click image above for a large version without title

This page is a departure from the normal Portfolio-style pages on this website.
My intention is to create a showpiece with many of the most interesting subjects.
Normally, a presentation this extensive would be split into two or three pages.
I decided to put this together in a single page. It is a very comprehensive
portfolio containing 200 images of Temples, Shrines, Castles, scenery
and sculptures. While I limited the number of subjects presented, in a
number of the subjects I present 10 to 20 images while some others
only have one or two. I’ve also added information on the images, and
several relevant stories that I think will make this page more interesting.

Some of the images are reworked, larger versions of images that are in
one of the Japan Gallery pages, but most are images that have never
been posted before. Most of these images are extremely detailed,
and as I did not want to compromise image quality, and wanted
to post images in a size that would allow detail examination,
several of these images are large files. I think you will
find this selection interesting and worth the time.

click an image for a larger version
use your back button to return to this page
(Composites will open in a 2nd window)

As a departure from the usual, I created a large version of this display composite.
If you’d like to see it, click the composite above to open a 1510 x 1132 version (750kb)

Contact Ron Reznick (818) 843-8212
to acquire licenses or permission for other than personal use
for this or any other copyrighted material on this website.

Daitokuji Temple 9303

Zen temple in Kyoto famous for their mastery
of the Tea Ceremony and the beautiful gardens.

Ginkaku-ji 9657

Built in Kyoto (1474) as a place of retirement
by Shogun Ashikaga Yorimasa, the gardens
 contain trees and stones from all over Japan.

Ginkaku-ji 9653

The rock and sand garden is famous, blending
the zen of the simple geometric forms with
the Chinese-style Paradise Garden beyond.

Ginkaku-ji 9656

The pile of sand to right center in front of the
Silver Pavilion is meant to symbolize Mt. Fuji.
(gardens were designed by Soami, 1465-1523)

Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) 9255

Kinkakuji (formally Rokuonji, or Deer Garden Temple) in Kyoto was originally built as a
retirement villa by the Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (Yorimasa’s grandfather) in 1397. It
was burned twice during the Onin War (1467-77), during which Yoshimasa was planning
and building his Silver Pavilion. It was burned again in 1950 by a monk and rebuilt in 1955.

The top two stories of the Pavilion are covered in pure gold leaf. A Chinese Phoenix sits
atop the peak of the roof. The design is a blend of Heian-era Shinden residential mansions
and Zen Buddhist styles. The first floor is a single large room with a large verandah, The 2nd
floor is in the Samurai house style, and contains a statue of Bodhisattva Kannon. The 3rd floor
is built in Zen style and houses an Amida triad and 25 Bodhisattvas. it is set within a large
garden with two ponds, with a waterfall between them, and a tea house plus several
temple buildings (after Yoshimitsu’s death it was converted into a Zen temple).

The two 1500 pixel images below offer more detail.

Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) 9260

Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) 9267

Engakuji Yakushi Nyorai 0905

2nd of Kamakura’s five great Zen Temples,
Engakuji was founded in 1282 at the request
of Regent Hojo to honor those killed in the two
Mongol invasions of 1274-81. It has the largest
bell of the Kamakura temples, which along with
the 16th c. Shari-den are National Treasures.
The statue on the left is Yakushi Nyorai.

Engakuji Shaka Nyorai 0890

Engakuji is a major training monastery for Zen
monks from all over Japan. It is also the oldest
remaining example of Tang Chinese architecture
in Japan. The Shari-den is the oldest building on
the temple complex and is the only building in
Kamakura designated as a National Treasure.
Sculpture above is the Crowned Shaka Nyorai.

Izumo no Okuni 9339

The founder of Kabuki, a traditional Japanese theatrical art form. It uses song and dance to tell stories
of famous historical events or the everyday lives of people from the Edo period (1600-1868).

