfN2tt4fR62t3RPz1ORhQE-ticuG8CqwcUdjT3IgiESU3qznigRey_2TQ7Bzy9AH6cDtfWvZQq9kp4dJrDj_1TfRGlWeBBk3Ed/s400/4.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The supermoon looked fabulous and yellowish</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSPDufTOZvwyOjBfoeWGpxItqxqPcoPVTupZBtLOOcWDEBXsd2JYDaUo4hewoCZuBJX2WIhf1Ym3YbjjwXovfzS_2vA0gqtSQHsPEECIoynndSTdLPZ9ZI2n2i0lKHTvvlnOPBqggjiaEJ/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSPDufTOZvwyOjBfoeWGpxItqxqPcoPVTupZBtLOOcWDEBXsd2JYDaUo4hewoCZuBJX2WIhf1Ym3YbjjwXovfzS_2vA0gqtSQHsPEECIoynndSTdLPZ9ZI2n2i0lKHTvvlnOPBqggjiaEJ/s400/5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby clicking away on the pitch dark hill of Hamadate Koen Park</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Next, I will write about winter in Akita prefecture. Winters in Akita prefecture are reputed to be among the snowiest and coldest in Japan. Winter season is rather long and too severe here which starts around November and continues until the end of March. There is almost continuous snowing from December through March. The temperature stays at sub-zero levels throughout the months of January and February. This year it started snowing in the beginning of December. But it stopped snowing during the year end, only to again snow heavily and continuously after that. On 14th January, hubby and I wanted to go to Akita City to do some shopping. But there was snowstorm that day in Akita and the neighboring prefectures, and therefore it was tremendously windy with continuous heavy snowfall throughout the day. So we just stayed indoors and watched some television programs. However the snowing became lighter by evening, and we decided to use that opportunity to go to Akita City. It had snowed heavily the previous night also, and hubby had a tough time to remove the huge amount of snow that had accumulated on his car parked at the open parking area in front of our home. He removed the snow for almost half an hour in such severe cold conditions, and I really respect him for that. On our way to Akita City, we saw blankets of heavy snow all around us. There was deep snow on the mountains and everything seemed to be purified and white in color. Although the nature looks so beautiful during snowy season, I really dislike the cold weather. I am just waiting for this cold wintry season to be over.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Snowy view in our neighborhood</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU0Qv3InDeBY_pZ93QdhicHxuQG7Ryugc4Yf-OY94q7Cdo5QgSOV6ccCgf8fvg2CavKYLoVZr7_5iz8imf365Oz3j24RQkgMJVNtZC5Qb-_Uei84JRZj5mjNx-I_DQ0Cr7ikrfsPoO9qhX/s1600/7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU0Qv3InDeBY_pZ93QdhicHxuQG7Ryugc4Yf-OY94q7Cdo5QgSOV6ccCgf8fvg2CavKYLoVZr7_5iz8imf365Oz3j24RQkgMJVNtZC5Qb-_Uei84JRZj5mjNx-I_DQ0Cr7ikrfsPoO9qhX/s400/7.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Snow everywhere near our home</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRpplRoQ2NTvCHnjtt_59NNcxFuCNwryACxKKFaeq2fNnaSCARVtjctchl9GIfS3Xrf4mZm93wrGJMiLe7PGf0772X8zByM3E0acpPBDgOMh4FBg7z057RIARXqzAsCI288ulw5vFaWKMs/s1600/8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRpplRoQ2NTvCHnjtt_59NNcxFuCNwryACxKKFaeq2fNnaSCARVtjctchl9GIfS3Xrf4mZm93wrGJMiLe7PGf0772X8zByM3E0acpPBDgOMh4FBg7z057RIARXqzAsCI288ulw5vFaWKMs/s400/8.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Whiteness all around our home</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLrR74M1Yf1EoQCKekIq1DIuuOfswon1JbwW5GdE9WiWML2j6HsoDLa6CpIfEX6PMlI-JsURixi1P5iAcHaD8frRYgEZbwqucISEdsIJCzHvlO9CVJhQdtOyjNXUck9W704BpcOLYEO9hl/s1600/9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLrR74M1Yf1EoQCKekIq1DIuuOfswon1JbwW5GdE9WiWML2j6HsoDLa6CpIfEX6PMlI-JsURixi1P5iAcHaD8frRYgEZbwqucISEdsIJCzHvlO9CVJhQdtOyjNXUck9W704BpcOLYEO9hl/s400/9.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Our car covered in snow</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC4waTmCzeT5La4vM9FfkkUhW1PkHBRO9-ty-sWnTGypHBJfbnD4wDIx5FlOG18TR58zOp1B37pCX7yUH9Sl2fhkWWqNY6OzkHvQGV-aAEW983NTJjY83mjYDr5FARBO49AI04NHi77Emk/s1600/10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC4waTmCzeT5La4vM9FfkkUhW1PkHBRO9-ty-sWnTGypHBJfbnD4wDIx5FlOG18TR58zOp1B37pCX7yUH9Sl2fhkWWqNY6OzkHvQGV-aAEW983NTJjY83mjYDr5FARBO49AI04NHi77Emk/s400/10.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Another view of our car covered in snow</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby busy removing snow from the car</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBWO1YrZUizLCFCFrk0Phzya62gWqq74WVw3dw8gMGYH9WA4dQF4izVO8SpZy0f15Tml_QZeoB5LBEslSxXNWiL4P8XvAw0Igam9c17DQzeM2C17KAQOEmJqRP-PhvQv10Y3b0gi68BwAZ/s1600/12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBWO1YrZUizLCFCFrk0Phzya62gWqq74WVw3dw8gMGYH9WA4dQF4izVO8SpZy0f15Tml_QZeoB5LBEslSxXNWiL4P8XvAw0Igam9c17DQzeM2C17KAQOEmJqRP-PhvQv10Y3b0gi68BwAZ/s400/12.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Pure whiteness all around me</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Everything covered in snow on our way to Akita City</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Akita prefecture usually has cloudy or overcast freezing cold days with heavy snow and no sunshine during the long winter months from December through March. But miraculously on 7th and 8th January, it did not snow at all and the sun shone brightly both the days. Hubby and I decided to use this wonderful opportunity to go outside on 8th January, and view the beautiful nature of Yurihonjo City and the neighboring Nikaho Town. We went for a drive by our car, and it felt so different to see the city and its neighborhoods on a clear shiny winter day. Everything seemed so clear and pure. We noted that in just two days of sunshine, so much snow had melted away from the rooftops of homes and apartments. The snow had also melted from almost all the roads as well as from various vast plain areas like unused paddy fields. Of course the faraway mountains were still covered in snow. We stopped our car near an overbridge and got out for some time to take in the beautiful stunning views all around us. Although it was a shiny day, it was bone-chilling cold outside but we enjoyed looking at all the natural wonderful sceneries. Standing on the overbridge, hubby clicked a few photos of the nature, paddy fields, and the windmills. We also got a beautiful view of the snow-covered <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Ch%C5%8Dkai" target="_blank">Mount Chokai</a>. Afterwards we continued our car ride for some more time to enjoy looking at the beautiful nature.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqZd29FkB99xjQ_9iHRZY4RJ5QKA29-oXBTaRKhj2BPhQf6PVFZY3lEcagiGhBY19bwCkNOGgulb603jf6c8ZLY8GdJAPH8GHwHjNy15dySljRHQsYZjQr-rHsVLKdbQPbg8-ILE1cN7Z-/s1600/14jan08.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqZd29FkB99xjQ_9iHRZY4RJ5QKA29-oXBTaRKhj2BPhQf6PVFZY3lEcagiGhBY19bwCkNOGgulb603jf6c8ZLY8GdJAPH8GHwHjNy15dySljRHQsYZjQr-rHsVLKdbQPbg8-ILE1cN7Z-/s400/14jan08.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Beautiful nature as viewed from our car</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNa-nM8fS08FK_4VdGGAH0CYoNZ1uo7nGzktPC28y-aMCpmUm4JEx4lkklktIdH_aW_QWsdS3peDzwr8Ivv41AflQWaVerA62FtLGX6id0g8lGfyby8rrXOpdhGCX_xgarMQ9qOdnzmyrP/s1600/15.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNa-nM8fS08FK_4VdGGAH0CYoNZ1uo7nGzktPC28y-aMCpmUm4JEx4lkklktIdH_aW_QWsdS3peDzwr8Ivv41AflQWaVerA62FtLGX6id0g8lGfyby8rrXOpdhGCX_xgarMQ9qOdnzmyrP/s400/15.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>We parked our car to appreciate the nature</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnm64zkxQac2HoRfLNZPaK2xOBeR-xoMIiuIPQgY3ZbXHoF9bjswii_5XpxXtTOSID8IDRMzRKQ6TyoikBGJ-9B584fqWX1X83U2ebv42T-s7cfrVfWWHEN37VpD4AuI3q7ZRWpU08xpLV/s1600/16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnm64zkxQac2HoRfLNZPaK2xOBeR-xoMIiuIPQgY3ZbXHoF9bjswii_5XpxXtTOSID8IDRMzRKQ6TyoikBGJ-9B584fqWX1X83U2ebv42T-s7cfrVfWWHEN37VpD4AuI3q7ZRWpU08xpLV/s400/16.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Wonderful view as seen from an overbridge</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJFBFp-QRqTi2WVl8hmP77mw5CZ_6I7HhSepY1k4M2QSvqjqKlyUNDlI20YSLxXzujBNyBXRysyduxFw6v_EiFJ9R9g7dSvCuDIJXdV-qdwP7lOxyMmX07Y9JY-55na7AdgMQiyC5wfQOe/s1600/17.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJFBFp-QRqTi2WVl8hmP77mw5CZ_6I7HhSepY1k4M2QSvqjqKlyUNDlI20YSLxXzujBNyBXRysyduxFw6v_EiFJ9R9g7dSvCuDIJXdV-qdwP7lOxyMmX07Y9JY-55na7AdgMQiyC5wfQOe/s400/17.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Mountains and unused paddy fields as viewed from the overbridge</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjphv51qxc4ONvacolt4JtzS0TBBHyskME-kk2W2qP9bBC1gx9WRXqNLfjtJrd5acRJcamr3Bn4ZDALnildnscy9vxlIxMyJeI3QYB3Kuf8Iu5K57P3blO2ZqUcFkAj0hz1ybwPvqGVm_A2/s1600/18.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjphv51qxc4ONvacolt4JtzS0TBBHyskME-kk2W2qP9bBC1gx9WRXqNLfjtJrd5acRJcamr3Bn4ZDALnildnscy9vxlIxMyJeI3QYB3Kuf8Iu5K57P3blO2ZqUcFkAj0hz1ybwPvqGVm_A2/s400/18.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Highway and the nature as viewed from the overbridge</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieS4ASTrZLpQ9vCaBjzKgMI12Oj0OZF38YjWMVWDPV09xBJYHkVz5WdwGb7QiqP8OnqhuRftBOpo1VUsc2tOPDu75zNcdWLzxzD4X42RJvyu9N8TcTcx-u3mgUOZM195ZC0BKFc4t3w5qi/s1600/19.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieS4ASTrZLpQ9vCaBjzKgMI12Oj0OZF38YjWMVWDPV09xBJYHkVz5WdwGb7QiqP8OnqhuRftBOpo1VUsc2tOPDu75zNcdWLzxzD4X42RJvyu9N8TcTcx-u3mgUOZM195ZC0BKFc4t3w5qi/s400/19.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Yet another view of the nature as seen from the overbridge</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi23-xaIkeeBaPUM36p6aExcXdxvdBErkctA7s0XjqArj4AC0vXq4pEUc47dxtlkuQ4OxA4dmC_JWED0uk_Pyem5ZD0NEHEuVOPF3y9EvHMOPbuZCspGNcTO3g0arzB2k9Bken6UJjT-G0v/s1600/20.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi23-xaIkeeBaPUM36p6aExcXdxvdBErkctA7s0XjqArj4AC0vXq4pEUc47dxtlkuQ4OxA4dmC_JWED0uk_Pyem5ZD0NEHEuVOPF3y9EvHMOPbuZCspGNcTO3g0arzB2k9Bken6UJjT-G0v/s400/20.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing on the overbridge</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbqzFK7fyAJaXMw-Nr3zNU4HYXnA8TaTpektqcJ6kxVz4XYM6wcpjmqqJeWMy2io8jaXV8n2PAtEm4NsprwNa2gG6kC6mtOprIQj2FQI5Nt5UZqiHmtAiuQ-ZdcWN2xK7x3-gLQ3TggpP6/s1600/21.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbqzFK7fyAJaXMw-Nr3zNU4HYXnA8TaTpektqcJ6kxVz4XYM6wcpjmqqJeWMy2io8jaXV8n2PAtEm4NsprwNa2gG6kC6mtOprIQj2FQI5Nt5UZqiHmtAiuQ-ZdcWN2xK7x3-gLQ3TggpP6/s400/21.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Highway and the nature as viewed from the other side of the overbridge</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoSl2A7d1d4gcSzyi4ajG6RYc8Unh_TK6vGGGw8WBfimUrmTjnNOgwhLjGvmlxZG50S1pnesTqSCBL_1gSmNXHlPJ9_IgEG5g1yu_Xf3GV5gY3QltJHC2PTBjZcDYOdjGG3ja8i7aY6588/s1600/22.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoSl2A7d1d4gcSzyi4ajG6RYc8Unh_TK6vGGGw8WBfimUrmTjnNOgwhLjGvmlxZG50S1pnesTqSCBL_1gSmNXHlPJ9_IgEG5g1yu_Xf3GV5gY3QltJHC2PTBjZcDYOdjGG3ja8i7aY6588/s400/22.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby clicking photos standing on the overbridge</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFf4dhsaz_z7JFB0W-gYz5esRfn65X4VKBJK-KF8DtpYdvEWD6ABYte2htxWiNnXgVIJ7gG-WUmlwu0EPyqrXa9V0YlffiOUTwd1G-HwfUj2rxlQxSN5k2CfRDqDwCO5wYaGEawCjjyj6y/s1600/23.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFf4dhsaz_z7JFB0W-gYz5esRfn65X4VKBJK-KF8DtpYdvEWD6ABYte2htxWiNnXgVIJ7gG-WUmlwu0EPyqrXa9V0YlffiOUTwd1G-HwfUj2rxlQxSN5k2CfRDqDwCO5wYaGEawCjjyj6y/s400/23.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A windmill</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRZG_jqiVODS47JHk7Xp5qpeCZfB9yIAEGta-K1Xc6kVVrzUD1e-eluSKBAZmWXUkWmKJCkOBl51vNcvwywlOx2SYqmDL4U1q6TR7fWXmpsqBAL0asW0DmztFaLz8x7Y0kuWiz0A36xJ1Z/s1600/24.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRZG_jqiVODS47JHk7Xp5qpeCZfB9yIAEGta-K1Xc6kVVrzUD1e-eluSKBAZmWXUkWmKJCkOBl51vNcvwywlOx2SYqmDL4U1q6TR7fWXmpsqBAL0asW0DmztFaLz8x7Y0kuWiz0A36xJ1Z/s400/24.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Snow covered Mount Chokai, windmills, and snowy fields</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5cZ_LHVu2VBeu2E0yXzWS7q-iC454o6NQqnURdI-Kj3KaJZGBLnjap1w6Ue2AyK7CFNhhToC7n6rjTP4pI4q2hFu6SlweGluWBBK5JGKg95GHI6Mhixzk8zOzxcfyEiBVBf7w0AYDtEdS/s1600/25.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5cZ_LHVu2VBeu2E0yXzWS7q-iC454o6NQqnURdI-Kj3KaJZGBLnjap1w6Ue2AyK7CFNhhToC7n6rjTP4pI4q2hFu6SlweGluWBBK5JGKg95GHI6Mhixzk8zOzxcfyEiBVBf7w0AYDtEdS/s400/25.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A beautiful view</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">We are now in the peak of cold snowy winter in Akita and we are eagerly waiting for the arrival of spring season.</span></span></div>
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Manisha Kundu-Nagatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13277146210049986417noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695885479879152724.post-31224975650058365372017-02-01T22:03:00.006+09:002017-02-01T22:03:11.480+09:00New Year holidays<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Hubby and I had been to our home in Ichinomiya City during the New Year holidays. I should mention here that there are still a few places or events hubby and I visited in 2016 about which I have yet to write. I was actually thinking of skipping writing but hubby feels that this blog is a sort of our web diary, so I decided to write about those places and events after this blog post.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><b>29th December 2016</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">During the New Year holidays, hubby and I went to our home in Ichinomiya City of Aichi prefecture and also met a few of our relatives in the city. On 29th December, we left our home in Yurihonjo City at 12.30 pm and reached Akita Airport after about 45 minutes of car drive. Our flight to <a href="http://www.centrair.jp/en/" target="_blank">Centrair Airport</a> in Aichi prefecture was at 4.30 pm. We still had a lot of time, so we had lunch at a restaurant and bought a few souvenirs for relatives from a kiosk at Akita Airport. After about an hour of flight, we reached Centrair Airport. From there we took a train and reached Ichinomiya Railway Station after another 45 minutes. My father-in-law and his wife were waiting for us at the station and we directly went to a restaurant and had dinner. Finally we reached our home in Ichinomiya at about 9 pm. We were rather tired due to all the travel, and went to bed immediately.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>View from the airplane during our flight from Akita Airport to Centrair Airport</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Dusk as viewed from the airplane</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing at the arrival lobby of Centrair Airport</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><b>30th December 2016</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">On 30th December, hubby and I just stayed at home. In the afternoon, we cleaned our home and watched some local television programs. In the evening, hubby did some physical exercises at home. In between all the exercises, he tried to strike a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cristiano_Ronaldo" target="_blank">Cristiano Ronaldo</a> pose. It was too funny to see him in such a pose. Afterwards, he practiced some golf swings without clubs as he was to go for playing golf the next day.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby striking a Cristiano Ronaldo pose</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby practicing golf swings inside home</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><b>31st December 2016</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">On 31st December, father-in-law, his wife, hubby, and a few other relatives went to play golf at Springfield Golf Club in Tajimi City of Gifu prefecture. They left home at about 6 am. I am not at all interested in golf, and so I preferred to stay at home and relaxed all day. In the afternoon, hubby’s sister and her two daughters visited our home. It was nice to chat with them, play some card games, and later practice volleyball skills at the front yard of our home. It was fun to practice volleyball drills without a net or a court. At about 5.30 pm, hubby and father-in-law returned home after playing golf. Later in the evening we all had dinner at a Chinese restaurant located near our home.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am posing with hubby’s sister and her younger daughter at our Ichinomiya home</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Sister-in-law and I</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><b>1st January 2017</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">On 1st January 2017, hubby and I just relaxed and enjoyed being at home. January 1st is considered to be a very auspicious day in Japan, and is best started by viewing Hatsuhinode which is the first sunrise of the New Year. Hatsuhinode is traditionally believed to be representative for the whole year that has just commenced. So awakening before sunrise is considered important to view the first sunrise of the year. However an apartment complex blocks the east side of our home, and therefore hubby and I watched the sun that had already risen fully and was peeking over the roof of the apartment complex. In addition, a couple of days ago, we made preparations to display several <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kagami_mochi" target="_blank">Kagami Mochi</a> at various locations inside our home. Kagami Mochi is a traditional New Year decoration which is supposed to ward off fires from the house for the following years. It was nice to look at the display of Kagami Mochi which looked so elegant. Afterwards we had a late simple lunch at home, and watched some movies on the television. In the evening, a family-friend couple visited my father-in-law and his wife. Since father-in-law’s home is interconnected to our home, hubby and I also visited them and chatted with everyone for about an hour. We had a nice time playing with the little daughter of the family-friend couple. She is so cute. Later we all had dinner at a nearby Japanese-style family restaurant named Sagami. The first day of the year passed just relaxing and being lazy, and having good food with friends and family.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The first sunrise (rather sun) of the year peeking over the roof of the apartment complex located in front of our Ichinomiya home</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>One of the Kagami Mochi displayed inside our home</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby having his first lunch of the year at home</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The first ‘usie’ of the year taken inside our home</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby very happy holding the cute daughter of a family-friend couple</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><b>2nd January 2017</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">On the morning of 2nd January, father-in-law, his two older brothers, his wife, hubby and I went to play bowling at a facility named <a href="http://apitatown-inazawa.com/shop/service/namco.html" target="_blank">Wonderbowl</a> located inside <a href="http://apitatown-inazawa.com/" target="_blank">Apita Shopping Mall</a> in Inazawa City. We played bowling for about 1.5 hours. Father-in-law and his wife are experts in playing bowling, and I saw father-in-law giving advice to his older brothers. It was really so much fun to play bowling. Later we all had lunch at a Chinese restaurant located inside the mall. Afterwards hubby and I went to a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amusement_arcade" target="_blank">game center</a> also located inside the mall, and spent about half an hour playing <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claw_crane" target="_blank">UFO catcher</a>. We spent a nice fun filled morning at the shopping mall.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby bowling and his oldest uncle looking on</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Father-in-law (right) and his two brothers discussing bowling strategy</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDsTJnJoCyfEw-VVA54S6AU5XHSZZR7pZFlufOfFIrjzUE8cFQHLO_VPT_ng0CMGjpeIXpGlYF8hyphenhyphenwrsF12Xl1By_-t-mOSwckX3eH7cRmdxnpB_ThJyFIfldYmYl_wUWO7GPbcwpiKufY/s1600/15.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDsTJnJoCyfEw-VVA54S6AU5XHSZZR7pZFlufOfFIrjzUE8cFQHLO_VPT_ng0CMGjpeIXpGlYF8hyphenhyphenwrsF12Xl1By_-t-mOSwckX3eH7cRmdxnpB_ThJyFIfldYmYl_wUWO7GPbcwpiKufY/s400/15.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Father-in-law (middle) telling his older brother some intricate details about bowling</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQl2iZni4EppeX9dg-hfik4UlGZRqv0fcM51UD5mTXm-DyLJf5EBK8b1JZqO8HeiBe1CKV1j6A-QEEUoYAjEGcyg30dtbVJ38vYt8_2yPS_Ik3pvWGjJzVzqQXlq1WoTmYf3OqwolrVpo6/s1600/16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQl2iZni4EppeX9dg-hfik4UlGZRqv0fcM51UD5mTXm-DyLJf5EBK8b1JZqO8HeiBe1CKV1j6A-QEEUoYAjEGcyg30dtbVJ38vYt8_2yPS_Ik3pvWGjJzVzqQXlq1WoTmYf3OqwolrVpo6/s400/16.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Father-in-law showing his oldest brother some bowling tactics</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3DohfcIB0h_xrmkm5QZMaKwW4OdAXcYIHf5Emg2vj2p2VrUv6fAn8jXMi7vI1gMCxdCyFHt0VAsHDtmL3dAWlQl1pEzvBtaYx7pnH1nSe-tzK968RNRlS9-d_wmAtfDcwg_QqHCntV0B/s1600/17.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3DohfcIB0h_xrmkm5QZMaKwW4OdAXcYIHf5Emg2vj2p2VrUv6fAn8jXMi7vI1gMCxdCyFHt0VAsHDtmL3dAWlQl1pEzvBtaYx7pnH1nSe-tzK968RNRlS9-d_wmAtfDcwg_QqHCntV0B/s400/17.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>It was so much fun playing bowling</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYF2wE7BKBBqEGVUHVc_N1GVhiTmVP-oOCo9jjIQPHY9Le3l2a4nrif-xDwUWBalQ4RC0d1MNPZEADVSZGQ0K2G7YJZfhA0QsRb8kcHfqfP8d3-Xp877subFxqTssTOiBPIT2k5zqwqSRk/s1600/18.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYF2wE7BKBBqEGVUHVc_N1GVhiTmVP-oOCo9jjIQPHY9Le3l2a4nrif-xDwUWBalQ4RC0d1MNPZEADVSZGQ0K2G7YJZfhA0QsRb8kcHfqfP8d3-Xp877subFxqTssTOiBPIT2k5zqwqSRk/s400/18.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A memorable day at the bowling facility</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDRk4ddHvQsv4ClGVHOhD2Hxb7XxlYvmj-9cQIGHqOKJS5Ip9rAhrGJeBfByNH7OleQPmGRm-GIvju-Y_wAJNgozCcr_kzuXMEO_7Ou8O41sXa7_nyH6YNhKg1RjmRuBkPXxZZUlD5aHQN/s1600/19.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDRk4ddHvQsv4ClGVHOhD2Hxb7XxlYvmj-9cQIGHqOKJS5Ip9rAhrGJeBfByNH7OleQPmGRm-GIvju-Y_wAJNgozCcr_kzuXMEO_7Ou8O41sXa7_nyH6YNhKg1RjmRuBkPXxZZUlD5aHQN/s400/19.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby playing UFO catcher at a game center</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">In the afternoon, hubby and I visited a shrine named <a href="http://lipikazuo.blogspot.com/2016/01/masumida-jinja-shrine.html" target="_blank">Masumida Jinja</a> located in Ichinomiya City itself. One of the customs and traditions during the New Year is to visit a shrine or a temple. This first trip to a shrine or a temple is known as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatsum%C5%8Dde" target="_blank">Hatsumode</a>. Hatsumode festivities are held at practically every shrine and temple across the country. People often visit a shrine after midnight on 31st December or sometime during the day on 1st January. Actually it is also a sort of annual ritual and tradition for us to visit a nearby shrine wherever we are during the New Year holidays. This year, although we were unable to visit a shrine on the first day itself, we visited Masumida Jinja Shrine located in the city in the afternoon of 2nd January. In fact, we had visited the same shrine last year also for Hatsumode. On reaching the shrine, we noted that there was a big crowd of people in front of us waiting to offer their prayers at the Prayer Hall of the shrine. We had to wait for almost an hour to offer our prayers. Finally on reaching the altar of the Prayer Hall, I offered some coins into the offertory box, clapped my hands twice, and prayed for the well being of my family as well as friends. Afterwards we bought a pair of cute rooster dolls from a shop located inside the shrine premises. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rooster_(zodiac)" target="_blank">Rooster</a> is this year’s zodiac animal and is supposed to beckon good luck.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing in front of Masumida Jinja Shrine</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBU1RjkJsRhAELslxAe-vfEtWlEOp8DM8Kmhy43nyyz-5RNpU3gfPE3192JK2l4Bptupw1UkLiXFJs-t3oWm0CUGNMn1FfBf8vUDnDCICgYlgNY3b4846NbpjYdoESileVGPjpzy15y2nd/s1600/21.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBU1RjkJsRhAELslxAe-vfEtWlEOp8DM8Kmhy43nyyz-5RNpU3gfPE3192JK2l4Bptupw1UkLiXFJs-t3oWm0CUGNMn1FfBf8vUDnDCICgYlgNY3b4846NbpjYdoESileVGPjpzy15y2nd/s400/21.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>People waiting patiently in front of the Prayer Hall of the shrine</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am praying in front of the Prayer Hall</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A pair of cute rooster dolls</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><b>3rd January 2017</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">On 3rd January, father-in-law, his wife, and hubby again went to play golf at Springfield Golf Club in Tajimi City. They left at about 6 am, and I stayed at home and relaxed all day. In the afternoon, hubby’s sister and her two daughters again visited our home. In fact sister-in-law came to drop off her daughters who stayed overnight with us. It is always nice to chat with them. Hubby returned home after playing golf at about 4.30 pm. Then we all had snacks and tea, and the younger niece played some <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shogi" target="_blank">Shogi</a> games as well as card games with her uncle. Soon afterwards sister-in-law left and both the nieces started doing their school related homework. Hubby and I were really amazed to see them do their homework earnestly without anyone telling them to do so. Later in the evening, I made Japanese style <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_curry" target="_blank">curry-rice</a> for dinner. Hubby and younger niece helped me in frying some food items. We all had fun cooking and eating dinner together. Afterwards both the nieces took bath and soaked in the bathtub for quite some time. They looked very relaxed and fell asleep by 10.30 pm.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby and younger niece playing Shogi Domino</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwQ9s-HNCF1WB4r48SW4ieV1uv34ZMIiJGJku6p_d7qksaazALsjM1xPXYb7bXzDMovP2YU-IANCQ0khyphenhyphen7-cqo0g6uWDTC4xKeZGTZ2J-ajaotjoQv0b5HHRdIZrI1uQxICfOdiSRR1a9c/s1600/25.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwQ9s-HNCF1WB4r48SW4ieV1uv34ZMIiJGJku6p_d7qksaazALsjM1xPXYb7bXzDMovP2YU-IANCQ0khyphenhyphen7-cqo0g6uWDTC4xKeZGTZ2J-ajaotjoQv0b5HHRdIZrI1uQxICfOdiSRR1a9c/s400/25.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Younger niece posing</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby and younger niece playing a game of Shogi</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJIGQ5kIdWLmguOtwyD7wiGmvc-gJzoLvx-vg4X0dgH8SoXkVNhfMUd-cFANDhU3OFuBM21DGsyOCaczre8A4Q2WvOH6D1bHn380tVSu3mTDDwnVmg_WldecKaFhNTe5QCxbOj31-GpF9q/s1600/27.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJIGQ5kIdWLmguOtwyD7wiGmvc-gJzoLvx-vg4X0dgH8SoXkVNhfMUd-cFANDhU3OFuBM21DGsyOCaczre8A4Q2WvOH6D1bHn380tVSu3mTDDwnVmg_WldecKaFhNTe5QCxbOj31-GpF9q/s400/27.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby and younger niece helping me in cooking dinner</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Younger niece cutting some food item</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Younger niece frying the food item</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Younger niece posing and older niece watching some television program (in the background) while having dinner</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am drying younger niece’s hair after she took bath</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Younger niece ready to sleep but wants to continue playing with uncle</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><b>4th January 2017</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">The next morning on 4th January, I made breakfast and fed the girls. Afterwards they practiced volleyball skills with their uncle at the front yard of our home. It was fun to watch them practice volleyball drills without a net or a court. Younger niece had brought her jumping rope with her, and hubby practiced jumping rope for some time. He seemed to enjoy it very much. After practicing volleyball and doing other physical exercises for about an hour, the nieces and hubby were rather tired. So they played some card games for some time. At about 11 am, we went to play bowling at Wonderbowl facility located inside Apita Shopping Mall in Inazawa City. Father-in-law and his wife also accompanied us. We played bowling for about 1.5 hours. It was really so much fun to play bowling. Later we all had lunch at a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sushi" target="_blank">Sushi</a> restaurant. After lunch, father-in-law and his wife returned home. Hubby and I took the girls to a shopping mall in Ichinomiya, and bought a few gifts for them. We drove the nieces to their home at about 4.30 pm. It is always a pleasure to have the nieces stay at our home. We had a nice time with our relatives. In the evening, hubby and I visited my late mother-in-law’s grave located near our home, and offered our prayers. Hubby cleaned the gravestone with water, offered flowers, and lit some candles and incense sticks. Afterwards, we returned home and had dinner while watching some television program.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby and the nieces practicing volleyball drills at the front yard of our home</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby jumping rope</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby very focused in jumping rope</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Younger niece pretending to be a witch flying on a broomstick</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby and younger niece playing a card game</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby and younger niece playing yet another card game</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Older niece bowling at Wonderbowl facility inside Apita Shopping Mall</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am bowling and younger niece just finished her turn bowling</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Father-in-law bowling and hubby about to bowl</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby bowling</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Father-in-law and the nieces posing inside the bowling facility</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Father-in-law, his wife, and hubby having lunch at a Sushi restaurant</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby cleaning his late mother’s gravestone with water</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby offering flowers at the grave</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Mother-in-law’s gravestone cleaned with water and arranged with flowers</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><b>5th January 2017</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">On 5th January, hubby and I were to return to Akita. We left our home in Ichinomiya at about 12 noon, and took a train from Ichinomiya Railway Station to Centrair Airport. At the airport we saw traditional New Year decorations called <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kadomatsu" target="_blank">Kadomatsu</a> which looked amazing. Our flight to Akita Airport was at about 3.30 pm. We got nice views of the snow-covered <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_Alps" target="_blank">Japanese Alps</a> mountain ranges from the airplane. We reached Akita Airport at about 5 pm and it was already quite dark. Immediately after getting down from the airplane, we realized that we were back to cold harsh winter of Akita. It was too windy and snowing heavily that time. In fact, during the car ride from the airport to our home in Yurihonjo City, it snowed the entire way and there was snow all around us.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing in front of Kadomatsu decoration at Centrair Airport</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing in front of Kadomatsu decoration</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby having some snacks while waiting at Centrair Airport</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Japanese Alps mountain range as viewed from the airplane</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Snow-covered Japanese Alps mountain range</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Snow-covered Akita as viewed from the airplane</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby posing in front of the airplane after reaching Akita Airport</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The temperature inside our car was -0.7 degrees Celsius before we switched on the car heater</i></span></span></div>
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Manisha Kundu-Nagatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13277146210049986417noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695885479879152724.post-6345586060051839682017-01-25T12:38:00.001+09:002017-01-25T12:38:58.403+09:00Indian restaurant Namaskar in Sendai<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">This post is pending for a long time. 13th October 2016 was our 11th marriage anniversary, which fell on a weekday. Although hubby and I are not into celebrating anniversaries in a grand way, we usually have some simple funny celebrations to create happy memories for us. So in the evening of 13th October, while returning home from his office, hubby bought various kinds of pastries and sweets like custard pudding, chocolate eclairs, several slices of chocolate cake and cheese cake from a convenience store located near our home. We had the pastries and sweets after dinner, and had a quiet anniversary night.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Various kinds of pastries and sweets hubby bought on our marriage anniversary day</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">On 9th and 10th October 2016, the weekend before our marriage anniversary, we went to Sendai City to have dinner at an Indian restaurant named Namaskar to celebrate our anniversary. It was also because I had been craving for an Indian dish named <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masala_dosa" target="_blank">Masala Dosa</a> for almost a year, and hubby did some internet search and found out that the restaurant serves Masala Dosa. Namaskar restaurant is located in Minami-machi dori area in the heart of Sendai City. The restaurant serves authentic Indian food cooked by an Indian chef and his assistants. The restaurant has bilingual staff and serves north as well as south Indian delicacies for lunch and dinner, with the lunch on Saturdays being buffet style. The restaurant has a seating capacity for 80 people, and is ideal for parties, seminars or even wedding receptions.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">On 9th October, we left our home in Yurihonjo City at about 1.30 pm. Namaskar restaurant is located about 245 kilometers southeast of our home, and it took us about 3.5 hours of car ride to reach near the restaurant in Minami-machi dori area in Sendai City. After parking our car at a nearby car parking lot, we realized that it was just 5 pm and there was still about 30 minutes left for the restaurant to open for dinner. So we took a stroll in Ichibancho shopping arcade located in the downtown area. It is actually a covered mall that connects several streets together in the downtown area to create the largest arcade in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C5%8Dhoku_region" target="_blank">Tohoku region</a>. The shopping area includes several different arcade malls and covers a T-shaped area along Ichibancho and Chuo dori. The arcade has various kinds of shops including budget <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100-yen_shop" target="_blank">100 yen shops</a>, an Apple store, clothing and souvenir stores, as well as many restaurants. While strolling along the shopping arcade, we saw a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line_(application)" target="_blank">LINE</a> store sporting a massive teddy bear at the front entrance beckoning people to enter the shop. While walking we also saw an artistic manhole cover with the motif of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanabata" target="_blank">Tanabata</a> star festival decoration. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanabata#Sendai_Tanabata_festival" target="_blank">Sendai Tanabata</a> festival is the most popular amongst all the star festivals of Japan. After about 30 minutes of enjoying the views along the shopping arcade, we left the area and went to Namaskar restaurant.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby having softcream at a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rest_area" target="_blank">service area</a> along the expressway on our way from Yurihonjo to Sendai City</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby walking along Ichibancho shopping arcade in downtown Sendai City</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing along the covered shopping arcade</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The shopping arcade looks grand</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby and the shopping arcade</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing along with a massive teddy bear located at the front entrance of a LINE store in the arcade</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ARmUbjxU_DTQUOOOk_pIkIhsutgnTBZPS1eICQ6UCqTuMs36qQnCqCEfGhxfWgRhvf5m89FKomg2ZqxrhBYx7tZZslGw0BhSuxwIUSz3ooRr2ZGfFLgYp364S-I7eNImNF0BviKWG4o/s1600/8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ARmUbjxU_DTQUOOOk_pIkIhsutgnTBZPS1eICQ6UCqTuMs36qQnCqCEfGhxfWgRhvf5m89FKomg2ZqxrhBYx7tZZslGw0BhSuxwIUSz3ooRr2ZGfFLgYp364S-I7eNImNF0BviKWG4o/s400/8.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby and the huge teddy bear</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Artistic manhole cover with the motif of Tanabata festival decoration located along the arcade pathway</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">We reached in front of Namaskar restaurant at about 5.45 pm. We clicked a few photos of us at the entrance area of the restaurant and then entered inside. We liked the ambience and the nice little Indian atmosphere inside. A restaurant staff showed us to our table and gave us the menu cards. To his dismay, hubby noted that there was no mention of Masala Dosa in the menu card. He was so shocked that I thought he would burst out crying as we had traveled about 245 kilometers to have Masala Dosa. Later I came to know that the restaurant stopped serving Masala Dosa a long time ago but they never updated their webpage or even the front of their restaurant where they proudly show an advertisement about Masala Dosa. I guess, it is our typical Indian way of doing things. Anyway since we were there we decided that we might as well have some other Indian foods that were advertised. We noted that the menu was vast. There were so many choices for dinner and it was challenging for us to decide what to order off the menu as everything sounded good. So we ordered several dishes and shared the food so that we could taste various kinds of dishes. We ordered a plate of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tandoori_chicken" target="_blank">Tandoori chicken</a> and fish <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tikka_(food)" target="_blank">Tikka</a> for starters which tasted delicious. We also ordered mango juice and an orange juice which arrived in cute <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mughal_Empire" target="_blank">Mughal</a> style metal tumblers. I ordered a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thali" target="_blank">Thali</a> set menu consisting of three kinds of curries, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saffron_rice" target="_blank">saffron rice</a>, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naan" target="_blank">Naan</a>. Several kinds of choices were available on the types of curry and Naan. I chose two non-vegetarian curries, one vegetarian potato curry, and plane Naan for the set menu. The curries were served in small steel bowls that were placed on a round steel main tray along with saffron rice and a tiny <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samosa" target="_blank">Samosa</a>. Naan was served in a small bamboo basket. Salad of shredded cabbage and soup were also included in this set menu. The taste of the curries was balanced with the right consistency and went fairly well with both rice and Naan. Naan was soft, chewy, and flavorful. Hubby ordered a bowl of eastern Indian style fish curry and saffron rice. The combination of saffron rice and the mild fish curry was perfect. He relished eating the food very much, and it reminded him of the fish curry he had at my parents’ home in India. Furthermore, he enjoyed having the potato curry from my set menu, which he felt was also cooked almost the same way as my mother’s food. The spicy and flavorful curries slowly made hubby forget about the Masala Dosa and we enjoyed the delicious food in the nice ambience of the restaurant. After having various dishes, we had dessert of some kind of Indian mousse. Finally, we wrapped our dinner with sweet <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masala_chai" target="_blank">Chai</a>. We were very satisfied with the dinner and were so full that we could not move at all. Anyway, afterwards we went for a long walk in Sendai City and appreciated the surroundings and the moon above. That night we stayed at a hotel in Sendai City.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing in front of Namaskar restaurant located in Minami-machi dori area in Sendai City</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD4rYHEZXgnTm5CVIr_yHnQ0C0xJ8CNNxroTkqRKwwSC0suNH2rwwZb2S41BV98qPUtNIVhKtGM3GtKUT2zKIQTHCKIn9m-6nF60V-5ARa6BCq0mVMlPpHN6SdTNDEMpAi-KYaTn_PsOU/s1600/11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD4rYHEZXgnTm5CVIr_yHnQ0C0xJ8CNNxroTkqRKwwSC0suNH2rwwZb2S41BV98qPUtNIVhKtGM3GtKUT2zKIQTHCKIn9m-6nF60V-5ARa6BCq0mVMlPpHN6SdTNDEMpAi-KYaTn_PsOU/s400/11.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing in front of the restaurant</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOGVb2DhQNWiD_DoU1WNBkvuos_5RA6KTmb0L_WQPJesu5MDwszo7-Ldo8qBmo9rKqSVpXjAj3EJpjnvaVUvrDMKdc7UVcMt2jUqx8aCDTjOLm1IfU8ynuLUtqNo5tldM5CO2w3W5L9UI/s1600/12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOGVb2DhQNWiD_DoU1WNBkvuos_5RA6KTmb0L_WQPJesu5MDwszo7-Ldo8qBmo9rKqSVpXjAj3EJpjnvaVUvrDMKdc7UVcMt2jUqx8aCDTjOLm1IfU8ynuLUtqNo5tldM5CO2w3W5L9UI/s400/12.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Menu card kept at our table inside the restaurant</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjnxyQCQqGRuVHM3eRcwF6LW4N33KCY20963vYPJmkENaZ4z3vRkPwxz2EEfHo3KVMWXniZwZfj-3W8KsPkQc3Bcuyw6AcWUsnHuPtHXOVAMFY1BpvpBkIIDrJpPjKJ5Hbywix0es2KZA/s1600/13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjnxyQCQqGRuVHM3eRcwF6LW4N33KCY20963vYPJmkENaZ4z3vRkPwxz2EEfHo3KVMWXniZwZfj-3W8KsPkQc3Bcuyw6AcWUsnHuPtHXOVAMFY1BpvpBkIIDrJpPjKJ5Hbywix0es2KZA/s400/13.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby shocked and dismayed after noting that there was no mention of Masala Dosa in the menu card</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO23hLe6a65A8kLbQhQippCeVnLVC1yKsXBb-kvT3dbrUhO0LcOxIbA3Bm8sxQbX3YXZv9byhirSU8YcsNFPIna1oWj8cxxz_f4a0S4jaKTCVYhS-3rVb4bWYRzKryiGEeFl67ZUINx3k/s1600/14.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO23hLe6a65A8kLbQhQippCeVnLVC1yKsXBb-kvT3dbrUhO0LcOxIbA3Bm8sxQbX3YXZv9byhirSU8YcsNFPIna1oWj8cxxz_f4a0S4jaKTCVYhS-3rVb4bWYRzKryiGEeFl67ZUINx3k/s400/14.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Tandoori chicken and fish Tikka as starters along with a soup</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0VkXqihR0N8qTnX0ct8JeSEjfw7YQ4O05OCtzyj4G8OSr-5TzqAyRfYPHAE8LEO7ghyYJNqjm8NKMch9y2ElR762GD4_SuzOurUsyo3f4TkLye1ssVkfGiXFCr-ojsUEhl4nuy14XLWo/s1600/15.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0VkXqihR0N8qTnX0ct8JeSEjfw7YQ4O05OCtzyj4G8OSr-5TzqAyRfYPHAE8LEO7ghyYJNqjm8NKMch9y2ElR762GD4_SuzOurUsyo3f4TkLye1ssVkfGiXFCr-ojsUEhl4nuy14XLWo/s400/15.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Mango juice and an orange juice in Mughal style metal tumblers</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv_BebWj_G023wC4Tmslz87KaLq-LnoUkiM87XJ7RQ6N6p9jyGCExG1R4Kw6pSgGOxk3RTLuWxdIdbNMHu9FZ619D0c3rWmkH9op0JCzgM6lbNz8R8xzy_XnAa4WSMCnlfLlrFjQtl3A0/s1600/16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv_BebWj_G023wC4Tmslz87KaLq-LnoUkiM87XJ7RQ6N6p9jyGCExG1R4Kw6pSgGOxk3RTLuWxdIdbNMHu9FZ619D0c3rWmkH9op0JCzgM6lbNz8R8xzy_XnAa4WSMCnlfLlrFjQtl3A0/s400/16.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby having salad of shredded cabbage</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcfpZ1SjWzD7Xe71gEVQJUMRr1IZLpfvDJCi9H6z58Xn_fkavSP9u6QD2Vc66S0hQ72WaCeFwAILA8SFYhQFFtKbJUq0EVS9-8FYKKj5u0eLkMNVCb2_WtceyX_vnCEX-hS1vsRQ7QHT8/s1600/17.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcfpZ1SjWzD7Xe71gEVQJUMRr1IZLpfvDJCi9H6z58Xn_fkavSP9u6QD2Vc66S0hQ72WaCeFwAILA8SFYhQFFtKbJUq0EVS9-8FYKKj5u0eLkMNVCb2_WtceyX_vnCEX-hS1vsRQ7QHT8/s400/17.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am having Tandoori chicken and fish Tikka</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSTq1pBvbgZ_QkVaPjdi2TVkOS-WtbzgcrUXo8uwwtqscyfuhMsJziADR3X4jxwWOOFeouaUpOAw5T_PQclHofb03fnqvHVrQj11rcpV_x-64QDRJqW__r5J32jSDXLP2GCbSJWUTks98/s1600/18.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSTq1pBvbgZ_QkVaPjdi2TVkOS-WtbzgcrUXo8uwwtqscyfuhMsJziADR3X4jxwWOOFeouaUpOAw5T_PQclHofb03fnqvHVrQj11rcpV_x-64QDRJqW__r5J32jSDXLP2GCbSJWUTks98/s400/18.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby having Tandoori chicken and fish Tikka</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmWHkpCTeFF_xJ9vuMflnPm_SdyO20tG3LrupHeM6D4haOQFaGhAttsi2QSRrEOlJG-JBZoPQG3QAIbnw7zbqk4_89ckvgKqJBP5vF086gtdqHvZL1ua89_cRomyTSEuLxN30-HBV4n3Q/s1600/19.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmWHkpCTeFF_xJ9vuMflnPm_SdyO20tG3LrupHeM6D4haOQFaGhAttsi2QSRrEOlJG-JBZoPQG3QAIbnw7zbqk4_89ckvgKqJBP5vF086gtdqHvZL1ua89_cRomyTSEuLxN30-HBV4n3Q/s400/19.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Main course of our dinner</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir8PpzxLJ806HAVCLO1jGkmrOEzftXGhe-KVlfdOwATy95u8_mDaXzD0Jv91O9MJapPn127Y0XV5RCe71XhvxJOOAa1Nn_3uUSYNdeQ_JJJeGCQsrhV5UQ6IWebRqXbwYfQMZ7KrshAHo/s1600/20.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir8PpzxLJ806HAVCLO1jGkmrOEzftXGhe-KVlfdOwATy95u8_mDaXzD0Jv91O9MJapPn127Y0XV5RCe71XhvxJOOAa1Nn_3uUSYNdeQ_JJJeGCQsrhV5UQ6IWebRqXbwYfQMZ7KrshAHo/s400/20.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby’s dinner of a bowl of eastern Indian style fish curry and saffron rice</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The fish curry was delicious and tasted just like my mother’s cooking</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>My dinner of Thali set consisting of three kinds of curries, saffron rice, and plane Naan</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Two non-vegetarian curries and one vegetarian potato curry were served in small steel bowls that were placed on a round steel main tray along with saffron rice and a tiny Samosa</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby having his dinner of fish curry</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The fish curry reminded him of my mother’s cooking back at my parents’ home in India</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am having my dinner of Thali set</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby having potato curry from my Thali set</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby felt that the potato curry was cooked almost the same way as my mother’s cooking</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Dessert of some kind of Indian mousse</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby having sweet Chai after dinner</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>After dinner, we went for a long walk in Sendai City and all around us was so dark</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>We at our hotel room in Sendai City</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">The next morning, on 10th October, we checked out of the hotel at about 10 am and started back on our way home. We enjoyed the outside views during the car ride. We had lunch at a restaurant named Hiraizumi Resthouse Maesawa Restaurant located at Maesawa <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorway_service_area" target="_blank">service area</a> along the expressway in Oshu town of Iwate prefecture. The restaurant is famous for a variety of menus consisting of <a href="http://www.japan-iwate.info/app/location_detail.php?lid=25" target="_blank">Maesawa beef</a>, which is one of the best beef brands in Japan. Hubby had roast beef-don (roast beef rice bowl) set and I had Kalbi-don (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galbi" target="_blank">Kalbi</a> rice bowl) set. We shared our food and the dishes of both the sets were really delicious. After lunch, hubby had coffee from a vending machine at the service area. While having coffee, he started looking at an information board with a map and signs to various landmark sightseeing locations in northern Japan. All of a sudden he had that strange deja vu feeling that he had been there before, standing in the same pose. We have done a lot of sightseeing, so I could not recall the service area. After returning home, I looked up some old photos, and realized that we indeed have a photo of hubby standing in a similar pose at the same position way back in July 2008 when we had visited Genbikei Gorge in Ichinoseki City of Iwate prefecture. Here is a link to the <a href="http://lipikazuo.blogspot.com/2008/09/genbikei-gorge.html" target="_blank">post about Genbikei Gorge</a>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby’s lunch of roast beef-don set</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>My lunch of Kalbi-don set</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby having lunch</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am having lunch</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby tasting my lunch set</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby having a cup of coffee standing near an information board at Maesawa service area along the expressway</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing near the same information board way back in July 2008</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">I should mention here that our marriage anniversary on 13th October is the Japanese one. The marriage procedures of Japan are not yet recognized by the Indian government, so we had to register our marriage at the Indian Embassy in Tokyo on 26th December 2005, which we call as our Indian marriage anniversary. I love the fact that we get to celebrate our marriage anniversary twice in a year. So in the evening of 26th December, while returning home from his office, hubby again bought various kinds of pastries and sweets from a convenience store located near our home. He nicely arranged the pastries and sweets on a plate and even lit candles. We had the pastries and sweets after dinner. We made nice memories for a lifetime. I am thankful that God put the most wonderful husband in the world in my path. I am very happy and thankful for all the joy of having a loving and understanding hubby.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Various kinds of pastries and sweets hubby bought on our Indian marriage anniversary day</i></span></span></div>
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Manisha Kundu-Nagatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13277146210049986417noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695885479879152724.post-89665216485604347772017-01-17T16:28:00.002+09:002017-01-17T16:28:59.347+09:00Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">As I wrote in the <a href="http://lipikazuo.blogspot.com/2016/12/hakodate-kokusai-hotel.html" target="_blank">previous post</a>, hubby and I stayed at Hakodate Kokusai Hotel in Hakodate City on the night on 20th June 2016. The next morning, we checked out of the hotel and visited Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse located at a walking distance from the hotel. Kanemori Warehouse is a row of red brick warehouses that were built more than a century ago at the end of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meiji_period" target="_blank">Meiji period</a>. They are the first commercial warehouses of Hakodate. These warehouses face Hakodate Bay across a navigation channel that conjures up a feeling of nostalgia and have the atmosphere of yesteryears. The complex has its roots in the Kanemori haberdasher’s shop, which opened in 1869. The warehouses are now famous culture spots in Hakodate that attracts numerous visitors. Today they house a variety of commercial facilities and restaurants where visitors can do shopping as well as enjoy gourmet cuisine.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">In 1859 Hakodate Port opened as one of the first international trading ports of Japan, along with Yokohama and Nagasaki. As the port flourished, the city saw many people and cultures come and go. Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse witnessed the history of the city through its warehousing business. As one of the symbols of the early days of the shipping industry of Hakodate Bay area, Kanemori Warehouse offers visitors an unforgettable time. In fact due to its historical importance, the warehouse area of the cityscape has been recognized as an ‘important preservation district for groups of historic traditional buildings’.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Watanabe Kumashiro founded the first warehouse business in Hakodate. He is considered to be the man behind Hakodate’s prosperity. He came to Hakodate from Nagasaki in 1863 when he was 24 years old. In 1869, he founded the former Kanemori haberdasher's shop, which now houses the Municipal History Museum. He also founded the former Kanemori ship chandlery shop, which sold imported products and ship chandlery. In addition, he engaged in many other businesses, contributing enormously to the foundation of Hakodate's prosperity. He started his warehouse business in Hakodate in 1887. The present red brick warehouse buildings were rebuilt in 1909. The view of these beautiful warehouses is certainly a must-see tourist spot.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">On 21st June 2016, hubby and I left Hakodate Kokusai Hotel at about 10 am and started walking towards the Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse located just 700 meters southwest of the hotel. Ideally it should just take 9 minutes to reach the warehouse buildings but we leisurely walked along the street and enjoyed looking at various historic buildings along the way. The first building we saw was named <a href="http://www.hakodate-factory.com/beer/" target="_blank">Hakodate Beer Factory</a> where the most impressive Hakodate Beer is brewed. The building has a restaurant inside where people can enjoy the beer. We noted that the building had a Meiji period red brick exterior and was formerly a glass-blowing craft shop. The building looked grand and nostalgic. We continued walking along the street and enjoyed the surrounding views and buildings. This street was renamed as ‘Kaiko Street’ in July 2014 to make the area more appealing to the visitors. The street connects <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan_Railways_Group" target="_blank">JR</a> Hakodate Station with the bay area and the Motomachi area. We saw many history panels and street galleries along the street. We read the history of Hakodate from such panels and galleries and felt connected to the bygone era history of the city. While walking we also saw an artistic manhole cover with a colorful image of the Orthodox Church of the Russian Consulate, one of the oldest Western-style buildings in Hakodate. Next, we saw a stately red brick building named Hakodate Meijikan located along the street. It was originally built as Hakodate Post Office Government building in 1911. The building was used as a post office and other government departments. It is one of the typical Meiji period Western buildings in Hakodate. After 50 years of usage, it was sold to a private individual in 1962. It is now used as a shopping mall where visitors can try their hand at making a musical box. We loved the exterior of the building.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing in front of Hakodate Beer Factory building</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaDm0LqsDJykImcmPnYkD51aHuc6h-L3GVoKjaipwr0l6VRy3rBD-ukXBdRexP_3-H6VOL3-aG0BxsEPaKMwyTy6WFT-KGNKw5mpbNP-j4ZHEyq9Hpx4fB2ryVWyJmgeV-WBaOYYFSlEs/s1600/2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaDm0LqsDJykImcmPnYkD51aHuc6h-L3GVoKjaipwr0l6VRy3rBD-ukXBdRexP_3-H6VOL3-aG0BxsEPaKMwyTy6WFT-KGNKw5mpbNP-j4ZHEyq9Hpx4fB2ryVWyJmgeV-WBaOYYFSlEs/s400/2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing next to a history panel gallery along Kaiko Street</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDkMUtpikVJYCbDqq9JxF8brt-gu9P4PKv2AgOqV138BUZHtu-Bz7FNRORWy83y-Zg35BFc_I1qlRnlhZogEsgxxZEeCdaGznviKRPlhpgYEKmIVWq4NaepI-Iioa4Si2WqlFyBsznI14/s1600/3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDkMUtpikVJYCbDqq9JxF8brt-gu9P4PKv2AgOqV138BUZHtu-Bz7FNRORWy83y-Zg35BFc_I1qlRnlhZogEsgxxZEeCdaGznviKRPlhpgYEKmIVWq4NaepI-Iioa4Si2WqlFyBsznI14/s400/3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing next to another history panel gallery along Kaiko Street</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Manhole cover with an image of the Orthodox Church of the Russian Consulate</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hakodate Meijikan building</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Enlarged view of Hakodate Meijikan building</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx96xSyQPS7Jpif6r39uIWWuGvafBwoO0NqzCmUH5rEjzQwPVyv_S1YWmzWB4txLki5oc03VYcUwnBF_ESnrwyww6mIPFqC3VDjQnzy29_nzqdoFgzjunWy5D53dYkxfy-J708NbjJzwE/s1600/7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx96xSyQPS7Jpif6r39uIWWuGvafBwoO0NqzCmUH5rEjzQwPVyv_S1YWmzWB4txLki5oc03VYcUwnBF_ESnrwyww6mIPFqC3VDjQnzy29_nzqdoFgzjunWy5D53dYkxfy-J708NbjJzwE/s400/7.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing at the entrance area of Hakodate Meijikan building</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">After about 15 minutes of walking leisurely along Kaiko Street, we reached in front of Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse complex. The warehouse complex consists of four zones, each of which has its own distinctive characteristics. The fours zones are Bay Hakodate, Kanemori Yobutsukan, Hakodate History Plaza, and Kanemori Hall. These red brick warehouses are considered very valuable in Japan. The Bay Hakodate zone and the Kanemori Warehouse (which includes Kanemori Yobutsukan, Hakodate History Plaza, and Kanemori Hall zones) differ in brickwork and wood used. Now I will briefly write about these differences. Bay Hakodate was first completed in 1882 as a warehouse for the Hakodate branch office of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi#History" target="_blank">Mitsubishi Shokai</a>. During the early Meiji period when the warehouse buildings of this zone were constructed, the French method or the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brickwork#Flemish_bond" target="_blank">Flemish bond</a> was mainly utilized in brickwork. This method was practiced before 1886, where long bricks and short bricks were lined alternately, producing an exquisite, elegant appearance. Non-cut Japanese cypress logs were used for all the posts and beams. Unfortunately some parts of the warehouse disappeared due to a massive fire that broke out in 1907. The warehouse was then rebuilt during 1909-1912. Since the British method or <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brickwork#English_bond" target="_blank">English bond</a> method became the main popular method of brickwork during this time, the area near the roof was reconstructed utilizing the English bond. In fact, English bond method was practiced after 1886, where long-brick layers and short-brick layers were laid alternately, producing a solid, robust appearance. And it is said that the Bay Hakodate was rebuilt utilizing parts of the walls that remained after the massive fire. Next, I will write about the Kanemori Warehouse (the other three zones). The brickwork method used for the Kanemori Warehouse is the British method or English bond. These warehouses feature massive architectural structures as exemplified by the walls that are 30 to 50 centimeters thick. Heavy bricks and tiles were laid on the roof to make the buildings fireproof, which was a common practice around 1909 when these warehouses were built. To support the heavy roofs, non-cut Japanese cypress posts with a circumference of 150 centimeters were used.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">First we reached in front of the Bay Hakodate zone of the Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse complex, and entered the complex through a black colored metal gate located at the southeast corner of the zone. The two red brick warehouse buildings of this zone looked amazing. As written in the previous paragraph, Bay Hakodate has an aspect different from other zones of the Kanemori Warehouse complex. Bay Hakodate warehouse buildings were first completed in 1882 utilizing Flemish bond brickwork method. The warehouse buildings were then rebuilt during 1909-1912 with the area near the roof reconstructed in the English bond brickwork method. Bay Hakodate’s symbol is a canal which was constructed in 1882 and seems to flow with timelessness. The canal now is the last remaining canal in Hakodate, and is designated as a valuable cultural property of Hakodate. A chapel, a cruising spot, and a cafe are located around the canal. Bay Hakodate is an atmospheric area that is a popular date spot for couples. We clicked a few photos in and around the Bay Hakodate area.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing in front of a black colored metal gate located at the southeast corner of the Bay Hakodate zone of the warehouse complex</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing in front of a panel with historical details of the Kanemori Warehouse complex</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A red brick warehouse of the Bay Hakodate zone</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh1t5PhEM0xzhqHKT23JfvRe0Fv0xABt96x8NPb-aDdam78uqM0oADufjCsS3qXK5Jcx9l5E7pliDpZEh-rlF49iByAea2zTMvP2zPt-XUBkBLBLwG9WUYl-We8n6YAj_G6sWOPhrPZeI/s1600/11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh1t5PhEM0xzhqHKT23JfvRe0Fv0xABt96x8NPb-aDdam78uqM0oADufjCsS3qXK5Jcx9l5E7pliDpZEh-rlF49iByAea2zTMvP2zPt-XUBkBLBLwG9WUYl-We8n6YAj_G6sWOPhrPZeI/s400/11.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The red brick warehouse looks grand</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzi6jifrC2LFyFaUBQrvw-4DB30kW7OldEAEGaoqlMcn9EIAeVBawOvHCZ5KPHes5QNebSO7D4heXsnxLIS6UPtPJFVGFnP-NSJiZShC6aSsMXXrYpgWPICVwCAzt2r_2gIhP4OQkjRGA/s1600/12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzi6jifrC2LFyFaUBQrvw-4DB30kW7OldEAEGaoqlMcn9EIAeVBawOvHCZ5KPHes5QNebSO7D4heXsnxLIS6UPtPJFVGFnP-NSJiZShC6aSsMXXrYpgWPICVwCAzt2r_2gIhP4OQkjRGA/s400/12.