In the mountains, two hours by train from Tokyo (by Tobu line from Asakusa station), there is a holly place which is famous at the same time for buddhism, shinto and political history : Nikko (日光), the "Sunlight" of Japan, the right place to spend a week-end in November, when the leaves are red and the air is so pure. Follow me !

Lucky me : Look at this sky, from my window seat. Nikko is more meaningful when the sun shines, and the autumn sky did not fail to bless the trip.

Up there in the mountain, the climate is definitely fresher ; gloves and scarf are required ! The greatest point of Nikko is, according to me, its natural landscape, with its volcano-shaped mountains, its lakes and its waterfalls. From Nikko station, you can take a bus to Chuzenji lake (two days bus pass available for 2700 yen), and enjoy this scenary :

Chuzenji Lake

Water, stones, sky. Nikko has something solemn that even Nature reflects.

Kogen waterfall

In Japanese, the word for waterfall, taki (滝) means "water dragon". So poetic. In the case of kogen falls, the dragon is long, white, slim and pure, shining in the sunlight like a long clear ribbon.

Senjogahara Plateau

There are many small waterfalls in Senjohara plateau, and beautiful trees too - even if in late November, most of the colors were gone already. It's winter already in these high places ! Still, I could have a nice shot of flaming branches.

Not so bad for a rest of colors.

Toshogu Sanctuary

Toshogu Sancturay is the jewel of Nikko. The site has been finished in 1636, in the memory of Ieyasu, foundator of Tokugawa shogunate. This smart warrior-politician managed to unify the country in the 16th Century (before him, Japan was a patchwork of lands constantly disputed by clans) and to build the base of the Tokugawa's 250-years supremacy in Japan, until Meiji period. He was also the one who chose the Kanto region as the new capital of Japan, over the traditionnal Kyoto.

The shrines here are shinto, but so colourful, red and gold just as Chinese buddhist temples.

This is the symbol of Nikko : the 3 monkeys of wisdom. One does not hear what he shouldn't ; one does not tell what he shouldn't; one does not see what he shouldn't. This was a free lesson for the lords and politicians who had to wait for the shogun's leave to enter the Yomeimon gate and expose their demands or projects.

Yomeimon gate

Ieyasu's tomb

200 steps to reach the tomb. Yalla.

Ieyasu's tomb is very impressive, at the top of the hill, and all made in carved bronze which was much more precious than gold in Japan at this period.

The holly forest

The surrounding forest was just amazing : 16 000 cedars, most of them more than 300 years. Tall and magnificent trees...

This one is a kami, a Japanese god, as shown by the characteristic rope around it. People were sending money in its empty trunk and praying.

The giants of the forest...

... and color gifts everywhere.

World Heritage Park

The sanctuary belongs to a larger area classified as World Heritage by the Unesco. The park is full of old stone walls, ancient gardens and beautifully carved roofs. And trees. Trees. Trees !

Shinkyo Bridge

During Edo period, only the Emperor could walk on this bridge across the Daiya river. It is still closed to the public, but only because of its historical value, I guess. I hope. Whatever.

The Monkey Experience

Alright : my most striking memory of Nikko will be... the monkey I saw in the woods. A baboon, to be more precise, and big like a medium-sized dog, with a pink face and long grey-brown hair. Like this. Unfortunately the meeting was too short and I could not take a picture. I was astonished to see it like that, randomly, in this familiar-looking forest, and the Japanese around me saying "Why, this is nature, there are trees, so there are monkeys...". Hey, for a French, monkeys are in the zoo, not in the forest !  Come on, guys, that is so exotic !...

Can't believe I saw this, in its big version, and in real, a few meters from me... 

... everything is normal.

To the question "what should we eat at Nikko?", unfortunately, I don't have the answer. Only kakis, there were so many on the trees. For the rest, I found no typical food but this steaming "shogun curry", super-black and sweet type, that made my day...

Shogun curry !

