Oya Kannon Statue

In Tochigi prefecture near the city of Utsunomiya stands a large Kannon statue which is carved into Oya stone. A 30 minute bus ride west of Utsunomiya will lead you to an area which has a mine and remnants of a once thriving area which appears to be abandoned if it weren't for the locals still living in the area. You can see lot's of carved rock areas and the white looking Oya stone cliffs stand out amongst the trees. It is said the Oya area is the Matsushima of the inland and I can fully appreciate that statement. (more on that later)

The Oya Kannon statue took about 6 years to carve and appears incomplete especially where the hands should be.
The Oya Kannon statue stands pretty tall as can be seen in the photo.


This close up photo of the face of the Oya Kannon statue shows the porous quality of the Oya stone. The stone is light and seems to have a lot of air inside it.
The stairs to the left of the Oya Kannon statue allow you to climb to the top behind the statue. The view from there is good too.

Ueno on New Years Day

Ueno is a city area in Tokyo which has a lot to see even if you are only there for a few hours on New years day. An art gallery was even open and the shopping area was pretty busy with shoppers getting early new year bargains in the Ameyayokocho market area.






The Ameyayokocho market area near Ueno station.

The Ushiku great buddha

In Ibaraki prefecture not far from Tokyo to the north east, you can see a very large standing buddha statue which is the highest in Japan and the world. It is called the Ushiku great buddha. It makes the statue of liberty look small and the Great Buddha of Kamakura look tiny which can be seen in the photo below comparing the three.

Getting there by bus from Ushiku station takes about 20-30 minutes direct and the bus stops very close to the statue indeed.

I was lucky enough to see a TV show on the statue and, to highlight the size, cleaners that clean the statue on the outside actually exit from the eyes by rope to clean its face. I was totally amazed at this for the sheer size of it. After watching the TV show I had to go and see it. I was lucky enough to go at New Years Day which meant the admission was free.

The bus stop as it is dropping people off. The return bus is closer to the statue and it takes a bit longer to get back than to go there.

The buddha head is a representation of the size of the statue. The actual statue is a thousand times bigger!
The comparison of the Ushiku great buddha to the Statue of Liberty is interesting.

Entsuin light up in Mastushima

In Matsushima city there is a nice Japanese garden which is viewed all year round. In Autumn they have a nightly viewing session which only is available from late October to late November. The garden is lit up with lights to help highlight the colours of Autumn and it is a beautiful sight indeed. Of particular beauty is the pond which, due to the cold, has a mirror like image reflecting the trees above in crystal clear quality. This is a must see and worth the entry price.

It is called the Entsuin light up in Matsushima and can be reached by an efficient train service from Sendai city which takes about 30 minutes - 40 minutes including walking time to the gardens.

A view of the Godaido in Matsuhima bay which is lit up at night by green lights.
Autumn colors in the Entsuin garden.

Looking toward the Entsuin Shrine which is famous for its connection to Date Masamune the local samurai lord that the prefecture of Miyagi celebrates the existence of.



The entrance is lit up by fire on both sides just where you can buy tickets to enter the gardens. As it is cold the fires are a welcome sight.

Cats and a green man in Kamakura

The two cats above were sitting and lying around in the summer heat in Kamakura.

A street crossing not too far from Kamakura station.

The Sendai Jozenji Street Jazz Festival

The Sendai Jazz festival which is held every year in September has come and gone again. This year, 2008, saw a large crowd in the main areas where multiple bands played at the same time.

In Sendai the Jazz festival is held primarily on Jozenji street and in other areas around the city centre. You can walk around the city and view various bands at the little stage locations, and if you have one of the schedule papers which are handed out you can plan who you want to see and where you want to go. It is impossible to see every band play as there are many bands playing at the same time which can be far apart on other sides of the city centre.

The Sendai Jozenji Jazz Festival not only has Jazz but also Rock, Blues and other music such as RnB, and Gospel. Many people come from all over Japan and the amount of foreigners in the city is surprisingly high.

Enjoy the photos...

The coming Autumn in Japan

Summer is now over in Japan. Autumn and the beautiful colourful leaves will in the coming months come out. I'll post more later in the coming months. The following photo is from 2006 and shows green and yellow trees in the same street on opposite sides.