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing in front of the red brick warehouse in the Bay Hakodate zone</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS3goY3R9-drWx8AbPkV9b0AEasg6n8f16lGsKIltcaQDEndZ8CihHYA-aSQ2AsNIUK7Vjfv0h9cKFsFpFAShDyXZ8nWvFXjRpSp8LC-9Clh4XlXwqeC-ExGwOLulNIi6_Y-EPNhpBiuQ/s1600/13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS3goY3R9-drWx8AbPkV9b0AEasg6n8f16lGsKIltcaQDEndZ8CihHYA-aSQ2AsNIUK7Vjfv0h9cKFsFpFAShDyXZ8nWvFXjRpSp8LC-9Clh4XlXwqeC-ExGwOLulNIi6_Y-EPNhpBiuQ/s400/13.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing near the canal along with two red brick warehouses in the Bay Hakodate zone</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0nfuUmWwsL1TbweuoVwdlO_mit-_y-M_Io2FsDOOzmR0_FNKZe2hCmljUmjWxLg5NAyMbJaI0bRWet530cbTRpZrnw9ft2ZcVUxKOXgsMYS2Xx3w8StgSe7iRm8MhKKIJ5fAnzD_bQLk/s1600/14.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0nfuUmWwsL1TbweuoVwdlO_mit-_y-M_Io2FsDOOzmR0_FNKZe2hCmljUmjWxLg5NAyMbJaI0bRWet530cbTRpZrnw9ft2ZcVUxKOXgsMYS2Xx3w8StgSe7iRm8MhKKIJ5fAnzD_bQLk/s400/14.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing next to the canal and one of the warehouses</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO8XHx5Zy4RS_qpFTHkwKkVkhdi7gUS2PDpWZ_XCaHPW9EqmedtCD8J6P-QTG1Lb9qZQuq4DXJImk15LxpqOop9ywuetD4kJzqfqGKLsOT15bMr1mvdsv2V7tR976V6CYwqXWfPNjWD5o/s1600/15.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO8XHx5Zy4RS_qpFTHkwKkVkhdi7gUS2PDpWZ_XCaHPW9EqmedtCD8J6P-QTG1Lb9qZQuq4DXJImk15LxpqOop9ywuetD4kJzqfqGKLsOT15bMr1mvdsv2V7tR976V6CYwqXWfPNjWD5o/s400/15.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby, the canal, and the warehouse in the Bay Hakodate zone</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoaAu6vciKwZgPzbt_GB1VH7EhFo5Nw9PdS0eBIfT26Vp16wvn5sMk-YnUfmN4EgLffpmho5QcIM9D6Mq3c3KUlRqiGe6s0rD6ONQMbPTXAZFPJ8lCAo62HJnnsXNvK3cbE2Vf7p1PWF8/s1600/16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoaAu6vciKwZgPzbt_GB1VH7EhFo5Nw9PdS0eBIfT26Vp16wvn5sMk-YnUfmN4EgLffpmho5QcIM9D6Mq3c3KUlRqiGe6s0rD6ONQMbPTXAZFPJ8lCAo62HJnnsXNvK3cbE2Vf7p1PWF8/s400/16.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The canal and the other warehouse in the Bay Hakodate zone</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">In the Bay Hakodate area, we saw a monument which stands for the trademark logo of for the old Kanemori haberdasher’s shop. At this point, let me briefly write about the trademark logo. The trademark of Kanemori has an inverted mirror image of L-shaped character which is the symbol for carpenter’s square. It depicts faithfulness and honesty and represents the founder Watanabe Kumashiro’s motto that we need no diplomacy in business. The ‘Kane’ part of the name Kanemori represents money. The ‘Mori’ part was named after Moriya, the name of the pharmacy in Nagasaki where the founder of Kanemori Warehouse used to work earlier. The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanji" target="_blank">Kanji</a> character of ‘Mori’ is written below the inverted mirror image of L-shaped character in the trademark logo. Now back to the monument. The monument is made of bricks from the Meiji period that had been used in the roof. The bricks were collected during construction work on the commercial establishment of the Kanemori Warehouse in 1988. The bricks are therefore sentinels that have witnessed a lot of history. The bell attached to the brick monument probably depicts peace. However, a bell is pronounced as ‘Kane’ in Japanese, which is similar sounding (but different Kanji character) to ‘Kane’ part (meaning money) of the trademark logo name Kanemori. So probably the bell represents peace as well as money! We noted two brick raised flower beds located on either side of the monument. The brick designs of the flower beds were based on the Flemish bond and the English bond, respectively. We loved and appreciated the simple way of depicting both the brickwork methods. Afterwards, we left Bay Hakodate zone of the warehouse complex through a black colored metal gate located at the southwest corner of the zone.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhjQbKsg-Rv0W-M-Ih4xogz6svqL4Til7tOxCCqfb3lxr2vg3QKo2FOYmwO_s8Ss8y-Xabuu_BRiBtP0PN8dQbkEFYH67V_1g9pzv38OQemUD9I9Hb541fkX8-kB8kJxyfBZ85td6b7V4/s1600/17.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhjQbKsg-Rv0W-M-Ih4xogz6svqL4Til7tOxCCqfb3lxr2vg3QKo2FOYmwO_s8Ss8y-Xabuu_BRiBtP0PN8dQbkEFYH67V_1g9pzv38OQemUD9I9Hb541fkX8-kB8kJxyfBZ85td6b7V4/s400/17.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am ringing the bell of a brick monument located at the Bay Hakodate zone. The monument represents the trademark logo of the Kanemori Warehouse.</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm9Pv21Sb9twx-I-2kHqCVnqSUuO8zpMZ7oAsv9pdD-_N5L132UUSnOoyfQmpBVOuIAr9Pcy0o4I15yrv6LKEDxV1enAFDpt6XbAJ3ZNf7PlSOfjm7KdjLCbniWjyVt_UTq9TQ_Lojvdk/s1600/18.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm9Pv21Sb9twx-I-2kHqCVnqSUuO8zpMZ7oAsv9pdD-_N5L132UUSnOoyfQmpBVOuIAr9Pcy0o4I15yrv6LKEDxV1enAFDpt6XbAJ3ZNf7PlSOfjm7KdjLCbniWjyVt_UTq9TQ_Lojvdk/s400/18.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Flemish bond designed brick raised flower bed</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnXkDLh_OkyEybFygO4beYuaEmAeudvwew9XyesnW1AkwNsW8CY1GIahV1pimrhgEHpEjli8EjjLOB-FD9fy-58hnHWQPHGQlSF5qi53PEY-PZW8lYy91C0ycOqiM8hTDzMApCB0mwVno/s1600/19.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnXkDLh_OkyEybFygO4beYuaEmAeudvwew9XyesnW1AkwNsW8CY1GIahV1pimrhgEHpEjli8EjjLOB-FD9fy-58hnHWQPHGQlSF5qi53PEY-PZW8lYy91C0ycOqiM8hTDzMApCB0mwVno/s400/19.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>English bond designed brick raised flower bed</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9r27rt2SN6N37Zg7Vse926g2HrUdGtnZNRDCEeDfuvm53vpUhZAGsGTbifvfIz_2ExDsDpw43TBvhwNqJvY-uSTR9xF4GeXu7SsTUuHg67GFFoWeBzkHLAdu3FfbvQk76nfra54ND45Y/s1600/20.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9r27rt2SN6N37Zg7Vse926g2HrUdGtnZNRDCEeDfuvm53vpUhZAGsGTbifvfIz_2ExDsDpw43TBvhwNqJvY-uSTR9xF4GeXu7SsTUuHg67GFFoWeBzkHLAdu3FfbvQk76nfra54ND45Y/s400/20.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing near the black colored metal gate located at the southwest corner of the Bay Hakodate zone</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Next, we walked towards the north along a paved pathway surrounded by red brick warehouse buildings of the Bay Hakodate zone on one side and the Kanemori Yobutsukan zone (described later on) on the other side. It was a pleasurable stroll. We noted a few cute metal statues along the way. Hubby touched the brick layout of the warehouse building in the Kanemori Yobutsukan zone of the warehouse complex and appreciated the English bond brickwork method. He was surprised to note that at some places long-brick layers and short-brick layers were not laid alternately, but just had several long-brick layers one above the other. I guess, it is very complicated for a common person like us to understand the intricate details.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC4u6FjuXtcWhRCQ_WIMe4NNRfChKkqz-eVj2qmCZmS1DlXvTWRBwWbkWeNZ7LPwsWwIW_4MxQy5x5Nv58r7cSpmBIsjbs7mFoTTjBNpG3HQXCgB6PBi-5mcqXPJOOiZLBRv_On7S5Jbc/s1600/21.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC4u6FjuXtcWhRCQ_WIMe4NNRfChKkqz-eVj2qmCZmS1DlXvTWRBwWbkWeNZ7LPwsWwIW_4MxQy5x5Nv58r7cSpmBIsjbs7mFoTTjBNpG3HQXCgB6PBi-5mcqXPJOOiZLBRv_On7S5Jbc/s400/21.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A paved pathway with red brick warehouse buildings of the Bay Hakodate zone on the right side and the Kanemori Yobutsukan zone on the left side</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZJFo6DgZ3DQbpN7UogRqFrLuuYrxwJF2baWXLA6XDpsBxoeas0MhWDkI0Il9aQrbbtb4D3V6y1HmrqH2y4Ktuv_mg6v8hUAQ0t_tjUyg-MF0gYHyOH1NdEIrcXoxAoR_SBk4_RKIBIWc/s1600/22.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZJFo6DgZ3DQbpN7UogRqFrLuuYrxwJF2baWXLA6XDpsBxoeas0MhWDkI0Il9aQrbbtb4D3V6y1HmrqH2y4Ktuv_mg6v8hUAQ0t_tjUyg-MF0gYHyOH1NdEIrcXoxAoR_SBk4_RKIBIWc/s400/22.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Side view of the warehouse building of the Bay Hakodate zone</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjeyexopJeAFRyw7rpCqzKOPrzR9xaXh3fQJsGrZKLSNhLPR7Xdh0l_-j1srS0k5Q-0F5sfvH-cqqYf8h6yPKhsZEdMJ6uKzqjg3AWfR64D2w1pmKOq0XZlLY0WjTksHj7gXPp6w_TlDA/s1600/23.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjeyexopJeAFRyw7rpCqzKOPrzR9xaXh3fQJsGrZKLSNhLPR7Xdh0l_-j1srS0k5Q-0F5sfvH-cqqYf8h6yPKhsZEdMJ6uKzqjg3AWfR64D2w1pmKOq0XZlLY0WjTksHj7gXPp6w_TlDA/s400/23.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Side view of the warehouse building of the Kanemori Yobutsukan zone</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir7VigeEim-hWb-TWCHSimqYxUvWzbN_5y5gLgK3VV57CD47nOGeFodC2CHsCTp-m1BmS6lM8t-Z4o2C6txtEP0FMWE135XWT0SVVr1pln4MAmwlNmvFndqqUxBeOc7rOf9HzDC6CoXvE/s1600/24.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir7VigeEim-hWb-TWCHSimqYxUvWzbN_5y5gLgK3VV57CD47nOGeFodC2CHsCTp-m1BmS6lM8t-Z4o2C6txtEP0FMWE135XWT0SVVr1pln4MAmwlNmvFndqqUxBeOc7rOf9HzDC6CoXvE/s400/24.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing next to a few metal statues along the pathway</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUMWmnBWA8OCl0d458pGN6WKhUf_zmN11xAuGdO9YQPeyxspP0F1FbqOCkP5JnDijjMXuEoYP5XurPfpW4bZLTIOhUfhQfol2655VLVMn4hrJvL5_Fnb-jCKVqeOI8tN8i20RnLTyHAFo/s1600/25.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUMWmnBWA8OCl0d458pGN6WKhUf_zmN11xAuGdO9YQPeyxspP0F1FbqOCkP5JnDijjMXuEoYP5XurPfpW4bZLTIOhUfhQfol2655VLVMn4hrJvL5_Fnb-jCKVqeOI8tN8i20RnLTyHAFo/s400/25.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby touching and appreciating the brickwork of one of the walls of the warehouse building in the Kanemori Yobutsukan zone</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">After about 2 minutes of walking along the paved pathway, we reached right in front of the port of Hakodate Bay. Facing the bay, we saw a group of red brick warehouse buildings (actually a total of five buildings) that survive from the past trading days. In fact, all these warehouse buildings aligned in a row along the waterfront form the other three zones of the warehouse complex. It was wonderful to see so many red brick warehouse buildings. All these warehouse buildings were constructed in 1909 utilizing English bond brickwork method. These warehouse buildings have recently been redeveloped into an atmospheric shopping, dining, and entertainment complex. A range of trendy souvenir, fashion, interior, and sweet shops abound at the complex. While strolling down the port area, we noted that the fronts of all the warehouse buildings had a prominent white colored mark consisting of the Kanji character for ‘Mori’ under an inverted mirror image of L-shaped character. This mark was the official trademark for the old Kanemori haberdasher’s shop.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqqzBn-wjzin8jUINv4CED4LVyh5wX9l-5AxrhE18IBJ9TPSMQ8xCylqp_VqefANHdqPrfzzFKsjmfwEDqEjMyN0TwBzvogzlRuLQWmN5OGaK8D4mq4Lxn_ni7L1E0Kd1ohRNVvwfIH0A/s1600/26.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqqzBn-wjzin8jUINv4CED4LVyh5wX9l-5AxrhE18IBJ9TPSMQ8xCylqp_VqefANHdqPrfzzFKsjmfwEDqEjMyN0TwBzvogzlRuLQWmN5OGaK8D4mq4Lxn_ni7L1E0Kd1ohRNVvwfIH0A/s400/26.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A group of red brick warehouse buildings aligned in a row along the waterfront</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi89YkR-dMNcT7ZWjbJpsNXJVAyqNmT7IQ4clCHIXfg7eLi3RKwAgZ3zNpu3r4lMdi_1XiHsOfmbW3JR_qPRSuSbS_sh98IsCX_2fRRYmG7aFdkOKfnpIyPikRnCoLpS1_PYz3dgISsgpY/s1600/27.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi89YkR-dMNcT7ZWjbJpsNXJVAyqNmT7IQ4clCHIXfg7eLi3RKwAgZ3zNpu3r4lMdi_1XiHsOfmbW3JR_qPRSuSbS_sh98IsCX_2fRRYmG7aFdkOKfnpIyPikRnCoLpS1_PYz3dgISsgpY/s400/27.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The fronts of all the buildings have the official trademark (in white) of the old Kanemori haberdasher’s shop</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">The leftmost two red brick warehouse buildings (with respect to us facing the buildings) aligned in a row along the waterfront formed the Kanemori Yobutsukan zone of the warehouse complex. In fact these two warehouse buildings were the launching point of the Kanemori haberdasher’s shop (Yobutsuten) by Watanabe Kumashiro 147 years ago in 1869. Haberdasher’s shop used to have general goods under the rich theme of Western European lifestyle culture, and was known as the shop selling exotic dreams. With the theme of Watanabe’s rich Western culture, the Kanemori Yobutsukan zone offers a series of unique shops, like daily fun flea markets. It is packed with shops with personality and plenty of variety. It is said that this zone is a place where imported imaginative culture is gathered from across time and place. The next two red brick warehouse buildings aligned in the row formed the Hakodate History Plaza zone of the warehouse complex. This zone is home to the popular Hakodate Beer Hall which is open from around noon to 10 pm, and where visitors can enjoy fresh local beer shipped directly from the brewery. There are also a variety of other shops at this zone for the visitors to enjoy. The last red brick warehouse building in the row formed the Kanemori Hall zone of the warehouse complex. Kanemori Hall is a multi-purpose facility which is used for wedding ceremonies, concerts, and parties. We strolled down the port area and enjoyed looking at this group of red brick warehouse buildings. These elegant Meiji period buildings were a treat to the eyes. Afterwards, we entered inside one of the warehouse buildings of the Kanemori Yobutsukan zone and purchased a few souvenirs. We clicked several photos of the three zones from various positions and angles.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu2CTlhRWUVcO76t26Nrh1luSaFHPPPRKEsMfW8xMD7Ky1ReNe-qioT1egmYxHzSB3c8ZG4AWXU8wdd6y9BEYEhL96lxxGefwY0yEEwL9E7yIY_ut8yMi4sd9BOboKw0bZ8s0x-D0ZabI/s1600/28.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu2CTlhRWUVcO76t26Nrh1luSaFHPPPRKEsMfW8xMD7Ky1ReNe-qioT1egmYxHzSB3c8ZG4AWXU8wdd6y9BEYEhL96lxxGefwY0yEEwL9E7yIY_ut8yMi4sd9BOboKw0bZ8s0x-D0ZabI/s400/28.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing in front of two red brick buildings that form the Kanemori Yobutsukan zone of the warehouse complex</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEWHqD0oMkdsCuvna9DHbpzBkfFmwLt9Cz4Pj1Q4_BWRcRPFM59M3nlekRhycj5DEQ92hhYP0TviJppK4O5c3LkqRGQ883SZd6_oqmX5Wmbyt-e_BvQVWUj8qQvkxDuIq-_ibvPAoOOlE/s1600/29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEWHqD0oMkdsCuvna9DHbpzBkfFmwLt9Cz4Pj1Q4_BWRcRPFM59M3nlekRhycj5DEQ92hhYP0TviJppK4O5c3LkqRGQ883SZd6_oqmX5Wmbyt-e_BvQVWUj8qQvkxDuIq-_ibvPAoOOlE/s400/29.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The Kanemori Yobutsukan zone buildings in the foreground along with the Bay Hakodate zone buildings in the background as viewed from the northwest</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicjnzIG3pQvg1vC2UisKiVRupZAQTj7i64PYB_owVvW0HFcnVmnv-Ijz46LCqm9ua5gUMrjy7oxwZ6DLmvN72bqC14PAn3UbM1IS-vF5RxR3trp7KRVNIu2rIHoU2cbZ8cRgV5hjKU7g0/s1600/30.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicjnzIG3pQvg1vC2UisKiVRupZAQTj7i64PYB_owVvW0HFcnVmnv-Ijz46LCqm9ua5gUMrjy7oxwZ6DLmvN72bqC14PAn3UbM1IS-vF5RxR3trp7KRVNIu2rIHoU2cbZ8cRgV5hjKU7g0/s400/30.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The Kanemori Yobutsukan zone buildings as viewed from a slightly different angle in the northwest</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIzrqMh7ceBekTtnSqh7wNQEI8pEuqn9fU6voCaUdL5XPCU_Q4mgGHi65Haql0WDJJzVK2T7QtifwaJ6x4Y3TYgyecTpgJBQDDYozlMDNFdMMNojgw_wxuYMhc660SI8acxcw9pnhUe84/s1600/31.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIzrqMh7ceBekTtnSqh7wNQEI8pEuqn9fU6voCaUdL5XPCU_Q4mgGHi65Haql0WDJJzVK2T7QtifwaJ6x4Y3TYgyecTpgJBQDDYozlMDNFdMMNojgw_wxuYMhc660SI8acxcw9pnhUe84/s400/31.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Two buildings of the Kanemori Yobutsukan zone in the background and two buildings forming the Hakodate History Plaza zone in the foreground as viewed from the northwest</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB9aM5t6WrhaRnXuo_AGT0IG67SMsJOga-CE_bMDt-rV8lNqag9s5Yv05uP395ruHq-xsjPWRrbIcpyalKGlw7L_11VjmxQb-NYdEY6Ae3n-cuMpKpBLR1u2CCRCaSeJ1CMipH1e406gY/s1600/32.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB9aM5t6WrhaRnXuo_AGT0IG67SMsJOga-CE_bMDt-rV8lNqag9s5Yv05uP395ruHq-xsjPWRrbIcpyalKGlw7L_11VjmxQb-NYdEY6Ae3n-cuMpKpBLR1u2CCRCaSeJ1CMipH1e406gY/s400/32.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The two buildings of the Hakodate History Plaza zone</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiN7bBG9SwvNYsU85vfbb7_Ug1yPYp0mk6svl0nAgs-KZTf5Qk5-XeRCuATL0DKftvaN-gb3yyh7WGKFVhQnGEzRKpUrzL7w2horhHe9yQkVij8Bvll33SbMyDlMi6Pd5pOyJgqSb9Lr8/s1600/33.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiN7bBG9SwvNYsU85vfbb7_Ug1yPYp0mk6svl0nAgs-KZTf5Qk5-XeRCuATL0DKftvaN-gb3yyh7WGKFVhQnGEzRKpUrzL7w2horhHe9yQkVij8Bvll33SbMyDlMi6Pd5pOyJgqSb9Lr8/s400/33.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing in front of one of the buildings of the Hakodate History Plaza zone</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL9d-filoUbHeyN2Ks4CNdedp8E9mg3V6wNR8NQITHuKadx5C3tGaKbi68sJO7F5bP8sOsk0VdoVk86AchZUXiP3Q7bd127CYCjDm2lwEp2SOvGXGLQ9mDVj3nQ1TZmbmgTfFCPufYhYo/s1600/34.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL9d-filoUbHeyN2Ks4CNdedp8E9mg3V6wNR8NQITHuKadx5C3tGaKbi68sJO7F5bP8sOsk0VdoVk86AchZUXiP3Q7bd127CYCjDm2lwEp2SOvGXGLQ9mDVj3nQ1TZmbmgTfFCPufYhYo/s400/34.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Two buildings of the Hakodate History Plaza zone in the foreground and the third building forming the Kanemori Hall zone in the background as viewed from the north</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1nv_jtMpOjdG8k-MfghaHBMnWN-jlnmkFepm5lDSvv2foYsZYeuWjt82cXEtuvMVSPXBOOh7LQiCln4UVVwiNstW7Ch9tfYC1XsLhe64_28g91KjITYmVA_-WsCxh-x2__Jg-dYf7AXI/s1600/35.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1nv_jtMpOjdG8k-MfghaHBMnWN-jlnmkFepm5lDSvv2foYsZYeuWjt82cXEtuvMVSPXBOOh7LQiCln4UVVwiNstW7Ch9tfYC1XsLhe64_28g91KjITYmVA_-WsCxh-x2__Jg-dYf7AXI/s400/35.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Building of Kanemori Hall zone</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">At this point, we finished the tour of Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse buildings. We left the warehouse complex and started walking back towards Hakodate Railway Station. On our way, we saw a small shrine named Toyokawa Inari Shrine. The shrine was built during the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunky%C5%AB" target="_blank">Bunkyu era</a> (1861-1864) by well-wishing townspeople. The shrine met with five fires including the great fire in 1934, and the present-day shrine was built in 1940. Its front is now facing the opposite side of the original construction. The god enshrined inside the shrine has long been worshipped as a god of prosperous business. I washed my hands at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C5%8Dzuya" target="_blank">Temizuya</a> water pavilion and then rang a bell located in front of the main building of the shrine. Afterwards I prayed in front of the shrine altar.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPX_b2uOkOZIjwAL5OUOGsDNfUQA0R17hX85eenx21PsG7RrZcBPou-JpgRbWG4-AAGik3u3bJqSHvRM8esubbbATYSWyhTVt7F8_1C19R9Wbkmv95Lfmct9tLVg0S3geciqiZpxYdro8/s1600/36.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPX_b2uOkOZIjwAL5OUOGsDNfUQA0R17hX85eenx21PsG7RrZcBPou-JpgRbWG4-AAGik3u3bJqSHvRM8esubbbATYSWyhTVt7F8_1C19R9Wbkmv95Lfmct9tLVg0S3geciqiZpxYdro8/s400/36.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing near the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torii" target="_blank">Torii</a> gate of Toyokawa Inari Shrine</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuMYiQ21qn3rTLkz8TbiulqSF6gMvTv51DCbadMDgx4l7o9HiyJwWI9T0bLvtiHdc3M9xL_tF5qIXJf8nlRIDtPsKyKSwswK0rPHSZj6jesFvT4bjPlUXXM2eePjx7e3w9kcSrtABLPhA/s1600/37.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuMYiQ21qn3rTLkz8TbiulqSF6gMvTv51DCbadMDgx4l7o9HiyJwWI9T0bLvtiHdc3M9xL_tF5qIXJf8nlRIDtPsKyKSwswK0rPHSZj6jesFvT4bjPlUXXM2eePjx7e3w9kcSrtABLPhA/s400/37.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The shrine building</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDEvpKjBhCpNMNM8A9wixNlTZqKcRHOH-s5xFFlgsI8IsCqw6xnS9ecwx5CRclRZRlSFIFCnrmP6K7r0XiRbvrEn2AHn0Fyrt2tHJR8BAD6ZqQZ9WNHINw_r1-x9Go6mvsBSULKSPEQ_Q/s1600/38.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDEvpKjBhCpNMNM8A9wixNlTZqKcRHOH-s5xFFlgsI8IsCqw6xnS9ecwx5CRclRZRlSFIFCnrmP6K7r0XiRbvrEn2AHn0Fyrt2tHJR8BAD6ZqQZ9WNHINw_r1-x9Go6mvsBSULKSPEQ_Q/s400/38.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>‘Toyokawa Inari Jinja’ written on a wooden plaque hanging from the shrine building</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAs6OFNsxqI4DzxGL2pIlpCybslOqH3Zn3UH6Voqj5BK9CFD2KjLkpiNHCsCgN1QRMlLCy3bmnsOt9YHLSG_DDpbGl-lz4HyYIBsJgxcJhbze9ruR55otQFQY6-Xqc-iIvwOr9t_rT-Js/s1600/39.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAs6OFNsxqI4DzxGL2pIlpCybslOqH3Zn3UH6Voqj5BK9CFD2KjLkpiNHCsCgN1QRMlLCy3bmnsOt9YHLSG_DDpbGl-lz4HyYIBsJgxcJhbze9ruR55otQFQY6-Xqc-iIvwOr9t_rT-Js/s400/39.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Temizuya water pavilion</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhumbKG8jNsTLVEMTh0KJT-ANQIYq2X3RuzyJS2fOyb1OeS8__RJrTLojxX_-S4FB2cUGPtSjfr0BlP_OymO33dEV4_ag5Qh5b-jhmIAUrRbPmp5X7hz7t-KlLrJFAHAxMS-UCl78-EeN8/s1600/40.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhumbKG8jNsTLVEMTh0KJT-ANQIYq2X3RuzyJS2fOyb1OeS8__RJrTLojxX_-S4FB2cUGPtSjfr0BlP_OymO33dEV4_ag5Qh5b-jhmIAUrRbPmp5X7hz7t-KlLrJFAHAxMS-UCl78-EeN8/s400/40.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am ringing the bell located in front of the shrine building</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Afterwards we returned to Hakodate Railway Station and took several local trains as well as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinkansen" target="_blank">Shinkansen</a> bullet trains, and returned home to Akita the same day. Our Hokkaido sightseeing trip was over and it was very memorable.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby walking back towards Hakodate Railway Station</i></span></span></div>
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Manisha Kundu-Nagatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13277146210049986417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695885479879152724.post-29637835792168007942016-12-27T10:33:00.001+09:002016-12-27T10:33:04.317+09:00Hakodate Kokusai Hotel<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">As I have written in an <a href="http://lipikazuo.blogspot.com/2016/11/travel-by-hokkaido-shinkansen.html" target="_blank">earlier post</a>, hubby and I had been on a sightseeing trip to Hokkaido in mid-June. On the morning of 20th June, we visited <a href="http://lipikazuo.blogspot.com/2016/12/ueno-farm.html" target="_blank">Ueno Farm</a> in Asahikawa City and then took a couple of local trains to travel down to Hakodate City where we stayed overnight at a hotel named Hakodate Kokusai Hotel. Hakodate Kokusai Hotel is a refined luxury hotel with over 44 years of history. The hotel is located just a 7 minute walk from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan_Railways_Group" target="_blank">JR</a> Hakodate Station, and overlooks Hakodate Bay. The hotel has elegantly designed features, and is suitable for leisure, business, as well as sightseeing. The hotel offers twelve types of rooms from single-bedded to suite rooms for the guests to choose from.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">The hotel has two buildings namely the East building and the West Building. The interior design of and the outside views from both these buildings have different characters. The hotel has a total of 305 rooms with a capacity of 536 people to stay at a time. So the visitors have a wide variety of rooms to choose from. In fact, rooms of the type namely, deluxe single-bedded, single-bedded, deluxe twin-bedded, deluxe twin-bedded with rounded-windows, twin-bedded, double-bedded, Japanese and Western mixed-style, barrier-free, imperial suite, and royal suite are available to choose from. Non smoking rooms are available in both the buildings. Car parking lots are available in the hotel which is preferable for sightseeing purposes. The hotel has a chapel and a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinto" target="_blank">Shinto</a>-style wedding facilities. In addition, 25 banquet rooms, bridal products shops, souvenir shops, vending machines, as well as a bread and cake shop are also available. The hotel has four restaurants where Japanese, Chinese or Western style foods are available.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">On 20th June, hubby and I reached Hakodate Railway Station at about 9 pm. We took a taxi and reached Hakodate Kokusai Hotel within a few minutes. We noted that the main entrance and the reception are located in the East building. We checked in and immediately went to our room located at the sixth floor in the West building. The West building can be accessed via an accessway from the East building, so we reached our room without any hassle. Our room was deluxe twin-bedded Western-style with ensuite facilities. The interior of our room was beautifully designed, and the room overlooked Hakodate Bay and provided a nice ocean view. It was a luxurious room and had various facilities like a bathtub with a shower, toilet seat with warm-water shower feature, television, cable and satellite television, radio, air-conditioner, refrigerator, hairdryer, and humidifier. We noted that bath towels, face towels, toiletries, and gowns were also provided in our room. In addition, free Wi-Fi system and high-speed internet was also available. We loved the room interior and the facilities provided. We enjoyed the nighttime view of Hakodate Bay from the window of our room for some time. A brightly lit memorial ship named Mashumaru looked amazing. The ship was one of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Train_ferry#Japan" target="_blank">Seikan railway ferries</a> that operated between <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hokkaido" target="_blank">Hokkaido</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honshu" target="_blank">Honshu</a> until 1988, following which it was permanently moored at the bay. Afterwards, I watched some television program and hubby did his office related job. We retired for the night at about 11pm. We loved staying in the room which was very clean, spacious, and had a comfortable atmosphere with relaxing beds. I would like to mention here that I usually do not write about the hotels we stay at during our sightseeing trips to various places as we stay in relatively inexpensive hotels. But Hakodate Kokusai Hotel is a luxury hotel and we really had a relaxed time there, so I decided to write about it.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGpg1f5osv44ANLxy6TkugeVrlIV_u1x8Ks2Nv78S4_u-fT3wNScAF0YPPPLwXcFCgpP2YT5EJnATI5x3OBulESTvZGQLkSKnWvdPJZPQBSAjTuOJPdTi0W_n00djjaFwQrMMESiEWkoU/s1600/1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGpg1f5osv44ANLxy6TkugeVrlIV_u1x8Ks2Nv78S4_u-fT3wNScAF0YPPPLwXcFCgpP2YT5EJnATI5x3OBulESTvZGQLkSKnWvdPJZPQBSAjTuOJPdTi0W_n00djjaFwQrMMESiEWkoU/s400/1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing in front of Hakodate Railway Station</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMokyytkIo_a9F3yV0QgyJxIvihsGQDDGqCqWWIESv9mkb7PZHkT3jSL9pQwzQ5eESBP2sAXpaCdkQcGpnH11mrStbId8M5xi4UZDnMzSULp2OvpIF20GU9xtRY_vOmUG2XARdyfD1wLE/s1600/2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMokyytkIo_a9F3yV0QgyJxIvihsGQDDGqCqWWIESv9mkb7PZHkT3jSL9pQwzQ5eESBP2sAXpaCdkQcGpnH11mrStbId8M5xi4UZDnMzSULp2OvpIF20GU9xtRY_vOmUG2XARdyfD1wLE/s400/2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Nighttime view of Hakodate Bay as seen from the window of our hotel room</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnnBJeO9hQMrMIuydlBAHeQvgNCKSSWtdmF4RVxLx2qC9LV6NVkYJepAD28_3XbrPxxAfpFInaDl7KUyFVsDm92DdJ2XIXma0Cyr0zEGfN7gptwaSmymh20aURHx9JIkk_0s_5MEYyUNo/s1600/3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnnBJeO9hQMrMIuydlBAHeQvgNCKSSWtdmF4RVxLx2qC9LV6NVkYJepAD28_3XbrPxxAfpFInaDl7KUyFVsDm92DdJ2XIXma0Cyr0zEGfN7gptwaSmymh20aURHx9JIkk_0s_5MEYyUNo/s400/3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Brightly lit Mashumaru ship moored at the bay</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoZpkicrFJaDXEschyphenhyphen6USsAcFVXEyrNKcFy2jxWZqT6YQ0VmwxuTkaRuNftbG-oMyXS_QcNR2uCt1N4CfNZotq3zn53gJf5Q_9GGrj4UYoNjCtx_rYXkMsrQ_yT600V7XqUFfbQCfC-MQ/s1600/4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoZpkicrFJaDXEschyphenhyphen6USsAcFVXEyrNKcFy2jxWZqT6YQ0VmwxuTkaRuNftbG-oMyXS_QcNR2uCt1N4CfNZotq3zn53gJf5Q_9GGrj4UYoNjCtx_rYXkMsrQ_yT600V7XqUFfbQCfC-MQ/s400/4.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Nighttime view of Hakodate City as viewed from our room</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFuHiatJeGpeRpIauTqmvT67oo9xe2o6PbZ8bVnjMZLtCYd8UNZ42YEbjAQRtb4dxuynNKmDwLZFmuFgm0St8WxaJQUWUryQ3yW0mtXjII-9xit0efUsJ9VSFvUuOyMlYBFSsYpGqTMPQ/s1600/5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFuHiatJeGpeRpIauTqmvT67oo9xe2o6PbZ8bVnjMZLtCYd8UNZ42YEbjAQRtb4dxuynNKmDwLZFmuFgm0St8WxaJQUWUryQ3yW0mtXjII-9xit0efUsJ9VSFvUuOyMlYBFSsYpGqTMPQ/s400/5.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Our deluxe twin-bedded Western-style room</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkWyBfKEgiSvGIuXeu9_hGumYdFpHNiBkyTKVjG0IiUntpdAOgxx2Y23uuOwyXW1GODoojYJ40tIhgziFmSmE0Pd0zG3VoDm9xkiGyhGY2TA533S1KzmWSgKc26F9mLge7Jo5UCEbwtdw/s1600/6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkWyBfKEgiSvGIuXeu9_hGumYdFpHNiBkyTKVjG0IiUntpdAOgxx2Y23uuOwyXW1GODoojYJ40tIhgziFmSmE0Pd0zG3VoDm9xkiGyhGY2TA533S1KzmWSgKc26F9mLge7Jo5UCEbwtdw/s400/6.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am watching some television program</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzhl8sbaOHTonM5wuEuwnmqVn5LqCeMX49FGqxhWJdBWfeeNcSOwK8yHbOA9O485gy6gvsgY6ykL5IiP4h7YuqSGdG0ev80f4RZvHvLBK8OgBrA53o0BGUWjrgbAGPBXGQkTIw1oR6hK4/s1600/7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzhl8sbaOHTonM5wuEuwnmqVn5LqCeMX49FGqxhWJdBWfeeNcSOwK8yHbOA9O485gy6gvsgY6ykL5IiP4h7YuqSGdG0ev80f4RZvHvLBK8OgBrA53o0BGUWjrgbAGPBXGQkTIw1oR6hK4/s400/7.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby doing office related job in our room</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">The next morning, on 21st June, we got up quite early and again enjoyed the pleasant views of Hakodate Bay and the city surroundings from the window of our room. It was a cloudy day but Mashumaru ship moored at the bay looked majestic and grand. We took shower, got ready, and left the room to explore the interior of the hotel. This is because, the previous day after checking in at the hotel front, we had directly gone to our room without exploring the hotel interiors as we were a bit tired. At the first floor of the West building, we saw a chapel where Christian-style wedding facilities are available along with a costume room and a photo studio. Later we came to know that the hotel also provides Shinto-style wedding facilities. Right in front of the chapel, we saw a shop selling bridal products though it was closed at that time as it was just 6.30 in the morning. The contrast between my casual wear and the bridal dresses was so remarkable that hubby took a few photos of me standing along with the bridal dresses.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hakodate City on a cloudy day as viewed from the window of our room</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbqKVFF2IfLLe1g1YNYl8VmjpXoOsR547Al_eXlU94Oc0owE22jDCyV2zwloeGeFOpXGXHwP92AFUi5VxpmqTgGnRtAEupAAjpe9BxqzN-L8kPjayF7-euG___6p9_kDUn0mC6jDeHSG0/s1600/9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbqKVFF2IfLLe1g1YNYl8VmjpXoOsR547Al_eXlU94Oc0owE22jDCyV2zwloeGeFOpXGXHwP92AFUi5VxpmqTgGnRtAEupAAjpe9BxqzN-L8kPjayF7-euG___6p9_kDUn0mC6jDeHSG0/s400/9.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Mashumaru ship moored at Hakodate Bay</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJ1pbLcc1_4Pk4w8_JkVp8cBwJjKjQfFKV4y_DELQX4E7o1mVwcCBFI59ewp8b2uh9wcU0zVgq2042QO6Rr1wXC2QZ7RSJ46QzusJVFHtsvd7GeyWMwyMudxUEkS__Tmtz9YyCrrp2JE/s1600/10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJ1pbLcc1_4Pk4w8_JkVp8cBwJjKjQfFKV4y_DELQX4E7o1mVwcCBFI59ewp8b2uh9wcU0zVgq2042QO6Rr1wXC2QZ7RSJ46QzusJVFHtsvd7GeyWMwyMudxUEkS__Tmtz9YyCrrp2JE/s400/10.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing in front of our room at the sixth floor of the West building</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing in front of the chapel located at the first floor of the West building</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRP35kNa5ZvbyZrRflrKRlz2jaFTs0mnNbA55LRIlLHkR7APBKAfv4aOZ7SsZp1hMKgefPGZiKSyEYAxVTgWN2cE1IMlxd2j-pvFh2muMIusAu5q-zlpI9c5EzwHY-wjWx2Usc6GY8iwA/s1600/12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRP35kNa5ZvbyZrRflrKRlz2jaFTs0mnNbA55LRIlLHkR7APBKAfv4aOZ7SsZp1hMKgefPGZiKSyEYAxVTgWN2cE1IMlxd2j-pvFh2muMIusAu5q-zlpI9c5EzwHY-wjWx2Usc6GY8iwA/s400/12.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A shop selling bridal products</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing along with Western-style wedding dresses and formal Japanese-style <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimono" target="_blank">Kimonos</a> at the shop</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Western-style wedding reception dresses at the shop</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Afterwards, we took rest for some time at the front lobby of the West building located near the chapel at the first floor. We wished to have breakfast at a restaurant located in the East building, so we walked along the first floor accessway connecting both the buildings. While walking, we saw displays of wonderful artworks on the walls of the accessway.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Front lobby of the West building along with the accessway in the foreground</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing along with the displays of artworks on the wall of the accessway</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Soon we reached a restaurant named Azalea located at the first floor of the East building where we had a sumptuous breakfast. Buffet style breakfast is served at the restaurant from 6.30 am to 10 am. The restaurant serves Japanese, Chinese, and Western cuisine, and offers a variety of choices and carefully selected dishes. Although various kinds of dishes are served for breakfast, Hokkaido’s seafoods are considered to be the best choices. In fact, the restaurant boasts of the availability of over 50 kinds of menus for breakfast at all times of the year. The breakfast here is so delicious and delightful that Hakodate Kokusai Hotel is ranked 4th in all over Japan for ‘<a href="http://tg.tripadvisor.jp/news/ranking/bestbreakfasthotel_2016/" target="_blank">Delicious Breakfast Hotel Ranking 2016</a>’. Many Japanese consider breakfast to be the most important meal of the day, and these all-you-can-eat buffet style morning feasts are one of the best perks of staying at a nice hotel. In fact, usually we stay at relatively inexpensive hotels during our sightseeing trips but this time our main purpose of staying at this luxury hotel was to have breakfast at Azalea restaurant.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Entrance of Azalea restaurant</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Nice ambience inside the restaurant</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Inside Azalea restaurant, we noted that various kinds of Japanese, Chinese, and Western dishes were available for the buffet style breakfast. Seafood corner had <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sashimi" target="_blank">Sashimi</a> of salmon roe, squid, cod roe, deep-water sweet shrimp, and salmon. We made our original <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donburi#Kaisendon_.28.E6.B5.B7.E9.AE.AE.E4.B8.BC.29" target="_blank">Kaisendon</a> by using our favorite seafoods. Three kinds of meat namely, beef, pork, and chicken were available. The restaurant staff recommended us to make a bowl of rice topped with such meat. We noted that in the freshly made food corner, hot-steak bowl and fluffy omelet prepared by the hotel chefs in front of the guests were very popular. We had pork-steak bowl (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butadon" target="_blank">Butadon</a>) and omelet from this corner. From the soup corner, we had hot <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butajiru" target="_blank">Tonjiru</a> soup served in large bowls. An extensive variety of fresh vegetable salads were available in the salad corner. The vegetables and leaves were locally produced and we had fun making a large plate of salad for both of us. From the bread corner, we had several kinds of freshly baked breads made by the hotel chefs. We also had bacon slices, sausages, scrambled eggs, boiled eggs, mashed potato, grilled salmon fish, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korokke" target="_blank">Korokke</a>, several kinds of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nimono" target="_blank">Nimono</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsukemono" target="_blank">Tsukemono</a>, fruit juice, and green tea. We even had a dessert of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annin_tofu" target="_blank">Annin Tofu</a> for breakfast. Many more menus and dishes were available but it was just too much for us. We leisurely enjoyed having the wide spread of breakfast. We were very satisfied and fulfilled with many kinds of Japanese, Chinese, and Western dishes. The breakfast was sumptuous and really delicious. It is no wonder that the breakfast of this hotel is the fourth best amongst all the hotels in Japan.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby’s and my breakfast spread</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby’s tray of breakfast</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHfh5V9KKh4rdxDtohDfx2ZSTmiHRgmxsb2b0EToXBI7cC6wADyU_U0T6HvH45qyOXTo9EnT3cKqP_G1EIX8_oHCXrQ4ihKvTG042gOzTEo5AJ_caeiPqykln9oY1Se-WsNl9j1fLt-LQ/s1600/21.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHfh5V9KKh4rdxDtohDfx2ZSTmiHRgmxsb2b0EToXBI7cC6wADyU_U0T6HvH45qyOXTo9EnT3cKqP_G1EIX8_oHCXrQ4ihKvTG042gOzTEo5AJ_caeiPqykln9oY1Se-WsNl9j1fLt-LQ/s400/21.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>My tray of breakfast</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfU3STHiZGB5CJIN3SUjsPMr6VdlfN_n0f6ka8S3XliSltpqq8XB7XxKvNc01pbTAGDpeLaAgoS4UZSAWn9zvFhC4ISYERoEINNzyTNkmBRM-PHP6o0heo-gxjOQJuRKGvzwEZf423BAw/s1600/22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfU3STHiZGB5CJIN3SUjsPMr6VdlfN_n0f6ka8S3XliSltpqq8XB7XxKvNc01pbTAGDpeLaAgoS4UZSAWn9zvFhC4ISYERoEINNzyTNkmBRM-PHP6o0heo-gxjOQJuRKGvzwEZf423BAw/s400/22.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby’s favorite dishes of Butadon (upper left) and Kaisendon (upper right) and my favorite dishes of Kaisendon (lower left) and pork steak pieces (lower right)</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am very happy seeing so much food for breakfast</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby having breakfast</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am enjoying the breakfast</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">We checked out of the hotel at about 10 am. As written earlier in this post, the reception and the main entrance of the hotel are located in the East building. We clicked a few photos of the front lobby and the reception desk area of the East building while checking out. We noted that the front lobby was designed in a chic manner and the brown-based design gave it a modern and grand atmosphere. After leaving the hotel, we took a few photos of the main front entrance area of the East building as well as of the building itself for the sake of memories.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing at the front lobby of the East building of the hotel</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Reception desk (left) and the lobby (right)</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing near the main front entrance area of the East building</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>East building of the hotel</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">We had a nice relaxed time at Hakodate Kokusai Hotel. Our room was spacious and very comfortable. We loved having the deliciously sumptuous buffet style breakfast at Azalea restaurant located inside the hotel. After leaving the hotel, we visited historic Kanemori red brick warehouse buildings located nearby about which I will write in the next post.</span></span></div>
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Manisha Kundu-Nagatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13277146210049986417noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695885479879152724.post-3239304852155825672016-12-13T02:29:00.002+09:002016-12-13T02:29:37.333+09:00Ueno Farm<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">As I have written in the <a href="http://lipikazuo.blogspot.com/2016/12/cape-soya.html" target="_blank">previous post</a>, hubby and I had been on a sightseeing trip to Hokkaido in mid June. On 20th June, we visited Ueno Farm in Asahikawa City. Although Ueno Farm is called a farm, it is actually a wonderful garden. The farm is based on an English-style garden that has been rearranged and adapted to suit the climate and soil conditions of Hokkaido. The farm extends over 7000 square meters and expresses the native seasonal plants of Japan’s northern lands. The farm has a wide variety of hardy perennial plants, and the atmosphere and colors of the garden changes according to the season. The farm is gorgeous in all the seasons with many colorful variations of flowers throughout the year. The farm also has variety of animals and birds which makes it a pleasant place to visit.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Ueno Farm was opened in 1906 by a farmer born in Miyagi prefecture, and since then the farm has passed from generation to generation. Ueno Farm originally sold rice. The farm directly dealt with the customers, so when the customers would stop by to pick up their products, they would be greeted with hospitality. This was partly achieved by planting flowers along the roadside and footpaths in the farm. Furthermore, from that desire to have visitors enjoy the rural scenery, the farm people made paths in the fields as well as planted many colorful flowers, and strived to create a picturesque view so that anyone could enjoy a stroll around. Such hospitality continued for several decades. However, Ueno Sayuki, the present owner and member of Ueno Family, went to United Kingdom in the year 2000 to study gardening. She was shocked at the style of English gardening she found there. She appreciated such gardening style very much and decided to bring the style back home. After returning to Asahikawa, she was given her own field to start a garden in Ueno Farm. She devoted more and more of her time to gardening in the farm and the style of the farm changed completely. After completing her English-style garden, visitors flocked from nearby Asahikawa and beyond to visit. And in just one season the farm received over 50000 visitors. The farm gives visitors an opportunity to view flora that thrives in Hokkaido’s unique climate at different times of the year.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">As written in the previous post, hubby and I stayed at a hotel in Asahikawa City on the nights of 18th and 19th June. On 20th June, we left the hotel at about 10.15 am, and went to Ueno Farm located within Asahikawa City itself. The farm was located about 14 kilometers northeast of the hotel, and it took us about 30 minutes of car (rented) ride to reach the farm. We parked the car at a parking lot located near the entrance area of the farm and entered the farm premises. At the entrance area, we paid 800 Yen per person as admission fee to enter the garden area inside the farm. The moment we entered the garden, we felt as if we were transported to another world altogether.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing near a board with Ueno Farm written on it</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing near the entrance area of Ueno Farm</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXXVmm88yCtiClyOhbhTS8EmmczV_l4cARFwM0WfWcHzOraS4dKbOzfoSaqwqSFT4q61J5tBOljBPtwlU62cQwBd6jhW8LtFRmGeAMybPw5a40wD15HdhIdRGD6M7w_T_-vOprvDYwxpQ/s1600/3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXXVmm88yCtiClyOhbhTS8EmmczV_l4cARFwM0WfWcHzOraS4dKbOzfoSaqwqSFT4q61J5tBOljBPtwlU62cQwBd6jhW8LtFRmGeAMybPw5a40wD15HdhIdRGD6M7w_T_-vOprvDYwxpQ/s400/3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>We were given these cute stickers as tickets for entering the garden area inside the farm</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">It was a rainy day, and the drizzling rain put a bit of a damper on our spirits. But we were delighted to see a goose and her grown up goslings walking around freely at the entrance area inside the farm. We also saw a rooster and a hen roaming around freely in the farm. The rooster looked majestic and the hen with black and splendid feathers looked stunning. It was a wonderful and amusing experience to see the birds from such a close range. Afterwards, we sat on the resting chairs set up inside the garden and enjoyed the beautiful views all around us. It was so relaxing.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing along with a goose and her grown up goslings</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The goose and her goslings feeding on insects and grass</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>It was wonderful to see the goose and her goslings from a close range</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1yDTCyJqXhNT607yd5Lqn2V5zO5TPukTmvRqjgM1JHGmo2rTf8_WmwXAJzvizwkjQb-zoyV5bP4j18Gz6SLj899dkOscb5BXSWdPy9QgsjlJkt3T9QP22ckRLl72JI9PAfX-N45EuCiE/s1600/7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1yDTCyJqXhNT607yd5Lqn2V5zO5TPukTmvRqjgM1JHGmo2rTf8_WmwXAJzvizwkjQb-zoyV5bP4j18Gz6SLj899dkOscb5BXSWdPy9QgsjlJkt3T9QP22ckRLl72JI9PAfX-N45EuCiE/s400/7.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The goose</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby enjoying seeing the goslings walking around inside the farm</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A rooster</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A hen</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am sitting on a resting chair and relaxing inside the farm</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Next, we walked around inside the garden in the drizzling rain. The garden had a large variety of plants and flowers, and was overflowing with beautiful sights and smells. The plants had an amazingly gorgeous radiant glow with many colorful variations of flowers all around us. The sound of leaves of the different plants moving in the wind, the sight and fragrance of the wonderful flowers, and the scent of the damp earth were very pleasing to our ears, eyes, and olfactory sense. It was quite an experience walking in the garden on a showery day. We enjoyed the stroll and had a nice, relaxing, and peaceful time. I would like to mention here that the farm garden is divided into various segments like Long Border, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnome" target="_blank">Gnome</a>’s Garden, Mother’s Garden, Circle Border, Mirror Border, Purple Walk, and several more segments. We enjoyed the flowers and the landscaping of each segment of the garden. However for the sake of brevity, I have clicked photos and written about the garden in general without focusing on individual segments. In fact, the garden is too beautiful to fully capture in just photos, but still we clicked a few photos of us enjoying a pleasant walk through the garden.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYQ9ftll7UAeR9F26rHbstUz16M8ooHYsWNNajXn2e3NKa4q3t8-hIvtC4XjVDmITc86Nzvzm7ePgXSsyceKIc5nLbqVTY-ylHRz-UcztSeP9EvhF0IXl3U13bX-n4p3dPGzVjD_5bxuc/s1600/13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYQ9ftll7UAeR9F26rHbstUz16M8ooHYsWNNajXn2e3NKa4q3t8-hIvtC4XjVDmITc86Nzvzm7ePgXSsyceKIc5nLbqVTY-ylHRz-UcztSeP9EvhF0IXl3U13bX-n4p3dPGzVjD_5bxuc/s400/13.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing in the Mirror Border area of the garden</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWP82k86ChozF9dAeQ7PkcMkhk2gjHV40vSOFH2zaszEIj5vrSODRwqiqf0EjyXtjrFy6DSLMH05X3T3r3MpzWbEyHixOTdgWE7miqgFOQYdcZgOmXlZHmoaPKZR5xqmykQPpNE-U4-pI/s1600/14.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWP82k86ChozF9dAeQ7PkcMkhk2gjHV40vSOFH2zaszEIj5vrSODRwqiqf0EjyXtjrFy6DSLMH05X3T3r3MpzWbEyHixOTdgWE7miqgFOQYdcZgOmXlZHmoaPKZR5xqmykQPpNE-U4-pI/s400/14.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing with fresh plants and a few colorful flowers</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFl4GQXjMBUYuTJdvTkLuX8mhVPcRv_sXpj6lXbi9-ep5IRQDF7DC1zOcQ6-QwKnxTXZLxROV2GOgJqDD1a6-EuZApGeliaDNSTPWWtDoASwKPYPOaSvWJJXxt9u0SQMgf27jb0V4kod8/s1600/15.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFl4GQXjMBUYuTJdvTkLuX8mhVPcRv_sXpj6lXbi9-ep5IRQDF7DC1zOcQ6-QwKnxTXZLxROV2GOgJqDD1a6-EuZApGeliaDNSTPWWtDoASwKPYPOaSvWJJXxt9u0SQMgf27jb0V4kod8/s400/15.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The garden is wonderful</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6S7uId24ROThEYmSJtoa3lB0ygIaOGrC_vGFlxossL6WwPQMz0Gv0bidgqdqR1Yc12WlpaTgRzU-FdmT3FBCYvDs5M4_h3sq4FD5NxQimoVMKMMTyJzvC-Q4NlINRh_V85OkAxbN5JsA/s1600/16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6S7uId24ROThEYmSJtoa3lB0ygIaOGrC_vGFlxossL6WwPQMz0Gv0bidgqdqR1Yc12WlpaTgRzU-FdmT3FBCYvDs5M4_h3sq4FD5NxQimoVMKMMTyJzvC-Q4NlINRh_V85OkAxbN5JsA/s400/16.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing in the Gnome’s Garden area</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMtWXjhOh6h8JfXsY0J37-DaDZgl9CztahuxEbspA3AHkfccx2kO2ZTzMLkn5c8Lxb6Xf0r70C-8g62QW3UqCpFmMDkVAPGrqJTGEiJcbXsCgxpQc4iYt6dxiZCNWpTYE_OgFo462K7U4/s1600/17.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMtWXjhOh6h8JfXsY0J37-DaDZgl9CztahuxEbspA3AHkfccx2kO2ZTzMLkn5c8Lxb6Xf0r70C-8g62QW3UqCpFmMDkVAPGrqJTGEiJcbXsCgxpQc4iYt6dxiZCNWpTYE_OgFo462K7U4/s400/17.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing in the Gnome’s Garden area</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZRNAMCZbbgzuSnU2SyChhP8_5x-1lHWyJ5Qok8sHuw1nChyZPF8V1mQihzfEoCkYH1dWbOacLBZHs7e_wXOpsbeCLxDT1gKUxUkQc3b2pymRnJjo_sRLTG4oa2O_S3-eMMc3EPmdmodk/s1600/18.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZRNAMCZbbgzuSnU2SyChhP8_5x-1lHWyJ5Qok8sHuw1nChyZPF8V1mQihzfEoCkYH1dWbOacLBZHs7e_wXOpsbeCLxDT1gKUxUkQc3b2pymRnJjo_sRLTG4oa2O_S3-eMMc3EPmdmodk/s400/18.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing next to colorful flowers along with Gnome’s home in the background</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHWIN8dHaCtzp4bfkhJK4EcNQ_78297gQ9x0hz9FC9x43gx1nhuU5go9R5mDCaDd-lywSISFR1Vnrsn3L2TtuIfco_DasuOdFwFfBv04FWvLIuvGpxCocAN_IU9XDZI6v3kRJVjgdvdHI/s1600/19.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHWIN8dHaCtzp4bfkhJK4EcNQ_78297gQ9x0hz9FC9x43gx1nhuU5go9R5mDCaDd-lywSISFR1Vnrsn3L2TtuIfco_DasuOdFwFfBv04FWvLIuvGpxCocAN_IU9XDZI6v3kRJVjgdvdHI/s400/19.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby enjoying the beautiful flowers</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxAevmFVDSmAxYxk1L0nUbAwArArqv__pUEWcfv9JQZOTbsptXWHtTZKx7_QFIfjw6WPAE7ACqzsBB5GmDmsdOhqvd-HunLXV9DK8YOd108U1edQG6sCQEojEyYBOe8rUn4aIeoqoxO6c/s1600/20.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxAevmFVDSmAxYxk1L0nUbAwArArqv__pUEWcfv9JQZOTbsptXWHtTZKx7_QFIfjw6WPAE7ACqzsBB5GmDmsdOhqvd-HunLXV9DK8YOd108U1edQG6sCQEojEyYBOe8rUn4aIeoqoxO6c/s400/20.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I love ferns</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Next, we observed some of the plants and flowers in details while strolling in the garden. We were delighted to see so many species of unique and exotic plants and flowers. The explosion of colors from the huge variety of plants and blooms was amazing and impressive. We enjoyed viewing the colorful and magnificent flowers in full bloom. The picturesque views of the garden just blew us away. Afterwards, we stood in the center of the garden, closed our eyes, and just listened to the sounds and smelled the scented fragrance all around us. It was so peaceful and relaxing. Below are a few photos we took of the plants and colorful flowers while strolling in the garden.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRiFZdvTed1dJKoGrJgw16tkuREOOXi2pCGIUtHMyl7VnJbURBigr_bf3O2RH13SJOB2BsOUQO7mbxRiI3NNxY54fZrpq_t4eEEZfOxuo_mGGMXktDfuolKvu4Tz5ZjjihOJSb3cuNBZw/s1600/21.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRiFZdvTed1dJKoGrJgw16tkuREOOXi2pCGIUtHMyl7VnJbURBigr_bf3O2RH13SJOB2BsOUQO7mbxRiI3NNxY54fZrpq_t4eEEZfOxuo_mGGMXktDfuolKvu4Tz5ZjjihOJSb3cuNBZw/s400/21.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Fresh green plants in Ueno Farm garden</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAIf4FFVYCEwkxhJ-XScdcSfDb_BIengQ0TDEp3kbbgZly3TVNyGKpU_rOlekBkJc9i7uxhnk3crLs-r3CUGpf0l1lz019aq1Kk87gtvcJt3iA8wMnmM0Wzv7pjez_eCJeq1gcd5Qd60k/s1600/22.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAIf4FFVYCEwkxhJ-XScdcSfDb_BIengQ0TDEp3kbbgZly3TVNyGKpU_rOlekBkJc9i7uxhnk3crLs-r3CUGpf0l1lz019aq1Kk87gtvcJt3iA8wMnmM0Wzv7pjez_eCJeq1gcd5Qd60k/s400/22.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Tiny white colored columbine flowers in the background, yellow colored patrinia flowers in the middle, and violet colored hardy geranium himalayense flowers in the foreground</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBIg1FMw9CZ0xeA3rsaesFqh3woMIRHdMY99WueC-7-SSI0AiGBe_BuYpwleno53kqXbiVbcMUGHLEK0O9yXwwCGvHD5aY-VSZiONTD1BSkCxOuBgAJju5wLeOlii_FPMt7hPCk4mW-pI/s1600/23.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBIg1FMw9CZ0xeA3rsaesFqh3woMIRHdMY99WueC-7-SSI0AiGBe_BuYpwleno53kqXbiVbcMUGHLEK0O9yXwwCGvHD5aY-VSZiONTD1BSkCxOuBgAJju5wLeOlii_FPMt7hPCk4mW-pI/s400/23.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Plants, colorful flowers, and a pond located at the Gnome’s Garden area. The flowering plants of mullein in the foreground make a great impact on the surroundings.</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNUefhx_gETWmlxexlVRf0LGcRlvP-x_hGgN3WsdBoZShhjeJ-W-iRd6RNEehxO6xb95JVmW6pMFKe-bAauZFpyNV2vV_ESWZytdPWvD7LiARGm3Xg16gD1-3fsSGqCbTpNgrfJf21KcQ/s1600/24.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNUefhx_gETWmlxexlVRf0LGcRlvP-x_hGgN3WsdBoZShhjeJ-W-iRd6RNEehxO6xb95JVmW6pMFKe-bAauZFpyNV2vV_ESWZytdPWvD7LiARGm3Xg16gD1-3fsSGqCbTpNgrfJf21KcQ/s400/24.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Explosion of colors at the Gnome’s Garden area with violet-blue colored anchusa capensis flowers and red or pink colored oriental poppy flowers</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRnDeonUZS7K8HpKZgGGD2posgVSemZ3_uoTXH2l-Ij3W11BCsoCWzPhqo3f6verMigWk9V9DBqTHVjJaoUf2OkvdxHDlaKj4ih7Plg_dch6lfdEBRNtGsOuWGbE3KfBFMm1onoZx5n_k/s1600/25.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRnDeonUZS7K8HpKZgGGD2posgVSemZ3_uoTXH2l-Ij3W11BCsoCWzPhqo3f6verMigWk9V9DBqTHVjJaoUf2OkvdxHDlaKj4ih7Plg_dch6lfdEBRNtGsOuWGbE3KfBFMm1onoZx5n_k/s400/25.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Pleasant view of oriental poppy flowers</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig_jCG9lsySFP7ia44kNmb53jD6yv_RwZejIzE3oXtiJ0fRQ_Xca4Mvnh81T_TCj66ymzGNeL24K0P3qDroMG5d_G_5uw8ysgEkXy0hKOrqUxMQjeSsk9V9XRva2blWJe7toKkIb7asNY/s1600/26.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig_jCG9lsySFP7ia44kNmb53jD6yv_RwZejIzE3oXtiJ0fRQ_Xca4Mvnh81T_TCj66ymzGNeL24K0P3qDroMG5d_G_5uw8ysgEkXy0hKOrqUxMQjeSsk9V9XRva2blWJe7toKkIb7asNY/s400/26.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A type of red colored rose</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2vLwZYv2fHrR7sIHbcJV4TP5SNixd2PqnX4GmyxsPWaHjrbWx2z7nGg1o6nPF5LKt-qYy977Nvy0va4vSoTHRAKGbv43M_eaB2Fhp3kU7ov2OwgFryGN7n8YvC4aDxstbrijv-ZGoNEs/s1600/27.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2vLwZYv2fHrR7sIHbcJV4TP5SNixd2PqnX4GmyxsPWaHjrbWx2z7nGg1o6nPF5LKt-qYy977Nvy0va4vSoTHRAKGbv43M_eaB2Fhp3kU7ov2OwgFryGN7n8YvC4aDxstbrijv-ZGoNEs/s400/27.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A stalk of violet-blue colored flowers</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg83hIwpMMcQYsv-jXaMehJ6BR0rzGAqh8xGUPnfVRvBuy3p1Rhgi7Qn2v1BvXywDtGth3isPIMLkUJTMm7aINDTRHE16qBXlMBCHzKfPVB8dExCCfXsD6Lj5hcjwAOfReCdodWFLXs-04/s1600/28.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg83hIwpMMcQYsv-jXaMehJ6BR0rzGAqh8xGUPnfVRvBuy3p1Rhgi7Qn2v1BvXywDtGth3isPIMLkUJTMm7aINDTRHE16qBXlMBCHzKfPVB8dExCCfXsD6Lj5hcjwAOfReCdodWFLXs-04/s400/28.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A bulb of purple colored giant allium flower</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1epoa1liAdWgqI-gKkY2vBkA3CXx6jAIM_rv8A7zX75LjDDOl3czE4M4W1t9gqCvw5pkvFUToADyJwPtZLn2SD1J4j_d35WTeYozmLmM3HkEyCbJuVa0BLGAUY_T_9FZu9Hm7GnUXdOM/s1600/29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1epoa1liAdWgqI-gKkY2vBkA3CXx6jAIM_rv8A7zX75LjDDOl3czE4M4W1t9gqCvw5pkvFUToADyJwPtZLn2SD1J4j_d35WTeYozmLmM3HkEyCbJuVa0BLGAUY_T_9FZu9Hm7GnUXdOM/s400/29.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A pair of pink colored roses</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzlmcQPzfUxHXpV-qyIsClSCLB0c6DLvSwenHvTW2Lz8s__Dvly684IG7U6z7AmdsHmh6tjX3LByiiQQx9lsCUxQSGwyly3d4f7APqki4X1vVPAc6UOG0Sky5KiPkmPY39uyH2Qw8yqB0/s1600/30.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzlmcQPzfUxHXpV-qyIsClSCLB0c6DLvSwenHvTW2Lz8s__Dvly684IG7U6z7AmdsHmh6tjX3LByiiQQx9lsCUxQSGwyly3d4f7APqki4X1vVPAc6UOG0Sky5KiPkmPY39uyH2Qw8yqB0/s400/30.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Beautiful tiny violet-blue colored anchusa capensis flowers</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Clusters of purple colored digitalis (foxglove) flowers</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioFRFS9ApRCfEl0JfrCQ1HAUSe4QZKLDqH4SoHLPqR2ummquWG6vjm1qQvWhe53IkMBWYDzmoh5iCkW-wu5yWScvCKkUpQ6NETXtJmdoA_4lJkBqRdLpGKzFBLBy70jnZYRCaQpiRvQSo/s1600/32.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioFRFS9ApRCfEl0JfrCQ1HAUSe4QZKLDqH4SoHLPqR2ummquWG6vjm1qQvWhe53IkMBWYDzmoh5iCkW-wu5yWScvCKkUpQ6NETXtJmdoA_4lJkBqRdLpGKzFBLBy70jnZYRCaQpiRvQSo/s400/32.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Clusters of pink-gin colored digitalis flowers</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">After enjoying viewing the colorful flowers in the garden, we walked along a pathway among the woods just outside the garden. The pathway led us to the base of a small mountain named Shatekiyama located adjacent to the garden. The mountain has an altitude of 171 meters and it actually seemed like a hill to me. We walked further a short distance up the mountain to reach the top. From the top, we got beautiful unbroken views of the surrounding landscape, nearby agricultural fields, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daisetsuzan_National_Park" target="_blank">Daisetsuzan National Park</a> in the far background. Standing at the mountaintop, we enjoyed the fantastic views all around us. In addition, we saw two stone statues of Enmusubi <a href="http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/jizo1.shtml" target="_blank">Jizo</a> located at the top. These Jizo statues are considered to be the deities of matchmaking and marriage.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A pathway among the woods just outside the garden leading to the base of Mount Shatekiyama</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhT1z-sBEL-3R130zgtfavb6bM91KRr1EQJvvrcj7cEdfxJf1ab58bLxLUSOnBUZPNca3uLB92i9TJylzyWPBC0tdLkvHECl-Zx0bmgLwrX-CuitMfeiq0yPMBSeJQ2Uf3RaL5R76pZYY/s1600/34.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhT1z-sBEL-3R130zgtfavb6bM91KRr1EQJvvrcj7cEdfxJf1ab58bLxLUSOnBUZPNca3uLB92i9TJylzyWPBC0tdLkvHECl-Zx0bmgLwrX-CuitMfeiq0yPMBSeJQ2Uf3RaL5R76pZYY/s400/34.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>While walking along the pathway, we saw a stone statue of a standing bear in the agricultural field</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEici470GOTFvw9b_jC6H6uflOd-2ciodHTQGvmAsBu_RkoAmFtRmd2kO1_Xjqq1iudq_JKNCiI8a7TmwdxpNymDjsc22Zsy65ELzJlbvr3Pc29dmFM-v9XXXPoidofxbOZif-cfq5g4kwE/s1600/35.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEici470GOTFvw9b_jC6H6uflOd-2ciodHTQGvmAsBu_RkoAmFtRmd2kO1_Xjqq1iudq_JKNCiI8a7TmwdxpNymDjsc22Zsy65ELzJlbvr3Pc29dmFM-v9XXXPoidofxbOZif-cfq5g4kwE/s400/35.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am walking along the pathway</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDD7FKnhmUs4Zrki7JAdPHhv_7WiLHjaXVH7jOTz5iHhNDNTQsd_oTTyjYPWWPqED0lKKNlVlPoYyICjzP3Q7l6txi5hzkkXbMfHvztdaINPgqXVXPAt4rPrHXbyJjADIRLQqvMJOmI10/s1600/36.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDD7FKnhmUs4Zrki7JAdPHhv_7WiLHjaXVH7jOTz5iHhNDNTQsd_oTTyjYPWWPqED0lKKNlVlPoYyICjzP3Q7l6txi5hzkkXbMfHvztdaINPgqXVXPAt4rPrHXbyJjADIRLQqvMJOmI10/s400/36.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am walking up Mount Shatekiyama</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv75kwsFUokF66sXbKr-oFMs-WXNHOnQmbyFsqjQ_ytHGWlL4f-ThImV0fOlU4n8DapJiwnx7dGzuzYMBZ1xQLb2vVcfzFWKteW_kYl4THwsUYaeM57Hxdp_d66uZQI7Gu1T6DwM6grTI/s1600/37.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv75kwsFUokF66sXbKr-oFMs-WXNHOnQmbyFsqjQ_ytHGWlL4f-ThImV0fOlU4n8DapJiwnx7dGzuzYMBZ1xQLb2vVcfzFWKteW_kYl4THwsUYaeM57Hxdp_d66uZQI7Gu1T6DwM6grTI/s400/37.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing at the mountaintop</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidTEoRjMF2EBy7obYfqTBJeT46EJARI6evuSp74uUHBjjQyZEUBZ2jkXUUdkzlv8Nt_37xy851D9UOLA0KqFIS14zalUZFy0IszdZFyMoLOkV6cz-7EyB1gUYy0euxM28SJBflXitVBEE/s1600/38.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidTEoRjMF2EBy7obYfqTBJeT46EJARI6evuSp74uUHBjjQyZEUBZ2jkXUUdkzlv8Nt_37xy851D9UOLA0KqFIS14zalUZFy0IszdZFyMoLOkV6cz-7EyB1gUYy0euxM28SJBflXitVBEE/s400/38.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Surrounding landscape and agricultural fields as viewed from the mountaintop</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxhPqkgQVLQb7PF7Hsk0KkJDaesFiJ7N5gyKQjpgBGxlATPS086g__PmA1Qx7f8llYCKscqPlHNNsjMqReGtSKaOpM20i2A5sdXoqDd2ZeBYXPO2QWiG3TqBafzLRfScRHhDPUq2zFLPE/s1600/39.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxhPqkgQVLQb7PF7Hsk0KkJDaesFiJ7N5gyKQjpgBGxlATPS086g__PmA1Qx7f8llYCKscqPlHNNsjMqReGtSKaOpM20i2A5sdXoqDd2ZeBYXPO2QWiG3TqBafzLRfScRHhDPUq2zFLPE/s400/39.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Daisetsuzan National Park in the far background as viewed from the mountaintop</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqqWLTbv1fh82e4lal-9GjzK0nFEGh7bB4omL03VG6tXz5ffCadU-VI-9qY3Fw3YxtIkMdiV54aU3q3DutEJZDAerg7KYivN7CHaBClbIm7eY9fiIqyMLNvciqrmSnOHSyGH3IqZfyjsY/s1600/40.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqqWLTbv1fh82e4lal-9GjzK0nFEGh7bB4omL03VG6tXz5ffCadU-VI-9qY3Fw3YxtIkMdiV54aU3q3DutEJZDAerg7KYivN7CHaBClbIm7eY9fiIqyMLNvciqrmSnOHSyGH3IqZfyjsY/s400/40.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing along with the two stone statues of Enmusubi Jizo located at the mountaintop</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Afterwards, we walked down Mount Shatekiyama via a different route and saw stalks of brightly colored lupine flowers in full bloom near the base of the mountain. The blooming flowers created quite a picturesque view.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGQBxphL_Ej_3G4ELVZ_UXabEhyWOqPQPU4S1GpERGFaxsOFyBFEfCnMqKW9acU2MHGZekZ4hQ5WdVIVwCER34tFajlF6Y6wuiylA7yJa-bgk8hIgVWCPGwBDDd5F4nRbCRXY-G4dbqeM/s1600/41.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGQBxphL_Ej_3G4ELVZ_UXabEhyWOqPQPU4S1GpERGFaxsOFyBFEfCnMqKW9acU2MHGZekZ4hQ5WdVIVwCER34tFajlF6Y6wuiylA7yJa-bgk8hIgVWCPGwBDDd5F4nRbCRXY-G4dbqeM/s400/41.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Walking down Mount Shatekiyama</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPXiL39Kb8OxWqGZq1vMlq5ZdZMrmQ8CNAcZ1umrDGYKAR6hUa8cQPCqaEiRKXfKEnv0mKuKvLuKlMW88B8Kakn-GH65RD2vzzI49fn7-XZQx7RB4piymyFvqDu10mdEpm5qGChF0u3F8/s1600/42.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPXiL39Kb8OxWqGZq1vMlq5ZdZMrmQ8CNAcZ1umrDGYKAR6hUa8cQPCqaEiRKXfKEnv0mKuKvLuKlMW88B8Kakn-GH65RD2vzzI49fn7-XZQx7RB4piymyFvqDu10mdEpm5qGChF0u3F8/s400/42.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Stalks of lupine flowers in full bloom near the base of the mountain</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrjh1Cy6d3V0M2scHkES9GN2-uIJuakC0JHVl9IBZGPt85FHRawHj8m5I9pU2dKpoefeQLUaKCJZjzFYW9aoNE40m-n0oy5c9fO2U1oziel1Kcev4KFkUmXu1WbHbULu8A0jBQW_N5yvM/s1600/43.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrjh1Cy6d3V0M2scHkES9GN2-uIJuakC0JHVl9IBZGPt85FHRawHj8m5I9pU2dKpoefeQLUaKCJZjzFYW9aoNE40m-n0oy5c9fO2U1oziel1Kcev4KFkUmXu1WbHbULu8A0jBQW_N5yvM/s400/43.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby enjoying the flowers</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhquTUhxGCiiuoVcgdWPrYHXn-7e6ArBG1ToCjCqTeJ5SYPJOQO2nI2Ncbv9qxeRYlU7r9n-2bw5G58qM1fmTEDWG-lz7Sfph23WaPquEIhChSOz4dwFYPgpYiKwiy4GDqy_xAY-zKnJTk/s1600/44.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhquTUhxGCiiuoVcgdWPrYHXn-7e6ArBG1ToCjCqTeJ5SYPJOQO2nI2Ncbv9qxeRYlU7r9n-2bw5G58qM1fmTEDWG-lz7Sfph23WaPquEIhChSOz4dwFYPgpYiKwiy4GDqy_xAY-zKnJTk/s400/44.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The flowers and I</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio1r0l-6tsaS6k48wg9Y2z-JaTNoRthLHCVtjtn3qwJykeAmTDc68LdlvtYbuwRoz6C38jrMtTv0IV2ROCWiy3obXT5jKFD6XFTdx4o6pDxoFjF7PvzX9KZrtXLL6lvUv158YB5EZo-lE/s1600/45.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio1r0l-6tsaS6k48wg9Y2z-JaTNoRthLHCVtjtn3qwJykeAmTDc68LdlvtYbuwRoz6C38jrMtTv0IV2ROCWiy3obXT5jKFD6XFTdx4o6pDxoFjF7PvzX9KZrtXLL6lvUv158YB5EZo-lE/s400/45.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Stalks of pink and violet colored lupine flowers</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWzgw4qOSFsmwxNpubQaNg7oBbQ3JY0dyMyYlSfrGPGtei0w7SssQ5ZnaSDbaMikdB4iHu58WLhtjJhk5aS-Cwx-ON0t3XVh4cT9HZpZL7wt_P-4WQ7uRw8KXzmsniLYAyFQHjS8VDR9w/s1600/46.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWzgw4qOSFsmwxNpubQaNg7oBbQ3JY0dyMyYlSfrGPGtei0w7SssQ5ZnaSDbaMikdB4iHu58WLhtjJhk5aS-Cwx-ON0t3XVh4cT9HZpZL7wt_P-4WQ7uRw8KXzmsniLYAyFQHjS8VDR9w/s400/46.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Stalks of violet colored lupine flowers along with tiny white colored anemone dichotoma flowers in the background</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTFVhoOGtwzeTkm3AAtRyc8ZVojAIrjXcPRqv1R7E0anrICBqftLuNfywNECvlOiEn7cmLWYubJt8VoEXOi-Cy-YNXhhQG4EhnJa1Cd0ZVOYa29GCW-ONI_Nz7W9Ti0NHPe5dOU1dIt88/s1600/47.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTFVhoOGtwzeTkm3AAtRyc8ZVojAIrjXcPRqv1R7E0anrICBqftLuNfywNECvlOiEn7cmLWYubJt8VoEXOi-Cy-YNXhhQG4EhnJa1Cd0ZVOYa29GCW-ONI_Nz7W9Ti0NHPe5dOU1dIt88/s400/47.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A stalk of violet and white bi-colored lupine flowers</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">At this point, we finished the tour of Ueno Farm garden. We returned to the entrance area of the garden and went to a cafe and gift shop located within the garden premises. We bought delicious ice cream and enjoyed having it while watching the goose and her goslings feeding on insects and grass.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Ueno Farm. The garden with many plants and colorful blooming flowers was a wonderful sight to behold. In the evening we went to Hakodate City where we stayed overnight at a hotel located near the railway station. The next morning, on 21st June, we had a grand breakfast at a restaurant located within the hotel about which I will write in the next post.</span></span></div>
