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  • Temple wood carving at Shidoji -the 86th temple in the Shikoku Pilgrimage Buddhist trail.  Shido-ji is one of the more important temples along the henro pilgrims trail as it is towards the end of the long journey only two temples from the end of the trek.
    temple-carvings-20.jpg
  • Rural Rustic Wood Pile - Firewood is still used for specialized burning in rural Japan, mostly for cooking and occasionally heating in wood-burning fireplaces and stoves.
    woodpile.jpg
  • Temple wood carving at Shidoji -the 86th temple in the Shikoku Pilgrimage Buddhist trail.  Shido-ji is one of the more important temples along the henro pilgrims trail as it is towards the end of the long journey only two temples from the end of the trek.
    temple-carvings-20.jpg
  • Carved wood at gate to Ryukoji Temple in Fujisawa - It is said that following the arrest of Nichiren for criticizing the Kamakura Shogunate the moment he was to be executed was interrupted as the officer tasked with beheading Nichiren was hit by a flash of light from nearby Enoshima. As a result, Nichiren was saved and went on to inspire the building of a temple at this site.
    ryukoji-temple-6.jpg
  • Carved wood at gate to Ryukoji Temple in Fujisawa - It is said that following the arrest of Nichiren for criticizing the Kamakura Shogunate the moment he was to be executed was interrupted as the officer tasked with beheading Nichiren was hit by a flash of light from nearby Enoshima. As a result, Nichiren was saved and went on to inspire the building of a temple at this site.
    ryukoji-temple-8.jpg
  • Wood carving at Shwenandaw Kyang Monastery.  This is the only building that remains of the old Mandalay Palace which burnt down during World War II.  The building is covered inside and out with carved teak panel -,at one time the panels covered by gold leaf.
    shwenandaw-kyaung-7.jpg
  • Carved Wood at Chatuchak Market or sometimes written Jatujak or Weekend Market in Bangkok is the largest market in Thailand, and one of the largest of the world.  Frequently called J.J. it covers over 35 acres and contains more than 5,000 stalls not counting wandering vendors and street entertainers. It is estimated that the market receives between 200,000 and 300,000 visitors each day. Most stalls are only open on Saturdays and Sundays. The market offers a wide variety of products including household items, clothing, Thai handicrafts, religious artifacts, collectibles, foods, and even live animals.
    chatuchak-3.jpg
  • Though pre-colonial Visayans had a variety of string instruments which used a coconut shell or gourd as resonator - the guitar is a Spanish introduction. Guitars have been made in Cebu since the Spanish period mainly as a areplacement for organs for church music until they were later imported. Yet, guitars  developed as a local industry only in the present century, receiving a boost from the government's promotion of cottage industries in the immediate postwar period. In Mactan, the craft of guitar making passes from generation to generation and the industry involves many families, the most prominent of whom is the Alegre and Malingin families whose names have become well-known "brand names" of Mactan or Cebu guitars.
    cebu-guitars-10.jpg
  • Thanaka also spelt thanakha is a yellowish white cosmetic paste made from ground bark. It is a distinctive feature of Myanmar  commonly applied to the face of women and girls and to a lesser extent men and boys.  It is usually made of wood apple bark.
    thanaka-root-2.jpg
  • Inashimo Shrine is decorated with many wood carved statues created by the priest. In addition, there is a fountain of healthy longevity - fresh water springs in the precincts named Shinmeisui.  The gods of rituals here is Hikohoho de Mikoto, Sumiyoshi Three Pillars Okami and Ryukoku Suijin.  As the water here is well known to locals, many people load up tanks with fresh spring water from this shrine.
    dogashima-1.jpg
  • Tree rings -  Each year, a tree forms new cells, arranged in concentric circles called annual rings that show the amount of wood produced during one growing season.  One year of growth is represented by a ring consisting of a light part and a dark part.  The older rings are closest to the centre of the tree. The tree grows in diameter because it manufactures new cells around its circumference.
    tree-rings-.jpg
  • Clan Jetty Penang - the area where the clan jetties in Penang were once littered with wood planks and firewood. Locals gathered the planks and constructed jerryrigged piers, houses and sheds. Settlements grew on these piers, and in addition to providing housing for locals, they were also used for the loading and unloading of goods onto boats and mooring of sampans. Each individual jetty identified with respective clans. Originally there were seven clan jetties but only six remain, Chew Jetty is the largest and most active and has become something of a tourist attraction, with visitors eager to view these last bastions of Chinese settlements and a vanishing way of life.
    clan-jetty-penang-11.jpg
  • Clan Jetty Penang - the area where the clan jetties in Penang were once littered with wood planks and firewood. Locals gathered the planks and constructed jerryrigged piers, houses and sheds. Settlements grew on these piers, and in addition to providing housing for locals, they were also used for the loading and unloading of goods onto boats and mooring of sampans. Each individual jetty identified with respective clans. Originally there were seven clan jetties but only six remain, Chew Jetty is the largest and most active and has become something of a tourist attraction, with visitors eager to view these last bastions of Chinese settlements and a vanishing way of life.
    clan-jetty-penang-10.jpg
  • Clan Jetty Penang - the area where the clan jetties in Penang were once littered with wood planks and firewood. Locals gathered the planks and constructed jerryrigged piers, houses and sheds. Settlements grew on these piers, and in addition to providing housing for locals, they were also used for the loading and unloading of goods onto boats and mooring of sampans. Each individual jetty identified with respective clans. Originally there were seven clan jetties but only six remain, Chew Jetty is the largest and most active and has become something of a tourist attraction, with visitors eager to view these last bastions of Chinese settlements and a vanishing way of life.
    clan-jetty-penang-09.jpg
  • Clan Jetty Penang - the area where the clan jetties in Penang were once littered with wood planks and firewood. Locals gathered the planks and constructed jerryrigged piers, houses and sheds. Settlements grew on these piers, and in addition to providing housing for locals, they were also used for the loading and unloading of goods onto boats and mooring of sampans. Each individual jetty identified with respective clans. Originally there were seven clan jetties but only six remain, Chew Jetty is the largest and most active and has become something of a tourist attraction, with visitors eager to view these last bastions of Chinese settlements and a vanishing way of life.
