What’s it like to join a Robert Day Travel Japan Tour? Why not ask someone who’s been on one! #robertdaytravel #japanarchitecturetours #japan #japantravel #arttravel #arttravelinjapan #architecture #japanesearchitecture #japaneseculture #japanesedesign #japantour #japantourism #visitjapan
What’s it like to join a Robert Day Travel Japan Tour? Why not ask someone who’s been on one! #robertdaytravel #japanarchitecturetours #japan #japantravel #arttravel #arttravelinjapan #architecture #japanesearchitecture #japaneseculture #japanesedesign #japantour #japantourism #visitjapan
What’s it like to join a Robert Day Travel Japan Tour? Why not ask someone who’s been on one! #robertdaytravel #japanarchitecturetours #japan #japantravel #arttravel #arttravelinjapan #architecture #japanesearchitecture #japaneseculture #japanesedesign #japantour #japantourism #visitjapan
What’s it like to join a Robert Day Travel Japan Tour? Why not ask someone who’s been on one! #robertdaytravel #japanarchitecturetours #japanjapantravel #japan #japantravel #arttravel #arttravelinjapan #architecture #japanesearchitecture #japaneseculture #japanesedesign #japantour #japantourism #visitjapan
What’s it like to join a Robert Day Travel Japan Tour? Why not ask someone who’s been on one! #robertdaytravel #japanarchitecturetours #japan #japantravel #arttravel #arttravelinjapan #architecture #japanesearchitecture #japaneseculture #japanesedesign #japantour #japantourism #visitjapan
What’s it like to join a Robert Day Travel Japan Tour? Why not ask someone who’s been on one! #robertdaytravel #japanarchitecturetours #japan #japantravel #arttravel #arttravelinjapan #architecture #japanesearchitecture #japaneseculture #japanesedesign #japantour #japantourism #visitjapan
What’s it like to join a Robert Day Travel Japan Tour? Let’s ask some people who’ve been on one. #robertdaytravel #japanarchitecturetours #japan #japantravel #travelinjapan #japanesearchitecture #arttraveljapan #japanesedesign #japaneseculture #japanesetravel #architecturetravel #japantourism
Bonsai is the traditional Japanese art of growing miniature trees In pots to mimic real life natural scenery. With origins dating back many centuries, Bonsai became very popular in many levels of Japanese society during the Edo Period around 400 years ago. There are a number of Bonsai styles including “Chokkan”, the most basic, with a single upright trunk, “Fukinagashi” where the truck grows sideways to depict the tree blown by the wind and “Yose-ue” where several trees are planted together in the pot to resemble a grove of trees. Bonsai is best viewed from the front or looking up to imagine viewing a full size tree. Despite the trees being miniature, fruit and flowers are full size creating an interesting appearance. The Omiya Bonsai Village in Saitama was established in 1925 after the former Bonsai growing area in Sendagi Tokyo was destroyed during the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake. Adjacent to the village is The Omiya Bonsai Art Museum which houses an impressive collection of bonsai many of which are centuries old. It is an ideal place to see all types of bonsai up close and to learn about the history and cultivation of bonsai. Robert Day Travel offers the opportunity to visit the Omiya Bonsai Village and other parts of Japan. Contact us for information our Japan tours. https://www.robertdaytravel.com/contact #robertdaytravel #omiyabonsaivillage #bonsai #omiyabonsaiartmuseum #japanesebonsai #japanarchitecturetours #visitjapan #visitjapanau
Indigo dyeing, or Aizome, is a traditional Japanese craft which is practised throughout Japan with a variety of regional variations and techniques. One method is to dye thread and then weave the thread into cloth. Another is tie-dyeing where a piece of cloth is bunched and tied with thread and dipped into the dye solution creating patterns where the bindings are and another popular method is wax painting. With this method wax is painted on the fabric to prevent the dye penetrating the material. The dye solution is created by fermenting indigo leaves in tanks in a solution of sake, lime, wheat bran and other substances. Some indigo producers set the tanks in the ground to moderate the temperature. When the cloth or raw threads are dipped into the solution, it comes out brown and then turns blue when it come in contact with air. The more times the fabric is dipped, the deeper the blue colour becomes. The range of products created through the indigo dyeing process is extensive including scarfs, handkerchiefs, cushion covers, shirts, dresses and noren curtains. No matter what the item, the indigo colour makes it stunning and beautiful. Robert Day Travel offers the opportunity to visit Indigo workshops around Japan. Contact us for more information. https://www.robertdaytravel.com/contact #robertdaytravel #indigo #indigodyeing #aizome #japaneseindigodyeing #japanesecraft #japanesehandicraft