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Manisha Kundu-Nagatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13277146210049986417noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695885479879152724.post-53071151621893040102016-12-01T15:50:00.001+09:002016-12-01T15:50:16.810+09:00Cape Soya<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">As I wrote in the <a href="http://lipikazuo.blogspot.com/2016/11/travel-by-hokkaido-shinkansen.html" target="_blank">previous post</a>, hubby and I had been on a sightseeing trip to Hokkaido in mid-June for my birthday. On the day of my birthday on 19th June, we visited Cape Soya. Cape Soya is the northernmost point of the island of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hokkaido" target="_blank">Hokkaido</a>. It is situated in Wakkanai City of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C5%8Dya_Subprefecture" target="_blank">Soya subprefecture</a>. With coordinates of 45 degrees, 31 minutes, and 14 seconds north, Cape Soya is the absolute tip of Japan. The cape is located about 25 kilometers northeast of the center of Wakkanai City. The cape is a well known tourist spot and sees a steady stream of visitors arriving and departing by buses, cars or motorcycles. It is also known as the 'Cape of Monuments' because of its rich history and this fact is commemorated with many erected monuments. It should be noted here that the true northernmost point under Japanese control is a small deserted island called Bentenjima, located 1 kilometer northwest of the cape. In addition, Cape Soya is just 43 kilometers away across <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_P%C3%A9rouse_Strait" target="_blank">La Perouse Strait</a> from the southernmost cape named <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Crillon" target="_blank">Cape Crillon</a> of Sakhalin Island in Russia. It is actually possible to catch a glimpse of the island of Sakhalin on a clear day.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">As written in the previous post, hubby and I stayed at a hotel in Asahikawa City on the nights of 18th and 19th June. On the morning of 19th June, we got up early and left the hotel at about 9 am. We rented a car from a car rental service named <a href="http://car.orix.co.jp/eng/" target="_blank">Orix-Rent-A-Car</a> located adjacent to the hotel. I would like to mention here that it was my 50th birthday that day. So hubby rented a car named <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Corolla" target="_blank">Toyota Corolla</a> which also celebrated 50 years of production this year. It was a very thoughtful and kind gesture on hubby’s part. Anyway, by 9.15 am we were all set to start our road trip from Asahikawa City to Cape Soya in Wakkanai City. Cape Soya is located about 250 kilometers north of the car rental place in Asahikawa, and it took us about 4.5 hours of car ride to reach the cape. It was a long scenic road trip across half of Hokkaido. There were stunning views all around us. Such scenic views seemed to stretch on endlessly. After about 105 kilometers of driving, we took rest at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roadside_station" target="_blank">Michinoeki</a> roadside station in Bifuka Town. There we saw a shop selling various local products like wooden animals and dolls. We bought a couple of wooden animals about which I have written in an <a href="http://lipikazuo.blogspot.jp/2016/07/my-birthday.html" target="_blank">earlier post</a> in July. We also bought some local food products and continued on our way towards the cape. Soon afterwards we started seeing endless green pastures and blue or cloudy skies along the way. There were hardly any cars on the road with non-existent traffic. So we stopped along the road and got out of the car for some time to enjoy the green pastures with grazing cattle. It felt so peaceful and serene. Afterwards, we again continued on our way. As we neared the cape, we started seeing sea on one side and green pastures on the other. We also saw many wind turbines in the green pastures. We made one more stop along the road to enjoy the fresh air, cool breeze, and the peaceful greenery all around us. Finally at about 2 pm, we reached Cape Soya. We thoroughly enjoyed the 4.5 hours of road trip.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing along with Toyota Corolla car we rented in Asahikawa City for our trip to Cape Soya</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Toyota Corolla car celebrated 50 years of production this year</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby all set to start on our road trip to Cape Soya</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing at Michinoeki roadside station in Bifuka Town</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A shop at the roadside station where we bought a few wooden dolls</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing along with many wooden animals and dolls inside the shop</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>There were hardly any cars on the road</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby having some snacks while driving</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>We saw scenic views and green pastures all along the road</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Cattle grazing in the green pastures</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Serene and peaceful view</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby clicking photos of the grazing cattle</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>As we neared the cape, we saw sea on one side and green pastures on the other</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV9yzsy0CxVAgLgEPlzPo3qimu86mX5jT8OcJRXaijJIw4wcNXhMZzWyYtG4nJ_q6RLdBRj3yC3fxz5aNwpx24tu1XPR5J4fCC-dxIE4dNDxwoSGGUq57pFx6SlVM5EmxEcIv7W1SEDhE/s1600/14.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV9yzsy0CxVAgLgEPlzPo3qimu86mX5jT8OcJRXaijJIw4wcNXhMZzWyYtG4nJ_q6RLdBRj3yC3fxz5aNwpx24tu1XPR5J4fCC-dxIE4dNDxwoSGGUq57pFx6SlVM5EmxEcIv7W1SEDhE/s400/14.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Many wind turbines in the green pastures</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4oc8RFBAQmhijinXBDfc734Op2gOw3YN8b_hEW6XZeTdsea8BXwHQEgBDrUsuHF-mBcNpxoyjpXP_BGpfwBbrjqvfZu7WuwN9613GKWnjZNNnmrNUJkchyphenhyphenVn3v5ZmCDpxgm3YvGuUJTo/s1600/15.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4oc8RFBAQmhijinXBDfc734Op2gOw3YN8b_hEW6XZeTdsea8BXwHQEgBDrUsuHF-mBcNpxoyjpXP_BGpfwBbrjqvfZu7WuwN9613GKWnjZNNnmrNUJkchyphenhyphenVn3v5ZmCDpxgm3YvGuUJTo/s400/15.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Wind turbines in the green pastures and I</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">We parked our rented car at a parking lot and walked up to Cape Soya, the northernmost point of Japan. Although it is a cape, there is actually only a roundly curved flat coast. At the absolute tip of the cape, we saw a monument named the ‘Monument of the Northernmost Point of Japan’. It is a stone monument of triangular pyramid shape and marks the northernmost point of freely-accessible Japanese territory. It is built at 45 degrees, 31 minutes, 22 seconds north. The monument expresses peace and cooperation, and has the letter ‘N’ in the center indicating north. We took a few photos of us along with the stone monument for the sake of memories.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTwfKrJX2jiaPw-mYjcamu5ItaULuIMWf3ABdaGeH3t3n5DlzValpntlB-iuETiLzPRn-PFn3bO__oF7bQAUEpzVe6hOTN7223epd8z3LyYJujju6B_uUWW1UraCcH-zxE4ThhZ-VlaSo/s1600/16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTwfKrJX2jiaPw-mYjcamu5ItaULuIMWf3ABdaGeH3t3n5DlzValpntlB-iuETiLzPRn-PFn3bO__oF7bQAUEpzVe6hOTN7223epd8z3LyYJujju6B_uUWW1UraCcH-zxE4ThhZ-VlaSo/s400/16.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing at Cape Soya</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiywJ7x4qj6t0ki0ogsQvwBe3ZLIE9QnXy_R1JrOZ73QWT2FV5Fc_6dTAkRvejJoJqewPN_CddmFxDV7u74-wdyfn2iouVt2lgEEXjSNXCPjtMwNChkPa8QYQOPpSePQmPTF_LGLY82E3M/s1600/17.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiywJ7x4qj6t0ki0ogsQvwBe3ZLIE9QnXy_R1JrOZ73QWT2FV5Fc_6dTAkRvejJoJqewPN_CddmFxDV7u74-wdyfn2iouVt2lgEEXjSNXCPjtMwNChkPa8QYQOPpSePQmPTF_LGLY82E3M/s400/17.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am sitting on a makeshift bench along with the ‘Monument of the Northernmost Point of Japan’ in the background</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh37PcqNFTte0gFLNQXazzgXkXcgjuTWcGzPNNtH5z7oWtlULhaRCFXxBC6lKzBeJsoYJ3mpC3-Wykvz2Fpe1NOqdeTRagSeTtK11tVs03fu-_2DgfYnJ9fq2fUDdo8Y7y37Rj-7ZsUXlQ/s1600/18.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh37PcqNFTte0gFLNQXazzgXkXcgjuTWcGzPNNtH5z7oWtlULhaRCFXxBC6lKzBeJsoYJ3mpC3-Wykvz2Fpe1NOqdeTRagSeTtK11tVs03fu-_2DgfYnJ9fq2fUDdo8Y7y37Rj-7ZsUXlQ/s400/18.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The stone monument of triangular pyramid shape marks the northernmost point of freely-accessible Japanese territory</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIkGqhWNMeDmiJx5Xsdckw8C0slufSCNd_CGlys4DJlRLBuMEQlmAlh9bLm5_qzGQviVQQsu0RG4fI-OesuxvOxFN0HpbcSHmEeKkcwDKmPyeqo7VMCKf50ZCm3qU5TzZPA42kLQpmMyo/s1600/19.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIkGqhWNMeDmiJx5Xsdckw8C0slufSCNd_CGlys4DJlRLBuMEQlmAlh9bLm5_qzGQviVQQsu0RG4fI-OesuxvOxFN0HpbcSHmEeKkcwDKmPyeqo7VMCKf50ZCm3qU5TzZPA42kLQpmMyo/s400/19.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Enlarged view of the stone monument</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLfntc97cwDAP2SA5CTx1C6wf2c4YU4BQFW2DS94pq0lQuZj4k1PiWMvrq3uKbJoYkG7k7zr97ofHLC3hzDwjUH2gDdU8KIUO08kwUEwuNBJO4fIZh0d3Sl3jIipCLnrvM369-aWlpzKw/s1600/20.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLfntc97cwDAP2SA5CTx1C6wf2c4YU4BQFW2DS94pq0lQuZj4k1PiWMvrq3uKbJoYkG7k7zr97ofHLC3hzDwjUH2gDdU8KIUO08kwUEwuNBJO4fIZh0d3Sl3jIipCLnrvM369-aWlpzKw/s400/20.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Backside of the stone monument and the sea indicating the absolute tip of the cape</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqPFqhFxa8zk17xI_pV7dP1UQGinwtKlh2ENq9Mrd7GjuWugJ73NnlksU-WEuThN7S6GzpmhlK0Z8NdxuEx855gVq6vQLXHeXN4RixgoeOrK_7xcisB4WeT0FpkgQ53M0WfKOUyUMCw4k/s1600/21.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqPFqhFxa8zk17xI_pV7dP1UQGinwtKlh2ENq9Mrd7GjuWugJ73NnlksU-WEuThN7S6GzpmhlK0Z8NdxuEx855gVq6vQLXHeXN4RixgoeOrK_7xcisB4WeT0FpkgQ53M0WfKOUyUMCw4k/s400/21.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing on the stone monument</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNnR8rTnwgLdpiOvPNZgsx-GBxIAmoau2dgBHorvEZlOumEEVxEsMEgyJAFBjZ_O7hnbfHcKETQHji8sLhDN3vMoRyFz5TUUUDSK1wAon0wcpYTrBVzFochwY20UBabY85TaUN7dcEL2M/s1600/22.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNnR8rTnwgLdpiOvPNZgsx-GBxIAmoau2dgBHorvEZlOumEEVxEsMEgyJAFBjZ_O7hnbfHcKETQHji8sLhDN3vMoRyFz5TUUUDSK1wAon0wcpYTrBVzFochwY20UBabY85TaUN7dcEL2M/s400/22.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby and I standing on the monument</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Right next (west of) to the northernmost pyramid monument, we saw a striking standing bronze statue of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamiya_Rinz%C5%8D" target="_blank">Mamiya Rinzo</a> in 18th century garb. Mamiya Rinzo was a Japanese explorer from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edo_period" target="_blank">Edo period</a> and is commemorated for his geographical explorations of the region. He is famous for the discovery of Mamiya Strait (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strait_of_Tartary" target="_blank">Tatar Strait</a>) in 1809, as well as for determining that Karafuto (presently Sakhalin Island) is actually an island. Mamiya’s name lives on in history for his discoveries, which were great achievements towards filling in missing pieces of the world map at that time.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzF3B3buy1GudsZPAkdDXG9q4HxHfbz4TSKS8GPTyaOxq7qP0ASpLcAPw_nezJyWg4zijCMUV7SPlT6qbVW5D3mMKEnfo-FRhpwLz2PVtT4T9RC-ArBV0WXp_euglwcgczHB52CK6QMGI/s1600/23.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzF3B3buy1GudsZPAkdDXG9q4HxHfbz4TSKS8GPTyaOxq7qP0ASpLcAPw_nezJyWg4zijCMUV7SPlT6qbVW5D3mMKEnfo-FRhpwLz2PVtT4T9RC-ArBV0WXp_euglwcgczHB52CK6QMGI/s400/23.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing along with the bronze statue of Mamiya Rinzo</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEd3mXYo52bCoMNDAhhPtyq7F962S5KIsq8TknOheCHkADVw-OBhGBSn_oIR_Nhtm9eLkuUl7a04-Z4RVu5rjcXOb5qdlkGQY84qXcgzqJLO-SDtYDU83mG39Oc4QdxO_2GxZIrzMhRAI/s1600/24.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEd3mXYo52bCoMNDAhhPtyq7F962S5KIsq8TknOheCHkADVw-OBhGBSn_oIR_Nhtm9eLkuUl7a04-Z4RVu5rjcXOb5qdlkGQY84qXcgzqJLO-SDtYDU83mG39Oc4QdxO_2GxZIrzMhRAI/s400/24.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby and the great 18th century explorer</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Adjacent (east of) to the northernmost tip monument, we saw an extraordinary musical monument named ‘Soya Misaki’ Music Monument. It is a black monolithic panel and is a monument to traditional ballad style of Japanese music called <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enka" target="_blank">Enka</a>. This monument is engraved with the lyrics and music score of ‘Soya Misaki’ (Cape Soya in Japanese), a song in tribute of the springtime splendors of this region. ‘Soya Misaki’ was written by local songwriter Yoshida Hiroshi and composed by famous Enka music composer Funamura Toru, and was released in 1972. When it appeared on a television music program in 1976, ‘Soya Misaki’ became a nationwide hit, and continues to be sung to this day as a masterpiece which stirs the hearts of travelers. Visitors to the cape can stand before this monument, press a button in a stainless steel pillar and hear the refrains of the score and lyrics engraved on the stone. Hubby listened to the music and hummed along with the song.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3L4RwZPPCIp0_uOJqY59VS60mQJbCy2Sv3vNLVBpRNgchd_5LsfcN1UoSkDpNbmwUmO2voWQdZR0fFIzYEmKZDzSCjlZt-87mnq3xAoDZKVmdu46NFI97YcLS4oIdg2wv8q-eISFfH4A/s1600/25.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3L4RwZPPCIp0_uOJqY59VS60mQJbCy2Sv3vNLVBpRNgchd_5LsfcN1UoSkDpNbmwUmO2voWQdZR0fFIzYEmKZDzSCjlZt-87mnq3xAoDZKVmdu46NFI97YcLS4oIdg2wv8q-eISFfH4A/s400/25.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing in front of ‘Soya Misaki’ Music Monument</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoA2_opG93-6AHVvxnvbxB6cKUb7i9OhVqhiJNQ_XFUwEOzCsx7zkeL557ckjatAamIEYW7gJt1mFi-PhP_YJs-7aMa_pvmZJ3UIzjlWJLkmdlYd8bTZYhTl2pDHiFf5BNT34NRemLtTA/s1600/26.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoA2_opG93-6AHVvxnvbxB6cKUb7i9OhVqhiJNQ_XFUwEOzCsx7zkeL557ckjatAamIEYW7gJt1mFi-PhP_YJs-7aMa_pvmZJ3UIzjlWJLkmdlYd8bTZYhTl2pDHiFf5BNT34NRemLtTA/s400/26.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby listening to the popular traditional song ‘Soya Misaki’</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">About 10 meters east of the music monument, we saw several steps leading down to the sea. We walked down the steps to touch the sea water at the northernmost point of the cape. That day the sea was very calm and we saw many seagulls flying over the sea. I would like to mention here that on a clear day, it is possible see the faint shoreline of Sakhalin Island in Russia which is located just 43 kilometers north across the Soya Kaikyo (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_P%C3%A9rouse_Strait" target="_blank">La Perouse Strait</a>). Since it was a cloudy day, it was rather unfortunate that we could not catch a glimpse of Sakhalin Island. We loved the scenery all around us. The view of the wide sea from the cape was spectacular. It was so serene and peaceful. Looking at the coastal line and the horizon, we felt that we were indeed standing at the northernmost point of Hokkaido. We felt a sense of fulfillment standing at the northernmost point of Japan.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheQQp3qvfDk4wYGxSmYQYizVkEQAUGO64lZ9d4qbgOP3DSqYRkQewmLCCP4zSDVXFYsWwC8SqZGikHEDDRqnVYbmzkhe7TBAC3VdzD_ePpcfUHqX44KNYAmhtfQ2ps8rBKnJ4MJda2kFQ/s1600/27.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheQQp3qvfDk4wYGxSmYQYizVkEQAUGO64lZ9d4qbgOP3DSqYRkQewmLCCP4zSDVXFYsWwC8SqZGikHEDDRqnVYbmzkhe7TBAC3VdzD_ePpcfUHqX44KNYAmhtfQ2ps8rBKnJ4MJda2kFQ/s400/27.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby walked down the steps leading to the sea at the northernmost point of the cape</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYSp2eSyuGcQsWEyv5mlE2HZW9hurBzzrwNtzhzwCTy1MD3QMvU5AS05ULdBjVVczza1ypGOczaH0R0E7zKLWEzEHYy-I94Q1ILfrHEXWzeygc6ZLrvfpIE_R6QcKEEueh61-WRrf16NM/s1600/28.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYSp2eSyuGcQsWEyv5mlE2HZW9hurBzzrwNtzhzwCTy1MD3QMvU5AS05ULdBjVVczza1ypGOczaH0R0E7zKLWEzEHYy-I94Q1ILfrHEXWzeygc6ZLrvfpIE_R6QcKEEueh61-WRrf16NM/s400/28.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing next to the sea</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A seagull resting on a rock in the sea</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigwQHtf8lnCnIz0kd-hbrivkv4VbqUQ1g7Aq04I9314Bs2ytaQWY6bwK6vYhPoC2hXqUFmwBCBbM4iuckJiImXmC8eVwbfpTAgpYa0g7gxYSGY9PAjxGcAwj8VpcWNQJJzB2TuGlTjJmQ/s1600/30.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigwQHtf8lnCnIz0kd-hbrivkv4VbqUQ1g7Aq04I9314Bs2ytaQWY6bwK6vYhPoC2hXqUFmwBCBbM4iuckJiImXmC8eVwbfpTAgpYa0g7gxYSGY9PAjxGcAwj8VpcWNQJJzB2TuGlTjJmQ/s400/30.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Calm sea with Sakhalin Island (not seen that day) on the horizon</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Afterwards we stood at the cape appreciating the beautiful views all around us. We noted that a television crew had arrived with all their equipment to film a show. We were delighted to see the comedian duo named <a href="http://www.amusecafe.com/2014/sandwich-man-heroes-on-and-off-the-stage/" target="_blank">Sandwich Man</a> busy filming a television show. It was fun to watch them act.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEnyEcqg3iCKyLWNh5CAmiOgYmyuZeFRoLR6BjP-yEp7USw_GKgDGMz8fhSZ6ntn-KHhhW_ihoAdnl8hlsBSB42cKFNoYgTyOqP5StjT1_QwizSNf4_MMunLzK6cw5IE755mjaj5rczlA/s1600/31.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEnyEcqg3iCKyLWNh5CAmiOgYmyuZeFRoLR6BjP-yEp7USw_GKgDGMz8fhSZ6ntn-KHhhW_ihoAdnl8hlsBSB42cKFNoYgTyOqP5StjT1_QwizSNf4_MMunLzK6cw5IE755mjaj5rczlA/s400/31.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am very happy to see the television crew with all their equipment</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc8XAHp7PjPXDQSsjHd1JSaTW5nBUdaBUdqnPfTrZVtvucG3ctIjQcUTKS0QEFEvtrcaUVqIHNNSsWDtd-H3Wk3XN4Ed6uK1cTdgh4OadrBKjIJTo-linlntGLhRLtyl-yqQAV_9VOh80/s1600/32.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc8XAHp7PjPXDQSsjHd1JSaTW5nBUdaBUdqnPfTrZVtvucG3ctIjQcUTKS0QEFEvtrcaUVqIHNNSsWDtd-H3Wk3XN4Ed6uK1cTdgh4OadrBKjIJTo-linlntGLhRLtyl-yqQAV_9VOh80/s400/32.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The comedian duo Sandwich Man busy filming a television show</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Next, we walked across the road to a park named Peace Park located on a higher hilly ground above Cape Soya. From such a higher lookout point on the hill, the view of the northernmost point of the cape as well as the wide sea looked breathtaking. We enjoyed the views and it felt great to be on top. Towards the west side on the hill, we saw a red and white striped lighthouse. It is the third-built lighthouse in Hokkaido and is the northernmost lighthouse in Japan. It has been protecting the safety of ships since the light was first turned on in 1885. Right next to the lighthouse, we saw several deer grazing on the hill. Afterwards, we leisurely walked around on the hill park and saw several foxes towards the eastern side of the park. It was fun to see deer and foxes freely roaming around on the hill.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The ‘Monument of the Northernmost Point of Japan’ at Cape Soya (center of photo) and the wide sea as viewed from the hilltop</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijTiRvHIqNbFajYnzhX9Ij0vSBtxcAo12eHRC_00wSAIFEr6pYy9t0EBPy9bhQ6M8Op90LvFEiwnrha0USOvajYK9cER7iCgGX1XAgiQoDprWPXBahS35-SC23ALZmGUcHYIDJq9rQLbg/s1600/34.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijTiRvHIqNbFajYnzhX9Ij0vSBtxcAo12eHRC_00wSAIFEr6pYy9t0EBPy9bhQ6M8Op90LvFEiwnrha0USOvajYK9cER7iCgGX1XAgiQoDprWPXBahS35-SC23ALZmGUcHYIDJq9rQLbg/s400/34.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby walking up the steps towards the Peace Park located on the hill</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNuUFmyuxOWyW_-nrQx5DuFvt8X9_pLcffO9UM32WPCM3wsreOxZLT1bjtlhcr8eKeAQYiyFrkOLGmz5fMR3oYxvxZ2ew5KR8sYop8MqVAV0uvGqH-ABAZnkmVugqySlnYuv0oTEdeN6A/s1600/35.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNuUFmyuxOWyW_-nrQx5DuFvt8X9_pLcffO9UM32WPCM3wsreOxZLT1bjtlhcr8eKeAQYiyFrkOLGmz5fMR3oYxvxZ2ew5KR8sYop8MqVAV0uvGqH-ABAZnkmVugqySlnYuv0oTEdeN6A/s400/35.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The northernmost lighthouse of Japan located towards the western side on the hill</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieHJxXClVBN9D2V_cdAiYh8z6UBeFriiM64i4P_6nI7IcM7Xz6IYNmCM39ovWwEFae6mMvpbe_jaG6NZXgA3FXZxvWQc21CsQJZWI-tT-iS609IvrKePZtGn_yf5h0rhMleHtbo79WVDo/s1600/36.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieHJxXClVBN9D2V_cdAiYh8z6UBeFriiM64i4P_6nI7IcM7Xz6IYNmCM39ovWwEFae6mMvpbe_jaG6NZXgA3FXZxvWQc21CsQJZWI-tT-iS609IvrKePZtGn_yf5h0rhMleHtbo79WVDo/s400/36.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am posing along with the lighthouse</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnBkkyhYZWeLpdO48pybsichlNADuGZR5BP8XblZ3kn3Pd7H5uoe_hL6WEGFW9-Vk7ZsubRd_EMq0iQh_GXNcJqbBO8Qpvq60KZjO6tAN2Zb6Z5UzaBKD9-1zZIMH5tLPkGsqyw1x0BhE/s1600/37.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnBkkyhYZWeLpdO48pybsichlNADuGZR5BP8XblZ3kn3Pd7H5uoe_hL6WEGFW9-Vk7ZsubRd_EMq0iQh_GXNcJqbBO8Qpvq60KZjO6tAN2Zb6Z5UzaBKD9-1zZIMH5tLPkGsqyw1x0BhE/s400/37.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Several deer grazing near the lighthouse and I am posing in the foreground</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Deer and hubby dear</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Gm-1C3qhfTQD8Fzyw9owqMMEjhZe5wdk_72T0riiWSPhaNTXhOnokch87V8Zu_jGQRjNhFZxRhlRlakLxtyKHI1V30hsRVrrTjkEQVjZORIUSVWG8RLBVnhfZvVxMZ4dPoN3RQsAk-Y/s1600/39.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Gm-1C3qhfTQD8Fzyw9owqMMEjhZe5wdk_72T0riiWSPhaNTXhOnokch87V8Zu_jGQRjNhFZxRhlRlakLxtyKHI1V30hsRVrrTjkEQVjZORIUSVWG8RLBVnhfZvVxMZ4dPoN3RQsAk-Y/s400/39.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A fox walking near the eastern end of the hill park</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Several foxes playing on the hill</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Although Cape Soya is a geographic novelty and wonder, there are more than a dozen monuments scattered around the cape. The rich history of the cape is commemorated with many erected monuments. Therefore the cape is also referred to as the ‘Cape of Monuments’. In the Peace Park located on the hill, there are about ten historical monuments. We explored the Peace Park in details and paid our respects in front of all the monuments and sobering statues. These historical monuments made us contemplate on wars and history. The cape and the park are actually a history book on statuary. In the next ten paragraphs, I will write little bit about each of the monuments located on the hilly park.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing at the Peace Park located on a hill high above Cape Soya. A few monuments and the sea are seen in the background.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">The first monument we saw in the Peace Park was a Memorial in Honor of La Perouse. Count <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Fran%C3%A7ois_de_Galaup,_comte_de_Lap%C3%A9rouse" target="_blank">La Perouse</a> was a French naval officer who by the order from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_XVI_of_France" target="_blank">King Louis XVI</a> in 1785 led two frigates on an exploration cruise through the waters of northern Hokkaido and discovered a strait between Hokkaido and Karafuto (Sakhalin) in 1787. In honor of the discovery and the navigator’s achievement, the strait was named La Perouse Strait (Soya Strait). This monument was constructed in 2007, in commemoration of 220 years after the discovery.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Memorial Monument in Honor of La Perouse</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">The second monument we saw in the park was a bronze statue named Akebono. This monument was built in commemoration of the amount of milk production reaching over 1 million ton and the number of dairy cattle reaching over 0.5 million in Hokkaido in 1971. The statue features a young couple clad in farm clothes standing strong as they gaze upon the endless expanse of earth, which symbolizes the dawn of dairy farming in this region. Wakkanai is not suited for rice farming due to its cold climate, and most local farms are dairies.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing in front of the statue of Akebono</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Next, we saw a pole-mounted directional sign indicating the directions and distances in kilometers to several famous cities in Japan as well as around the world from Cape Soya. It was very amusing to note that Tokyo is located about 1108 kilometers south of the cape while Sakhalin in Russia just 43 kilometers north of the cape.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeVfU7uIPf00cfK7c6nXaRu8Fx7oDnvTHtSXplscDyaI_13XIo9yD_1lxFPIy6JkQdbjZ9-LcnaW4cpOt5L_e2R4k__t7e0UbeeqiIvEqAXHztLfWgEh_sexFHwcF_20wGkYvy__XSqZE/s1600/44.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeVfU7uIPf00cfK7c6nXaRu8Fx7oDnvTHtSXplscDyaI_13XIo9yD_1lxFPIy6JkQdbjZ9-LcnaW4cpOt5L_e2R4k__t7e0UbeeqiIvEqAXHztLfWgEh_sexFHwcF_20wGkYvy__XSqZE/s400/44.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Pole-mounted directional sign</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf4ilJ_LhjzGAbZ9IYnRpLHG0cS5g8xloM917NeyiXmBtRkeYv9GGp_FTObE4TIleElt5ofYVyI2Je_sLpFOHhuGEx4_3kmXkXPignw5cziEuahIKiBKeuq-VlyZqxWWgMMQ3n2ItABnw/s1600/45.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf4ilJ_LhjzGAbZ9IYnRpLHG0cS5g8xloM917NeyiXmBtRkeYv9GGp_FTObE4TIleElt5ofYVyI2Je_sLpFOHhuGEx4_3kmXkXPignw5cziEuahIKiBKeuq-VlyZqxWWgMMQ3n2ItABnw/s400/45.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am pointing to the board indicating that Sakhalin is just 43 kilometers away</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">The fourth monument we saw in the park was an Old Former Naval Watchtower. Through enactment of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Saint_Petersburg_(1875)" target="_blank">Treaty of Saint Petersburg</a> in 1875, Japan exchanged Sakhalin Island for the Kuril Islands. Citizens of both nations had been able to live on Sakhalin Island until the treaty established it as Russia’s territory. Due to the treaty, Wakkanai became a border city, leading to rising tensions. So this watchtower was built in 1902 by the Imperial Japanese Naval Military in preparation for a war with the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Empire" target="_blank">Russian Empire</a>. It was erected to observe the movements of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltic_Fleet#Imperial_Russia" target="_blank">Russian Baltic Fleet</a>, which was said to be the strongest in the world at the time. The watchtower is a two-story building with a small window on the second floor from which we can overlook the entire Soya Strait through. It was designated a tangible cultural property of Wakkanai City in 1968. Hubby observed the watchtower in details as it reminded him of the Japanese history he learnt during his school days.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhseoWnWdDeBrWZc-rzo9ASXOMUFn982lBea0z9NsT3YDwem4Zh9NDdsuoLl_rdUn2gfC-cdDahG4rdFs_mSD6OovRcvbftg4H-pcpX4Hid-QdEJm4S-FCfBcqWE3xaAof4zXXUXG3OxFM/s1600/46.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhseoWnWdDeBrWZc-rzo9ASXOMUFn982lBea0z9NsT3YDwem4Zh9NDdsuoLl_rdUn2gfC-cdDahG4rdFs_mSD6OovRcvbftg4H-pcpX4Hid-QdEJm4S-FCfBcqWE3xaAof4zXXUXG3OxFM/s400/46.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Old Former Naval Watchtower</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8JBoCbqaD8eswZo_wRP8kyII4qC2d3myxNi9Bu6cA_uObtyiHATLCFT4M99xRekqS0_KMlNteb7yM7UUpwnnlc33-07ctvDmfkd7bXzOFHXjXAagPrOUG3RNIlayxQ_XLfPEC-t8_2ks/s1600/47.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8JBoCbqaD8eswZo_wRP8kyII4qC2d3myxNi9Bu6cA_uObtyiHATLCFT4M99xRekqS0_KMlNteb7yM7UUpwnnlc33-07ctvDmfkd7bXzOFHXjXAagPrOUG3RNIlayxQ_XLfPEC-t8_2ks/s400/47.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby and the watchtower</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">The fifth monument we saw in the park was named Peace Memorial. The Soya Strait was a battlefield for the battle between the Japanese and Americans during the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_War" target="_blank">Pacific War</a> in 1943. The American submarine <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Wahoo_(SS-238)" target="_blank">USS Wahoo</a> was attacked and sunk by the Imperial Japanese Navy off the shore of Cape Soya, taking the lives of 80 American sailors aboard. Prior to entering local waters, the USS Wahoo had attacked and sunk a number of Japanese ships, including merchant vessels, and was responsible for a large number of Japanese casualties. Thus during the war, many Japanese and American lives were lost in the waters near Cape Soya. This monument of Peace Memorial was constructed to honor the souls of these Japanese and Americans alike, in hope of peace.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8hpBnndctBLBplZL8WtxwXYHKtn-X_7ozVNy2udlQFOa-lZlRw6pypT0HS4PFKx3wg5TV832A_kfGyTD041GTpJpk5iSZYtvBNJzMgmTcnQr4kO6UreD-WjVswHyMqTSVHTn7AjReMkM/s1600/48.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8hpBnndctBLBplZL8WtxwXYHKtn-X_7ozVNy2udlQFOa-lZlRw6pypT0HS4PFKx3wg5TV832A_kfGyTD041GTpJpk5iSZYtvBNJzMgmTcnQr4kO6UreD-WjVswHyMqTSVHTn7AjReMkM/s400/48.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Peace Memorial Monument</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">The sixth monument we saw in the park was named Soya Coastal Waters Navy War Memorial. During the end of the Pacific War in 1945, Soya Maru, a cargo ferry servicing Karafuto (Sakhalin), fell under torpedo attack by an American submarine. A Japanese Navy vessel with 152 sailors aboard maneuvered into the line of fire to shield Soya Maru, and was sunk in the deadly attack. This monument honors the brave spirits of those who gave their lives in the line of duty on the northern seas.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdeEeCP_LbiXHIpXcBH-wi28cyCy21nU5z_3773XLRPaNb6OP4Wtiu93fGkgaW-cb6MHlBomKe2vpkJIsw4z-SZKqp9QlYq-pcLBT1hZ91Ouc8E4vRPjsDrBlNxiGCOv7lS1Y_fOQEOfA/s1600/49.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdeEeCP_LbiXHIpXcBH-wi28cyCy21nU5z_3773XLRPaNb6OP4Wtiu93fGkgaW-cb6MHlBomKe2vpkJIsw4z-SZKqp9QlYq-pcLBT1hZ91Ouc8E4vRPjsDrBlNxiGCOv7lS1Y_fOQEOfA/s400/49.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Soya Coastal Waters Navy War Memorial</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">The seventh monument we saw in the park was a bell named the World Peace Bell. The origin of the ‘World Peace Bell’ lies in a bell made by a Japanese individual in 1954. In order to bring attention to the tragedies of warfare and praise the nobility of abolishing nuclear weapons, the ‘Japanese Peace Bell’ was cast from copper mixed with coins from the 65 United Nations member states of that time, and donated to the UN Headquarters in New York. The World Peace Bell here was cast in 1988, using coins and medals donated by people of 81 nations, and it was raised as the first bell in a movement to spread the original ideology by creating similar bells throughout the world. Hubby and I loved looking at this bell that weighs 365 kilograms and is 60 centimeters high. We both rang the bell hoping for world peace.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCtBKpAQN1da1TS-27j1aqgcDzEsq1kl9vavyry3RmJY1n5k_2I3bknzmuZIUT1LluE8p6Ic59R48XWZ5Z8qGr6iXHQrDu02ijwrEIjM4jbs_UNI5yMqLEVbvGbQ2IBgqw_cDFpFStzUw/s1600/50.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCtBKpAQN1da1TS-27j1aqgcDzEsq1kl9vavyry3RmJY1n5k_2I3bknzmuZIUT1LluE8p6Ic59R48XWZ5Z8qGr6iXHQrDu02ijwrEIjM4jbs_UNI5yMqLEVbvGbQ2IBgqw_cDFpFStzUw/s400/50.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>World Peace Bell</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhExDsws4ldUoQ69wKFDJTVWxfTjFytG00_4FdDQgtpQfSFNGXYtzUWGnzoDs8gGYmTOzhBuT8uZR1FdaYK330WJJ7Xi0W1mZhxOZdWao3ytgI6lZxtoSE2hZznKSTO8D1rj85KhxKqJF4/s1600/51.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhExDsws4ldUoQ69wKFDJTVWxfTjFytG00_4FdDQgtpQfSFNGXYtzUWGnzoDs8gGYmTOzhBuT8uZR1FdaYK330WJJ7Xi0W1mZhxOZdWao3ytgI6lZxtoSE2hZznKSTO8D1rj85KhxKqJF4/s400/51.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am ringing the bell</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisd4UIP6QPIPwFbVciDsa4F5k56jN5WM-EBuGLiyfVaMtIoG75iVLR39ngqxdBjNxkWWeANMhhXyxrHBQXJreWnOxcH_o-tZ-s_p4IXMY48hc8Uy0DQBftmfyq6MiIFeDiwkYk54VGpn8/s1600/52.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisd4UIP6QPIPwFbVciDsa4F5k56jN5WM-EBuGLiyfVaMtIoG75iVLR39ngqxdBjNxkWWeANMhhXyxrHBQXJreWnOxcH_o-tZ-s_p4IXMY48hc8Uy0DQBftmfyq6MiIFeDiwkYk54VGpn8/s400/52.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby ringing the bell</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">The eighth monument we saw in the park was yet another bell named the Future of Our Children Peace Bell. Fundraising efforts through the collective will of Wakkanai’s residents as well as coins and medals delivered from 98 countries around the world made the creation of this bell possible in 1988, the same year as the ‘World Peace Bell’ about which I have written in the previous paragraph. This bell embodies our wishes for the future happiness and success of our children, as well as the everlasting peace of our households, region, and world.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8wKDLV5SdgPEubLQuwYvtCxsTX-gDLotYqsatLp3rEppJRkDrEcS1JS1AdW_Ov2xIHG4Udue1SKKMJwhUrRtBQTrrnWbeOxL8R6iil9ejbupust1N39y0c_rjxQieeq-5NCbVV0ESJDU/s1600/53.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8wKDLV5SdgPEubLQuwYvtCxsTX-gDLotYqsatLp3rEppJRkDrEcS1JS1AdW_Ov2xIHG4Udue1SKKMJwhUrRtBQTrrnWbeOxL8R6iil9ejbupust1N39y0c_rjxQieeq-5NCbVV0ESJDU/s400/53.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Future of Our Children Peace Bell</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">The ninth monument we saw in the park was named the Prayer Monument. On 1st September 1983, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_Air_Lines_Flight_007" target="_blank">Korean Air Flight KE007</a> from New York to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gimpo_International_Airport" target="_blank">Seoul Gimpo Airport</a> deviated from its scheduled course and entered prohibited airspace above Sakhalin. The airliner fell under missile attack by scrambled Russian fighter jet <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukhoi_Su-15" target="_blank">Sukhoi Su-15</a>, and crashed in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moneron_Island" target="_blank">Moneron Island</a> Bay, west of Sakhalin. All 269 passengers and crew were lost. Wakkanai, which is the closest city to the scene of the disaster, played a major role as a base camp for investigations and news reports. This tower monument was built two years after the accident by friends and relatives of the victims, to pray for the spirits of those lost in this tragedy and wish for everlasting world peace. The design features the shape of a crane’s neck, to symbolize the long search for the truth about the incident and wish for true peace. The crane is 19.83 meters high representing the year of the accident, and has 16 wings expressing the home countries of the victims, while the 269 white granite stones represent the number of the victims. The beak points to the direction of the sea off Moneron Island where the accident occurred. We noted that the monument area was filled with a lot of Armeria flowers. Seeing the monument and reading the details about the accident had a sobering effect on hubby and me. We prayed and paid our respects to all the victims.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5diRboozc6t_oCLCjWaoDCzBIfQhayv_MLZz9THMcLskU2MVuypGOqHuvYFcxJjpQNBGVM5OhcWw5h4pNap4xpBPaR7lNPgi_9eQ0GCQfKlbYvuAGypRHgqjg6WvP_CNvvXDEy-eWJvI/s1600/54.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5diRboozc6t_oCLCjWaoDCzBIfQhayv_MLZz9THMcLskU2MVuypGOqHuvYFcxJjpQNBGVM5OhcWw5h4pNap4xpBPaR7lNPgi_9eQ0GCQfKlbYvuAGypRHgqjg6WvP_CNvvXDEy-eWJvI/s400/54.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Prayer Monument along with Armeria flowers in the foreground</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnmgxge7xHW8EZAXlfF-tD1anl6DfNinBCH1C2BaEQHG6cotjkSgAWKlD_F27p5IPhrIsiCDvzAkJae0uUjsuWB5TkgmMmNO5DecjAHA8FABKGv-lz8kQL1uIHsBQd6vbhkfHtFap0OaU/s1600/55.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnmgxge7xHW8EZAXlfF-tD1anl6DfNinBCH1C2BaEQHG6cotjkSgAWKlD_F27p5IPhrIsiCDvzAkJae0uUjsuWB5TkgmMmNO5DecjAHA8FABKGv-lz8kQL1uIHsBQd6vbhkfHtFap0OaU/s400/55.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing near the front side of the Prayer Monument</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">The tenth structure we saw in the park was a building named Guest House Armeria. The building is located at the southern end of the park and has a landmark windmill attached to its roof. The building also has a huge observation deck from where a commanding view of the Soya Strait and Soya Hills can be seen.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ2E-t3vQB7Fjzhdu3hWEDkLPxtZYmNv6oXi8MPlJP2VehHdRdCqBd682P328B6D4ke2qg1uh0pa2JizNK8O89JXsiMq7jqsviOjo63Y8_s9ZKpgobbB2O0EIkquIB2_iorv1r0h3ViXQ/s1600/56.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ2E-t3vQB7Fjzhdu3hWEDkLPxtZYmNv6oXi8MPlJP2VehHdRdCqBd682P328B6D4ke2qg1uh0pa2JizNK8O89JXsiMq7jqsviOjo63Y8_s9ZKpgobbB2O0EIkquIB2_iorv1r0h3ViXQ/s400/56.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Guest House Armeria with an observation deck and a windmill</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">At this point, we finished the tour of the Peace Park. Afterwards we had late lunch at a restaurant named Mamiya-dou located at the northeast corner of the park. Hubby had a bowl of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramen" target="_blank">Ramen</a> topped with scallops and I had rice and beef curry. We were very hungry, and so the food tasted delicious.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Mamiya-dou restaurant</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby’s lunch of Ramen topped with scallops</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBGSi5okKO_9IZJItMozk0Vmb9C21rODL6KTnvvG3ArAFIIofA5AKX6yUU7SKB0iViG3lXC75YiRX8pMlJG5HAqDmz_rbGs4ncYSlbymZQo7EAj8mweJYklHRW2t1csdN849_UJKMEYus/s1600/59.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBGSi5okKO_9IZJItMozk0Vmb9C21rODL6KTnvvG3ArAFIIofA5AKX6yUU7SKB0iViG3lXC75YiRX8pMlJG5HAqDmz_rbGs4ncYSlbymZQo7EAj8mweJYklHRW2t1csdN849_UJKMEYus/s400/59.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>My lunch of rice and beef curry</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby having his lunch</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">After lunch, while leisurely walking around in the Peace Park we looked down the hill and saw Cape Soya Settlement just east of the cape. The settlement has many facilities known to be ‘the northernmost in Japan’. From the hill, we saw the northernmost gas station named <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idemitsu_Kosan" target="_blank">Idemitsu</a> as well as the northernmost public restroom. Afterwards we got down the hill and returned to the cape area, and used the northernmost public restroom. It felt very funny to leave a piece of us behind at the tip of Japan. Next, we visited the northernmost souvenir shop and bought a certificate proving our arrival at the northernmost point in Japan. Standing at the cape, we also saw the northernmost restaurant right across the road. At this point, we finished the tour of Cape Soya. We left the cape area by our rented car, and saw the northernmost post office just 1 kilometer southeast of the cape. We got out of the car to take a few photos of the post office.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZKIa1iX-KCArk5QEBeucC0PumvBDTAAQ0rEjAt7_zaN6zGCsIqmHOzCCMMM6WwTxJUP6B30T-NGa533FxgCnFeAC0WXWxYUj9FPRwT8DeTo84I7FY5eGvMw2__tpl-Trsonm97AklRb8/s1600/61.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZKIa1iX-KCArk5QEBeucC0PumvBDTAAQ0rEjAt7_zaN6zGCsIqmHOzCCMMM6WwTxJUP6B30T-NGa533FxgCnFeAC0WXWxYUj9FPRwT8DeTo84I7FY5eGvMw2__tpl-Trsonm97AklRb8/s400/61.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Cape Soya Settlement as viewed from the Peace Park hill</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEQeL7eOdqH9wkQJgl-82ks5__5CC710MQLvxO8Q5JX8rj8ff4fq9zr0Kl44RqLOIX0ZEmoNsx08eKMl20YI49y8kPwjrrUq6iywj4-GV4iqNvvUgqWwSp0PO0VbYJg_HstP14Wc6g0Mg/s1600/62.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEQeL7eOdqH9wkQJgl-82ks5__5CC710MQLvxO8Q5JX8rj8ff4fq9zr0Kl44RqLOIX0ZEmoNsx08eKMl20YI49y8kPwjrrUq6iywj4-GV4iqNvvUgqWwSp0PO0VbYJg_HstP14Wc6g0Mg/s400/62.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The northernmost gas station Idemitsu as viewed from the hill</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW5J3W4GRLTQH1arIOICsqR9ogoBtAcfKCbKtBvpZcdPGjwbB4w-wNheVKCJ_XR_MNh1j849ASPNt2o1bd8bMe93z96qL2JVHjW6GiE3FqvwiRjAwBlB0lU6t18IyWPni2jDQbzEv-fPc/s1600/63.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW5J3W4GRLTQH1arIOICsqR9ogoBtAcfKCbKtBvpZcdPGjwbB4w-wNheVKCJ_XR_MNh1j849ASPNt2o1bd8bMe93z96qL2JVHjW6GiE3FqvwiRjAwBlB0lU6t18IyWPni2jDQbzEv-fPc/s400/63.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The northernmost public restroom as viewed from the hill</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuq69Dhjcasi6KTq2tSNyX1nWCkATMglgMCKFqDJ2YqTH4IEUAADU1glVlIyGrox2hAxrcNLpla64ZObrQgDy-hrKx1OH0Zu4FOuQG-bsNHlSEFsMXJ9z0eqi-yRMBTATJcRq7b3L8bT0/s1600/64.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuq69Dhjcasi6KTq2tSNyX1nWCkATMglgMCKFqDJ2YqTH4IEUAADU1glVlIyGrox2hAxrcNLpla64ZObrQgDy-hrKx1OH0Zu4FOuQG-bsNHlSEFsMXJ9z0eqi-yRMBTATJcRq7b3L8bT0/s400/64.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The northernmost public restroom as viewed from the cape area</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir0zOa4paAwxdEPecpVaq3ST8zxxlNT0ook4m0kXGxqOX6ud5Xyf38r115Fjgm7o590hjifFKt9r8ID1wjuNObs5Da4vH4yOGRQ9Vtny-cNccTUi1TdhWLvJ6ivrAWk_uOwTnZNgBXEsE/s1600/65.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir0zOa4paAwxdEPecpVaq3ST8zxxlNT0ook4m0kXGxqOX6ud5Xyf38r115Fjgm7o590hjifFKt9r8ID1wjuNObs5Da4vH4yOGRQ9Vtny-cNccTUi1TdhWLvJ6ivrAWk_uOwTnZNgBXEsE/s400/65.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The northernmost souvenir shop as viewed from the cape area</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVR_Nw0KcKHLgZ-NTzMSuug1CQ7GAN7rVQdaTK4e64-mPUmQw8Jgxe-G1KgFFA7mDvm82R2-BXLgZJpnuGZ5xM8v7GkD4vRvu2NjFkU1Cdk2H7Ml64IWYoS-d5orRsi9GBedarsNOObE0/s1600/66.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVR_Nw0KcKHLgZ-NTzMSuug1CQ7GAN7rVQdaTK4e64-mPUmQw8Jgxe-G1KgFFA7mDvm82R2-BXLgZJpnuGZ5xM8v7GkD4vRvu2NjFkU1Cdk2H7Ml64IWYoS-d5orRsi9GBedarsNOObE0/s400/66.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>We bought this certificate from the souvenir shop which is a proof of our arrival at the northernmost point in Japan</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLkk51Qh0eTcKF25Sxzqucm67uUGcytKxYx64PL3BDDwfJ9cA_W00I5gd8qMSs0J40nZtODRkj30B0NcPh4OLfCf-uEBquEP2B-mhSVISOhJ8StqSOY6OusTdGK5yd8xOohGdUo30omk4/s1600/67.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLkk51Qh0eTcKF25Sxzqucm67uUGcytKxYx64PL3BDDwfJ9cA_W00I5gd8qMSs0J40nZtODRkj30B0NcPh4OLfCf-uEBquEP2B-mhSVISOhJ8StqSOY6OusTdGK5yd8xOohGdUo30omk4/s400/67.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The white building is the northernmost restaurant</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi730N_0MHqaEu1tZCxKvoYnKL14QTgfzMPA76VcZESF4vQvrpipdyWbC9_9RvLukrJhPxLQfXa0DpdaAt-YGSe25M6nRQbg2nz56Y3BJlSe6nVbfK_2jD4H8MOJ8dr74YO2_oIj9MqXHQ/s1600/68.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi730N_0MHqaEu1tZCxKvoYnKL14QTgfzMPA76VcZESF4vQvrpipdyWbC9_9RvLukrJhPxLQfXa0DpdaAt-YGSe25M6nRQbg2nz56Y3BJlSe6nVbfK_2jD4H8MOJ8dr74YO2_oIj9MqXHQ/s400/68.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The northernmost post office</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCG0pOOiSsf_qYzzizE8v7_3t8fnxLoxPe-Ky4NrcD9bjEEdMVkfJ27L0D7Nu6peL1yYinykuA-ctdRETgDQHeyT3R8sEPjLEFsWV9BdkbOgNGPwaQpkY0fM7gc6eRdpqE_r1GCIOFHr4/s1600/69.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCG0pOOiSsf_qYzzizE8v7_3t8fnxLoxPe-Ky4NrcD9bjEEdMVkfJ27L0D7Nu6peL1yYinykuA-ctdRETgDQHeyT3R8sEPjLEFsWV9BdkbOgNGPwaQpkY0fM7gc6eRdpqE_r1GCIOFHr4/s400/69.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing in front of the northernmost post office</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">We loved visiting Cape Soya, the absolute tip of Japan. It took us about 4.5 hours of car ride to return to the hotel in Asahikawa City where we stayed that night also. The next morning we went to see Ueno Farm in Asahikawa itself about which I will write in the next post.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Scenic views as seen from our rented car during our return trip from Cape Soya to Asahikawa City</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Beautiful views all around</i></span></span></div>
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Manisha Kundu-Nagatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13277146210049986417noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695885479879152724.post-52473581761662026242016-11-16T00:01:00.001+09:002016-11-16T00:01:33.359+09:00Travel by Hokkaido Shinkansen<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">As I
wrote in an <a href="http://lipikazuo.blogspot.com/2016/07/my-birthday.html" target="_blank">earlier post</a> in July, hubby and I had been on a sightseeing trip to
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Hokkaido</st1:state></st1:place> in
mid-June for my birthday. I wrote in the post that I will write about the
places we visited in Hokkaido in later blog posts but somehow I almost forgot
about it. I had wanted to travel by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hokkaido_Shinkansen" target="_blank">Hokkaido Shinkansen</a> bullet train
ever since it officially started its service in the month of March this year.
It is the first <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinkansen" target="_blank">Shinkansen</a> bullet train line directly linking <st1:state w:st="on"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hokkaido" target="_blank">Hokkaido</a></st1:state>
and <st1:place w:st="on"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honshu" target="_blank">Honshu</a></st1:place> islands through undersea <a href="http://lipikazuo.blogspot.com/2009/08/seikan-tunnel.html" target="_blank">Seikan Tunnel</a>. Therefore for my birthday hubby arranged a sightseeing trip to <st1:state w:st="on">Hokkaido</st1:state>, and we traveled by Hokkaido Shinkansen bullet
train to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto station in <st1:state w:st="on">Hokkaido</st1:state>
as well as used a few express trains to travel within <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Hokkaido</st1:place></st1:state>. It was really a wonderful
thrilling experience and we loved the travel by the newly introduced bullet
train. Today I will write about our travel by various Shinkansen trains and express
trains in <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Hokkaido</st1:place></st1:state>.
I will also write little bit about various colorful <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekiben" target="_blank">Ekiben</a> boxed meals we had
in the trains.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">On
18th June, hubby and I left our home in <st1:placename w:st="on">Yurihonjo</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">City</st1:placetype> at about 8.30 am and after about
an hour of car drive, we reached Akita Railway Station in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Akita</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">City</st1:placetype></st1:place>.
We parked our car at a parking lot located within the station building, and went
to the platform for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Komachi_(train)" target="_blank">Komachi</a> train service of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akita_Shinkansen" target="_blank">Akita Shinkansen</a> bullet trains. We
bought two Ekiben boxed meals from a shop located at the station
platform and entered inside the Komachi bullet train. We traveled by Komachi
train up to Morioka Railway Station in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Aomori</st1:place></st1:city>
prefecture. The train started at about 10 am from Akita Station and it took
about two hours to reach Morioka Station. We had a late breakfast of the Ekiben
boxed meals in the relaxed atmosphere inside the train while enjoying the
outside views. We reached Morioka Railway Station at about 12 noon. We got down
at <st1:city w:st="on">Morioka</st1:city> and the bullet train continued
further on its journey to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Tokyo</st1:place></st1:city>.
I have written in details about Akita Shinkansen in an <a href="http://lipikazuo.blogspot.com/2015/09/golden-week-holidays-part-1.html" target="_blank">earlier post</a> in 2015. At
Morioka Station, we walked up to the platform for Hokkaido Shinkansen bullet
trains. On our way, inside the station building we saw a local traditional
dance being performed by a few people of the public relations department of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Morioka</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">City</st1:placetype></st1:place>. It was nice to watch the dance and
song sequence.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpwww2AuBUx1UCvmj9Hc8trwrWtu5KoA0f3VdYgce_e40y2J0I4NRN55cfXL6JEgaMu5D3woR1Uze_J1xb8Pp2uAME0iLpjuiUNwunE-waIQ8ihVfskUcpcNgTj6v7u1n1CDYqbWjDXEA/s1600/1june18.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpwww2AuBUx1UCvmj9Hc8trwrWtu5KoA0f3VdYgce_e40y2J0I4NRN55cfXL6JEgaMu5D3woR1Uze_J1xb8Pp2uAME0iLpjuiUNwunE-waIQ8ihVfskUcpcNgTj6v7u1n1CDYqbWjDXEA/s400/1june18.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Hubby
clicked this photo of me sitting at our reserved seats inside Akita Shinkansen
Komachi train</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDlx9mPGb9VvfjbVRS9z8uymTJ5MXMm7m0dtX0H85c0zDlm7C9fHoBdmp_vUMrI5hIqHl-TTwijBeyBxOCSLQO_C7oka5RtVIiYSBbdXMnQg1SRo91Igw97QrrwG2OVORa2LhThVCD0bM/s1600/2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDlx9mPGb9VvfjbVRS9z8uymTJ5MXMm7m0dtX0H85c0zDlm7C9fHoBdmp_vUMrI5hIqHl-TTwijBeyBxOCSLQO_C7oka5RtVIiYSBbdXMnQg1SRo91Igw97QrrwG2OVORa2LhThVCD0bM/s400/2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>We are
sitting at our seats inside the train</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijeOF3GUV9BOl177qvqi7kiOeL6WbJjiCso_fpc54DAlUTNMQutMm2857tuTiB2VZXpZzEjc4MCRbNeAsBvOnWQGmbWZj9xk8FPTDR7jLhLHV9WXCB3CWQnaWUpPJ1g-vvcp9tOQtBZMs/s1600/3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijeOF3GUV9BOl177qvqi7kiOeL6WbJjiCso_fpc54DAlUTNMQutMm2857tuTiB2VZXpZzEjc4MCRbNeAsBvOnWQGmbWZj9xk8FPTDR7jLhLHV9WXCB3CWQnaWUpPJ1g-vvcp9tOQtBZMs/s400/3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Ekiben
boxed meal we had for breakfast</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiruibVdJOxykA0yV9mPimvPE5j21AJp6ARFLBT7UFQNR_fI-zc6zTKJc9heN75aCG6U7wr01SxzC3L0uITkushRdr1O2ExtTWSCfwC81o7WzdBgfuCeBy4Oy9faYI-WvVznoeko_adqXc/s1600/4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiruibVdJOxykA0yV9mPimvPE5j21AJp6ARFLBT7UFQNR_fI-zc6zTKJc9heN75aCG6U7wr01SxzC3L0uITkushRdr1O2ExtTWSCfwC81o7WzdBgfuCeBy4Oy9faYI-WvVznoeko_adqXc/s400/4.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>I am
having breakfast</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpQMCrXDfMfXQW-ouLfkMpRInoinFO4rL241T_UGHdz_XEwzD5D5tEPSv5WB52wi0BUByq4vwfjLBCd231_dwyFL57tGiaggBPwFlV-2JPT66TVkIb7tHiC-FWl-7_y_oqW4frKy49MrE/s1600/5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpQMCrXDfMfXQW-ouLfkMpRInoinFO4rL241T_UGHdz_XEwzD5D5tEPSv5WB52wi0BUByq4vwfjLBCd231_dwyFL57tGiaggBPwFlV-2JPT66TVkIb7tHiC-FWl-7_y_oqW4frKy49MrE/s400/5.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>I am
standing inside Morioka Railway Station building where some dance performance
was going on</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzrSD5m2gNnmGTDTM6vaRtlnBXEWc5V6QatC-tLQk_6mDSaAQ-aaSlJIa3A6hLdi2KDT37mOw-Tt4U9l6pQJMOGgTBbqcM0T5Bj9wZtFre9spdG-GKcgYvIwovqz9OiTKy1iJsK80Yg1w/s1600/6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzrSD5m2gNnmGTDTM6vaRtlnBXEWc5V6QatC-tLQk_6mDSaAQ-aaSlJIa3A6hLdi2KDT37mOw-Tt4U9l6pQJMOGgTBbqcM0T5Bj9wZtFre9spdG-GKcgYvIwovqz9OiTKy1iJsK80Yg1w/s400/6.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Hubby
along with the dance troupe in the background</i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">On
reaching the platform for Hokkaido Shinkansen trains at Morioka Station, we saw
a green colored bullet train at the platform though it was not the one we were
to take. The train looked grand and so new, and we enjoyed seeing it in
details. While waiting at the platform, we took a few photos of this bullet
train, the platform and the faraway mountains and scenic views. At this point,
I will briefly write about <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hokkaido_Shinkansen" target="_blank">Hokkaido Shinkansen</a> rail line. Hokkaido Shinkansen is
a high-speed Shinkansen rail line that links up with the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C5%8Dhoku_Shinkansen" target="_blank">Tohoku Shinkansen</a> in northern <st1:city w:st="on">Aomori</st1:city> prefecture in
Honshu and continues on into the interior of <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Hokkaido</st1:place></st1:state> through the undersea Seikan
Tunnel. Construction started in May 2005, and the section between Shin-Aomori to
Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto stations opened on 26 March 2016. Extension of
the line to Sapporo is scheduled to open by March 2031. The line is
operated by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hokkaido_Railway_Company" target="_blank">Hokkaido Railway Company</a> (JR Hokkaido). The Hokkaido
Shinkansen line length is 148.9 kilometers and has a standard track gauge of
1435 millimeters. The line has an operating speed of 140 kilometers per hour
(km/h) through the 82 kilometers long Seikan Tunnel and 260 km/h elsewhere
along the track line.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDPpb_2hNoZO1hIs-Ga0ZrTxgXH-BQlQZXgglsQGl6xQrDNssuwcJNtkpWUyKJM0dF2sCv1p5Zj9lG-W3TGnsCald8z00oPlt0di1b2UK2fgF9g9fLn9L1jrq0HaT4lhBwdgLvyu11epo/s1600/7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDPpb_2hNoZO1hIs-Ga0ZrTxgXH-BQlQZXgglsQGl6xQrDNssuwcJNtkpWUyKJM0dF2sCv1p5Zj9lG-W3TGnsCald8z00oPlt0di1b2UK2fgF9g9fLn9L1jrq0HaT4lhBwdgLvyu11epo/s400/7.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>A Hokkaido
Shinkansen bullet train waiting at the Shinkansen platform of Morioka Station</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkJ9yme-bVv8eP7XhLJdzXzzsq-nP0tyUJJx5CKsGgfm3wg5nHV3axBoch57Bu7kME7DkiBkNCh7y8mfnSoFH-tWNf9V0sqOTYOyFGCOxOu9PJJhpsGOyQGFVTnvmj7tM6ULxKfdN_vZ4/s1600/8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkJ9yme-bVv8eP7XhLJdzXzzsq-nP0tyUJJx5CKsGgfm3wg5nHV3axBoch57Bu7kME7DkiBkNCh7y8mfnSoFH-tWNf9V0sqOTYOyFGCOxOu9PJJhpsGOyQGFVTnvmj7tM6ULxKfdN_vZ4/s400/8.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Mountains
and scenic views as seen from the Shinkansen platform</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcVjt0wfbugmVqlGJiw-5Jfun7Y5mXvjAKSEPMCEXBIiFUDHX_uee3jQYCnEojm0qlQIb17_5kOE6nWy6xtXrNpN-syyNCuCE-njfE0xBEsCPT4XGhd56SalODwf5KUxjzEo0qPK-B0cY/s1600/9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcVjt0wfbugmVqlGJiw-5Jfun7Y5mXvjAKSEPMCEXBIiFUDHX_uee3jQYCnEojm0qlQIb17_5kOE6nWy6xtXrNpN-syyNCuCE-njfE0xBEsCPT4XGhd56SalODwf5KUxjzEo0qPK-B0cY/s400/9.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Hubby
clicking photos of the surroundings</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZm_9N8e4WUUwa5yZvSVaS0YTC0btHQeZV8veSrNpIIvxa3sjeOznzhzPjsB_0YhmV130nCtZcKUHAzFx3rrJu_Y5_QolvuXl-WUimb7qRJDTUhpo36pmRvQ68hr7rL6fEysF5Fc-I-Xg/s1600/10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZm_9N8e4WUUwa5yZvSVaS0YTC0btHQeZV8veSrNpIIvxa3sjeOznzhzPjsB_0YhmV130nCtZcKUHAzFx3rrJu_Y5_QolvuXl-WUimb7qRJDTUhpo36pmRvQ68hr7rL6fEysF5Fc-I-Xg/s400/10.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>I am
standing at the platform along with the Shinkansen train in the background</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd6SsGsBpo7V6hwvH-ZMrD0MgqU3620tKel_VIYszUWbyR-OND6tPKcdpEbxI4sVD_sz8Dvx9G5F4t9ZxxbHFDuCd99wYs2sbZPLHlF7cBR9az8eEFT_tilK0SLSmFBsbRtZFxbSlsEJg/s1600/11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd6SsGsBpo7V6hwvH-ZMrD0MgqU3620tKel_VIYszUWbyR-OND6tPKcdpEbxI4sVD_sz8Dvx9G5F4t9ZxxbHFDuCd99wYs2sbZPLHlF7cBR9az8eEFT_tilK0SLSmFBsbRtZFxbSlsEJg/s400/11.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>A
notification indicating that our train was scheduled to arrive at 12.37 pm</i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">As
written earlier in this post, Hokkaido Shinkansen train line directly links <st1:state w:st="on">Hokkaido</st1:state> and <st1:place w:st="on">Honshu</st1:place>
islands through undersea Seikan Tunnel. Although people commonly use the
term ‘Hokkaido Shinkansen’ to describe the bullet trains operating on this
line, it is actually technically incorrect. In fact there are two types of train
services that operate on the Hokkaido Shinkansen line, and the technically
correct terms for these trains are <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hayabusa_(train)" target="_blank">Hayabusa</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hayate_(train)" target="_blank">Hayate</a>. Hayabusa is limited-stop
high-speed train service operating between <st1:city w:st="on">Tokyo</st1:city>
or <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Sendai</st1:place></st1:city> and the
northern terminus Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto since 26 March 2016. The train service
runs for a distance of 823.8 kilometers and is operated on the Tohoku
Shinkansen line by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Japan_Railway_Company" target="_blank">East Japan Railway Company</a> (JR East) and Hokkaido Shinkansen
line by the Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido). The train uses 10-car <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E5_Series_Shinkansen" target="_blank">E5 series</a> as well as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H5_Series_Shinkansen" target="_blank">H5 series</a> sets of cars and operates at a maximum speed of 320
km/h between <st1:city w:st="on">Tokyo</st1:city> and <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Morioka</st1:place></st1:city>. Ten return services operate daily
between <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Tokyo</st1:place></st1:city>
and Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto, and one return service operates daily between
Shin-Aomori and Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto. Some services run coupled to 7-car <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E6_Series_Shinkansen" target="_blank">E6 series</a> Akita Shinkansen Komachi services between <st1:city w:st="on">Tokyo</st1:city>
and <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Morioka</st1:place></st1:city>. Hayate
is a semi-fast Shinkansen service operated on the Tohoku Shinkansen line by JR
East since 2002 and on the Hokkaido Shinkansen line by JR Hokkaido since 26
March 2016. It also operates from <st1:city w:st="on">Tokyo</st1:city> to as
far as Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto, and is the second-fastest service on the
Shinkansen lines, operating at a top speed of 275 km/h between <st1:city w:st="on">Utsunomiya</st1:city>
and <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Morioka</st1:place></st1:city>. On
the Tohoku Shinkansen line, Hayate service operates between <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Tokyo</st1:place></st1:city> and Shin-Aomori. These trains are
coupled with Komachi services as far as <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Morioka</st1:place></st1:city>, where the Komachi cars are
uncoupled and proceed to Akita Station via the Akita Shinkansen.
