Ohayo. I have been studying this elegant language for three whole years now, Japanese that is or Nihongo as you should call it!! I have also learnt two of their alphabets, hiragana and katakana-what a pity I can’t show it off in this review! I’m still working on the Kanji though which I have to admit is damn well hard. You should see how many strokes there are in one character.
Although my knowledge of this renowned country is more related towards the language, I thought I’d take some time to write this review and test my knowledge about the other facets of Japan.
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Japan or Nihon as the natives call it is one of the worlds most advanced countries. Situated in the Pacific and consists of four main islands which are Kyushu, Shikoku, Honshu and Hokkaido; Honshu being the largest of the four.
As it is said today the Japanese people have no particular belief, they take part in both Shinto and Buddhist customs and rituals. There are many temples and shrines-jinja- that you can visit in Japan.
Here is my list that I recommend you go and see…
The Kinkakuji Temple In Kyoto, Honshu is famous as it is coated delicately in gold leaf. This amazing temple was built in the 14th century and is one of Japans most visited tourist destinations. It stands proudly and exquisitely as a three-tiered Golden Pavilion and is set neatly in a shallow pond.
The Toshogu Shrine is in Nikko, Honshu and again is a well-crafted shrine. It is made from woodcarvings that have been ornately designed. Don’t you love the way that Japanese temples are designed? The authentic square roofs are so incredible, they curve so charmingly at the very edges, this is what is so distinctive about Japanese architecture-there I go again about architecture(those of you who’ve red my other reviews)!!
The Asakusa Kannon Temple in Tokyo, the capital of Japan. This temple is the oldest and most celebrated Buddhist temple in Nihon.
Meiji Shrine in Tokyo which is dedicated to the famous Japanese Emperor Meiji.
Ryoanji Temple. This temple is quite different, it is a sand and rock garden. There are fifteen rocks in this garden and no matter where you stand you can only see 13. Pretty clever eh!? This is the aspect as to which the visitor to the shrine must meditate on.
The Great Buddha is a must see. Stands at 13.35 metres high and was made in the year of 1252…gosh that’s 751 years ago!!
And a shopping we will go on a Sunday when the streets are closed off in Tokyo’s Ginza. This is the spot to shop and this is also the place to hold on to your kids, they may get lost in the massive swarm of people. But then you’ve probably left them back home with your parents so in that case hold onto your hubby!
When you hear the words ‘Disney Land’ you think of America, you’re in for a surprise. Japan has its very own Disney Land. It’s every child’s dream to go, so why not pop into Chiba prefecture for a day, if you got the wee ones with you!!
If you are planning your trip in winter then go and take place in one of Japans main festivals. The Snow festival. This takes place in Sapporo, Hokkaido. Here you can see masses of ice that has been carved extravagantly into remarkable shapes and designs.
Mount Fuji is Tokyo is Japans tallest mountain. Staggering at 3776 meters the mountain is iced with compressed snowflakes.
Tea Ceremonies are a great tradition in Japan, and something to put on the to-do list when visiting this nation. Although the tea tastes nothing like Indian tea-char-it is truly experiencing and was used to help the Buddhist Monks meditate. This custom dates back to some 800 years ago. You can visit special teahouses for this.
You’d never believe it and I never did but Japan has sand dunes. The Tottori Sand Dunes are quite spectacular. As you go from place to place you will notice the various changes of scenery. You may be looking out into a lake encircled with Sakura-cherry blossom trees, the petals floating on the tranquil water, then you may be looking into the countryside the hills so lavishly enriched with luscious greenery, then you may be in the city standing beneath the sky rising towers, then how about the rural areas that have crimson maple trees draped over the houses in autumn. This country holds so many various landscapes it aint funny!
Japan is a magnificent country that has a magnificent culture and language. I hope you all have enjoyed reading my review on this spectacular country and I hope you will all get the chance to see all of this someday as well.
Sayonara!
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Comments are always welcome!
Alaina