    clan-jetty-penang-03.jpg
  • Clan Jetty Penang - the area where the clan jetties in Penang were once littered with wood planks and firewood. Locals gathered the planks and constructed jerryrigged piers, houses and sheds. Settlements grew on these piers, and in addition to providing housing for locals, they were also used for the loading and unloading of goods onto boats and mooring of sampans. Each individual jetty identified with respective clans. Originally there were seven clan jetties but only six remain, Chew Jetty is the largest and most active and has become something of a tourist attraction, with visitors eager to view these last bastions of Chinese settlements and a vanishing way of life.
    clan-jetty-penang-02.jpg
  • The Koto is the national instrument of Japan.  The body is made of kiri wood (Paulownia tomentosa). The strings are strung over 13 movable bridges along the width of the instrument. Players can adjust the pitch by moving bridges before playing, using three finger picks (thumb, index finger and middle finger) to pluck the strings.  A plectrum is also used to play the koto. Koto performances and koto music is usually associated with New Years for its sooting tones.
    koto-performance-03.jpg
  • Shwe Yan Pyay Monastery in Nyaung Shwe near Inle Lake is a wooden monastery with unique red painted teak wood oval windows.  The temple is richly decorated with mosaics and golden ornaments. The unique oval windows at this teak monastery serves as a school for young Burmese novice monks.
    Shwe-Yan-Pyay-2.jpg
  • Thanaka also spelt thanakha is a yellowish white cosmetic paste made from ground bark. It is a distinctive feature of Myanmar  commonly applied to the face of women and girls and to a lesser extent men and boys.  It is usually made of wood apple bark.
    thanaka-root-3.jpg
  • Koto is the national instrument of Japan and are made from kiri wood (Paulownia tomentosa). The strings are strung over 13 movable bridges along the width of the instrument. Players can adjust the pitch by moving bridges before playing, using three finger picks (thumb, index finger and middle finger) to pluck the strings.
    koto-3.jpg
  • Clan Jetty Penang - the area where the clan jetties in Penang were once littered with wood planks and firewood. Locals gathered the planks and constructed jerryrigged piers, houses and sheds. Settlements grew on these piers, and in addition to providing housing for locals, they were also used for the loading and unloading of goods onto boats and mooring of sampans. Each individual jetty identified with respective clans. Originally there were seven clan jetties but only six remain, Chew Jetty is the largest and most active and has become something of a tourist attraction, with visitors eager to view these last bastions of Chinese settlements and a vanishing way of life.
    clan-jetty-penang-08.jpg
  • Clan Jetty Penang - the area where the clan jetties in Penang were once littered with wood planks and firewood. Locals gathered the planks and constructed jerryrigged piers, houses and sheds. Settlements grew on these piers, and in addition to providing housing for locals, they were also used for the loading and unloading of goods onto boats and mooring of sampans. Each individual jetty identified with respective clans. Originally there were seven clan jetties but only six remain, Chew Jetty is the largest and most active and has become something of a tourist attraction, with visitors eager to view these last bastions of Chinese settlements and a vanishing way of life.
    clan-jetty-penang-07.jpg
  • Clan Jetty Penang - the area where the clan jetties in Penang were once littered with wood planks and firewood. Locals gathered the planks and constructed jerryrigged piers, houses and sheds. Settlements grew on these piers, and in addition to providing housing for locals, they were also used for the loading and unloading of goods onto boats and mooring of sampans. Each individual jetty identified with respective clans. Originally there were seven clan jetties but only six remain, Chew Jetty is the largest and most active and has become something of a tourist attraction, with visitors eager to view these last bastions of Chinese settlements and a vanishing way of life.
    clan-jetty-penang-05.jpg
  • Clan Jetty Penang - the area where the clan jetties in Penang were once littered with wood planks and firewood. Locals gathered the planks and constructed jerryrigged piers, houses and sheds. Settlements grew on these piers, and in addition to providing housing for locals, they were also used for the loading and unloading of goods onto boats and mooring of sampans. Each individual jetty identified with respective clans. Originally there were seven clan jetties but only six remain, Chew Jetty is the largest and most active and has become something of a tourist attraction, with visitors eager to view these last bastions of Chinese settlements and a vanishing way of life.
    clan-jetty-penang-04.jpg
  • Clan Jetty Penang - the area where the clan jetties in Penang were once littered with wood planks and firewood. Locals gathered the planks and constructed jerryrigged piers, houses and sheds. Settlements grew on these piers, and in addition to providing housing for locals, they were also used for the loading and unloading of goods onto boats and mooring of sampans. Each individual jetty identified with respective clans. Originally there were seven clan jetties but only six remain, Chew Jetty is the largest and most active and has become something of a tourist attraction, with visitors eager to view these last bastions of Chinese settlements and a vanishing way of life.
    clan-jetty-penang-01.jpg
  • The Koto is the national instrument of Japan.  The body is made of kiri wood (Paulownia tomentosa). The strings are strung over 13 movable bridges along the width of the instrument. Players can adjust the pitch by moving bridges before playing, using three finger picks (thumb, index finger and middle finger) to pluck the strings.  A plectrum is also used to play the koto. Koto performances and koto music is usually associated with New Years for its sooting tones.
    koto-performance-02.jpg
  • The Koto is the national instrument of Japan.  The body is made of kiri wood (Paulownia tomentosa). The strings are strung over 13 movable bridges along the width of the instrument. Players can adjust the pitch by moving bridges before playing, using three finger picks (thumb, index finger and middle finger) to pluck the strings.  A plectrum is also used to play the koto. Koto performances and koto music is usually associated with New Years for its sooting tones.
    koto-performance-01.jpg
  • Japanese carpentry and joinery requires the use of many types of joints. Nails and glues are believed to not stand up well to fluctuating weather conditions in Japan.  Some types of wood are very resinous and therefore glue is not a workable solution.  Many structures in Japan, including entire buildings, do not employ a single nail - quite a few of which have stood standing for over 1000 years.  This indeed is a good example of Japanese workmanship and attention to detail, long before “quality control” in industrial manufacturing made Japanese quality the world standard.
    japanese-joinery-carpentry-1.jpg
  • Shwe Yan Pyay Monastery in Nyaung Shwe near Inle Lake is a wooden monastery with unique red painted teak wood oval windows.  The temple is richly adorned with golden ornaments and mosaics. This teak monastery serves as a school for young Burmese novice monks.