On the Hokkaido Shinkansen line, Hayate service operates between <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Morioka</st1:place></st1:city> or Shin-Aomori
and Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto. These services are formed of 10-car E5 or H5 series
train sets. One return service operates daily between <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Morioka</st1:place></st1:city> and Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto, and one
return service operates daily between Shin-Aomori and Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">We
used Hayabusa train service of the Hokkaido Shinkansen line for traveling from
Morioka Station to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station. Our train arrived from <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Tokyo</st1:place></st1:city> direction at about
12.40 pm. We noted that Hayabusa train arrived coupled behind Komachi train.
At <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Morioka</st1:place></st1:city>
station, the two train services uncoupled and the Komachi train proceeded
towards Akita Station. We walked towards the Hayabusa train and noted that the
train cars were of the E5 series type. The train looked sleek, elegant, bold,
and really great. We loved the exterior design of the train which is broadly
based on the experimental <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fastech_360" target="_blank">Fastech 360S</a> train, with a color scheme of Tokiwa
green for the upper body and Hiun white for the lower body, separated by a
Hayate pink stripe. These colors project futuristic and advanced image with a
feeling of speed. Environmental performance was taken into account to create
the optimum design of the shape of the nose. The train has three classes of
cars namely, ordinary, green, and gran class and prior reservation is required
for entering inside the train. We had two reserved seats in the ordinary-class
car. We entered inside car 1 of the train where our seats were located. We
could not take any photos of the train exterior as there was hardly any time
and the train started with a minute of stopping at the platform. On entering
inside we noted that the seats had so much leg room. Ordinary-class cars have a
seat pitch of 1040 millimeters and the seating is arranged in 3+2 abreast
configuration. AC power outlets are provided for window seats and rows of seats
at car ends. In addition, full-color LED displays with travel information are
featured on both ends of the car. No smoking is allowed in all the cars. We
settled in our seats and enjoyed the interior of the train which was very nice.
We also enjoyed the outside views and the passing landscapes really appealed to
us. It was lunchtime and we were a bit hungry so we bought an Ekiben boxed
lunch from a trolley cart that was regularly wheeled around by the train-staff.
Such trolley carts selling various food items, snacks, cold drinks, hot coffee,
and alcohol are really so convenient for the travelers. We had the Ekiben and
clicked a few photos in the relaxed atmosphere inside the train. It was so cool
and peaceful inside and soon hubby dozed off. After about 75 minutes of travel
we reached undersea Seikan Tunnel area. There was an announcement and a written
indication on the LED display board that we were about to enter inside the
tunnel. Everyone got excited, and it was a wonderful experience to imagine
traveling under the sea. Unfortunately outside was completely dark and so we
could not take any photos. While passing through the tunnel, I remembered about
our sightseeing trip to the tunnel back in July 2009. It was one of the most memorable
experiences of my life in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Japan</st1:place></st1:country-region>
and I had written a <a href="http://lipikazuo.blogspot.com/2009/08/seikan-tunnel.html" target="_blank">blog post</a> about the experience that time. Unfortunately such
sightseeing tours inside the tunnel were stopped prior to the introduction of the
Hokkaido Shinkansen. I feel very lucky to have walked inside the undersea
tunnel. It took about 24 minutes to pass through the tunnel. And suddenly the
landscape of <st1:state w:st="on">Hokkaido</st1:state> spread in our view,
which definitely felt a little different from <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Honshu</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Island</st1:placetype></st1:place>.
We enjoyed the beautiful views. After about a total of 2 hours of travel, we
reached Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto terminal station in <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Hokkaido</st1:place></st1:state> at 2.37 pm. The journey was
exciting, comfortable and fun. After getting down from the train, we took a few
photos of us with the train for the sake of memories. While walking inside the
station building we saw several cardboard cutouts of the players of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hokkaido_Nippon-Ham_Fighters" target="_blank">Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters</a> professional baseball team that is based in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Sapporo</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">Hokkaido</st1:state></st1:place>.
I would say that it is a very nice and appealing way to welcome visitors to <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Hokkaido</st1:place></st1:state>.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaI0ybJy4EOsRq2NjKjjsj-760vdLsTtjQn6CfChMXLDod4h1a8tS6mfaB1xmDJyZrNvYJ9Jf3oeM_YqEh_APp_CrCdIYjeka90TbfnVryWBZHR56uThta3GT6oe6E-yzDvTJc6ZjsoAI/s1600/12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaI0ybJy4EOsRq2NjKjjsj-760vdLsTtjQn6CfChMXLDod4h1a8tS6mfaB1xmDJyZrNvYJ9Jf3oeM_YqEh_APp_CrCdIYjeka90TbfnVryWBZHR56uThta3GT6oe6E-yzDvTJc6ZjsoAI/s400/12.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Hayabusa
train coupled behind pink Komachi train arriving at Morioka Station</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXFM8OBD_AXCK3-gH1dS4Ch7tlIg19JB4JVMa0BTAAFSRLs1dbH3uf0FfAuEMHJA2Z4cjVRNlPblMDpp0ZC9XzNW3leE0JXSuh00JHAla6xxpgicjPbfkCGAPoBlqUvbs1q0gNVC2_gbA/s1600/13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXFM8OBD_AXCK3-gH1dS4Ch7tlIg19JB4JVMa0BTAAFSRLs1dbH3uf0FfAuEMHJA2Z4cjVRNlPblMDpp0ZC9XzNW3leE0JXSuh00JHAla6xxpgicjPbfkCGAPoBlqUvbs1q0gNVC2_gbA/s400/13.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Hubby
about to enter inside car 1 of Hayabusa train</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpXwvYMZKinsBZlBPnb6e-BjzF86p9H8Jhj8QjP-KW45cyzRXg8l3ha3UI7LUOkav244SxTq-AGpHFYfqX0pdnbOeHgqPaErSOBJMKy0QII3CH4rMyV0Ycu2n-D2jYW__FD8pgQwBpOJs/s1600/14.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpXwvYMZKinsBZlBPnb6e-BjzF86p9H8Jhj8QjP-KW45cyzRXg8l3ha3UI7LUOkav244SxTq-AGpHFYfqX0pdnbOeHgqPaErSOBJMKy0QII3CH4rMyV0Ycu2n-D2jYW__FD8pgQwBpOJs/s400/14.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Display
board inside the train indicating that the train is stopped at Morioka Station</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ttKCTqeUNjKSkt_UqQbdmX9XLpIS3cp3ZASjMXm-aG6zy6DYw8p8RFbyrBlYtH-eixIl9V0JXhEQqZGj-BjWDd9jVhb-W7XarI1zVIUkNyFD2969F9ZkiKEvYpVwzRDfUkna_Nvz4c0/s1600/15.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ttKCTqeUNjKSkt_UqQbdmX9XLpIS3cp3ZASjMXm-aG6zy6DYw8p8RFbyrBlYtH-eixIl9V0JXhEQqZGj-BjWDd9jVhb-W7XarI1zVIUkNyFD2969F9ZkiKEvYpVwzRDfUkna_Nvz4c0/s400/15.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Ekiben
boxed meal for lunch</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJrKhwqyGy4jKJX0f48h3NepeekcYxhke-MM0nH5LUNq-7uxCZigFwSp2LxK7ULTb3iAEvIjjzaLssPMxM2eMRYgmdA9YhMs2FIvOX2AY0RTe_fLTVHrILXgGkOb4eQp5m5LhlJTQSUB0/s1600/16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJrKhwqyGy4jKJX0f48h3NepeekcYxhke-MM0nH5LUNq-7uxCZigFwSp2LxK7ULTb3iAEvIjjzaLssPMxM2eMRYgmdA9YhMs2FIvOX2AY0RTe_fLTVHrILXgGkOb4eQp5m5LhlJTQSUB0/s400/16.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Hubby
having coffee after the lunch</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcvbmF7L0GQeFzOW-V7fuMPZj-SjXuM-cgot7ebUen3RARhaB3z-HIBuzb0vPgfRnn_7MeEyxRULo1cyTQpczj2IuWMw8N6lUF9qKWGNl8fJdI8D8mps7DaJblHsBT0jHaDNapOwkO7YM/s1600/17.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcvbmF7L0GQeFzOW-V7fuMPZj-SjXuM-cgot7ebUen3RARhaB3z-HIBuzb0vPgfRnn_7MeEyxRULo1cyTQpczj2IuWMw8N6lUF9qKWGNl8fJdI8D8mps7DaJblHsBT0jHaDNapOwkO7YM/s400/17.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Display
board inside the train indicating that the train is about to enter Seikan
Tunnel</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilzYrb2OyZW7KkpWf27DhQa6UNRSEc4D3pjf1d-BOclOuViWdWUqTZErqZXDAovu4zrniBA38IHimivzsY41lwPdyRHQbxc7RuwEaVeq_CGTYfbUuSaVmQ5pA1HM6VNhH0B2witQrPue0/s1600/18.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilzYrb2OyZW7KkpWf27DhQa6UNRSEc4D3pjf1d-BOclOuViWdWUqTZErqZXDAovu4zrniBA38IHimivzsY41lwPdyRHQbxc7RuwEaVeq_CGTYfbUuSaVmQ5pA1HM6VNhH0B2witQrPue0/s400/18.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Display
board inside the train indicating that the train is about to reach the terminal
station Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiou-yCYe6HgwYtZAiDXLr00ym-nlPqc4FLwdnTQajgZyHMrcMRXc6R3hrnocszA7RZ_eWCVTpF7HlsiW512mS0SEsD55IblJwWtjL1Rpajkj5PXbYNr7_22XOIE-YTGjmOOwpNPEir99w/s1600/19.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiou-yCYe6HgwYtZAiDXLr00ym-nlPqc4FLwdnTQajgZyHMrcMRXc6R3hrnocszA7RZ_eWCVTpF7HlsiW512mS0SEsD55IblJwWtjL1Rpajkj5PXbYNr7_22XOIE-YTGjmOOwpNPEir99w/s400/19.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Two
Hayabusa train services are standing at the platform at Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto
Station. We just got down from the left (front) one.</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtiT-SqsrGyMcjnbFCCYyX7p5pTBpgllKxatiwryU0p0xdo8N52m-qtkINkAqsARFMLbq-P2sNy1zL4T0RiVb0ePl-Wb1IflnGZBwPllGfQvtp-UzO0C_BnxGCrkM-Re-FwSFBDne-g3I/s1600/20.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtiT-SqsrGyMcjnbFCCYyX7p5pTBpgllKxatiwryU0p0xdo8N52m-qtkINkAqsARFMLbq-P2sNy1zL4T0RiVb0ePl-Wb1IflnGZBwPllGfQvtp-UzO0C_BnxGCrkM-Re-FwSFBDne-g3I/s400/20.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>The
two Hayabusa trains and I</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5tSFfvaeBD9DBhA7sMj7JZ5imba40S-sRiCt_bk8Ca9wQWNLIKc0BjrZoWot3becaA3jqCaylFWRdhfbJP3IStnR-Uias_4hKSZ0jcQ-NcGfF_-cAWx-ZE-hkJD4HzC2R8y9ceJBlH5c/s1600/21.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5tSFfvaeBD9DBhA7sMj7JZ5imba40S-sRiCt_bk8Ca9wQWNLIKc0BjrZoWot3becaA3jqCaylFWRdhfbJP3IStnR-Uias_4hKSZ0jcQ-NcGfF_-cAWx-ZE-hkJD4HzC2R8y9ceJBlH5c/s400/21.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>I am
standing near the entrance of car 1 of the Hayabusa train by which we just
finished traveling</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUHBdGBvFg2-gPbVUd2i9sFQ-aj0n01CeyVtHyuTZpqIvocSEN9xlxBW-UYpoJVRzTPohCVotvMcdVyMVHJ2e6yFUNq5HlG_J59B_sJK1lNQnnz9Xu04whFuzjUWQHfvYUDKgG0KFoaGE/s1600/22.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUHBdGBvFg2-gPbVUd2i9sFQ-aj0n01CeyVtHyuTZpqIvocSEN9xlxBW-UYpoJVRzTPohCVotvMcdVyMVHJ2e6yFUNq5HlG_J59B_sJK1lNQnnz9Xu04whFuzjUWQHfvYUDKgG0KFoaGE/s400/22.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>I am
standing at the Shinkansen platform of Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2nfev5picz9hSqSlk_fCnU22m-w4ZiF-5SXuoW65x4CnE5aav4M8GJ9mKei32HmTFcL97Ms_tAHwua1ubhZbZlq179SjZPe0PFaPK6MRnrrShZUX4yhDOWB2p6d2CbQmtIhxrtaP6QOM/s1600/23.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2nfev5picz9hSqSlk_fCnU22m-w4ZiF-5SXuoW65x4CnE5aav4M8GJ9mKei32HmTFcL97Ms_tAHwua1ubhZbZlq179SjZPe0PFaPK6MRnrrShZUX4yhDOWB2p6d2CbQmtIhxrtaP6QOM/s400/23.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>I am
standing inside the station building of Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY3_F42LcSz2uWDhYOV8tVgV1Z7wBa3N88b-0h5T5cJDYlnDJIPa8UQ-vn7A60oma9DXlXr7UsuLFB_zQL1TnfFtJECfxBfC7-Dxj3jm-pGxRq2T76PYkHxl9ApEJjmLwN7xaUvgu9RWE/s1600/24.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY3_F42LcSz2uWDhYOV8tVgV1Z7wBa3N88b-0h5T5cJDYlnDJIPa8UQ-vn7A60oma9DXlXr7UsuLFB_zQL1TnfFtJECfxBfC7-Dxj3jm-pGxRq2T76PYkHxl9ApEJjmLwN7xaUvgu9RWE/s400/24.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>I am
standing next to the life-sized cardboard cutout of the player <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shohei_Otani" target="_blank">Otani Shohei</a> of
Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters baseball team</i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">At
Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station, we took a train named <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hokuto_(train)" target="_blank">Super Hokuto</a> to travel up
to Sapporo Station. So we walked from the Shinkansen platforms to the platforms
for Super Hokuto train. Super Hokuto is a limited express train service between
<st1:city w:st="on">Sapporo</st1:city> and <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Hakodate</st1:place></st1:city>, and is operated by JR Hokkaido. The
service was started in March 1994, and is operated by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KiHa_281_series" target="_blank">KiHa 281</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KiHa_283_series" target="_blank">KiHa 283</a>
series <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilting_train" target="_blank">tilting</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel_multiple_unit" target="_blank">DMUs</a>. While waiting at the platform, we got wonderful views of
fields and mountains right in front of us. We were very surprised to see a
couple of horses grazing in the field. Super Hokuto train arrived at the platform
at 3.20 pm. We noted that the train was of the type KiHa 281 series. The front
of the train and the car doors were cobalt blue colored and the other areas of
the cars were unpainted stainless steel colored. We entered inside and sat down
at our reserved seats. The train traveled along the sea front for a long time
and we got astonishing views of the vast sea. We traveled for a distance of 300
kilometers and the maximum operating speed was 120 km/h. It took us about 3.5
hours to reach Sapporo Station, and we reached <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Sapporo</st1:place></st1:city> at about 6.45 pm.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnAJ6kf1qiRWDdm5rCMtvt2CLDggy7F3WBmZp-GIXJChaLtcXS6q1vN7crX8Zl0gXQDi47yf1LYzQYaRYw4FPEcelhj9OKsb2bKaiStr09yqZ2NmOrBJ5jELiTSBWKSBlqfqmY9gq2LzA/s1600/25.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnAJ6kf1qiRWDdm5rCMtvt2CLDggy7F3WBmZp-GIXJChaLtcXS6q1vN7crX8Zl0gXQDi47yf1LYzQYaRYw4FPEcelhj9OKsb2bKaiStr09yqZ2NmOrBJ5jELiTSBWKSBlqfqmY9gq2LzA/s400/25.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Hubby
standing at the platform for Super Hokuto train at Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCCgqV3v19LlPSkoR4f4MVm_OwmkvnKfAzAjimLCCBVsrwWJMRr62sB8ij5lV82TAabx92Wqr4hzxInWjd3XzSyu_502qV7jSO2Mal9I8VsSXz_0L3Pc2QMQSGr4HVPZTuWd6YTJbJFbE/s1600/26.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCCgqV3v19LlPSkoR4f4MVm_OwmkvnKfAzAjimLCCBVsrwWJMRr62sB8ij5lV82TAabx92Wqr4hzxInWjd3XzSyu_502qV7jSO2Mal9I8VsSXz_0L3Pc2QMQSGr4HVPZTuWd6YTJbJFbE/s400/26.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>I am
standing at the platform for the limited express train</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpIhun1h_zDePOqJsJTn-6BoJ66CjverZ5p5RQqa6ljQrxJeScuqzR3FDeCHqm6InQeu2E7vD5BO5w0ZcAzFg2D1lhTTrltm42sPtyss9bgJ8GT3hD6Hz-4zHaQ8RYO7gOT9USE-p0Qtc/s1600/27.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpIhun1h_zDePOqJsJTn-6BoJ66CjverZ5p5RQqa6ljQrxJeScuqzR3FDeCHqm6InQeu2E7vD5BO5w0ZcAzFg2D1lhTTrltm42sPtyss9bgJ8GT3hD6Hz-4zHaQ8RYO7gOT9USE-p0Qtc/s400/27.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Fields
and mountains as viewed from the platform</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh487P_iQ2Oiw5yk7xOBx0-qectXeQF-bnXRqGj03qbpShLu6U6ldl5yd1VwJH9IfqtPphPHTTWK-q2iJU4lfRISfeUFyO89HnSo4ejlvqZDhuafMpatEkjaGOl_-fi6WueXwWSrR8XXJQ/s1600/28.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh487P_iQ2Oiw5yk7xOBx0-qectXeQF-bnXRqGj03qbpShLu6U6ldl5yd1VwJH9IfqtPphPHTTWK-q2iJU4lfRISfeUFyO89HnSo4ejlvqZDhuafMpatEkjaGOl_-fi6WueXwWSrR8XXJQ/s400/28.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Two
horses in the field as viewed from the platform</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDdrxh7M3xK4WjjyBaNPHNPwILhscFfaohYyxg7LATakUcIHKA_FRxcBXNlJiQmbxKyHmBYsJxf9vZKsjml2-kolj5AtfOMFCs1haYM_1ICPrxlmHyxNTbtDtVWwOEj_GbQBJmCZQnGI/s1600/29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDdrxh7M3xK4WjjyBaNPHNPwILhscFfaohYyxg7LATakUcIHKA_FRxcBXNlJiQmbxKyHmBYsJxf9vZKsjml2-kolj5AtfOMFCs1haYM_1ICPrxlmHyxNTbtDtVWwOEj_GbQBJmCZQnGI/s400/29.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>The
horses grazing in the field</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-J-DK1auiXuUZn_BccHwIaCKojZqgRFOPcx-ohR1AN7Gs9VGg7b2QcbdlP0LLQgyDElJcP35rtm_QIZ0KCdh3SS9emK10FcQOe1UfS1u1i2pK3pznfkb7HCnpU5PeN-RW4bi6QwOJe3E/s1600/30.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-J-DK1auiXuUZn_BccHwIaCKojZqgRFOPcx-ohR1AN7Gs9VGg7b2QcbdlP0LLQgyDElJcP35rtm_QIZ0KCdh3SS9emK10FcQOe1UfS1u1i2pK3pznfkb7HCnpU5PeN-RW4bi6QwOJe3E/s400/30.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Super
Hokuto train is arriving at the platform. Cobalt blue color of the train front
is so vivid.</i></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhphRGOYUu2kahD8wXh2mYizaUHkaIcddxmRDk11swsaqKXPt41pKR2riiwwyOTlMkIYrmU9SimH1kq75GcRqVmfW3C5IfJ5Vj2AJjKtzOGamAY2WTW-LSXTxpsdWLQxTnBVdL62avOn0o/s1600/31.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhphRGOYUu2kahD8wXh2mYizaUHkaIcddxmRDk11swsaqKXPt41pKR2riiwwyOTlMkIYrmU9SimH1kq75GcRqVmfW3C5IfJ5Vj2AJjKtzOGamAY2WTW-LSXTxpsdWLQxTnBVdL62avOn0o/s400/31.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Train
tracks and the sea as viewed from inside the train on our way to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Sapporo</st1:place></st1:city></i></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgoV02hXUR70TFjuhB7aHf-uDfFsaXUp82NMvSW00tfZ1CW62rdeGePNiZLAvPahsKNiUiB-Y5NH-JY1i8RtB73dDWo-JaIESlDYIms2utFyYpKBdsxsUnfZNCoHzC3ssvxFzai6yaaZM/s1600/32.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgoV02hXUR70TFjuhB7aHf-uDfFsaXUp82NMvSW00tfZ1CW62rdeGePNiZLAvPahsKNiUiB-Y5NH-JY1i8RtB73dDWo-JaIESlDYIms2utFyYpKBdsxsUnfZNCoHzC3ssvxFzai6yaaZM/s400/32.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Nice
view</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtPIDh4kpnywGaPcRJSEYGKzF8O2ElmSYefF_83DsVHulidzc3BvNT6J4XUEqDDZ7-SfbLwXiBrWeRwDem83hTMPJQ6yie65gj83Og7EH7r5kRXd3vlGSxIPoslIen1paqc5RUs9SqoLA/s1600/33.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtPIDh4kpnywGaPcRJSEYGKzF8O2ElmSYefF_83DsVHulidzc3BvNT6J4XUEqDDZ7-SfbLwXiBrWeRwDem83hTMPJQ6yie65gj83Og7EH7r5kRXd3vlGSxIPoslIen1paqc5RUs9SqoLA/s400/33.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Vast
blue sea as viewed from the train</i></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4WIsffKsf3YhCyIrjHOGNGTHwWr2mAag8gM1EMGCYmu0TdGYrlibeep3xTktotKFBiFQpEBht3kIx1bDnY6nYeBOXBjt7zS3iNbQ9_p7I49mDuRl1nsQO7FVM8Pe-ip28jLkjI8efe0c/s1600/34.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4WIsffKsf3YhCyIrjHOGNGTHwWr2mAag8gM1EMGCYmu0TdGYrlibeep3xTktotKFBiFQpEBht3kIx1bDnY6nYeBOXBjt7zS3iNbQ9_p7I49mDuRl1nsQO7FVM8Pe-ip28jLkjI8efe0c/s400/34.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>We
sitting inside the train at our reserved seats</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Next, at Sapporo Station we took a train named <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Kamui" target="_blank">Super Kamui</a> to travel further up to Asahikawa Station. We had to change the platform and reached the platform for the Super Kamui service just 5 minutes before the arrival of the train. Super Kamui is a limited express train service operated by JR Hokkaido since 2007 on the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakodate_Main_Line" target="_blank">Hakodate Main Line</a> connecting Sapporo and Asahikawa in Hokkaido. Services run every 30 minutes, with a journey time of 1 hour and 20 minutes for the 136.8 kilometers between Sapporo and Asahikawa, giving an average start-to-stop speed of 102.6 km/h. The maximum operating speed of the service is 130 km/h. Services are formed of five-car <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/785_series" target="_blank">785 series</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/789_series#Super_Kamui_789-1000_series" target="_blank">789-1000 series</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_multiple_unit" target="_blank">EMUs</a>. All seats are non-reserved, except for car 4. We had already purchased tickets earlier for the non-reserved cars. Super Kamui train arrived at the platform at 7 pm. We noted that the train was of the type 785 series. All the cars of the train were unpainted stainless steel colored. We entered inside one of the non-reserved cars and sat down at two empty seats. It was already dark, so we could not get any outside views. Earlier we had bought an Ekiben boxed meal at Sapporo Station, and we had it as a light meal in the relaxed atmosphere inside the train. After about 80 minutes of travel, we reached Asahikawa Station at 8.20 pm. After getting down from the train, we walked inside the station building which is rather huge. While walking, we saw a life-sized cardboard cutout of the professional baseball player Otani Shohei of Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters baseball team based in Sapporo. We also saw an animated cutout of Super Kamui train. In addition, we saw a life-sized nude bronze statue of a woman sculpted by <a href="http://www.pref.miyagi.jp/site/museum-en/20121123-s01-01-en.html" target="_blank">Sato Churyo</a>. It was too funny to see hubby observing the statue in details. After leaving the station building, we hired a taxi and went to a hotel located nearby where we stayed for two nights.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1vBIYkaTM6Yf07HiMqLQPQhwG1udu4IMrLs1tDnogXNtW6Xy6VNQ5XD1ZOHVvdWfVd9t2j9BJvUsHW743pAgobOwHxt_N_RVOINwGdQZbtjs7Ex_EqI1ZHKR6-PusU3QdKzvh29_w3TQ/s1600/35.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1vBIYkaTM6Yf07HiMqLQPQhwG1udu4IMrLs1tDnogXNtW6Xy6VNQ5XD1ZOHVvdWfVd9t2j9BJvUsHW743pAgobOwHxt_N_RVOINwGdQZbtjs7Ex_EqI1ZHKR6-PusU3QdKzvh29_w3TQ/s400/35.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>I am
standing at the platform for Super Kamui train at Sapporo Station</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDzgaVJbVHXuZBoMSc6I3rBziLv1Jye1qtRJJOArPoplans69fnzuSE8KzFKrT8qFCfJNziCI9Zbh3-EG6J0k8f131o1AOLe5Rnw30lkSbIM1ZxRya55psu1NqHXDkhGKrkLYjV2eSiGM/s1600/36.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDzgaVJbVHXuZBoMSc6I3rBziLv1Jye1qtRJJOArPoplans69fnzuSE8KzFKrT8qFCfJNziCI9Zbh3-EG6J0k8f131o1AOLe5Rnw30lkSbIM1ZxRya55psu1NqHXDkhGKrkLYjV2eSiGM/s400/36.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Super
Kamui train is arriving at the platform. Unpainted stainless steel color of the
train front is seen here.</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsn0UFY9i-_2zhdr6Ns_faP-E4Z440i_M1uH9DDOsDA7j3VOAsr2OBa-0G-nSxIhyphenhyphenbos8WEIYvKWPEyz5BjAHJTdgpG-qCnP0hlZ2tZSNz69SYfVkYz-205sl8rsgo_AU55ri5OojQGZs/s1600/37.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsn0UFY9i-_2zhdr6Ns_faP-E4Z440i_M1uH9DDOsDA7j3VOAsr2OBa-0G-nSxIhyphenhyphenbos8WEIYvKWPEyz5BjAHJTdgpG-qCnP0hlZ2tZSNz69SYfVkYz-205sl8rsgo_AU55ri5OojQGZs/s400/37.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>We are
sitting inside the train at two unreserved seats</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEickSoj4Z8fKQ_1YmhypWTdXxWckQp4bm2iYU8KV_m-KUJzfzC53vINldwRVh09ikGAuN0Wkf0B4A__8KO-iBUbF_l5-LpwgKbpnP9jvRfrfYuvIFUVDQkRoqlYicfjVqhN8RiA0FsfNlQ/s1600/38.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEickSoj4Z8fKQ_1YmhypWTdXxWckQp4bm2iYU8KV_m-KUJzfzC53vINldwRVh09ikGAuN0Wkf0B4A__8KO-iBUbF_l5-LpwgKbpnP9jvRfrfYuvIFUVDQkRoqlYicfjVqhN8RiA0FsfNlQ/s400/38.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Ekiben
boxed meal we had inside the train</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6HfnvP7cyf9Ha2U8NxHY8PQq_UKEkrAbLd2-O4phWw_Ds9pbokkB8-OGJ4vB4LVtui1LpmhPH_CYIU9N7Qlel6DclQtymH2tkwlUPq8-aURI3DaQelQ0H1Tc2HkKLwxElF7o590NjUW4/s1600/39.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6HfnvP7cyf9Ha2U8NxHY8PQq_UKEkrAbLd2-O4phWw_Ds9pbokkB8-OGJ4vB4LVtui1LpmhPH_CYIU9N7Qlel6DclQtymH2tkwlUPq8-aURI3DaQelQ0H1Tc2HkKLwxElF7o590NjUW4/s400/39.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Delicious
food</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJAu5Fpp7zDk7UJDhF4d_rgUFl1Waqi7QofK6HxyPESLSjANpIREXIoNJZ3PsPSDKfkLA87D4CMrBBY3ozHrlS_QKQrnq6PAjKy4aCeBSD6eLmqKO3CvqaDjTo9tEBrN_CRHF1sfWupyg/s1600/40.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJAu5Fpp7zDk7UJDhF4d_rgUFl1Waqi7QofK6HxyPESLSjANpIREXIoNJZ3PsPSDKfkLA87D4CMrBBY3ozHrlS_QKQrnq6PAjKy4aCeBSD6eLmqKO3CvqaDjTo9tEBrN_CRHF1sfWupyg/s400/40.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Hubby
having the food</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBa0z1u3QEq4EvQouOAzQ43phueOzR_5NTva9YcP0wlM-m4pR8wEQG8T6z7cjrH4M3REQowu0gBzhuq3F3zpzf9fIV-zkpCVdKTm4gX3r-5_Rrc5b4fItVn6zOGKyuWP7DDANOOLH_9To/s1600/41.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBa0z1u3QEq4EvQouOAzQ43phueOzR_5NTva9YcP0wlM-m4pR8wEQG8T6z7cjrH4M3REQowu0gBzhuq3F3zpzf9fIV-zkpCVdKTm4gX3r-5_Rrc5b4fItVn6zOGKyuWP7DDANOOLH_9To/s400/41.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>We
reached Asahikawa Station and I am standing inside the station building</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV92-TBnrzTEayLCFfJFB5iFXvKmtNHvMt6J0la3ZJAQbkjeUabfT-llu8d4Ol94JmC7nQ6pWEjOUIIROIJ2nKdPK-dD0_nlQVRiQrjRPfHt7bpZ2fsOiMttc1vyawE0kv5MRenAd_Sbs/s1600/42.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV92-TBnrzTEayLCFfJFB5iFXvKmtNHvMt6J0la3ZJAQbkjeUabfT-llu8d4Ol94JmC7nQ6pWEjOUIIROIJ2nKdPK-dD0_nlQVRiQrjRPfHt7bpZ2fsOiMttc1vyawE0kv5MRenAd_Sbs/s400/42.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>I am
standing next to a cardboard cutout of the player Otani Shohei of Hokkaido
Nippon-Ham Fighters baseball team</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXgYlvCscu3x6fuFtQMxKVgqJEA4mSXpASlOoJiSQXqCmZF2ny4DbLhvKldVw4-2dPZ6p4KxS8oqJzoID-iytyu1PBll5cGajzsaUoopk08TkTZcqYTpiszIZRI6rbu2Le9QoaS90NIpA/s1600/43.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXgYlvCscu3x6fuFtQMxKVgqJEA4mSXpASlOoJiSQXqCmZF2ny4DbLhvKldVw4-2dPZ6p4KxS8oqJzoID-iytyu1PBll5cGajzsaUoopk08TkTZcqYTpiszIZRI6rbu2Le9QoaS90NIpA/s400/43.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>I am
the driver of Super Kamui train</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtB1wWhomFiskzHpy6dzwz-8C8MAUCLIG67bos1FiSYNrce3wRtpxgWdkNUEZsqdwLYTev6pQ06RM6LEztd4G1acBPtDcmjCnFGMHCrZdfbuCb2JnDHceOquxBA1OSOCWiTvO1FxQvD2A/s1600/44.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtB1wWhomFiskzHpy6dzwz-8C8MAUCLIG67bos1FiSYNrce3wRtpxgWdkNUEZsqdwLYTev6pQ06RM6LEztd4G1acBPtDcmjCnFGMHCrZdfbuCb2JnDHceOquxBA1OSOCWiTvO1FxQvD2A/s400/44.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Hubby
appreciating a life-sized bronze statue of a woman located inside the station
building</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZVPlSy4DLeUDLGRhJBlYHsSYA0MPyEaHbG1020sJG3DJH01HUkcJw-4F3U_bRNgosJ_1_k_R88UlJMm8VAnGmzGJDVixWzkUDOkQeMVAwA7ygVUJ5y2DdmF2FGxwvQB1PVeQWPXH-brE/s1600/45.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZVPlSy4DLeUDLGRhJBlYHsSYA0MPyEaHbG1020sJG3DJH01HUkcJw-4F3U_bRNgosJ_1_k_R88UlJMm8VAnGmzGJDVixWzkUDOkQeMVAwA7ygVUJ5y2DdmF2FGxwvQB1PVeQWPXH-brE/s400/45.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Nighttime
view as seen from the window of our hotel room located near Asahikawa Station</i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">After
keeping our baggage inside our room in the hotel located near Asahikawa
Station, we went out to explore the downtown area and also to have dinner. The
station building and an adjacent mall were so brightly lid. The downtown area
seemed to be so alive. While walking along a paved pathway, we saw several life-sized
bronze statues in various poses that were sculpted by Sato Churyo. One of the
statues was quite interesting where a man sitting on a bench played a saxophone
while a cat looked on. After walking around the downtown area for about 40
minutes, we saw a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramen" target="_blank">Ramen</a> restaurant named <a href="http://www.ichi-kura.co.jp/" target="_blank">Ichikura</a> and decided to have dinner
there. Hubby had a bowl of Ramen topped with a lot of chopped green spring onion
leaves and I had a bowl of Ramen topped with a few scallops. In addition, we
had <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiaozi#Gy.C5.8Dza" target="_blank">Gyoza</a> as a side dish. We shared our food, and all the dishes were
delicious. After dinner we returned to the hotel and immediately retired to bed
as we were rather tired due to all the traveling the entire day.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGGjBn06YBJ9g6Gq6o6goXN414FNI5_ybvG-0OjraDrzAyQ5Z2XgWfsqLA8EI9e21xz5CwJ-6Bic3N-StCAjx17kyoagMYfV9h2Syj9X0RrvUKZJRgdhSRaX5a3HAhSCsMhzDdscv4Zls/s1600/46.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGGjBn06YBJ9g6Gq6o6goXN414FNI5_ybvG-0OjraDrzAyQ5Z2XgWfsqLA8EI9e21xz5CwJ-6Bic3N-StCAjx17kyoagMYfV9h2Syj9X0RrvUKZJRgdhSRaX5a3HAhSCsMhzDdscv4Zls/s400/46.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Brightly
lit Asahikawa Station</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGle4DNaiZiTUuttwryGr8w_TeclYjP-piij2q1QWNtjD1P9Uzutpb9nKxUcULjLHVJSceJ0vujM003QmA_QAw5meWQnUfosSRJmkWEdLiJgwNVnnFGdp1EuWh2O35051UHd8tkOlm62o/s1600/47.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGle4DNaiZiTUuttwryGr8w_TeclYjP-piij2q1QWNtjD1P9Uzutpb9nKxUcULjLHVJSceJ0vujM003QmA_QAw5meWQnUfosSRJmkWEdLiJgwNVnnFGdp1EuWh2O35051UHd8tkOlm62o/s400/47.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>A
brightly lit mall in the downtown area</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiijncmLyShMZXBluZRzGuX91D5AaUxKL8o91wj9kywf1nywd57uLqrmzA_m3ymwBU05BdW71ui6SXpetyu4gULmNtdTvutR_3cjDPzFP2ybdlPT4MubSiXbQUr6RU8qxc21l6nYtPsLIk/s1600/48.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiijncmLyShMZXBluZRzGuX91D5AaUxKL8o91wj9kywf1nywd57uLqrmzA_m3ymwBU05BdW71ui6SXpetyu4gULmNtdTvutR_3cjDPzFP2ybdlPT4MubSiXbQUr6RU8qxc21l6nYtPsLIk/s400/48.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>I am
sitting along with the bronze statue of a man sitting on a bench and playing a
saxophone</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiwYQOzIpRg6k-gbqyAxfMq1NhU95HzMn0tVQ4ObziuYBFyYwLCNGZ_38bz9jXX5LBjKFqQhuK8HHSrHSNMQrYlvQcrNgFK8JV-b_sW6T5DPNoP0Gb4A4m9Vwjj7OZ5gNzERgO30k8els/s1600/49.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiwYQOzIpRg6k-gbqyAxfMq1NhU95HzMn0tVQ4ObziuYBFyYwLCNGZ_38bz9jXX5LBjKFqQhuK8HHSrHSNMQrYlvQcrNgFK8JV-b_sW6T5DPNoP0Gb4A4m9Vwjj7OZ5gNzERgO30k8els/s400/49.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Hubby
eagerly waiting for dinner to arrive inside Ichikura restaurant</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL-QGQjCsA9_2s8uCwUdtyA9VdBcUD4gGG_gUXpoXyzQxJubnlp6hmghe-ExWye02i0XpcIrlU8g564ReHWSfNekevIWtygMFw4zA9tcmQp8ofB1t8XjO0BGHwzk_gLuhIUciYgkqss2A/s1600/50.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL-QGQjCsA9_2s8uCwUdtyA9VdBcUD4gGG_gUXpoXyzQxJubnlp6hmghe-ExWye02i0XpcIrlU8g564ReHWSfNekevIWtygMFw4zA9tcmQp8ofB1t8XjO0BGHwzk_gLuhIUciYgkqss2A/s400/50.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Hubby’s
bowl of Ramen</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuXWDvwTN_BMgGP3FMwVWKFnufRUbencg43lsojCjdLBDS-uQcUg193GtZjaY_eGkm2fTZs-5nPo8x8Sx3WcoO2av6Fqz86uLI0OiLu6gv6FI6EUwC4RNrgbpKJlhnJ-eEr6muMKvtA8I/s1600/51.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuXWDvwTN_BMgGP3FMwVWKFnufRUbencg43lsojCjdLBDS-uQcUg193GtZjaY_eGkm2fTZs-5nPo8x8Sx3WcoO2av6Fqz86uLI0OiLu6gv6FI6EUwC4RNrgbpKJlhnJ-eEr6muMKvtA8I/s400/51.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>My
dinner</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTMs9R0XfKn2x6NI5vzJqAkIGFk2uB2Z24VtZN2-7ZLTrdA9tDRkwmEkARp6tgu8jxvjihvsNbJ-V52HPpI6L0QhJWpGU3S1da6EOcjLJrUR-iZhCnGpgJk6E2kEANhvD7mCmJCramoZU/s1600/52.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTMs9R0XfKn2x6NI5vzJqAkIGFk2uB2Z24VtZN2-7ZLTrdA9tDRkwmEkARp6tgu8jxvjihvsNbJ-V52HPpI6L0QhJWpGU3S1da6EOcjLJrUR-iZhCnGpgJk6E2kEANhvD7mCmJCramoZU/s400/52.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Side
dish Gyoza</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPODD4XuKIsB9cOUyNonmSZXyz8FBi9NCDyuFz6pYwGb3mOaBGqKWdokHnOioiPuXqJ87sckd8VMXEyR7tp5hlK3lNugkyYLhL9OVImHMLKeZtvsVvllorTK3rQWTOrXj6yJJJYnyh1dw/s1600/53.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPODD4XuKIsB9cOUyNonmSZXyz8FBi9NCDyuFz6pYwGb3mOaBGqKWdokHnOioiPuXqJ87sckd8VMXEyR7tp5hlK3lNugkyYLhL9OVImHMLKeZtvsVvllorTK3rQWTOrXj6yJJJYnyh1dw/s400/53.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Hubby
relishing his dinner</i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">On the
day of my birthday on 19th June, we hired a car and traveled from <st1:placename w:st="on">Asahikawa</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">City</st1:placetype>
to <st1:placetype w:st="on">Cape</st1:placetype> <st1:placename w:st="on">Soya</st1:placename>
situated in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Wakkanai</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">City</st1:placetype></st1:place>. It is the
northernmost point of Japan, and I will write about our visit to the cape in
the next blog post. On the morning of 20th June, we visited a farm named Ueno
Farm located in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Asahikawa</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">City</st1:placetype></st1:place> itself. We saw
various kinds of flowers at the farm about which I will write a blog post later
on. On the afternoon of 20th June, we checked out of the hotel and went to
Asahikawa Station, where we took Super Kamui express train service to travel back
down to Sapporo Station. The train started at 2 pm and we enjoyed the outside
views for sometime. We were rather hungry and remembered about the Ekiben boxed
meal we had bought earlier at Asahikawa Station. We had it as late lunch in the
relaxed atmosphere inside the train. After about 80 minutes of travel, we
reached Sapporo Station at 3.20 pm.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCbeGeU69x-We3db5Ii8OKOfp2XUE1kFB-tGuMzehUEPKYIVPtInHL5tM8tsxSCyJZTPDkqPVxpXer5vdPjkTDZmySsP2VBojtsRTQG_gsIZL2P8WcyjdtTEM4sJE3jSMB9JSmz0G8emI/s1600/54june20.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCbeGeU69x-We3db5Ii8OKOfp2XUE1kFB-tGuMzehUEPKYIVPtInHL5tM8tsxSCyJZTPDkqPVxpXer5vdPjkTDZmySsP2VBojtsRTQG_gsIZL2P8WcyjdtTEM4sJE3jSMB9JSmz0G8emI/s400/54june20.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Hubby
waiting inside Asahikawa Station building</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHllcGm2kEIrktbRSEMwoMMluZgqDZ9mKPzMH0LqqWzrW15DvVjNhHxIe1uUH4UWxN9pb-SaPjTwRCbBIYD9EfiyK9XsoE5i-lwYHySYCLtwx_Vl3yn07TDRYEFEy7QCvwwlcWeDv2hmQ/s1600/55.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHllcGm2kEIrktbRSEMwoMMluZgqDZ9mKPzMH0LqqWzrW15DvVjNhHxIe1uUH4UWxN9pb-SaPjTwRCbBIYD9EfiyK9XsoE5i-lwYHySYCLtwx_Vl3yn07TDRYEFEy7QCvwwlcWeDv2hmQ/s400/55.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Hubby
standing at the platform for Super Kamui train at Asahikawa Station</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtjWuw3dnW2dj653aW6Sak-q9rd5h7WaU4z0gOub1AmT9RVCa2C9jaMKC8NGcvtaRVGM65-DlQefuUIeOJOW9A6UPRvAvo_m5LCtCCYoSSmcIyb-ISkF-xkJEExe2gKVjDVnL3V1o1f7I/s1600/56.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtjWuw3dnW2dj653aW6Sak-q9rd5h7WaU4z0gOub1AmT9RVCa2C9jaMKC8NGcvtaRVGM65-DlQefuUIeOJOW9A6UPRvAvo_m5LCtCCYoSSmcIyb-ISkF-xkJEExe2gKVjDVnL3V1o1f7I/s400/56.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Hubby
keeping our baggage inside the train</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH7O7ZzSrEMAwGw_WDQC6ts44qfr_CD9rfEU4Eo1fu9oomaT1bSIWV7_EW8p1ZMc9ZQG7aK_lxbWf38_pvI6-tFz8TO7YgOUvjCrG7H0jLVH3EykmigoHPpJqUISPce3xM4udUmSdn7rY/s1600/57.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH7O7ZzSrEMAwGw_WDQC6ts44qfr_CD9rfEU4Eo1fu9oomaT1bSIWV7_EW8p1ZMc9ZQG7aK_lxbWf38_pvI6-tFz8TO7YgOUvjCrG7H0jLVH3EykmigoHPpJqUISPce3xM4udUmSdn7rY/s400/57.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Hubby
sitting inside the train and looks a bit tired due to sightseeing earlier in the
day</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHWKJLruVp2Y3ZQfrCx7XiyZPVq0SqctbF4GUeSgnWoUUdAdE4kyiLqjkSju8cf0gKEaKLh5-AsuyO3T0H13rObd7Prm75a6IFC-foH-CGS1JlHAvkrQI_LJncbghRP7XYll8vcJYmqqg/s1600/58.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHWKJLruVp2Y3ZQfrCx7XiyZPVq0SqctbF4GUeSgnWoUUdAdE4kyiLqjkSju8cf0gKEaKLh5-AsuyO3T0H13rObd7Prm75a6IFC-foH-CGS1JlHAvkrQI_LJncbghRP7XYll8vcJYmqqg/s400/58.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Ekiben
boxed meal we had for lunch inside the train</i></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyVzQTlIU8jUwkbGHEewRTjGWSzHxvFZ58OUYlmJ4HnW8VitwaGIVLA6oCJtL4iRYDPrwQFbDK6_mPHVq1LH4G4GffPxs45IwmThZCktqy-csD3CBw_51AHYFiEQRUPITbJTKzggkCJto/s1600/59.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyVzQTlIU8jUwkbGHEewRTjGWSzHxvFZ58OUYlmJ4HnW8VitwaGIVLA6oCJtL4iRYDPrwQFbDK6_mPHVq1LH4G4GffPxs45IwmThZCktqy-csD3CBw_51AHYFiEQRUPITbJTKzggkCJto/s400/59.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Delicious
food</i></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUqK9ESqqEyaDUWhfbHRDKSt0XP_3j7d3iemsGiHdK7qVZiKUzsOe-gZ-4Ub03dj6b4CoSkvsMProzuJgpu1BGizHOpd4qxfLbLD_CBlZbEn6vc0t9TK_OnH-psPUvb3OB_UuiKmE_bsM/s1600/60.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUqK9ESqqEyaDUWhfbHRDKSt0XP_3j7d3iemsGiHdK7qVZiKUzsOe-gZ-4Ub03dj6b4CoSkvsMProzuJgpu1BGizHOpd4qxfLbLD_CBlZbEn6vc0t9TK_OnH-psPUvb3OB_UuiKmE_bsM/s400/60.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Hubby
having lunch</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRDD_D7LgUx4w1JwTja_UM8NEr1f-bbUcTBgZgYnaAkqbQg1JaealuuPS0HC_Ilhoa4oSJsLdQ_Xg_sWw5DhMnrdxvgQrbQMVEVLqALjN4Vk3zNp61L9HtdastVsqDa8C68oAa6nkpLws/s1600/61.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRDD_D7LgUx4w1JwTja_UM8NEr1f-bbUcTBgZgYnaAkqbQg1JaealuuPS0HC_Ilhoa4oSJsLdQ_Xg_sWw5DhMnrdxvgQrbQMVEVLqALjN4Vk3zNp61L9HtdastVsqDa8C68oAa6nkpLws/s400/61.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>We
sitting inside the train</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">At
Sapporo Station, we took Super Hokuto train service to travel further down to
Hakodate Station. There was still almost an hour remaining for the departure of
the train, so we took rest inside the station building for some time.
Afterwards, we went to the platform for Super Hokuto service, and entered
inside the already waiting train. The train left the platform at 4.32 pm, and
we just relaxed inside the train. After almost four hours of travel, we reached
Hakodate Station at 8.20 pm. That night we stayed at a hotel named <a href="http://www.hakodate-kokusai.jp/index_en.php" target="_blank">Hakodate Kokusai Hotel</a> located near the station itself.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggKT39N2BK7H7W3vLg1oDHK-YNEvS0XP4fkJcFodJnLFfdHdIqXBVoxtDSJvQWoEJhnHcqMKT-9sKUP74VABiT1tI_2VCPKkVnErSPgabzk7LfB_Fu8Ya_GCkCus4FAawMCK1FltE_TKA/s1600/62.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggKT39N2BK7H7W3vLg1oDHK-YNEvS0XP4fkJcFodJnLFfdHdIqXBVoxtDSJvQWoEJhnHcqMKT-9sKUP74VABiT1tI_2VCPKkVnErSPgabzk7LfB_Fu8Ya_GCkCus4FAawMCK1FltE_TKA/s400/62.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Hubby
walking inside Sapporo Station building</i></span></div>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN6swzcpEPmDh1lyuWGi_5TyF_1gnlh06rf4u8NsGvs_h3F2SWJzVMiDYafJjbg_PlOKlv45taq8lMpBfrOChH1zZZHbVvFRm6IDteYwSzTM3FdnJR-Suu_eHFQvag_3l-5a3-AwIZoIs/s1600/63.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN6swzcpEPmDh1lyuWGi_5TyF_1gnlh06rf4u8NsGvs_h3F2SWJzVMiDYafJjbg_PlOKlv45taq8lMpBfrOChH1zZZHbVvFRm6IDteYwSzTM3FdnJR-Suu_eHFQvag_3l-5a3-AwIZoIs/s400/63.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Hubby
relaxing inside the station building</i></span></div>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7qcxMXUMi6fm_liZMKmEBe2n1Mu9HIUPpwqDj4u4sI3-u6ME2756H-guvqIUM66EjSE_IkD3wIKvJ9eroomj5KEaOyyh4zimk-WD7fVXUitzUu7-P1BOprxKhyNylOS4Q6x7mFEjEr4k/s1600/64.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7qcxMXUMi6fm_liZMKmEBe2n1Mu9HIUPpwqDj4u4sI3-u6ME2756H-guvqIUM66EjSE_IkD3wIKvJ9eroomj5KEaOyyh4zimk-WD7fVXUitzUu7-P1BOprxKhyNylOS4Q6x7mFEjEr4k/s400/64.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Hubby
standing at the platform for Super Hokuto train at Sapporo Station</i></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYFTuBFYP2z63n5_hcx2V0YCtiOtsuldJVNOytKblAi8WkopRSN6fBuvZCAdTaBYWqMIGPBcOih8YPpPWkPQ9STJcjLWUZ4xn37Yong8XDYOAhwdo0j9oVdfN6DCRq7BrI_SKiiAjRwnQ/s1600/65.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYFTuBFYP2z63n5_hcx2V0YCtiOtsuldJVNOytKblAi8WkopRSN6fBuvZCAdTaBYWqMIGPBcOih8YPpPWkPQ9STJcjLWUZ4xn37Yong8XDYOAhwdo0j9oVdfN6DCRq7BrI_SKiiAjRwnQ/s400/65.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>We
sitting inside Super Hokuto train</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk93csUop2e0TZTiAQKpjHj-xq_p2R6kVK4DM21nMyozeybWdvdzcMPdFN_uIf3m7YwFUw2qntdBly7CkZOiaKa9D37v3v_ciu8ukohCaQ1Okl_yEt2bVyN4CqcTBprSnNs440HOGnfxM/s1600/66.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk93csUop2e0TZTiAQKpjHj-xq_p2R6kVK4DM21nMyozeybWdvdzcMPdFN_uIf3m7YwFUw2qntdBly7CkZOiaKa9D37v3v_ciu8ukohCaQ1Okl_yEt2bVyN4CqcTBprSnNs440HOGnfxM/s400/66.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Hubby having
some snacks inside the train</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh4FV1BANkEAbMqoukQzjIAzlTkliWwegLggz60rLj2YaKP5BsAzn7fB8t8MTtGcD_dbQEF2UFK5BDFCX_4CXSLCciwt35pe-mgWUYLfD2TIYqzQvivT_N3EaHie0xMzc8XqutSgud_2A/s1600/67.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh4FV1BANkEAbMqoukQzjIAzlTkliWwegLggz60rLj2YaKP5BsAzn7fB8t8MTtGcD_dbQEF2UFK5BDFCX_4CXSLCciwt35pe-mgWUYLfD2TIYqzQvivT_N3EaHie0xMzc8XqutSgud_2A/s400/67.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>We
reached Hakodate Station and I am standing outside the station building</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">On the
morning of 21st June, we had a fantastic breakfast at a restaurant located inside
Hakodate Kokusai Hotel about which I will write a blog post later on.
Afterwards we visited a few sightseeing spots located near Hakodate Station
itself about which I will write yet another blog post later on. Then it was
time for us to return home. At about 11.30 am, we returned to Hakodate Station
and took a local train to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station from where we took
Hayabusa train service of Hokkaido Shinkansen to return to Morioka Station. Hayabusa
train started at 12.44 pm and soon afterwards we had Ekiben boxed meal for
lunch inside the train. And it was once again a thrilling experience to pass
through the undersea Seikan Tunnel. After about 2 hours of travel we reached
Morioka Station. At Morioka Station we had to wait for about an hour for
further travel by Akita Shinkansen Komachi train back to Akita Station.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg5XuxjPGtdrhauDRROVQnlGLf9f_ZV8SuCJbZPyUTqRQ4SKzu5cSNrK0hRqWKEDUrlkuZwI_3684Z9Oc5WiuD_bl_gmnwNqEtXYEJbyer8DUbH9p4hF-vsniILrWppeC3hEBp95iPd_w/s1600/68june21.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg5XuxjPGtdrhauDRROVQnlGLf9f_ZV8SuCJbZPyUTqRQ4SKzu5cSNrK0hRqWKEDUrlkuZwI_3684Z9Oc5WiuD_bl_gmnwNqEtXYEJbyer8DUbH9p4hF-vsniILrWppeC3hEBp95iPd_w/s400/68june21.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Hubby
standing inside Hakodate Station</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyEY4pG7qbZUzKHp5BdTL71ILy_0bsa9cldUlU-8FhkhyfhFg8oQIvCBRqH-46LW22e_BgLIArB8eVX_HfOJ6SLOjrw12xOhwebdwAZ0YzSb8gIdVLUJNA6_uwOEnnTlHDA6U6RdF7Wf4/s1600/69.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyEY4pG7qbZUzKHp5BdTL71ILy_0bsa9cldUlU-8FhkhyfhFg8oQIvCBRqH-46LW22e_BgLIArB8eVX_HfOJ6SLOjrw12xOhwebdwAZ0YzSb8gIdVLUJNA6_uwOEnnTlHDA6U6RdF7Wf4/s400/69.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Hubby
standing at the Shinkansen platform for Hayabusa train at Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto
Station</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSSgxEcmoZ3ml6Dfm6tvLIV6T60WvahUDPTyB-EEMhylMqfTfauGKqmW5ISNATDdHa45yRm2XidjlDut2t3wnMY9HX8Z1skM4XpBDkB8-Qj_Y6acs2ZCz3YPjEbITmKCnbRb7cYrF6YK0/s1600/70.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSSgxEcmoZ3ml6Dfm6tvLIV6T60WvahUDPTyB-EEMhylMqfTfauGKqmW5ISNATDdHa45yRm2XidjlDut2t3wnMY9HX8Z1skM4XpBDkB8-Qj_Y6acs2ZCz3YPjEbITmKCnbRb7cYrF6YK0/s400/70.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Display
board inside Hayabusa train indicating that the train is about to enter Seikan
Tunnel</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTLO6O8hcmDUAX5U7KsmkXhHYCQttOfqcU3ZpXKWlebK08m4XUK4AdxHDRUgeD5v_yopk_c2IpJlvkjOs4oxdLVPIE9rP8_oJHdL8atrIrk30gf2BpUltQ_IDTkM8DnyQw-g2AZviVqB8/s1600/71.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTLO6O8hcmDUAX5U7KsmkXhHYCQttOfqcU3ZpXKWlebK08m4XUK4AdxHDRUgeD5v_yopk_c2IpJlvkjOs4oxdLVPIE9rP8_oJHdL8atrIrk30gf2BpUltQ_IDTkM8DnyQw-g2AZviVqB8/s400/71.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Ekiben
boxed meal we had for lunch inside the train</i></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglFp5g4cpnDbRR6dzFXN6IYJB7kqEVC4oOG1W5GhPuMwJrXR_255_VPPicWobcpwE2hbL4hdEQlk5AYhA73mOCb6DtGrrEJf1aTwUNC8cK9QQf2Vwopbk5GDR_2XKkgNOCo_GgFtU8F0w/s1600/72.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglFp5g4cpnDbRR6dzFXN6IYJB7kqEVC4oOG1W5GhPuMwJrXR_255_VPPicWobcpwE2hbL4hdEQlk5AYhA73mOCb6DtGrrEJf1aTwUNC8cK9QQf2Vwopbk5GDR_2XKkgNOCo_GgFtU8F0w/s400/72.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Delicious
food</i></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimxtlXt0yFsFv2bjhcTIK6D71lQqheD0HEsFS_m2j05yAbYI8DEkY1CKfKobWgk5yikck9WZhHpySk465ZMBIS0hs1lCj4Ahkvsh8v0Du0x0JZfpuNp0nO9AjR4L1bA4U2kl-LV41Foss/s1600/73.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimxtlXt0yFsFv2bjhcTIK6D71lQqheD0HEsFS_m2j05yAbYI8DEkY1CKfKobWgk5yikck9WZhHpySk465ZMBIS0hs1lCj4Ahkvsh8v0Du0x0JZfpuNp0nO9AjR4L1bA4U2kl-LV41Foss/s400/73.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Hubby
having lunch</i></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitqLEQOVvOAwl3Bj83WtzKz27I1abHBz4P5TC2anwgEiqbQReR7WD4v4jBUXocg612lbYNoHqWF6KlxqHXTeyWrwEa2mp-zmgPcv1gKOyGE6mDP4Y4nw65KCdWbImJ0C-JHtH0RBmBwb8/s1600/74.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitqLEQOVvOAwl3Bj83WtzKz27I1abHBz4P5TC2anwgEiqbQReR7WD4v4jBUXocg612lbYNoHqWF6KlxqHXTeyWrwEa2mp-zmgPcv1gKOyGE6mDP4Y4nw65KCdWbImJ0C-JHtH0RBmBwb8/s400/74.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>We saw
a huge kettle made of iron and weighing 330 kilograms exhibited inside Morioka
Station building</i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><i>Hubby
waiting inside Morioka Station building and doing some office-related job</i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">It was
really nice to travel by various Shinkansen bullet trains as well as express trains
in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Hokkaido</st1:state></st1:place>.
