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  • Waterfall at Shiratani Unsuikyo Ravine is a lush nature park containing many of Yakushima island's ancient cedars.  The park offers a network of hiking trails that run along the ravine varying in length from one to five hours long, though many prefer to choose their own routes among the paths. The trails vary in difficulty from basic footpaths to developed paved paths using stone and wood.  One of the main attractions of Shiratani Unsuikyo is a part of the forest that served as the inspiration for the Studio Ghibli animated film Princess Mononoke. Oga Kazuo, the lead artist for the film, spent lots of time here working on sketches for the movie's forests.  Besides the ancient cedar trees, some of them thousands of years old, the continually wet microclimate protects the cedars by enabling them to produce more than usual resin,  It also is an ideal climate for moss, which grows everywhere here.
    shiretani-unsui-gorge-03.jpg
  • Waterfall at Shiratani Unsuikyo Ravine is a lush nature park containing many of Yakushima island's ancient cedars.  The park offers a network of hiking trails that run along the ravine varying in length from one to five hours long, though many prefer to choose their own routes among the paths. The trails vary in difficulty from basic footpaths to developed paved paths using stone and wood.  One of the main attractions of Shiratani Unsuikyo is a part of the forest that served as the inspiration for the Studio Ghibli animated film Princess Mononoke. Oga Kazuo, the lead artist for the film, spent lots of time here working on sketches for the movie's forests.  Besides the ancient cedar trees, some of them thousands of years old, the continually wet microclimate protects the cedars by enabling them to produce more than usual resin,  It also is an ideal climate for moss, which grows everywhere here.
    shiretani-unsui-gorge-02.jpg
  • Waterfall at Shiratani Unsuikyo Ravine is a lush nature park containing many of Yakushima island's ancient cedars.  The park offers a network of hiking trails that run along the ravine varying in length from one to five hours long, though many prefer to choose their own routes among the paths. The trails vary in difficulty from basic footpaths to developed paved paths using stone and wood.  One of the main attractions of Shiratani Unsuikyo is a part of the forest that served as the inspiration for the Studio Ghibli animated film Princess Mononoke. Oga Kazuo, the lead artist for the film, spent lots of time here working on sketches for the movie's forests.  Besides the ancient cedar trees, some of them thousands of years old, the continually wet microclimate protects the cedars by enabling them to produce more than usual resin,  It also is an ideal climate for moss, which grows everywhere here.
    shiretani-unsui-gorge-01.jpg
  • The Shiratani Unsuikyo Ravine is a lush nature park containing many of Yakushima island's ancient cedars.  The park offers a network of hiking trails that run along the ravine varying in length from one to five hours long, though many prefer to choose their own routes among the paths. The trails vary in difficulty from basic footpaths to developed paved paths using stone and wood.  One of the main attractions of Shiratani Unsuikyo is a part of the forest that served as the inspiration for the Studio Ghibli animated film Princess Mononoke. Oga Kazuo, the lead artist for the film, spent lots of time here working on sketches for the movie's forests.  Besides the ancient cedar trees, some of them thousands of years old, the continually wet microclimate protects the cedars by enabling them to produce more than usual resin,  It also is an ideal climate for moss, which grows everywhere here.
    shiretani-unsui-gorge-32.jpg
  • The Shiratani Unsuikyo Ravine is a lush nature park containing many of Yakushima island's ancient cedars.  The park offers a network of hiking trails that run along the ravine varying in length from one to five hours long, though many prefer to choose their own routes among the paths. The trails vary in difficulty from basic footpaths to developed paved paths using stone and wood.  One of the main attractions of Shiratani Unsuikyo is a part of the forest that served as the inspiration for the Studio Ghibli animated film Princess Mononoke. Oga Kazuo, the lead artist for the film, spent lots of time here working on sketches for the movie's forests.  Besides the ancient cedar trees, some of them thousands of years old, the continually wet microclimate protects the cedars by enabling them to produce more than usual resin,  It also is an ideal climate for moss, which grows everywhere here.