#japanarchitecturetours #visitjapanau #visitjapan
Nagasaki is located on the Island of Kyushu in western Japan and although being possibly most well known as the second target of an atomic bomb, it has a unique place in the history of Japan and pivotal in the westernisation and eventual path towards the global economic and industrial powerhouse that Japan is today. For centuries, Japan had close trading relations with Taiwan, Korea and China and was almost unknown in the West. However in 1543 when some Portuguese sailors were shipwrecked in southern Kyushu, this all changed. Following their rescue, the Portuguese traders visited Japan to establish a trading base and also with a goal to convert the Japanese to Christianity. Christianity was soon so widespread that Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the powerful warlord who controlled the region, banned Christianity and expelled the Portuguese from Japan. Toyotomi then closed the country off to all foreigners with the exception of the Chinese traders living in Nagasaki and the Dutch, who had managed to convince Toyotomi that they were not Christians. From 1634 the Dutch traders were forced to live on the tiny man-made island of Dejima in Nagasaki Harbour and remained there for over 200 years until Japan was opened to other foreign traders in 1854. During that time, the Dutch East India Company exported Japanese porcelain from Arita, the birthplace of Japanese porcelain located near Nagasaki, to Europe which became popular amongst European nobility. After the 1860s Nagasaki become a thriving foreign trading port and the entry point for all things Western into Japan. Nagasaki become a flourishing hub for heavy industry and ship building which made it a target for the second atomic bombed dropped on Japan at the end of WW2. Since the end of the war, Nagasaki has once again become a thriving industrial hub. Nagasaki has a rich and diverse history and is a city definitely worth including in a trip to Japan. Robert Day Travel offers the opportunity to visit Nagasaki and other parts of Ja
Sumo is an ancient Japanese sport with traditions dating back thousands of years and with roots to Shinto religious beliefs and ceremonies. It is a national sport in Japan and is universally loved by Japanese of all ages.
Sumo wrestlers or rikishi, train for many hours each day to develop power, strength, speed and agility. Attributes that a Sumo wrestler needs to climb the Sumo ranks. Physical size is also desirable and the best way to increase physical size is to eat a lot of food.
Sumo is performed on a raised clay platform within a ring made of straw bales. The rules of sumo are very simple. Force your opponent out of the ring or make them touch the ground with any part of their body other than the soles of their feet. There are 82 winning techniques in Sumo that a rikishi can employ to beat their opponent.
Sumo tournaments run for 15 days and are held in odd numbered months. Win 8 or more bouts to get promoted, lose and get demoted. Of the six divisions in Sumo, Makush*ta is the highest one and the highest rank in that division is Yokozuna or Grand Champion. Only wrestlers who have achieved an outstanding and consistent record will be promoted to Yokozuna.
With a deep connection to Shinto beliefs, a Sumo tournament is full of ritual and ceremony. Before the Makush*ta division starts each day, rikishi parade wearing colourful and ornately decorated aprons called Kesha Mawashi. Yokozuna stamp their feet during their ring ceremony to ward off evil spirits and perform a series of movements to display their agility and power and before each bout rikishi throw salt into the ring for purification. It is a wonderful spectacle.
If you ever travel to Japan when a Sumo tournament is on, an afternoon at the Sumo is highly recommended. Contact Robert Day Travel to find out more. #robertdaytravel #sumo #yokozuna #visitjapan #visitjapanau
The Shiretoko Peninsula is located on the eastern end of the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido. With the majority designated a national park, it is an area of pristine landscape with dramatic natural features.