It was also fun to have various local specialty colorful Ekiben boxed meals in the
trains. It was a memorable trip.</span></div>
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Manisha Kundu-Nagatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13277146210049986417noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695885479879152724.post-49908951124516117762016-11-05T03:42:00.000+09:002016-11-05T03:42:01.827+09:00Mother-in-law’s 23rd anniversary memorial service<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">My mother-in-law’s 23rd death anniversary was on 7th October 2016. On 19th September, we had a memorial service in her honor at my father-in-law’s home in Ichinomiya City. In Japanese Buddhism, memorial services to honor the dead are held frequently. Post funeral of a family member’s death, weekly services are held until the 49th day after death. Further memorial services are held on important anniversaries such as the 1st, 3rd, 7th, 13th, 17th, 23rd, 27th, 33rd, and 50th years. After the 33rd anniversary, the deceased is thought to be absorbed into the family ancestral spirit. These anniversary services are usually held privately (except the 33rd one that is held at a temple) by the family, relatives, and friends. Buddhist priests usually visit the homes of families and conduct a short ceremony, following which the family makes a donation in the name of the deceased to the priests. It is believed that having so many memorial services help us to face the darkness of death and to remember the ancestors who have made our present life meaningful and appreciable. These memorial services are ideally held on the day of the death or on the eve of that day. However in present times, schedules and availability of the family members and relatives is taken into consideration, and the service is often held on a date that is convenient for everyone preferably prior to the day of death. So on 19th September, many of our relatives gathered at my father-in-law’s home and had a memorial service to celebrate the 23rd anniversary of my mother-in-law’s passing.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">My mother-in-law passed due to breast cancer at a relatively young age. About a decade ago I was searching for photos of her at our Ichinomiya home and realized that there were none available. This is probably because my father-in-law has put away all the photos of my mother-in-law somewhere safe as he has remarried. A couple of years back I asked hubby’s aunt Tatsu-chan (younger sister of hubby’s mother about whom I have written in the <a href="http://lipikazuo.blogspot.com/2016/10/obon-holidays.html" target="_blank">previous post</a>) to give us some photos of my mother-in-law and she provided us with 10 photos. It was the first time I actually saw my mother-in-law. She was so beautiful. I am sharing a couple of photos here.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby’s maternal great grandmother, mother, hubby as a toddler, and maternal uncle (left to right)</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby’s maternal aunt Tatsu-chan and mother (back row left to right) along with hubby and his sister (front row left to right)</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">On 17th September, hubby and I left our home in Yurihonjo City at 8 am and reached Akita Airport after about 45 minutes of car drive. Our flight to <a href="http://www.centrair.jp/en/" target="_blank">Centrair Airport</a> in Aichi prefecture was at 9.30 am. During the beginning of our flight, I clicked a few photos of the outside views from the airplane. The clouds alongside us in the sky as well as the greenery, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Ch%C5%8Dkai" target="_blank">Mount Chokai</a>, and the Sea of Japan below us looked superb and amazing. After about an hour of flight, we reached Centrair Airport. At the airport we went to the departure lobby located at the fourth floor of the airport building and had lunch at a Japanese-style restaurant named <a href="http://www.centrair.jp/enjoy/shop/1188663_1479.html" target="_blank">Fufuchaya</a>. Hubby had a set meal of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donburi#Tendon_.28.E5.A4.A9.E4.B8.BC.29" target="_blank">Tendon</a> and I had a set meal of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karaage" target="_blank">Karaage</a>. In addition, we also had a side dish named Tebasaki which is deep fried chicken wings. We shared our food with each other. The food was delicious and all the dishes tasted great. After lunch we took <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meitetsu_Airport_Line" target="_blank">Meitetsu Airport Line</a> train and reached Ichinomiya Railway Station at about 2 pm, and then took a taxi and reached our home soon afterwards. We cleaned our home the entire evening and later had dinner with father-in-law and his wife at a restaurant located near our home.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby sitting inside the airplane on our way from Akita Airport to Centrair Airport</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Fluffy clouds as viewed from inside the airplane</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Clouds, greenery, Mount Chokai, and the Sea of Japan as viewed from the airplane</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Beautiful view</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLKLYyAOAg3fkklrfvlD349bwoZo55vYvN703ZhQr6GQG6oziEMV8ClzVxvvUjn9wu6q5c7InvDBJZYeEQBQr4QGiwfH3gEIgsnkBRbbKOKWXCyieeBh1fpMyIQgsS37Sz3r-_tXIvXno/s1600/7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLKLYyAOAg3fkklrfvlD349bwoZo55vYvN703ZhQr6GQG6oziEMV8ClzVxvvUjn9wu6q5c7InvDBJZYeEQBQr4QGiwfH3gEIgsnkBRbbKOKWXCyieeBh1fpMyIQgsS37Sz3r-_tXIvXno/s400/7.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Mount Chokai</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing at the departure lobby of Centrair Airport</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Tebasaki side dish we had for lunch at Fufuchaya restaurant</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby’s set meal of Tendon</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>My set meal of Karaage</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby and I sitting inside Meitetsu Airport Line train and are on our way to Ichinomiya Railway Station</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">On 18th September, father-in-law, his wife, hubby, and a few other relatives went to play golf at Springfield Golf Club in Tajimi City of Gifu prefecture. They left home at about 6 am. I am not at all interested in golf, and so I preferred to stay at home and relaxed in the morning. In the afternoon, I cleaned our home and watched some local television programs. At about 3.30 pm, hubby returned home after playing golf. In the evening, both the daughters of hubby’s sister visited our home and stayed overnight with us. The nieces played with their uncle for some time and then we all went to a nearby Japanese-style family restaurant for dinner. After returning home, both the nieces took bath and soaked in the bathtub for quite some time. They looked very relaxed afterwards and again played with their uncle for about an hour. The girls were too sleepy and fell asleep by 10 pm.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I had this set meal for dinner at a Japanese-style restaurant</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">The next morning on 19th September, I made breakfast and fed the nieces and hubby. That morning at 10 am the memorial service for my mother-in-law’s 23rd death anniversary was to be held at father-in-law’s home. Since father-in-law’s home is interconnected to our home, the nieces went to his home at about 9 am. Hubby and I got ready by wearing subdued semiformal clothing and we also went to father-in-law’s home by 9.30 am. Many of our relatives were already present and we all greeted each other and chatted for some time. Afterwards everyone sat down on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zabuton" target="_blank">Zabuton</a> cushions in the Buddhist altar room and waited for the arrival of the Buddhist priests to begin the memorial service. We noted that my father-in-law and his wife had already adorned the altar in a proper manner in advance. Two priests arrived at father-in-law’s home at about 9.45 am and were led to the altar room. The officiating priest and the assistant priest removed their outer dark-colored robe and carried out the ceremony in the inner white <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimono#Men.27s_kimono" target="_blank">Kimono</a>. I guess there is some important significance to this but unfortunately none of my relatives are sure about it. The officiating priest sat down on a special Zabuton cushion kept in front of the altar and lit many incense sticks. Soon afterwards he started chanting some <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutra" target="_blank">Sutras</a> accompanied by the striking of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wooden_fish" target="_blank">Mokugyo</a> wooden fish bell with a stick. Mokugyo bell is a percussion instrument that sounds somewhat like the call of a cuckoo. Everyone listened quietly to the chanting accompanied by the sonorous sound of the wooden bell. It is believed that the chanting expounds the teachings of the Buddha, the scent of the incense purifies the participants, and the smoke rising from the incense is said to deliver our thoughts and prayers to the deceased. After about an hour with the final chanting and sermon by the priest, the memorial service was concluded. During the actual service I did not click any photos as it would have been very rude. Afterwards the priests wore back their outer robe and my father-in-law offered them a fee in an envelope for carrying out the services. Later we clicked a few photos along with the priests or with our relatives in front of the altar. Both the priests left father-in-law’s home at about 11.15 am. I feel that it was really a nice way to remember my late mother-in-law.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby and I getting ready for attending the memorial service for my mother-in-law’s 23rd death anniversary</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaSVX5ez6M4q_SVd7jpx1d-YXD6G-e3nY2K70_bBTRElrWi7fy0goKYUkCMLqPEFymLkUjdBylzosravQsmHGf4fgEy9o22ZOhTkQGo_MJgQOutEtma5t2RWayfu5I8jQN31QxszHt2SI/s1600/15.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaSVX5ez6M4q_SVd7jpx1d-YXD6G-e3nY2K70_bBTRElrWi7fy0goKYUkCMLqPEFymLkUjdBylzosravQsmHGf4fgEy9o22ZOhTkQGo_MJgQOutEtma5t2RWayfu5I8jQN31QxszHt2SI/s400/15.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby and his two uncles waiting for the memorial service to begin</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>My late mother-in-law’s photo in the Buddhist altar room</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEzlmnHRSnzqCZE7ij9zSBR4nXdfhzOOHKzpODg6XiCLFEOsHTJy6lemEIK3XIP3dhlhYwn1YqrtwwHMoU3qvWLxHlUgmCReRHEao9ovQdVAUizoT6j5KuCO4XH0mP_UBbSoojwF2_Y70/s1600/17.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEzlmnHRSnzqCZE7ij9zSBR4nXdfhzOOHKzpODg6XiCLFEOsHTJy6lemEIK3XIP3dhlhYwn1YqrtwwHMoU3qvWLxHlUgmCReRHEao9ovQdVAUizoT6j5KuCO4XH0mP_UBbSoojwF2_Y70/s400/17.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The altar is adorned in a proper manner for the memorial service. Mokugyo wooden fish bell is seen on the left side foreground of the photo.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Father-in-law and the two priests performing some ritual near the altar. Soon afterwards the officiating priest (right side) began the memorial service.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The memorial service is over and hubby’s uncle is chatting with other relatives</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The priests wearing back their outer dark-colored robe</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The priests and father-in-law</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHXD1XYcyJ0IwRVEXdqJcFX2aXdCeidlw6tl9YNYD5XbZHiPUD1IUaYnbxcRpfHMWi70lElOM2IkDySUPsmCONXz5MpRCL5JhAxXYQyY2XZhDtkQ4FGN51ozi0PvEblLCAK4s6wybwMB8/s1600/22.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHXD1XYcyJ0IwRVEXdqJcFX2aXdCeidlw6tl9YNYD5XbZHiPUD1IUaYnbxcRpfHMWi70lElOM2IkDySUPsmCONXz5MpRCL5JhAxXYQyY2XZhDtkQ4FGN51ozi0PvEblLCAK4s6wybwMB8/s400/22.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Father-in-law posing in front of the altar</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby, his younger niece, and I sitting in front of the altar</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirnsFAHGNOBAJKCk6KjsrE9YgqpMb5NVzWKOl9D-AbuwX_mDE2pOVctpxboP-N_lTnXUpFzs-_kXbSfaKQCCK_dOj9kGt9MqnEvXX04vN8Cm-WUE3k5y0APJubtDWWylVyQubokUqjUKU/s1600/24.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirnsFAHGNOBAJKCk6KjsrE9YgqpMb5NVzWKOl9D-AbuwX_mDE2pOVctpxboP-N_lTnXUpFzs-_kXbSfaKQCCK_dOj9kGt9MqnEvXX04vN8Cm-WUE3k5y0APJubtDWWylVyQubokUqjUKU/s400/24.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby’s aunt, I, and sister-in-law posing in front of the altar</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Younger niece, sister-in-law, and I in the altar room</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">At about 11.30 am, all the gathered relatives visited my late mother-in-law’s grave located near our home in Ichinomiya City itself. Father-in-law cleaned the gravestone with water, offered flowers, and lit some candles and incense sticks, and we all offered our prayers.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Father-in-law offering flowers at the grave of late mother-in-law and all relatives are looking on</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Everyone praying in front of the gravestone</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Mother-in-law’s grave decorated with beautiful flowers and lit candles</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Soon afterwards, we all had lunch at a Japanese-style restaurant named <a href="http://ichinomiya-kikusui.com/index.html" target="_blank">Kikusui</a> located in Ichinomiya City itself. Kikusui is a long established high-end restaurant that offers multiple course meals. We had nine-course lunch in a private room of the restaurant. The atmosphere was great and the service was good. All the food items tasted delicious. We all chatted and loved having various courses of lunch while recalling many happy moments about my late mother-in-law. We had a very nice time. It was almost 3 pm when we finished having lunch. Afterwards everyone said their goodbyes and went their separate ways to their homes. I realized that these anniversary memorial services in Japan are a very nice way to meet our relatives and friends in an otherwise busy life of everyone.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>We all are standing in front of Kikusui restaurant</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-YKwBek1qrpJdtmM_Jxs_bqloDr2VeWabvrPsDcOQHSzPYmaTyJpYYashR1z5LzXlNRuTVXMZ6hqEmt7jXGogf2r6bLk9h32IymkwLxSDYM4ax5zoHLI1sQftJEL2r7s0tXxyGpTqBwQ/s1600/30.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-YKwBek1qrpJdtmM_Jxs_bqloDr2VeWabvrPsDcOQHSzPYmaTyJpYYashR1z5LzXlNRuTVXMZ6hqEmt7jXGogf2r6bLk9h32IymkwLxSDYM4ax5zoHLI1sQftJEL2r7s0tXxyGpTqBwQ/s400/30.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Nice ambience inside the restaurant</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh53rYzOgK5cY1gJV5M7zTwyjnk04t9NOvmZ6oxJ2krP5pgw8y_AoFzbKhyphenhyphen_goNwVBm6R5P215h1YRJXbFyKx3S1ucc5vqji1ez8GB9A4Iqwy6l2KTsuj-hymK_RRYTQTb3d_XShvFELKY/s1600/31.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh53rYzOgK5cY1gJV5M7zTwyjnk04t9NOvmZ6oxJ2krP5pgw8y_AoFzbKhyphenhyphen_goNwVBm6R5P215h1YRJXbFyKx3S1ucc5vqji1ez8GB9A4Iqwy6l2KTsuj-hymK_RRYTQTb3d_XShvFELKY/s400/31.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>We had lunch in a private room of the restaurant</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCDYVF189oAGMpPI5rUFsQP37WaxDVwdG05BLTi2ElEFHMfYKf0k3AxCLMsgpOwXKrnKuVsebf49qeF_oauC0nGEyHfCp-3dw7pXZuddZjSKdHWv4hzwpefFxoPAQjuNLdLKjbXvO5oLU/s1600/32.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCDYVF189oAGMpPI5rUFsQP37WaxDVwdG05BLTi2ElEFHMfYKf0k3AxCLMsgpOwXKrnKuVsebf49qeF_oauC0nGEyHfCp-3dw7pXZuddZjSKdHWv4hzwpefFxoPAQjuNLdLKjbXvO5oLU/s400/32.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am sitting with a few of our relatives</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXPfzXk6jQh0H8FtsEa9CmuqSX2I-EymxlpObJ5r1zWnMokizRv9zzSrykCY67wPW223rNSLg__yS8BwAB5YyDBD2NutjfTOP_H3uYkjQy3rue0SUNEZAUDi6wthUZSmHcOnBG_0wdqBE/s1600/33.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXPfzXk6jQh0H8FtsEa9CmuqSX2I-EymxlpObJ5r1zWnMokizRv9zzSrykCY67wPW223rNSLg__yS8BwAB5YyDBD2NutjfTOP_H3uYkjQy3rue0SUNEZAUDi6wthUZSmHcOnBG_0wdqBE/s400/33.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Father-in-law and his wife having lunch</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIpY1H0MOmtZiaTVXpeb5Nsd9Kxy1sYGtZpy5CBSWl0BZdyu2zDNG0mVMpYOCtgyK40Dk176gs0efmipbQ80VzJczNSGLMLQs0UebACCtrFPETVgAxQciCHu8QgwqYmYuimllqbWkEupA/s1600/34.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIpY1H0MOmtZiaTVXpeb5Nsd9Kxy1sYGtZpy5CBSWl0BZdyu2zDNG0mVMpYOCtgyK40Dk176gs0efmipbQ80VzJczNSGLMLQs0UebACCtrFPETVgAxQciCHu8QgwqYmYuimllqbWkEupA/s400/34.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Father-in-law and his older brother chatting while having lunch</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqALiddZ_-FkFu7ZYcJ3X3K8EudN9c61WgjMeMbPxnOHfTheom_xkYxQkQyDWM8rUAAnQnV-ZxWV1sQMbOcnDOuxU88rvUWOGMNG1rGNJyHOAro9cj0DIPf_GbiNKT_dDeOe-MfsnE3Wk/s1600/35.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqALiddZ_-FkFu7ZYcJ3X3K8EudN9c61WgjMeMbPxnOHfTheom_xkYxQkQyDWM8rUAAnQnV-ZxWV1sQMbOcnDOuxU88rvUWOGMNG1rGNJyHOAro9cj0DIPf_GbiNKT_dDeOe-MfsnE3Wk/s400/35.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>We all had a nice time while having lunch</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am posing with hubby’s aunt</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0e_Ulh5IrRCz35oj2jOnAspd9A1ihlQ2TU9K2UGhqMjDXr6Rtzwl25_sgm4xRsoqV8fq8BWdB7-OCbQ26T9aXiKi2ZWUxjyUGI1FrlKLbZoixT-_fNqnUy_C3N-HnQB5yhLLDCVF8JOo/s1600/37.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0e_Ulh5IrRCz35oj2jOnAspd9A1ihlQ2TU9K2UGhqMjDXr6Rtzwl25_sgm4xRsoqV8fq8BWdB7-OCbQ26T9aXiKi2ZWUxjyUGI1FrlKLbZoixT-_fNqnUy_C3N-HnQB5yhLLDCVF8JOo/s400/37.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby and I during lunch</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNEmqHj-6di_QOLpNXbcynB_8SK0MsinI-ZJ_56mhCEK21JRysaxfmbqPFIQX4wTfj-P7y6lLp9E3HeIWOpFDCyq4i4ceMwm7aKf3sNebNApb2RfwZlGjlxUltTuB7HyaKHctYuZLjNqQ/s1600/38.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNEmqHj-6di_QOLpNXbcynB_8SK0MsinI-ZJ_56mhCEK21JRysaxfmbqPFIQX4wTfj-P7y6lLp9E3HeIWOpFDCyq4i4ceMwm7aKf3sNebNApb2RfwZlGjlxUltTuB7HyaKHctYuZLjNqQ/s400/38.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>First course of our lunch</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtmWTZsrnZmkdAp7tOUsEikIRIv4j3d3MFJNKvEN4IHI6ZDcHpjCzY3FgOcHYYyhMI5rgVCb2epn_s08Gu09wXPt7BqCFXsPNbS0khkiAFyJm3b7HJXtnJc_66LqGwi-ze_yC6gByl3TY/s1600/39.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtmWTZsrnZmkdAp7tOUsEikIRIv4j3d3MFJNKvEN4IHI6ZDcHpjCzY3FgOcHYYyhMI5rgVCb2epn_s08Gu09wXPt7BqCFXsPNbS0khkiAFyJm3b7HJXtnJc_66LqGwi-ze_yC6gByl3TY/s400/39.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Second course</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia6r8rUTWATRnnQT4UNya0KlvOxPzOGHiZNE99l_JTcnUyrdqr2NmPvlzCSifH3ZBZBi8o2y8RrTt4S3UN95Q46I5eTUk3q4gKPWwGpWerge8kog1gRBrv3XXGXVS3Gj-_80zvBm3t9PQ/s1600/40.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia6r8rUTWATRnnQT4UNya0KlvOxPzOGHiZNE99l_JTcnUyrdqr2NmPvlzCSifH3ZBZBi8o2y8RrTt4S3UN95Q46I5eTUk3q4gKPWwGpWerge8kog1gRBrv3XXGXVS3Gj-_80zvBm3t9PQ/s400/40.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Third course</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Fourth course</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Fifth course</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjts9cu0ZBFF2KPcnCS68S1mI1lC2phOYUb-abOQ9exnXOKlbIXBSlzPzZBJZX5I86kgDDgCojRplFusGxSBw8Sn23bpKzPojidvH0SezbLdKS9dUCRxj63sjkDzIcDd-C0AOXkh3ajobE/s1600/43.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjts9cu0ZBFF2KPcnCS68S1mI1lC2phOYUb-abOQ9exnXOKlbIXBSlzPzZBJZX5I86kgDDgCojRplFusGxSBw8Sn23bpKzPojidvH0SezbLdKS9dUCRxj63sjkDzIcDd-C0AOXkh3ajobE/s400/43.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Sixth course</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6pjKrPPnbh-bjVB1YRE2l4RmbYbSfYq8tcuQSJdCf9Wc5eRctTD4-1GMm1Kha8Wk9EUxrJile1sekGbRLDeVQHoCH9JP9XeBW0qOdLIY08jSGQt4wXMDEUDBzxMkGAHtV6cxEiYxWIB0/s1600/44.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6pjKrPPnbh-bjVB1YRE2l4RmbYbSfYq8tcuQSJdCf9Wc5eRctTD4-1GMm1Kha8Wk9EUxrJile1sekGbRLDeVQHoCH9JP9XeBW0qOdLIY08jSGQt4wXMDEUDBzxMkGAHtV6cxEiYxWIB0/s400/44.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Seventh course</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOAu8ouytAC-uspmPm-NdTUTh_WN8aFNPJ09FShQO7PsE9wuuSYWxkylBt4MIdoXRYH6ZXt2gJGGpr2kUNrTCWiu678ArLX2zgcMJqtxwx-WLEtIEzCj_SxwGQ9zvpkC5t4mUZURYdyfw/s1600/45.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOAu8ouytAC-uspmPm-NdTUTh_WN8aFNPJ09FShQO7PsE9wuuSYWxkylBt4MIdoXRYH6ZXt2gJGGpr2kUNrTCWiu678ArLX2zgcMJqtxwx-WLEtIEzCj_SxwGQ9zvpkC5t4mUZURYdyfw/s400/45.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Eighth course</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoI836UMTKmRTXg1OW3yH3llMACE5UnfvJptXVZvRNTCwxsNIXmoa6PqoXqi9Up66UjgKGdIo6pZjEnXWUy3Y3iEmifQfeJi06RKKziuwhfTWOY2zvRoI_EzWgmFbp2sPBVVZw0P2ELCU/s1600/46.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoI836UMTKmRTXg1OW3yH3llMACE5UnfvJptXVZvRNTCwxsNIXmoa6PqoXqi9Up66UjgKGdIo6pZjEnXWUy3Y3iEmifQfeJi06RKKziuwhfTWOY2zvRoI_EzWgmFbp2sPBVVZw0P2ELCU/s400/46.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Ninth course</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">On the morning of 20th September at about 7 am, father-in-law, his wife, and hubby again went to play golf in Tajimi City of Gifu prefecture. I just watched some television programs and relaxed the entire day. Hubby returned home after playing golf at about 6 pm. Soon afterwards father-in-law, his wife, hubby and I had dinner at a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sushi" target="_blank">Sushi</a> restaurant named <a href="http://www.kura-corpo.co.jp/store/detail/447" target="_blank">Kurazushi</a> located near our home. The food was nice and enjoyable.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Father-in-law and his wife having dinner at Kurazushi restaurant</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Father-in-law and hubby having dinner</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby enjoying the food</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">On 21st September, hubby and I returned to Akita. We left our home in Ichinomiya at about 5 am, took a train to Centrair Airport, from where we took a flight back to Akita. We reached Akita Airport at 9.30 am and our home in Yurihonjo City at about 10.30 am.</span></span></div>
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Manisha Kundu-Nagatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13277146210049986417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695885479879152724.post-88353074594219713042016-10-26T00:57:00.002+09:002016-10-26T00:57:34.815+09:00Obon Holidays<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">From 11th to 16th August, hubby and I had been to our home in Ichinomiya City during the Obon Holidays. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bon_Festival" target="_blank">Obon</a> is an annual Buddhist event to commemorate our ancestors. It is believed that each year during Obon, the spirits of ancestors return to this world in order to visit their relatives. Traditionally, lanterns are hung in front of houses to welcome the spirits of ancestors, graves are visited, and food offerings are made at family altars. At the end of Obon, floating lanterns are put into rivers, lakes, and seas so that the spirits can return into their world. However the customs followed may vary considerably from region to region. Obon is celebrated from 13th to 15th August every year.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">On 11th August, hubby and I left our home in Yurihonjo City at 2 pm and reached Akita Airport after about 45 minutes of car drive. Our flight to <a href="http://www.centrair.jp/en/" target="_blank">Centrair Airport</a> in Aichi prefecture was at 4.30 pm. After about an hour of flight, we reached Centrair Airport. While walking towards our connecting train, I noticed an advertisement board about <a href="http://www.nagoya-meieki.com/en/guide/01.html" target="_blank">ESCA underground shopping mall</a> in Nagoya City. Seeing that advertisement, I was reminded of my doctoral work days about 2.5 decades ago back in Pune City in India. This is because the laboratory where I did my doctoral thesis work was acronymed ESCA. Some pleasant and some tough memories flashed back. Anyway, afterwards we took <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meitetsu_Airport_Line" target="_blank">Meitetsu Airport Line</a> train and reached Ichinomiya Railway Station at about 7 pm. My father-in-law and his wife were waiting for us at the station and we all directly went to a Japanese-style restaurant named <a href="http://namazuya-ichinomiya.com/" target="_blank">Namazuya</a> to have dinner. We all had set meals of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unadon" target="_blank">Unadon</a>, which is a bowl of rice topped with fillets of grilled eel. The food tasted delicious. We all chatted while eating and had a nice evening. Finally we reached our home in Ichinomiya at about 9 pm. We were rather tired due to all the travel, and went to bed immediately.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby and I waiting at the departure lobby of Akita Airport to board a flight to Centrair Airport</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing at the arrival lobby of Centrair Airport</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Many past memories flashed back on seeing this advertisement board about ESCA underground shopping mall</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby and I sitting inside Meitetsu Airport Line train and are on our way to Ichinomiya Railway Station</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Unadon set meal for dinner at Namazuya restaurant</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Father-in-law and his wife having dinner</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby enjoying dinner</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">On 12th August, father-in-law, his wife, hubby, and a few other relatives went to play golf at Springfield Golf Club in Tajimi City of Gifu prefecture. They left home at about 6 am. I am not at all interested in golf, and so I preferred to stay at home and relaxed in the morning. In the afternoon, I cleaned our home and watched some local television programs. At about 3.30 pm, hubby returned home after playing golf. Afterwards we cleaned a tiny garden in the backyard of our home. We had started the garden in May 2014 but since we usually do not stay in our Ichinomiya home, almost all plants had dried up and many weeds had grown in the entire backyard. So we weeded, pruned, and cleaned the garden as well as the backyard for about two hours. It seems that tending to the garden was very therapeutic and relaxing for hubby. It was dusk when we finished working in the backyard garden. At about 7 pm, my father-in-law, his wife, hubby and I had dinner at a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sushi" target="_blank">Sushi</a> chain restaurant named <a href="https://www.akindo-sushiro.co.jp/en/company/index.html" target="_blank">Sushiro</a> located near our home. We noted that many Sushi dishes were placed on a rotating conveyor belt that wound through the tables at the restaurant. So we could easily pick up which ever Sushi dishes we preferred to have. However, if some dishes were not available on the rotating belt, we could order those dishes via tablets placed at the tables. These two ways of serving has almost eliminated the need for human waiters. We all had various kinds of Sushi dishes and had desserts too. The food was delicious.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby cleaning and pruning the backyard garden of our home</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Rotating conveyer belt (red arrow) and a tablet (green arrow) placed at our table at Sushiro restaurant</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby ordering a few Sushi dishes via the tablet</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Father-in-law and wife discussing what dishes to order</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Everyone eagerly waiting for their ordered Sushi dishes to arrive</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A few Sushi dishes we had</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Everyone enjoying dinner</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am having green tea</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Dessert</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby having dessert</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">On the morning of 13th August, a few relatives, hubby, and I visited the home of my father-in-law’s eldest brother who lives near our home in Ichinomiya City itself. In fact, it is the main ancestral home of ‘Nagata family’. There is an exotic family altar at this home, where father-in-law prayed to welcome the souls of his late parents and all the ancestors. We all recited <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutra" target="_blank">Sutras</a> from a sacred book and prayed at the altar. Afterwards, we all had a nice time chatting with hubby’s eldest uncle and his wife over snacks and cups of green tea. In the afternoon, hubby and I went to a nearby shopping mall named <a href="http://kisogawa-aeonmall.com/" target="_blank">Kisogawa Aeon Mall</a> to purchase a few household items. It was peak of summer season and we were very tired after walking around in the huge mall for almost 1.5 hours. So we cooled ourselves with cold mango and passion fruit juice. After shopping we returned home at about 3 pm. Soon afterwards a family-friend couple visited my father-in-law and his wife. Since father-in-law’s home is interconnected to our home, hubby and I also visited them and chatted with everyone for about two hours. We had a nice time playing with the baby daughter of the family-friend couple. The baby is so cute. In the evening we all had dinner at a nearby Chinese restaurant named <a href="http://kyon2.hp4u.jp/" target="_blank">Kyonkyon</a>. We enjoyed having good food with friends and family.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Family altar at the home of the eldest uncle of hubby</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>After praying at the altar, everyone is chatting over snacks and green tea</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby with his favorite aunt</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby having cold mango and passion fruit juice at a restaurant inside Kisogawa Aeon Mall</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixHCt4SRGcuzWKoreazmtGfWk66VFH1kIF7zW4o2QnVd4vwU9ZG8OD18Ex88c-J_KBK-oj5-RrgpfccMjCvIz5R6u8C_BRuHV8f-EigAx8qD1nvnhyphenhyphenYUo2G-Kv4nnNZiI5vRwWHpMHkD8/s1600/22.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixHCt4SRGcuzWKoreazmtGfWk66VFH1kIF7zW4o2QnVd4vwU9ZG8OD18Ex88c-J_KBK-oj5-RrgpfccMjCvIz5R6u8C_BRuHV8f-EigAx8qD1nvnhyphenhyphenYUo2G-Kv4nnNZiI5vRwWHpMHkD8/s400/22.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am enjoying the cold drink</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Cute baby daughter of a family-friend couple</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTSAkY-WyoiYFxMS7bLMTaHP0FKAdkpD7PGTF_IuUyrNWOmx245VlycG9bwrpbP1UwRVLU1DJ9IX-tsgCknq0nqel1D4clM5Z1T9yvCeBF2LVfHCR1T4-xfRbukRbLX9KRY6ea4nGpt2M/s1600/24.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTSAkY-WyoiYFxMS7bLMTaHP0FKAdkpD7PGTF_IuUyrNWOmx245VlycG9bwrpbP1UwRVLU1DJ9IX-tsgCknq0nqel1D4clM5Z1T9yvCeBF2LVfHCR1T4-xfRbukRbLX9KRY6ea4nGpt2M/s400/24.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby very happy holding the baby</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The baby is so cute</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Father-in-law (left) and his older brother having dinner at Chinese restaurant Kyonkyon</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>All enjoying the dinner</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am holding the baby of the family-friend couple during dinner</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">On the morning of 14th August at about 7 am, father-in-law, his wife, and hubby again went to play golf in Tajimi City of Gifu prefecture. I just watched some television programs and relaxed the entire morning at home. In the afternoon, I cleaned and polished several brassware items. It took several hours to polish and everything looked so shiny afterwards. At about 7 pm, hubby returned home tired but very happy after playing golf the entire day. Afterwards we had a simple home-cooked dinner.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A few polished brassware items</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby having simple home-cooked dinner</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">On the morning of 15th August, hubby and I visited my late mother-in-law’s grave located near our home, and offered our prayers. Hubby cleaned the gravestone with water, offered flowers, and lit some candles and incense sticks. In the afternoon, we visited hubby’s aunt Tatsu-chan in Okazaki City of Aichi prefecture. Tatsu-chan, my late mother-in-law's younger sister, has been a source of great influence and important fixture in hubby’s early childhood and teenager years. We were visiting Tatsu-chan after almost 4 years and were very excited about the visit. Tatsu-chan’s home is located about 75 kilometers southeast of our Ichinomiya home and it took us about an hour of train ride by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meitetsu_Nagoya_Main_Line" target="_blank">Meitetsu Nagoya Main Line</a> train to reach her home. During the train ride we were sitting in the front compartment and were a bit surprised to see a female driver because it is still very rare to find women in many fields of work in Japan. So I clicked a photo of the female driver for the sake of memories. We reached Tatsu-chan’s home at about 3 pm. As always it was a pleasure to meet Tatsu-chan and her husband. We had a lot of catching up to do and we chatted for about two hours over evening tea and snacks. We returned to Ichinomiya City at about 6 pm, and soon afterwards went to a Japanese-style restaurant named <a href="http://yasukesushi.com/" target="_blank">Yasuke-zushi</a> for dinner. Father-in-law, his wife, hubby’s sister and her family also accompanied us for dinner. Yasuke-zushi is a multiple course high-end restaurant that deals with Sushi and sea foods. We all enjoyed having various courses like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sashimi" target="_blank">Sashimi</a>, Sushi, grilled fish, steamed clams, and a few other sea food dishes. We grated the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wasabi" target="_blank">Wasabi</a> stems ourselves, and it was so much fun using a large amount of the pungent condiment over Sashimi pieces. We chatted and loved having the dinner around a round table. We all had a very nice time. While returning home after dinner, my sister-in-law’s both the daughters accompanied us and they stayed overnight with us. Both the nieces played card games as well as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shogi" target="_blank">Shogi</a> games with their uncle for some time. At 9.30 pm, the nieces took bath and soaked in the bathtub for quite some time. They looked very relaxed afterwards and again played with their uncle for about an hour. The girls were too sleepy and fell asleep by 11.30 pm.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby cleaning his late mother’s gravestone with water</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Mother-in-law’s grave decorated with beautiful flowers</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A female driver driving Meitetsu Nagoya Main Line train</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Railway tracks as viewed from the front compartment of the train</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby posing with Tatsu-chan and her husband</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am posing with Tatsu-chan and her husband</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Father-in-law, his wife, and hubby’s sister having dinner at Yasuke-zushi restaurant</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Sister-in-law, her husband, and older daughter having dinner</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Both the nieces enjoying dinner with their uncle</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am enjoying dinner with family</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Sashimi</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby grating Wasabi stem to be used as a condiment for Sashimi</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Grilled fish</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Steamed clams</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Various kinds of Sushi</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Both nieces at our home</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby and younger niece playing a card game</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby and younger niece playing a game of Shogi</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">The next morning on 16th August, I made breakfast and fed the girls. Later my father-in-law drove them to their home. Hubby and I were to return to Akita that day itself, so we packed quickly and left our Ichinomiya home at about 12 noon. We took a train to Centrair Airport, and then a flight to Akita. We reached Akita Airport at 4 pm and our home in Yurihonjo City at about 5 pm. We had fun-filled Obon holidays with relatives and family-friends in Ichinomiya City.</span></span></div>
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Manisha Kundu-Nagatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13277146210049986417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695885479879152724.post-82062163135805717772016-10-21T00:14:00.001+09:002016-10-21T00:14:45.579+09:00Michikawa Beach<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">This summer hubby and I had been to a couple of beaches in Akita prefecture. On 24th July and again on 7th August we had been to Michikawa Beach located in Yurihonjo City. Michikawa Beach faces the Sea of Japan and is known for beautiful clean fine white sand. The beach has highly transparent shallow water. It is a popular spot to observe sunset over the sea. The beach is open from mid-July to mid-August.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">The first time we visited Michikawa Beach this year was on the afternoon of 24th July. The beach is located about 21 kilometers north of our home and it took us 30 minutes to reach there by our car. After parking our car at a parking lot, we walked up to the beach. Since the beach was open for the summer, we saw many people enjoying the beach and the sea. Hubby and I took a walk along the beach and enjoyed the views. The beach was so serene, beautiful, and peaceful. It was really nice to see the sea waves rolling and crashing on the beach rhythmically. It was exciting and we thoroughly enjoyed the soothing sounds of the sea waves crashing on the beach. We loved the beautiful scenic views all around us.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing at Michikawa beach</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing at the beach</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Afterwards, we entered the sea water and I played with the rolling waves for some time. We were literally shaken up every time we were hit by a wave inside the sea. It was very exhilarating and thrilling experience. We also swam in the shallow sea water for quite some time. The sounds of the sea seemed to wash away our daily worries and we had so much fun. Hubby took many photos of me enjoying inside the sea.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing inside the sea</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Sea water was very cold</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am swimming - 1</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am swimming - 2</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am swimming - 3</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am swimming - 4</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am swimming - 5</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am swimming - 6</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am swimming - 7</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am swimming - 8</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am swimming - 9</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am swimming - 10</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am swimming - 11</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Afterwards I took the camera from hubby and clicked a few photos of him swimming in the sea. He seemed to enjoy swimming very much and was very relaxed afterwards. We enjoyed a lot and had a relaxing and wonderful time at the beach.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby posing inside the sea</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwY6dRU4CfI_8ZEKqut_c5DbkE53Th97C-vQoIxUOhagHQE4CTKmTLoZqhB7_6M4JVPzi-tcm-XxG8kLfoTqQ2Ak2CyFWr24w1iBWzyCLt_U_F5VGQwZ0Ma5hQvabyKi-_ZEiDXaiWfDg/s1600/17.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwY6dRU4CfI_8ZEKqut_c5DbkE53Th97C-vQoIxUOhagHQE4CTKmTLoZqhB7_6M4JVPzi-tcm-XxG8kLfoTqQ2Ak2CyFWr24w1iBWzyCLt_U_F5VGQwZ0Ma5hQvabyKi-_ZEiDXaiWfDg/s400/17.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby saw many tiny fishes swimming all around him</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby wading and enjoying inside the sea</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>And more wading in the sea water</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby swimming and moving deep into the sea</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRPt9mBWo0uDObAFB_haSlqBy9e_B5zMQDXsBkqJb7SVg0oypOeIfAU8Fvcuud59YjqZu9UVe2xLL5tVpJU9erKbtvDDvRIzJdtHBIMdFklDr00jxi9ILNyE6PC7xFp7F7XSfqJy50Pww/s1600/21.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRPt9mBWo0uDObAFB_haSlqBy9e_B5zMQDXsBkqJb7SVg0oypOeIfAU8Fvcuud59YjqZu9UVe2xLL5tVpJU9erKbtvDDvRIzJdtHBIMdFklDr00jxi9ILNyE6PC7xFp7F7XSfqJy50Pww/s400/21.JPG" width="400" /></i></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby swimming and moving deeper into the sea</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby swimming and returning back towards the beach</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby posing while returning back towards the beach</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby very satisfied after swimming a lot</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Drying himself up at the beach</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Since we so much enjoyed going to Michikawa Beach on 24th July, we again visited the beach in the afternoon of 7th August. That day we noted that there were too many visitors to the beach as it was the peak summer season. It was a very hot day, so we put up a portable pop-up tent at the beach and relaxed inside the tent for a long time. From the tent we enjoyed the sea and the rolling waves crashing on the beach. Afterwards we entered the sea but I swam only for some time and returned to the tent to just relax and enjoy a lazy afternoon. Hubby swam for about 1.5 hours though intermittently. He got rather hungry due to swimming for a long time, and so we had some sandwiches and cold drinks while relaxing inside the tent. We enjoyed the beautiful views all around us. It was a great way to spend the afternoon.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am sitting inside the tent we put up at Michikawa Beach</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby sitting inside the tent and holding a thermometer which shows the temperature that day was 36 degrees Celsius</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am swimming inside the sea</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby going inside the sea</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby looking at tiny fishes swimming all around him</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby (center) and many visitors in the sea</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby posing again</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby returning to the beach after swimming</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby looks a bit tired after swimming for a long time</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Handsome guy</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby having sandwiches</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby thirsty and having cold energy drink</i></span></span></div>
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Manisha Kundu-Nagatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13277146210049986417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695885479879152724.post-80834516082942673312016-10-15T02:58:00.002+09:002016-10-15T02:58:23.819+09:00Sand craft at Kamayahama Beach<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">On 23rd July and 6th August, hubby and I went to see a sand craft exhibition held at Kamayahama Beach of Mitane-cho Town in Akita prefecture. Kamayahama Beach is selected as one of 100 great beaches of Japan by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ministry_of_the_Environment_(Japan)" target="_blank">Ministry of the Environment</a>. It is consistently ranked as one of the best beaches in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C5%8Dhoku_region" target="_blank">Tohoku region</a>. The beach offers a beautiful view of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_of_Japan" target="_blank">Sea of Japan</a>, and is famous for incredibly breathtaking sunsets. Every summer, the exciting event of sand craft festival takes place at the beach. The festival features exhibition of impressive sand sculptures at the beach along with various entertainments, sports and food while addressing the importance of natural environment. The festival is aimed at revitalizing Mitane-cho Town, and is in fact the biggest event of the town. The festival is held annually on the last weekend of July.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Professional artists and teams from all over Japan come to Kamayahama Beach and start making sand craft sculptures from two weeks before the festival. This year the sand craft sculpting started from 16th July. Visitors are welcomed and recommended to visit there and see the process of making the sculptures. In recent years, famous foreign artists have started to participate. Their delicate yet magnificent sand craft artworks decorate the beach. Artworks full of individuality and special method of the construction of the sand sculptures attracts many people to the beach. In addition, there are also sand craft sculpting competitions for high school students as well as for common people of all ages. This year the festival itself was held on the weekend of 30th and 31st July. Along with the exhibition of sand craft sculptures, various other events like live music, tug of war, a swimsuit competition, sports, and several funny games were held throughout the weekend. The sculptures were lit up with colored lights during the night and the festival was closed with launching of hundreds of fireworks. However, the sand craft sculptures were left at the beach until 31st August so that people could visit and enjoy the sculptures through out the summer. During this entire time, the beach was filled with such beautiful carvings or sculptures made of sand.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Hubby and I visited Kamayahama Beach twice during the summer. First we visited the beach on 23rd July when the sand craft artworks were being made, and then on 6th August after the festival. On 23rd July, we left our home at about 2.30 pm. Kamayahama Beach is located about 110 kilometers north of our home in Yurihonjo City, and it took us about 1.5 hours to reach the beach by our car. On reaching the beach area, we parked our car at a parking lot and walked up to the beach. Standing at the beach, we got a beautiful view of the Sea of Japan. We enjoyed the sea and the rolling waves crashing on the beach. The beach was wonderful and so serene. We enjoyed the beautiful views all around us and it felt so peaceful. We noted that there were many impressive wind turbines along the beach. That day we did not enter the sea water as it was windy and the waves were a bit strong.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing near an information board at Kamayahama Beach</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing near the beach. Wind turbines are seen behind me and sand craft artworks are seen to the right side.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing at the beach along with the beautiful Sea of Japan in front of me</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The beach, the sea, and I</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby at the beach</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">We also saw many impressive sand craft artworks exhibited at the beach. We noted that the sand sculptures were at various stages of making, a few seemed to be completed while several others were being given finishing touches by the artists. Although many of the sand sculptures were not yet finished, they all looked really wonderful. The sculptures were delicate yet magnificent and many of them measured over 5 meters high. We took several photos of the sand sculptures and posed with a few of them.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing in front of the sand craft artworks area at the beach</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing in front of the sand craft artworks</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am watching some of the artists making the sand sculptures</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A huge sand sculpture being given finishing touches by the artists</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing next to another sand sculpture that was being delicately built by an artist</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The artist was fully concentrated in building the above-mentioned sculpture</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGSHv5vMGuA6B_I6bx8j3f8r7rvnn9fXptDlbzYSILFGHh1nTARIIRrIOZtRkZCFZdx6m-bb7h26WVAQ9qaRg2yDrmDzpffd2uh2gdpPIElkESC71hxg2CW6n-1UyahwOKiJVEwECI-ys/s1600/12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGSHv5vMGuA6B_I6bx8j3f8r7rvnn9fXptDlbzYSILFGHh1nTARIIRrIOZtRkZCFZdx6m-bb7h26WVAQ9qaRg2yDrmDzpffd2uh2gdpPIElkESC71hxg2CW6n-1UyahwOKiJVEwECI-ys/s400/12.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>This wonderful sand sculpture seemed to be completed. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Lucky_Gods" target="_blank">Shichifukujin</a> deities are depicted here.</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQk3WcY8tYOAeTvcdFpsTVrOWoqW2Qs2-vBs4G0k8sGW24GB0vJIcC7F1CDVztuc-owNFt2REPjgOU_9FpEZ4dEQHCvIzA5Ag1lBU66dgUHJKsv7rhDl82B43Ava53-Hh_cR3TY5FLxDM/s1600/13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQk3WcY8tYOAeTvcdFpsTVrOWoqW2Qs2-vBs4G0k8sGW24GB0vJIcC7F1CDVztuc-owNFt2REPjgOU_9FpEZ4dEQHCvIzA5Ag1lBU66dgUHJKsv7rhDl82B43Ava53-Hh_cR3TY5FLxDM/s400/13.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am posing along with the sand sculpture of Shichifukujin deities</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFbKjR4Ue8ZyzT4s97FDxzL02V7klbTDrmlBIjGT23ZKrZT_y22zpGv4pLqvrt5FfTvmBAKJvgub48A5uKIkoNCTWwDi3Q6wE_HmVdr15c4xqBsoXnd4mvHtBo0UbVPl5Zdo8h5QhOB_A/s1600/14.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFbKjR4Ue8ZyzT4s97FDxzL02V7klbTDrmlBIjGT23ZKrZT_y22zpGv4pLqvrt5FfTvmBAKJvgub48A5uKIkoNCTWwDi3Q6wE_HmVdr15c4xqBsoXnd4mvHtBo0UbVPl5Zdo8h5QhOB_A/s400/14.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing in front of another sand sculpture that was being given finishing touches by an artist</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIgriolI3k0CygXFBo8E52DzQeRjVlbuzDOKcMXLpe3IJeex3kv58nzZ3kxTDZTJL6x2cEKqw_jhqcyj6Qc5uiYeFPIhwNx-hPMK0X1QPtZpDl3_dIgUziTqQtkwwBt6nVjOZ8R6X1Um8/s1600/15.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIgriolI3k0CygXFBo8E52DzQeRjVlbuzDOKcMXLpe3IJeex3kv58nzZ3kxTDZTJL6x2cEKqw_jhqcyj6Qc5uiYeFPIhwNx-hPMK0X1QPtZpDl3_dIgUziTqQtkwwBt6nVjOZ8R6X1Um8/s400/15.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The above-mentioned sand sculpture was really beautiful</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaAy-30xd-8F59bYeMjU8G8fu_tJc7ZecPxoDYnA7VRaKNutXwea8k1cShyphenhyphennZ-SUUyd13jLpZlV-2QST6F6pPC785KjHVvnTtEWAcbWWylr1naMgJTqDXmAW6BASwxv2FvaOl3YviquNo/s1600/16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaAy-30xd-8F59bYeMjU8G8fu_tJc7ZecPxoDYnA7VRaKNutXwea8k1cShyphenhyphennZ-SUUyd13jLpZlV-2QST6F6pPC785KjHVvnTtEWAcbWWylr1naMgJTqDXmAW6BASwxv2FvaOl3YviquNo/s400/16.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Amazing details</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLRd8E7xEbQz9g9OCOheeOY8BfEJMAmWy_GGG7Lq5y8gpoXJtTLxeh_c5FtHwlra-V4I7dGMlzXGYAviQMTqBP27yjS5XWxY8D10izIALVGuW-Sj0QZC4mPKT8YscaXOPxqMTGDmhoGH0/s1600/17.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLRd8E7xEbQz9g9OCOheeOY8BfEJMAmWy_GGG7Lq5y8gpoXJtTLxeh_c5FtHwlra-V4I7dGMlzXGYAviQMTqBP27yjS5XWxY8D10izIALVGuW-Sj0QZC4mPKT8YscaXOPxqMTGDmhoGH0/s400/17.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A few more sand sculptures being built</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLXspz0nayXitR16j6EJM52pMjuqor9nd-r6hTj2FHIMJw1NeEnt9HUzAb-z2Ai-_p87L1DeGxnFeETPcJ6JjNhNzcEkSSA-A0Zol5uywAMeIXDwqqFulv7CfDi4p-pGKn3_pbcoySYL4/s1600/18.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLXspz0nayXitR16j6EJM52pMjuqor9nd-r6hTj2FHIMJw1NeEnt9HUzAb-z2Ai-_p87L1DeGxnFeETPcJ6JjNhNzcEkSSA-A0Zol5uywAMeIXDwqqFulv7CfDi4p-pGKn3_pbcoySYL4/s400/18.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A half finished sand sculpture</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3G579EvQgcgJgnHnZoUFLEfwJpVlTmLpHUNuPjHM52HzfxCG2Gfnaa4BO6bODcjuOLvu3bynRlMI5QUdY1FWihyphenhyphenVN2tJnB7itaYPK0nI6C8NO8eNoUwajDR9yDvc6hR-rQ-CA4LYuAzE/s1600/19.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3G579EvQgcgJgnHnZoUFLEfwJpVlTmLpHUNuPjHM52HzfxCG2Gfnaa4BO6bODcjuOLvu3bynRlMI5QUdY1FWihyphenhyphenVN2tJnB7itaYPK0nI6C8NO8eNoUwajDR9yDvc6hR-rQ-CA4LYuAzE/s400/19.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>One more sand sculpture being carved and built by an artist</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">We enjoyed seeing the exhibition of sand craft artworks at the beach. It was nice to observe the artists at work. Afterwards we had some <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kakig%C5%8Dri" target="_blank">Kakigori</a> dessert and left the beach. We had a nice time.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI1laUPtmeJKCn4NhW2uIBvXoGUpcTwclVK0xEvvuYIZXWC83OyP_S75OTvstUslHe_2QpUgWBAjgZDqN1Etf_6APNm8yffObaqRxgo_lrx05vw-7kMVP_wBL7-8KDUo8MQJw5pijzqR8/s1600/20.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI1laUPtmeJKCn4NhW2uIBvXoGUpcTwclVK0xEvvuYIZXWC83OyP_S75OTvstUslHe_2QpUgWBAjgZDqN1Etf_6APNm8yffObaqRxgo_lrx05vw-7kMVP_wBL7-8KDUo8MQJw5pijzqR8/s400/20.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am having Kakigori shaved ice dessert</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">The sand craft festival was held at Kamayahama Beach on 30th and 31st July but we skipped going to the beach those two days as we had some other work. However, we wished to see the completed sand craft artworks that were left at the beach until 31st August. So on 6th August, hubby and I again went to the beach to see the exhibition of the sand sculptures. An Indian couple living in Akita City also accompanied us. We reached the beach area at about 3 pm. After parking our car, we all walked up to the beach and enjoyed the beautiful views all around us. The wind turbines along the beach added to the scenic views. Fortunately there was hardly any crowd at the beach that day. So we enjoyed a lot and had a very relaxing and wonderful time at the beach. It was really nice to see the sea waves rolling and crashing on the beach rhythmically. It was so exciting and we thoroughly enjoyed the sea waves at the beach. After enjoying the views around us, we all entered the sea water and played with the rolling waves. We were literally shaken up every time we were hit by a wave inside the sea. It was very exhilarating and thrilling experience. Although the Indian lady and I just entered the shallow water area, our hubbies swam in the sea water for quite some time. Afterwards we all sat down at the beach and enjoyed the soothing sounds of the waves crashing on the beach. The sounds of the sea seemed to wash away our daily worries.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQlGSkZUKy9TsP4bCCFcT_tF2mxJh4ka51vj6mhu8cUDDLzTRJlHH7ECgEJ7chDoN4d20H0Y5O4yWEkHqPt1J_VwZSF-WuZhnHKDRKXMUJyc8YAKRQM555l23dVNZrbRU7ILSfLeKrYRo/s1600/21.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQlGSkZUKy9TsP4bCCFcT_tF2mxJh4ka51vj6mhu8cUDDLzTRJlHH7ECgEJ7chDoN4d20H0Y5O4yWEkHqPt1J_VwZSF-WuZhnHKDRKXMUJyc8YAKRQM555l23dVNZrbRU7ILSfLeKrYRo/s400/21.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Wind turbines at the beach and the sea to the right side</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD_zsimU9vVmfNrv3177VnCG5Uy4jdLXuoxlSDO430DcemWhvetoMbDoDMuNf5Zk1uoIFrp867veN2BUTq-R_PINLrjmSSrga7vHe3Yaolt7BgxtjJW5g_cQczsBlHlf2cnGKYgW3R0ac/s1600/22.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD_zsimU9vVmfNrv3177VnCG5Uy4jdLXuoxlSDO430DcemWhvetoMbDoDMuNf5Zk1uoIFrp867veN2BUTq-R_PINLrjmSSrga7vHe3Yaolt7BgxtjJW5g_cQczsBlHlf2cnGKYgW3R0ac/s400/22.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am posing with my Indian friend at the beach</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguNfQstt2jCxWO2JiiNw48jCcdC8HleKlC32IAmrC8NBICKzC-F4TYEibTMNeDNV2U8DRd19qCHNHTiberDczaF-qOe3VEQZrwPi-aJGjQbINKz-bC_dCvXWF9sYVgXcLruvErZEb5ZRI/s1600/23.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguNfQstt2jCxWO2JiiNw48jCcdC8HleKlC32IAmrC8NBICKzC-F4TYEibTMNeDNV2U8DRd19qCHNHTiberDczaF-qOe3VEQZrwPi-aJGjQbINKz-bC_dCvXWF9sYVgXcLruvErZEb5ZRI/s400/23.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>We entered the sea but were shocked by the impact of a wave that hit us</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieGOv9Ev8dwYOiZ7nW57Zo6dWp3FdZixqdeakBPTovZu6nLgtmYEUh_3_rPfNO5pt9hGPZjocHttGQYjHy5-X15F0tY0YSkSiTgeSVRRM4gs6qP2bOEz39XcyhpBQoAjwGgobD54oO2tc/s1600/24.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieGOv9Ev8dwYOiZ7nW57Zo6dWp3FdZixqdeakBPTovZu6nLgtmYEUh_3_rPfNO5pt9hGPZjocHttGQYjHy5-X15F0tY0YSkSiTgeSVRRM4gs6qP2bOEz39XcyhpBQoAjwGgobD54oO2tc/s400/24.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>But posing again</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFtu56soWaZv6-FPvygnFtSeRQ8bbKZV0-cpEKtKbmpze7JR1wmRApq8t6hdcTRLRKZNjqbOZhuNPEgnEeqmNhHp2HaxJJNEDlminD5Au1N-4_zNQahIz5ytPWl5O1Y0RIaqFLJIhu_m8/s1600/25.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFtu56soWaZv6-FPvygnFtSeRQ8bbKZV0-cpEKtKbmpze7JR1wmRApq8t6hdcTRLRKZNjqbOZhuNPEgnEeqmNhHp2HaxJJNEDlminD5Au1N-4_zNQahIz5ytPWl5O1Y0RIaqFLJIhu_m8/s400/25.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hit by a wave yet again</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKI5otYP38aPKO5BvyldZ9SeE3pty3c3C_0eT10ODYPF5N1Cg8ixRABc7Ql5NyXjovEuCLoV9IAMSoDl-r4Ug70DsYcxUgpMWeT7rmqYVIywCo5VQpjDQaQSySEynj2QJpZ2ZqKz-Md8/s1600/26.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKI5otYP38aPKO5BvyldZ9SeE3pty3c3C_0eT10ODYPF5N1Cg8ixRABc7Ql5NyXjovEuCLoV9IAMSoDl-r4Ug70DsYcxUgpMWeT7rmqYVIywCo5VQpjDQaQSySEynj2QJpZ2ZqKz-Md8/s400/26.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Posing at the beach</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjptKl0oG_oPnE2hP0A_gmLixQ-YS4r0TMO1hIoW81hY4k6DJIQIRoPIFNgTWuo38Yxz21vPHZhQR8y916AVDfZJ_UzO1Ge_JbsxUq8gd5i1JjU8Dm8LzMIfdF6UHeexsqjPQSSVeLg-mg/s1600/27.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjptKl0oG_oPnE2hP0A_gmLixQ-YS4r0TMO1hIoW81hY4k6DJIQIRoPIFNgTWuo38Yxz21vPHZhQR8y916AVDfZJ_UzO1Ge_JbsxUq8gd5i1JjU8Dm8LzMIfdF6UHeexsqjPQSSVeLg-mg/s400/27.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>And more posing</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby and I inside the sea</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby preparing to swim</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP9AJFGSbEGJ8BecHRe5H-nND_HlTOF6K5hZ5wKHK7z9dmtfeXE6SRkvfEoaofGQvCqHobHlJcPfnK3oOFAP_gsWqEzqHfOl5BPuoPp7Bdqm-zS1Hyf8yDuz5yHNR-RzJXyxaTPLUgklg/s1600/30.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP9AJFGSbEGJ8BecHRe5H-nND_HlTOF6K5hZ5wKHK7z9dmtfeXE6SRkvfEoaofGQvCqHobHlJcPfnK3oOFAP_gsWqEzqHfOl5BPuoPp7Bdqm-zS1Hyf8yDuz5yHNR-RzJXyxaTPLUgklg/s400/30.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby swimming</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyAOxlffDLjReiNv3rS-29WoUudic3lA7xDwsvas699894Zf8OtV9pQzY-nbnrrU1Mw15tGAaEvaJKbC8wiyUpVLIV_IGyod5d9gap6F0zAAFoYp6TMPTEhrFC1Qno_EkZj-lBrfkxgSg/s1600/31.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyAOxlffDLjReiNv3rS-29WoUudic3lA7xDwsvas699894Zf8OtV9pQzY-nbnrrU1Mw15tGAaEvaJKbC8wiyUpVLIV_IGyod5d9gap6F0zAAFoYp6TMPTEhrFC1Qno_EkZj-lBrfkxgSg/s400/31.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Swimming is very relaxing for him</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSiFS_Os5yUnT2hLfvHCuGItEnWPH_tlJNxPKX-gnKa3oAEhsyC0BjVqXUpJMiCjdomm6Q6UXh1c3OV5BTG1qogtleNMAMX6G9_mJAwWLnRVtUGjZgZsvo675QKRVtard1BNdd6-faQ30/s1600/32.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSiFS_Os5yUnT2hLfvHCuGItEnWPH_tlJNxPKX-gnKa3oAEhsyC0BjVqXUpJMiCjdomm6Q6UXh1c3OV5BTG1qogtleNMAMX6G9_mJAwWLnRVtUGjZgZsvo675QKRVtard1BNdd6-faQ30/s400/32.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby satisfied after swimming in the sea for a long time</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Afterwards we all walked towards the sand craft artworks exhibition area at the beach and enjoyed seeing the wonderful sculptures. All the sand sculptures made by professional artists looked amazing and gorgeous. The talent, quality, and professionalism of the artists clearly showed in how delicate and magnificent each sand sculpture was. We took several photos of the sculptures and posed with a few of them.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi12_iLmWA4w1ErbJUBdZkzTbrCr1KBGzsnIOJGQ7Gt3oeIedwtOEE_yoALvZyrfZ4Kkdj-clW4mdc3cu6tAR2tp9tSFmROvv4iTNc6v_1XB2xwOL_20xvjOzat2QGDfUNv1wcP7t2P-pE/s1600/33.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi12_iLmWA4w1ErbJUBdZkzTbrCr1KBGzsnIOJGQ7Gt3oeIedwtOEE_yoALvZyrfZ4Kkdj-clW4mdc3cu6tAR2tp9tSFmROvv4iTNc6v_1XB2xwOL_20xvjOzat2QGDfUNv1wcP7t2P-pE/s400/33.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Sand craft artworks area at the beach</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYhZbmWXfsQFSC_bbu-pqb8wGWdk3xmEYJFKDd5LREDhzXG4IfqDbldoJmy_GxPxILqqDyWuYeiy5YpQJWzvNl5kSxLwGatZcOwu2oMzeOy-6Ka4kBuQDZonaZhGBzyJceHNJiDrdMj-g/s1600/34.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYhZbmWXfsQFSC_bbu-pqb8wGWdk3xmEYJFKDd5LREDhzXG4IfqDbldoJmy_GxPxILqqDyWuYeiy5YpQJWzvNl5kSxLwGatZcOwu2oMzeOy-6Ka4kBuQDZonaZhGBzyJceHNJiDrdMj-g/s400/34.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Sand craft artworks area as seen from a different angle</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFZOMTZPgkteOIAvNBZlYzb-85PaATr88am4aJ3ak-hc5HmftHZfusVYEeEXt7JD5fm_IdQbq3_hJFZcH6_mCzm6-qilyP9fg4eYmUcO_wPETjVyJdGia_9YDPnBsffQ6rLDsK8emmM08/s1600/35.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFZOMTZPgkteOIAvNBZlYzb-85PaATr88am4aJ3ak-hc5HmftHZfusVYEeEXt7JD5fm_IdQbq3_hJFZcH6_mCzm6-qilyP9fg4eYmUcO_wPETjVyJdGia_9YDPnBsffQ6rLDsK8emmM08/s400/35.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby walking along the beach and enjoying the sand sculptures</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiZbKRajLDOmvQWEtE0wB6Dd-L7H8AZN_NnQnnsB7QERNc4YBRCozJvBbx5Lpzc67xjuzoAfUt8QLRnmIWCSs4ydGnRgD2zNxCVSg7oI5RHy6dyAKyUkOqKJpKz9IkIcmWVgqrkQcRdVw/s1600/36.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiZbKRajLDOmvQWEtE0wB6Dd-L7H8AZN_NnQnnsB7QERNc4YBRCozJvBbx5Lpzc67xjuzoAfUt8QLRnmIWCSs4ydGnRgD2zNxCVSg7oI5RHy6dyAKyUkOqKJpKz9IkIcmWVgqrkQcRdVw/s400/36.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A huge sand sculpture</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKvE77nVJJ93V4ERS9Ly8VWmzi8sEEx_EVPeIX-rginIzxKegikcUyzCUkUPEiMUv9NT_bxEz9kJXvkSl5TD7xelDY_ehWmBsGZzGI3b28MQRNupi2BMAiznt4rQ6zceskv3UOGFkxEMY/s1600/37.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKvE77nVJJ93V4ERS9Ly8VWmzi8sEEx_EVPeIX-rginIzxKegikcUyzCUkUPEiMUv9NT_bxEz9kJXvkSl5TD7xelDY_ehWmBsGZzGI3b28MQRNupi2BMAiznt4rQ6zceskv3UOGFkxEMY/s400/37.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing in front of a sand sculpture</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij-VhllGap6qyExOlefUb36J8NABDnEh1qbu85iQ2FgNrN4twx2Io1WLbh1B_QVM3xBqxcR8HcNtpqi6tzU61SrTLoD1-ZC03Jd6Dt-vQPL9k2ke2nykuEcHGFpUN_Runsbd1OLQnsxtg/s1600/38.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij-VhllGap6qyExOlefUb36J8NABDnEh1qbu85iQ2FgNrN4twx2Io1WLbh1B_QVM3xBqxcR8HcNtpqi6tzU61SrTLoD1-ZC03Jd6Dt-vQPL9k2ke2nykuEcHGFpUN_Runsbd1OLQnsxtg/s400/38.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Building of this sand sculpture was almost completed when we visited earlier on 23rd July</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbMLdPFJq6AI51qlVy4pJGfmf35C-pTRDHwipD9wiNT1Ce78Jm5SzYyjdkjXu1leROBMFsEKqMRjUI0Q_PQkqDkahafnFq7EbKjuhrSj2rp9SCbQJyV7ae11XtIRR9RB_6ioU7J_wKnd8/s1600/39.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbMLdPFJq6AI51qlVy4pJGfmf35C-pTRDHwipD9wiNT1Ce78Jm5SzYyjdkjXu1leROBMFsEKqMRjUI0Q_PQkqDkahafnFq7EbKjuhrSj2rp9SCbQJyV7ae11XtIRR9RB_6ioU7J_wKnd8/s400/39.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>My friend and I posing in front of the above-mentioned sand sculpture</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM5AIp6rWdrVRflu2BiW4XZSyt7U4s_LumL5kQD_yTFG77Uy7pTDpzJClcsWELbnkVP1FCrPufT88ip8NAbQiINA1kQLUSaBY_9t_fZaO6bOyW3gu2wm8YW_uV7gOKDUsHvJ8IyVUUJuk/s1600/40.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM5AIp6rWdrVRflu2BiW4XZSyt7U4s_LumL5kQD_yTFG77Uy7pTDpzJClcsWELbnkVP1FCrPufT88ip8NAbQiINA1kQLUSaBY_9t_fZaO6bOyW3gu2wm8YW_uV7gOKDUsHvJ8IyVUUJuk/s400/40.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Another sand sculpture</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsDTajAiE8576ObEyGl7zoQkx4v8f7-1wmCBRF4LBx6DCx5mZprxaIrqcfcMcnHuAzw7jwtXLUB3aW24nBKS7eaqebbGMYOb59Fi_7yhpJ0WTnGPYYWeHstZ2t-rbdzs-Z5A8h_Qs0M7A/s1600/41.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsDTajAiE8576ObEyGl7zoQkx4v8f7-1wmCBRF4LBx6DCx5mZprxaIrqcfcMcnHuAzw7jwtXLUB3aW24nBKS7eaqebbGMYOb59Fi_7yhpJ0WTnGPYYWeHstZ2t-rbdzs-Z5A8h_Qs0M7A/s400/41.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A sand sculpture built in front of the above-mentioned sculpture</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCLzYLkmtlZ7b2t38J6_Yjg2U1zBaKLxeIdp_HcgyJQs8VI9pNieHH4Qg7zXDjQ5j7XtE5BBPOj0D5lY7J6lmp_sfvtUwHY-o_KXDzU0VXu4g_MZQiWpJCj13uJ_C8ldU3B3vAI_TabJU/s1600/42.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCLzYLkmtlZ7b2t38J6_Yjg2U1zBaKLxeIdp_HcgyJQs8VI9pNieHH4Qg7zXDjQ5j7XtE5BBPOj0D5lY7J6lmp_sfvtUwHY-o_KXDzU0VXu4g_MZQiWpJCj13uJ_C8ldU3B3vAI_TabJU/s400/42.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>This sand sculpture is huge and very delicately carved</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXS6Gaupy8nqXrRzsVCulVdbRlyEJG_FCGO5vGEKYwnTCtyR4pd5A4SghxWMMBPvS3DPAE3BFnVb8dYUPl2R7lZFyW0Omy7VfHCjqbl4NTqr2LUgYexgv1087dimbJ_fTKNiYci6cxrrM/s1600/43.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXS6Gaupy8nqXrRzsVCulVdbRlyEJG_FCGO5vGEKYwnTCtyR4pd5A4SghxWMMBPvS3DPAE3BFnVb8dYUPl2R7lZFyW0Omy7VfHCjqbl4NTqr2LUgYexgv1087dimbJ_fTKNiYci6cxrrM/s400/43.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am posing in front of the above-mentioned sculpture</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOP5w9YRzyNKFuVHcELznkM68x8rSUQPmPk3rpR9K_uPdwK3bleMQXTmozRkI31bHTORwZMpu5J7E-9D-ZSQdALEz3bQ3xTCgEY32ImB1-ZNOmfOOlo97_X_9ev2gyJcLL-313HCXUzEE/s1600/44.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOP5w9YRzyNKFuVHcELznkM68x8rSUQPmPk3rpR9K_uPdwK3bleMQXTmozRkI31bHTORwZMpu5J7E-9D-ZSQdALEz3bQ3xTCgEY32ImB1-ZNOmfOOlo97_X_9ev2gyJcLL-313HCXUzEE/s400/44.JPG" width="400" /></i></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Cute sand sculptures</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxG9HWZCN5Y8MX0CSuYkENESFN7n8qo9xmb5r-ser5hyphenhyphenHsM1tXHmJB1bc45kqIqDok861_VIU6M0ND-7U66n4R90eJMI0qydVFWg9Bhi7iRl_1dRiOqLC3_GodyeDuK4QqHEl68o2LSDg/s1600/45.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxG9HWZCN5Y8MX0CSuYkENESFN7n8qo9xmb5r-ser5hyphenhyphenHsM1tXHmJB1bc45kqIqDok861_VIU6M0ND-7U66n4R90eJMI0qydVFWg9Bhi7iRl_1dRiOqLC3_GodyeDuK4QqHEl68o2LSDg/s400/45.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Another amazingly huge sand sculpture that we saw being carved and sculpted by an artist during our previous visit to the beach</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgntlHO3wZ1Yjt8f9lGbc8byGbYYe89KAMoZhs1kghpOJM3-5NsGCydttACD4ToGHjIrwvtjje0xC6xvYNQUf5jLM-N_0WL1Od0j9-YkA17ADUk3paEiJqaRd3e5k2ellBITp0cHQtWjbE/s1600/46.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgntlHO3wZ1Yjt8f9lGbc8byGbYYe89KAMoZhs1kghpOJM3-5NsGCydttACD4ToGHjIrwvtjje0xC6xvYNQUf5jLM-N_0WL1Od0j9-YkA17ADUk3paEiJqaRd3e5k2ellBITp0cHQtWjbE/s400/46.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Shichifukujin sand sculpture</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyFxnyeP0x8B-whSmLw8atQAy-XshWH4ZqRBuI3kwZ5LCwiTjKQsiQ1di8lgJYPKVZO9JXsnLnzr0ji-ZBRvIYwnsggjRVmo9BcxGSffMW_8gXnDRpdNfEvt39cgpJQBoYOp-B7cVhAiY/s1600/47.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyFxnyeP0x8B-whSmLw8atQAy-XshWH4ZqRBuI3kwZ5LCwiTjKQsiQ1di8lgJYPKVZO9JXsnLnzr0ji-ZBRvIYwnsggjRVmo9BcxGSffMW_8gXnDRpdNfEvt39cgpJQBoYOp-B7cVhAiY/s400/47.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>My friend and I posing in front of Shichifukujin sculpture</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQOuuSomjc82vnsXScr7k4g4_2Slv0yvKxBIZJ1PSr6XakHCe3wJ9QPc8MgyT_4uR6SZzzdmG-Kvn5qfZlKHvkpe3T0rgKxbTnpLzISATKJk_DmfpXyVvv6Mk1Pah5Ay28_Sjnt6Nhb3c/s1600/48.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQOuuSomjc82vnsXScr7k4g4_2Slv0yvKxBIZJ1PSr6XakHCe3wJ9QPc8MgyT_4uR6SZzzdmG-Kvn5qfZlKHvkpe3T0rgKxbTnpLzISATKJk_DmfpXyVvv6Mk1Pah5Ay28_Sjnt6Nhb3c/s400/48.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>My friend and I posing in front of the backside of another sculpture</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">While walking along the beach, we noted an area where sand craft artworks built by high school students were exhibited. In addition, there was yet another area where sand sculptures built by common people of all ages were exhibited. We enjoyed viewing the interesting and funny sand sculptures built by high school students. It was fun.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFqyVmZj6_JjGdXUTS0TSpMBF_po2IWb-KvlDRNjPX-ZzrnO_-pChPfH93SmkirzgeSVKF9_9dbigkLa-K8rgDLpx_pC93dLOkqCgT3bj94FptEbUZl0v0HN2pQdmH4O0F7EjIH835wtg/s1600/49.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFqyVmZj6_JjGdXUTS0TSpMBF_po2IWb-KvlDRNjPX-ZzrnO_-pChPfH93SmkirzgeSVKF9_9dbigkLa-K8rgDLpx_pC93dLOkqCgT3bj94FptEbUZl0v0HN2pQdmH4O0F7EjIH835wtg/s400/49.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Sand craft artworks exhibited at the beach that were built by high school students (left) as well as people of all ages (middle and right)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFsZb7F9eIS8sKaUi05ISTeqaKuVwbHWxRtH1KGO3HNSNw8CgpyvU9f_kAzUsqmjiVmIytVJj-HnH0SWqOsrKZXFlQiSjkylWXbFIh2mCGH1fX4wVl_ccjXjhHX-v2f5hbIc8PDzWuCcQ/s1600/50.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFsZb7F9eIS8sKaUi05ISTeqaKuVwbHWxRtH1KGO3HNSNw8CgpyvU9f_kAzUsqmjiVmIytVJj-HnH0SWqOsrKZXFlQiSjkylWXbFIh2mCGH1fX4wVl_ccjXjhHX-v2f5hbIc8PDzWuCcQ/s400/50.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>My friend and I posing in front of the exhibition area of the sand sculptures built by high school students</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkdSUv2OAE73yJ5QSDLuOlSUTjHzZsKOyUQ8uQHH19zK_UCsnrI8kUTfVkEg0GFjEG3UOLrT6aNBUXd9ppWPA0JL7G__MQ5CxI7lxbiMFl8Rs91iFZA5bo54c0AUTN_D8MmLWbs9SVY-8/s1600/51.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkdSUv2OAE73yJ5QSDLuOlSUTjHzZsKOyUQ8uQHH19zK_UCsnrI8kUTfVkEg0GFjEG3UOLrT6aNBUXd9ppWPA0JL7G__MQ5CxI7lxbiMFl8Rs91iFZA5bo54c0AUTN_D8MmLWbs9SVY-8/s400/51.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A sand sculpture built by high school students</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUVA37I2l1Odl7t9lLLuYG-RmxIWX0lyBziP6ko4_EVyuNbTER9qHRSItflc6GXUX6FSxgX8tOFYzbNnp6M-mjHvfzBbEl98wlg24V8EB4ZrKpYEPtYEYZ8nbLiMPAIL5d7U15xXYcQec/s1600/52.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUVA37I2l1Odl7t9lLLuYG-RmxIWX0lyBziP6ko4_EVyuNbTER9qHRSItflc6GXUX6FSxgX8tOFYzbNnp6M-mjHvfzBbEl98wlg24V8EB4ZrKpYEPtYEYZ8nbLiMPAIL5d7U15xXYcQec/s400/52.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Another sand sculpture built by high school students</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKt56oCwpsf8j157hfXSOa19G0SEhnVC42X17W0MKlg1Hma6yZm2w-0iY8vFwhjTDnx_mNy3RRDECiXtEZkGW5Xq5msfFNsbNrKiwDJTCAcgPYtUazVX59ppHFQNbkkM6tbL-djhwsjWM/s1600/53.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKt56oCwpsf8j157hfXSOa19G0SEhnVC42X17W0MKlg1Hma6yZm2w-0iY8vFwhjTDnx_mNy3RRDECiXtEZkGW5Xq5msfFNsbNrKiwDJTCAcgPYtUazVX59ppHFQNbkkM6tbL-djhwsjWM/s400/53.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Yet another sand sculpture</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy2g9ULdMDtfPIQXQvj6DrJuSHt0wpDQAh2ujPzcSz52IA49GaINX47vhPmqXdzXyzPZVB6Kgk2uopsXlcoo2yjQfCkeswRF8G5omp7afTc4ylB8WsHug939dA4cvZncNzioDPYsuD52M/s1600/54.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy2g9ULdMDtfPIQXQvj6DrJuSHt0wpDQAh2ujPzcSz52IA49GaINX47vhPmqXdzXyzPZVB6Kgk2uopsXlcoo2yjQfCkeswRF8G5omp7afTc4ylB8WsHug939dA4cvZncNzioDPYsuD52M/s400/54.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing in front of one more sand sculpture</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">After viewing the exhibition of sand craft artworks at the beach, we put up a portable pop-up tent and relaxed for some time. Soon it was time to return home. Hubby and I enjoyed the day out with our friends.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>We are relaxing inside the portable pop-up tent that we put up at the beach</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwqF5LwHwQ0YSeO-BRhU2L_jkzlEtFRfs5YNvPbzxnoJUfxMGv4jKNE_549h1lzMmITkEd6SqblHpLfRctaU0pMctmmJIl0qrDZOjoqcnpWx6CNOnLgAmyNvHn1V7kEFd3zR-85CrXelI/s1600/56.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwqF5LwHwQ0YSeO-BRhU2L_jkzlEtFRfs5YNvPbzxnoJUfxMGv4jKNE_549h1lzMmITkEd6SqblHpLfRctaU0pMctmmJIl0qrDZOjoqcnpWx6CNOnLgAmyNvHn1V7kEFd3zR-85CrXelI/s400/56.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>We all had a nice time at the beach</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby folding up the tent</i></span></span></div>