    shiretani-unsui-gorge-12.jpg
  • Katsura River Shuzenji - Shuzenji Onsen is one of the most famous onsen spa towns in Japan.  It is located on the Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka Prefecture. Shuzenji attracts visitors with its history and attractive mountainous setting. The hot spring town was named after Shuzenji Temple - Kobo Daishi founded the temple and created Shuzenji's most famous hot spring Tokko-no-yu, which is right in the middle of the Katsur River though now Tokko-no-yu is only used as a foot bath free of charge to visitors.
    shuzenji-river-1.jpg
  • The Oirase River flows from Lake Towada, and the 14-kilometer source section between Nenokuchi and Yakeyama is called the Oirase Mountain Stream. It runs through a virgin forest rich in variety, containing white cedar, Japanese beech, and maple trees. Along with Lake Towada-ko, the river has been designated as a special scenic spot and natural monument of Aomori.
    oirase-gorge-1.jpg
  • The Oirase River flows from Lake Towada, and the 14-kilometer source section between Nenokuchi and Yakeyama is called the Oirase Mountain Stream. It runs through a virgin forest rich in variety, containing white cedar, Japanese beech, and maple trees. Along with Lake Towada-ko, the river has been designated as a special scenic spot and natural monument of Aomori.
    oirase-gorge-2.jpg
  • The Shiratani Unsuikyo Ravine is a lush nature park containing many of Yakushima island's ancient cedars.  The park offers a network of hiking trails that run along the ravine varying in length from one to five hours long, though many prefer to choose their own routes among the paths. The trails vary in difficulty from basic footpaths to developed paved paths using stone and wood.  One of the main attractions of Shiratani Unsuikyo is a part of the forest that served as the inspiration for the Studio Ghibli animated film Princess Mononoke. Oga Kazuo, the lead artist for the film, spent lots of time here working on sketches for the movie's forests.  Besides the ancient cedar trees, some of them thousands of years old, the continually wet microclimate protects the cedars by enabling them to produce more than usual resin,  It also is an ideal climate for moss, which grows everywhere here.
    shiretani-unsui-gorge-13.jpg
  • Boat tours down the Hozu River from Kameoka to Arashiyama take roughly two hours, leading through a picturesque canyon and over some rapids. The boats seat about twenty people and are powered by three boatmen with poles and oars.  Other types of boats cruise at more leisurely pace with one oarsman and skip the rapids.
    hozu-river-3.jpg
  • Boat tours down the Hozu River from Kameoka to Arashiyama take roughly two hours, leading through a picturesque canyon and over some rapids. The boats seat about twenty people and are powered by three boatmen with poles and oars.  Other types of boats cruise at more leisurely pace with one oarsman and skip the rapids.
    hozu-river-4.jpg
  • Boat tours down the Hozu River from Kameoka to Arashiyama take roughly two hours, leading through a picturesque canyon and over some rapids. The boats seat about twenty people and are powered by three boatmen with poles and oars.  Other types of boats cruise at more leisurely pace with one oarsman and skip the rapids.
    hozu-river-2.jpg
  • Boat tours down the Hozu River from Kameoka to Arashiyama take roughly two hours, leading through a picturesque canyon and over some rapids. The boats seat about twenty people and are powered by boatmen with poles and oars.  Other types of boats cruise at more leisurely pace with one oarsman and skip the rapids.
    hozu-river-5.jpg
  • Okutama Rafting - White water Rafting in the Tama River at Okutama.  Flowing from its source in the mountains in Yamanashi, the Tama River makes its way to the ocean after traversing a nearly 140 kilometer long path.  The river is dammed along the way, forming Lake Okutama, a major source of Tokyo's drinking water.  Many people enjoy a variety of water sports on the river. The Tama River provides the perfect location for packrafting. with over eight kilometers of rapids with crystal clear water that wind through native bush. There is plenty of wildlife to spot as you cruise down sections of unspoiled greenery - hard to believe you are within the city limits of Tokyo!
    raft-okutama-02.jpg
  • Okutama Rafting - White water Rafting in the Tama River at Okutama.  Flowing from its source in the mountains in Yamanashi, the Tama River makes its way to the ocean after traversing a nearly 140 kilometer long path.  The river is dammed along the way, forming Lake Okutama, a major source of Tokyo's drinking water.  Many people enjoy a variety of water sports on the river. The Tama River provides the perfect location for packrafting. with over eight kilometers of rapids with crystal clear water that wind through native bush. There is plenty of wildlife to spot as you cruise down sections of unspoiled greenery - hard to believe you are within the city limits of Tokyo!