Gion Night 9361

Gion is the Geisha District, an area of tea houses
and restaurants just across from Maruyama Park
and the Yasaka Shrine. Founded in the 1500s,
Kabuki began in Gion. Theaters, geisha quarters
and tea houses are exactly where they were when
the Gion district was first established. The most
famous tea house (Ichiriki Ochaya) is 300 years
old and has ties to both the story of the 47 Ronin
and the plot against the Tokugawa Shogun that
led to the Meiji Restoration. Ochaya, exclusive
places of entertainment, are not for drinking tea.

Geisha 9409, 9387

Geiko can be seen scooting from place to
place between appointments. Geisha means
‘a person of the arts’. Based out of Ochayas and
Okiya (originally a dormitory for maiko and geiko,
they now mostly operate as event coordinators).
Geiko perform tea ceremonies, play music,
dance, and perform traditional entertainment.
Maiko (apprentices) experience a long training
program and the best turn geiko at age 20.

Gion Night 9347

The district is really beautiful at night, and a lot
of people come here for food, tea, or a walk.
There is also a lot of drinking done in the many
ryokan and bars of Gion, and lots of shopping.

Maruyama Park 500yr Sakura 9438

Speaking of walks, one nice place in Gion is
Maruyama Park, a very popular place during the
Sakura season. This is a 500 year old cherry tree
in full bloom at night. A difficult handheld shot...

Heian Shrine Torii Gate 9630

One of the largest Torii gates in Japan, it leads to the Heian-Jingu Shinto Shrine located in Kyoto.
The Heian Shrine was built in 1895 to celebrate the 1100th anniversary of the founding of Heian-kyo
(the old name for Kyoto). It is dedicated to the first and last emperors that reigned from Kyoto.

The Heian Shrine is one of the only (if not the only) modern shrine in Kyoto (most are hundreds
of years old), and while it doesn’t have the history associated with the structure that other shrines
do, it is something special in its own right. The buildings are a 2/3 scale replica of the Heian period
(794-1185) Imperial Palace in Kyoto. It has significant Chinese influences (in the Heian period
the Japanese welcomed Chinese culture). The building of this shrine at the end of the 19th
century revitalized Kyoto, which had stagnated after the capital was moved to Tokyo.

Heian Shrine Otenmon 9631

The Otenmon (Main Gate) reproduces a
gate in the original Imperial Palace (Daidairi)
from 794, when Emperor Kammu moved the
capital from Nara to what is now Kyoto. The
buildings in the shrine are 2/3 scale replicas
of structures in the original Imperial Palace,
and are painted in the original vermilion.

In 866, an arson fire burned the original
Otenmon, set by the official who controlled
the gate as part of a political plot. A new
noble was placed in control of the gate, and
 it was rebuilt in 871. It stood until the Onin
 Rebellion in 1467, when it was destroyed.

Heian Shrine Blue Dragon Tower 9632

The East Tower beside Daigokuden (the
Great Hall of State in the original palace).
Its name is Soryu-ro, which means Blue
Dragon and a god that stands in the east.
The identical tower in the west is called
Byakko-ro (White Tiger, and the god that
stands in the west). These were two of four
gods of a religion that came from China.

The towers in the center and at the four
corners were lookout towers for sentries.

The original Imperial Palace was destroyed
by fire in 1227 and was never rebuilt.

Heian Shrine Daigokuden 9634

Daigokuden was the Great Hall of State in Daidairi. Here, it is the Main Hall of the Shrine.
Its three buildings are Gaihaiden (the Front Shrine), the Inner Sanctuary and Main Sanctuary.
The Main Sanctuary is where the souls of Emperor Kammu and Emperor Komei are enshrined.
Emperor Kammu (b. 737, r. 781-806) was the Emperor who moved the capital from Nara to the
Kyoto area and built the city and Palace, and Emperor Komei (b. 1831, r. 1847-1866) was the
last Emperor before the Meiji Restoration, who laid the foundation for the Meiji Restoration
and the ending of the power of the Tokugawa Shogunate and Japanese isolationism.

The Heian Shrine is built on the site of the original Palace, but between its destruction in 1227
and 1895, when the Heian Shrine was built, the site had been built over and no trace of Daidairi
remained. Knowledge of the palace was based on contemporary literary sources, diagrams,
and paintings. There have been excavations in the last 30 years to unearth the palace.