    Shwe-Yan-Pyay-7.jpg
  • Shwe Yan Pyay Monastery in Nyaung Shwe near Inle Lake is a wooden monastery with unique red painted teak wood oval windows.  The temple is richly decorated with mosaics and golden ornaments. The unique oval windows at this teak monastery serves as a school for young Burmese novice monks.
    Shwe-Yan-Pyay-3.jpg
  • Wood Paneled Dining Car on the Trans-Mongolian Railway - The Trans-Mongolian, a branch of the Trans-Siberian Railway running from Beijing, through Mongolia onto the Russian border.  The Trans-Mongolian is a popular branch, not only because it starts or ends in Beijing but also passes through some fascinating territory along the way breaking up the endless Siberian landscape with even more exotic Mongolia.
    trans-mongolian-dining-car.jpg
  • Koto is the national instrument of Japan and are made from kiri wood (Paulownia tomentosa). The strings are strung over 13 movable bridges along the width of the instrument. Players can adjust the pitch by moving bridges before playing, using three finger picks (thumb, index finger and middle finger) to pluck the strings.
    koto-1.jpg
  • Koto is the national instrument of Japan and are made from kiri wood (Paulownia tomentosa). The strings are strung over 13 movable bridges along the width of the instrument. Players can adjust the pitch by moving bridges before playing, using three finger picks (thumb, index finger and middle finger) to pluck the strings.
    koto-2.jpg
  • Koto is the national instrument of Japan and are made from kiri wood (Paulownia tomentosa). The strings are strung over 13 movable bridges along the width of the instrument. Players can adjust the pitch by moving bridges before playing, using three finger picks (thumb, index finger and middle finger) to pluck the strings.
    koto-performance-1.jpg
  • Koto is the national instrument of Japan and are made from kiri wood (Paulownia tomentosa). The strings are strung over 13 movable bridges along the width of the instrument. Players can adjust the pitch by moving bridges before playing, using three finger picks (thumb, index finger and middle finger) to pluck the strings.
    koto-performance-2.jpg
  • JR Kotohira Station is one of the most charming of all the retro old railway stations in Japan.  This is a marvel, especially since it was remodeled with seismic retrofitting in 2017 by an architectural firm in Tokyo.  The town of Kotohira is a tourism hot spot for visitors to Kotohira Shrine and nearby Zentsuji Temple, but does not see a lot of traffic. Nevertheless, it is a useful hub for the area with connections on the JR Dosan line and connections with nearby Kotoden Kotohira Station which is also wooden and retro albiet much smaller, nearby.
    JR-kotohira-station-2.jpg
  • JR Kotohira Station is one of the most charming of all the retro old railway stations in Japan.  This is a marvel, especially since it was remodeled with seismic retrofitting in 2017 by an architectural firm in Tokyo.  The town of Kotohira is a tourism hot spot for visitors to Kotohira Shrine and nearby Zentsuji Temple, but does not see a lot of traffic. Nevertheless, it is a useful hub for the area with connections on the JR Dosan line and connections with nearby Kotoden Kotohira Station which is also wooden and retro albiet much smaller, nearby.
    JR-kotohira-station-1.jpg
  • Thai Gilt Bas Relief depicting a phoenix done up in gold leaf.
    thai-gilt-bas-relief.jpg
  • When the Angkor empire was in its glory, thousands of craftsmen erected what is now considered one of the wonders of the world: the Angkor Wat complex. After the civil war in Cambodia, many of these arts were in danger of dying out  until a professional training school, was founded to help young Cambodians rediscover traditional crafts and give them the opportunity to take part in the rebuilding of their country. Artisans d'Angkor was established as a natural offshoot of the Chantiers-Écoles project as a school-to-work transition for the young craftsmen that had been trained. The skilled artisans could thus be organized into a self sustaining craft network.
    artisans-angkor-3.jpg
  • JR Kotohira Station is one of the most charming of all the retro old railway stations in Japan.  This is a marvel, especially since it was remodeled with seismic retrofitting in 2017 by an architectural firm in Tokyo.  The town of Kotohira is a tourism hot spot for visitors to Kotohira Shrine and nearby Zentsuji Temple, but does not see a lot of traffic. Nevertheless, it is a useful hub for the area with connections on the JR Dosan line and connections with nearby Kotoden Kotohira Station which is also wooden and retro albiet much smaller, nearby.
    JR-kotohira-station-3.jpg
  • Noda Museum Entrance - The mansion of Saheiji Mogi, one of the leading soy sauce brewers in Noda, Saitama was built around 1924.  Later the estate was donated to Noda City and repurposed as a citizen's welfare facility in the 1950s. The building, along with its garden and teahouse called Syojuan on the premises has been is designated as a Japanese tangible cultural property.  The entire grounds, focusing on the garden and teahouse are registered as a treasured monument of Japan. The facility is now used for cultural activities for local citizens. Mr Mogi was a soy sauce baron, for which Noda, Saitama is famous and is the world headquarters for Kikkoman. Over the course of time, most of the smaller soy sauce makers were merged into what is now Kikkoman.
    noda-city-museum-1.jpg
  • 78.1 Tsurugaoka Hachimiangu Shrine 鶴岡八幡宮 - is the most important Shinto shrine in Kamakura, as well one of the most prominent in Kanagawa Prefecture.  Although it is now a Shinto shrine, Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu was a Buddhist temple for most of its history. Many ceremonies are held here including weddings and Coming of Age day in January.  Most festivals, ceremonies and events in Kamakura are centered at and around Tsurugaoka Hachimangu.
