What to see in Japan (part 1)
Japan is a country not everyone can understand. Its rich culture, carefully guarded and holy revered traditions are wonderfully combined with the extraordinary pace of development of high technology; crazy rhythm of life in noisy cities, in which huge skyscrapers are adjacent to elegant pagodas, and the noise of cars with the murmur of small waterfalls in quiet gardens, with the majestic tranquility of the nature of this country.
Indeed, we know very little about Japan. To the question: “What would you like to see in Japan?” – many of those who are going to visit this country will not find what to answer. Meanwhile, both its nature and cultural and historical wealth are so multifaceted and diverse that everyone here will find something interesting for themselves.
Kyoto – the ancient capital of Japan, today – the administrative center of the province of Kyoto. The most interesting sights of Kyoto are the Kiyomizu temples, the Golden and Silver pavilions, the stone garden at the Ryoanji temple, the Shogun Nijo castle, the old imperial palace of Gosho.
What to see in Japan The Golden Pavilion (Kinkakuji) was built in 1397. This is a three-tier palace-temple with a roof covered with thin gold plates and a “sand garden”. The Silver Pavilion (Ginkakuji) was built in 1483 in the eastern part of the city. The Silver Pavilion is also a palace and temple dedicated to the bodhisattva Kannon. There is a Buddhist altar on the upper floor, and living rooms on the lower floor. This is the first palace that was built with sliding walls: internal (fusuma) and external (shoji). When the shoji was filmed, the garden became an integral part of the house.
Gosho Palace was the official imperial residence under the emperor Kogon from 1331 to 1868, until the capital of Japan moved to Edo, then renamed Tokyo. The palace is recognized as a national treasure of Japan and the property of the imperial family.
What to see in Japan An hour away from Kyoto is Nara – the main Buddhist center and the capital of Japan of the 8th century. Here you can see the famous Big Buddha Temple (Toiji) – this is the largest wooden building in the world. Here is a huge wooden statue of Buddha, to see which tourists flock here from all over the world. They are also attracted by the Horyuji Temple – the oldest building in Japan (616), which delights with its harmonious and perfect forms. In 670 the temple burned down, but then was rebuilt. The five-tiered pagoda, 32 meters high, became the model for the creation of many temples of subsequent centuries.
In Nara there is also an amazing park of deer, which are considered Shinto divine messengers. Deers here are completely tame and enjoy communicating with visitors.
The third largest city in Japan, located in the center of the island of Honshu – Osaka – immersed in the greenery of gardens and parks. Osaka’s main attraction is the castle, one of the largest in Japan. It was built in 1586 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The five-tiered tower of the castle contains numerous works of art and documents from the Toyotomi family archive, from which you can learn about the past of Osaka.
What to see in Japan The capital of the southernmost of the Kyushu Islands, Nagasaki, the city that received notoriety as a result of the nuclear bombing in 1945, is now a major tourist center. At the site of a nuclear explosion, Nagasaki Peace Park was defeated.
Nagoya is the fourth largest city in Japan. Here, tourists are primarily attracted by the ancient castle. It was once the seat and military headquarters for the Tokugawa clan. At the Tokugawa Museum of Art, you can experience the culture of medieval Nagoya.
Okinawa is the largest island of the Japanese Ryukyu archipelago. Here are the best resorts in Japan. There is never snow on Okinawa, the island is surrounded by richest coral reefs and is inhabited by rare representatives of the fauna. The capital of Okinawa Prefecture is Naha. It will be interesting to see the Shinto Naminoue Temple, dedicated to the three deities guarding the imperial family, the Shogenji Buddhist Temple, Surey-no-mon (“The Gate of Courtesy”). Okinawa Senseki National Park is set up at the site of the battles of World War II. Here you can see the monuments to fallen soldiers.
What to see in Japan Fukuoka – a prefecture in the northern part of about. Kyushu. This city is not very rich in attractions, but very attractive. Fukuoka Tower has a height of 234 meters and is the largest viewing platform in Japan.
Among the temples of the city are Tocho with a 16 meter high Buddha statue (806), Shchefuku near the Hakata station, founded in the 12th century, and the oldest Zen temple in Japan, Shofukuji (1141-1215).
Hokkaido is Japan’s second largest and northernmost island. The administrative center of the governorate of Hokkaido and the fifth largest city (1 million 800 thousand people) is Sapporo. It is quite young, it was built at the very beginning of the Meiji era (70s of the 19th century). Sapporo is famous for its Snow Festival, which has been held here since 1950. The main celebrations are held in Odori Park.