    raft-okutama-01.jpg
  • Okutama Rafting - White water rafting in the Tama River at Okutama.  Flowing from its source in the mountains in Yamanashi, the Tama River makes its way to the ocean after traversing a nearly 140 kilometer long path.  The river is dammed along the way, forming Lake Okutama, a major source of Tokyo's drinking water.  Many people enjoy a variety of water sports on the river. The Tama River provides the perfect location for packrafting. with over eight kilometers of rapids with crystal clear water that wind through native bush. There is plenty of wildlife to spot as you cruise down sections of unspoiled greenery - hard to believe you are within the city limits of Tokyo!
    okutama-rafting-4.jpg
  • Okutama Rafting - White water rafting in the Tama River at Okutama.  Flowing from its source in the mountains in Yamanashi, the Tama River makes its way to the ocean after traversing a nearly 140 kilometer long path.  The river is dammed along the way, forming Lake Okutama, a major source of Tokyo's drinking water.  Many people enjoy a variety of water sports on the river. The Tama River provides the perfect location for packrafting. with over eight kilometers of rapids with crystal clear water that wind through native bush. There is plenty of wildlife to spot as you cruise down sections of unspoiled greenery - hard to believe you are within the city limits of Tokyo!
    okutama-rafting-3.jpg
  • Okutama Rafting - White water rafting in the Tama River at Okutama.  Flowing from its source in the mountains in Yamanashi, the Tama River makes its way to the ocean after traversing a nearly 140 kilometer long path.  The river is dammed along the way, forming Lake Okutama, a major source of Tokyo's drinking water.  Many people enjoy a variety of water sports on the river. The Tama River provides the perfect location for packrafting. with over eight kilometers of rapids with crystal clear water that wind through native bush. There is plenty of wildlife to spot as you cruise down sections of unspoiled greenery - hard to believe you are within the city limits of Tokyo!
    okutama-rafting-2.jpg
  • Okutama Rafting - White water rafting in the Tama River at Okutama.  Flowing from its source in the mountains in Yamanashi, the Tama River makes its way to the ocean after traversing a nearly 140 kilometer long path.  The river is dammed along the way, forming Lake Okutama, a major source of Tokyo's drinking water.  Many people enjoy a variety of water sports on the river. The Tama River provides the perfect location for packrafting. with over eight kilometers of rapids with crystal clear water that wind through native bush. There is plenty of wildlife to spot as you cruise down sections of unspoiled greenery - hard to believe you are within the city limits of Tokyo!
    okutama-rafting-1.jpg
  • Okutama Rafting - White water rafting in the Tama River at Okutama.  Flowing from its source in the mountains in Yamanashi, the Tama River makes its way to the ocean after traversing a nearly 140 kilometer long path.  The river is dammed along the way, forming Lake Okutama, a major source of Tokyo's drinking water.  Many people enjoy a variety of water sports on the river. The Tama River provides the perfect location for packrafting. with over eight kilometers of rapids with crystal clear water that wind through native bush. There is plenty of wildlife to spot as you cruise down sections of unspoiled greenery - hard to believe you are within the city limits of Tokyo!
    okutama-trail-11.jpg
  • Taiko Drummer participaing in summer O-bon festivities at Shonan Beach - Taiko means "drum" in Japanese and to the relatively recent art form of ensemble taiko drumming or more specifically "kumi-daiko".  Performances can last up to 25 minutes and typically follow a rapid/ sudden/urgent structure; the performance speeds up significantly towards the grand finale.
    taiko-3.jpg
  • Taiko Drummer - Taiko means "drum" in Japanese and to the relatively recent art form of ensemble taiko drumming or more specifically "kumi-daiko".  Performances can last up to 25 minutes and typically follow a rapid/ sudden/urgent structure; the performance speeds up significantly towards the grand finale.
    taiko-2.jpg
  • Taiko Drummer participaing in summer O-bon festivities at Shonan Beach - Taiko means "drum" in Japanese and to the relatively recent art form of ensemble taiko drumming or more specifically "kumi-daiko".  Performances can last up to 25 minutes and typically follow a rapid/ sudden/urgent structure; the performance speeds up significantly towards the grand finale.