Shiretoko is bounded by the Okhotsk Sea to the northwest and the Pacific Ocean to the southeast and sea currents and other seasonal natural phenomena produce an abundance of sea life that supports both the local fishing industry and the wildlife that inhabit the area including whales, seals, bears and deer.
Shiretoko is a wilderness area of outstanding natural beauty and much of the area is accessible only by boat or by walking trails.
A high mountain range running through the centre of the peninsula, containing several active volcanoes, extends down to steep cliffs high above the sea. This is a spectacular view that can only be seen from sightseeing boats that cruise the Okhotsk Sea.
This UNESCO World Heritage Site is a must visit part of Japan, not only for the stunning natural scenery, but also the wilderness activities, therapeutic hot springs and of course, delicious Japanese food, especially fresh local seafood.
Robert Day Travel offers the opportunity to visit Shiretoko. Contact us for more information about our tours to Hokkaido and other parts of Japan. https://www.robertdaytravel.com/contact #shiretoko #shiretokonationalpark #hokkaido #wildhokkaido #visithokkaido #visitjapan #visitjapanau #okhotsksea #ezoshika #japanarchitecturetours #robertdaytravel
Kurashiki is a historic town in Okayama Prefecture with a history dating back over 400 years. During the Edo Period, the surrounding area produced large quantities of rice which was then transported to Kurashiki via a canal system and stockpiled in the many storehouses that lined the central canal. As a consequence, Kurashiki became a very wealthy town and merchants showed off this wealth by constructing storehouses with elaborate details such as “sea cucumber” walls. Today these storehouses have been converted into shops which sell locally produced goods and others into museums and galleries which arts and crafts from the local area, particularly pottery. Okayama is a very famous pottery producing region of Japan and home of one the “six ancient kilns”. By far the most famous gallery in Kurashiki is the Ohara Museum of Art, established in 1930, the oldest western art museum in Japan. Consisting of several buildings including former storehouses, the main building, has a Greek revival style. It features works by Monet, Gauguin, Matisse and other Impressionist, as well as a painting by El Greco. Another of the Ohara Museum galleries feature Japanese Mingei or Folk Art Craft. This includes ceramic works by Kawai Kanjiro, Hamada Shoji and the famous British potter Bernard Leach who help inspire the Mingei movement in Japan. Kurashiki has so much to offer, no matter what your interests might be. Robert Day Travel offers the opportunity to visit Okayama and Kurashiki. Contact us for information about our tours to Okayama and other parts of Japan. #kurashiki #okayama #bizenyaki #oharamuseumofart #mingei #japanesemingei #kawaikanjiro #hamadashoji #japanesecrafts #visitjapan #robertdaytravel #japanarchitecturetours
Hill of Buddha is a giant 13.5m tall stone Buddha that is part of the Makomanai Takino Cemetery in Sapporo and was designed by world famous Japanese architect, Tadao Ando. When the cemetery was originally constructed the Buddha sat in the open air. Years later, Ando was approached to design an enclosure more fitting of Buddha’s stature and designed a pleated concrete dome to enclose the Buddha, open to the sky so that the head pokes out the top. The dome is buried under an earth mound covered in thousands of lavender plants and is a spectacular sight when in full bloom. The height of the dome has been designed so that the top of Buddha’s head is visible above the mound from all parts of the cemetery. As the visitor approaches the Buddha, they walk past a tranquil reflection pool leading to a tunnel with a low ceiling of decorative concrete before the Buddha appears in full view with dramatic effect. The Buddha is an imposing figure towering over the viewer yet despite this, the serene expression on the Buddha’s face is very comforting. A visit to Hill of Buddha is a very moving experience and definitely worth the effort to get there. Robert Day Travel offers the opportunity to visit Sapporo and Hill of Buddha. Contact us for information about our tours to Hokkaido and other parts of Japan. #hillofbuddha #sapporo #hokkaido #japanesearchitecture #tadaoando #andoarchitecture #tadaoandoarchitecture #robertdaytravel #japanarchitecturetours #visitjapan
