Picture of the Day #21 - Monster Hunter Stories - RIDE ON!!!

Tokyo Game Show has come again. At the Capcom booth the biggest part was about Bio Hazard 7/Resident Evil 7 and Monster Hunter Stories.

At this year's TGS they presented a Demo of Monster Hunter Stories, which is a lot longer than the demo of 2014.

In Japan Monster Hunter is one of the most famous game series ever. The new game is an RPG where you fight against wyverns and other creatures together with your own partner mount as a Rider to defeat the evil dangers that are spreading. The best thing is that you breed, collect and train your own wyverns, but more about later.

There's also an anime called Monster Hunter Stories Ride On.

Here's the direct Link to the Instagram Picture of a sculpture of the male hero (can be female, too) together with your Ratahlos partner and your felyne companion.

Other daily pictures can be found in the Picture of the Day section and on INSTAGRAM, where you can also find a few more pictures about my many trips to Japan, as well as some video game stuff.

RIDE ON!!!!

Picture of the Day #20 Shinto Marriage at Meiji Shingu

I've visited the Meiji Shingu in Tokyo many times, it's named after Emperor Meiji like the Meiji era / Meiji Restauration as well. This was the historical period where Japan opened to the West, a good movie about that is "Last Samurai" with Tom Cruise or the Manga "Kenshin" and the Anime "Rurouni Kenshin" by Nobuhiro Watsuki.

The easiest way to get to the Yoyogi Park is by getting off at the JR or METRO station of Harajuku

Every Sunday you can see many of those shinto marriages. In this picture the husband and wife to be are under the umbrella, just behind the 2 Miku. Behind the couple the parents and the grandparents are walking.

In this ceremony the bride is "packed" like a gift that is handed over to the broom's family. Taking a big family photograph is also part of that.

Other daily pictures can be found in the Picture of the Day section and on INSTAGRAM, where you can also find a few more pictures about my many trips to Japan, as well as some video game stuff.

Direct Link: Instagram

Picture of the Day #19 - Ho-Oh in Kyoto

The Pokémon Center in Kyoto has been opening a few months ago. The second Generation of Pokémon symbolizes the area of the Kansei region and the place where you can catch Ho-Oh, the packshot monster of the Golden Edition which is based on the mythical Chinese phoenix like creature, would be Kyoto in the real world, that's why the flagship monster of the Kyoto Pokémon Center is Ho-Oh.

Other daily pictures can be found in the Picture of the Day section and on INSTAGRAM, where you can also find a few more Pokémon Pictures, e.g.Charizard

Now enjoy Ho-Oh and Pikachu on its back

Picture of the Day #18 - Christmas Illumination

Last Year in December I spent my Christmas time in Tokyo. In Japan there is no typical X-Mas decoration but many illuminations and the Picture of the Day is one of those installations.

To see more Pictures of the Day or INSTAGRAM, you can easily get there

Now enjoy the Illumination:

Picture of the Day #17 - Yakitori - Chicken Heart @Torikizoku

On the following picture you can see one of my favorire foods, chicken heart skewers at Torikizoku.
I've been there several times since 2014.

Yakitori are roasted chicken skewers of every kind, liver, wings and so much more.

The restaurant where I took the picture is the one that I visited more than 10 times with a very good friend of mine, it's next to the Tennoji Station in Osaka.

You can find more photos in the Picture of the Day section of this blog andon INSTAGRAM

Now, enjoy, maybe you might get hungry, I do and am looking forward to them again, soon ;)

Picture of the Day #16 - Mt. Yotei - Hokkaido

Last Winter I've been on Hokkaido, the northern island of Japan where there's snow from November until February and it's always a huge ammount, snowing almost every day.

I worked in a horrible Izakaya next to the Rusutsu ski resort and on my last day I climbed the nearby mountain of the ski resort before taking my bus to Sapporo.

On top of the West Mountain I had this view of Mount Yotei, the highest "hill" in the whole area.

