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Two Hakone geisha. 箱根芸者夢路8 views
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Samurai entourage for the first Odawara Hojo lord, Hōjō Sōun. Played by international graduates from Tokimeki Kokusai Gakko school. ときめき国際学校OB8 views
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The second Odawara Hojo lord, Hojo Ujitsuna. 二代北条氏綱隊 8 views
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The second Odawara Hojo lord, Hojo Ujitsuna. Too bad he didn't look my way. 二代北条氏綱隊 8 views
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The fourth Odawara Castle lord, Hojo Ujimasa played by well-known actor Takashima Masanobu. 四代氏政 (高嶋政伸)8 views
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Hōjō Ujikuni, Hachigata Castle lord in present-day Yorii, Saitama. 鉢形城主 北条氏邦8 views
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Hachigata Castle Matchlock Gun Battalion. 8 views
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JR Zushi Station is slightly beyond Kamakura. Takes a little over an hour from Tokyo Station on the JR Yokosuka Line. Local buses go to local attractions. The beach is near enough to walk to.8 views
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Coastal road along Zushi beach.8 views
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Residential area of Zushi.8 views
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Najima torii off the Morito Coast on the Miura Peninsula in Kanagawa Prefecture. Part of Morito Daimyojin Shrine. 名島（菜島）の鳥居8 views
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Enoshima in the distance.8 views
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Coastal road along Shin-nase beach. 真名瀬海岸8 views
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Kumano Shrine in Hayama, Kanagawa Prefecture. 熊野神社8 views
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Poem about Cape Chikyu. Although the original name is Chikiu (チキウ岬) coming from the Ainu word "Chikepu" (チケプ) meaning cliff. It has been Japanized into "Chikyu" (地球) meaning Earth.8 views
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If you're lucky, you might see whales and dolphins.8 views
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Mt. Sokuryo is also on the migratory path of birds like the falcon. Great for bird watchers. Signboard about Mt. Sokuryo.8 views
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Across Muroran Port is the huge North Nippon Works (Muroran) steel plant.8 views
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測量山展望台8 views
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Part of Etomo-Rinkai Park can be seen.8 views
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Etomo-Rinkai Park waterfront.8 views
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Welcome to Muroran! Local tourist sights.8 views
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Hakucho Bridge Memorial Museum8 views
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Roadside Station Mitara Muroran gift shop sells mainly edibles.8 views
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Driving on Hakucho Bridge to mainland Hokkaido.8 views
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View of the Muroran steel plant from Hakucho Bridge.8 views
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The Harry Potter Tokyo studio is conveniently located in central Tokyo, near Toshimaen Station (豊島園駅), about 15 minutes from Ikebukuro Station by train on the Seibu Ikebukuro Line.8 views
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Small locomotive which was originally used at Toshimaen amusement park. For more details, see my blog post.8 views
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Entrance to Nerima Joshi Park and way to the Harry Potter studio.8 views
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Entrance to Harry Potter Studio in Tokyo.8 views
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Entrance hall with pictures of movie scenes.8 views
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About Gryffindor.8 views
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Minerva McGonagall (next to Sorting Hat), Hogwarts Transfiguration professor, Head of Gryffindor House, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts.8 views
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Hogwarts Marble Staircase.8 views
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Hogwarts Marble Staircase which actually moves (swivels).8 views
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Gryffindor boys’ dormitory. 8 views
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Gryffindor boys’ dormitory bed.8 views
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Nimbus 2000 and Nimbus 2001 Quidditch broomsticks.8 views
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Goblet of Fire, hand carved from English Elm.8 views
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Including the most powerful Elder Wand (No. 1).8 views
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Other professors.8 views
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Hagrid (half giant) and Buckbeak the Hippogriff (animatronic) in the Forbidden Forest.8 views
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Centaurs are guardians of the Forbidden Forest.8 views
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Hagrid’s Hut bed.8 views
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Photo op: In the Backlot, pose inside the Flying Car8 views
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Backlot Cafe for lunch. Located halfway through the studio tour. 8 views
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Butterbeer Bar 8 views
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Butterbeer Bar for non-alcoholic butterbeer (¥1,100), coffee/tea (¥500), and salted popcorn (¥700).8 views
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The stairs overhead where Harry’s cousin Dudley Dursley would stomp on to annoy Harry below.8 views
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Don't mess with a wizard.8 views
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Giant chess pieces protecting the Philosopher’s Stone. Stationary and non-explosive.8 views
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Three-decker Knight Bus.8 views
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Next to the Knight Bus, red telephone box.8 views
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Photo op: Through the Wall. Push a baggage cart into the wall to enter Platform 9¾.8 views
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The train is stationary, but you can enter the passenger carriage and see passenger compartments.8 views
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Railway Shop for train-related gifts exclusive to Tokyo.8 views
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Broomstick flying experience. It looks like a ride, but the broomstick is just a stationary prop you sit on and be filmed in a green screen booth. They charge ¥3,500 to download the broomstick video (without watermarks)..8 viewsThe staff tells you when to sway left or right, when to wave, when to reach out your hand to catch the Golden Snitch, etc. The resulting 70-sec. video shows you flying fast on a broomstick amid different background scenery like city streets, Quidditch field, and Hogwarts Castle.
