||\ JOEL IN JAPAN /||

nara

jump to todaiji temple
jump to gagaku performance
jump to kofukuji temple

[ this is nara. the oldest capital city of japan. it was the capital from 710 to 784 AD. it is also considered the home of buddhism in japan because it is where buddhism was first fully established in japan. most of the high profile temples and shrines are in nara park. the majority of the pictures below were taken in that park. another interesting thing about nara park is that domesticated deer roam free anywhere they choose within the park. they are very tame deer and simply look for hand outs from the humans. for more on nara click here




[ this woman is stoking a fire to cook chestnuts, i think. ]



[ this pathway into nara park is lind with hundreds of laterns. can you ]

[ osu at night. and by the way, thats my bike. ]











[ this was so yummy i had to take a pictures ]
[ i wasnt the only one excited about my food. ]






[ this was so yummy i had to take a pictures ]
[ i wasnt the only one excited about my food. ]





todaiji temple

[ this temple is the largest wooden structure in the world ]
[ these photos dont capture just how impressive this building is, it is truly massive ]


[ these figures are supposed to be the gaurdians of buddha but these particular ones are huge. ]




[ this buddha is massive. i didnt get a good enough picture but believe me it dwarfs the people below. ]
[ at the foot of the giant buddha...]




gagaku performance

on the way to kofukuji temple i heard music in the distance so i followed it. i took me the entrance of a garden by that time i knew it was gagaku music, traditional japanese court music.
i was so excited to hear it live i payed the garden enterance fee and went toward the music. and it wasnt just music, i got to see the traditional dance performed with gagaku. strangely enough i realized there are connections between japanese dance and michael jackson's dancing. both are based in small, subtle, and seemingly insignificant movements; like tilting you head or removing you jacket in-sync with the music.










[ the town. ]



[ this modern building seems to have taken inspiration from the neighboring pagodas ]



kofukuji temple










[ this was so yummy i had to take a pictures ] [ i wasnt the only one excited about my food. ]




going home...