    taiko-4.jpg
  • The curvy rice paddies and fields of the Oyama Senmaida rice terraces undulating up the mountainside, are the very image of a Japanese farm village.   Because of the increase in machinery use and the aging  farmer population in Japan, terraced rice fields are rapidly disappearing as it must be done mostly by hand.  Oyama Senmaida is now maintained by an unusual co ownership system.  This both helps preserve this landscape and gives urban dwellers a chance to try their hand at farming. Thanks to this innovative system the terraced rice paddies of Oyama Senmaida Chiba continue to be cultivated to this day.  Terraced rice fields are common in Japan’s mountainous countryside, where agriculture has been active for thousands of years. They are built in stair-like tiers along the slope of a mountain or a valley and are often called “Senmaida”, or thousand rice fields, because the field is divided into many small sections. Stones and mud are used to separate the sections and prevent the water from leaking out of them.
    oyama-rice-terraces-8.jpg
  • The curvy rice paddies and fields of the Oyama Senmaida rice terraces undulating up the mountainside, are the very image of a Japanese farm village.   Because of the increase in machinery use and the aging  farmer population in Japan, terraced rice fields are rapidly disappearing as it must be done mostly by hand.  Oyama Senmaida is now maintained by an unusual co ownership system.  This both helps preserve this landscape and gives urban dwellers a chance to try their hand at farming. Thanks to this innovative system the terraced rice paddies of Oyama Senmaida Chiba continue to be cultivated to this day.  Terraced rice fields are common in Japan’s mountainous countryside, where agriculture has been active for thousands of years. They are built in stair-like tiers along the slope of a mountain or a valley and are often called “Senmaida”, or thousand rice fields, because the field is divided into many small sections. Stones and mud are used to separate the sections and prevent the water from leaking out of them.
    oyama-rice-terraces-5.jpg
  • Thatching in Japan has long been used for the roofs of farm houses, traditional homes, temples and shrines. As modernization increases, thatching has been rapidly disappearing in Japan.  Thatched roofs have both heat insulating properties and the material is a sustainable plant resource. Thatch in Japan is typically made of eulalia, rice straw, wheat straw, bamboo grass, cedar bark or water reeds.
    japanese-farmhouse-2.jpg
  • Rice Seedlings - Rice is of the grass species oryza sativa and considered a cereal grain and the most widely eaten staple in Asia.  Because of the increase in use of machinery  and the aging farmer population in Japan, rice fields are rapidly disappearing as it must be done mostly by hand.
    rice-plants-1.jpg
  • Among the oiran, the tayu was considered the highest rank of courtesan and were considered suitable for the shogun. Only the wealthiest and highest ranking could hope to patronise them. To entertain their clients, similar to a geisha, the oiran practiced the arts of dance, music, poetry and calligraphy and an educated wit was considered essential to sophisticated conversation. The rise of the geisha ended the era of the oiran. Geisha practiced the common entertainments enjoyed by the people of that time, and were much more accessible to the casual visitor. Their popularity grew rapidly and eclipsed that of the oiran.  Oiran Dochu is a kimono procession common at certain festivals that celebrate old Japan and Edo.
    oiran-2.jpg
  • The curvy rice paddies and fields of the Oyama Senmaida rice terraces undulating up the mountainside, are the very image of a Japanese farm village.   Because of the increase in machinery use and the aging  farmer population in Japan, terraced rice fields are rapidly disappearing as it must be done mostly by hand.  Oyama Senmaida is now maintained by an unusual co ownership system.  This both helps preserve this landscape and gives urban dwellers a chance to try their hand at farming. Thanks to this innovative system the terraced rice paddies of Oyama Senmaida Chiba continue to be cultivated to this day.  Terraced rice fields are common in Japan’s mountainous countryside, where agriculture has been active for thousands of years. They are built in stair-like tiers along the slope of a mountain or a valley and are often called “Senmaida”, or thousand rice fields, because the field is divided into many small sections. Stones and mud are used to separate the sections and prevent the water from leaking out of them.