    78.1.TENTATIVE-KAMAKURA-TSURUGAOKA-0...jpg
  • Wooden Bridge at Seikenji  - Seikenji is a Buddhist temple of Rinzai sect in Okitsu Shizuoka. Seikenji’’s origins began as a result of its location along the ancient Tokaiko Road, leading from Kyoto to Edo Tokyo, as this point was a “sekiisho” or checkpoint along the way. It is considered to be a good place to view the moon especially in the past when it had an unobstructed view of overlooking Suruga Bay. There are statues of 500 disciples, worn and weathered with age, leading up the hill as well as a plum tree planted by Tokugawa-Ieyasu. Seikenji garden was built in the 18th Century, and has been designated as a scenic spot of Japan.  Seikenji is believed to have been founded in the 7th century during the Kamakura Period along the historic Tokaido Road. From a passage at the rear of the  temple’s interior, and inner tatami rooms overlooking the garden, which are the best vantage points to view the exquisitely landscaped Zen garden.  When Tokugawa-Ieyasu was a child, he was sent Seikenji as a refuge of the Imagawa Family.
    seikenji-5.jpg
  • San Agustin Church Carved Wooden Doors San Agustin is the showpiece in the walled city of Intramuros Manila.  It was designated as a World Heritage Sites by UNESCO in 1993.  Earlier the church had been declared as a National Historical Landmark by the Philippine government in 1976.
    san-agustin-intramuros-6.jpg
  • San Agustin Church Carved Wooden Doors San Agustin is the showpiece in the walled city of Intramuros Manila.  It was designated as a World Heritage Sites by UNESCO in 1993.  Earlier the church had been declared as a National Historical Landmark by the Philippine government in 1976.
    san-agustin-intramuros-5.jpg
  • Tomyodo Lighthouse is a replica of the original oil lit lighthouse built in 1648 and used until 1872. Built on a rock formation at Cape Tomyodo for safe passage of sea vessels into Uraga Harbour.  Though Cape Tomyodo was once an execution ground, it is now a public park with picturesque coves and beaches.
    tomyodo-lighthouse-1.jpg
  • Tomyodo Lighthouse is a replica of the original oil lit lighthouse built in 1648 and used until 1872. Built on a rock formation at Cape Tomyodo for safe passage of sea vessels into Uraga Harbour.  Though Cape Tomyodo was once an execution ground, it is now a public park with picturesque coves and beaches.
    tomyodo-lighthouse-2.jpg
  • Hase-Dera Temple known more formally as Kaikozan Jishoin Hase-dera is one of the great Buddhist temples in the city of Kamakura. The temple is the fourth of the 33 stations of the Bando Sanju san kasho pilgrimage circuit dedicated to the goddess Benzaiten.<br />
The temple originally belonged to the Tendai sect of Buddhism but eventually became an independent temple of the Jodo sect.  Its Kannon statue is a treasure of Japan The statue is one of the largest wooden statues in Japan, with a height of 9 meters, made from camphor and gilded in gold. It has 11 heads each of which represents a phase in the search for enlightenment.
    hase-dera-temple.jpg
  • Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine is the most important Shinto shrine in the city of Kamakura.  A Shinto shrine now, Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu was also a Buddhist temple for most of its history. The shrine is at the geographical and cultural center of the city of Kamakura which has grown around it.
    tsurugaoka-hachimangu-3.jpg
  • Kenchoji Temple in Kamakura is the oldest Zen monastery in Japan. Construction of the temple was completed in 1253. Shown is the "Sanmon Gate" or the Main Gate, though its nickname is the "Badger Gate". According to the legend, a badger transformed itself into a monk and helped in building it.
    kenchoji-temple-2.jpg
  • Kenchoji Temple in Kamakura is the oldest Zen monastery in Japan. Construction of the temple was completed in 1253. Shown is the "Sanmon Gate" or the Main Gate, though its nickname is the "Badger Gate". According to the legend, a badger transformed itself into a monk and helped in building it.
    kenchoji-temple-4.jpg
  • Kenchoji Temple in Kamakura is the oldest Zen monastery in Japan. Construction of the temple was completed in 1253. Shown is the "Sanmon Gate" or the Main Gate, though its nickname is the "Badger Gate". According to the legend, a badger transformed itself into a monk and helped in building it.
    kenchoji-temple-3.jpg
  • Siberia is known for its unique woodwork and architecture.  Even the most modest of buildings have elaborate woodwork decorating the windows.  Very often this woodwork is colorful  an attempt to cheer things up during the long, harsh winters that Siberia is known for.  Though this kind of architecture is to be seen in all parts of Siberia, the best examples are perhaps in Irkutsk - the Paris of Siberia.
    siberian-cottage-2.jpg
  • Siberia is known for its unique woodwork and architecture.  Even the most modest of buildings have elaborate woodwork decorating the windows.  Very often this woodwork is colorful  an attempt to cheer things up during the long, harsh winters that Siberia is known for.  Though this kind of architecture is to be seen in all parts of Siberia, the best examples are perhaps in Irkutsk - the Paris of Siberia.
    decembrist-cottage-3.jpg
  • Kenchoji Temple in Kamakura is the oldest Zen monastery in Japan. Construction of the temple was completed in 1253. Shown is the "Sanmon Gate" or the Main Gate, though its nickname is the "Badger Gate". According to the legend, a badger transformed itself into a monk and helped in building it.
    kenchoji-sakura.jpg
  • Koto-in Doorway - Koto-In Garden, Daitokuji Temple, Kyoto.  Koto-in was established in 1601 by Tadaoki Hosokawa. He was a famous warrior under Toyotomi Hideyoshi, studied Zen under the Daitoku-ji abbot, Seigan, and was a distinguished disciple of tea master, Sen no Rikyu. Koto-in is home to two famous tea houses, Shoko-ken and Horai.