To see more of the Rusutsu ski resort at NIGHT and DAY just follow the links

And for more Pictures of the Day and INSTAGRAM there's also a Link.

Enjoy Mt. Yotei

Picture of the Day #14 - Kyoto Temple

Kyoto has hundrets of temples and shrines. Many of you might know the famous Kiyomizudera or the Fushimi Inari and other big ones.

But if you go straight forward to the well known ones you definitely will miss the small and "hidden" unknown ones, but they are very often worth visiting. Especially because there aren't those huge crowds of people you can enjoy the temples and shrines itself a lot better and also take pictures without or less persons.

When I went to the Kiyomizudera the first time ever, I passed this small temple, it's the 大谷本廟(Otani Hombyo Hongwanji)


I've been to Kyoto a few times, for example for the Hanami festival, the cherry blossom and to collect a few stamps for my shuincho, but I will talk about that later.

There are more Pictures of the Day and INSTAGRAM, too.

Now enjoy the temple:

Picture of the Day #13 - 47 Ronin

Today's Picture of the Day has been taken at the graveyard of the Sengaku-Ji. That's the temple where the 47 Ronin are burried.

The story of the 47 Ronin is about 47 Samurai and their Daimyo (Lord) who has been beheaded, because he has been drawing his sword at another Lord's fortress, which was a crime. Their Daimyo's death made them all stray Ronin.

To win their Lord's honor back they had to kill the their "enemy". After accomplishing this, they all were found guilty and beheaded, too, but they had reclaimed the honor of their master.

It's a story about honor and loyalty, as a gift for being that loyal, the 47 ronin were burried next to their master at Sengaku-Ji.

There are more Pictures of the Day and also my INSTAGRAM

Now enjoy the Picture:

Picture of the Day #12 - Hibiscus on Okinawa

When I've been on Okinawa and visited Shuri Castle, I just couldn't resist to take a picture of this beautiful hibiscus, I can't remember ever seeing any of those before in real life.

The entry of trip about Okinawa will follow soon, so this Picture of the Day is some sort of teaser

On INSTAGRAM there are already a few more, but for now, enjoy the Hibiscus:

Picture of the Day #11 - Tokyo Tower

Yesterday the Rainbow Bridge was the Picture of the Day and it reminded me of one my Tokyo Tower pictures, so I choose this one for today.

You can easily reach it by going to the Roppongi Station via Hibiya Metro Line (grey) or Oedo Toei Line (magenta)

It has been taken September 2014 shortly after the Tokyo Game Show (Day 1) / (Cosplay Saturday), only the colors were changed.

Here's INSTAGRAM and the other daily Pictures

Enjoy:

Walking on a Rainbow - Picture of the Day #10 - Rainbow Bridge Odaiba

Today's Picture of the Day is the Rainbow Bridge, which connects the artificial island Odaiba and the "mainland". You can see the Tokyo Tower in the back. It was taken in 2012, when I was dashing back to Odaiba like crazy to take a nice postcard like picture after walking over the bridge to the mainland.

The Picture might look a little bit like NYC, but it's not ;)

Directly after being back on Odaiba I ate my first lobster ever at Red Lobster, expensive but soo good and delicious.

I uploaded 2 versions, the original and the edited one.

The Pictures of the Day and INSTAGRAM are linked, as you might know

Enjoy:

Hiroshima Castle - Picture of the Day #9

I've seen a few Japanese Castles, but most of them are completely made of stone.
This castle's facade is made out of wood as you can see.

Hiroshima is a very nice place, you can explore a lot, Miyajima Island with the famous Itsukushima Shrine with its red Torii, the A-Bomb Dome, the Piece Momunent and many other places, also for pop culture, e.g. the Pokémon Center.

Close to the castle there's one of my favorite shines, especially because of the stamp and writing they gave me for my shuincho.