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Studio Shop rooms guarded by Voldemort’s snake Nagini.8 views
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Wands and more wands. Buy the wand of your favorite wizard or witch for ¥4,600.8 views
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Princess Kazunomiya on her palanquin in Okegawa-juku. The procession route is on the Nakasendo Road from Okegawa Elementary School to Kido-ato. 8 views
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The road snakes up the mountain, but pedestrians can also go up a few shortcuts. Steeper than the road though.7 views
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Unusual rock formations.7 views
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Gujo-Hachiman Castle has lots of red maples.7 views
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Another corner turret.7 views
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Gujo-Hachiman Castle turret and autumn foliage.7 views
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Gujo-Hachiman Castle corner turret and autumn foliage.7 views
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Steps to the castle's main keep.7 views
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Path along the castle wall leading to another turret.7 views
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Corner turret.7 views
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Castle wall with openings for weapons.7 views
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Castle tower had a tree growing in the foundation.7 views
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Defensive wall with holes for weapons.7 views
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Inside Gujo-Hachiman Castle's main tower, a museum exhibiting local historical artifacts. This is the first floor. In the background, you can see Koinobori carp streamers made by local artists.7 views
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Scroll painting of Chiyo, famous wife of Yamauchi Kazutoyo in the 16th century. Chiyo was supposedly the daughter of the Gujo-Hachiman Castle's first lord, Endo Morikazu.7 views
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Top floor of the castle tower is a lookout deck with open windows (no glass). Very breezy.7 views
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Jokamachi (castle town) area of Gujo-Hachiman. The large temple roof would be Anyoji Temple.7 views
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Corner turret.7 views
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Lower floor in the castle tower.7 views
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Photo gallery of other castles.7 views
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First floor.7 views
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It was kind of tiring to climb up the mountain for the second on the same day to see the evening light-up. But it was worth it. Took 20 min. to take some quick photos before going back down to catch the bus back to Gifu Station.7 views
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It says the ventilation system in the bus completely changes the interior air every 5 min.7 views
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Jion-zenji (also called Jionji) is a Rinzai Zen Buddhist temple (Myoshinji School). On the fringe of central Gujo-Hachiman. Walking distance from the castle.7 views
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In autumn, Jion-zenji Temple is a major attraction for autumn leaves in Tessoen Garden.7 views
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Tessoen Garden admission is ¥500 as of autumn 2021.7 views
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Otohime Stream7 views
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Gujo-Hachiman street lamp and Otohime Stream.7 views
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Hakurankan is Gujo-Hachiman's main museum exhibiting local culture, history, crafts, and ecology. Building was built in 1920 as a tax office. 7 viewsOpen: 9:00 am–5:00 pm, closed Dec 24 to Jan 2. Small admission charged
https://hakurankan.com/group_en/
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Traditional uses of water in Gujo-Hachiman.7 views
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About Gujo's natural springs.7 views
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Gujo-Hachiman during the Azuchi-Momoyama and Edo Periods.7 views
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Kami-shibai show corner.7 views
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Portrait of Chiyo, wife of Yamauchi Kazutoyo.7 views
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Indigo dye7 views
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On the right is Sogi natural spring, named after poet Sogi who bid farewell here to the castle lord after visiting Gujo in the 15th century.7 views
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About Sogi-sui Spring.7 views
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Sake shop in a traditional building in a neighborhood called Kajiya-machi7 views
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Gujo Odori monument.7 views
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Kodara River upstream.7 views
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Daijoji Temple in autumn. 大乗寺7 views
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Daijoji Temple in autumn. 大乗寺7 views
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Gate to Chokyoji Temple. 長敬寺7 views
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Chokyoji has a connection with the Ryosotai Battalion formed by former samurai of Gujo domain. They fought against Imperial forces in 1868 at Aizu Wakamatsu. 凌霜隊7 views
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Yoshida River in Gujo-Hachiman looking upstream. There are also cherry blossoms in spring.7 views
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Yoshida River's clear and clean water.7 views
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Looking downstream on Yoshida River. Miyagase Bridge can be seen.7 views
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Former Hachiman Town Hall was built in 1936 and served as the Hachiman Town Hall until 1994. It now houses a tourist information center, souvenir shop, and restaurant. 郡上八幡旧庁舎記念館7 viewsThe large plaza in front of the building is one of the main venues for the Gujo Odori Dance held in summer.
