Uploads from QuaqSim

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nobody@flickr.com (QuaqSim) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 03:38:04 -0700

QuaqSim posted a photo:

Beef bowl with rice, some vegetables and a raw egg. Today's dinner before heading to catch the bullet train back to Tokyo, it was already pitch black by the time we reached Tokyo.

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nobody@flickr.com (QuaqSim) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 03:37:24 -0700

QuaqSim posted a photo:

The short edge of the building as seen from the entrance. The walkway inside the building led down the left side with all the statues standing facing the walkway, each row raised behind the previous.

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nobody@flickr.com (QuaqSim) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 03:36:39 -0700

QuaqSim posted a photo:

A wooden door on the outside of a building with a paper door behind. And a fence. The building contained 1000+ Buddhist statues and photography was strictly forbidden. Each statue was subtly different to the other, for example one might be holding an object pointing upwards while another will have it pointing downwards, while others will have a different object.

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nobody@flickr.com (QuaqSim) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 03:36:01 -0700

QuaqSim posted a photo:

At the Heian shrine they have an archery competition which is held on the walkway on the edge of the building here. The board will be at one end while the archer is at the other and they will be competing to see who can fire as many arrows into the target quickest.

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nobody@flickr.com (QuaqSim) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 03:35:21 -0700

QuaqSim posted a photo:

Not a great photo but.. Whee, flying fish!

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nobody@flickr.com (QuaqSim) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 03:34:42 -0700

QuaqSim posted a photo:

A look at the front gate after leaving the shrine.

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nobody@flickr.com (QuaqSim) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 03:33:55 -0700

QuaqSim posted a photo:

A lot of different wildlife in the lake with various fish, turtles and insects, plus this lone duck. The duck got a lot of attention, the word 'kirei' came up a lot which means 'pretty' or 'beautiful'.

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nobody@flickr.com (QuaqSim) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 03:33:13 -0700

QuaqSim posted a photo:

The pavilion has seating all along the edges for people to sit and relax in the middle of the lake.

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nobody@flickr.com (QuaqSim) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 03:32:33 -0700

QuaqSim posted a photo:

The garden leads around a lake before crossing the lake over the pavilion.

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nobody@flickr.com (QuaqSim) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 03:31:53 -0700

QuaqSim posted a photo:

A group of school kids making their way through the garden decide to take the route through the pond. Many small groups like this can be seen around tourist locations which makes me wonder if they have something like a sightseeing day, sent off to visit places on their own.

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nobody@flickr.com (QuaqSim) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 03:31:12 -0700

QuaqSim posted a photo:

A large pond in the garden filled with life. I failed to capture a photo of a dragonfly here.

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nobody@flickr.com (QuaqSim) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 03:30:31 -0700

QuaqSim posted a photo:

Entering the gardens of the Heian Jinguu shrine, the tree line in the garden would obscure the background giving the impression of isolation.

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nobody@flickr.com (QuaqSim) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 03:29:52 -0700

QuaqSim posted a photo:

A shrine maiden strolls through the grounds.

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nobody@flickr.com (QuaqSim) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 03:29:11 -0700

QuaqSim posted a photo:

More amazing architecture on the shrine building, three smaller towers (possibly a fourth on the other side) positioned around a larger central tower.

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nobody@flickr.com (QuaqSim) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 03:28:32 -0700

QuaqSim posted a photo:

On the way out to Ginkakuji earlier, we passed underneath this enormous torii gate on the bus.

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nobody@flickr.com (QuaqSim) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 03:27:46 -0700

QuaqSim posted a photo:

One of the stops along the way, the Heian Jinguu shrine, with a map of the shrine.

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nobody@flickr.com (QuaqSim) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 03:27:04 -0700

QuaqSim posted a photo:

Came across this bus between places with manga style stickers on the side.

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nobody@flickr.com (QuaqSim) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 03:26:24 -0700

QuaqSim posted a photo:

Having taken the bus out to Ginkakuji, it was time to start slowly making our way back, walking to different places along the way. In one of the smaller places nearby we found this 'door bell', a block of wood with a mallet.

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nobody@flickr.com (QuaqSim) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 03:25:46 -0700

QuaqSim posted a photo:

Ginkakuji, the silver pavilion, surrounded by trees with water on one side and the zen garden on the other.

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nobody@flickr.com (QuaqSim) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 03:25:06 -0700

QuaqSim posted a photo:

Looking down over the zen garden with Ginkakuji, the silver pavilion, on the left.