Heian Shrine
Blue Dragon Tower Sakura 9635
 

Heian Shrine Blue Dragon Tower 9638

I shot the Blue Dragon because in the
late afternoon, the White Tiger was shaded.

Heian Shrine Roof Detail 9639
 

Heian Shrine 9640
The end of the White Tiger, shaded but pretty.

Heian Shrine Blue Dragon Tower 9633

The white walls, vermilion pillars and wood trim, and green tiled roofs of the shrine and Daidairi
are a Chinese style, as is the architecture. This building style had been used from the 7th century.
 

Heian Torii at Sunset 9722

Himeji Castle 0400

Known as White Heron Castle (Shirasagi), Himeji is a National Treasure and UNESCO World
Heritage Site. It is the most visited of the three ‘Famous Castles’ and is considered the most
beautiful castle in Japan. There are 50 castles remaining of the nearly 5000 that once existed,
and Himeji is the most complete of these. The prototypical Japanese Castle, Himeji-jo contains
many of the defensive features and architecture associated with Japanese castles, originally
 developed by Oda Nobunaga for Azuchi Castle. Approaches are a spiraling maze of paths,
protected by reinforced corridors with gun and arrow slits leading to 84 iron-reinforced gates.

Himeji Castle 0402

Erupting from a sea of cherry blossoms,
the multi-layered main donjon (tower) with
its gabled roofs overlooks the entire area.

Himeji Castle 0404

It has both dormer-style and Chinese gables.
The Chinese gable (Kara Hafu) on this side is
the largest existing gable of its type in Japan.

Himeji Castle 0422

Built in Coalition style, Himeji is covered in white
plaster and mounted on a fan-shaped foundation
 with alternating reinforcing stones at wall edges.

Himeji Castle 0426

Above the corner is an Ishi-otoshi stone-drop
intended to keep attackers from climbing the
corners where the walls are most vulnerable.

Himeji Castle 0590

The first castle was built by Akamatsu Sadanori
in 1333-46. Another castle was built in 1580 by
Toyotomi Hideyoshi, which was expanded by
Ikeda Terumasa into its present form in 1601.

Himeji Castle 0579

During the Meiji Restoration
it was sold at auction in 1871 for the
astounding price of 23 yen. It survived the
bombing in WWII and is in original condition.

Himeji Castle 0570

Surrounding the main donjon are three smaller
towers that housed retainers, troops and servants
and also contained the storehouses. The corners
of the roof of the main tower have Shachihoko, a
mystical animal with the head of a tiger and the
body of a carp that was believed to cause rain
to fall. Along with the gegyo tiles, these Shibi
tiles spiritually protect the castle from fire.

Himeji Castle 0520

This view across the roofline shows both
gable types associated with Japanese castles.
Peaked gables are Chidori Hafu (dormer gable)
and arched types are Kara Hafu (Chinese gable).
You can see the gegyo (fish-shaped tiles for
spiritual protection against fire) on corners
of the gables (a detail image is below).
 

Himeji Castle Roof Tile 0489

Abstract fish tiles were used in corners of the roofs, and many gates were named
water gates. Fire was a major problem with wooden castles. Himeji only had one fire
in the Meiji period, so the symbolic protection provided by the fish tiles must have worked.

Himeji Castle Interior 0450

Most of the wooden features in the castle are original, and there are many
specialized openings for dropping stones or boiling water on attackers,
firing guns or arrows, and even secret spaces for warriors to hide in
to attack people who had successfully gotten into the castle.

The interior was very dark. I like the chiaroscuro presentation for this shot,
but after this shot, I pushed all exposures a stop or more. This made for some
difficult handheld work, as exposures were 1/10-1/40 second even at f/1.4.

Himeji Castle Weaponracks 0455

Matchlock rifles and spears. This was near a window so I could stop down to
f/2.8 to get a reasonable depth of field (28mm) but the shutter speed was 1/30 sec.
It’s good that I’ve had so much practice shooting in museums or this would be impossible.