    oyama-rice-terraces-15.jpg
  • The curvy rice paddies and fields of the Oyama Senmaida rice terraces undulating up the mountainside, are the very image of a Japanese farm village.   Because of the increase in machinery use and the aging  farmer population in Japan, terraced rice fields are rapidly disappearing as it must be done mostly by hand.  Oyama Senmaida is now maintained by an unusual co ownership system.  This both helps preserve this landscape and gives urban dwellers a chance to try their hand at farming. Thanks to this innovative system the terraced rice paddies of Oyama Senmaida Chiba continue to be cultivated to this day.  Terraced rice fields are common in Japan’s mountainous countryside, where agriculture has been active for thousands of years. They are built in stair-like tiers along the slope of a mountain or a valley and are often called “Senmaida”, or thousand rice fields, because the field is divided into many small sections. Stones and mud are used to separate the sections and prevent the water from leaking out of them.
    oyama-rice-terraces-16.jpg
  • The curvy rice paddies and fields of the Oyama Senmaida rice terraces undulating up the mountainside, are the very image of a Japanese farm village.   Because of the increase in machinery use and the aging  farmer population in Japan, terraced rice fields are rapidly disappearing as it must be done mostly by hand.  Oyama Senmaida is now maintained by an unusual co ownership system.  This both helps preserve this landscape and gives urban dwellers a chance to try their hand at farming. Thanks to this innovative system the terraced rice paddies of Oyama Senmaida Chiba continue to be cultivated to this day.  Terraced rice fields are common in Japan’s mountainous countryside, where agriculture has been active for thousands of years. They are built in stair-like tiers along the slope of a mountain or a valley and are often called “Senmaida”, or thousand rice fields, because the field is divided into many small sections. Stones and mud are used to separate the sections and prevent the water from leaking out of them.
    oyama-rice-terraces-13.jpg
  • The curvy rice paddies and fields of the Oyama Senmaida rice terraces undulating up the mountainside, are the very image of a Japanese farm village.   Because of the increase in machinery use and the aging  farmer population in Japan, terraced rice fields are rapidly disappearing as it must be done mostly by hand.  Oyama Senmaida is now maintained by an unusual co ownership system.  This both helps preserve this landscape and gives urban dwellers a chance to try their hand at farming. Thanks to this innovative system the terraced rice paddies of Oyama Senmaida Chiba continue to be cultivated to this day.  Terraced rice fields are common in Japan’s mountainous countryside, where agriculture has been active for thousands of years. They are built in stair-like tiers along the slope of a mountain or a valley and are often called “Senmaida”, or thousand rice fields, because the field is divided into many small sections. Stones and mud are used to separate the sections and prevent the water from leaking out of them.
    oyama-rice-terraces-14.jpg
  • The curvy rice paddies and fields of the Oyama Senmaida rice terraces undulating up the mountainside, are the very image of a Japanese farm village.   Because of the increase in machinery use and the aging  farmer population in Japan, terraced rice fields are rapidly disappearing as it must be done mostly by hand.  Oyama Senmaida is now maintained by an unusual co ownership system.  This both helps preserve this landscape and gives urban dwellers a chance to try their hand at farming. Thanks to this innovative system the terraced rice paddies of Oyama Senmaida Chiba continue to be cultivated to this day.  Terraced rice fields are common in Japan’s mountainous countryside, where agriculture has been active for thousands of years. They are built in stair-like tiers along the slope of a mountain or a valley and are often called “Senmaida”, or thousand rice fields, because the field is divided into many small sections. Stones and mud are used to separate the sections and prevent the water from leaking out of them.
    oyama-rice-terraces-11.jpg
  • The curvy rice paddies and fields of the Oyama Senmaida rice terraces undulating up the mountainside, are the very image of a Japanese farm village.   Because of the increase in machinery use and the aging  farmer population in Japan, terraced rice fields are rapidly disappearing as it must be done mostly by hand.  Oyama Senmaida is now maintained by an unusual co ownership system.  This both helps preserve this landscape and gives urban dwellers a chance to try their hand at farming. Thanks to this innovative system the terraced rice paddies of Oyama Senmaida Chiba continue to be cultivated to this day.  Terraced rice fields are common in Japan’s mountainous countryside, where agriculture has been active for thousands of years. They are built in stair-like tiers along the slope of a mountain or a valley and are often called “Senmaida”, or thousand rice fields, because the field is divided into many small sections. Stones and mud are used to separate the sections and prevent the water from leaking out of them.