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Manisha Kundu-Nagatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13277146210049986417noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695885479879152724.post-43103242407602772692016-10-05T04:12:00.002+09:002016-10-05T04:12:51.061+09:00Kofukuji Temple<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">On 4th May, hubby and I visited Kofukuji Temple. Kofukuji is a Buddhist temple located in Nara City of Nara prefecture. The temple serves as the national headquarters of the <a href="http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/six-nara-schools-seven-nara-temples.html#hosso" target="_blank">Hosso school</a> of Buddhism in Japan. The origin of Kofukuji Temple dates back to 669 AD when Kagami-no-Okimi, consort of the statesman <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fujiwara_no_Kamatari" target="_blank">Fujiwara-no-Kamatari</a>, established a temple at the family estate in Yamashina Suehara (present day Kyoto prefecture) to pray for the recovery of Kamatari's illness. This early Fujiwara tutelary temple was first known as Yamashina-dera. In the temple Kagami-no-Okimi enshrined images of a <a href="http://www.aisf.or.jp/~jaanus/deta/s/shakasanzon.htm" target="_blank">Shaka triad</a> that had originally been commissioned at the behest of Kamatari upon his defeat of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soga_clan" target="_blank">Soga clan</a> in 645. In 672, the temple was moved to Umayasaka near <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fujiwara-ky%C5%8D" target="_blank">Fujiwara-kyo</a>, the ancient imperial capital of Japan located in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamato_Province" target="_blank">Yamato province</a> (present-day Kashihara in Nara prefecture), and the temple was renamed Umayasaka-dera. In 710, the national capital was transferred and established in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heij%C5%8D-ky%C5%8D" target="_blank">Heijo-kyo</a>, the present-day Nara City. So the same year the temple was dismantled yet again and Kamatari’s son <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fujiwara_no_Fuhito" target="_blank">Fujiwara-no-Fuhito</a> moved the temple to its current location in a central block of Nara City. The temple was renamed Kofukuji and grew rapidly in size and wealth under the patronage of successive emperors and empresses, and members of the powerful <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fujiwara_clan" target="_blank">Fujiwara clan</a>. The temple developed a particularly close connection with the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hokke_(Fujiwara)" target="_blank">northern branch</a> of the Fujiwara clan, under whose sponsorship the temple gained considerable power. The temple ranked as one of the Four Great Temples of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nara_period" target="_blank">Nara period</a> (710-794), and one of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanto_Shichi_Daiji" target="_blank">Seven Great Temples</a> of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heian_period" target="_blank">Heian period</a> (794-1185). During the Heian period, Kofukuji exercised virtual control over <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kasuga-taisha" target="_blank">Kasuga Shrine</a>, and became a dominant political power in the Yamato province. The temple prospered, but when the Fujiwara clan’s power gradually faded in the 12th century, the temple lost its influential patrons and began to decline. In the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamakura_period" target="_blank">Kamakura</a> (1185-1333) and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muromachi_period" target="_blank">Muromachi</a> (1336-1573) periods, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shogun#Shogunate" target="_blank">Shogunate</a> made Kofukuji the protector of Yamato province. But the resources of the temple were eroded during the latter years of the Muromachi period. In 1600, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokugawa_Ieyasu" target="_blank">Tokugawa Ieyasu</a> attempted to revive Kofukuji as a purely religious establishment, which made possible the renovation and reconstruction of many temple buildings. The temple was severely affected by the anti-Buddhist policies of the early years of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meiji_period" target="_blank">Meiji period</a> (1868-1912), at which time Kasuga Shrine became independent under the government ordinance forcing the separation of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinto" target="_blank">Shinto</a> shrines and Buddhist temples. The majority of the property of Kofukuji Temple was confiscated at that time, but the temple managed to recover and continues today as a head temple of the Hosso sect of Buddhism. The temple was designated as a UNESCO world heritage site in 1998 and forms part of the ‘historic monuments of ancient Nara’ listing.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Kofukuji Temple was damaged and destroyed by civil wars and fires many times. The destruction by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tale_of_the_Heike" target="_blank">Heike civil wars</a> (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genpei_War" target="_blank">Genpei War</a>) in 1180 was devastating, during which the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taira_clan" target="_blank">Taira clan</a>, the rivals of Fujiwara clan, completely destroyed all the original temple buildings from the Nara period. After the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minamoto_clan" target="_blank">Minamoto clan</a>’s victory in the war in 1185, many of the temple buildings were rebuilt in the 13th and 15th centuries, and were copies of the Nara period originals. Afterwards the temple gradually started eroding but fortunately Tokugawa Ieyasu provided a grant to the temple in the early 17th century to allow many of the buildings in the complex to be restored. Again there was a fire at the temple premises in 1717, and many of the important buildings were lost but most of them were not rebuilt. Additionally the policy of separation between Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_of_Meiji_Japan" target="_blank">Meiji government</a> abandoned this temple in 1868. The temple was allowed to rebuild in 1881, and the buildings were repaired. However, many of the buildings and gates were never reconstructed, so the current temple complex is without gates and fences. Today only a handful of the temple's original 175 buildings remain standing, most of which date from the 13th to 15th centuries. Many of the buildings and the sculptures that they contain have been designated as national treasures by the Japanese government.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">As I wrote in the <a href="http://lipikazuo.blogspot.com/2016/09/todaiji-temple.html" target="_blank">previous post</a>, hubby and I first visited Todaiji Temple in Nara Koen Park on 4th May. After seeing various buildings and statues inside Todaiji Temple premises, we left the temple and started walking along a paved pathway with many tourists all around us. After about 20 minutes of leisurely walking, we reached right in front of Kofukuji Temple premises. In fact, Kofukuji Temple is located just 1.3 kilometers southwest of Todaiji Temple, and is located midway between Nara Koen Park and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kintetsu_Nara_Station" target="_blank">Kintetsu Nara</a> Railway Station. Since many buildings and structures of Kofukuji Temple were burnt in fires during wars in the medieval era and many of them were not rebuilt, the present-day temple complex is not enclosed. With no entrance gates or fences, visitors can enter the temple complex from any direction. We entered the temple premises from the north-northeast and directly reached into the grounds of the temple premises. And we saw two majestic adjacent wooden buildings right in front of us. The buildings are named Tokondo or the Eastern Golden Hall and Gojunoto or the five-storied pagoda. We appreciated the architecture of the two buildings for some time and clicked a few photos of the buildings from various positions and angles. In the next two paragraphs I will write in details about these two buildings.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing in front of a map of Kofukuji Temple premises</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Tokondo (left) and Gojunoto (right) buildings as viewed from the northwest</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDwWw0R4qb3TYo_3UGqY3b3n0qlI9i5Q_AQyQga4ta02veFs7WpOVhFTmINzT5UUUl4hU4g7kpbg4-oOCBex7YxlU7DCUOSzZrd_7pZVxpDOSMLkVS4SWiBYGXu6qqVUYDfNouOzpHfyw/s1600/3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDwWw0R4qb3TYo_3UGqY3b3n0qlI9i5Q_AQyQga4ta02veFs7WpOVhFTmINzT5UUUl4hU4g7kpbg4-oOCBex7YxlU7DCUOSzZrd_7pZVxpDOSMLkVS4SWiBYGXu6qqVUYDfNouOzpHfyw/s400/3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing inside the temple premises along with the two buildings in the background</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXgZtuvlzjYb78cOsUMwYbZ0OMn9ovAeTC5Uz68G9XLDHQ7QMK_IrZ_R1M9t3YuCC0xFpOAw0sYYpAiDy2Ej1cx6Lz7OWr-7NktlVTZW9TFYPuRrtVcub90Jk-dpUXD2YxoY0maCImeXk/s1600/4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXgZtuvlzjYb78cOsUMwYbZ0OMn9ovAeTC5Uz68G9XLDHQ7QMK_IrZ_R1M9t3YuCC0xFpOAw0sYYpAiDy2Ej1cx6Lz7OWr-7NktlVTZW9TFYPuRrtVcub90Jk-dpUXD2YxoY0maCImeXk/s400/4.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Tokondo (left) and Gojunoto (right) buildings as viewed from the west</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Tokondo or the Eastern Golden Hall was originally constructed at the behest of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_Sh%C5%8Dmu" target="_blank">Emperor Shomu</a> in 726 for a speedy recovery of the ailing <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empress_Gensh%C5%8D" target="_blank">Empress Gensho</a>. The current building was built in 1415. It is wooden rectangular building having a width of 25.6 meters and a depth of 14.1 meters. The building was constructed in <a href="http://www.aisf.or.jp/~jaanus/deta/y/yosemunezukuri.htm" target="_blank">Yosemune-zukuri</a> architectural style and covered with hipped roof of <a href="http://www.aisf.or.jp/~jaanus/deta/h/hongawarabuki.htm" target="_blank">Hongawara-buki</a> formal tiles. The front facade of the building is open like a verandah and is marked by thick wooden columns with no enclosing parts. The inner sanctuary is enclosed. The building maintains an ambience of the original Nara period structure and is designated as a national treasure. This hall building has a display of first-rate collection of many Buddhist statues. The principal deity enshrined inside the hall is a large image of <a href="http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/yakushi.shtml" target="_blank">Yakushi Nyorai</a> or the Healing Buddha. In addition, images of <a href="http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/nikko-gakko.shtml" target="_blank">Nikko Bosatsu</a> (<a href="http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/bodhisattva.shtml" target="_blank">Bosatsu</a> of sun), <a href="http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/nikko-gakko.shtml" target="_blank">Gakko Bosatsu</a> (Bosatsu of moon), <a href="http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/monju.shtml" target="_blank">Monju Bosatsu</a> (Bosatsu of wisdom), Four Heavenly Kings <a href="http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/shitenno.shtml" target="_blank">Shitenno</a>, Twelve Heavenly Generals <a href="http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/12-generals.shtml" target="_blank">Junishinsho</a>, and a mortal sage <a href="http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/monju.shtml#Yuima" target="_blank">Yuima Koji</a> are also enshrined inside the hall. The images of Yakushi Nyorai, Nikko Bosatsu, and Gakko Bosatsu are designated as important cultural properties. The images of Monju Bosatsu, Shitenno, Junishinsho, and Yuima Koji are designated as national treasures. There is an admission fee of 300 Yen per person to enter inside this building but we skipped entering the hall to see all these images this time as we were not having enough time that day. We appreciated the building architecture for some time and took a few photos from various positions and angles.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRTHpkpOsVDTFNFtj5bmI5fArOMsvvHKUS85fUt-NhEZgpdlusDdxMUqU6hVUHuL-N3Pncc0mHg0RrGdL-ofUe85xho2pZQFp79zJ1T6FPoPiZDoXBJl_ouI6UaSBBVo3c_maavdTI0Bk/s1600/5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRTHpkpOsVDTFNFtj5bmI5fArOMsvvHKUS85fUt-NhEZgpdlusDdxMUqU6hVUHuL-N3Pncc0mHg0RrGdL-ofUe85xho2pZQFp79zJ1T6FPoPiZDoXBJl_ouI6UaSBBVo3c_maavdTI0Bk/s400/5.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Tokondo Hall as viewed from the front (west)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU_fo69aLwEDinZR4Dn_MQeRGH9IVxB4sO45tdJ_BgkD8RK9XWtEiuAOLgt79kM2KHnweSeiwp2U6u_pqEn_i-5TowH91yy0ZGAVvjVFT4kI5LwlmXuhml5GF3mJZhGmv5ELfeRYXsv0w/s1600/6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU_fo69aLwEDinZR4Dn_MQeRGH9IVxB4sO45tdJ_BgkD8RK9XWtEiuAOLgt79kM2KHnweSeiwp2U6u_pqEn_i-5TowH91yy0ZGAVvjVFT4kI5LwlmXuhml5GF3mJZhGmv5ELfeRYXsv0w/s400/6.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing in front of the hall building</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlOMrEjVTbffOerjK_5mqUw7dGsH_CL-RI0I-kxAbgB0vnOAfqw6hz3lCPALorNZAhdtUCgzP3FoCGA7t06vtzKTg2YrF1H-z0ClS9otbHKpdMdj2mbCBMLvMy_mzPyZItYBiKGzFoe0A/s1600/7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlOMrEjVTbffOerjK_5mqUw7dGsH_CL-RI0I-kxAbgB0vnOAfqw6hz3lCPALorNZAhdtUCgzP3FoCGA7t06vtzKTg2YrF1H-z0ClS9otbHKpdMdj2mbCBMLvMy_mzPyZItYBiKGzFoe0A/s400/7.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The hall as viewed from the southwest</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Next we saw Gojunoto or the five-storied pagoda situated adjacent to (south of) the Tokondo Hall. This wooden pagoda is a landmark and symbol of Nara. It was constructed by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empress_K%C5%8Dmy%C5%8D" target="_blank">Empress Komyo</a> in 730. The current building is a restoration completed in 1426. In fact, the pagoda had burnt down five times before this 15th century restoration. It is 50.1 meters tall and is the second tallest pagoda in Japan, just five meters shorter than the five-storied pagoda of <a href="http://lipikazuo.blogspot.com/2011/08/toji-temple.html" target="_blank">Toji Temple</a> in Kyoto. All the five roofs of the Kofukuji pagoda have Hongawara-buki formal tiles and the projection of the eaves of the roofs is deep. The building maintains an ambience of the original Nara period structure and is designated as a national treasure. This pagoda currently houses four <a href="http://www.aisf.or.jp/~jaanus/deta/s/sanzonbutsu.htm" target="_blank">Buddha triads</a> (Buddha and two attendants). Enshrined around the central pillar of the first story of the building are a <a href="http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/yakushi.shtml" target="_blank">Yakushi</a> (Healing Buddha) triad to the east, a <a href="http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/shaka.shtml" target="_blank">Shaka</a> (Historical Buddha) triad to the south, an <a href="http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/amida.shtml" target="_blank">Amida</a> (Buddha of the Western Paradise and Infinite Life) <a href="http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/amida-raigo-triad.shtml" target="_blank">triad</a> to the west, and a <a href="http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/miroku.shtml" target="_blank">Miroku</a> (Buddha of the Future) triad to the north. We appreciated the building architecture for some time and took photos of the pagoda from various positions and angles.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjczstKqQnIey63RFeXtaaFOffTL9uyKRKpWWI3si9vHxWmXwBeh-eOZLUAB0Mx0klAyQGUMqXC1U2t8x9LXCm4tGi2TbQzpeJYWW-GE0r0dJjRVMpVB04Pync_fgT9tl075ldYcAXlrA/s1600/8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjczstKqQnIey63RFeXtaaFOffTL9uyKRKpWWI3si9vHxWmXwBeh-eOZLUAB0Mx0klAyQGUMqXC1U2t8x9LXCm4tGi2TbQzpeJYWW-GE0r0dJjRVMpVB04Pync_fgT9tl075ldYcAXlrA/s400/8.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Gojunoto or the five-storied pagoda as viewed from the northwest</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHl6USh3pRWscosYE-J_j4owj9MBUIXjylEwAnujZNZZVAlDgTrQ-YjewJw2R4Cg6dlhJvSu9O5sa0805OedD_kOW7NasM4HDKheptqh8y2obk2fdOmzqh7i6GMdk4AvbCaRrHWpc8PEo/s1600/9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHl6USh3pRWscosYE-J_j4owj9MBUIXjylEwAnujZNZZVAlDgTrQ-YjewJw2R4Cg6dlhJvSu9O5sa0805OedD_kOW7NasM4HDKheptqh8y2obk2fdOmzqh7i6GMdk4AvbCaRrHWpc8PEo/s400/9.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing in front of the pagoda</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVwFkMgyVlZVgdpRU8TR7ishbe-FVarcS7OY1unPlQxaoFHArjQ9MCEaMvw310di3DyEZzV7CmKvjsoKxO_LgCIiXSBWHSRaxeX2bnNy110t4HhzMzPPaa-8TNiwq4_v5puwp4S0cU8u8/s1600/10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVwFkMgyVlZVgdpRU8TR7ishbe-FVarcS7OY1unPlQxaoFHArjQ9MCEaMvw310di3DyEZzV7CmKvjsoKxO_LgCIiXSBWHSRaxeX2bnNy110t4HhzMzPPaa-8TNiwq4_v5puwp4S0cU8u8/s400/10.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The pagoda as viewed from the front (west) while standing near it</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOwJ9JDm6g0XKM0pMHNLkmIvY-uliFCqZEXkRgdtDkN_OovBEfPVMohGqkepAh1FqR-oe8FzKKSWylNgK0GVZ1ioiUC9-iU-GiJOC2OaRu5yO-QtsZLfw1brYlhYnkCmBMaRAgA1yBSJU/s1600/11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOwJ9JDm6g0XKM0pMHNLkmIvY-uliFCqZEXkRgdtDkN_OovBEfPVMohGqkepAh1FqR-oe8FzKKSWylNgK0GVZ1ioiUC9-iU-GiJOC2OaRu5yO-QtsZLfw1brYlhYnkCmBMaRAgA1yBSJU/s400/11.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The pagoda as viewed from the front while standing a bit far from it</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">We leisurely walked inside the temple premises and next saw an octagonal wooden building named Nanendo or the Southern Octagonal Hall. The hall is significant because it is temple number nine of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saigoku_Kannon_Pilgrimage" target="_blank">West Japan thirty-three Kannon temple pilgrimage route</a>. The hall was founded and first constructed in 813 by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fujiwara_no_Fuyutsugu" target="_blank">Fujiwara-no-Fuyutsugu</a>. However, the hall building was destroyed several times by fires of war, and the present building is the fourth one since its foundation. In fact, the present building is a reconstruction dating from 1789. The building has Hongawara-buki tiled-roof architectural style. Each wall of the octagonal hall is 6.4 meters wide, and the face-to-face diameter of the walls of the octagonal hall is 15.5 meters. The hall building is designated as an important cultural property. The principal image enshrined inside the hall is that of <a href="http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/kannon.shtml#fukukenjaku" target="_blank">Fukukensaku Kannon</a> or the <a href="http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/bodhisattva.shtml" target="_blank">Bosatsu</a> of Unfailing Fishing Line. In addition, statues of the <a href="http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/six-nara-schools-seven-nara-temples.html#hosso" target="_blank">six patriarchs</a> of the Hosso School as well as the Four Heavenly Kings <a href="http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/shitenno.shtml" target="_blank">Shitenno</a> are also enshrined inside. All these statues are national treasures. The hall is open to the public only once a year, on October 17th. We loved seeing the detailed architectural style of the octagonal building and clicked a few photos of the hall building.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Nanendo Southern Octagonal Hall as viewed from the front (east)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4bVXXF5w8FqLGGjyC-iW2zJAzOWc6OM76NaqRm-Nw-fjIxJoPtItPfBY0cMTPFsnyJZPbrRULpz0oQd-UdZcSO_mIcR4w5DaRBF93qFRyHpQIko2e1TNnFMO45gn1N0vQCQRBv7HtqCE/s1600/13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4bVXXF5w8FqLGGjyC-iW2zJAzOWc6OM76NaqRm-Nw-fjIxJoPtItPfBY0cMTPFsnyJZPbrRULpz0oQd-UdZcSO_mIcR4w5DaRBF93qFRyHpQIko2e1TNnFMO45gn1N0vQCQRBv7HtqCE/s400/13.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing in front of the hall</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing near the entrance area of Nanendo Hall</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">From the Nanendo Hall area, we saw Sanjunoto or a three-storied pagoda located downhill in the southwest corner of the temple premises. Sanjunoto pagoda was built at the behest of the consort of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_Sutoku" target="_blank">Emperor Sutoku</a> in 1143. The pagoda was destroyed by a fire in 1180 but was soon rebuilt at the beginning of the Kamakura period (1185-1333). The present building is this 12th century reconstruction, and is one of the oldest buildings in the temple premises. The pagoda is 19.1 meters tall and has Hongawara-buki tiled-roof architectural style. It is designated as a national treasure. On the first story of the pagoda are four Buddhist paintings on wood depicting 1000 images each of Yakushi Nyorai (east), Shaka Nyorai (south), Amida Nyorai (west), and Miroku Nyorai (north). Standing at the Nanendo Hall area, we noted that there were quite a few steps along the walkway leading to the pagoda building. We were a bit tired due to walking the entire day visiting various sightseeing places, so we skipped going to Sanjunoto pagoda building and enjoyed seeing the three roofs of the pagoda from the Nanendo Hall area.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Sanjunoto three-storied pagoda</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Next we walked towards the northern direction inside the temple premises, and after a couple of minutes we reached right in front of another octagonal wooden building named Hokuendo or the Northern Octagonal Hall. Hokuendo was originally built by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empress_Genmei" target="_blank">Empress Genmei</a> and Empress Gensho in 721, to honor the first anniversary of the death of Fujiwara-no-Fuhito. The current building is a reconstruction which dates from approximately 1210. This building is one of the oldest buildings in the temple premises. The building has Hongawara-buki tiled-roof architectural style. Each wall of the octagonal hall is 4.9 meters wide, and the face-to-face diameter of the walls of the octagonal hall is 11.7 meters. The hall building is designated as a national treasure. The building houses some of the temple’s treasured images and artifacts. The main alter image of Miroku Nyorai (Buddha of the Future) along with the images of Hoonrin Bosatsu, Daimyoso Bosatsu, <a href="http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/six-nara-schools-seven-nara-temples.html#hosso" target="_blank">Mujaku and Seshin Bosatsu</a> (traditional founders of Hosso School), and the Four Heavenly Kings Shitenno are enshrined inside. The images of Miroku Nyorai, Mujaku Bosatsu, Seshin Bosatsu, and Shitenno are designated as national treasures. Hokuendo building is open to the public only for a few days during special viewing periods in the spring and fall. We loved viewing the architecture of the building and clicked a few photos of the building. While appreciating the building, we noted that a notice was put up near the building which indicated that it was open to the public during the time we visited the temple. So we were very fortunate to be able to see the display of all the above-mentioned historic images inside Hokuendo. We paid 300 Yen per person as admission fee to enter inside the hall and enjoyed viewing the various images. Unfortunately photography was not allowed inside the building, and so we clicked a couple of photos of the advertisement notices put up outside the building.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hokuendo Northern Octagonal Hall as viewed from the front</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing in front of the hall</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBYtuep0co0yu5ZswU5uTllG6OEz-WPsCMXzUHazNKIL9X4_oTYDqZymsKcAE8ThlpXDbqq93jkF0zPdm7_xM07Q2r0yt3OCwtWrVLGhGrIEoqQ0xXWpLFcvoi8z9W5i3Q0NpUTLE8HKo/s1600/18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBYtuep0co0yu5ZswU5uTllG6OEz-WPsCMXzUHazNKIL9X4_oTYDqZymsKcAE8ThlpXDbqq93jkF0zPdm7_xM07Q2r0yt3OCwtWrVLGhGrIEoqQ0xXWpLFcvoi8z9W5i3Q0NpUTLE8HKo/s400/18.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Images of (1) Hoonrin Bosatsu, (2) Mujaku Bosatsu, (3) Miroku Nyorai, (4) Seshin Bosatsu, and (5) Daimyoso Bosatsu</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Image of Mujaku Bosatsu</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">We noted that a building named Chukondo or the Central Golden Hall is currently being reconstructed. Chukondo Hall is the main building of the temple. The original hall was built in 714 by Fujiwara-no-Fuhito but it was destroyed by a fire in 1717. Although a replacement hall was built on a smaller in 1811, the original Chukondo was not reconstructed. Later the replacement hall was also damaged due to heavy rain and rendered unusable. Therefore in recent years, it was decided to rebuild the original Chukondo Hall in its full former glory. Reconstruction work is currently ongoing and scheduled to be completed in 2018. We only saw a scaffolding structure covered with shrink wrap sheets. We hope to visit the temple again after the Chukondo Hall is opened to the public.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Chukondo Hall under reconstruction as viewed from the west</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">At this point, we finished the tour of Kofukuji Temple. We loved viewing various buildings and artifacts inside the temple premises. We noted that there were a few more buildings in the temple premises but we skipped seeing them this time.</span></span></div>
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Manisha Kundu-Nagatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13277146210049986417noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695885479879152724.post-90924293776392047512016-09-16T04:19:00.002+09:002016-09-16T04:19:25.414+09:00Todaiji Temple<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">On 4th May, hubby and I visited Todaiji Temple in Nara City. Todaiji or the Great Eastern Temple is a Buddhist temple complex that is one of the most famous and historically significant temples and a landmark of Nara City in Nara prefecture. One of the buildings named Daibutsuden located inside the temple complex houses the world's largest bronze statue of Buddha named Daibutsu. The temple serves as the headquarters of the <a href="http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/six-nara-schools-seven-nara-temples.html#kegon" target="_blank">Kegon</a> school of Buddhism in Japan. The temple is a designated as UNESCO world heritage site and forms part of the ‘historic monuments of ancient Nara’ listing.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">The origin of Todaiji Temple lies in Kinshosenji Temple which was founded during the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nara_period" target="_blank">Nara period</a> (710-794) in 728 for the repose of the spirit of Crown Prince Motoi, son of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_Sh%C5%8Dmu" target="_blank">Emperor Shomu</a>. In 741 when the emperor issued his edict ordering the construction of a national system of monasteries called <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provincial_temple" target="_blank">Kokubunji</a>, Kinshosenji Temple was elevated in status. This temple was turned into the head provincial temple of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamato_Province" target="_blank">Yamato province</a> and given the name Kinkomyoji. In 743, the emperor issued his proclamation for the erection of a colossal image of the Great Buddha Daibutsu. Meanwhile the temple began to be called Todaiji from around the end of 747 when the construction of its major buildings was begun. The Daibutsu image construction was completed in 749 and was dedicated in 752 in a lavish consecration (eye opening) ceremony at the Daibutsuden Hall that was also constructed at the same time. Subsequently, pagodas, lecture hall, and monks’ quarters were also built at the temple complex. In 855 the head of the Daibutsu fell off in a major earthquake but the image was quickly restored. In subsequent years fires and lightning destroyed the lecture hall, the monks’ quarters and the west pagoda. In 1180 more than half of the compound including the Daibutsuden Hall was destroyed in a fire due to the attack on the temple by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taira_no_Shigehira" target="_blank">Taira no Shigehira</a>. Restoration of the temple was begun by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C5%8Dgen_(monk)" target="_blank">Monk Chogen</a> in 1181 and the Daibutsu image was consecrated in 1185. In the following year <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Su%C5%8D_Province" target="_blank">Suo province</a> provided income for the reconstruction of Todaiji and the pace of the work increased. Ten years later the reconstruction of the Daibutsuden Hall was completed. As the temple was reconstructed, scholastic activities were revived and during the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamakura_period" target="_blank">Kamakura period</a> (1185-1333) the temple trained many monks. Most of the temple buildings again burned down during a battle between the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miyoshi_clan" target="_blank">Miyoshi clan</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matsunaga_Hisahide" target="_blank">Matsunaga clan</a> in 1567. However, the restoration was extremely difficult because the country was at war that time. Finally in the mid <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edo_period" target="_blank">Edo period</a> (1603-1868), <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanjin#Kanjinshoku_of_Todai-ji" target="_blank">Monk Kokei</a> solicited donations and monetary assistance from some powerful feudal warlords and a proper restoration of the temple begun. Because of all these efforts, the present Daibutsu image was consecrated in 1692 and the Daibutsuden Hall was dedicated in 1709. During the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meiji_period" target="_blank">Meiji period</a> (1868-1912), due to the separation of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinto" target="_blank">Shinto</a> and Buddhist religions and the confiscation of temple lands, the existence of Todaiji Temple was threatened. However, the temple managed to carry out major repairs to the Daibutsuden Hall at the start of 20th century and again in the 1970s. Todaiji Temple today preserves many precious cultural treasures and artifacts from the temple’s past. Eight buildings as well as 23 statues and other works of art located inside the temple complex have been designated as national treasures. Many people from throughout Japan and the world visit the temple to pay their respects every year.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">As I wrote in the <a href="http://lipikazuo.blogspot.com/2016/08/nara-koen-park.html" target="_blank">previous post</a>, hubby and I visited Nara Koen Park on 4th May. We walked around inside the park and saw many deer graze along the spacious lawns and frolic on the grass of the park. After about an hour of enjoying walking surrounded by aesthetically beautiful sceneries and the green landscape of the park, we reached right in front of Todaiji Temple complex. The temple grounds are spacious and cover most of northern Nara Koen Park. Within the temple precincts, aligned along one-kilometer north-south and east-west axes centered on Daibutsuden Main Hall, are an array of halls and storehouses buildings.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing next to a stone monument with ‘Todaiji’ engraved on it. This monument is located at the entrance area of the temple premises.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">We entered Todaiji Temple premises through a massive wooden gate named Nandaimon or the Great South Gate. It is the main gate of the temple. The original gate was erected during the Nara period but was destroyed by a typhoon during the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heian_period" target="_blank">Heian period</a> (794-1185). The construction of the existing gate was completed at the beginning of the 13th century during the Kamakura period. The gate was constructed based upon <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Architecture_of_the_Song_dynasty" target="_blank">Song dynasty architectural models</a>, which was newly introduced to Japan by Monk Chogen at the end of the 12th century. The ridgepole was raised in 1199 and the structure was completed in 1203 along with the statues of two <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nio" target="_blank">Kongo Rikishi Nio</a> guardian deities housed in the gate. The gate with its double hip-and-gable <a href="http://www.aisf.or.jp/~jaanus/deta/i/irimoyazukuri.htm" target="_blank">Irimoya-zukuri</a> roof is five bays wide and two bays deep. Originally there were three pairs of doors. The 18 pillars that support the roof measure 21 meters and the entire structure rises 25.46 meters above the stone platform on which it stands. Nandaimon Gate is the largest temple entrance gate in Japan and is designated as a national treasure. Two huge wooden statues of muscular <a href="http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/nio.shtml" target="_blank">Nio</a> guardians are housed on either side of Nandaimon Gate. The statues are said to have been sculpted in just 69 days under the direction of the sculptors <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unkei" target="_blank">Unkei</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaikei" target="_blank">Kaikei</a>, and their workshop members. Both the statues measure about 8.5 meters in height, and were sculpted around the same time as that of Nandaimon Gate, that is, during the beginning of Kamakura period in 1203. From the time of their completion until recently the statues had never been moved from the niches in which they were originally installed. In fact, little restoration had been done to the statues and so they were in poor condition. Therefore the two figures were evaluated and extensively restored during a restoration project between 1988 and 1993. Both these statues are designated as national treasures. We appreciated the architectural design of Nandaimon Gate and loved seeing the two massive wooden Nio statues. One of them was closed-mouthed <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nio#Naraen_Kong.C5.8D_or_Ungy.C5.8D" target="_blank">Ungyo</a> Nio statue and the other was open-mouthed <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nio#Misshaku_Kong.C5.8D_or_Agy.C5.8D" target="_blank">Agyo</a> Nio statue. Both the Nio statues, with fierce facial expressions, are supposed to protect the temple premises from evil spirit. We also saw <a href="http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/shishi.shtml" target="_blank">Shishi</a> lions located on the interior backside of either side of the gate. Shishi lions are also supposed to ward off evil spirit.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing in front of Nandaimon Gate</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJpUtbGXBRGOXMAqtJ0SXFZKXWNnHrUonyG7DtoOsCt6a49Z14aBH59njMEo9A5_QT4edniEE5831D9vIXAbpbi02vZ__GKjXJyOd7V1tspVdHveqvPWSD41mNjZn6YLIxCAIXVF2ZMPg/s1600/3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJpUtbGXBRGOXMAqtJ0SXFZKXWNnHrUonyG7DtoOsCt6a49Z14aBH59njMEo9A5_QT4edniEE5831D9vIXAbpbi02vZ__GKjXJyOd7V1tspVdHveqvPWSD41mNjZn6YLIxCAIXVF2ZMPg/s400/3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing in front of the gate</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipGXMo3PHYELMk7TnV6qhcYuPw3W3F-1f-AK6mnOVn8aBQnbmKFmwmd68vNNumow0YcRo1qPZ1LM3sHD60i9Nhs7-q0ruzwsEgwN_1xk8fvSip7iBJSvX4AqR2Kd8BkDXT4rrrTUCQ3-s/s1600/4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipGXMo3PHYELMk7TnV6qhcYuPw3W3F-1f-AK6mnOVn8aBQnbmKFmwmd68vNNumow0YcRo1qPZ1LM3sHD60i9Nhs7-q0ruzwsEgwN_1xk8fvSip7iBJSvX4AqR2Kd8BkDXT4rrrTUCQ3-s/s400/4.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Daikegonji is written on the upper roof of the gate. Daikegonji means big temple of Kegon Buddhism.</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYeN1dXd1kopcjeHZmxCpDJa6OMHyHu0Qj6J3KUQPgzXC0P8ff8WM0l9wRleDUg1oYpgppVsx9zMDeLB5CKJ6pqlFLen_DGFqim0kfnTh5efKGqW8ayM4YsNkjwnXsWPCnXDh0Grlyo7c/s1600/5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYeN1dXd1kopcjeHZmxCpDJa6OMHyHu0Qj6J3KUQPgzXC0P8ff8WM0l9wRleDUg1oYpgppVsx9zMDeLB5CKJ6pqlFLen_DGFqim0kfnTh5efKGqW8ayM4YsNkjwnXsWPCnXDh0Grlyo7c/s400/5.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Open-mouthed Agyo Nio statue located on one side of the gate</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6iwtWKjfzOBIw5JfUODMOC_gKKgYHNhyphenhyphenswalS2yVfOX4nH3QWLjZ5eaziAOiF2Q8U70aIOSwgzReytGAr7UKLM_FjaF6how2vqqotOP8908nV051AV0XmG7zBDJNR_FG8XGp7u9yUJVY/s1600/6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6iwtWKjfzOBIw5JfUODMOC_gKKgYHNhyphenhyphenswalS2yVfOX4nH3QWLjZ5eaziAOiF2Q8U70aIOSwgzReytGAr7UKLM_FjaF6how2vqqotOP8908nV051AV0XmG7zBDJNR_FG8XGp7u9yUJVY/s400/6.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Fierce facial expression of Agyo Nio statue</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNGoNnbxkS-y5CM0ZGIwlhPFwRvY614phispHXOOr_Wr-sSAOnghtM6TTxYQTOV8y8IaOqoDfevNNZ4fRsIQhRdNyw7tF3P36MJAwZpfSsjyCSEdCEGHGpXCLFM1s6uGBsv4rQI8LorFE/s1600/7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNGoNnbxkS-y5CM0ZGIwlhPFwRvY614phispHXOOr_Wr-sSAOnghtM6TTxYQTOV8y8IaOqoDfevNNZ4fRsIQhRdNyw7tF3P36MJAwZpfSsjyCSEdCEGHGpXCLFM1s6uGBsv4rQI8LorFE/s400/7.JPG" width="281" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Closed-mouthed Ungyo Nio statue located on the other side of the gate</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_2KLl6v29unh1NG84dmq4NqQnOIutw2oAUgmGK5pA71Xw_b5y6QUeINYRrW1VHu_-u3yEkf8WNpgGVTVfSRa5NfZD43a3ZyzTu6ZVzOZViFa9nhuzT2cyqewwM5VtKeVryXTwF_KjRmQ/s1600/8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_2KLl6v29unh1NG84dmq4NqQnOIutw2oAUgmGK5pA71Xw_b5y6QUeINYRrW1VHu_-u3yEkf8WNpgGVTVfSRa5NfZD43a3ZyzTu6ZVzOZViFa9nhuzT2cyqewwM5VtKeVryXTwF_KjRmQ/s400/8.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Fierce facial expression of Ungyo Nio statue</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvBrLPFtCvoRViPPvlS87r5Z7xatSmBKT0HooXfUJx2sAYRAi66qdyai5E5sbfB9jtDpbtdrODN5ntgCV3uOeDUuI_sB2Ykt_zlmFw8LVKvKJ7H1gg_MFjSJ0wxy9FQM2SfSWXH11L8eE/s1600/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvBrLPFtCvoRViPPvlS87r5Z7xatSmBKT0HooXfUJx2sAYRAi66qdyai5E5sbfB9jtDpbtdrODN5ntgCV3uOeDUuI_sB2Ykt_zlmFw8LVKvKJ7H1gg_MFjSJ0wxy9FQM2SfSWXH11L8eE/s400/9.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Two Shishi lions located on the interior backside of either side of the gate</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSRywW4h-OhTVTKi8V21P9qGqwlLgSQ24NbaSmCOBcKsn0qJLqVCAYkivNFrEnTH0w_6OCQ4pA7I_O0HZ9tWHaTPtNorSoKKFg8eXGKQrZaWmntA6q64MadjnZuU80CggrJEuDxU7blKw/s1600/10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSRywW4h-OhTVTKi8V21P9qGqwlLgSQ24NbaSmCOBcKsn0qJLqVCAYkivNFrEnTH0w_6OCQ4pA7I_O0HZ9tWHaTPtNorSoKKFg8eXGKQrZaWmntA6q64MadjnZuU80CggrJEuDxU7blKw/s400/10.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby and the backside of the gate as seen from inside the temple premises</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Once we passed through Nandaimon Gate, we saw a paved pathway leading straight towards Daibutsuden Hall located in the northern direction. As we walked along the 200-meter long pathway, we started getting a sweeping view of the horned roof of Daibutsuden Hall in the background and yet another gate named Chumon in the foreground. We also saw a pond named Kagami Ike located towards the eastern side of the pathway. We noted a red <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torii" target="_blank">Torii</a> Gate beyond the pond which leads to a shrine dedicated to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benzaiten" target="_blank">Benzaiten</a> deity. In the foreground of the gate, we saw a stage which seemed to be floating in the pond. The stage is used for performing traditional <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gagaku" target="_blank">Gagaku</a> music. We also saw a traditional wooden ship floating in the pond. The ship was publicly constructed by 10 carpenters from China over a period of 3 weeks in the month of March for the project ‘<a href="http://culturecity-nara.com/en/" target="_blank">Culture City of East Asia 2016, Nara</a>’. This traditional East Asian ship is a symbolic representation of the ancient <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junk_(ship)" target="_blank">Junk ships</a> that still sails in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_China_Sea" target="_blank">East China Sea</a> since 2nd century AD. The symbolic ship is afloat in the pond instead of sea, and will be on display until 23rd October, 2016.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZREx-XeMrPXPuBgHjlvmI7RlQ1sc02X6Q1VeiRtzHAR7rlRbhGBp84p422dKriJXzEafsSam2NT9kstJoY2SngviUD331bu7RuUaggRpHc1vhDY2zQv5cGHKdca03ADs18KEBJZoxPHk/s1600/11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZREx-XeMrPXPuBgHjlvmI7RlQ1sc02X6Q1VeiRtzHAR7rlRbhGBp84p422dKriJXzEafsSam2NT9kstJoY2SngviUD331bu7RuUaggRpHc1vhDY2zQv5cGHKdca03ADs18KEBJZoxPHk/s400/11.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Walking along the paved pathway after passing through Nandaimon Gate</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHdIvm8cWhqVnqSHhaRBUnbeOP3nma1-beAIQyOggWSIMLnNhb7qjXkTlpzEDyul1qZ5XbyydgzJomB3aKtW51TPSSvgW2Yni0qdLI6YJndS3pQQk9YE4GeWdCmDcd9vI7-5vesoQKgwU/s1600/12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHdIvm8cWhqVnqSHhaRBUnbeOP3nma1-beAIQyOggWSIMLnNhb7qjXkTlpzEDyul1qZ5XbyydgzJomB3aKtW51TPSSvgW2Yni0qdLI6YJndS3pQQk9YE4GeWdCmDcd9vI7-5vesoQKgwU/s400/12.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The paved pathway along with the horned roof of Daibutsuden Hall in the background and Chumon Gate in the foreground</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1495EGsIvtR2IybVAQenj4VSLxkMrFKewd0ENnvmVk0_QxN_rntH3UhHrA7B8ejvoKtmqkALilTI4FNf-yriP_EB516GhbOXxEn6kIB4inXMfYFijdsgf5fBqWMBpRNWF-9PRdBjTBrY/s1600/13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1495EGsIvtR2IybVAQenj4VSLxkMrFKewd0ENnvmVk0_QxN_rntH3UhHrA7B8ejvoKtmqkALilTI4FNf-yriP_EB516GhbOXxEn6kIB4inXMfYFijdsgf5fBqWMBpRNWF-9PRdBjTBrY/s400/13.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Horned roof of Daibutsuden Hall, Chumon Gate, and hubby</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4wTM_eBVkoPkAi83VWOeJyqZ_h0DVeuKOsMZ_ycbX9-kScWHFVH8s6Hzn7l_xW3lp2sbUvXmoD3hwQ8bPSpUXoGOUdr1KRw9fo7HtXVSy5CV18RQ-z31YROGG1HK5j0-AbgajPTre1tc/s1600/14.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4wTM_eBVkoPkAi83VWOeJyqZ_h0DVeuKOsMZ_ycbX9-kScWHFVH8s6Hzn7l_xW3lp2sbUvXmoD3hwQ8bPSpUXoGOUdr1KRw9fo7HtXVSy5CV18RQ-z31YROGG1HK5j0-AbgajPTre1tc/s400/14.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing next to Kagami Ike Pond</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtdoe2TpvV16yho4IMhSsAyJSoGBlMZExXdFV0OrRMKqAtYROMRrtrxGiVjD_0OTc6JwnX424Rdgy3Ftk8KyMu6vfaxPXOjrJerB-78-KtSbxiM6dOQDqOA_PfA6ZazZvakO0oJO7nEt0/s1600/15.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtdoe2TpvV16yho4IMhSsAyJSoGBlMZExXdFV0OrRMKqAtYROMRrtrxGiVjD_0OTc6JwnX424Rdgy3Ftk8KyMu6vfaxPXOjrJerB-78-KtSbxiM6dOQDqOA_PfA6ZazZvakO0oJO7nEt0/s400/15.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Torii Gate, a stage for performing traditional Gagaku music, and the pond</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiahyphenhyphenLQLCCFMbQzlKxdScINRL-xNe5gkfOpBkUK3DdcQz_4ESXJ15usLzk-QdVV-uc_C67s2_bGw56NibOIxm8N0M7UTZ4jkn1FI6vzWdwGd6KBwsP_mR1AqiWAP_qglsyzQng1LqvT4i4/s1600/16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiahyphenhyphenLQLCCFMbQzlKxdScINRL-xNe5gkfOpBkUK3DdcQz_4ESXJ15usLzk-QdVV-uc_C67s2_bGw56NibOIxm8N0M7UTZ4jkn1FI6vzWdwGd6KBwsP_mR1AqiWAP_qglsyzQng1LqvT4i4/s400/16.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Symbolic wooden Junk ship floating in the pond</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">After leisurely walking along the paved pathway for about 15 minutes, we reached in front of Chumon Gate. This wooden gate is located right in front of Daibutsuden Hall. It is a two storied <a href="http://www.aisf.or.jp/~jaanus/deta/r/roumon.htm" target="_blank">Romon</a> gate that was reconstructed in 1716 and has Irimoya-zukuri hip-and-gable roofed architectural style. It is designated as an important cultural property. Chumon Gate is the entrance gate to the most scared part of the temple premises, which consists of Daibutsuden Hall and a few other structures. The gate is connected to a wooden roofed corridor extending on both sides of the gate in the shape of U and leads to the left and right of the Daibutsuden Hall. Thereby, the corridor enclosure fences off the most sacred part from the rest of the temple premises. We stood next to the gate for some time and appreciated the architectural style of the vermilion colored Chumon Gate and the corridor. We also saw huge wooden statues of <a href="http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/bishamonten.shtml#tobatsu-bishamon" target="_blank">Tobatsu-Bishamonten</a> and <a href="http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/jikokuten.html" target="_blank">Jikokuten</a> deities housed on either side of the gate. These deities are two of the four <a href="http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/shitenno.shtml" target="_blank">Shitenno</a> deities that are considered to be protectors of the four directions. Tobatsu-Bishamonten deity protects the north side and Jikokuten deity protects the east side. These two statues were constructed by a sculptor named Yamamoto Junkei of Kyoto during Edo period and were dedicated in 1719 in a lavish consecration (eye opening) ceremony. We loved seeing these huge statues housed on either side of Chumon Gate. Afterwards when we tried to enter the most sacred part of the temple premises through this gate, we realized that the gate was closed and visitors were not allowed to enter via this gate. We were a bit confused but soon noted that there were several additional smaller entrance gates located along various directions of the roofed corridor enclosure. So we walked along the pathway towards the southwest corner of the corridor and entered the sacred premises through a small entrance gate located at this corner. We saw a ticket counter located near this gate where we paid 500 Yen per person as admission fee to enter inside the sacred premises.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfyR_fRBHNE9RpAGnVJxF88zSzeLZF5Ipk7NaDs18SboaaQhDQwmJA7MiZ5UMV2IsJBV4ssDvQtgMMB1HXPPXZ3zvc7-jElXjh5XG5po2TFtF81Dm9KLU6gJUCvb18-07tIuqG1u5PcDk/s1600/17.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfyR_fRBHNE9RpAGnVJxF88zSzeLZF5Ipk7NaDs18SboaaQhDQwmJA7MiZ5UMV2IsJBV4ssDvQtgMMB1HXPPXZ3zvc7-jElXjh5XG5po2TFtF81Dm9KLU6gJUCvb18-07tIuqG1u5PcDk/s400/17.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Chumon Gate</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNTOLfZoJFp05GMryi3V8ZFSH-MtFzGNFNMqa6b3rYvP71UvSet8I24nJ7h6TKZCA-QT_YCxp_l4v4pjiL7ziy_UrGKccE9Ji5sJPya3ABo-wQsmDbaRlYgus7Ub4qr7MeOCwu6SjesoE/s1600/18.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNTOLfZoJFp05GMryi3V8ZFSH-MtFzGNFNMqa6b3rYvP71UvSet8I24nJ7h6TKZCA-QT_YCxp_l4v4pjiL7ziy_UrGKccE9Ji5sJPya3ABo-wQsmDbaRlYgus7Ub4qr7MeOCwu6SjesoE/s400/18.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing in front of the vermilion colored gate</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOndvgbpvK9MLECLCur9TgndDw7psddMo682_HpUuIfeZdelZ3LbRn8BIN-5XetEhG0DS6ls-Hi3Qck6VNO8oIZY3cBQEh_NmHujK2iKpeJ6y6H4MALaVjBVOrzPss463MjDbNFn_o21A/s1600/19.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOndvgbpvK9MLECLCur9TgndDw7psddMo682_HpUuIfeZdelZ3LbRn8BIN-5XetEhG0DS6ls-Hi3Qck6VNO8oIZY3cBQEh_NmHujK2iKpeJ6y6H4MALaVjBVOrzPss463MjDbNFn_o21A/s400/19.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Statue of Tobatsu-Bishamonten deity located on one side of the gate</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDNJdaQ3mLs1S8yViiAD2XXReHOR286HmnWouzA8dW_rmr-wHt_oKjUxSoQVI6M5-356ekDrJnHYrxPDsvCo6_VuEZ-M5wlJhAjNn2Ja_hpdJzCeNs8ORo9C8tlCQZQTUNvwCUKst_Vz8/s1600/20.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDNJdaQ3mLs1S8yViiAD2XXReHOR286HmnWouzA8dW_rmr-wHt_oKjUxSoQVI6M5-356ekDrJnHYrxPDsvCo6_VuEZ-M5wlJhAjNn2Ja_hpdJzCeNs8ORo9C8tlCQZQTUNvwCUKst_Vz8/s400/20.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Statue of Jikokuten deity located on the other side of the gate</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs1IQhbbW1jJMJ6pxW2urXyAVE_SK5M2RGgx1N1FEbunIcCF24oEu_xcrcpjmk1iPWjANzKch_uoHUzm8kKX6fPXf5yMRjIieCNvw0SRoVt4wKM-qNh9R8FZp9kqK7GiGi-ZqmDJknoyI/s1600/21.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs1IQhbbW1jJMJ6pxW2urXyAVE_SK5M2RGgx1N1FEbunIcCF24oEu_xcrcpjmk1iPWjANzKch_uoHUzm8kKX6fPXf5yMRjIieCNvw0SRoVt4wKM-qNh9R8FZp9kqK7GiGi-ZqmDJknoyI/s400/21.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Roofed corridor and Chumon Gate as viewed from the southwest corner</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYoFeJi7mimgzjeVvs2beEorb70kYz8SCHlAqn6TP_Otdut8QjniLYnIYbhiBMfNYM2EwtRZsJYVq9a7dtpo846dWnVn5FE0GoOOo3ClY2MUWlNcFAr9GbYkFsA0e_BC_6C1QZGgkjeIU/s1600/22.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYoFeJi7mimgzjeVvs2beEorb70kYz8SCHlAqn6TP_Otdut8QjniLYnIYbhiBMfNYM2EwtRZsJYVq9a7dtpo846dWnVn5FE0GoOOo3ClY2MUWlNcFAr9GbYkFsA0e_BC_6C1QZGgkjeIU/s400/22.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Entrance gate located at the southwest corner of the corridor</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">We entered the most sacred area of the temple premises though a small gate located at the southwest corner of the roofed corridor. Next we walked along the corridor back towards the Chumon Gate and reached near the backside of the gate inside the sacred premises. We noted that Daibutsuden Main Hall is located right across (north of) the Chumon Gate and a 95-meter long paved stone pathway connects the gate to the hall. Initially while walking along the roofed corridor inside the sacred premises, we were stunned to see the massive Daibutsuden Hall right in front of us. However, soon afterwards we got accustomed to seeing the building. We slowly walked along the paved pathway, and appreciated the architectural style of the majestically gorgeous hall. Now I will briefly write about the history of the hall building. Daibutsuden Hall is the main hall of the temple and is also known as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Hall_(Japanese_Buddhism)#Kond.C5.8D_.28Asuka_and_Nara_periods.29" target="_blank">Kondo </a>Hall or the Great Buddha Hall. It is a magnificent wooden hall that houses the bronze statue of the Great Buddha Daibutsu. The hall was first built during Nara period in 758. However tragedy befell the hall building twice when it was destroyed by fires of war but fortunately both the times it was rebuilt. First time the hall was burned down in 1180 and was soon rebuilt in 1195. The hall again burned down in 1567. Following this, a temporary shelter hall was built but it was destroyed by a storm in 1610. Afterwards the Daibutsu statue stood unsheltered for almost a century due to lack of funds to reconstruct the hall building. Finally the hall was rebuilt under the direction of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanjin#Kanjinshoku_of_Todai-ji" target="_blank">Monk Kokei</a> during the Edo period in 1709. The current hall building is this third generation structure. It is a massive structure that is 50.5 meters deep, 57 meters wide and 48.7 meters high. The original hall and the one rebuilt in 1195, were both eleven bays wide but the present structure was reduced in size to seven bays because only limited funds were available at the time due to wars. Although the width of the present hall is 30% smaller than its predecessors, the height and depth of the structure remain the same as those of the original. The hall was ranked as the largest wooden building in the world until 1998. It has been now been surpassed by modern structures, such as the baseball stadium named <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odate_Jukai_Dome" target="_blank">Odate Jukai Dome</a> located in Akita prefecture. Daibutsuden Hall is designated as a national treasure. We loved viewing this magnificent wooden ornate hall building very much. The horned roof of the hall looked amazing. While walking, we took several photos of the hall from various positions and angles. I have also included a photo that we clicked from the east side while standing outside the sacred premises.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOiWzYCsUNY-5hMTrsSNn_ALqsYMMFwezdQAG-NHub-cBsJ0e2SZnJawE6qn5YOAYsl2PjY3Tqud7N9UJagGh3QW_TqMoH-nXQGzNbDA-BCvkFRA4QYdAY_wlBVuCnrWIHYGND6H28b6E/s1600/23.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOiWzYCsUNY-5hMTrsSNn_ALqsYMMFwezdQAG-NHub-cBsJ0e2SZnJawE6qn5YOAYsl2PjY3Tqud7N9UJagGh3QW_TqMoH-nXQGzNbDA-BCvkFRA4QYdAY_wlBVuCnrWIHYGND6H28b6E/s400/23.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Daibutsuden Hall as viewed from the southwest while walking along the roofed corridor inside the sacred premises</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGOAB_upyPvB4_vvzKDitOvMZ8nBX42RX4Kyq5TexgV4Sk_KC5E5rXhNrRERLwO-cxGg633RV5JN3vCTDSiY6O5QTcgOVOoBp9yJ1n7U7fQgVsuVqFL_cWaQdlIuySLsphbhxz2LZ_LSM/s1600/24.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGOAB_upyPvB4_vvzKDitOvMZ8nBX42RX4Kyq5TexgV4Sk_KC5E5rXhNrRERLwO-cxGg633RV5JN3vCTDSiY6O5QTcgOVOoBp9yJ1n7U7fQgVsuVqFL_cWaQdlIuySLsphbhxz2LZ_LSM/s400/24.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The hall as viewed from the east side from outside the sacred premises</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnRWtK4sgNyIftOx-y5kZgNTJ8z5ATyfQreesN8pRfa3cFZKfOscta_nsvS82e5N6Jiz90P8YVv-NvfCQ-9meCwi-fS75hxWTZ97UV_jk0Z5MdvnImfNRHN8Hu_9tLeTIp-yc9sBIHKB4/s1600/25.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnRWtK4sgNyIftOx-y5kZgNTJ8z5ATyfQreesN8pRfa3cFZKfOscta_nsvS82e5N6Jiz90P8YVv-NvfCQ-9meCwi-fS75hxWTZ97UV_jk0Z5MdvnImfNRHN8Hu_9tLeTIp-yc9sBIHKB4/s400/25.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The hall as viewed from the south (front) while walking along the paved pathway</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha2EZm2jrmMvr5tVUvjEsHJHK_pHUFbYq5IMyEfZvhPyJ_AH2YX6ASl1hIbhQoiOj_Ki5C6ktxxJ_dlCm72znNvsDbzFcPegwXerWtKSk-zQlc0ZWTY3T80GuI5l-jHwuQ6nS0YA-nz3E/s1600/26.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha2EZm2jrmMvr5tVUvjEsHJHK_pHUFbYq5IMyEfZvhPyJ_AH2YX6ASl1hIbhQoiOj_Ki5C6ktxxJ_dlCm72znNvsDbzFcPegwXerWtKSk-zQlc0ZWTY3T80GuI5l-jHwuQ6nS0YA-nz3E/s400/26.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing on the pathway along with the hall in the background</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">We saw a large cauldron of burning incense and ashes located near the backside of Chumon Gate inside the sacred premises of the temple. Smoke from the cauldron is believed to bestow good health. We saw many people lighting incense sticks to the already fuming stock and with their hands wafted the incense fumes over their bodies. I also lit a bunch of incense sticks and wafted the incense fumes from the cauldron over hubby’s body as well as mine. I hope that we will stay healthy for a long time. Afterwards, we started walking along the 95-meter long paved stone pathway leading to the Daibutsuden Hall. After walking along the pathway for about 70 meters, we saw <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C5%8Dzuya" target="_blank">Temizuya</a> water fountain to our right side. Temizuya is used for ritual purification before praying at the hall. At the fountain, we used a bamboo scooper to take some water and poured it over our hands and purified ourselves. We walked further along the pathway for another 5 meters or so and next saw a huge bronze octagonal lantern located in the middle of the pathway. It is an artifact that dates from the time of the founding of Todaiji Temple during Nara period. The large fire chamber of the lantern is covered with a sloping jeweled roof. It rests upon a stone base supported by a stone post emanating from a lotiform pedestal. The eight panels of the fire chamber are grilles of diamond shapes. The four stationary panels are ornamented with celestial musicians while the four pairs of hinged doors are decorated with lions running across clouds. This lantern is designated as a national treasure and we loved seeing it. After another 20 meters of walking further along the pathway, we reached in front of Daibutsuden Hall. We climbed a few stone steps and reached the front verandah of the hall. On this verandah, we saw yet another large cauldron of burning incense and ashes. Here also, I lit a bunch of incense sticks and added it to the already fuming stock. Afterwards, we turned around and stood on the verandah of the hall appreciating the beauty of the sacred premises for quite some time. It felt so serene and peaceful.