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Japon - Au sommet d'Osaka

Japan – At the top of Osaka

The Umeda Tower in Osaka is a major attraction in Japan's third largest city. Rising up from the floor of the cows allows you to appreciate this gargantuan city, which stretches to the horizon. T he end of the day approaches. The perfect blue of the sky gradually gives way to a golden light that accentuates the warm colours of autumn even more. Since the beginning of this stay in Japan, the weather has been splendid with mild temperatures. And Osaka is no exception to this rule, for our pleasure. We all agree that autumn seems to be an ideal time to travel in Japan. The weather is, of course, the main attraction of this season. It is neither too cold nor too hot at this time of the year. Autumn is also a good time to attend many festivals…

Slider - Le festival du feu de Kuruma

Japan – Kurama fire festival

The Kurama Fire Festival is probably one of the most important events in the Kyoto area. In early autumn, Kurama lights up with a thousand lights during this festival, which combines folklore, tradition and rites of passage. The wagons shake in fits and starts. The train continues on its way through the forest, illuminated by the rare rays of sunlight breaking through the clouds. The wind sweeps timidly through the tree tops. Some of them are beginning to dress for winter with carmine and amaranth red dyes. The sky is threatening and gives the sacred mountain of Kurama a striking contrast with the forest. The sight is soothing. The forest is a place of reverie, as in Miyasaki's famous films, and the tremors of the train are like a lullaby. It doesn't take long to get lost in your own dreams.…

Japon – Osaka entre deux Shinkansen

Japan – Osaka between two Shinkansen

A short visit to Osaka, Japan's second city. Stuck in the middle of the archipelago and often neglected in comparison with the cultural capital of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka has other assets, not the least of which is its reputation for having the best cuisine in Japan. A  whistle is heard. The security gates flash red and an alarm sounds. From the loudspeakers, a female voice intones an incomprehensible message. The hissing becomes a buzzing sound, then a dull roar. All around us, people rush through the security gates, goods lined up one behind the other and luggage in hand. The red lights continue to flash. The next moment, two points of light appear at the end of the platform, hiding a strange shape - long and elongated - in the darkness. As we reach our level, the singular and astonishing…

Japon - le Dôme de Genbaku à Hiroshima

Japan – Hiroshima, a journey through history

Hiroshima is infamous for being the first city to suffer the effects of nuclear weapons at the end of the Second World War. However, despite some of the scars still present, the city today has become a modern, peaceful and above all a haven for its inhabitants. A cloudless sky. Deep shadows contrasting with the reflections of the sun on the foliage of my garden. This is what I was contemplating that day, early in the morning. I lay on the terrace of the living room in my trousers and vest; I had been up all night in the hospital. Suddenly there is a flash, then another, and I remember - one always remembers silly things - that I wonder at the time whether it was magnesium lamp lightning or sparks from a trolleybus. Shadows and reflections, all gone. There…

Japon - Le Torii de Miyajima

Japan – A walk in Miyajima

If there is one place that describes the spirit of Japan, its spirituality, its essence, it is undoubtedly the Torii of Ituskushima. A famous red wooden gateway over the sea, it is certainly no coincidence that the Torii is considered one of the three most beautiful sights in Japan. The boat glides quietly over the almost perfect surface. The clear blue sky merges at times with the Seto Sea. There are no clouds on the horizon, the sun is at its zenith. At the back of the boat, a little girl exclaims "Look at Daddy! "pointing with her outstretched arm to something on the horizon. The closer we get to Itsukushima Island*, the more the cameras crackle. All attention is now focused on him. At first a point of infinity, it gradually reveals itself until it becomes the main actor…

Japon - Le temple Senso-ji à Tokyo

Japan – A visit to the Senso-ji temple in Tokyo

If there was only one place to visit in Tokyo, it would of course be Senso-ji temple. The oldest temple in the Japanese capital is a treat for the senses: the smell of incense, the sound of prayers, the magnificent decorations. Everything is there for a guaranteed change of scenery. T he streets are almost empty. The district looks more like a small town, quiet and pleasant, far from the agitation of the big districts of the Japanese capital. At the corner of a street, an elderly person quietly sweeps the front of his small shop with a supple gesture that betrays his advanced age. At the end of another, a cyclist crosses the alley peacefully. As usual, we are lost. Pungent incense fumes carried by the wind reach us. Senso-ji, Tokyo's most famous temple - located in the Asakusa…

Japon - Le Food Festival à Hiroshima

Japan – Hiroshima Food Festival

What better way to experience Hiroshima than to attend its Food Festival? All the best dishes of the region are on display. As well as traditional Japanese theatre. All this just a stone's throw from the famous Hiroshima Castle. A slightly salty smell wafts through the air. A familiar, delicious smell that makes your mouth water and awakens your senses. A smell of grilled food, fried fish, delicately simmered vegetables. No, in an instant, another gust of wind brings sweeter, more exotic connotations. A mixture of products from the land and the sea, no doubt. In the distance, above the tree tops, several columns of smoke dance with the wind and the dead leaves. The closer we get, the more the smells blend into a sweet perfume whose origin is difficult to understand. We who only wanted to see the…

Japon - La Tokyo Tower vue depuis la Mori Tower

Japan – Meiji-Jingū temple and Mori Tower

Tokyo. In one of the world's largest cities, Meiji-Jingū Temple is a haven of tranquility. Religious ceremonies, weddings, prayers, Meiji-Jingū Temple is an opportunity to get away from the noise of Tokyo. G igantic, magnificent trees are towering high above us. Their shadows invade the small path and the sun hardly manages to find its way through the bushy branches. The bright green of their leaves is slowly giving way to a colour that is slightly yellow. Autumn is just beginning in the Japanese capital in this month of October. If you listen carefully, you can even hear the chirping of the birds in the forest and the whispering of the wind as it dances around the trees, making their leaves shake. Calm and serenity in all its simplicity. This natural scene may seem insignificant, if we were not in the heart…

Japon - Le quartier de Shinjuku

Japan – Landing in Tokyo – Shinjuku

Landing in Tokyo, first contact with a country that is so different from our good old Europe. Tokyo, one of the largest cities in the world, stretches as far as the eye can see. This gargantuan city is the starting point for the journey to Japan. T he ground shakes under our feet. A little music accompanied by a bird whistle and then a female voice announce through a loudspeaker the arrival of the metro. The map in front of us shows the countless metro lines and companies but is of no help as it is full of characters and, let's face it, complicated as hell. On the screens, between two advertisements, the waiting time per second for the next metro. This one arrives on time, as always. The headlights of the lead car dazzle us and the automatic doors…

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