    oyama-rice-terraces-7.jpg
  • The curvy rice paddies and fields of the Oyama Senmaida rice terraces undulating up the mountainside, are the very image of a Japanese farm village.   Because of the increase in machinery use and the aging  farmer population in Japan, terraced rice fields are rapidly disappearing as it must be done mostly by hand.  Oyama Senmaida is now maintained by an unusual co ownership system.  This both helps preserve this landscape and gives urban dwellers a chance to try their hand at farming. Thanks to this innovative system the terraced rice paddies of Oyama Senmaida Chiba continue to be cultivated to this day.  Terraced rice fields are common in Japan’s mountainous countryside, where agriculture has been active for thousands of years. They are built in stair-like tiers along the slope of a mountain or a valley and are often called “Senmaida”, or thousand rice fields, because the field is divided into many small sections. Stones and mud are used to separate the sections and prevent the water from leaking out of them.
    oyama-rice-terraces-6.jpg
  • The curvy rice paddies and fields of the Oyama Senmaida rice terraces undulating up the mountainside, are the very image of a Japanese farm village.   Because of the increase in machinery use and the aging  farmer population in Japan, terraced rice fields are rapidly disappearing as it must be done mostly by hand.  Oyama Senmaida is now maintained by an unusual co ownership system.  This both helps preserve this landscape and gives urban dwellers a chance to try their hand at farming. Thanks to this innovative system the terraced rice paddies of Oyama Senmaida Chiba continue to be cultivated to this day.  Terraced rice fields are common in Japan’s mountainous countryside, where agriculture has been active for thousands of years. They are built in stair-like tiers along the slope of a mountain or a valley and are often called “Senmaida”, or thousand rice fields, because the field is divided into many small sections. Stones and mud are used to separate the sections and prevent the water from leaking out of them.
    oyama-rice-terraces-4.jpg
  • Rice Seedlings - Rice is of the grass species oryza sativa and considered a cereal grain and the most widely eaten staple in Asia.  Because of the increase in use of machinery  and the aging farmer population in Japan, rice fields are rapidly disappearing as it must be done mostly by hand. The curvy rice paddies and fields of the Oyama Senmaida rice terraces undulating up the mountainside, are the very image of a Japanese farm village.  Oyama Senmaida is now maintained by an unique co ownership system.  This both helps preserve this landscape, help local farmers and gives urban dwellers a chance to try their hand at farming. Thanks to this innovative system the terraced rice paddies of Oyama Senmaida Chiba continue to be cultivated to this day.
    rice-seedlings.jpg
  • The curvy rice paddies and fields of the Oyama Senmaida rice terraces undulating up the mountainside, are the very image of a Japanese farm village.   Because of the increase in machinery use and the aging  farmer population in Japan, terraced rice fields are rapidly disappearing as it must be done mostly by hand.  Oyama Senmaida is now maintained by an unusual co ownership system.  This both helps preserve this landscape and gives urban dwellers a chance to try their hand at farming. Thanks to this innovative system the terraced rice paddies of Oyama Senmaida Chiba continue to be cultivated to this day.  Terraced rice fields are common in Japan’s mountainous countryside, where agriculture has been active for thousands of years. They are built in stair-like tiers along the slope of a mountain or a valley and are often called “Senmaida”, or thousand rice fields, because the field is divided into many small sections. Stones and mud are used to separate the sections and prevent the water from leaking out of them.
    oyama-rice-terraces-3.jpg
  • Thatching in Japan has long been used for the roofs of farm houses, traditional homes, temples and shrines. As modernization increases, thatching has been rapidly disappearing in Japan.  Thatched roofs have both heat insulating properties and the material is a sustainable plant resource. Thatch in Japan is typically made of eulalia, rice straw, wheat straw, bamboo grass, cedar bark or water reeds.