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In front of the former Hachiman Town Hall is this monument marking the origin of the Gujo Odori Dance.7 views
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Hida Coffee, locally produced coffee milk.7 views
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Cafe menu. Reasonable prices.7 views
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Gujo-Hachiman Post Office on the left.7 views
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Traditional-looking homes.7 views
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Former Hayashi Clinic. It was closed when I visited.7 views
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Shinmachi-dori street is the main street in the southern part of town south of Yoshida River.7 views
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Fake sushi on key chains.7 views
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JR Ena Station has a tourist information center right inside and outside.7 views
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Agi River.7 views
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Finally, the Enakyo sign.7 views
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From the bus stop, there's a short path down to the riverside.7 views
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Map of Enakyo. There's a sightseeing boat pier on the left, a few hotels, and a small spit of land that is Sazanami Park, one main attraction.7 views
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Entering Sazanami Park lined with red maple leaves in mid-November.7 views
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Left side of Sazanami Park facing the boat pier.7 views
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Approaching the tip of Sazanami Park.7 views
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Tanka poetry monument on the tip of Sazanami Park. Lower monument commemorates the development of Enakyo.7 views
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Tanka poem monument for poet Kitahara Hakushu.7 views
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Benten Island is the tip of a mountain now submerged by the dammed river.7 views
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Momosuke Square at the top of Sazanami Park. Statue of Fukuzawa Momosuke, son-in-law of Fukuzawa Yukichi. Momosuke built the Oi Dam that created this Enakyo reservoir and hydroelectric power.7 views
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Also a playground for kids.7 views
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Tarumi Line starts here at JR Ogaki Station on the JR Tokaido Line. You can buy Tarumi Line tickets on the platform when transferring from a JR train.7 views
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From the train, you see a lot of persimmon groves. This area of Gifu (Mizuho, Motosu, Ibigawa, etc.) is where the fuyu-gaki variety of persimmons (富有柿) originated in the late 19th century.7 viewsNow grown all over western Japan. Gifu Prefecture is Japan's second largest producer of fuyu-gaki persimmons after Nara Prefecture. If you walk around these neighborhoods, you might see persimmons for sale for cheap in front of a house.
Unfortunately, a few of these farmers are seeing thieves stealing their fruit. They will likely install more security cameras.