Himeji Castle Gunracks 0460

More matchlock rifles. Matchlocks were
brought to Japan by the Portuguese in 1543.
The Tanegashima (Japanese Matchlock) was
based on a Portuguese snapping matchlock
but was modified to remove the difficulty with
self-extinguishing matches. They did not have
the technology to produce steel springs until
later... early guns used inferior brass springs.

Himeji Castle Interior Door 0434

Heavy doors like this one restricted movement
 between the corridors and the various towers.
If attackers did succeed in entering the castle
they would be slowed down by these doors,
allowing time to reinforce positions and attack
them as they were bunched in the doorway.

Himeji Castle Armor 0462, 0465

These displays show the various parts common to samurai armor:

Kabuto (helmet) with Shikoro (neck protector) and Fukigaeshi (ear-like extensions to protect
the Shikoro from being severed at the attachments). The helmet on the right has a Maedate crest.
The Menpo are face protectors that often had grotesque appearance to intimidate opponents
(although very few samurai used them in the field, preferring to use open face armor).

Do (chest protector), Kusazuri (upper skirt), Haidate (lower skirt), Suneate (leggings),
Kote (arm protectors), Tekko (gloves), Sode (shoulder protectors), Wakibiki (armpit protection).

This looks like late Muromachi period armor (16th century). I’m not an expert though...

Himeji Castle Interior 0500

Himeji Castle Interior 0511

Himeji Castle Interior 0505

Himeji Castle Gate 0532

The third water gate. Water was not actually
associated with any so-named gates, it is likely
that they are another spiritual fire protection.

Himeji Castle Ni Gate 0544

This blind corner just inside the Ni Gate is
typical of the approaches to the castle. The
narrow opening forced attackers to bunch
together. Above the low roof are openings
through which the defenders could pour
boiling liquid on the heads of attackers.
The narrow opening leading past the gate
would become blocked with corpses.

Himeji Castle Ni Gate Approach 0546

Around the turn, going out of the castle via the Ni Gate approach. On the right is one of the
reinforcing corridors, where defenders could rake attacking forces with fire from the ports in
both the castle walls and the corridor itself, creating a gauntlet of crossing fire. Ports like these
are in the walls above the approach, covering areas that are blind to defenders in the corridors.
The path narrows as it comes to turns, forcing attackers to bunch together to be fired on.

Himeji Castle Ni Gate Approach 0547

Here you can see the ports in the outer castle walls overlooking the approach.
Note the blind turn to the right at the end of this corridor. This would prevent the
attackers from seeing what was ahead, increasing confusion caused by the maze.

Attacking Himeji would have been a formidable task. This probably contributed to the
survival of the castle in original condition... it was never penetrated by attackers although
at the beginning of the Meiji Restoration, the defenders were forced to abandon the castle
after being shelled (with blanks) by a descendant of Ikeda (who expanded the castle in 1601).

Horyuji Temple 9943

Containing several of the oldest wooden structures
in the world, Horyuji Temple in Nara was Japan’s
first UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. The
temple was commissioned by Prince Shotoku
and completed in 607, covers an enormous
area, and comprises about 50 buildings...

Horyuji Chumon 9996

The other side of one of the oldest wooden
structures in the world, the Chumon (inner gate)
and Kairo (the roofed colonnade on either side)
were in the first group rebuilt after the 670 fire.

A link to detailed information is here.

Horyuji Nioh 9946, 9953

The Nioh are the oldest in Japan (711 AD). On the right (with the red face and open mouth) is Agyoh
and the other is Ungyou. Nioh are guardian gods. They greet visitors from outside the Chumon Gate.
Agyoh is the Guardian of the Light, and Ungyou is the Guardian of Darkness (thus the colors).

The Nioh are protectors who stand guard outside the gate at most Japanese Buddhist temples,
on either side of the entrance. Their fierce appearance is to ward off evil spirits and keep the
temple free of demons and thieves. They represent two aspects of Daichi Nyorai (Vairocana).