Click here for my INSTAGRAM and further Pictures of the Day

Anyway, enjoy Hiroshima Castle:

Sanja Matsuri - Picture of the Day #8

In May on the 3rd FR-SU at the Asakusa Jinja in Tokyo you can enjoy the Sanja Matsuri. The Asakusa Jinja is directly next to the Buddhist Senso-Ji Temple. Today's Picture of the Day has been taken at the Evening of the first day.

Here are further Pictures of the Day and INSTAGRAM

Enjoy:

Jungle of Okinawa - Picture of the Day #7

Today's Picture of the Day is in the middle of the jungle of Okinawa on my Way to Hiji Falls. Shortly after starting my way to the waterfall it started to rain. Some of the passages were a little bit difficult thanks to the rain and the thoughts that there were venomous snakes like pit vipers everywhere as well, luckily I didn't encounter any of them, because the next hospital might have been 50km... But normally when you encounter a snake they won't bite as long as you don't interact with them, because they are afraid of you, too.

Getting to the waterfall took 45+ minutes and it definitely is worth visiting it.
Find more e.g. the Waterfall itself on INSTAGRAM

But now enjoy the Jungle Picture:

Find the other Pictures of the Day

Forest of Mt. Yufu - Picture of the Day #6

Today's Picture of the Day is the jungle like forest that you have to pass when you climb Yufudake San, a moutain next to Yufuin in the Oita prefecture on Kyushu.

I climbed that mountain together with an Austrian Woofer, I worked together with him in a ryokan (traditional Japanese hotel)

Here are the other Pictures of the Day and INSTAGRAM

Enjoy:

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Hard Rock Cafe Tokyo - Picture of the Day #5

Today's Picture of the Day is the Hard Rock Café in Tokyo Roppongi.
I've been there several times and almost everytime I bought some of the cool Hard Rock merchandise.

Relaxing in the Café while having a nice drink and listening to the music is just awesome. I also love the different artefacts of rock history, e.g. stuff of KISS - I also love the claim LOVE ALL - SERVE ALL.

Not far from the Café you find the Tokyo Tower and other Bars in Roppongi. Until a few years ago the Pokémon Center was located there, but now it moved to Ikebukuro.

Now enjoy the Picture

Here are the other Pictures of the Day and on INSTAGRAM.

Onsen in Hakone Yumoto - Picture of the Day #4

Today's Picture is from 2010 it's an Onsen in Hakone Yumoto. Onsen are hot springs and Japan's havens for a short trip. Hakone is quite close to Tokyo, so it's a good way to enjoy an onsen when you're on vacation in Tokyo.


You can also get to Mt. Fuji (Fuji-San PART ONE - TWO - THREE) via bus.

Here you can find the other Pictures of the Day

Sika Deer in Nara - Picture of the Day #3

In Japan's Nara-Park close to Osaka you can find wild Sika deer. You can feed them or take pictures with them.They only bite you if you have deer food and don't offer it to them, if you smell like food or if your clothes look like food.

On Miyajima Island you can also see a lot of Sika deer, but Nara is much more famous for them.

Enjoy:





Here you can find the other Pictures of the Day

Picture of the Day #2 Advance Wars

Today's Picture is about the Advance Wars Series, in Japan it's known as Famicom Wars and started on the NES (Famicom).

In the rest of the world, Advance Wars for GBA was the first title of the series. It's a strategy game which is played round by round, those of you, who like the Fire Emblem games should give this franchise a chance, it's worth it.

Here you can see the last Picture of the Day

For more Pictures enjoy INSTAGRAM

Enjoy the first Episode with the Tutorial

NEW SECTION - Picture of the Day

Today a new daily updated section starts, it's the Picture of the Day

Either click in the Header or here:
Picture of the Day

The first picture is the Futarasan Jinja in Nikko next to the Toshogu Jinja.
I've been there a few times already, the last time I was there was just a few months ago, I only went to Nikko to get a stamp for my Shuincho, which I will explain later.

Enjoy the first of many pictures