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This Somon Gate (総門) marks the start of the path leading to Tanigumi-san. The shuttle bus stop is slightly beyond this gate.7 views
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As soon as you get off the shuttle bus and see the path to the temple, you see these maple leaves.7 views
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During autumn, a local event selling local food. This is in the parking lot behind the Ibigawa Tourist Information Plaza.7 views
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Public restroom in a tradtional-style building.7 views
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Stone marker for the 33rd and last temple on the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage temple in western Japan (西国三十三所).7 views
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Juodo Hall is a small worhsip hall (closed) on the way to Kegonji. 十王堂7 views
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Hall that keeps 33 Kannon statues. Not open to the public. 三十三所堂7 views
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Prayer beads inside the dark, basement passage.7 views
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Shinto shrine.7 views
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Niomon Gate7 views
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Niomon Gate7 views
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Shuttle bus back to the train station.7 views
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End of Ibigawa Line at Ibi Station.7 views
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At Kita-Godo Station, these plastic seats look like they are from 1980s shinkansen stations.7 views
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Although this big bridge is right in front, most people don't seem to mind it.7 views
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Okinawan-style restrooms at Naminoue Beach.7 views
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Naminoue Beach Park.7 views
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Anatomy of Ryuchu dragon pillars.7 views
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Map of Naminoue and Tomari areas.7 views
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About Naminoue Shrine.7 views
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About Naminoue Shrine in English.7 views
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Near Naha's beach, Naminoue Shrine (波上宮). Major Shinto shrine in Naha. Looks very Okinawan. http://naminouegu.jp/english.html7 views
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Hibiscus7 views
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At Tomari Port, ticket window for Kumejima island.7 views
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Yui Rail Naha Airport Station turnstile.7 views
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Japan's Air Self-Defense Force base is also at Naha Airport.7 views
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Orchids on the concourse to the gates at Naha Airport.7 views
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We flew on a Japan Transocean Air (JTA) Boeing 737-800 to Ishigaki, Yaeyama's main island. JTA is jointly owned by JAL (majority stake), Okinawa Prefecture, and others.7 views
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At Naha, Japan Transocean Air (JTA) Boeing 737-800 to Ishigaki.7 views
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Aircraft door.7 views
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Pink whale shark Japan Transocean Air (JTA) Boeing 737-800 plane taking off from Naha Airport.7 views
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Ryukyu Air Commuter DHC8-Q400CC (DH4) turboprop plane taking off from Naha Airport.7 views
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Steps down to Gyokusendo Cavern.7 views
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The main attraction of Okinawa World is Gyokusendo (玉泉洞), one of the largest limestone caverns in Japan. It's cooler in here (21˚C), so it's great in summer.7 viewsThis section is called Toyo Ichido. 東洋一洞
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"Buddha statues"7 views
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Banyan tree formation7 views
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Japanese mitten crab, one of the creatures that live in the cavern. モクズガニ7 views
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Nearing the cavern exit.7 views
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Habu ready to attack. If you see this pose, run away quick.7 views
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Brewing Habu liquor or habu-shu (ハブ酒) made with awamori or brandy.7 views
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Old tortoise.7 views
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Shisa (シーサー) guardian lion dog statue on the roof to ward off evil spirits. 7 views
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Indigo fabric goods.7 views
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Okinawan children babysitting in the old days. It was a common sight on mainland Japan too.7 views
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Ryukyu Glass Kingdom Studio7 views
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Tropical Orchard is what you see after exiting the Gyokusendo Cavern. 熱帯フルーツ園7 views
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Gyokusendo-mae bus stop back to Naha. Buses are infrequent. Typical bus stop sign on Okinawa. Simple, metal panel with a grunge look. Must be like this to withstand frequent typhoons.7 views
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From Urasoe Castle, there's no trail going down the Hacksaw Ridge cliff.7 views
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Former site of the Aikoku Chiso Memorial Monument erected here in 1965 in memory of people from Aichi Prefecture who died during the Battle of Okinawa. In 1994, the monument was moved to the Peace Memorial Park in Itoman.7 views
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Yui Rail train near Urasoe-Maeda Station.7 views
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Yui Rail Urasoe-Maeda Station.7 views
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US-1A 90787 views
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Nose of P-2J. The plane was based on the US Navy's P2-V7 Neptune.7 views
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Museum's big, blue, two-story building is like an airplane hangar. The first floor has over 30 retired airplanes and replicas. The second floor has space-related exhibits. Expect to spend at least a few hours.7 views
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Salmson 2A2 was built in Gifu under a license from France. Production started in 1922 by Kawasaki Dockyard Co., Ltd., starting Japan's aviation industry. 乙式一型偵察機（サルムソン2A2）7 views
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Front of Salmson 2A2. 乙式一型偵察機（サルムソン2A2）7 views
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All the planes which first flew in Japan here in Kakamigahara.7 views
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All the planes which first flew in Japan here in Kakamigahara.7 views
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Chronology of Japan's aviation history from 1903. In 1910, the first powered flights in Japan were conducted with planes purchased from Germany and France. Japan learned about planes from the West.7 views
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Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien fighter7 views
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About the Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien fighter.7 views
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Prop of Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien fighter.7 views
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