Horyuji Kondo Gojunoto 9974

The two oldest wooden buildings in the world.
 The Kondo, Gojunoto, Chumon (inner gate) and Kairo were constructed from the 7th C. to the
 beginning of the 8th C. after a lightning strike caused a fire in 670 that burned the original Temple.

The Kondo was built in 700 AD, and the Gojunoto was built in 710.

Horyuji Gojunoto 9959

Gojunoto = 5-story pagoda
Kondo = Main hall

Horyuji Kondo 9961

The Gojunoto and Kondo were created at
the end of the Asuka period (538-710), a
period noted for fine arts and architecture.
Most knowledge of Asuka-era structures is
based on the Horyuji buildings, as the only
other source is contemporary writings and
 a few Asuka and Nara period drawings.

Horyuji Ascending and Descending Dragons 9989

The first story of the Kondo has a double roof. The second roof was added in the Nara
period (710-784). It required extra posts to hold up the first roof as it extended over four meters
past the building’s edge. The second story roof also has extra posts for support. All of these posts
are adorned with ascending and descending dragons. Above is a detail crop showing the space
between the upper roof of the first story and the 2nd story roof, showing the railings and posts.
Below is a pair of detail crops of the ascending and descending dragons on the posts.

Horyuji Ascending and Descending Dragons 9968, 9969

Horyuji Yakushi Nyorai 9979

In 587 AD, the ailing Emperor Yomei ordered the construction of a Buddhist Temple,
dedicated to the Medicine Buddha, Yakushi Nyorai (Buddha of Healing). He died not long
after issuing the order for the construction, but his heir Empress Suiko and her regent, the
famous Prince Shotoku, went forward with the project, completing it in 607. The images
above and below show the gilded wooden Yakushi Nyorai sculpture in the Lecture Hall,
flanked by Nikko Bosatsu and Gakko Bosatsu, the Bodhisattvas of Radiant sunlight
and Radiant Moonlight respectively. There are also statues of the four Shitteno
(Celestial Guardians), one of which (Komokuten) can be seen in front of the
Bodhisattva on the right side of the composite image shown below.

Horyuji Yakushi Nyorai 9975, 9977

Horyujii Yumedono 0011

The Yumedono (Hall of Dreams) was built on
the ground of Prince Shotoku’s palace in 739.
It is the oldest octagonal building in Japan.

Imperial Palace 7407

Built on the site of Edo Castle (the seat of the
Tokugawa Shogunate), the Palace is the home
of the Japanese Imperial family in Tokyo.

Imperial Palace Meganebashi 7414

called Meganebashi (eyeglass) bridge
because of the reflection.

Imperial Palace Moat 7357

boating on the moat... with
the sakura in full bloom.

Imperial Palace Kusunoki Masashige 7416

 14th C. samurai, fought for Emperor Go-Daigo
in the attempt to overthrow the Kamakura
Shogunate. He epitomizes samurai loyalty,
courage and devotion to the Emperor.

Statue outside the Imperial Palace, Tokyo.

Takamori Saigo 7618

The true ‘Last Samurai’ (Ueno Park).

Nijo Karamon Gate 9169

Karamon Gate at Nijo Castle,
leading to the Ninomaru Palace.

Nijo Karamon Gate detail 9169c

Detail of gold leaf fixtures and carvings
on the gate to the Shogun’s Palace in Kyoto.

Ninomaru Palace 9174

Built in the early 1600s as the Kyoto residence of the Tokugawa Shoguns, Ninomaru Palace
was built using Hinoki Cypress. The palace has ‘nightingale floors’ in the corridors to protect
inhabitants from sneak attacks and assassins (the floors squeak like birds when walked upon).

Ninomaru Palace 9195

The rear of the Palace, facing the Gardens.
The Shogun’s quarters were beyond this wall.

Ninomaru Palace 9171

There are numerous gold leaf decorations
and wood carvings, intended to impress visitors
with the wealth and power of the Shoguns.