    japanese-farmhouse-3.jpg
  • Pudong is an area of Shanghai, located along the east side of the Huangpu River, across from Shanghai Bund historic center in Puxi.  Formerly a little-developed agricultural area linked only by ferries, Pudong has grown rapidly since the 1990s and emerged as China's financial and commercial hub. Pudong is home to the Shanghai Stock Exchange and many of Shanghai's best-known buildings such as the Oriental Pearl Tower, the Jin Mao Building, the Shanghai World Financial Center.  These modern skyscrapers face directly across from the Bund, the remnant of Shanghai's former concessions.
    shanghai-pudong-1.jpg
  • Pudong is an area of Shanghai, China, located along the east side of the Huangpu River, across from Shanghai Bund historic center in Puxi.  Formerly a little-developed agricultural area linked only by ferries, Pudong has grown rapidly since the 1990s and emerged as China's financial and commercial hub. Pudong is home to the Shanghai Stock Exchange and many of Shanghai's best-known buildings such as the Oriental Pearl Tower, the Jin Mao Building, the Shanghai World Financial Center.  These modern skyscrapers face directly across from the Bund, the remnant of Shanghai's former concessions.
    shanghai-pudong-3.jpg
  • Among the oiran, the tayu was considered the highest rank of courtesan and were considered suitable for the shogun. Only the wealthiest and highest ranking could hope to patronise them. To entertain their clients, similar to a geisha, the oiran practiced the arts of dance, music, poetry and calligraphy and an educated wit was considered essential to sophisticated conversation. The rise of the geisha ended the era of the oiran. Geisha practiced the common entertainments enjoyed by the people of that time, and were much more accessible to the casual visitor. Their popularity grew rapidly and eclipsed that of the oiran.  Oiran Dochu is a kimono procession common at certain festivals that celebrate old Japan and Edo.
    oiran-3.jpg
  • Buckeye Hot Springs - Two hot springs sources feeding two soaking pools adjacent to a clear stream on the eastern slope of the Sierras. The two main sources at Buckeye Hot Springs emerge from the side of the hill and cool rapidly at they flow downhill. One of the sources flows into a large pool that maintains a temperature of about 100 degrees F. The other source is larger and flows into the creek where it has been dammed up with rocks, forming several pools. Each of these pools differs slightly in temperature, ranging from 110 to 95 degrees F. The temperature will vary depending upon the amount of creek water flowing into the pools. The largest pool is under an overhang created by the hot springs water and offers a cave like setting.
    buckeye-hot-springs.jpg
  • Buckeye Hot Springs - Two hot springs sources feeding two soaking pools adjacent to a clear stream on the eastern slope of the Sierras. The two main sources at Buckeye Hot Springs emerge from the side of the hill and cool rapidly at they flow downhill. One of the sources flows into a large pool that maintains a temperature of about 100 degrees F. The other source is larger and flows into the creek where it has been dammed up with rocks, forming several pools. Each of these pools differs slightly in temperature, ranging from 110 to 95 degrees F. The temperature will vary depending upon the amount of creek water flowing into the pools. The largest pool is under an overhang created by the hot springs water and offers a cave like setting.
    buckeye-hot-springs-2.jpg
  • The curvy rice paddies and fields of the Oyama Senmaida rice terraces undulating up the mountainside, are the very image of a Japanese farm village.   Because of the increase in machinery use and the aging  farmer population in Japan, terraced rice fields are rapidly disappearing as it must be done mostly by hand.  Oyama Senmaida is now maintained by an unusual co ownership system.  This both helps preserve this landscape and gives urban dwellers a chance to try their hand at farming. Thanks to this innovative system the terraced rice paddies of Oyama Senmaida Chiba continue to be cultivated to this day.  Terraced rice fields are common in Japan’s mountainous countryside, where agriculture has been active for thousands of years. They are built in stair-like tiers along the slope of a mountain or a valley and are often called “Senmaida”, or thousand rice fields, because the field is divided into many small sections. Stones and mud are used to separate the sections and prevent the water from leaking out of them.
    oyama-rice-terraces-18.jpg
  • The curvy rice paddies and fields of the Oyama Senmaida rice terraces undulating up the mountainside, are the very image of a Japanese farm village.   Because of the increase in machinery use and the aging  farmer population in Japan, terraced rice fields are rapidly disappearing as it must be done mostly by hand.  Oyama Senmaida is now maintained by an unusual co ownership system.  This both helps preserve this landscape and gives urban dwellers a chance to try their hand at farming. Thanks to this innovative system the terraced rice paddies of Oyama Senmaida Chiba continue to be cultivated to this day.  Terraced rice fields are common in Japan’s mountainous countryside, where agriculture has been active for thousands of years. They are built in stair-like tiers along the slope of a mountain or a valley and are often called “Senmaida”, or thousand rice fields, because the field is divided into many small sections. Stones and mud are used to separate the sections and prevent the water from leaking out of them.