    japanese-door.jpg
  • Wooden Bridge at Seikenji  - Seikenji is a Buddhist temple of Rinzai sect in Okitsu Shizuoka. Seikenji’’s origins began as a result of its location along the ancient Tokaiko Road, leading from Kyoto to Edo Tokyo, as this point was a “sekiisho” or checkpoint along the way. It is considered to be a good place to view the moon especially in the past when it had an unobstructed view of overlooking Suruga Bay. There are statues of 500 disciples, worn and weathered with age, leading up the hill as well as a plum tree planted by Tokugawa-Ieyasu. Seikenji garden was built in the 18th Century, and has been designated as a scenic spot of Japan.  Seikenji is believed to have been founded in the 7th century during the Kamakura Period along the historic Tokaido Road. From a passage at the rear of the  temple’s interior, and inner tatami rooms overlooking the garden, which are the best vantage points to view the exquisitely landscaped Zen garden.  When Tokugawa-Ieyasu was a child, he was sent Seikenji as a refuge of the Imagawa Family.
    seikenji-6.jpg
  • Shimenawa - Shinto sacred places are typically marked with a shimenawa which is a plaited rope, and shime:  strips of pure white paper. These are placed placed around trees or other objects to indicate presence of kami or gods. Made of rice straw or hemp, the rope is called nawa.  are called shime or gohei.  They symbolize purity in the Shintp faith.
    sacred-tree-01.jpg
  • San Agustin Church Carved Wooden Doors San Agustin is the showpiece in the walled city of Intramuros Manila.  It was designated as a World Heritage Sites by UNESCO in 1993.  Earlier the church had been declared as a National Historical Landmark by the Philippine government in 1976.
    san-agustin-intramuros-4.jpg
  • Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine is the most important Shinto shrine in the city of Kamakura.  A Shinto shrine now, Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu was also a Buddhist temple for most of its history. The shrine is at the geographical and cultural center of the city of Kamakura which has  grown around it.
    tsurugaoka-hachimangu-4.jpg
  • Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine is the most important Shinto shrine in the city of Kamakura.  A Shinto shrine now, Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu was also a Buddhist temple for most of its history. The shrine is at the geographical and cultural center of the city of Kamakura which has  grown around it.
    tsurugaoka-hachimangu-5.jpg
  • Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine is the most important Shinto shrine in the city of Kamakura.  A Shinto shrine now, Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu was also a Buddhist temple for most of its history. The shrine is at the geographical and cultural center of the city of Kamakura which has  grown around it.
    tsurugaoka-hachimangu-1.jpg
  • This unique prayer wheel is more common at Tibetan buddhism, therefore this is a special feature at Hase-dera Temple in Kamakura
    hasedera-prayer-wheel-02.jpg
  • The back streets and alleys of George Town in Penang you are likely to find craftsmen.  Local specialties include incense or joss stick makers and carpenters.
    penang-carpenter-01.jpg
  • Kama Sutra animals, including these donkeys, decorate the struts of the Shiva Parvati Temple, just outside Durbar Square in Bhaktapur. Other animals include humans and elephants going at it.
    kama-sutra-animals-image-1.jpg
  • Siberia is known for its unique woodwork and architecture.  Even the most modest of buildings have elaborate woodwork decorating the windows.  Very often this woodwork is colorful  an attempt to cheer things up during the long, harsh winters that Siberia is known for.  Though this kind of architecture is to be seen in all parts of Siberia, the best examples are perhaps in Irkutsk - the Paris of Siberia.
    decembrist-cottage-2.jpg
  • Siberia is known for its unique woodwork and architecture.  Even the most modest of buildings have elaborate woodwork decorating the windows.  Very often this woodwork is colorful  an attempt to cheer things up during the long, harsh winters that Siberia is known for.  Though this kind of architecture is to be seen in all parts of Siberia, the best examples are perhaps in Irkutsk - the Paris of Siberia.
    siberian-cottage-1.jpg
  • Siberia is known for its unique woodwork and architecture.  Even the most modest of buildings have elaborate woodwork decorating the windows.  Very often this woodwork is colorful  an attempt to cheer things up during the long, harsh winters that Siberia is known for.  Though this kind of architecture is to be seen in all parts of Siberia, the best examples are perhaps in Irkutsk - the Paris of Siberia.
    decembrist-cottage-1.jpg
  • Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine is the most important Shinto shrine in the city of Kamakura. A Shinto shrine now, Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu was also a Buddhist temple for most of its history. The shrine is at the geographical and cultural center of the city of Kamakura which has grown around it.
    tsurugaoka-hachimangu-2.jpg
  • Japanese New Year Decorations with shadows.
    japanese-new-year-1.jpg
  • Dogo Onsen is one of the oldest, some say THE oldest and best-known onsen hot springs in Japan. With a history stretching back over 3000 years, it was a favorite retreat of writer Natsume Soseki when he was working near Matsuyama as a teacher.  In Soseki's loosely autobiographical novel "Botchan", the main character is a frequent visitor to the springs and the only place he likes in the area.
    dogo-onsen.jpg
  • "Woods of Net" by Toshiko Horiuchi - The Hakone Open Air Museum creates a harmonic balance of the nature of Hakone National Park with art in the form of scultpures and other artwork, usually replicas, using the nature of Hakone National Park as backdrop. The park encourages children to play and includes many light-hearted sculptures to entertain as well as inspire visitors.
    hakone-open-air-museum-14.jpg
  • Hakone parquetry began some 200 years ago and uses dozens of different types of woods to create geometric patterns and highlight the natural wood tones. In wood incrustation, the craftsman carves a board and places various kinds of wood on top to make pictures and other patterns.
