every UNESCO world heritage site in japan
rockin’ out. there a few pedestrian bridges near osaka train station. you can frequently hear bands playing. part of the reason is to get exposure, part of the reason is that houses are relatively small and close together, so playing music with your band might not go over well with your neighbors.
frequently you will see a small group of fans sitting or standing by and listening to a band.
shikinaen (識名園) was the private garden of the ryukyuan royal family. it was also the largest second residence and used for hosting special guests.
built in 1799 the garden has distinct japanese, chinese, and ryukyuan elements. the circular landscape is of japanese style and preferred by the daimyo, lords in pre-modern japan. the hexagonal building and built on a small island in the pond is of chinese style. its presence is also common to chinese gardens. the udun (御殿) palace, the main building in the garden, is distinctly ryukyuan with its red tiled roof.
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immediately west of shuri castle is the mausoleum where the king and his family members were entombed. tamaudun mausoleum (玉陵) is another UNESCO world heritage site, and though it is next to shuri-castle it is considered a separate entry into the list. visiting this location is a nice addition to your trip; even if you cannot see the interior of the tombs.
on the island of okinawa there are nine UNESCO world heritage sites listed as the gusuku sites and related properties of the kingdom of ryukyu. though it uses the same kanji as the japanese word for castle (城), gusuku is an okinawan word meaning castle or fortress. the ryukyu kingdom (琉球王国) was in power from the 15th century until 1879, when the japanese formally declared the islands part of their territory. throughout its existence, the kingdom served as the main trading hub between southeast asia and east asia.
shuri castle was the center of the kingdom after the unification of okinawa in 1429. the kingdom later expanded its control over other islands near okinawa and used the port in naha (那覇) as its hub for trade and maritime activities. being officially recognized by china, the kingdom benefited from exclusive trading rights and other perks. as such, ryukyuan culture and language was heavily influenced by chinese culture. however due to its proximity to japan, the ryukyan culture and architecture embodied distinctly japanese traits.
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situated near hiroshima, itsukushima shinto shrine (itsukushima-jinja 厳島神社) is on miya-jima island (宮島). the main draw to the site is the torii (鳥居), a shrine archway, that was built in the ocean so that at high tide it appears to float in the sea.
regarded as a holy island, miya-jima literally means shrine island. the shrine along with the torii were built on the water in the 12th century to honor three goddesses. in ancient times the average japanese was not allowed to set foot on miya-jima because of its holy status. those that were allowed would travel to the island by boat during high tide and pass underneath the torii.
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in 794 AD, when the capital of japan was moved from nara to kyoto, it was decided that two guardian temples should be built at either side of the rajomon (羅城門) main gate. this south gate allowed access into the capital of kyoto. appropriately, these two temples were named east temple (東寺) and west temple (西寺).
though the west temple is no longer standing, to-ji (東寺) has survived through the years thanks to support from various emperors. the official name of to-ji is kyo-ogokoku-ji (教王護国寺) and is of great value to japanese society for its large collection of esoteric buddhist art. kukai, who founded shingon buddhism, was honored with the temple and was responsible for adding several buildings to the grounds. kukai was also responsible for toshodai-ji, another UNESCO world heritage site. the five-story pagoda on the grounds of the temple is the tallest wooden tower in japan and it was built in honor of kukai after his death.
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nishi hongan-ji (西本願寺) was founded by shinran shonin, who initially received his training at enryaku-ji (another UNESCO world heritage site). originally persecuted and later pardoned in 1211, shinran founded the shin school of buddhism after writing his teachings during his stay in the kanton region of japan. upon his death, his daughter created a mausoleum. this building became the beginning of hongan-ji and currently serves as the global headquarters of shin buddhism.