I had a free afternoon so decided to take walk around Asakusa. This historic district of Tokyo is one of my favourite spots.
The area is well known as the home of Senso-ji. One of the most famous temples in Tokyo. The entrace to Senso-ji; known as Kaminari-mon gate, has a giant lantern. It’s a popular photo spot. Look to the left of Asakusa station on the below map. You can find a big picture of Kaminari-mon gate on a previous blog post.
In 2019, I was excited to have the opportunity to visit Singapore. It was a business trip, so I had the chance to see inside a couple of impressive buildings in the financial / corporate district. I was also able to extend my a few extra days to enjoy the local vibe. Prior to 2019, the last time I was in Singapore was 2000. Back then I had just graduated from university and was visiting a Singaporean friend.
I’m grateful that my Mum and Alistair; her husband, were able to come and visit me in Japan last year. Having travelled a lot; and fallen in love with Asia, and Japan in particular, I was really excited to share it with them.
They travelled all the way from Scotland! With only a week in Japan it was tough to plan an itinerary that would allow time to recuperate from the trip, while also seeing a range of what Japan has to offer.
Tokyo is a beautifully colourful place.
I really appreciate good design in life. When people, businesses and local authorities make an effort. A lot of elements come together to make a place enjoyable. The shape of the buildings, the colours, the cleanliness, the ease of getting around.
Life can be busy, it can get tiring commuting around, rushing to work, rushing to meet people. Everything is a better when the places we go feature interesting and beautiful design.
One of my genuine beliefs is it shouldn’t just be about minimising costs and maximising profits, it should be about making the world a better place.
Earlier in January I went on a visit to Nezu Shrine (根津神社) in Tokyo. This Shrine is famous for the Tori – lined pathways.
I took some photos, I hope you enjoy. It’s a lovely spot to have a walk around in.
For my second photo walk around Kyoto in January I took a stroll around Kawaramachi and Pontocho areas. Just across the river from Gion; the subject of my last Kyoto post.
It’s 2018 and I decided to start the first week of the year with a ‘photo-walk’ around Gion in Kyoto.
Gion is the traditional district of Kyoto, think old style restaurants, souvenirs shops etc.
Are you going somewhere?
Wouldn’t it’d be fun if I came too?
I remember the daily trip to school
A mini adventure
On a big double decker bus
Good news!…
I’m in Travel + Leisure June 2017.
A couple of months ago one of their researchers contacted me about Shenzhen photos. Last year I spent a day in Shenzhen’s contemporary art centre; OCT Loft. I really love the ‘former industrial building’ becomes ‘contemporary art centre’ thing.
I think re-purposed industrial buildings hold a certain artistic commentary on life and hence provide an interesting contextual background to contemporary art.
I found the cutest local cafe in Seoul with the friendliest owners.
It’s called Portable Loft. They also have a craft / design store – Portable Lollipop.
You can see some pictures of Portable Loft, the owners and their friends here http://blog.naver.com/jungurion/220896163629.
And the Portable Lollipop website is http://www.portablelollipop.com/
Seoul – we’ve taken a look at the royal palaces Changdeokgung and Changgyeonggung, we’ve also seen the view from Naksan Park. Now I’d like to share the beautiful view from my favourite area; Bukchon Hanok Village.
It’s a village on a hill in northern Seoul comprised mostly of traditional ‘hanok’ houses.
Another good spot to check out in Seoul is Ihwa Mural Village and Naksan Park with beautiful views across the city.
It’s near to Hunsung University so there are a lot of cafe and cheap food options. It’s also a short walk from both Changgyeonggung and Changdeokgung.
Continuing on from my last post about a set of stairs at Dongdaemun Art & Cultural Centre in Seoul, South Korea I was also impressed by the main walkway from the street to the museum and design halls.
I’m in Seoul, Korea now! I hopped on a plane and came to Seoul to see a friend. I’ve been travelling about 8 weeks now and I felt like I could really do with seeing a familiar face. I’ve also been dreaming about Korean Chicken and Beer for about a year.
This is my second trip to Seoul. On my first trip I went to one of the Royal Palaces; Gyeongbokgung – it was so beautiful. So on this trip one of my first stops was Changdeokgung; another royal palace, that happens to be a UNESCO heritage site.
Another spontaneous trip. I was having a coffee in Hong Kong and suddently felt like going to China. It’s quite easy to get the China visa in Hong Kong, plenty of agencies will handle the whole process for a reasonable fee.
On my last trip I went to Yangshuo in Guilin to do some Tai Chi and Qi Gong. I also visited Shanghai.
I came back to Hong Kong. The last time I was here was early 2014.
When I was here last time I took this picture from Kowloon of a Junk passing by. That’s Hong Kong Island in the background.
I took a trip to Dànshuǐ just north of Taipei on Wednesday. The weather was beautiful.
Let’s take a look starting with the view back towards the north of Taipei. This is from a waterside park / promenade just next to the MTR station (Taipai Subway/Overground).
I’ve been making the rounds of the Taipei street food scene. It’s cheap, delicious, but some dishes are pretty unhealthy!
1st stop Shilin night market. Where I tried the famous ‘stinky tofu’; shown on the left below. The tofu is fermented and has a very strong ‘stinky’ smell, but the taste is not too strong. Fermented foods are great for digestion so I was excited to try it.
September 28th marks the anniversary of Confucius’ birthday. I think Confucius must be one of the most recognisable historical names. Do you know a lot about him? My knowledge was limited to some sayings of the form, “Confucous says……” On Sunday I went along to take a look at the Confucius temple in Taipei.
I’ve had three days in Taipei. I’m feeling good about this city; it has positive vibe. Today I went for a walk along Dihau Street. It’s a fairly traditional area with a lot of shops selling things like tea and herbal medicine.
There are some vibrant, busy scenes. But even in amongst those you can catch people taking a rest from the hot afternoon sun. Check out the guy in the truck cab.
Young or old,
Is there anywhere you want to go?
Look out for them,
Charging around, in a bright flash of red or blue.
You have to share,
But a sense of community can be found their.
Relax in your seat,
A moment of freedom is found.
Books, music, snooze or chat,
What will you do?
I will simply sit back and enjoy the view.
As I left my apartment I looked carefully in all directions; making sure it was clear, I immediately flagged down a taxi. I had to be quick, I knew they could be waiting, just out of sight, ready to get me. As soon as I was in the taxi the driver locked the doors and warned me not to open the window. We both knew the danger.
The roads were busy, but the driver was good, he rushed down some side streets. I might still make my appointment.
Yesterday afternoon I was browsing wordpress and I saw the discover challenge to post about perspective. Coincidently earlier that morning I took a photo of two work men from an unusual top down perspective as they sat on a truck cab.
I had a dream-like three weeks in shanghai earlier this year. I want to introduce you to m50; the contemperary art district.
Shanghai itself is a bit of an enigma, it’s China of course; but also very much it’s own place. The history is fascinating and provides background perspective on the modern day relationship between east and west. Shanghai also has it’s own dialect and other Chinese people may consider the Shanghainese as overly proud.
Clean, shiny steel and birdsong soft and sweet. A place full of people, some fast asleep, where could I be?
hakkanotogame