    japanese-design-3.jpg
  • The Hirakushi Denchu Art Museum Garden is both an unusual museum dedicated to one of Japan's masters of wood sculpture, Denchu Hirakushi.  The artworks are presented in his well preserved Japanese style home and garden where he lived in the last years of his life which provides insight into the harmony of his life and work that formed the background to his art. The gardens alone merits a visit, and are regularly used for tea ceremonies and other cultural activities. The front garden features the trunk of a camphor laurel tree, one of the largest and hardest varieties of wood.
    kodaira-1.jpg
  • The Hirakushi Denchu Art Museum Garden is both an unusual museum dedicated to one of Japan's masters of wood sculpture, Denchu Hirakushi.  The artworks are presented in his well preserved Japanese style home and garden where he lived in the last years of his life which provides insight into the harmony of his life and work that formed the background to his art. The gardens alone merits a visit, and are regularly used for tea ceremonies and other cultural activities. The front garden features the trunk of a camphor laurel tree, one of the largest and hardest varieties of wood.
    hirakush-denchu-museum-garden-2.jpg
  • Shoji Paper Screens - In traditional Japanese architecture, a shojiis a door, window or room divider consisting of  paper over a frame of wood which holds together a sort of grid of wood or bamboo. While washi is the traditional paper, shoji may be made of paper made by modern manufacturing processes; plastic is also sometimes used.
    shoji-1.jpg
  • Baguio's Igorot Stairs are found right outside Barrio Fiesta, a famous restaurat specializing in local foods. The statues are mad of wood, even though they don't look like it as they have been painted over and varnished into a shiny platic-like sheen. The statues and wood sculptures depict the life of the Igorot tribe, the native inhabitants of Baguio. Today not all of the sculpture on the steps are those of Igorots - there are also those of famous Philippine political figures, such as past presidents, there are also sculpture of sleeping guards and some animals.   The balance found in the sculptures can be seen obviously in the way that each sculpture has complete body parts.
    igorot-stairs-baguio-1.jpg
  • Baguio's Igorot Stairs are found right outside Barrio Fiesta, a famous restaurat specializing in local foods. The statues are mad of wood, even though they don't look like it as they have been painted over and varnished into a shiny platic-like sheen. The statues and wood sculptures depict the life of the Igorot tribe, the native inhabitants of Baguio. Today not all of the sculpture on the steps are those of Igorots - there are also those of famous Philippine political figures, such as past presidents, there are also sculpture of sleeping guards and some animals.   The balance found in the sculptures can be seen obviously in the way that each sculpture has complete body parts.
    igorot-stairs-baguio-3.jpg
  • Baguio's Igorot Stairs are found right outside Barrio Fiesta, a famous restaurat specializing in local foods. The statues are mad of wood, even though they don't look like it as they have been painted over and varnished into a shiny platic-like sheen. The statues and wood sculptures depict the life of the Igorot tribe, the native inhabitants of Baguio. Today not all of the sculpture on the steps are those of Igorots - there are also those of famous Philippine political figures, such as past presidents, there are also sculpture of sleeping guards and some animals.   The balance found in the sculptures can be seen obviously in the way that each sculpture has complete body parts.
    igorot-stairs-baguio-4.jpg
  • Tatami Room and Shoji -  In traditional Japanese architecture, a shoji is a door, window or room divider consisting of translucent paper over a frame of wood or bamboo. While washi is the traditional paper, shoji may be made of modern paper.  Shoji doors are designed to slide open, and thus conserve space that would be required by a swinging door. They are used in traditional houses especially in tatami rooms.  Tatami mats are a traditional type of Japanese flooring. Traditionally made of rice straw to form the core though nowadays sometimes the core is composed of compressed wood  or styrofoam, with a covering of woven soft rush straw.  Tatami are made in uniform sizes. Standard tatami are rectangular and are exactly twice as long as they are wide. Usually they have edging of brocade. Tatami were originally a luxury item for the nobility while the lower classes had mat covered dirt floors.
    tatami-room-2.jpg
  • Dalat Market Goldfish.  Apart from livestock such as ducks, chicken, and even pigs, there is space for goldfish and other tropical fish and even birds for those that keep them as pets. <br />
Dalat market is also filled with local specialities: strawberry jam, conserves, artichokes and avocados.  Originally named the ?Wood Market?  Dalat market was commissioned by the French ambassador in 1929 and was originally located at the site where the Hoa Binh Theatre is today. The original Dalat Market was made of pine, which is why people called it Wood Market. Dalat Market was moved under the theatre when it was rebuilt in concrete in the 1950s and now sprawls into surrounding streets and alleys.
    dalat-market-1.jpg
  • Baguio's Igorot Stairs are found right outside Barrio Fiesta, a famous restaurat specializing in local foods. The statues are mad of wood, even though they don't look like it as they have been painted over and varnished into a shiny platic-like sheen. The statues and wood sculptures depict the life of the Igorot tribe, the native inhabitants of Baguio. Today not all of the sculpture on the steps are those of Igorots - there are also those of famous Philippine political figures, such as past presidents, there are also sculpture of sleeping guards and some animals.   The balance found in the sculptures can be seen obviously in the way that each sculpture has complete body parts.
    igorot-stairs-baguio-2.jpg
  • Newar architecture is found in the Kathmandu Valley which consists of both Hindu and Buddhist monuments.  Woodwork in Nepal has been flourishing for centuries.  Many of the original woodworks were destroyed during disasters such as fires, earthquakes, and foreign invasions and then rebuilt. From the start of the Malla period woodcraft along with architecture started to thrive and reached its pinnacle when the Valley was divided into three Kingdoms. As the three kings competed to improve the magnificence of their palaces, more beautiful crafts were created to outdo the others. During and after the Malla period, the houses built in Kathmandu used wood as a very important constructing material where wood was almost exclusively used for doors, windows and pillars.
    newari-window.jpg
  • Newar architecture is found in the Kathmandu Valley which consists of both Hindu and Buddhist monuments.  Woodwork in Nepal has been flourishing for centuries.  Many of the original woodworks were destroyed during disasters such as fires, earthquakes, and foreign invasions and then rebuilt. From the start of the Malla period woodcraft along with architecture started to thrive and reached its pinnacle when the Valley was divided into three Kingdoms. As the three kings competed to improve the magnificence of their palaces, more beautiful crafts were created to outdo the others. During and after the Malla period, the houses built in Kathmandu and Patan used wood as a very important material - wood was almost exclusively used for doors, windows and pillars.