Anecdote : In Nikko hotel, no Bible in your drawer but the Teaching of Buddha.

And that was my Nikko experience. Nature, History, Colors... What else ?

For urbanism and urbanity lovers.

If you plan to come to Japan one day, you have to understand the concept of matsuri. Matsuri is a Japanese "festival" consisting in gathering the greatest number of food stands a possible ; plus cute girls in yukata ; plus something traditional like dances, songs, contemplation of fireworks or wathever. In summer, you have dozens of matsuri all around Japan. They are most of the time totally packed and you come back home with the smell of takoyaki on your clothes. Actually, there is nothing very funny about matsuri, except the very special feeling to be in Japan for real.

In the case of Mitama Matsuri, the beauty of the lanterns alone justify your presence there. Of course, Yasukuni Jinja is one of the most controversial subject in the Japanese International Relations, because it is dedicated to the people who fought on behalf of the Emperor between 1868 (Opening of Meiji Era) and 1951 (end of the war) - about two million soldiers are honored there, including, unfortunately, some war criminals. The Yushukan Museum, just next to the shrine, is also famous for providing very incomplete information about the war crimes perpetrated by Japan in Asia during WW2. As a result, this beautiful place in Tokyo is considered abroad as a symbol of extreme nationalism and even Japanese imperialism ; and the Japanese people themselves are not in favour of their governement's high-level visits at Yasukuni Jinja anymore. To mak it short, Yasukuni is a touchy subject and sometimes people are surprised you go there, even for an innocent matsuri. Whatever.

But let's go back to the basics : as I said, matsuri is made of

Food Stands

Girls in Yukata

And something traditionnal : shrine and beautiful lanterns

Magic, isn't it ?

The lanterns stand for the souls of the dead soldiers. In the middle of the way, a dancing group performs a simple choregraphy and every one can join the dance.

Mitama Matsuri 2011 / July 13th-July 15th / Yasukuni Jinja, Kudanshita Station / Free entrance

Roppongi Midtown : we will make you love winter season.

Tokyo is the brightest place in the night worldmap. No surprise. Living in Japan allows you to have a daily shot of light. Just look at the dose of brightness you can get here in 24 hours of time.

BY NIGHT
In Shinjuku South, you should get lost in the restaurant floor of Takashimaya's block
and find this garden of lucky star in the airs.









BY DAY
Pieces of sky on the way to work, every morning or almost,
under the sunshine that have never deserted Tokyo since November

Christmas as it is used to be in Tokyo : totally non-Christian (Jeezus who ?...), colorful, shiny, German-spirited (did you know the Christmas sausage ? Me neither) and... romantic. This is the time for couple to go to Disneyland and joyfully mix the Christmas symbols with a kind of American-style naive romance. Look at this atmosphere at Roppongi Hills.

No Christmas without a tree...

... or two...


... or three.


Here it is : Drosselmeier's magic castle !


And... the Nutcracker ! Yesss !
(but ahem... could you please become Hans quickly ? thanx)


I shrinked for real... I could enter a snowball.


Oh ! A giant Barley Sugar over there !


"la neige ressemble à du glaçage à la vanille"


The Snow-man took the keys and stole the house. Damned.


Lights... lights... lights.

The countdown to Christmas is launched already

-Shinjuku -

Lights in the night.
Tokyo, from the sky, offers a kind of aesthetic unity you can feel only by night. Unity in shadows, unity in light.

Welcome to sunny, pinky, sweet Albi ! Sorry for the short comments, but it's holidays after all. Enjoy the summer everybody !

Holidays !!! Deeply desired holidays... First stop on the way to Southern France : Limoges, the capital of quiet, rural and empty central region of France. The best place to buy china - after China... Actually, the town is not very beautiful in the day light, but by night, it becomes a magical and golden city.

ここはリモージュという町です。フランスの中心で、とても静かですいている所です。夜の時本当にきれいになります。