Ninomaru Palace detail 9173

Detail of the wood carvings and gold leaf decorations over the main entrance to
Ninomaru Palace. To allow examination of the detail in carvings and decorations,
I have posted all three shots of the front at 1500 x 1000. The rear of the palace
is posted at 1386 x 918. I made that one a bit smaller because the trees raised
the file size significantly, and because there is less detail to examine anyway.

Ninomaru Garden 9184

The Ninomaru Garden was designed by the
famous landscape architect and tea master
Kobori Enshu. The stones and topiary pines
were all carefully placed to create the whole.

Ninomaru Garden 9187

The multiple layers of textures, shades
and colors (depending on the season)
demand rapt attention to drink it all in.
This process is extremely relaxing.

Kamakura Daibutsu 0864

Located at the Kotoku-in Temple in Kamakura,
the Kamakura Daibutsu is a 45 foot tall, 93 ton
bronze statue of Amida Buddha (Amitabha).
The temple it was housed in washed away in a
tsunami during the Muromachi period (1498).

Kamakura Daibutsu 0811

Kamakura Daibutsu 0793

Cast in the Kamakura period (1252) by One-Goremon and Tanji-Hisatomo, the
Buddha is seated in the lotus position with his hands forming the gesture of meditation.
Idanono-Tsubone, a court lady of Shogun Yoritomo, wanted a Buddha image created to
express her faith and piety. Upon the death of Yoritomo, she spent her remaining life in
the effort to raise funds for the project. Her quest was taken up by the priest Joko, who
traveled the country raising funds. By 1238, enough had been raised and work began.

The first Buddha was wooden, and it was housed in an enormous wooden building.
The statue was damaged in a storm, and Idanono-Tsubone and Joko decided to rebuild
it in bronze. This was far more costly, but they managed to raise funds based on their
reputation for raising the huge wooden Buddha. The Daibutsu seen here was completed
in 1252 and was housed in a monumental wooden hall that was destroyed in a storm in
1335. It was rebuilt, but was blown down in a gale in 1368. The hall was built again, and this
one stood until the tsunami of 1498, which washed away the hall but left the statue largely
intact. Since then, the Kamakura Daibutsu has been in the open, exposed to the weather.

Kamakura Daibutsu 0862

Kamakura Daibutsu Brazier Detail 0845

a closeup of the brazier showing detail

The interior of the statue is hollow, and can
be entered from the rear for a fee of 20 yen.

Kenchoji Sanmon Gate 0918

The first Zen temple erected in Kamakura(1253), and the pioneer in Zen Buddhism in Japan,
Kenchoji is the primary Zen temple in Kamakura. The Sanmon gate stands 30 meters high (~100ft).
The plaque over the gate with the temple name was written by Emperor Gofukakusa (1243-1304).
Note the Chinese-style gable (Kara Hafu) over the plaque, and the beautifully figured copper roof.

Kenchoji Bonsho Natl Treasure 0929

Residing under this thatched roof is the Bonsho,
or temple bell. It is the only object or structure that
has been here since the temple was founded. It
along with Engakuji’s is one of the two bells in
Kamakura designated as a National Treasure.
The inscription by the Founder, Rankei Doryu
has the first use of the term Zen-ji (Zen Temple).

Kenchoji Bonsho Natl Treasure 1022

Cast in 1255, the bell weighs 2.7 tons. It was
cast by the Mononobe, a famous casting family.

Kenchoji Temple 0940

The two buildings composing the Hojo (main hall) housing the Jizo and Shaka sculptures.

Kenchoji Jizo 1005

Placed here to propitiate the souls of those executed in the valley before the temple was
founded, this Kamakura period Jizo Bosatsu was made from a single block of wood.

Kenchoji Jizo 1002

The statue is 16 feet tall including the pedestal.
It is mounted as the main object of worship in
the Butsuden (or Great Hall) of the Temple.
Inside the Jizo statue is the Saita Jizo, a small
statuette that the samurai Saita placed in his
hair before he was to be beheaded on a false
charge. The sword hit the statue and prevented
the beheading. He was released immediately
and the statue was revered as a guardian deity.

&nbs