    durbar-square-patan-14.jpg
  • Shoji Paper Screens - In traditional Japanese architecture, a shojiis a door, window or room divider consisting of  paper over a frame of wood which holds together a sort of grid of wood or bamboo. While washi is the traditional paper, shoji may be made of paper made by modern manufacturing processes; plastic is also sometimes used.
    shoji-3.jpg
  • Newar architecture is found in the Kathmandu Valley which consists of both Hindu and Buddhist monuments.  Woodwork in Nepal has been flourishing for centuries.  Many of the original woodworks were destroyed during disasters such as fires, earthquakes, and foreign invasions and then rebuilt. From the start of the Malla period woodcraft along with architecture started to thrive and reached its pinnacle when the Valley was divided into three Kingdoms. As the three kings competed to improve the magnificence of their palaces, more beautiful crafts were created to outdo the others. During and after the Malla period, the houses built in Kathmandu and Patan used wood as a very important material - wood was almost exclusively used for doors, windows and pillars.
    durbar-square-patan-4.jpg
  • Shoji Paper Screens - In traditional Japanese architecture, a shojiis a door, window or room divider consisting of  paper over a frame of wood which holds together a sort of grid of wood or bamboo. While washi is the traditional paper, shoji may be made of paper made by modern manufacturing processes; plastic is also sometimes used.
    shodensan-so-18.jpg
  • Garden Stones at Doryuji - Doryu-ji was founded in 749 as an act of repentance for accidentally shooting his nurse with an arrow.  Doryuji Temple was built in 712, when the ruler of this area, Wake no Michitaka, made a small statue of Healing Buddha from a large mulberry tree and built a small hall.  At that time, there were vast mulberry orchards throughout the area, as silk was produced here.  Some of the buildings at Doryuji incorporate wood from mulberry trees.  The principal image is called "eye rehabilitation”  and is said to have the benefit of healing the eye diseases especially through the healing waters in the temple grounds.
    doryuji-6.jpg
  • Temple 77 Doryuji was founded in 749 as an act of repentance for accidentally shooting his nurse with an arrow.  Doryuji Temple was built in 712, when the ruler of this area, Wake no Michitaka, made a small statue of Healing Buddha from a large mulberry tree and built a small hall.  At that time, there were vast mulberry orchards throughout the area, as silk was produced here.  Some of the buildings at Doryuji incorporate wood from mulberry trees.  The principal image is called "eye rehabilitation”  and is said to have the benefit of healing the eye diseases especially through the healing waters in the temple grounds.
    doryuji-2.jpg
  • Temple 77 Doryuji was founded in 749 as an act of repentance for accidentally shooting his nurse with an arrow.  Doryuji Temple was built in 712, when the ruler of this area, Wake no Michitaka, made a small statue of Healing Buddha from a large mulberry tree and built a small hall.  At that time, there were vast mulberry orchards throughout the area, as silk was produced here.  Some of the buildings at Doryuji incorporate wood from mulberry trees.  The principal image is called "eye rehabilitation”  and is said to have the benefit of healing the eye diseases especially through the healing waters in the temple grounds.
    doryuji-1.jpg
  • Jorakuji Temple is temple No. 14. This temple has one of the most unusual courtyards of the entire pilgrimage. Its compound was built on an uneven rock bed with not one flat spot throughout. Jorakuji is also known as the Temple of Everlasting Peace. Kobo Daishi carved a statue of Maitreya in sacred wood, built the temple, and set up the statue as the main object of veneration in the temple. The legend here is that a woman carried her crippled husband five times around the entire pilgrimage, praying to Kobo Daishi to cure him. On the sixth circuit, they swore to commit suicide if he wasn't healed by the end of that trip. When they reached temple No. 14 the husband was healed and they walked the rest of the pilgrimage together.  It is also said that if a diabetic prays and drinks the boiled leaves of the yew tree beside the Main Hall, they will be cured.
    Jorakuji-4.jpg
  • Jorakuji Temple is temple No. 14. This temple has one of the most unusual courtyards of the entire pilgrimage. Its compound was built on an uneven rock bed with not one flat spot throughout. Jorakuji is also known as the Temple of Everlasting Peace. Kobo Daishi carved a statue of Maitreya in sacred wood, built the temple, and set up the statue as the main object of veneration in the temple. The legend here is that a woman carried her crippled husband five times around the entire pilgrimage, praying to Kobo Daishi to cure him. On the sixth circuit, they swore to commit suicide if he wasn't healed by the end of that trip. When they reached temple No. 14 the husband was healed and they walked the rest of the pilgrimage together.  It is also said that if a diabetic prays and drinks the boiled leaves of the yew tree beside the Main Hall, they will be cured.
    Jorakuji-3.jpg
  • Jorakuji Temple is temple No. 14. This temple has one of the most unusual courtyards of the entire pilgrimage. Its compound was built on an uneven rock bed with not one flat spot throughout. Jorakuji is also known as the Temple of Everlasting Peace. Kobo Daishi carved a statue of Maitreya in sacred wood, built the temple, and set up the statue as the main object of veneration in the temple. The legend here is that a woman carried her crippled husband five times around the entire pilgrimage, praying to Kobo Daishi to cure him. On the sixth circuit, they swore to commit suicide if he wasn't healed by the end of that trip. When they reached temple No. 14 the husband was healed and they walked the rest of the pilgrimage together.  It is also said that if a diabetic prays and drinks the boiled leaves of the yew tree beside the Main Hall, they will be cured.
