Public Art in a Japanese Shrine

We went to Itami City today to see the works of a Japanese artist Asano Takeji at an art gallery there. After the exhibit we stumbled upon a shrine. Often, shrines have a space dedicated to traditional paintings. I found this one to be particularly interesting.

Construction Time Again

Construction goes on through the night to complete Hankyu Sannomiya Station with as little disruption to the commuting masses.

Hyogo Ebisu

I like to go to the Ebisu festival every year in January. It is an event that is unique to the Kansai area of Japan and there are a few large events near my home. This is at the temple near JR Hyogo station.

Full Moon Reflection

Walking through the streets of Kobe late one night during a full moon, I saw the moons' reflection on one of the glass buildings in downtown Sannomiya. This is a good reason to have so many buildings with mirror glass windows so that one can see the sky in all directions.

Looking Up

The skyline of Kobe is changing. Many of these changes were planned to happen before the earthquake in 1995 but it has taken this much time to get around to them. This is the construction at Sannomiya station.

Happy New Year Cheers!

Japanese sake takes the place of champagne for official ceremonies here in Japan. This sake is given out at many shrines on New Year's. And this particular sake cup made from bamboo is in the shape of a heart!