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8OgCzYQVTjkyuYw_sfZRQqhbhSEWiqITNgL94Srn3rT3WBdkZ8uv4ViBA4RC867wSZl4ndBSvIFGy275I8sBBp2BAd5ESut6-atyYWLRgx84dB3EsUTV8nYBehBRd77u574Jqo34kDSM/s1600/27.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8OgCzYQVTjkyuYw_sfZRQqhbhSEWiqITNgL94Srn3rT3WBdkZ8uv4ViBA4RC867wSZl4ndBSvIFGy275I8sBBp2BAd5ESut6-atyYWLRgx84dB3EsUTV8nYBehBRd77u574Jqo34kDSM/s400/27.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am wafting incense fumes over my body from a cauldron located near the backside of Chumon Gate</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmvUACJcNUUeTypd1YOw6v9JfjFprKd7F2I3a8-sMsLNUEGWGisoYTXQ2mCoL_k6JtseMzKfZ2biOrEQ6VI1iuyGVPWbjnweC3iX5i5zvXO0mSXjE2HZf5XlXhUfLDTw9EvQ2rUKtkETo/s1600/28.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmvUACJcNUUeTypd1YOw6v9JfjFprKd7F2I3a8-sMsLNUEGWGisoYTXQ2mCoL_k6JtseMzKfZ2biOrEQ6VI1iuyGVPWbjnweC3iX5i5zvXO0mSXjE2HZf5XlXhUfLDTw9EvQ2rUKtkETo/s400/28.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Temizuya water fountain</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjupDbIvXejVi5qPRrtg-LW3X6fxJ3VWYzoJLBS85aqZPwhXekkjZIBnwkCNZgKIKlgNi6rQpbRyPbDgc8vMDAsACwREXU5vnjIkhSFAxDULPwN5DCAxucdCiH7xPFUJq_AUW-TN5LiidQ/s1600/29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjupDbIvXejVi5qPRrtg-LW3X6fxJ3VWYzoJLBS85aqZPwhXekkjZIBnwkCNZgKIKlgNi6rQpbRyPbDgc8vMDAsACwREXU5vnjIkhSFAxDULPwN5DCAxucdCiH7xPFUJq_AUW-TN5LiidQ/s400/29.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby washing his hands at Temizuya water fountain</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX9V_ofol7WtTkqEeCqeqW91_wDGxIJB0ykibcveHceuSRGK3O6FbQ2j_PuENNC-UAV_Kyqx1zQH2RMFHgniSiTUOq80NRzXfVhdo3vVtQU9rCgwHe45SH80Oi5Q0DLSuK3KVm1kIZRUk/s1600/30.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX9V_ofol7WtTkqEeCqeqW91_wDGxIJB0ykibcveHceuSRGK3O6FbQ2j_PuENNC-UAV_Kyqx1zQH2RMFHgniSiTUOq80NRzXfVhdo3vVtQU9rCgwHe45SH80Oi5Q0DLSuK3KVm1kIZRUk/s400/30.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Octagonal lantern</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOvtp9KzK-Org2BzkCLaGWmRJH03NZoAY_qM4LJykmZOG9-ldovNJa4q1Tb5X2Za09hrtJntfK3MKsp8E6ubq_NyQFmZaVuiDp3AmybP5cLjRn9RUwJMhU7IHK4oKqWx9423mYow0lcqY/s1600/31.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOvtp9KzK-Org2BzkCLaGWmRJH03NZoAY_qM4LJykmZOG9-ldovNJa4q1Tb5X2Za09hrtJntfK3MKsp8E6ubq_NyQFmZaVuiDp3AmybP5cLjRn9RUwJMhU7IHK4oKqWx9423mYow0lcqY/s400/31.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am waiting for my turn to light a bunch of incense sticks into the cauldron of burning incense that is located on the front verandah of Daibutsuden Hall</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6KTiZCkh5EmmjbkPN9G_Iu4lqe1sB2NuRIALgVO8PGSBC9wqtPBipA5bYitRlj_WJnt-rzfy4U-lD4vknhA230BeqXQRYCVc6f-VhfbaWU2O2IY67vpBoG1v-pAsLSaQcE0wcQm9oKkM/s1600/32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6KTiZCkh5EmmjbkPN9G_Iu4lqe1sB2NuRIALgVO8PGSBC9wqtPBipA5bYitRlj_WJnt-rzfy4U-lD4vknhA230BeqXQRYCVc6f-VhfbaWU2O2IY67vpBoG1v-pAsLSaQcE0wcQm9oKkM/s400/32.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>View from the verandah of Daibutsuden Hall. Temizuya (1), Chumon Gate (2), and the bronze lantern (3) are seen in this photo.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Roofed corridor enclosure towards the east and southeast as viewed from the verandah of the hall</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">On entering the Daibutsuden Hall, we saw a colossal blackened statue of Daibutsu, the Great Buddha, right in front of us. This huge towering statue is the principal image of the hall. It is a 14.98 meters tall bronze statue of Buddha seated on a lotus throne. Daibutsu is the world’s largest bronze statue of Buddha, and is perhaps the most famous attraction of Todaiji Temple as well as Nara City. Daibutsu is properly known as <a href="http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/birushana.shtml" target="_blank">Rushanabutsu</a>, which later came to be known as <a href="http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/dainichi.shtml" target="_blank">Dainichi Nyorai</a> or <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vairocana" target="_blank">Mahavairocana</a> or the Cosmic Buddha in <a href="http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/vajrayana-buddhism.html#esoteric-Japan" target="_blank">Esoteric Buddhism</a> of Japan. The statue is designated as a national treasure. Now I will briefly write about the history of Daibutsu. During the Nara period in 743, Emperor Shomu issued his proclamation for the erection of the Great Buddha Daibutsu. The construction of the colossal statue initially began in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shigaraki_Palace" target="_blank">Shigaraki-no-miya</a>. After enduring multiple earthquakes and fires, the construction was resumed on the grounds of Kinkomyoji Temple in Nara in 745, and was completed in 749. The construction of the image consumed most of Japan’s bronze production for several years that left the country almost bankrupt. The image was dedicated in 752 with a lavish consecration (eye-opening) ceremony. The statue has been, recast, repaired and renovated several times for various reasons, including earthquake related damages and fires due to wars. In 855 the head of the Daibutsu fell off in a major earthquake but the statue was quickly restored. In 1180, the statue was destroyed in a fire during a war. Soon afterwards, restoration of the statue was begun by Monk Chogen in 1181 during which the body of the statue was reconstructed, and the Daibutsu image was consecrated in 1185. The temple again burned down and the statue was destroyed in a fire during yet another war in 1567. However, during that time the entire country was at war, and the restoration of the image was extremely difficult. In fact, the only repairs that could be made were to cover the head of Daibutsu with copper sheathing and the statue stood unsheltered for almost a century due to lack of funds to reconstruct the hall building. Finally in the mid-Edo period Monk Kokei oversaw the restoration process of the statue during which the head of the statue was rebuilt, and due to his efforts the Daibutsu image was consecrated in 1692. It is interesting to note that little remains of the original Daibutsu image. The base of the statue that remains today dates from the original 8th century statue, the current body was recast in the second half of the 12th century, the current hands were made in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azuchi%E2%80%93Momoyama_period" target="_blank">Momoyama period</a> (1568-1603), and the head was made in the Edo period. The 14.98 meters tall Daibutsu is seated on a 2 meters tall pedestal. It has a 5.4 meters long head, and consists of 966 spiral perm balls of hair atop his head. The statue has a golden halo that is 27 meters in diameter and consists of 16 smaller images of <a href="http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/bodhisattva.shtml" target="_blank">Bosatsu</a>. The statue of Daibutsu weighs 250 tons but including the pedestal and all other accessories, the statue weighs almost 500 tons. We loved seeing the huge image of Daibutsu and spent a lot of time observing the intricate details of the statue. We clicked several photos of the statue from various positions and angles.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmAUrF6MazKMxGuroO1Fc4w8lhRRvMPwiJNzNUz0lwwImSTYKu_spePz5Po-vOmvxFWPmHzYc7VU5QuGZw5WJdfN8YVMg2n8rbYoNwxbj1vX4tfxtO7jdhZgovPQmNBC5-jzAfusjpwM8/s1600/34.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmAUrF6MazKMxGuroO1Fc4w8lhRRvMPwiJNzNUz0lwwImSTYKu_spePz5Po-vOmvxFWPmHzYc7VU5QuGZw5WJdfN8YVMg2n8rbYoNwxbj1vX4tfxtO7jdhZgovPQmNBC5-jzAfusjpwM8/s400/34.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Seated bronze statue of Daibutsu enshrined inside Daibutsuden Hall</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUtfM1BJS4HrsSTMMrjTn9vCGAbleIkxg2QPx2UuuvtVqQCLtwdU07hCr284JwIDqrn_CrEj_faYKr6Yl_bjj3hYB3BFmJ1dd6ycSxIYih2y2QrBxDAeBsIy7BQENDX9zX_T5DhsPJbCk/s1600/35.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUtfM1BJS4HrsSTMMrjTn9vCGAbleIkxg2QPx2UuuvtVqQCLtwdU07hCr284JwIDqrn_CrEj_faYKr6Yl_bjj3hYB3BFmJ1dd6ycSxIYih2y2QrBxDAeBsIy7BQENDX9zX_T5DhsPJbCk/s400/35.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The statue is 14.98 meters tall and has a golden halo</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKsp5f8VJg6VrDiuprXQPML7sczzTgSNAawQD2HWTByo6WZfd2hrc9rpM4VroAZFfqdR-m9V1tu3MAscPxM7UlV8JiJJN4M5gMXq1KwUSvxgNbSbIiayu9jOoc8uehzXzeuW-48Pi7NT8/s1600/36.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKsp5f8VJg6VrDiuprXQPML7sczzTgSNAawQD2HWTByo6WZfd2hrc9rpM4VroAZFfqdR-m9V1tu3MAscPxM7UlV8JiJJN4M5gMXq1KwUSvxgNbSbIiayu9jOoc8uehzXzeuW-48Pi7NT8/s400/36.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Facial expressions of the Daibutsu are superb</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC-RidQNRyeIn2OxU-67-HWTPaZa43vI4Xy0Vfewzs_aBTmYze_O1mZAV6XXptK_7JG8mgwiPN_jN1-y0Ey8mqhw3ul3_VpwldmYL98K2uEbUvqnxSLIGid3-tF5GB0lL4ghGK5N67uVY/s1600/37.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC-RidQNRyeIn2OxU-67-HWTPaZa43vI4Xy0Vfewzs_aBTmYze_O1mZAV6XXptK_7JG8mgwiPN_jN1-y0Ey8mqhw3ul3_VpwldmYL98K2uEbUvqnxSLIGid3-tF5GB0lL4ghGK5N67uVY/s400/37.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Daibutsu as viewed from the southwest</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaYaqwU86dolluIdWE3STkFOkac54TUyKXszEXBjGMJ_AlgkWRVbXLqzimcJzRzQcPYN_vysJ6Of_XJ_0CwNgMh0Hc-pbMraJI54eo3JtoRaoXyOTA9LGJDKp-3M4IWJrwAzXCA2lq4mg/s1600/38.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaYaqwU86dolluIdWE3STkFOkac54TUyKXszEXBjGMJ_AlgkWRVbXLqzimcJzRzQcPYN_vysJ6Of_XJ_0CwNgMh0Hc-pbMraJI54eo3JtoRaoXyOTA9LGJDKp-3M4IWJrwAzXCA2lq4mg/s400/38.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Daibutsu as viewed from the west</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipKswNhH9IW6K3srv5AD7rzeOtcLFnypWudmynbHoCdNZy883FvL-FDtOUNVQaP7j2dk8IPELFSPnJtNVATWg59hFC_mNaYFpIlVPa-xvHfrG1C1fEMTzAFqpSfOPPCAb_wg7emEHiuzI/s1600/39.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipKswNhH9IW6K3srv5AD7rzeOtcLFnypWudmynbHoCdNZy883FvL-FDtOUNVQaP7j2dk8IPELFSPnJtNVATWg59hFC_mNaYFpIlVPa-xvHfrG1C1fEMTzAFqpSfOPPCAb_wg7emEHiuzI/s400/39.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Daibutsu as viewed from the southeast</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBVcCiIqPd9SqhpDIAfYlMwpKRFlJQTDKagR5IoqxuE2nm_GpC4cGAEG6R-vpklG-unw4A4mJvD68rn-Mxc-5Xb2cxwpVg_lQaTwtE2jbuJlTD0FVQheHxHrDx4A9xnJnLiaK2ENfC31k/s1600/40.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBVcCiIqPd9SqhpDIAfYlMwpKRFlJQTDKagR5IoqxuE2nm_GpC4cGAEG6R-vpklG-unw4A4mJvD68rn-Mxc-5Xb2cxwpVg_lQaTwtE2jbuJlTD0FVQheHxHrDx4A9xnJnLiaK2ENfC31k/s400/40.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Daibutsu as viewed from the east</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyF70kExOr-kU1vamOfLej8tknRt0n5U3rDI54UVNog3Qmi6hkPDC9Wfv-2cjykVXGPYHFhxR60pbl2cD3wNVaisXkE2AFOUFAm_eHpAyo1S2IQqF2c8nbC_i0HHlNPMJnxQ1pNeqHMRE/s1600/41.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyF70kExOr-kU1vamOfLej8tknRt0n5U3rDI54UVNog3Qmi6hkPDC9Wfv-2cjykVXGPYHFhxR60pbl2cD3wNVaisXkE2AFOUFAm_eHpAyo1S2IQqF2c8nbC_i0HHlNPMJnxQ1pNeqHMRE/s400/41.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby and Daibutsu as viewed from the east</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Inside the Daibutsuden Hall, we noted that the Daibutsu image is flanked by two more great statues of <a href="http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/vajrayana-buddhism.html#esoteric-Japan" target="_blank">Esoteric</a> forms of <a href="http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/bodhisattva.shtml" target="_blank">Bosatsu</a>. These two statues are golden colored and are placed slightly behind the Daibutsu. To the right side of Daibutsu (to our left side while facing the statues), we saw a huge gilded wooden statue of seated <a href="http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/kokuzo.shtml" target="_blank">Kokuzo-bosatsu</a> enshrined in the hall. Kokuzo-bosatsu is the deity of boundless space treasury, and symbolizes emptiness and wisdom as vast as the void. The deity is said to grant infinite wisdom, memory and intelligence. The statue is 7.1 meters tall and was sculpted in 1752. To the left side of the Daibutsu (to our right side), we saw another huge gilded wooden seated statue named <a href="http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/kannon.shtml#nyoirin2" target="_blank">Nyoirin-kannon</a> enshrined in the hall. Nyoirin-kannon is one of the many <a href="http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/kannon.shtml#esoteric2" target="_blank">Esoteric forms of Kannon Bosatsu</a>. Nyoirin-kannon, is the deity of the jewel and the wheel, and presides over the <a href="http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/six-states.shtml" target="_blank">six realms of Karmic rebirth</a>. The statue is 7.22 meters tall and was sculpted in 1738. Both these statues were sculpted by two families of sculptors of Buddhist statues led by Yamamoto Junkei of Kyoto and Tsubai Kenkei of Osaka. In fact, these statues are two of the series of Buddha statues that the two sculptors made over a period of 30 years. These two statues are golden colored and constructed using <a href="http://www.aisf.or.jp/~jaanus/deta/y/yosekizukuri.htm" target="_blank">Yosegi-zukuri</a> technique, and are typical representative wooden Buddhist sculptures of the Edo period. Both these statues are designated as national important cultural properties. We observed and appreciated both the statues in detail and took several photos from various positions and angles. In fact, we had to circle the statue of Daibutsu in a clockwise direction to reach in front of the statue of Nyoirin-kannon as walking in the opposite direction was not allowed inside the Daibutsuden Hall. Actually we saw the Nyoirin-kannon statue at the very end of our tour of the hall, but for the sake of brevity and clarity I have included the details in this paragraph itself.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgESIXBGv8POgm70UpTMddX6fEKve6SytF85TW6op7VAQuUT-E0y7apIHS_bwSOTqt9UGcYKdFH2hl5GNn6pQ0xhRTBMaEdjJ77EnfTKEPAISpvRhiQMBFNMKmkye9r0Dirnt-5uB-jDII/s1600/42.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgESIXBGv8POgm70UpTMddX6fEKve6SytF85TW6op7VAQuUT-E0y7apIHS_bwSOTqt9UGcYKdFH2hl5GNn6pQ0xhRTBMaEdjJ77EnfTKEPAISpvRhiQMBFNMKmkye9r0Dirnt-5uB-jDII/s400/42.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Golden colored seated statue of Kokuzo-bosatsu located to the right side of Daibutsu image</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9dQYnAQEbzlZm_QWEHzxe4TDrLgA4K12EpUrvXEIECA6QUpnUoPu92xCn8-cfE5nXQnXPoKNdqTi7Q0JVFPYjPNk_eMlbSHdGme-M80FmrZKXoZxN7AJEum1lgXjxZiwccoTdpG1jMJ4/s1600/43.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9dQYnAQEbzlZm_QWEHzxe4TDrLgA4K12EpUrvXEIECA6QUpnUoPu92xCn8-cfE5nXQnXPoKNdqTi7Q0JVFPYjPNk_eMlbSHdGme-M80FmrZKXoZxN7AJEum1lgXjxZiwccoTdpG1jMJ4/s400/43.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing in front of Kokuzo-bosatsu statue</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAnnDf-s1Gd1G4h_u_wI1r57O-MtWXsH5J-W_SE5GbWXWmc2L3JI9DkUpFIFv-KopGCtl-DqFLHWgcdlNFg9FNmm-L49wRSeD9D6tlqM63zeX0yTHM28x1CKELDVo1ihF4MAFJGsWw_n0/s1600/44.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAnnDf-s1Gd1G4h_u_wI1r57O-MtWXsH5J-W_SE5GbWXWmc2L3JI9DkUpFIFv-KopGCtl-DqFLHWgcdlNFg9FNmm-L49wRSeD9D6tlqM63zeX0yTHM28x1CKELDVo1ihF4MAFJGsWw_n0/s400/44.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Front view of Kokuzo-bosatsu statue</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcsXf-d8p8QJOvRLpa5wfisYP9yUxCBjkqvsdGYOqW3X_ddk-Qgo9AB7fgZ6bArDphOa0TUyfasi031_juoCDe968kc4yLZe51zZmWthUEFiJch-YVU827RcRv85FwsU3UaoevZQ-0qwk/s1600/45.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcsXf-d8p8QJOvRLpa5wfisYP9yUxCBjkqvsdGYOqW3X_ddk-Qgo9AB7fgZ6bArDphOa0TUyfasi031_juoCDe968kc4yLZe51zZmWthUEFiJch-YVU827RcRv85FwsU3UaoevZQ-0qwk/s400/45.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Facial expressions of Kokuzo-bosatsu statue</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-VdHJn53DtcafRzBEJEeKdt7CK3Oo_BIcCch-TJJcWZXuYCbVdypzMgL7XkwueGUaYryzhhNXu-oetfDo3X8CmkMjOtl7ctXWA_jf-jb7Yyli2EiG0vRn1w5wwIL9GyoJHXqk9XV208/s1600/46.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-VdHJn53DtcafRzBEJEeKdt7CK3Oo_BIcCch-TJJcWZXuYCbVdypzMgL7XkwueGUaYryzhhNXu-oetfDo3X8CmkMjOtl7ctXWA_jf-jb7Yyli2EiG0vRn1w5wwIL9GyoJHXqk9XV208/s400/46.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Golden colored seated statue of Nyoirin-kannon located to the left side of Daibutsu image</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Hp8K5hSF9pjBpl4hyK0Fq6-Or0TgkPLkGs_V-PLAJOn4gSVvXNm2Sr6wxKZt_fHOK8rgmOJdhpPEr-PE5F4spF4c663YPdNkK8U4NHbrJxS4cUuuhkyP3InmClS0mX1rrFmxqQ5SYBE/s1600/47.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Hp8K5hSF9pjBpl4hyK0Fq6-Or0TgkPLkGs_V-PLAJOn4gSVvXNm2Sr6wxKZt_fHOK8rgmOJdhpPEr-PE5F4spF4c663YPdNkK8U4NHbrJxS4cUuuhkyP3InmClS0mX1rrFmxqQ5SYBE/s400/47.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing in front of Nyoirin-kannon statue</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimzFNmtAHYpFrNW90vuwkqCP5Emv9pXA1wU5HUTx7xkQu4oZvfB8SYkRMf_BvJjyXBF7x4jfBiLZVj2HmbYF_mqfWS-B1XVfEGn2jeiCcRPaKB5ButmsMXXNyBXiwESzb_F9vpFThPPw4/s1600/48.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimzFNmtAHYpFrNW90vuwkqCP5Emv9pXA1wU5HUTx7xkQu4oZvfB8SYkRMf_BvJjyXBF7x4jfBiLZVj2HmbYF_mqfWS-B1XVfEGn2jeiCcRPaKB5ButmsMXXNyBXiwESzb_F9vpFThPPw4/s400/48.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Front view of Nyoirin-kannon statue</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMangUQ0cpruhePrPJuQbbAfC1CY_U-6Q3TH12EA4o3rstkAwJ7beP7gghPosEby419l3-xgezGzUi_YCQlh097QjrHjBOjoLiEN7sMD7n4btNLwn8QdXCcJm0yCd-I49jrEDvRSSQ6wQ/s1600/49.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMangUQ0cpruhePrPJuQbbAfC1CY_U-6Q3TH12EA4o3rstkAwJ7beP7gghPosEby419l3-xgezGzUi_YCQlh097QjrHjBOjoLiEN7sMD7n4btNLwn8QdXCcJm0yCd-I49jrEDvRSSQ6wQ/s400/49.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Facial expressions of Nyoirin-kannon statue</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Walking around to the back of Daibutsuden Hall, we saw two huge standing wooden statues of <a href="http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/koumokuten.html" target="_blank">Komokuten</a> and <a href="http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/tamonten.html" target="_blank">Tamonten</a> deities. These deities are two of the four <a href="http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/shitenno.shtml" target="_blank">Shitenno</a> deities that are considered to be protectors of the four directions. Komokuten deity is the protector of the west side, and is seen holding a writing brush in the right hand and a scroll in the left hand, which symbolizes the copying of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutra#Buddhism" target="_blank">Sutras</a>. Tamonten deity is the protector the north side, and is seen holding a treasure club in the left hand a pagoda in the right hand, which symbolizes the protection of Buddhism and wealth. According to the records of Todaiji, the four Shitenno deities were originally constructed by sculptor Unkei in the beginning of the 13th century. Afterwards, Daibutsuden Hall along with these deities was destroyed by a fire during a war in 1567. While the hall was reconstructed in 1709, the repair and replacement of its damaged interior statues took more than another century. Reconstruction of the statue of Komokuten deity began in 1799 and the work on the statue of Tamonten deity started after that. Both these statues are constructed using colored Yosegi-zukuri technique. However, the temple ran out of funds during the production of these two deities, which is why the statue of Tamonten is the only one painted. The statue of Komokuten is rather complete sans the polychroming. We noted that the other two Shitenno deities were not present inside the hall. This is because <a href="http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/zouchoten.html" target="_blank">Zochoten</a> deity, the protector the south side, and <a href="http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/jikokuten.html" target="_blank">Jikokuten</a> deity, the protector of the east side, were never finished. However, only the heads of these two deities were completed and are on display inside the hall. We loved seeing the details of the two standing statues of Komokuten and Tamonten deities and the fierce expressions on the faces of all the four Shitenno deities.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge9wfurIiJ_qtYC_BgGHBMxvWoK1ugum4cWU3avC01vL2dxkSrshvnmS4o0Jx9QQdio-PQMp8VZcwbtciGEW9qRxTnWZmt7Z4YJmiXYoADHIMJSNWc26Ces2uiq2PqZOVp_MIqjyDJPXM/s1600/50.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge9wfurIiJ_qtYC_BgGHBMxvWoK1ugum4cWU3avC01vL2dxkSrshvnmS4o0Jx9QQdio-PQMp8VZcwbtciGEW9qRxTnWZmt7Z4YJmiXYoADHIMJSNWc26Ces2uiq2PqZOVp_MIqjyDJPXM/s400/50.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Standing wooden statue of Komokuten deity</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhruXBv0MdGgAm0mqH4hd4oRZMDOKZNifaxUIZZIUhN16Ki99p1VFAJ18EuGjL72klV8U1OPX5fN574b0oajlMAH2JKecyRbAxYn54GdGgkRjfZIlJdXkHJnRqSvLCLb2523OwwFUK_bio/s1600/51.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhruXBv0MdGgAm0mqH4hd4oRZMDOKZNifaxUIZZIUhN16Ki99p1VFAJ18EuGjL72klV8U1OPX5fN574b0oajlMAH2JKecyRbAxYn54GdGgkRjfZIlJdXkHJnRqSvLCLb2523OwwFUK_bio/s400/51.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Fierce facial expressions of Komokuten deity</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5BxvvlCEXBVMvBH-5tXhoQ6gg_CgwBfSywosEZPog_tDyERKKn7joiLludcp_0-6GGSitTFnrsObZzUY3NuuzPJ7HYQujR3lYkmyiL-9hOjQUCJ72wN75RUhkrQ4Ej-EVDx23wr4uge8/s1600/52.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5BxvvlCEXBVMvBH-5tXhoQ6gg_CgwBfSywosEZPog_tDyERKKn7joiLludcp_0-6GGSitTFnrsObZzUY3NuuzPJ7HYQujR3lYkmyiL-9hOjQUCJ72wN75RUhkrQ4Ej-EVDx23wr4uge8/s400/52.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Standing wooden statue of Tamonten deity</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_S_m525xgwjfgtited0DEDneL9WDKOyjTRmRk1v9VjAMqGwvLwugJZImWFOQWuyK0-hNOcQYfISHqAmkBFvAmum15cq0fC-OjhtwJbL3qr-lE_g2afxNdtKjnpwK8U-f7E-Zqk-0MBrs/s1600/53.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_S_m525xgwjfgtited0DEDneL9WDKOyjTRmRk1v9VjAMqGwvLwugJZImWFOQWuyK0-hNOcQYfISHqAmkBFvAmum15cq0fC-OjhtwJbL3qr-lE_g2afxNdtKjnpwK8U-f7E-Zqk-0MBrs/s400/53.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Fierce facial expressions of Tamonten deity</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAlpsoxDh9tCKLm_rMgST7OUBHl3_M6Abdua6a9obN-SvRUS_PXc7YIsu6iTMOAlvB4XsKaLKDsNrFhWUGliL8yfN4oUtTGxXtydaZhTAjb1oG8Pz8FV99TgbUs83BC9nQBeINm_OZZV0/s1600/54.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAlpsoxDh9tCKLm_rMgST7OUBHl3_M6Abdua6a9obN-SvRUS_PXc7YIsu6iTMOAlvB4XsKaLKDsNrFhWUGliL8yfN4oUtTGxXtydaZhTAjb1oG8Pz8FV99TgbUs83BC9nQBeINm_OZZV0/s400/54.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Display of the heads of Zochoten deity (left side) and Jikokuten deity (right side)</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">We saw several interesting displays in the back of Daibutsuden Hall. We saw the display of a full-scaled <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shibi_(roof_tile)" target="_blank">Shibi</a> roof tile and an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onigawara" target="_blank">Onigawara</a> roof tile. Shibi roof tile is a golden horn-like ornamental tile that is set in pair on both ends of the ridgepole. Although Shibi tile looks like a horn, it actually represents highly stylized fishtail. Onigawara is a type of ornamental ridge-end gargoyle roof tile. We also saw the display of a full-scaled model of the left hand of Daibutsu, which was overwhelmingly huge. Next, we saw display of four miniature-scaled models of the original as well as the reconstructed Todaiji Temple premises. The first model was the reconstruction of the original temple from the Nara period on the scale of 1 to 50. The model was created during <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taish%C5%8D_period" target="_blank">Taisho period</a> under the supervision of a specialist named Amanuma Shunichi. We could clearly see that the Daibutsuden Hall was wider than the current building, and there were two pagodas to the east and west that reached 100 meters in height. The second model on display was the Daibutsuden Hall that was rebuilt 820 years ago during the Kamakura period in 1195. The model was scaled to a size of 1/50. The third model on display was the present-day Daibutsuden Hall that was rebuilt 306 years ago during the Edo period in 1709. This model was also scaled to a size of 1/50. The fourth model on display was the present-day Nandaimon Gate that was rebuilt during the Kamakura period in 1203. This model was scaled to a size of 1/20. It was wonderful to see the miniature-scaled models of the original and the reconstructed temple premises. While walking in the back of the hall, we saw one of the supporting pillars of the hall pierced with a hole in its base that is said to be the size of one of the nostrils of the Daibutsu image. Legend has it that those who can squeeze through this opening will be granted enlightenment in their next life. It is a very popular attraction and we saw many people trying to pass through the 0.3 meters high, 0.37 meters wide, and 1.2 meters long hole. It was so funny.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMHCv0J0hGvIGwKfQde8OvWoaLpdj8wtKILdLrWFVBvac1_v_NXwQI6I2yJmSjv35e-birOjIPAZhKErnbXNZDzDVECV96-WBgNJMNS-fh8rJR7LGEW69cd5XY2jiz6DXPFCpg9kPPLew/s1600/55.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMHCv0J0hGvIGwKfQde8OvWoaLpdj8wtKILdLrWFVBvac1_v_NXwQI6I2yJmSjv35e-birOjIPAZhKErnbXNZDzDVECV96-WBgNJMNS-fh8rJR7LGEW69cd5XY2jiz6DXPFCpg9kPPLew/s400/55.JPG" width="366" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Display of a full-scaled Shibi roof tile (right) and an Onigawara roof tile (left)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd7q0OGlAOz-joFMRq6DJIkstL78GSXn-LjErCLZIu-H9bPf4pf8HVwU65rPzfglASnWhjRZRWCV2oH0zx0LTkCpYwYUMpAZp4l44wpXYtECpe1ydJB55LyqzM_TSa8zRgiA-iRYCbH54/s1600/56.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd7q0OGlAOz-joFMRq6DJIkstL78GSXn-LjErCLZIu-H9bPf4pf8HVwU65rPzfglASnWhjRZRWCV2oH0zx0LTkCpYwYUMpAZp4l44wpXYtECpe1ydJB55LyqzM_TSa8zRgiA-iRYCbH54/s400/56.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Display of a full-scaled model of the left hand of Daibutsu</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKWgmLGokc7s_dejWzAZ2pTIORib1FjRbmty8G9caXTj7jUWXlv_4ra92Oz48smFKJR1uenHm2Fwg2OyNEuPatq2JN5riwUxuepH5Fl4IEXbWnn93-3Ue9ETSUhnOUmF4IherLCVVlBXs/s1600/57.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKWgmLGokc7s_dejWzAZ2pTIORib1FjRbmty8G9caXTj7jUWXlv_4ra92Oz48smFKJR1uenHm2Fwg2OyNEuPatq2JN5riwUxuepH5Fl4IEXbWnn93-3Ue9ETSUhnOUmF4IherLCVVlBXs/s400/57.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Display of the model of the original temple premises from Nara period scaled to a size of 1/50</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlqU59E4F-ZGJkTgT5OokNIOhD1fY8Xnf23P67pAA4GmvNbXenXEkbcTfPhwBIhabxa7KVPJ6zcP2b-5HGcYvhRinb_5Cmo_OCsMvXZ_5wwjDUILDzV8TCL8RpUBFpBpTMGZh8dguvU5M/s1600/58.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlqU59E4F-ZGJkTgT5OokNIOhD1fY8Xnf23P67pAA4GmvNbXenXEkbcTfPhwBIhabxa7KVPJ6zcP2b-5HGcYvhRinb_5Cmo_OCsMvXZ_5wwjDUILDzV8TCL8RpUBFpBpTMGZh8dguvU5M/s400/58.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Display of the model of Daibutsuden Hall from Kamakura period scaled to a size of 1/50</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtM3hLBe_-x4wOQlyfSLqwe_X1vkx8W6p-3RyFP0BMkIUu3Z2C5f4U-25_lSf3yOcMKPsrf5pmyl0FcldyDjl8UsyLVzEGDhdxTvlvQKnFrycKVg_BxPO6UAGGRBLrn0zEiAE6-Uea5V0/s1600/59.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtM3hLBe_-x4wOQlyfSLqwe_X1vkx8W6p-3RyFP0BMkIUu3Z2C5f4U-25_lSf3yOcMKPsrf5pmyl0FcldyDjl8UsyLVzEGDhdxTvlvQKnFrycKVg_BxPO6UAGGRBLrn0zEiAE6-Uea5V0/s400/59.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Display of the model of the present-day Daibutsuden Hall scaled to a size of 1/50</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnNx9z0c9XIVG8b4_vC37LeXS1BBOGbc4JYLdmY48OWRJycj4DMB_hm6QkieA_YnSGiLk1PGO7KFxboLWaV2Qxnz9MfLryrdtkwhRUjBGMFJJV4AR1EwS6UwE4mcnGpS8J0gd1nwcEsF4/s1600/60.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnNx9z0c9XIVG8b4_vC37LeXS1BBOGbc4JYLdmY48OWRJycj4DMB_hm6QkieA_YnSGiLk1PGO7KFxboLWaV2Qxnz9MfLryrdtkwhRUjBGMFJJV4AR1EwS6UwE4mcnGpS8J0gd1nwcEsF4/s400/60.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Display of the model of the present-day Nandaimon Gate scaled to a size of 1/20</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6TtCtyxn8D4CigQMS2ls9-ouB3BWXPxc0-r58O3ZiBSYTgThpkLGJ1QAaKh3zRsuYD0peX9IBrukOAl44OCU_ZUWwjwKqqyc_YAXfXDEp0H05Z71Y9dRpgz5vNETPwPrf6g6QEwIGhko/s1600/61.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6TtCtyxn8D4CigQMS2ls9-ouB3BWXPxc0-r58O3ZiBSYTgThpkLGJ1QAaKh3zRsuYD0peX9IBrukOAl44OCU_ZUWwjwKqqyc_YAXfXDEp0H05Z71Y9dRpgz5vNETPwPrf6g6QEwIGhko/s400/61.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A kid trying to squeeze through the hole pierced at the base of a supporting pillar of the hall</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrYSXds7FgTphLvbypvp5u3jxUxLCMl-tTPDaUsN0yiWOzxWC7kBGrqciNkzlmVY6yG4sRqFOtQT8rZ8AtQNIEGrMZ7fYVoSxuRW5weSL3e4ZOxnjQT4mXWmfsDiapPMw1ZH18c9VV56I/s1600/62.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrYSXds7FgTphLvbypvp5u3jxUxLCMl-tTPDaUsN0yiWOzxWC7kBGrqciNkzlmVY6yG4sRqFOtQT8rZ8AtQNIEGrMZ7fYVoSxuRW5weSL3e4ZOxnjQT4mXWmfsDiapPMw1ZH18c9VV56I/s400/62.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The hole at the base of the supporting pillar has the same size as that of one of the nostrils of the Daibutsu image</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">We left the Daibutsuden Hall after enjoying seeing various statues and structures inside the hall. On the verandah of the hall, we saw a seated statue of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pindola_Bharadvaja" target="_blank">Binzuru</a> deity. It is a wooden structure sculpted during the Edo period. The deity is said to have healing powers. It is believed that if a person rubs a part of the image and then rubs the corresponding part of own body, their ailment (if any) will disappear.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing in front of the statue of Binzuru deity</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">There are many more interesting buildings and structures located inside Todaiji Temple premises but we decided to skip seeing them this time. We left the temple premises and walked up to Kofukuji Temple located nearby. I will write about our visit to Kofukuji Temple in the next post.</span></span></div>
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Manisha Kundu-Nagatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13277146210049986417noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695885479879152724.post-88191212147865719492016-08-30T16:23:00.002+09:002016-08-30T16:44:14.074+09:00Nara Koen Park<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">As I wrote in an <a href="http://lipikazuo.blogspot.com/2016/07/golden-week-holidays.html" target="_blank">earlier post</a>, hubby and I had been to our home in Ichinomiya City during the Golden Week holidays. On 4th May, we visited Nara Koen Park in Nara City of Nara prefecture. Nara Koen Park is a large public park located in the center of the city. It is a beautiful lawn park situated at the foot of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Wakakusa" target="_blank">Mount Wakakusa</a> (also called Mount Mikasa), and extends about 4 kilometers from east to west and about 2 kilometers from north to south. Ever since the capital moved to Nara in the year 710, the location of the park has flourished historically and culturally. People love this park location and its surroundings for the historical properties and the climate for more than 1300 years now. The present form of the park was established in 1880, and was designated as a place of scenic beauty in 1922. Most of the major tourist spots of Nara City are concentrated in and around this park. The main attractions like Todaiji Temple, Kofukuji Temple, Kasuga Shrine, and Nara National Museum are located either on the edge or surrounded by the park. These temples, shrines, and other historic structures represent the glory of the city over many centuries. Small streams, ponds, and a few gardens like Isuien and Yoshikien add charm to the park scenery. Although the official size of the park is 5020000 square meters, the area including the grounds of the temples and shrines, is as large as 6600000 square meters. Nara Park is very famous for deer, and therefore the park is alternatively also called as Deer Park. The park is home to over 1200 wild <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sika_deer" target="_blank">Shika deer</a> freely roaming around. These deer graze along the spacious lawns and frolic on the grass of the park. These deer are considered to be messengers of the gods in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinto" target="_blank">Shinto</a> religion. They have become a symbol of the city and have been designated as a natural treasure. Tourists and visitors usually buy deer crackers that are sold inside the park and enjoy feeding them to Shika deer. However visitors have to be a bit careful because while these deer are tamer than deer in the wild, they can be quite aggressive if they see tourists holding the deer crackers.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">On 4th May, hubby and I left our home in Ichinomiya City at about 8 am and walked up to Kaimei Railway Station located near our home. We took two local trains and reached Nagoya Railway Station where we spent about an hour on the second floor terrace of the station building and enjoyed seeing various kinds of colorful flowers at the terrace. Standing at the terrace, we also saw several high rise buildings located right across the station. One of the interesting buildings we saw is named <a href="https://dainagoyabuilding.com/en/" target="_blank">Dai Nagoya Building</a> which is rather new and was rebuilt and completed in 2015. This tower building is 174.7 meters tall with 34 floors above and 4 floors below ground. It was very interesting for us to note that the outer wall of the building is one of the representative works of designer <a href="http://tokolo.com/" target="_blank">Tokolo Asao</a> who designed the logo emblems of Tokyo 2020 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Summer_Olympics" target="_blank">Summer Olympics</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Summer_Paralympics" target="_blank">Paralympics</a>. Looking at the design patterns on the exterior glass walls of the low-rise part of the building’s facade, we could instantly recognize his signature design style of harmonized geometric pattern that expresses elegance and sophistication. We also saw a stainless steel spiral art sculpture in the plaza area in front of the station. In addition, we saw yet another high rise skyscraper building named <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midland_Square" target="_blank">Midland Square</a>. It is 247 meters tall, and is the tallest building in Nagoya and the fifth tallest building in Japan. We noted that Midland Square building has two tower structures. One of them is office tower which is a 47 storey, 6 basement level tower structure that opened in 2006. The other one is commercial tower which is a 6 storey, 5 basement level tower structure that opened in 2007. It was very interesting to see all these high rise buildings.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing on the second floor terrace of Nagoya Railway Station building</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby clicking photos of the high rise buildings located right across the station</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjziG4fC4dDvgy4K2dzSue8Fa60DofNxNupHfX4I83nhL5aJMufmrGPnUpTXjlXR1RzKNvD3RtGNP0cTs3SSoxXs5Mj1gevGyIXpbDR9FG7oYAHPiyA1TmBStCCXMxgi7GDat-jB5Mj3cs/s1600/3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjziG4fC4dDvgy4K2dzSue8Fa60DofNxNupHfX4I83nhL5aJMufmrGPnUpTXjlXR1RzKNvD3RtGNP0cTs3SSoxXs5Mj1gevGyIXpbDR9FG7oYAHPiyA1TmBStCCXMxgi7GDat-jB5Mj3cs/s400/3.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Dai Nagoya Building (left) and stainless steel spiral art sculpture (right)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQZ2sBcuQKtilppc5POFUE3vVM64RuTAVaqIOdXb9n3FjB-wmrOz7QLwdhd_JD6c5gN31zHGTv19RfFmJeUUZTVjAJ31Y2F3g4JarMIibTc1wlTOCsC2JF7zLM96HQSNVzT2tL-30i038/s1600/4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQZ2sBcuQKtilppc5POFUE3vVM64RuTAVaqIOdXb9n3FjB-wmrOz7QLwdhd_JD6c5gN31zHGTv19RfFmJeUUZTVjAJ31Y2F3g4JarMIibTc1wlTOCsC2JF7zLM96HQSNVzT2tL-30i038/s400/4.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Low-rise part of Dai Nagoya Building (left) and spiral art sculpture (right)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilNbod_3k0bC4WAt_Im6W7EMVF6L4W0oLWkKR4aRePk4sNDssfT6p-_n_jByqdz_Js0psZAQQ3GxjmG_gTrLGAsfMlpg68q5BqDr89MLROj8LWSv-6DzW9sNzRSWaSvqyzAVmIZ1Wzc3A/s1600/5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilNbod_3k0bC4WAt_Im6W7EMVF6L4W0oLWkKR4aRePk4sNDssfT6p-_n_jByqdz_Js0psZAQQ3GxjmG_gTrLGAsfMlpg68q5BqDr89MLROj8LWSv-6DzW9sNzRSWaSvqyzAVmIZ1Wzc3A/s400/5.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Enlarged view of the low-rise part of Dai Nagoya Building</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh3WuzLAx18MSTfCH7l69d78-2zT77AQ0lKCNrevqTXaS1by3h0S7o3pN3io8i55Sh37vbpDEWAFy4cGTJIvEax0oZYa3Vxh5Fka8E1UPip1QD1Ksq8oKS4LHghq1pfbxXLfOn-hzQ6QM/s1600/6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh3WuzLAx18MSTfCH7l69d78-2zT77AQ0lKCNrevqTXaS1by3h0S7o3pN3io8i55Sh37vbpDEWAFy4cGTJIvEax0oZYa3Vxh5Fka8E1UPip1QD1Ksq8oKS4LHghq1pfbxXLfOn-hzQ6QM/s400/6.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Exterior glass walls of the low-rise part of the building’s facade</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmZ5syuh4FxYaeM4UgD9uu3cznnGTFD7q2BZi-CBiSV3rOjo3J-5IiEWk0j3C3jWiLjHDJ4qpGSV-NSMTYH1Nz_IUJ7lV6j5nJ5psdxCNQ_Blgc1lxsT6_p_YzUmpBobFVmyUAHwErNtY/s1600/7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmZ5syuh4FxYaeM4UgD9uu3cznnGTFD7q2BZi-CBiSV3rOjo3J-5IiEWk0j3C3jWiLjHDJ4qpGSV-NSMTYH1Nz_IUJ7lV6j5nJ5psdxCNQ_Blgc1lxsT6_p_YzUmpBobFVmyUAHwErNtY/s400/7.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Harmonized geometric pattern on the exterior glass walls</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Midland Square building</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">At Nagoya Station, we took <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C5%8Dkaid%C5%8D_Shinkansen" target="_blank">Tokaido Shinkansen</a> train to travel up to Kyoto. The journey was comfortable and it took us about 40 minutes to reach Kyoto Station. Next we traveled by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kintetsu_Kyoto_Line" target="_blank">Kintetsu Kyoto Line</a> (<a href="https://www.kyotostation.com/kintetsu-kyoto-line-for-nara/" target="_blank">for Nara</a>) train for another 40 minutes and reached Kintetsu Nara Railway Station in Nara City at about 11.30 am. Our seats in the Kintetsu train were in the upstairs section of a double-decker car with comfortable interior facilities. The staircase entrance to the car had a stairwell that created a unique interior layout.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing on a platform for Tokaido Shinkansen train in Nagoya Railway Station and pointing towards an approaching train</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>We took this Tokaido Shinkansen train to travel up to Kyoto</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sento-kun" target="_blank">Sento-kun</a> mascot at Kintetsu Kyoto Line train platform to Nara in Kyoto Railway Station</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby searching for our seats inside Kintetsu Kyoto Line train</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby sitting at our seats inside the Kintetsu train</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>We reached Kintetsu Nara Railway Station</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">From Kintetsu Nara Railway Station, we walked leisurely for about 20 minutes and reached somewhere near the center of Nara Koen Park. Around this central part of the park, we saw many Shika deer freely roaming around. According to the folklore legend, deer from this area were considered sacred due to a visit from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takemikazuchi" target="_blank">Takemikazuchi-no-mikoto</a>, who is one of the four gods of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kasuga-taisha" target="_blank">Kasuga Shrine</a>. He was invited from Kashima in Ibaraki, and appeared on Mount Mikasa riding a white deer. From that point onward, the deer were considered divine and sacred here. Although the deer were officially stripped of their divine status after World War II, they are still revered by common people. Nowadays tourists and visitors can purchase deer crackers called Shika-senbei that are sold inside the park and feed them to the deer. Although the deer are tame, they can get aggressive if they see visitors holding deer crackers. We enjoyed walking in the park. It was fun to see these deer graze along the spacious lawns and frolic on the grass of the park. We played with a few of them although initially I was very afraid of them. We also purchased a packet of Shika-senbei and enjoyed feeding the crackers to a few deer. It was so much entertaining. We spent almost an hour with the deer in the park.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Shika deer and I in Nara Koen Park</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>There were many visitors all around in the park</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A deer in the park</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXDhm64wwgYrD3qdDnVc22v6j45oNa4IE_qMShHI2wbUVA1ZGDMDOIYcAV5H4LA4PVlNzoYdv7Ipeq3INOk1ss1G35x-f39b_RR7KxSIJpUaTQJkRoybbe7GstUESIXeELnMryNBudclE/s1600/18.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXDhm64wwgYrD3qdDnVc22v6j45oNa4IE_qMShHI2wbUVA1ZGDMDOIYcAV5H4LA4PVlNzoYdv7Ipeq3INOk1ss1G35x-f39b_RR7KxSIJpUaTQJkRoybbe7GstUESIXeELnMryNBudclE/s400/18.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Many more deer in the park</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt7JBwXwj0NX7lhuqdNuqRFkdHwMTc-xKkmPfuM4uAEWdcS-aeh3KTSmayd2GbZtgnq5Ly7S9YX_PFt49vz41O2a_O0GQ8OuRIoi7c1eB44P8TeaXYm3GhYWMXgIVVG7pjYmwss5MzaJ0/s1600/19.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt7JBwXwj0NX7lhuqdNuqRFkdHwMTc-xKkmPfuM4uAEWdcS-aeh3KTSmayd2GbZtgnq5Ly7S9YX_PFt49vz41O2a_O0GQ8OuRIoi7c1eB44P8TeaXYm3GhYWMXgIVVG7pjYmwss5MzaJ0/s400/19.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby feeding Shika-senbei to a deer</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsleFjLjooPL5Y4LtfNE39oXcN_PC6bWGslApE3EoGwzTDY7Ey8EA_CQklmut7TRnGHrp3y4KcgOH4UU1gk7aegrDMQZbmR4lMem48XWxP3zVB3-LlCbN_er2rysTfDLMNZDdiSGoLMKE/s1600/20.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsleFjLjooPL5Y4LtfNE39oXcN_PC6bWGslApE3EoGwzTDY7Ey8EA_CQklmut7TRnGHrp3y4KcgOH4UU1gk7aegrDMQZbmR4lMem48XWxP3zVB3-LlCbN_er2rysTfDLMNZDdiSGoLMKE/s400/20.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby a bit surprised as another deer came rushing to him for Shika-senbei</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYBwO_t28_EdOnnN9jrZ54HRIrwQVgc7ivWl_8mRBlkSfQU0arhhafjLTrpEFvL3jRJO7wWweDbwItx3OHbk1Va64DT9l7-cXdQww9G6EYO_amoBwRDhCw42UJP-d356gSpm_GSku45Cg/s1600/21.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYBwO_t28_EdOnnN9jrZ54HRIrwQVgc7ivWl_8mRBlkSfQU0arhhafjLTrpEFvL3jRJO7wWweDbwItx3OHbk1Va64DT9l7-cXdQww9G6EYO_amoBwRDhCw42UJP-d356gSpm_GSku45Cg/s400/21.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby happy to feed this deer also</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1bB2twf0_iOdPrlp2l9x7hfQ3jpLEkoKC6farzW9KeoSDpTl_yf2vDfd0DfaJtjaTZpjQsAd09UXqCwLT9rhSznp9MoGGtg0r7HRgWzxWQclQXWU8JCWg8Lqq8zEY45YCqtKwSPYmzQ8/s1600/22.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1bB2twf0_iOdPrlp2l9x7hfQ3jpLEkoKC6farzW9KeoSDpTl_yf2vDfd0DfaJtjaTZpjQsAd09UXqCwLT9rhSznp9MoGGtg0r7HRgWzxWQclQXWU8JCWg8Lqq8zEY45YCqtKwSPYmzQ8/s400/22.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby loves deer</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">We continued walking inside the park, and next saw a spacious grassy lawn where many children were busy playing a game of soccer. Towards the eastern side of the grassy lawn, we saw Mount Wakakusa in the background which stands tall at 342 meters above sea level. The mountain has gentle slopes and is like a hill. The mountain is unique in the sense that it is covered with grass. During winter the mountain looks bald and the dead grass is burned in an annual festival known as Yamayaki. The legendary tale of god Takemikazuchi-no-mikoto, as described in the previous paragraph, is based on this mountain. While walking further along the park, we saw a small pond along the way. The pond was aesthetically beautiful and created a beautiful scene among the green landscape. In addition, we also saw the roofs of temples and shrines, and the tips of pagodas peeking through the trees. These enchanting half-hidden views of the rooftops of temples and shrines are actually adjunct features of the landscape and make the park a pleasant space of greenery. Along the way, we also saw a trellis of Wisteria with decorative hanging lavender flower clusters. Walking through the park was really an unforgettable experience for us.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing on the grassy lawn along with Mount Wakakusa in the background</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Children playing a game of soccer in the foreground and Mount Wakakusa in the background</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing next to a pond in the park</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8O6PzaXXl78q8xtlLPCCAsmi54f96EhjwW_EXV-74mf7Pk4J5ZDV3rbu8xOakJtDHvX9WYP8bKJ_1lVATNMQF7nGFRBJOl4dZNuJs7dCekxDzKHWbfBN2caMMBiFznIQgx0q19XLQ22I/s1600/26.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8O6PzaXXl78q8xtlLPCCAsmi54f96EhjwW_EXV-74mf7Pk4J5ZDV3rbu8xOakJtDHvX9WYP8bKJ_1lVATNMQF7nGFRBJOl4dZNuJs7dCekxDzKHWbfBN2caMMBiFznIQgx0q19XLQ22I/s400/26.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing in front of a trellis of Wisteria</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Next we visited Todaiji Temple located inside the park premises. It was a wonderful experience to see the world’s largest bronze statue of <a href="http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/big-buddha-japan.shtml" target="_blank">Daibutsu</a> enshrined inside the world’s largest wooden building named Daibutsuden Hall. I will write about our visit to Todaiji Temple in the next post. Inside Daibutsuden Hall, we bought cute souvenirs like a pair of male and female <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omamori" target="_blank">Omamori</a> amulets for healthy body as well as a keychain with an engraved image of Daibutsu on it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Daibutsuden Hall of Todaiji Temple</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A pair of male and female Omamori amulets for healthy body</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A keychain with an engraved image of Daibutsu</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Afterwards, we left Daibutsuden Hall of Todaiji Temple and continued walking inside the park. Just east of the hall, we saw a stone monument of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pillars_of_Ashoka" target="_blank">Pillar of Ashoka</a>. In fact, it is the replica of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lion_Capital_of_Ashoka" target="_blank">Lion Capital of Ashoka</a> or the top portion of the Pillar of Ashoka of Sarnath in India. It is modeled after a holy lion, the symbol of Buddhist teachings. The replica was erected in commemoration of the ‘Thousand-Priests’ Service on the occasion of the Hanamatsuri (Buddha’s birthday) celebration at Daibutsuden Hall on 26 April, 1988. This monument was established to transmit the spirit of the young priests down to posterity. We also saw a golden <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C5%8Drin" target="_blank">Sorin</a> located next to the Pillar of Ashoka. Sorin is the finial metal top to a pagoda. This Sorin was created and exhibited on the rooftop of a seven storied pagoda at the site of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expo_%2770" target="_blank">Expo ’70</a> fair in Osaka. In fact, the pagoda was recreated in the same appearance and dimensions as the seven storied pagoda that once stood on the Todaiji Temple premises about 1200 years ago. After closing of the exposition fair, the Sorin was reestablished in this place in October 1971. The height of this Sorin is 23.3 meters, which serves as a reminder of the humongous magnitude (height) of the original pagoda.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS-sZWwQ4Brxun0UMG0nFv87sXyB6W6zVlqiDYzPpJRIDI5ePUT743o5WSbDrbP-ejWcqSNpP8oEM2j_CjNhko05sDWD11-jMr9ADg2PwSii2vcWKDI9JefFVxAXVivYTgWgu5CCb88qU/s1600/30.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS-sZWwQ4Brxun0UMG0nFv87sXyB6W6zVlqiDYzPpJRIDI5ePUT743o5WSbDrbP-ejWcqSNpP8oEM2j_CjNhko05sDWD11-jMr9ADg2PwSii2vcWKDI9JefFVxAXVivYTgWgu5CCb88qU/s400/30.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby clicking photos inside the park</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf8IcmLfcvXRwKQOWst02OLbVzSuwaolSZ6c9yNh_wtJ4UBzVNsaPVV1ltE26mqBuPWz5Zr4BIZLzMlj1bn7kR1QzU5OiAa5KB3zG7S7CSrXCQ17zK8Mte7pTDcYzHgWNb4Ng3mCnTGL0/s1600/31.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf8IcmLfcvXRwKQOWst02OLbVzSuwaolSZ6c9yNh_wtJ4UBzVNsaPVV1ltE26mqBuPWz5Zr4BIZLzMlj1bn7kR1QzU5OiAa5KB3zG7S7CSrXCQ17zK8Mte7pTDcYzHgWNb4Ng3mCnTGL0/s400/31.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Stone monument replica of the top portion of the Pillar of Ashoka</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQzssRdC0xVMJnHqUcqZ1EZG4I_C-rbLTSmmRwhlou2OX9DfXhi3QqrHTOXws_oVUlbH8gy_0jYG5WTIc0L_JHBnvI1bprahFpUQnAIQoaGUYQJMPp1QkzFmrzJcxOGj4G1nHpKvoTS6o/s1600/32.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQzssRdC0xVMJnHqUcqZ1EZG4I_C-rbLTSmmRwhlou2OX9DfXhi3QqrHTOXws_oVUlbH8gy_0jYG5WTIc0L_JHBnvI1bprahFpUQnAIQoaGUYQJMPp1QkzFmrzJcxOGj4G1nHpKvoTS6o/s400/32.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing next to the replica of the Lion Capital of Ashoka</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKXEDQIZrw1wMthwe3GfGFbviVDcIm7dxBKx3sUjfkQjJmNZV3cYnPxs_SHb-foVzfzGHxnPjfuwkS7wgDA8qgHVN6kcXqX0PAKtl5sc5FS3Td0gPBPiG6UzjUSbCXgjgT206Gqe3jzS0/s1600/33.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKXEDQIZrw1wMthwe3GfGFbviVDcIm7dxBKx3sUjfkQjJmNZV3cYnPxs_SHb-foVzfzGHxnPjfuwkS7wgDA8qgHVN6kcXqX0PAKtl5sc5FS3Td0gPBPiG6UzjUSbCXgjgT206Gqe3jzS0/s400/33.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing in front of the golden Sorin</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">We left Todaiji Temple complex at about 2.30 pm and started walking back in the park premises. We again saw many Shika deer all around in the park. However, this time we noted that almost all the deer were resting or sleeping and refused to eat Shika-senbei crackers from the visitors. They had probably been overfed or had overeaten as it was a holiday season in Japan that time with too many visitors to the park. It was fun to watch a herd of deer resting and sleeping peacefully.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmC5IIC01kEHpofzNR2YAqojTh4zAlFF_yd_XVcvLl_wc-K4cqBheEoxGIsyTkLylGZVzWpZRGh7xW6XFAl4Fz4GpeHbAdhTvLFtCalgvja2pRSsZRgz6rdL8dILZufE3M3RahOJR-IAs/s1600/34.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmC5IIC01kEHpofzNR2YAqojTh4zAlFF_yd_XVcvLl_wc-K4cqBheEoxGIsyTkLylGZVzWpZRGh7xW6XFAl4Fz4GpeHbAdhTvLFtCalgvja2pRSsZRgz6rdL8dILZufE3M3RahOJR-IAs/s400/34.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A herd of deer resting peacefully inside the park</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsMoAeNC_uThmC5jgicVlbizNuSA5QTn6TGg1lwfQObA1sigTezjURVRC0XZpW55_hLYrRlnNxKv8xgF8Dxiy0mRoaXuinsELg1RKXEYVQTFhuBwO6ckUCkFPsSSXFcmUrm5rYnDM35ys/s1600/35.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsMoAeNC_uThmC5jgicVlbizNuSA5QTn6TGg1lwfQObA1sigTezjURVRC0XZpW55_hLYrRlnNxKv8xgF8Dxiy0mRoaXuinsELg1RKXEYVQTFhuBwO6ckUCkFPsSSXFcmUrm5rYnDM35ys/s400/35.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Yet another photo of the herd of deer</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu6n_Zqh7Vd3qCycA5zZ6IG9oqlUtFo_pwSmWNaVuapxa1H0xrzy1Q0oKSdvebZlQH6WmwxeDlh5vrltGaUkNtTObJOhtVi5Dbth9XDd_KA7wDB0rjvp8z3YhJb42WIMGeh5c9qnpdvp8/s1600/36.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu6n_Zqh7Vd3qCycA5zZ6IG9oqlUtFo_pwSmWNaVuapxa1H0xrzy1Q0oKSdvebZlQH6WmwxeDlh5vrltGaUkNtTObJOhtVi5Dbth9XDd_KA7wDB0rjvp8z3YhJb42WIMGeh5c9qnpdvp8/s400/36.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A sleeping deer</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEideR91JvamuD0DUbIgmp1NnVm_XhxtMlEFFlILwurrzhAgHJeRuAw4noicsuMsxnAG-Sy3YiceR1ISwNsLrrmJjdaaIRV-NSJ0DUlxzjl0zX7DidSRmZ894PFz4XN5E4vjVCeauaI7hjU/s1600/37.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEideR91JvamuD0DUbIgmp1NnVm_XhxtMlEFFlILwurrzhAgHJeRuAw4noicsuMsxnAG-Sy3YiceR1ISwNsLrrmJjdaaIRV-NSJ0DUlxzjl0zX7DidSRmZ894PFz4XN5E4vjVCeauaI7hjU/s400/37.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A few more sleeping deer</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQI8Hmy4XbolJ6N5mauCJnBtbS-NYoCdlKeobrma-eHbl4NJrO05-fVsk1Ew9BdMZrVXNU9qDEI9TJrNYncP8AWxMfWrmcVYZQFb53hfQsoRZBC0t-nh9RZ_hBTffyzlyYqdhO8V_wyXI/s1600/38.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQI8Hmy4XbolJ6N5mauCJnBtbS-NYoCdlKeobrma-eHbl4NJrO05-fVsk1Ew9BdMZrVXNU9qDEI9TJrNYncP8AWxMfWrmcVYZQFb53hfQsoRZBC0t-nh9RZ_hBTffyzlyYqdhO8V_wyXI/s400/38.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>All of them too sleepy</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGl6PY_I_me3iOTq8rprXsHeMhGt7H8JtOlmLK6e9xYfge17VQGuORRlcSq1NqcLS7_GBIaSDRd49AUROazahb_eWE41XzRpBJ3WeV8M5f6SVO9MZm7YrBzrnAS2AbZrnTXHwW98EeINc/s1600/39.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGl6PY_I_me3iOTq8rprXsHeMhGt7H8JtOlmLK6e9xYfge17VQGuORRlcSq1NqcLS7_GBIaSDRd49AUROazahb_eWE41XzRpBJ3WeV8M5f6SVO9MZm7YrBzrnAS2AbZrnTXHwW98EeINc/s400/39.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am posing with a sleeping deer</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Next, we saw many food stalls set up on either side of the main path inside the park premises. They sold fried or grilled food items and cold drinks. We bought <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakisoba" target="_blank">Yakisoba</a> along with grilled <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakitori" target="_blank">Yakitori</a> chicken and grilled <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakitori#Kushiyaki" target="_blank">Kushiyaki</a> beef tongue pieces on skewers. We enjoyed having them while leisurely walking inside the park. While walking we saw an interesting manhole cover with images of a deer and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry_blossom" target="_blank">Sakura</a> flowers, the local fauna and flora for which the park is famous.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_uUaeCSilhR8yti3aFLGOezqhRqZhT3UDooBuX4LC6C21vJAn7VdhtHQpSapWfj1-J9Rky4XXWm29N6kuXI3WMfkYCaWSBTxCYkSgGekpfYZML3ZqmZTO6vyc1-DT077kAabzFlq0AgA/s1600/40.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_uUaeCSilhR8yti3aFLGOezqhRqZhT3UDooBuX4LC6C21vJAn7VdhtHQpSapWfj1-J9Rky4XXWm29N6kuXI3WMfkYCaWSBTxCYkSgGekpfYZML3ZqmZTO6vyc1-DT077kAabzFlq0AgA/s400/40.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A food stall owner grilling our food</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDm9Qxzgu-Zffh2SBGF4jN42aId7tAXoPRYJC54BGsOd2wUVjhSlFA3BAV8Zr97V9hJ1wr0xeqyLXOnxT-iFy4yvJ3EDUYtdtt1Cf6PNa8ZaN12q-UnNSQFbdMd2EzhjiuBukH-5GADzA/s1600/41.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDm9Qxzgu-Zffh2SBGF4jN42aId7tAXoPRYJC54BGsOd2wUVjhSlFA3BAV8Zr97V9hJ1wr0xeqyLXOnxT-iFy4yvJ3EDUYtdtt1Cf6PNa8ZaN12q-UnNSQFbdMd2EzhjiuBukH-5GADzA/s400/41.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby eating grilled Kushiyaki beef tongue pieces and holding grilled Yakitori chicken</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhbV1jPJHDiAAyV_ywzj-Sz4vpswCjKWdZYA9yeZfxqcujrX6qi0eLKOpz40pDA6ZnB8D7XL92AhvOhUnokMNrsORO6WHt_qraooDaXolTC73CdsDv6FKPfnRPRpSatRUw0nif3M-vBec/s1600/42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhbV1jPJHDiAAyV_ywzj-Sz4vpswCjKWdZYA9yeZfxqcujrX6qi0eLKOpz40pDA6ZnB8D7XL92AhvOhUnokMNrsORO6WHt_qraooDaXolTC73CdsDv6FKPfnRPRpSatRUw0nif3M-vBec/s400/42.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Manhole cover with images of a deer and Sakura flowers</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">After having the snacks, we started walking back towards Kintetsu Nara Railway Station. On our way, we visited Kofukuji Temple which is famous for its five-storied wooden pagoda. Kofukuji Temple is also officially located inside Nara Koen Park premises and it was such a wonderful experience to visit this temple of great historical value. I will write about our visit to the temple in a blog post later on.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtO3v2XriKCUDW-WuxIDzqcggEmKIQjqYLOpKF9fOwzRNcslZE05yXk4tXKqqTDiE0cgrh7UOgbzbfsiJWdlIux2jQNV3A6POp6LN3qTLS4lOMdYZGTNo_C-XmVluJ5RWFVmvAcbTCxFo/s1600/43.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtO3v2XriKCUDW-WuxIDzqcggEmKIQjqYLOpKF9fOwzRNcslZE05yXk4tXKqqTDiE0cgrh7UOgbzbfsiJWdlIux2jQNV3A6POp6LN3qTLS4lOMdYZGTNo_C-XmVluJ5RWFVmvAcbTCxFo/s400/43.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A five-storied pagoda inside Kofukuji Temple premises</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Next, we went to <a href="http://higashimuki.jp/index_en.html" target="_blank">Higashimuki</a> Shopping Arcade, which is a 250-meter-long covered shopping street which extends from the east of Kintetsu Nara Station and Sanjo Dori Street to the south. The arcade has many shops and stores selling souvenirs, arts and crafts, clothes, Kimonos, as well as traditional Japanese sweets and ornaments. We bought a pair of ornamental porcelain <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinamatsuri" target="_blank">Hina</a> dolls and a pair of porcelain cat dolls at one of the souvenir shops. The dolls are so cute.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3LYddZxgxbhxQpa5wCUQS-_XhxI5gAWQbrTPP062TewrdfEvE0tcCB_ysNoKUyDj3NM7xGEqGQUyloYggv99TsHUy0fMJEYVAZixUnm5w9aUKWmhTcyZCT1BvwZJYsgDiywb9l3gP9uQ/s1600/44.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3LYddZxgxbhxQpa5wCUQS-_XhxI5gAWQbrTPP062TewrdfEvE0tcCB_ysNoKUyDj3NM7xGEqGQUyloYggv99TsHUy0fMJEYVAZixUnm5w9aUKWmhTcyZCT1BvwZJYsgDiywb9l3gP9uQ/s400/44.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A pair of porcelain Hina dolls</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A pair of porcelain cat dolls</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">We reached Kintetsu Nara Railway Station at about 5 pm, and took Kintetsu Kyoto Line train to travel up to Kyoto. The journey was comfortable and it took us about 40 minutes to reach Kyoto Railway Station. Next, we traveled by Tokaido Shinkansen train for another 40 minutes and reached Nagoya Station. From there we took yet another local train to reach our home in Ichinomiya City at about 8.30 pm. We were very tired due to travel and sightseeing the entire day but it was really a fun filled outing to Nara Koen Park.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing in front of Kintetsu Nara Railway Station</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing in front of Kintetsu Kyoto Line train at a platform of Kintetsu Nara Station</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby sitting at our seats inside Kintetsu Kyoto Line train</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby tired and sitting down while waiting for our next train at Kyoto Railway Station</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>We took this Tokaido Shinkansen train to travel from Kyoto to Nagoya</i></span></span></div>