    Jorakuji-2.jpg
  • Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion was built by the merchant Cheong Fatt Tze at the end of 19th century has 38 rooms, 5 granite-paved courtyards, 7 staircases & 220 vernacular timber louvre windows.  Other features of the house include louvered windows, Chinese cut-and-paste porcelain work,  and Art Nouveau stained glass. The mansion was originally built with careful attention to the principles of Feng Shui: it faces the sea and has Penang Hill behind it;  it has water running through it.  The mansion has many special architectural touches both on the exterior and the exterior, including stained glass windows, carved wood vent panels and balustrades, and many courtyards in which visitors and the original family cool off in hte inner precincts of the home.
    penang-blue-6.jpg
  • Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion was built by the merchant Cheong Fatt Tze at the end of 19th century has 38 rooms, 5 granite-paved courtyards, 7 staircases & 220 vernacular timber louvre windows.  Other features of the house include louvered windows, Chinese cut-and-paste porcelain work,  and Art Nouveau stained glass. The mansion was originally built with careful attention to the principles of Feng Shui: it faces the sea and has Penang Hill behind it;  it has water running through it.  The mansion has many special architectural touches both on the exterior and the exterior, including stained glass windows, carved wood vent panels and balustrades, and many courtyards in which visitors and the original family cool off in hte inner precincts of the home.
    Cheong Fatt Tze-5.jpg
  • Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion was built by the merchant Cheong Fatt Tze at the end of 19th century has 38 rooms, 5 granite-paved courtyards, 7 staircases & 220 vernacular timber louvre windows.  Other features of the house include louvered windows, Chinese cut-and-paste porcelain work,  and Art Nouveau stained glass. The mansion was originally built with careful attention to the principles of Feng Shui: it faces the sea and has Penang Hill behind it;  it has water running through it.  The mansion has many special architectural touches both on the exterior and the exterior, including stained glass windows, carved wood vent panels and balustrades, and many courtyards in which visitors and the original family cool off in hte inner precincts of the home.
    Cheong Fatt Tze-7.jpg
  • Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion was built by the merchant Cheong Fatt Tze at the end of 19th century has 38 rooms, 5 granite-paved courtyards, 7 staircases & 220 vernacular timber louvre windows.  Other features of the house include louvered windows, Chinese cut-and-paste porcelain work,  and Art Nouveau stained glass. The mansion was originally built with careful attention to the principles of Feng Shui: it faces the sea and has Penang Hill behind it;  it has water running through it.  The mansion has many special architectural touches both on the exterior and the exterior, including stained glass windows, carved wood vent panels and balustrades, and many courtyards in which visitors and the original family cool off in hte inner precincts of the home.
    Cheong Fatt Tze-10.jpg
  • Kaitokukan Tokyo University Garden - Marquis Toshinari Maeda, the 16th head of the Maeda Clan of the Kaga Domain, built a stately Western residence in the neo-baroque style in 1907 for receiving imperial visits. In 1926, the University of Tokyo reached an agreement with Marquis Maeda through which this residence and its property would be given to the University in exchange for University property in Komaba. The University named the residence Kaitokukan East Pavilionand used it as a facility for welcoming distinguished guests. In 1945, as a result of an air raid, the residence was completely destroyed. Kaitokukan was rebuilt in 1951 as a Japanese-style residence. The new Kaitokukan uses stones from the original Western-style residence in its foundation, while wood for the building was supplied by the University’s forests. The garden was designed by Hikoemon Ito, the Maeda Clan’s gardener. As well as the common characteristics of Japanese gardens from the late Meiji to Taisho periods, as well as the remains of the gardens built by the former lord of the Edo period in the modern city center of Tokyo. It is precious and has high artistic value in the history of modern Japanese gardens.  Kaitokukan is only open to the public one day of the year, on Todai's homecoming day, mid October each year.
    AMBER-LOTUS-2023-197.jpg
  • Kaitokukan Tokyo University Garden - Marquis Toshinari Maeda, the 16th head of the Maeda Clan of the Kaga Domain, built a stately Western residence in the neo-baroque style in 1907 for receiving imperial visits. In 1926, the University of Tokyo reached an agreement with Marquis Maeda through which this residence and its property would be given to the University in exchange for University property in Komaba. The University named the residence Kaitokukan East Pavilionand used it as a facility for welcoming distinguished guests. In 1945, as a result of an air raid, the residence was completely destroyed. Kaitokukan was rebuilt in 1951 as a Japanese-style residence. The new Kaitokukan uses stones from the original Western-style residence in its foundation, while wood for the building was supplied by the University’s forests. The garden was designed by Hikoemon Ito, the Maeda Clan’s gardener. As well as the common characteristics of Japanese gardens from the late Meiji to Taisho periods, as well as the remains of the gardens built by the former lord of the Edo period in the modern city center of Tokyo. It is precious and has high artistic value in the history of modern Japanese gardens.  Kaitokukan is only open to the public one day of the year, on Todai's homecoming day, mid October each year.
    kaitokukan-17.jpg
  • Kaitokukan Tokyo University Garden - Marquis Toshinari Maeda, the 16th head of the Maeda Clan of the Kaga Domain, built a stately Western residence in the neo-baroque style in 1907 for receiving imperial visits. In 1926, the University of Tokyo reached an agreement with Marquis Maeda through which this residence and its property would be given to the University in exchange for University property in Komaba. The University named the residence Kaitokukan East Pavilionand used it as a facility for welcoming distinguished guests. In 1945, as a result of an air raid, the residence was completely destroyed. Kaitokukan was rebuilt in 1951 as a Japanese-style residence. The new Kaitokukan uses stones from the original Western-style residence in its foundation, while wood for the building was supplied by the University’s forests. The garden was designed by Hikoemon Ito, the Maeda Clan’s gardener. As well as the common characteristics of Japanese gardens from the late Meiji to Taisho periods, as well as the remains of the gardens built by the former lord of the Edo period in the modern city center of Tokyo. It is precious and has high artistic value in the history of modern Japanese gardens.  Kaitokukan is only open to the public one day of the year, on Todai's homecoming day, mid October each year.
    kaitokukan-15.jpg
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