    oyama-rice-terraces-17.jpg
  • The curvy rice paddies and fields of the Oyama Senmaida rice terraces undulating up the mountainside, are the very image of a Japanese farm village.   Because of the increase in machinery use and the aging  farmer population in Japan, terraced rice fields are rapidly disappearing as it must be done mostly by hand.  Oyama Senmaida is now maintained by an unusual co ownership system.  This both helps preserve this landscape and gives urban dwellers a chance to try their hand at farming. Thanks to this innovative system the terraced rice paddies of Oyama Senmaida Chiba continue to be cultivated to this day.  Terraced rice fields are common in Japan’s mountainous countryside, where agriculture has been active for thousands of years. They are built in stair-like tiers along the slope of a mountain or a valley and are often called “Senmaida”, or thousand rice fields, because the field is divided into many small sections. Stones and mud are used to separate the sections and prevent the water from leaking out of them.
    oyama-rice-terraces-10.jpg
  • The curvy rice paddies and fields of the Oyama Senmaida rice terraces undulating up the mountainside, are the very image of a Japanese farm village.   Because of the increase in machinery use and the aging  farmer population in Japan, terraced rice fields are rapidly disappearing as it must be done mostly by hand.  Oyama Senmaida is now maintained by an unusual co ownership system.  This both helps preserve this landscape and gives urban dwellers a chance to try their hand at farming. Thanks to this innovative system the terraced rice paddies of Oyama Senmaida Chiba continue to be cultivated to this day.  Terraced rice fields are common in Japan’s mountainous countryside, where agriculture has been active for thousands of years. They are built in stair-like tiers along the slope of a mountain or a valley and are often called “Senmaida”, or thousand rice fields, because the field is divided into many small sections. Stones and mud are used to separate the sections and prevent the water from leaking out of them.
    oyama-rice-terraces-9.jpg
  • The curvy rice paddies and fields of the Oyama Senmaida rice terraces undulating up the mountainside, are the very image of a Japanese farm village.   Because of the increase in machinery use and the aging  farmer population in Japan, terraced rice fields are rapidly disappearing as it must be done mostly by hand.  Oyama Senmaida is now maintained by an unusual co ownership system.  This both helps preserve this landscape and gives urban dwellers a chance to try their hand at farming. Thanks to this innovative system the terraced rice paddies of Oyama Senmaida Chiba continue to be cultivated to this day.  Terraced rice fields are common in Japan’s mountainous countryside, where agriculture has been active for thousands of years. They are built in stair-like tiers along the slope of a mountain or a valley and are often called “Senmaida”, or thousand rice fields, because the field is divided into many small sections. Stones and mud are used to separate the sections and prevent the water from leaking out of them.
    oyama-rice-terraces-2.jpg
  • Thatching in Japan has long been used for the roofs of farm houses, traditional homes, temples and shrines. As modernization increases, thatching has been rapidly disappearing in Japan.  Thatched roofs have both heat insulating properties and the material is a sustainable plant resource. Thatch in Japan is typically made of eulalia, rice straw, wheat straw, bamboo grass, cedar bark or water reeds.
    japanese-farmhouse-1.jpg
  • Among the oiran, the tayu was considered the highest rank of courtesan and were considered suitable for the shogun. Only the wealthiest and highest ranking could hope to patronise them. To entertain their clients, similar to a geisha, the oiran practiced the arts of dance, music, poetry and calligraphy and an educated wit was considered essential to sophisticated conversation. The rise of the geisha ended the era of the oiran. Geisha practiced the common entertainments enjoyed by the people of that time, and were much more accessible to the casual visitor. Their popularity grew rapidly and eclipsed that of the oiran.  Oiran Dochu is a kimono procession common at certain festivals that celebrate old Japan and Edo.
    oiran-1.jpg