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Manisha Kundu-Nagatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13277146210049986417noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695885479879152724.post-49840082290946424782016-08-19T09:51:00.002+09:002016-08-19T09:51:39.617+09:00Nihonbashi<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">As I wrote in an <a href="http://lipikazuo.blogspot.com/2016/07/golden-week-holidays.html" target="_blank">earlier post</a>, hubby and I did some sightseeing in and around Nihonbashi district during the Golden week holidays. On 30th April, we visited a few shrines and saw several historic buildings and structures in Nihonbashi district of Chuo Ward. Nihonbashi district is considered to be the center of Japan and it has flourished and enjoyed much commercial prosperity over the centuries. It is a unique place where past and present seem to meet and we can experience a unique blend of historical <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edo_period" target="_blank">Edo period</a> culture and modern day Tokyo. In fact, many shrines, shops, and other structures with centuries-long histories are still operating in the district today. All these places make for pleasant strolls. Walking around, eating delicious foods, and shopping in the district is very delightful.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">On 30th April, hubby and I initially visited a few shrines in Nihonbashi district. We walked along a walking course called Shichifukujin Meguri and visited three of the eight shrines dedicated to the seven <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Lucky_Gods" target="_blank">Shichifukujin</a> deities of good fortune. First we visited a shrine named Koami Jinja. The shrine was founded 550 years ago in 1466 and has great historical value. Koami Jinja is one of the few existing shrines constructed with Bishu-hinoki cypress. Today’s dignified looking Shaden Main Hall and Kaguraden Hall buildings were constructed in 1942, and the Main Hall adheres to the traditional design with elaborately sculptured ornaments. These two hall buildings are registered as cultural properties of Chuo Ward. The principal deity of Koami <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inari_%C5%8Ckami" target="_blank">Inari</a> is enshrined inside the shrine. It is a deity of fertility, rice, tea, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sake" target="_blank">Sake</a>, agriculture, industry, general prosperity, and worldly success. In addition, a deity of virtue and longevity named <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukurokuju" target="_blank">Fukurokuju</a>, and a deity of learning and wealth named <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benzaiten" target="_blank">Benzaiten</a> are also worshipped here. A statue of Benzaiten sitting in a boat is enshrined in the shrine premises. This statue was initially enshrined in Manpukuju Temple but was later transferred to this shrine in 1869. There is also a small water basin (named Zeni-arai-no-i) located in front of the deity, whose water is said to have the power to multiply the money that is washed with its water. The shrine annually holds <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doburoku" target="_blank">Doburoku</a> (crude home-brewed sake) festival on 28th November, which is regarded as one of the major Doburoku festivals in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kant%C5%8D_region" target="_blank">Kanto region</a>. We noted that the shrine has a stone <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torii" target="_blank">Torii</a> Gate towards the eastern side and a beautiful strong straw <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shimenawa" target="_blank">Shimenawa</a> hangs from the gate. We walked past the gate and appreciated the architecture of various buildings inside the shrine premises for some time. Afterwards, I washed my hands at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C5%8Dzuya" target="_blank">Temizuya</a> water fountain which is a ritual for cleansing our body and mind. At the altar of the Main Hall, I offered some coins into the offertory box, clapped my hands twice, and prayed for long life of hubby and well being of my family. I also rang a bell that hung in front of the Main Hall. Afterwards I prayed to Benzaiten deity and washed a 10 Yen coin at the small water basin located in front of the statue. I hope our money will multiply soon. We also bought a wooden <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ema_(Shinto)" target="_blank">Ema</a> with Shichifukujin gods painted on it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby consulting a map while walking along Shichifukujin Meguri walking course</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing in front of Koami Jinja shrine</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Shimenawa rope hanging from Torii Gate of the shrine</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing inside the shrine premises along with Shaden Main Hall in the background</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The wooden front and ceiling of the Main Hall has intricate and elaborate sculptures and traditional designs</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Enlarged view of the Main Hall front</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am washing my hands at Temizuya</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am ringing a bell hanging in front of the Main Hall</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Altar inside the Main Hall</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjycmx_QsiNdkx2jp_XbzL434Xdq98Yv_bfGfUgM1ZYgaf3VWKIF_9u8bLMAZp3e56N2pbpfR5jdPYErXEgCCx1RClKtjfddNQpFSh2OpagBLAGoF-l__N4sh97earAIwmW58xGqYqQOIU/s1600/10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjycmx_QsiNdkx2jp_XbzL434Xdq98Yv_bfGfUgM1ZYgaf3VWKIF_9u8bLMAZp3e56N2pbpfR5jdPYErXEgCCx1RClKtjfddNQpFSh2OpagBLAGoF-l__N4sh97earAIwmW58xGqYqQOIU/s400/10.JPG" width="323" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Statue of Benzaiten deity and a small water basin located in front of it</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmEhsODTfrjXlqQZgDY3X1vqVdWWhfqIaeujbAt06AmJU7r2QEVvWK9Q2d-yF9noqPJVeIo_jCiyJiu5Ye8rtwFXgI5d35jO_qpFnlVNUIcs4UvIEAKTSE4q_RI5uldhqzx92sPvjy0xI/s1600/11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmEhsODTfrjXlqQZgDY3X1vqVdWWhfqIaeujbAt06AmJU7r2QEVvWK9Q2d-yF9noqPJVeIo_jCiyJiu5Ye8rtwFXgI5d35jO_qpFnlVNUIcs4UvIEAKTSE4q_RI5uldhqzx92sPvjy0xI/s400/11.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am washing a 10 Yen coin in the water basin</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyebu04qPduBPrgp8savMoSNEL9NLUZyOpI62NzYiz3-3pYfwk1QHsQX1aniimz7A_8hPd0IaXYSlK83hlYSJEUx3SwMt4Yh_ISxlEW1O_noagrwKw_3OtVFBLU_rsT6rh_txuf2lS6fU/s1600/12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyebu04qPduBPrgp8savMoSNEL9NLUZyOpI62NzYiz3-3pYfwk1QHsQX1aniimz7A_8hPd0IaXYSlK83hlYSJEUx3SwMt4Yh_ISxlEW1O_noagrwKw_3OtVFBLU_rsT6rh_txuf2lS6fU/s400/12.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Statue of Fukurokuju deity</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6PTC0w2IrThmnDcvKyFZPspRefAd-YPsWDhI0LjY4uCbFLSzncRAtpLeIFaQyRySyX18MFNqvX1j31d8X2jhIYwGjPzujXlmzMNNw9MwtUNX8k9AqN78sD2gKyHWcIvPa7dKPvvr25P0/s1600/13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6PTC0w2IrThmnDcvKyFZPspRefAd-YPsWDhI0LjY4uCbFLSzncRAtpLeIFaQyRySyX18MFNqvX1j31d8X2jhIYwGjPzujXlmzMNNw9MwtUNX8k9AqN78sD2gKyHWcIvPa7dKPvvr25P0/s400/13.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A wooden Ema with Shichifukujin gods painted on it</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">We walked further along the Shichifukujin Meguri walking course for about 10 minutes and reached a shrine named Takarada Ebisu Jinja located in Nihonbashi itself. The surrounding houses and parking lot almost obscures this quiet neighborhood small shrine, but it still attracts a steady stream of locals stopping by for praying. The principal deity of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebisu_(mythology)" target="_blank">Ebisu</a>, a god of prosperous business, is enshrined inside. This statue of Ebisu located in the center of the altar is reportedly the work of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unkei" target="_blank">Unkei</a> or <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hidari_Jingor%C5%8D" target="_blank">Hidari Jingoro</a>. The statue was originally a local guardian deity of Takarada Village located in front of the Imperial Palace. Later in 1606, the statue was reportedly given by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokugawa_Ieyasu" target="_blank">Tokugawa Ieyasu</a> to a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samurai" target="_blank">Samurai</a> official of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edo_Castle" target="_blank">Edo Castle</a> named Magome Kageyu. The popular annual fair of <a href="http://www.gotokyo.org/en/kanko/chuo/event/ebisube.html" target="_blank">Bettaraichi</a> is held on 19th-20th October around this shrine since <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genroku" target="_blank">Genroku era</a> of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edo_period" target="_blank">Edo period</a>. The fair is well known for selling the local specialty called <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bettarazuke" target="_blank">Bettarazuke</a>, or sweet and salty <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daikon" target="_blank">Daikon</a> radish pickles. We appreciated the shrine architecture for some time and I prayed in front of the shrine altar for hubby’s success in job.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjglPcA9VmYfqybzNXZo_yrdhPAJbKW_ilTuWQJ4QOZcx7aZja-3SfOhwLMYYYcf0RM39Lyjo0DUA-JlekNRcYxAAkOegWeMS7zBPydA8Dop3jhHsVZxjc4QiPTSAfb_cwfM-tuZ2Og4Bo/s1600/14.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjglPcA9VmYfqybzNXZo_yrdhPAJbKW_ilTuWQJ4QOZcx7aZja-3SfOhwLMYYYcf0RM39Lyjo0DUA-JlekNRcYxAAkOegWeMS7zBPydA8Dop3jhHsVZxjc4QiPTSAfb_cwfM-tuZ2Og4Bo/s400/14.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing in front of Takarada Ebisu Jinja shrine</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO5PuacXfM4OB8HsuS4hCFM8Kz0TvW-CY-XrFuVLlnHPzX4LHadYdktpjozCvdAqO4Pz583Fj4R4W93bZEOSpYhaMwo-Jbvb4FAfJDSGyddTNC7bEVnf6U2T7pOoKd8Y30Qv9hPqGh3xQ/s1600/15.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO5PuacXfM4OB8HsuS4hCFM8Kz0TvW-CY-XrFuVLlnHPzX4LHadYdktpjozCvdAqO4Pz583Fj4R4W93bZEOSpYhaMwo-Jbvb4FAfJDSGyddTNC7bEVnf6U2T7pOoKd8Y30Qv9hPqGh3xQ/s400/15.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing in front of the shrine</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZOjEL7CtRQSCoPqf9Qrv5x9z6Fj3Ebp9PtfBVTYMT1vBq7DC9WhlaaXby9dQSapG4fpHdknmpAc7VvYEAJPnXal78DKG8eBgm8OngKzx-oGhAJgsDLDbRZAoXbZ3bO-tBNPeZ8FLtjhE/s1600/16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZOjEL7CtRQSCoPqf9Qrv5x9z6Fj3Ebp9PtfBVTYMT1vBq7DC9WhlaaXby9dQSapG4fpHdknmpAc7VvYEAJPnXal78DKG8eBgm8OngKzx-oGhAJgsDLDbRZAoXbZ3bO-tBNPeZ8FLtjhE/s400/16.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am ringing a bell hanging in front of the shrine</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghmkQsK3plijvqMrXBmFyzt3De-BPFe-P70PSD105RDMIlJWodmM_7GiVWLSn-X5ILay5brAeMqmaWjGrcPNeJdH-SPav8-KneMSWXqf5XGAkEB3Lq0Q9v2LsKM-z3LEMVah07LJRAfM0/s1600/17.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghmkQsK3plijvqMrXBmFyzt3De-BPFe-P70PSD105RDMIlJWodmM_7GiVWLSn-X5ILay5brAeMqmaWjGrcPNeJdH-SPav8-KneMSWXqf5XGAkEB3Lq0Q9v2LsKM-z3LEMVah07LJRAfM0/s400/17.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Altar inside the shrine hall</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">We continued walking along the walking course for another 10 minutes and reached yet another shrine named Suginomori Jinja. The shrine was founded about 1000 years ago by a warrior of that time. The shrine records indicate that <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fujiwara_no_Hidesato" target="_blank">Fujiwara no Hidesato</a> (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Lord_Bag_of_Rice" target="_blank">Taira no Tota</a>) prayed for the subjugation of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taira_no_Masakado" target="_blank">Taira no Masakado</a> in a battle, as well as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%8Cta_D%C5%8Dkan" target="_blank">Ota Dokan</a> carried out a ceremony to pray for rains at this shrine. The principal deity of Ebisu is enshrined inside. The deity has a fishing rod in his right hand and a sea bream in the left hand. Ebisu was initially prayed as a god of bountiful catches but later it also came to be prayed as a god of business prosperity. During Edo period the shrine prospered and was considered as one of the three lottery-drawing shrines or ‘Edo Mitsumori’ (Edo three-‘mori’) shrines of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edo" target="_blank">Edo Tokyo</a> area along with Yanaginomori Jinja of Kanda and Karasunomori Jinja of Shinbashi. Ebisu-gami festival of October is celebrated with great fanfare and excitement every year. The shrine has a gray stone Torii gate towards the western side from where we entered inside the shrine premises. We noted that the stone statues of <a href="http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/shishi.shtml" target="_blank">Shishi</a> lions guarding the shrine premises were wonderfully crafted. After washing my hands at Temizuya water fountain, I prayed at the altar of the shrine.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxkHJfxCoaxZ-gy84vp7aZc4QbpCZaBC4Q7l-Ch3kTFiNi8o2MISjfgKNHL-Jfy6wk7dIQ2nBCEyQ10ltxoXN25zfGKHRajyDDigeKUr5-bfstVYPGNlIbWzt1NSKh2kCXOKsa_GFgYe4/s1600/18.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxkHJfxCoaxZ-gy84vp7aZc4QbpCZaBC4Q7l-Ch3kTFiNi8o2MISjfgKNHL-Jfy6wk7dIQ2nBCEyQ10ltxoXN25zfGKHRajyDDigeKUr5-bfstVYPGNlIbWzt1NSKh2kCXOKsa_GFgYe4/s400/18.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing in front of the stone Torii Gate of Suginomori Jinja shrine</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_nNZxqyn2vm678pOLLjBj947isvg2YXTc8zWTns52AR9oLZ4e-NOCbtRw3m_V0YGz3VTn0OA5XROw37ZGu7aULjdG4M-AI-x9WXovkNl_Hrc1HPcqSIP1PR9UWR9tWxSxQUzBXCUULEE/s1600/19.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_nNZxqyn2vm678pOLLjBj947isvg2YXTc8zWTns52AR9oLZ4e-NOCbtRw3m_V0YGz3VTn0OA5XROw37ZGu7aULjdG4M-AI-x9WXovkNl_Hrc1HPcqSIP1PR9UWR9tWxSxQUzBXCUULEE/s400/19.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing next to a statue of Shishi lion</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEied0fClwEcg7RF_QgTlm-ZJ6X85I7GKQgzL_9RvtZH1hN_sI_O62VB85g3ahp2hhd02GlV7mpTiS9zNVToyNon8-JK-q9EGz9QMZXkzkdChbaouY0Iprt8K5WgNu1wd5I564SeQ6IHrZM/s1600/20.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEied0fClwEcg7RF_QgTlm-ZJ6X85I7GKQgzL_9RvtZH1hN_sI_O62VB85g3ahp2hhd02GlV7mpTiS9zNVToyNon8-JK-q9EGz9QMZXkzkdChbaouY0Iprt8K5WgNu1wd5I564SeQ6IHrZM/s400/20.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am washing my hands at Temizuya</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUicoRMoLp3CchDz5UPwKIjuNPfsk3rfhoHA6p0G_gw68qbSn027q53tOvoOWHXsl9hecbmzQua2HbKP_r2A96FWuPqWO1JNlKI2-1rPCoNuEhD9PQckc50bZEVvOevhuWezgOIOO2fPk/s1600/21.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUicoRMoLp3CchDz5UPwKIjuNPfsk3rfhoHA6p0G_gw68qbSn027q53tOvoOWHXsl9hecbmzQua2HbKP_r2A96FWuPqWO1JNlKI2-1rPCoNuEhD9PQckc50bZEVvOevhuWezgOIOO2fPk/s400/21.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing in front of the shrine hall</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihDDDtq-ORB7djFvrBAHgvUX-RUlCCUklRx_2P_eIxuKdXnt8E892RgLzdQBmxsmA_Gg8mGieE2dd4hhPGNjltDBWquiEAUlTWUsXsiEAFQ_p0WA-srB1MfJo7wx7ZJPrgAM7PfPHv8KM/s1600/22.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihDDDtq-ORB7djFvrBAHgvUX-RUlCCUklRx_2P_eIxuKdXnt8E892RgLzdQBmxsmA_Gg8mGieE2dd4hhPGNjltDBWquiEAUlTWUsXsiEAFQ_p0WA-srB1MfJo7wx7ZJPrgAM7PfPHv8KM/s400/22.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Enlarged view of the shrine hall</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkju2aFbUZChHH99Na3moL5cY9VQBJzAkBbBIHQDgdPD3qzPEasxFv8eGfbB4pcO3CqWwtOnXOCO0nEl85iC4pPtjDAEpC8jgEUTSoys5HMviJhgl8nPuQVRhq0jnNSVGloKzvQpM7pME/s1600/23.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkju2aFbUZChHH99Na3moL5cY9VQBJzAkBbBIHQDgdPD3qzPEasxFv8eGfbB4pcO3CqWwtOnXOCO0nEl85iC4pPtjDAEpC8jgEUTSoys5HMviJhgl8nPuQVRhq0jnNSVGloKzvQpM7pME/s400/23.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A wooden tablet with Suginomori Jinja written on it hanging from the front of the shrine hall</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgixWomblx4FKI9eNOZFhT3CMUfaYbeEigaxxGvWv1cuCeFyf2QkvPBpP4LLlPCzqk1dnMDdnNoevc4IQI6P8xCBWkGfXMPgUncrLiR9g_tvFka8hkQx9v8P8dE6R4QvP0VmLUuuXI8PNQ/s1600/24.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgixWomblx4FKI9eNOZFhT3CMUfaYbeEigaxxGvWv1cuCeFyf2QkvPBpP4LLlPCzqk1dnMDdnNoevc4IQI6P8xCBWkGfXMPgUncrLiR9g_tvFka8hkQx9v8P8dE6R4QvP0VmLUuuXI8PNQ/s400/24.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am ringing a bell hanging in front of the shrine hall</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">This time we visited only three of the eight shrines dedicated to Shichifukujin gods of good fortune and decided to visit the remaining five shrines during our next trip to Nihonbashi district. Afterwards we walked for about 10 minutes towards the west and realized that we were now in the modern part of Nihonbashi with many high rise buildings all around. While walking we saw an interesting building named Mitsui Honkan to our right side. Honkan means main building in Japanese. Mitsui Honkan was built to replace an earlier headquarters building of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsui#Formation_of_Mitsui_zaibatsu" target="_blank">Mitsui combine</a> that had been damaged in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1923_Great_Kant%C5%8D_earthquake" target="_blank">1923 Kanto Earthquake</a>. The building was designed by an American firm named <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trowbridge_%26_Livingston" target="_blank">Trowbridge and Livingston</a>, and was completed in 1929. They constructed the building with advanced structural and mechanical systems but with a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoclassical_architecture" target="_blank">neoclassical architectural</a> form. The seven-story steel-frame reinforced concrete structure has a granite-clad facade with engaged columns and paired corner pilasters of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corinthian_order" target="_blank">Corinthian order</a>. Mitsui Honkan is said to be the first building in Japan to have an interior extensively finished in marble. The building was designed as absolutely earthquake-resistant and fire-resistant design concept of the time. Mitsui Honkan building is now designated as an important cultural property of Japan. Presently two banks and a museum are housed in the building. We really loved the exterior architecture of the building.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Mitsui Honkan building</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Located next to (south of) the Mitsui Honkan building, we saw a seven-storied Mitsukoshi Nihonabshi Main Store building that opened in 1935. Mitsukoshi is Japan's oldest department store dating back to 1673, when it was called Echigoya, which was a highly successful textile shop selling <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimono" target="_blank">Kimono</a> fabric. Echigoya founder <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsui_Takatoshi" target="_blank">Mitsui Takatoshi</a> later became the founder of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsui#Formation_of_Mitsui_zaibatsu" target="_blank">Mitsui business conglomerate</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsukoshi" target="_blank">Mitsukoshi</a> stores. The successor of Echigoya textile shop is this Mitsukoshi Main Store, which is Japan's first department store and still stands in the center of the district. This building was designated as a historic structure in 1999. We appreciated the architecture of the building and noted that the doorway of the building has an impressive <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renaissance_architecture" target="_blank">Renaissance-style</a> facade and contains two bronze statues of lions. We also noted that now there is an adjacent ten-storied annex building also.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Mitsukoshi Nihonbashi Main Store building</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The building facade has Renaissance-style architecture</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Doorway of the building is impressive and contains two bronze statues of lions (red arrows)</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Next, we continued walking towards the west along a street located in between Mitsui Honkan building and Mitsukoshi Main Store, and saw the Bank of Japan building behind Mitsui Honkan. The Bank of Japan is the central bank of Japan with its headquarters in Nihonbashi. Nowadays, the headquarters consists of three buildings namely, the old main building, the new building, and the annex building. We had reached the south entrance side of the old main building of the bank. I will describe about this old main building here. The Bank of Japan was founded after the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meiji_Restoration" target="_blank">Meiji Restoration</a> in 1882 and was originally located a short distance away from where the present old main building is located. It relocated owing to the lack of space. The construction of the present old main building of the bank was completed in 1896 at its current site, which was the location of the gold coins mint in the Edo period. The building was designed by architect <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tatsuno_Kingo" target="_blank">Tatsuno Kingo</a>, who modeled the building after the National Bank of Belgium, the most advanced example at the time. The old main building has three stories above ground and one below. It is a brick-masonry building with a double wall structure, in which bricks are laid inside and outside the stone walls to make the building more resistant to earthquakes. Although features such as the central dome and entrance pillars are in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baroque_Revival_architecture" target="_blank">neo-baroque</a> style, the building also incorporates Renaissance characteristics in its high symmetry, walls and other design features. It also has some advanced facilities that were rare in Japan at the time, like flush toilets, elevators, fireproof shutters, cast-iron stairs, and chandeliers. The building remains more or less in its original condition today, and is designated as an important cultural property of Japan. We continued walking along a street located adjacent to this old main building and appreciated the architecture of the building. Within a few minutes, we reached the west entrance side of the building. North of this building we saw the ten-storied new building of the bank that was built in 1973 and present-day banking activities are carried out of this new building. In addition, south of the old main building is the annex building which houses the bank’s <a href="http://www.imes.boj.or.jp/cm/english/" target="_blank">Currency Museum</a>. The museum was opened in 1982 to commemorate the bank's centenary. We entered inside the museum and learnt about the history of Japan's currency with displays of interesting historical coins and bills. At the museum, we bought funny souvenirs like a washcloth and a hand towel with 10000 Yen bill printed on them.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Old main building of the Bank of Japan as viewed from the south</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Old main building with the central dome as viewed from the south</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Old main building as viewed from the west along with the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nihonbashi_Mitsui_Tower" target="_blank">Nihonbashi Mitsui Tower</a> (red arrow)</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby and the west side of the old main building along with the new building in the background (red arrow)</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A washcloth we bought from the bank’s Currency Museum. The 10000 Yen bill printed on it seems so perfect.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby holding a hand towel with 10000 Yen bill printed on it</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Afterwards we retraced our steps and walked back along the street. Next we went inside a commercial complex named <a href="https://31urban.jp/lng/eng/muromachi.html" target="_blank">Coredo Muromachi 3</a> located right in front of (east of) Mitsukoshi Main Store. We had late lunch at a cafe restaurant named Do Tabelka located inside Coredo Muromachi 3. The restaurant serves Japanese style <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%AE%9A%E9%A3%9F" target="_blank">Teishoku</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bento" target="_blank">Bento</a> set meals. The basic composition of hubby’s lunch arrangement was of the type called <a href="http://allabout-japan.com/en/article/1508/" target="_blank">Ichiju-sansai</a>, which consisted of a soup and three dishes. My lunch arrangement was of the type Ichiju-hassai, which consisted of a soup and eight dishes. Although the lunch was rather expensive, it was extremely delicious and was worth all the money. The luxury meal really pleased our body and soul.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>One of the dishes of my Ichiju-hassai lunch</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Other dishes, soup, and rice of my Ichiju-hassai lunch</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby’s Ichiju-sansai lunch</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby having lunch</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">After lunch we decided to visit Nihonbashi Bridge which was just a short distance away. So we walked towards the south for a few minutes and saw an overhead ‘bridge’, seeing which I was doubtful and wondered as to why Nihonbashi Bridge is known as one of the most beautiful bridges of Japan. This is because the overhead ‘bridge’ was the ugliest thing I have ever seen in Japan from the view point of aesthetics. Seeing my confused state hubby told me that the street we were walking was Nihonbashi Bridge and the overhead thing was the Metropolitan Expressway that was constructed in 1963. This drab expressway is really an eyesore that causes a permanent shadow over Nihonbashi Bridge. Nihonbashi Bridge is a landmark historic stone bridge located over <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nihonbashi_River" target="_blank">Nihonbashi River</a> in Nihonbashi district. A wooden bridge was first built across the river during the Edo period in 1603 and was a favorite scene for artists of the day. The bridge was rebuilt many times, and the current stone bridge is the 20th. This stone bridge was designed by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsumaki_Yorinaka" target="_blank">Tsumaki Yorinaka</a> and was constructed of stone on a steel frame during the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meiji_period" target="_blank">Meiji period</a> in 1911. This stone bridge is a Renaissance-style double arch road bridge that is 49 meters long and 27 meters wide. It was designated an important cultural property of Japan in 1999. During the Edo period, the bridge marked the starting point of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edo_Five_Routes" target="_blank">Gokaido</a> (five main roads leading to and from Edo Tokyo), namely, Tokadio, Nakasendo, Nikko Kaido, Oshu Kaido, and Koshu Kaido. These Gokaido roads connected Edo Tokyo administrative capital to the outlying provincial realms. In addition, it was traditionally the central point from which all distances in the country were measured since early Edo period, a practice that still continues today. Highway signs indicating the distance to Tokyo actually state the number of kilometers to the center of Nihonbashi Bridge. While walking along the 105-year-old Nihonbashi Bridge, I realized that it is really an aesthetically beautiful bridge though it is obscured and literally overshadowed by the elevated expressway. We noted that artistic lampposts with beautiful bronze sculptures of Shishi lions adorned both sides and both ends of the bridge. We also saw lampposts with bronze sculptures of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qilin" target="_blank">Kirin</a> giraffes adorned both sides of the midway of the bridge. We walked across the 49-meter-long bridge and towards its southern end, we walked down a few steps to see and appreciate the double arches of the stone bridge.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The street beyond the front crossing is Nihonbashi Bridge. The overhead Metropolitan Expressway is also seen.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing towards the northern end of Nihonbashi Bridge</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing with a sculpture of Shishi lion towards the northern end of the bridge</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieFVIbV-f5dGhyphenhyphenTH79oQzfM0pfFl5rNqUV895vR3X9mTYdtrUjpkLvG3xwqs2VRQUszvi3PyFgSPD3zAOUSxsXvuBhHgdMvThdy0GKStJVYSlAb3hyphenhyphenszO8_kqc07C9RQSVfNKEOei7zOs/s1600/42.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieFVIbV-f5dGhyphenhyphenTH79oQzfM0pfFl5rNqUV895vR3X9mTYdtrUjpkLvG3xwqs2VRQUszvi3PyFgSPD3zAOUSxsXvuBhHgdMvThdy0GKStJVYSlAb3hyphenhyphenszO8_kqc07C9RQSVfNKEOei7zOs/s400/42.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Walking along the bridge</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_leKkScIm_qoSMFyTqHFFqYphGIR1YkO2Us2z8Exu6dirpskwzXNoifIduDfNl4B82NlQNPah0OBnCxAx9gJgoagfs0gqFkTzLCqoHD7N5uykhQJhhRPnTz9A2xO4i73r6pN6maOQtlQ/s1600/43.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_leKkScIm_qoSMFyTqHFFqYphGIR1YkO2Us2z8Exu6dirpskwzXNoifIduDfNl4B82NlQNPah0OBnCxAx9gJgoagfs0gqFkTzLCqoHD7N5uykhQJhhRPnTz9A2xO4i73r6pN6maOQtlQ/s400/43.JPG" width="278" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing midway of the bridge along with a sculpture of Kirin giraffe</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK5qJe-xbWqIz0BdD0ZRvpv946L9SriHPhfgXq4y1pH08Q6bF4wxuh1SkKBS5YZV3DXS7m1BWLx2R1oTVuwX-m8ty84aCtrFc79QCzvM_U1qpsSfiwxH30f26y-AHIJV3_878aNg4v5_s/s1600/44.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK5qJe-xbWqIz0BdD0ZRvpv946L9SriHPhfgXq4y1pH08Q6bF4wxuh1SkKBS5YZV3DXS7m1BWLx2R1oTVuwX-m8ty84aCtrFc79QCzvM_U1qpsSfiwxH30f26y-AHIJV3_878aNg4v5_s/s400/44.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A lamppost with wonderful sculptures of Kirin giraffes</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpfuTTXe4aJjCrWXssFuo8TfOvWPtKzioaha1uTyLl8YM5YObcbq8PY3Dh4Dqy54ef5oH1zepuNJLvt_eLLyrdhRxAXvdE9bYPyFL8gFRW1cUMLgETl7pMRocQjMkPLvC3wuZWihcaLwA/s1600/45.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpfuTTXe4aJjCrWXssFuo8TfOvWPtKzioaha1uTyLl8YM5YObcbq8PY3Dh4Dqy54ef5oH1zepuNJLvt_eLLyrdhRxAXvdE9bYPyFL8gFRW1cUMLgETl7pMRocQjMkPLvC3wuZWihcaLwA/s400/45.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Nihonbashi River as seen while looking down from the bridge</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Another view of the river</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF6VsNybDBVd7TAyNlw9YHOXphlpw8SmLzRFmRshFOLqDM8s2thRL7cYKz3_uUp8tzz28KskpnCTxut8BFlnrmQh-LWV3UJZCoI40uN4Mypvvk-yv4LF1bAnCiUdbV4FCCRqMr7U1ReVI/s1600/47.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF6VsNybDBVd7TAyNlw9YHOXphlpw8SmLzRFmRshFOLqDM8s2thRL7cYKz3_uUp8tzz28KskpnCTxut8BFlnrmQh-LWV3UJZCoI40uN4Mypvvk-yv4LF1bAnCiUdbV4FCCRqMr7U1ReVI/s400/47.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing towards the southern end of the bridge along with a sculpture of Shishi lion adorning a lamppost</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd9GyRPqy_TJ4sa6d7PvREayPOF23YXl-fuIsmL0T2noPUISOWr2NuI55eCmPJmNThyphenhyphenhuCgBw0eZAL7k5lg4vYWZ4PSYCPnCIlh3S5rj7V1TWXhg2qS9O87ofta_MSUJH6_v8FxWZxSG8/s1600/48.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd9GyRPqy_TJ4sa6d7PvREayPOF23YXl-fuIsmL0T2noPUISOWr2NuI55eCmPJmNThyphenhyphenhuCgBw0eZAL7k5lg4vYWZ4PSYCPnCIlh3S5rj7V1TWXhg2qS9O87ofta_MSUJH6_v8FxWZxSG8/s400/48.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing towards the southern end of the bridge</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Nihonbashi Bridge looking north towards Mitsukoshi Main Store</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmPygw4a_7UerrqUiVcTkFLsB7TpQniQC9zqs-bdIjGdJrixGHSu2-mjnnGfMCAgtCnirxUuoKXkFTUZli1wkH4KRhWoEVlHJ2qqCkOhmoKNcWrccO11yrLg0zgA3eO-ihbRXfJUVgFa8/s1600/50.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmPygw4a_7UerrqUiVcTkFLsB7TpQniQC9zqs-bdIjGdJrixGHSu2-mjnnGfMCAgtCnirxUuoKXkFTUZli1wkH4KRhWoEVlHJ2qqCkOhmoKNcWrccO11yrLg0zgA3eO-ihbRXfJUVgFa8/s400/50.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>One of the arches of the bridge</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The second arch of the bridge</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby and the bridge</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The bridge and I</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">After seeing the Nihonbashi Bridge, we continued walking towards Tokyo Railway Station. On our way we saw a bronze statue of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shibusawa_Eiichi" target="_blank">Shibusawa Eiichi</a> who was an industrialist widely known today as the father of Japanese capitalism. He founded the first modern bank named The First National Bank based on joint stock ownership in Japan. While walking we saw many high rise buildings all along the way up to Tokyo Station. On reaching the railway station, we took <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C5%8Dkaid%C5%8D_Shinkansen" target="_blank">Tokaido Shinkansen</a> train to go to Nagoya from where we took a local train and reached our home in Ichinomiya City at about 9 pm.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>A bronze statue of Shibusawa Eiichi</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby and high rise buildings</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Another high rise building</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby waiting at Tokyo Railway Station</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>We saw two Tokaido Shinkansen trains while waiting for our train</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Our Shinkansen train</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>We inside the Shinkansen train</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Nihonbashi district is an interesting place with many sightseeing spots. We hope to see many more places in the future.</span></span></div>
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Manisha Kundu-Nagatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13277146210049986417noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695885479879152724.post-46695452205040107872016-08-04T02:51:00.002+09:002016-08-04T02:55:10.359+09:00Baseball game at Meiji Jingu Stadium<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">As I wrote in the <a href="http://lipikazuo.blogspot.com/2016/07/golden-week-holidays.html" target="_blank">previous post</a>, hubby and I had been to our home in Ichinomiya City during the Golden Week Holidays. On our way to Ichinomiya, we stayed overnight in Tokyo area where we saw a baseball game and visited a few sightseeing spots. On 29th April, after reaching Tokyo Railway Station, we went to a hotel in Nihonbashi district of Chuo Ward in Tokyo where we stayed that night. We checked in at the hotel at about 6 pm, and immediately left to see a professional baseball game at Meiji Jingu Stadium.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">The professional baseball game held at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meiji_Jingu_Stadium" target="_blank">Meiji Jingu Stadium</a> on 29th April was a night game. Meiji Jingu Stadium is a baseball stadium located in Shinjuku Ward of Tokyo that opened in 1926 and can hold 37933 people. It is the second oldest baseball stadium in Japan. It is the property of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meiji_Shrine" target="_blank">Meiji Jingu Shrine</a> and is the home field of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_Yakult_Swallows" target="_blank">Tokyo Yakult Swallows</a> professional baseball team. On 29th April, the game was played between Tokyo Yakult Swallows and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yomiuri_Giants" target="_blank">Yomiuri Giants</a> teams. Baseball is probably the most popular sport in Japan. There are two professional baseball leagues in Japan; the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_League" target="_blank">Central League</a> and the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_League" target="_blank">Pacific League</a>, each consisting of six teams. Tokyo Yakult Swallows and Yomiuri Giants teams both belong to the Central League.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">We had already purchased two tickets for the baseball game at a convenience store in Akita. The tickets cost 4300 Yen per person. The game of 29th April was a night game that started at 6 pm. We started from our hotel in Nihonbashi district at about 5.45 pm, and took a subway train to reach Gaienmae Railway Station in Tokyo area. From the station, we walked for about 10 minutes and reached the entrance gate of Meiji Jingu Stadium. I was very surprised to see that the stadium was rather small. Although it was a night game, we noted that there were many people near the entrance area of the stadium and there was festive mood all around. We appreciated the architecture of the stadium building for some time, and after taking a few photos of the stadium entrance and its surroundings, we entered the stadium at about 6.45 pm. The minute we entered inside the stadium, we were transported to a different world altogether.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am standing in front of Meiji Jingu Stadium</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby standing in front of the stadium</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>View inside the stadium</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">We bought a few snacks from a food stall located inside Meiji Jingu Stadium building and settled in our seats. We were a bit late and the baseball game between Tokyo Yakult Swallows and Yomiuri Giants teams was already in progress. We noted that the stadium was open-air and rather small. Our seats overlooked the stadium and the whole field was visible. We loved viewing the interior architecture of the small and clean stadium. We also loved the atmosphere inside the stadium where a huge crowd of people had gathered to watch the game and excitedly cheer for their favorite team. From our seats, we could clearly see the bullpen of Tokyo Yakult Swallows team where the relief pitcher or the next batter warmed up. In addition, we saw many pretty beer vendor girls who went up and down the aisles carrying a keg of beer on their back and sold draft beer to the spectators. The festive mood inside the stadium was exhilarating.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The crowd to our right side inside the stadium</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>View inside the stadium right in front of us</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>View inside the stadium to our left side</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I am sitting on my seat and enjoying the game</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby clicking photos of the game</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs05HKv1NQboL1fQWI2US_hharHsnZ-4w6IpdRjZ0xTPDm2uIFGrWotshCuovvc5uMx2UkyeRQ1P88Ws3DETwkBOZZTLg9af5Or7ykgeXn0f9jvXbvU_TK7M26E90v8jcpMUfaiu6seX8/s1600/9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs05HKv1NQboL1fQWI2US_hharHsnZ-4w6IpdRjZ0xTPDm2uIFGrWotshCuovvc5uMx2UkyeRQ1P88Ws3DETwkBOZZTLg9af5Or7ykgeXn0f9jvXbvU_TK7M26E90v8jcpMUfaiu6seX8/s400/9.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Bullpen of Tokyo Yakult Swallows team</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic0WLTk3-FfEnjYf87itAyQt_tN1175P0_cg6pK2ycsB6NeTZkziqy0HhsQ-2_R-irUVxLkXiljZmyKk7ydJ1aFzHZdybE_fsdvQvKrJ68vMzRATzXEfOIoumo8OQyf9j18oKS96XeOF0/s1600/10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic0WLTk3-FfEnjYf87itAyQt_tN1175P0_cg6pK2ycsB6NeTZkziqy0HhsQ-2_R-irUVxLkXiljZmyKk7ydJ1aFzHZdybE_fsdvQvKrJ68vMzRATzXEfOIoumo8OQyf9j18oKS96XeOF0/s400/10.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Two beer vendor girls carrying kegs of beer on their back</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">It was very interesting and enjoyable to watch the game. Several times during different short breaks in the game, many cute Tokyo Yakult Swallows cheerleaders danced to the team’s theme song on the field at the stadium. We also saw the team’s mascot characters named <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_Yakult_Swallows#Mascots" target="_blank">Tsubakuro</a> (a male) and Tsubami (a female, likely the little sister of Tsubakuro), which are black swallows with red faces. We loved the cheerful atmosphere inside the stadium where the fans cheered non-stop for their favorite team. I would like to mention here that attending a baseball game in Japan involves active participation of the spectators and fans in cheering their beloved team. For me the most fun part was enjoying this uniquely coordinated non-stop cheering and singing by the fans. In addition, there was highly choreographed and rhythmic cheering by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%8Cendan" target="_blank">Oendan</a> cheering squad, and their cheering and singing continued throughout the game. The fans of the batting team chanted, sang, and rhythmically banged plastic bats. Their synchronized roar dominated the stadium. The fans of the team in the field maintained a respectful silence that was interrupted only by a wave of applause after a good defensive play. It was really fun to watch orange colored jersey-shirt wearing Yomiuri Giants as well as white-striped or lime-green colored jersey-shirt wearing Tokyo Yakult Swallows Oendan squads and fans energetically cheer for their favorite teams from their respective outfield seating sections. In addition, the fans of the Tokyo Yakult Swallows cheered for their team by opening colorful little umbrellas and singing the team song. Waving of colorful umbrellas by all the fans was a wonderful sight to behold. Also, since it was a home game for Tokyo Yakult Swallows, the cheering for the team was also carried out by colorful encouraging displays flashing up on the scoreboard.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1mWuR3YTFk8bOmN0n3b74mZCP8hai618DxeCx8wQppvIpvvBbX32KiyrEnPd52zQzI-DoL91xQWWMWdS62nyWd99DWLv5HD_7SH-JE9bNiOl2nnAkR5kFXdGj_en9ieCDtaYjrFbOcYM/s1600/11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1mWuR3YTFk8bOmN0n3b74mZCP8hai618DxeCx8wQppvIpvvBbX32KiyrEnPd52zQzI-DoL91xQWWMWdS62nyWd99DWLv5HD_7SH-JE9bNiOl2nnAkR5kFXdGj_en9ieCDtaYjrFbOcYM/s400/11.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Cute Tokyo Yakult Swallows cheerleaders dancing energetically to the song of the team</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7_Dej2XoXXY3LIyegPPu7c57Y8Vrn9WUq5bHYvX6uiE7ihqCpj4L_w3Nt3ruzxsxDUPdyeNnOo1RumfliXwZn-Al6RZ3sj1JmZ19Hu5OCAResxJfzx9eMSWqJyDmfi71svL9695C6sXI/s1600/12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7_Dej2XoXXY3LIyegPPu7c57Y8Vrn9WUq5bHYvX6uiE7ihqCpj4L_w3Nt3ruzxsxDUPdyeNnOo1RumfliXwZn-Al6RZ3sj1JmZ19Hu5OCAResxJfzx9eMSWqJyDmfi71svL9695C6sXI/s400/12.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Enlarged view of a few cheerleaders dancing</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU_DT3JWBq-YaVmm4-80u96UP-rtynAdCVASytN4TPcaG2KPVeg8OuC0WMgu6scq87g0NoCyqV4doxgITtOQhOsaPaN3F_1f3ZMbrBdwTVIONLxSoOaTct-glNvnNqLl3IBvF0VzRsYrQ/s1600/13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU_DT3JWBq-YaVmm4-80u96UP-rtynAdCVASytN4TPcaG2KPVeg8OuC0WMgu6scq87g0NoCyqV4doxgITtOQhOsaPaN3F_1f3ZMbrBdwTVIONLxSoOaTct-glNvnNqLl3IBvF0VzRsYrQ/s400/13.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The mascot characters Tsubakuro and Tsubami also dancing to the team song</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDV1_pgq_C-CuK4vhhmyVkjw6FumIPmIw9Ordm3qMcrMSPAQJXjZihgLgST0uzPOX50IHwXakbGh0fzhgXu6YsxQcGH0UFEkv5qMMF5NF-LHJxpxW32wK43YdxpnVIJ6FZrqwrpMFJ8UQ/s1600/14.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDV1_pgq_C-CuK4vhhmyVkjw6FumIPmIw9Ordm3qMcrMSPAQJXjZihgLgST0uzPOX50IHwXakbGh0fzhgXu6YsxQcGH0UFEkv5qMMF5NF-LHJxpxW32wK43YdxpnVIJ6FZrqwrpMFJ8UQ/s400/14.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Enlarged view of Tsubakuro</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizaPNvb_zUG4IigGkxl-0NHK6aL1jqZwqNZF9AvFCvaO9TmncaS16H9WCTOjAVBxA5BVZwGBnSbCrsWyagJCvezwfjrI_yT1bmtbXlF6bk7bHretBStO6cqWTfwFrIiowHtRt-FnaMJCc/s1600/15.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizaPNvb_zUG4IigGkxl-0NHK6aL1jqZwqNZF9AvFCvaO9TmncaS16H9WCTOjAVBxA5BVZwGBnSbCrsWyagJCvezwfjrI_yT1bmtbXlF6bk7bHretBStO6cqWTfwFrIiowHtRt-FnaMJCc/s400/15.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Colorful encouraging display flashed up on the scoreboard cheering the home team</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuBS0ZM6HZOPj2jpVWPcv564SDKDENMfwAvQ0AW3b3Ehj7aEwHsslqooPWwpDZHVZhuNUIDQcjPaqMn59Ca4cWBSRMZMXJKnReWt1MsLau71FI22BF6RzW-C2fgUGe0l2YzDQJa_ePLjs/s1600/16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuBS0ZM6HZOPj2jpVWPcv564SDKDENMfwAvQ0AW3b3Ehj7aEwHsslqooPWwpDZHVZhuNUIDQcjPaqMn59Ca4cWBSRMZMXJKnReWt1MsLau71FI22BF6RzW-C2fgUGe0l2YzDQJa_ePLjs/s400/16.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Tokyo Yakult Swallows Oendan squad and fans wearing white-striped or lime-green colored jersey shirts cheering for their beloved team</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_3c69YQKKGIe5CEhl6nwJfNCpd3jLUGtyBEBqlTE9lH-OSETNZ87K5tPAcTvFbztSNg8ywJaStdOve1_fB6klVCCne_EqIY_NvW1H5G8kA_-ocp1OdfOtjiAq-_TNCbHBKdCBJMoYVS8/s1600/17.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_3c69YQKKGIe5CEhl6nwJfNCpd3jLUGtyBEBqlTE9lH-OSETNZ87K5tPAcTvFbztSNg8ywJaStdOve1_fB6klVCCne_EqIY_NvW1H5G8kA_-ocp1OdfOtjiAq-_TNCbHBKdCBJMoYVS8/s400/17.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Another photo of coordinated cheering by Tokyo Yakult Swallows fans</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhccppT_LrmcD3iBv8Ci7bX3M80YXEIE37b3kePjGTznFudk6pBaqqgBn-1Dt2qRvFhZoor_TTll1C1iRIIf8nZUnR8c0WQCDEzRsEd-bTde8Z_oJOwR9IDi_ITNB61h4czdw9tneL0DG0/s1600/18.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhccppT_LrmcD3iBv8Ci7bX3M80YXEIE37b3kePjGTznFudk6pBaqqgBn-1Dt2qRvFhZoor_TTll1C1iRIIf8nZUnR8c0WQCDEzRsEd-bTde8Z_oJOwR9IDi_ITNB61h4czdw9tneL0DG0/s400/18.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>The fans and supporters waving little umbrellas</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD0ZkyUyIH5A-WKq0qkf2At2G4XKOfcomQZ5YhTrRqUDa1p67Zo2fUs75-AENL_tnj2tVryoVu5AKhEdwTRAJcV-NCqd_aidCo87-v9cg5YJ8C2yymmv2_HKms9-jvLEPDjAPgh7ewQ3w/s1600/19.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD0ZkyUyIH5A-WKq0qkf2At2G4XKOfcomQZ5YhTrRqUDa1p67Zo2fUs75-AENL_tnj2tVryoVu5AKhEdwTRAJcV-NCqd_aidCo87-v9cg5YJ8C2yymmv2_HKms9-jvLEPDjAPgh7ewQ3w/s400/19.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Yomiuri Giants Oendan squad and fans wearing orange colored jersey shirts cheering for their favorite players</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe7R64SM70_mMvUtiVuCh5AMLoQFBiqHvDYn0szixXqSkhJhLBqHuqMQ8Qz3ZaCxkgJ-XNeACppqWISTrAWqRmPw8LTahhOnAdmOXOSeS9EDat4HbVH5VDXvWMxVYHmi0lJchEK0nQM00/s1600/20.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe7R64SM70_mMvUtiVuCh5AMLoQFBiqHvDYn0szixXqSkhJhLBqHuqMQ8Qz3ZaCxkgJ-XNeACppqWISTrAWqRmPw8LTahhOnAdmOXOSeS9EDat4HbVH5VDXvWMxVYHmi0lJchEK0nQM00/s400/20.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Another photo of coordinated cheering by Yomiuri Giants fans</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">It was very interesting to watch the game also. As the game progressed, the atmosphere in the stadium got hotter and stronger, and the fans cheered non-stop for their team. The fans have an immense love for their team and an endless reserve of energy. We clicked a few photos of batter <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetsuto_Yamada" target="_blank">Yamada Tetsuo</a>, batter <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wladimir_Balentien" target="_blank">Wladimir Balentien</a>, batter <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keiji_Obiki" target="_blank">Ohbiki Keiji</a>, batter <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomotaka_Sakaguchi" target="_blank">Sakaguchi Tomotaka</a>, pitcher <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masanori_Ishikawa" target="_blank">Ishikawa Masanori</a>, and pitcher <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logan_Ondrusek" target="_blank">Logan Ondrusek</a> of Tokyo Yakult Swallows team. We also clicked a few more photos of batter <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garrett_Jones" target="_blank">Garrett Jones</a>, batter <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hisayoshi_Ch%C5%8Dno" target="_blank">Chono Hisayoshi</a>, batter <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hayato_Sakamoto" target="_blank">Sakamoto Hayato</a>, and pitcher <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryosuke_Miyaguni" target="_blank">Miyaguni Ryosuke</a> of Yomiuri Giants team. Below are some photos of the above-mentioned batters and pitchers from both the teams. In addition, I also compiled animated GIF photos of all the above batters and pitchers. It is fun to watch these animated GIF photos.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjfltrsjdOuYwBqm6WzsD1uwLxL5byGcnh8EYMe-fd3vrYLrZoL-qdRkenQg2m6vsrOdWkvaNfjT88Z1q-mXq0IgtcKuDbW_bMusVkRJxZxn0422RKfc7-4D1MFN7O4a33sAR78W3eCF4/s1600/21.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjfltrsjdOuYwBqm6WzsD1uwLxL5byGcnh8EYMe-fd3vrYLrZoL-qdRkenQg2m6vsrOdWkvaNfjT88Z1q-mXq0IgtcKuDbW_bMusVkRJxZxn0422RKfc7-4D1MFN7O4a33sAR78W3eCF4/s400/21.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Baseball game between Tokyo Yakult Swallows and Yomiuri Giants teams in progress at Meiji Jingu Stadium</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh8qZZvrkspAH9cjO9RNErE2CDldqKi7pL5wF7MHGgAxVtB8MT4SEHAWUPA8KgyW0dgl7NXATbHLTqrAj_DdzzO1lL3OenR6m2XnANnE6PJJIh0cNqR_M-z_Ix-j4oZlyvH_3OnpYUOZU/s1600/22.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh8qZZvrkspAH9cjO9RNErE2CDldqKi7pL5wF7MHGgAxVtB8MT4SEHAWUPA8KgyW0dgl7NXATbHLTqrAj_DdzzO1lL3OenR6m2XnANnE6PJJIh0cNqR_M-z_Ix-j4oZlyvH_3OnpYUOZU/s400/22.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Tokyo Yakult Swallows batter Yamada Tetsuo</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTIpBfXkS2XdsQYmf7W8rToaCWKzohPM0QUUiEJdIyjAv7yUFkUJviXb48-JwSxwfCWceeO1hB3bzU6iWaKrzVMNjsDy5XWcBEkJC6i3tbU424Kqkk8ZxxU94UlgsA4Ftl1LHaocQgsyE/s1600/23.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTIpBfXkS2XdsQYmf7W8rToaCWKzohPM0QUUiEJdIyjAv7yUFkUJviXb48-JwSxwfCWceeO1hB3bzU6iWaKrzVMNjsDy5XWcBEkJC6i3tbU424Kqkk8ZxxU94UlgsA4Ftl1LHaocQgsyE/s400/23.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Another photo of the batter in action</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw6XPSzpESC7DGzIfJBb40HCbQ9fDKjs5aGjsDID9BkPg_cquzvKDV_XazfMb_f6_4-KHbXFRmaBLSM7ZEBOHA1UGWEQg46sZ9qGfcgUiE8FCheI_TtGsxEjGolczt3n1yoSVeyEEfMyE/s1600/24.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw6XPSzpESC7DGzIfJBb40HCbQ9fDKjs5aGjsDID9BkPg_cquzvKDV_XazfMb_f6_4-KHbXFRmaBLSM7ZEBOHA1UGWEQg46sZ9qGfcgUiE8FCheI_TtGsxEjGolczt3n1yoSVeyEEfMyE/s400/24.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Yet another photo of the batter in action</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_Wt3pwVLw0EzmcX4bOotlghbRvukXdnPah0l-SLrebSpwQ5uqicK7xAPgQt-k2kdk5Mj7ua3jrP2k_4M9lBn2dQavyRCbCKppjpH8fSwKJp-RDKfeu_f6KloygpRGL5YbrElT-0ypSg/s1600/25gif.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_Wt3pwVLw0EzmcX4bOotlghbRvukXdnPah0l-SLrebSpwQ5uqicK7xAPgQt-k2kdk5Mj7ua3jrP2k_4M9lBn2dQavyRCbCKppjpH8fSwKJp-RDKfeu_f6KloygpRGL5YbrElT-0ypSg/s400/25gif.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Animated GIF photo of the batter in action</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPPjcaY2RdL7Ek8SKdmp0bUlaAnu9MJ0ZusNeHz0yKksbBVHShgBuKq2ypSaD8Ln2Axl3j8wLIXY6o9l-hRJf7G6jWyCptOd5WMri3nr2EbEKtaze00VCevFMdy-hnhKTCfiMcQuIJgII/s1600/26.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPPjcaY2RdL7Ek8SKdmp0bUlaAnu9MJ0ZusNeHz0yKksbBVHShgBuKq2ypSaD8Ln2Axl3j8wLIXY6o9l-hRJf7G6jWyCptOd5WMri3nr2EbEKtaze00VCevFMdy-hnhKTCfiMcQuIJgII/s400/26.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Tokyo Yakult Swallows batter Wladimir Balentien</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhThpbgsuAQeY8tVlTSH2OAJFg3I8r423EWoU4dg4TYGnB7kTkCGeqvq8qzxbTTF0WMzuVNvgfWm6rE7clpBmEK9hx0tGFPXo_ml93nzqWaG8KPh-ZrgTgp4T1sKwF_R98SXL-Axzv4NiA/s1600/27.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhThpbgsuAQeY8tVlTSH2OAJFg3I8r423EWoU4dg4TYGnB7kTkCGeqvq8qzxbTTF0WMzuVNvgfWm6rE7clpBmEK9hx0tGFPXo_ml93nzqWaG8KPh-ZrgTgp4T1sKwF_R98SXL-Axzv4NiA/s400/27.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Another photo of the batter in action</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijrayxz5Gy9qkx5KnDaxPuaUbzSZAZYWqh287MFcHj35p8lBvOGu84C4iPRyzkSmWTfEma_lEjB04Yv9q_TaWpcp82XcDRhW5exNUgpCZV79a5HOpP7zaYrwB2tzHiBm1naSbmLTWHmbs/s1600/28gif.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijrayxz5Gy9qkx5KnDaxPuaUbzSZAZYWqh287MFcHj35p8lBvOGu84C4iPRyzkSmWTfEma_lEjB04Yv9q_TaWpcp82XcDRhW5exNUgpCZV79a5HOpP7zaYrwB2tzHiBm1naSbmLTWHmbs/s400/28gif.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Animated GIF photo of the batter in action</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH1oamkbTDW17zLNnCZm6CWTfKYjsI8GObeWiEsW2HY5dtwPGsvZPBgJHcV54erljCPjWNW8QXEj3jnslFo2ud1QXZKNur0RNdKLc7KB0Tre0K43YJrmVj9Owpxr11vZ2gb_9tu-Q2HrU/s1600/29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH1oamkbTDW17zLNnCZm6CWTfKYjsI8GObeWiEsW2HY5dtwPGsvZPBgJHcV54erljCPjWNW8QXEj3jnslFo2ud1QXZKNur0RNdKLc7KB0Tre0K43YJrmVj9Owpxr11vZ2gb_9tu-Q2HrU/s400/29.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Tokyo Yakult Swallows batter Ohbiki Keiji</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJSG7qY5LCHpTlstRXpcn1t78V2Vmnb04KxZ0DWYBlAL-amUH-Q2yEcZte8FQygyPxXHloNOVHIWY3DmycrhjJX3CT5NFDewtmpHWWLH-0ZMNb4bbuCKNfK8Shouok55s8fQbapc_P-PI/s1600/30.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJSG7qY5LCHpTlstRXpcn1t78V2Vmnb04KxZ0DWYBlAL-amUH-Q2yEcZte8FQygyPxXHloNOVHIWY3DmycrhjJX3CT5NFDewtmpHWWLH-0ZMNb4bbuCKNfK8Shouok55s8fQbapc_P-PI/s400/30.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Another photo of the batter in action</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE0VvHJFsUcIPpyr-FkKzAoN4VlyE6dIO3bUhPz12QSr03sCbVF1QikZBDKgZABd6B0E9jReYcZAMehc9W_j8wuaMxL1jsxsS5gQfcvHsd9fgTf169ahMf1KhLTqdwN9ZMjB0aNEqeAkU/s1600/31.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE0VvHJFsUcIPpyr-FkKzAoN4VlyE6dIO3bUhPz12QSr03sCbVF1QikZBDKgZABd6B0E9jReYcZAMehc9W_j8wuaMxL1jsxsS5gQfcvHsd9fgTf169ahMf1KhLTqdwN9ZMjB0aNEqeAkU/s400/31.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Yet another photo of the batter in action</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg44dAV-iiPluamFXO2fA9IgetyMTOML2WztRhpmzOFZQ_Z6Wv_mCPrLM4BP4_Q-lLVme8zAVUoY4dkot2ob7PMRwTu3s7xfp4-biXpVxAuguQX_WDPu55UGBgOw9LH28YGU9FmrV1M65U/s1600/32gif.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg44dAV-iiPluamFXO2fA9IgetyMTOML2WztRhpmzOFZQ_Z6Wv_mCPrLM4BP4_Q-lLVme8zAVUoY4dkot2ob7PMRwTu3s7xfp4-biXpVxAuguQX_WDPu55UGBgOw9LH28YGU9FmrV1M65U/s400/32gif.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Animated GIF photo of the batter in action</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZdT6dolX5KwgQyqldubf4dTrllxTpZbuu4pXxMbJ9tKyLotb8EYOTwsxOYILbNlu1-_mwDInB2yNC7NLz9zV4TvNIXntQku42sCrc1SI8C2lhQQDAv3-X4SUCLQSPcRqrevc1_sLelWE/s1600/33.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZdT6dolX5KwgQyqldubf4dTrllxTpZbuu4pXxMbJ9tKyLotb8EYOTwsxOYILbNlu1-_mwDInB2yNC7NLz9zV4TvNIXntQku42sCrc1SI8C2lhQQDAv3-X4SUCLQSPcRqrevc1_sLelWE/s400/33.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Tokyo Yakult Swallows batter Sakaguchi Tomotaka</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfvCt7TwSac_Lhs83BBUyQusnc_1ldcFjx5bLIOwtF65Q9P5nY5yrDXPmYfD5OkyzdW6dPhOLweQWdNb1fgGIoEKYU3w824Z7de7baTYsu-WE9MquJzEo5HsBlG8fLA3yldvwLZvJGjZA/s1600/34.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfvCt7TwSac_Lhs83BBUyQusnc_1ldcFjx5bLIOwtF65Q9P5nY5yrDXPmYfD5OkyzdW6dPhOLweQWdNb1fgGIoEKYU3w824Z7de7baTYsu-WE9MquJzEo5HsBlG8fLA3yldvwLZvJGjZA/s400/34.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Another photo of the batter in action</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyz0WT1eZLsrAylXFsKbAnSYKZHeCVDMJji3Tt65s-Wv3eoB_pLyt-zE52-2K1OxXRCwS1lSXj7k6wdqS6cNbwlC6-a6slctS2_YD6Zi9sQHtQKaN5qhIm_1lb1yiCYn_eJjrm02Le4Lc/s1600/35gif.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyz0WT1eZLsrAylXFsKbAnSYKZHeCVDMJji3Tt65s-Wv3eoB_pLyt-zE52-2K1OxXRCwS1lSXj7k6wdqS6cNbwlC6-a6slctS2_YD6Zi9sQHtQKaN5qhIm_1lb1yiCYn_eJjrm02Le4Lc/s400/35gif.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Animated GIF photo of the batter in action</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLfjuRTpVR5INr8h9Zc5OLFBChVUiBCX1lCDsSH5ndOOtT5pMn-9LYX87ySvAYer4CqWZfa5TjzC3wU5ejdiQikaVImm0HEX32i5Z-BGNxfBAxcEndMSxAbtR8iKrNFdxItu-bo8sl98c/s1600/36.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLfjuRTpVR5INr8h9Zc5OLFBChVUiBCX1lCDsSH5ndOOtT5pMn-9LYX87ySvAYer4CqWZfa5TjzC3wU5ejdiQikaVImm0HEX32i5Z-BGNxfBAxcEndMSxAbtR8iKrNFdxItu-bo8sl98c/s400/36.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Tokyo Yakult Swallows pitcher Ishikawa Masanori</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio75RcgdRbSB4KSIHruY0_quxkjXHxzoDaL-EUSv-3-g0LM8xsDSuh0unGcwVzEjjQV-W2kg8UGDbntkdAfPpHbc89wYd_hSFfONtvrpuJDw0oDRNeD_YOcgc1pAhDYMsaGJKocPWisD8/s1600/37.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio75RcgdRbSB4KSIHruY0_quxkjXHxzoDaL-EUSv-3-g0LM8xsDSuh0unGcwVzEjjQV-W2kg8UGDbntkdAfPpHbc89wYd_hSFfONtvrpuJDw0oDRNeD_YOcgc1pAhDYMsaGJKocPWisD8/s400/37.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Another photo of the pitcher in action</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKouQSDA4HGSFKL_lbh_uj1zSt0apHrha8W7IhgEVjRDZ4iYYlf4H4PqD1g9AeNxjzGoPzA_pRIQjETBshHm8ZCee2R1Nws0lhNGxtcB1ZV0cQHK_rxkzQsj-q0GlXOtnmpJ6GV-ae7Og/s1600/38.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKouQSDA4HGSFKL_lbh_uj1zSt0apHrha8W7IhgEVjRDZ4iYYlf4H4PqD1g9AeNxjzGoPzA_pRIQjETBshHm8ZCee2R1Nws0lhNGxtcB1ZV0cQHK_rxkzQsj-q0GlXOtnmpJ6GV-ae7Og/s400/38.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Yet another photo of the pitcher in action</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg09mn15WEYSy2mITowbS9oVlvZRLbNIazZOcehg_gDe0VU5rZ-b5EKSAK1QNkiUfukYxETcnKzIVHciYZfsC_90y-TxOq-U4KymKSCxTazNuvYnJBdMNhBgRkIypAAXalkQeoYPjpQEUY/s1600/39gif.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg09mn15WEYSy2mITowbS9oVlvZRLbNIazZOcehg_gDe0VU5rZ-b5EKSAK1QNkiUfukYxETcnKzIVHciYZfsC_90y-TxOq-U4KymKSCxTazNuvYnJBdMNhBgRkIypAAXalkQeoYPjpQEUY/s400/39gif.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Animated GIF photo of the pitcher in action</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwU7kGg-yGxqPPFWAvbPYLinRHrExANag_oRmEMlSG8IIacCMDK41P53rBSjiDS9iY8bJFIPnOTxMeEzSvw90pTjAjdzi9heozwpkJ6xHop6lY9OhhXRWJWKTWdGVnm_-YQg8taxHlUo4/s1600/40.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwU7kGg-yGxqPPFWAvbPYLinRHrExANag_oRmEMlSG8IIacCMDK41P53rBSjiDS9iY8bJFIPnOTxMeEzSvw90pTjAjdzi9heozwpkJ6xHop6lY9OhhXRWJWKTWdGVnm_-YQg8taxHlUo4/s400/40.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Tokyo Yakult Swallows pitcher Logan Ondrusek</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTA457Dxao59xLplRrudie36d-FrJvnAvwctiq7qD1tZd3uR29iZzH1DF9yfkQFYPSGcWf4P-usJkAJ9ksp-HBrbeOUiW4qV2uxuwjG4snpv458ZqA1ff6y3V0Lk2sLKCfc1PlGVKkLa8/s1600/41.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTA457Dxao59xLplRrudie36d-FrJvnAvwctiq7qD1tZd3uR29iZzH1DF9yfkQFYPSGcWf4P-usJkAJ9ksp-HBrbeOUiW4qV2uxuwjG4snpv458ZqA1ff6y3V0Lk2sLKCfc1PlGVKkLa8/s400/41.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Another photo of the pitcher in action</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyxMLG_K1CFho28cIJCBCf-ewGEx1Vg5pNc9T1-TavbDhDBRYWqDf6auuPlehYl7nL949YapN8nVXXh8CFHyush3MxBxgJT-swP63vXZsImaZUxlU_u2w_Sw10WXn2YRaPnLVlCA5ITbw/s1600/42.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyxMLG_K1CFho28cIJCBCf-ewGEx1Vg5pNc9T1-TavbDhDBRYWqDf6auuPlehYl7nL949YapN8nVXXh8CFHyush3MxBxgJT-swP63vXZsImaZUxlU_u2w_Sw10WXn2YRaPnLVlCA5ITbw/s400/42.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Yet another photo of the pitcher in action</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUmxiY0WQjLTqEfNDEWymUvsL5dExqDrajo9vgPK_Lns1ei_zFC7_bmVWOyupUcm9QryzDg77Ht5Qu0ANu6TIzo2_sf25Tapc4s8e3dvnRNGqO7qiDbDrWJ7wS6XuOmPS-IHuyiDg61Q0/s1600/43gif.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUmxiY0WQjLTqEfNDEWymUvsL5dExqDrajo9vgPK_Lns1ei_zFC7_bmVWOyupUcm9QryzDg77Ht5Qu0ANu6TIzo2_sf25Tapc4s8e3dvnRNGqO7qiDbDrWJ7wS6XuOmPS-IHuyiDg61Q0/s400/43gif.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Animated GIF photo of the pitcher in action</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGhqz2spM2p7OHs3ZCacajA_tXlNnkhPKj8HvrrOEAykYvP5En1nb7wd3pVNmGge-afloEKk5qBQpqa8kkTuL2K8b30W7ktS8kmAPOjWRV3MVbj6VGcxeTtq9fE7JzukqjhlczhywaPUs/s1600/44.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGhqz2spM2p7OHs3ZCacajA_tXlNnkhPKj8HvrrOEAykYvP5En1nb7wd3pVNmGge-afloEKk5qBQpqa8kkTuL2K8b30W7ktS8kmAPOjWRV3MVbj6VGcxeTtq9fE7JzukqjhlczhywaPUs/s400/44.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Yomiuri Giants batter Garrett Jones</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPk0iZflUPkh4uhHUCpFlZIxDaKUWMS3pqW0uJ9UDbP1OFxl8DsEGk4KW4ksSUqQFefH0ptSYfvWNmsS2LXuirt7Lveo__Hz0jPhHMMCNwNUBdZHeMhUbNmrHqeqOsrozzpoIPj1fb4LM/s1600/45.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPk0iZflUPkh4uhHUCpFlZIxDaKUWMS3pqW0uJ9UDbP1OFxl8DsEGk4KW4ksSUqQFefH0ptSYfvWNmsS2LXuirt7Lveo__Hz0jPhHMMCNwNUBdZHeMhUbNmrHqeqOsrozzpoIPj1fb4LM/s400/45.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Another photo of the batter in action</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuA5C2PuLjW7mTtyKuNYvpAtNKZGcjmBii69mRAYeeMnHTlzkVeiYtFoBPhrFYhkFBb2EKMIaiS9-SPWNLA-EC43gjIFylg07c1jpEXrb8N4KgyIIL7YQ_vw5q7BDMQlVbfuCkQDK468g/s1600/46.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuA5C2PuLjW7mTtyKuNYvpAtNKZGcjmBii69mRAYeeMnHTlzkVeiYtFoBPhrFYhkFBb2EKMIaiS9-SPWNLA-EC43gjIFylg07c1jpEXrb8N4KgyIIL7YQ_vw5q7BDMQlVbfuCkQDK468g/s400/46.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Yet another photo of the batter in action</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJRO7G4sDX0JJCU4cFji7bXoGqjjZXa8fHQj65aRX-Jp15lN4QJK-9-ucujI4pbJprUBBP977F_K-Ax9lHrKmQ1FFaTDFPwxAFtaRmRJQ3nrjN9OSd8M_f-BSSigpTdJWA5ig3uz7Nc_U/s1600/47gif.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJRO7G4sDX0JJCU4cFji7bXoGqjjZXa8fHQj65aRX-Jp15lN4QJK-9-ucujI4pbJprUBBP977F_K-Ax9lHrKmQ1FFaTDFPwxAFtaRmRJQ3nrjN9OSd8M_f-BSSigpTdJWA5ig3uz7Nc_U/s400/47gif.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Animated GIF photo of the batter in action</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi90sClHi1ufuhllv8ycz2WNsH4a1GId__4Q8sHtx9tKI83gbrOivzwYsLp3ol6evMyteVlVHsKtx4fL_EL-4N-QyKvALz-5gPSslZUNVJ_K7LXcgEzRQ_vc58LNl8jCxOYI1_caogot0I/s1600/48.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi90sClHi1ufuhllv8ycz2WNsH4a1GId__4Q8sHtx9tKI83gbrOivzwYsLp3ol6evMyteVlVHsKtx4fL_EL-4N-QyKvALz-5gPSslZUNVJ_K7LXcgEzRQ_vc58LNl8jCxOYI1_caogot0I/s400/48.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Yomiuri Giants batter Chono Hisayoshi</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmV-SVyI_Kmz2_sBG7To4tqiia-HJrhTz8n5X7bghX2pQIdjI7kgbdImWTfjd7GjVkstpwKNp3dMAmvlNAt-dYI_nkbXCKQDVt4gL9iBH3SRDa9pM6Jzw5jwt56VMtNnxxsqirNYWe4WI/s1600/49.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmV-SVyI_Kmz2_sBG7To4tqiia-HJrhTz8n5X7bghX2pQIdjI7kgbdImWTfjd7GjVkstpwKNp3dMAmvlNAt-dYI_nkbXCKQDVt4gL9iBH3SRDa9pM6Jzw5jwt56VMtNnxxsqirNYWe4WI/s400/49.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Another photo of the batter in action</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmGulQm6RzCfWEc-ZKOr5nP8Z8Xu5YgPm5WG3NnodVfSGM7zhW00h1onOoqn1isQgTohKjyOOCUra3INZd5snUW795smPhssfP-voFd10LkKwoYtSMFa8baFnp8wdIY8H3Wv0BT4NMC9E/s1600/50gif.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmGulQm6RzCfWEc-ZKOr5nP8Z8Xu5YgPm5WG3NnodVfSGM7zhW00h1onOoqn1isQgTohKjyOOCUra3INZd5snUW795smPhssfP-voFd10LkKwoYtSMFa8baFnp8wdIY8H3Wv0BT4NMC9E/s400/50gif.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Animated GIF photo of the batter in action</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizZFOOFoTBJK4tgsfMg4KpafuZjTyfrDSdRHccFInuvds1HoBWDaw8rq-utjldWrSnyrH5WQ4-JlpKGHLiHEfPhNQkLeGh7gdkcQxvXDmrufIRYZ8FI6cz0TKmgKYf-4_Kh6FtjnuvwsQ/s1600/51.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizZFOOFoTBJK4tgsfMg4KpafuZjTyfrDSdRHccFInuvds1HoBWDaw8rq-utjldWrSnyrH5WQ4-JlpKGHLiHEfPhNQkLeGh7gdkcQxvXDmrufIRYZ8FI6cz0TKmgKYf-4_Kh6FtjnuvwsQ/s400/51.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Yomiuri Giants batter Sakamoto Hayato</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi21r_-iIKsxIu1NAu6yK5Fx_5ny1M-kPqpMNubPyEMOlTFvBNlGHub-F6idrQIxYMTfLg7GcebzDvOPjD33kCoPVI1wM58MGYqaw7F-2Zbn8cK8xax6Fzf0CgafSEcQlRBjdsoTT_Thu4/s1600/52.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi21r_-iIKsxIu1NAu6yK5Fx_5ny1M-kPqpMNubPyEMOlTFvBNlGHub-F6idrQIxYMTfLg7GcebzDvOPjD33kCoPVI1wM58MGYqaw7F-2Zbn8cK8xax6Fzf0CgafSEcQlRBjdsoTT_Thu4/s400/52.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Another photo of the batter in action</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl5rDorVg8GWG1PuYy5f7APEHEnxBBGdQLqTrfpCoUM5b82JUWvWaiIVK4njhTIx4Uvqfl29YNSeG6vcjsJosA0Ca_n87B8KZ4IVKjgUIP4WGBm1RG14rkRAiuL2vwkM44AboeQ1yiK6Y/s1600/53gif.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl5rDorVg8GWG1PuYy5f7APEHEnxBBGdQLqTrfpCoUM5b82JUWvWaiIVK4njhTIx4Uvqfl29YNSeG6vcjsJosA0Ca_n87B8KZ4IVKjgUIP4WGBm1RG14rkRAiuL2vwkM44AboeQ1yiK6Y/s400/53gif.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Animated GIF photo of the batter in action</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXxvPPsetHy-oYdUbfoCRYmAr5IXlmVYFMWgc4-je14HBrrH8LWkoKcgHcfSntDdFYrpCEWACRh2eqgO27QBBguj5TKJl9ziK4m973Cwekww6NJ4O_vemCgSnoIj36MIMVIAqlEeVnYbw/s1600/54.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXxvPPsetHy-oYdUbfoCRYmAr5IXlmVYFMWgc4-je14HBrrH8LWkoKcgHcfSntDdFYrpCEWACRh2eqgO27QBBguj5TKJl9ziK4m973Cwekww6NJ4O_vemCgSnoIj36MIMVIAqlEeVnYbw/s400/54.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Yomiuri Giants pitcher Miyaguni Ryosuke</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMV5RX8oVmRLPkvMGBYX4VRyOkJgx1XfJaVsbxm6t4OhGa8P3LxFxZg6B-fuV02bCguElwmNc-9OMK_cgQp5atDqPIbxuBMTf986PbFHKMIb3FtjM9AFa7p82IgTPpmTvVCkEIoNt8-QY/s1600/55.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMV5RX8oVmRLPkvMGBYX4VRyOkJgx1XfJaVsbxm6t4OhGa8P3LxFxZg6B-fuV02bCguElwmNc-9OMK_cgQp5atDqPIbxuBMTf986PbFHKMIb3FtjM9AFa7p82IgTPpmTvVCkEIoNt8-QY/s400/55.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Another photo of the pitcher in action</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnUDoBUH5QYSVsTVtrzwyWYq_QGF7zZDImHeveUj0if2dpvV6o8ycXuRVeHp8GQhdtCrTwZZMr5Skhl1tZ_P98BjANQp7Kq3a2GMvkAKjW55uwwnTngY8ngPwwJU9wah20CgkjVsvdE_o/s1600/56.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnUDoBUH5QYSVsTVtrzwyWYq_QGF7zZDImHeveUj0if2dpvV6o8ycXuRVeHp8GQhdtCrTwZZMr5Skhl1tZ_P98BjANQp7Kq3a2GMvkAKjW55uwwnTngY8ngPwwJU9wah20CgkjVsvdE_o/s400/56.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Yet another photo of the pitcher in action</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQzwEgQo2TnIQrQn8lkVxK4R_WYjWKDzDIdmyd-IQg6OUE8jepxykgknCOt_q_X9P-4ZwwFvuL-Tsa3MLCJZgkIHbgvUSt5ppqioENPxUXAN-e4PkXZUWsKj82GnyHdHftsJrVR14vtgQ/s1600/57gif.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQzwEgQo2TnIQrQn8lkVxK4R_WYjWKDzDIdmyd-IQg6OUE8jepxykgknCOt_q_X9P-4ZwwFvuL-Tsa3MLCJZgkIHbgvUSt5ppqioENPxUXAN-e4PkXZUWsKj82GnyHdHftsJrVR14vtgQ/s400/57gif.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Animated GIF photo of the pitcher in action</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">That day Tokyo Yakult Swallows beat Yomiuri Giants 4-1 in 9 innings. The home team fans and supporters were very excited and there was celebratory mood all around inside the stadium. Cheering and clapping of fans filled the stadium, and it felt nice to be surrounded by fans in so happy mood. Hero interviews and other ceremonies were over by 9 pm. Afterwards the atmosphere inside the stadium calmed down, and everyone packed up their belongings and shuffled out of the stadium. After some time, we also left the stadium.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhswc6ChYbYqOYvMnBZ_JK-tBiBy5YFYJ9HatDhqqLeygH3yD2Cw8WbDsA2VbaIrU3kqwmiZIL6edXMmVKwIU8YNxRPR9MRrX1Gb2gbVyd7_2IwQdaENphD4XuOkfDhkv_mJg8OpexJGt8/s1600/58.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhswc6ChYbYqOYvMnBZ_JK-tBiBy5YFYJ9HatDhqqLeygH3yD2Cw8WbDsA2VbaIrU3kqwmiZIL6edXMmVKwIU8YNxRPR9MRrX1Gb2gbVyd7_2IwQdaENphD4XuOkfDhkv_mJg8OpexJGt8/s400/58.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Scoreboard inside the stadium indicating that Tokyo Yakult Swallows beat Yomiuri Giants 4-1 in 9 innings</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3wY3k9A5OAxx4D6mjkKqYIWsZC6Qcz8yQU9YYcG15r2o7u48J7OgEB-OZxrnkpHuBTq5lz8XkJCv_IUwTZk1zIhw7dO8V9eDIK4U_ko9IfBTvBVZDI666enDC89JEr9CFGSiczRUhVcE/s1600/59.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3wY3k9A5OAxx4D6mjkKqYIWsZC6Qcz8yQU9YYcG15r2o7u48J7OgEB-OZxrnkpHuBTq5lz8XkJCv_IUwTZk1zIhw7dO8V9eDIK4U_ko9IfBTvBVZDI666enDC89JEr9CFGSiczRUhVcE/s400/59.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hero interviews of Tokyo Yakult Swallows players in progress</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5D-HSLROg2dEPL5mF7WM_LgEGFOrHpZdbf4LYQkaHO_UPsGyZVusQic9NKwuOIWjm8AxmwC-Q8rknZTXVbz-FPAfzrT1_JIFG-kgiTEikAaOIF9KoVCA_wHMg9TUKB_1zDyx0bOeR6bo/s1600/60.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5D-HSLROg2dEPL5mF7WM_LgEGFOrHpZdbf4LYQkaHO_UPsGyZVusQic9NKwuOIWjm8AxmwC-Q8rknZTXVbz-FPAfzrT1_JIFG-kgiTEikAaOIF9KoVCA_wHMg9TUKB_1zDyx0bOeR6bo/s400/60.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>I enjoyed the game very much</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">We left Meiji Jingu Stadium at about 9.15 pm and walked back to Gaienmae Railway Station from where we took a train and returned to the hotel in Nihonbashi district where we stayed that night. On reaching our hotel room, we immediately retired to bed as we were rather tired due to all the travel and excitement of watching the professional baseball game. We had so much fun.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>Hubby purchasing train tickets at Gaienmae Railway Station for returning to Nihonbashi Station</i></span></span></div>
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Manisha Kundu-Nagatahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13277146210049986417noreply@blogger.com0