Japan Pages Index / Tokyo 1 / 2

Our trips always began in Tokyo, so it seems the best place to start the photographic journey. I love to see photos of my trips afterwards but when I'm actually there I rarely have the patience to dig out the camera and see the sights through the viewfinder. Thus, while there are many photos on these pages, there could be many, many more if I just had more discipline as a photographer.
Here is a scan of a postcard photo of the Kaminarimon gate to the Sensoji Temple, Asakusa Kannon in Tokyo, Japan.  I regret I cannot give proper credit to the photographer, as I cannot read the Japanese on the back of the postcard.
This is my own photo of the same gate, only one of the side pass-throughs. Walking through are a few of the folks who were along on the trip. In the distance is the temple itself. To the right is the other side of the gate. I noticed the workman wearing "ninja" tabi, so had to take the photo. Of course the truth is that ninja probably never wore such shoes. They are popular with modern-day ninjutsu practioners as well as Japanese workmen of various sorts.
My own photo of the gate, You can see that the large red lantern hangs in the center section while the gold and black ones on the sides. to either side of them are wire-enclosed statues of guardians, looking quite wrathful indeed.	Closer to the gate, my teacher Stephen K. Hayes stops to share some conversation with others on the trip. In the background and just under the small roof you can see just in front of the temple steps, is smoke from the incense in a large incense burner. Those gathering around the area will wave the fragrant smoke onto their bodies to insure good health, or into their pockets to insure wealth. Students will be seen rubbing their heads with the smoke so they might excel in their studies.

Japan Pages Index / Tokyo 1 / 2