A couple of arty bits...

Like I promised to myself, I have been carrying on with my artwork during my time in Japan, although truthfully a lot of it hasn't been related to Japan at all! 

Anyway, here are a couple of pieces I've done which have been inspired by my travels...

'On the Bridge'- watercolours.

This piece was inspired by a short trip I made to the town of Kurashiki, Okayama a few weeks ago. During my stay in Kurashiki there were lots of girls dressed in their beautiful Yukatas, having their photos taken against the autumnal colours and old Japanese town backdrop. 

One girl was standing on a small stone bridge that crosses the river passing through old Kurashiki, dressed in her lovely outfit with a simple parasol. Most passers by stopped to take her photo. I was inspired by how all attention focused on her and everything else seemed the fade into the background. I tried to capture this concept in my drawing with simple line buildings in the back, and the bricks from the bridge seeming to disappear...

'The Old Tea House'- pen and watercolour.

In Hiroshima there is a small garden tucked away amongst the bustling city; Shukkeien Garden. You can see my previous post about Shukkeien with more photos. Anyway, Shukkeien also includes a traditional style tea house nestled in the garden's small woodland area. It's a beautiful little building and when I see it I always come up with these little stories in my head of who might live there! This was a practice at drawing buildings, but I also left some of the background uncoloured, as if the tea house is slowly bringing the picture to life.

I'll try my best to get some more artwork up soon! Next week I'm off for a round trip to Kyoto and Tokyo so keep an eye out for lots of photos!

Hiroshima Dreamination 2015

Last night I took a trip downtown to check out Hiroshima's Dreamination! The illuminations are found along Hiroshima's Peace Boulevard for 2 km, and are available from November 17th until January 3rd.

Here are some of the highlights from the display. Sorry they're not the greatest quality, I only had my iPad on hand and of course it was dark and very busy.

BANANAS!

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Stupid traffic...

Until next time!

Back to Kyoto!

A few weeks ago I went for a short weekend trip to Kyoto with a group of friends. We went in hopes of catching the last of the beautiful autumnal colours, but I think most had gone by this point... It was still a good trip, if a bit brief! I'll be heading back there in January, as well as Tokyo so keep an eye out for that post!

Anyway, here are some snaps from the weekend...

Our first stop was Heian Shrine, a shrine built to commemorate the first and last emperors of the city, and is about 10 minutes by bus from Kyoto Station. On approach to the shrine you are greeted by a giant torii gate that stretches across the rode!

Next we made a brief stop in Maruyama Park where there were many women in their beautiful Yukatas hav their photos taken.

Plus this little guy!

He's so cute!

And of course we made a stop at the Studio Ghibli store in Gion!

Jiji <3

Oh no it's Izzy looking like an idiot again...

We finished off our trip with some delicious shyabu-shyabu after a long day of travelling and walking- perfect on a chilly Autumn evening!

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mmmmm Tomato and Basil/ Curry broth!

Sandankyo Gorge!

About 1 hour bus journey from Hiroshima lies Sandankyo Gorge, roughly 12km in length with beautiful river/ waterfall views set within a peaceful forest and mountain landscape.

We went there with hopes of catching some shots of the beautiful autumnal leaves... sadly most had turned brown and fallen to the ground. We may have been a week or two late for the peak of the autumn leaves, but the walk was still lovely, and with the weather starting to cool down it was a comfortable climb too. But I believe the gorge is closed over winter due to snow. 

Our journey began with an 8.20am bus from Hiroshima Station. Note that there is only the 1 bus that departs for the gorge, costing 1400 yen one way, so anyone planning a visit should be prepared for an early start! 

A map of Sandankyo Gorge at the entrance.

There are places by the car park/ entrance to the gorge where you can buy snacks, drinks and little gifts!

A narrow footpath takes you along the gorge, many parts of which are fairly steep or have no barrier between you and the drop down to the river below, so wear sensible shoes and keep an eye on where you step! We saw too many women struggling along in heels...

Probably one of the unsteadiest bridges I've ever walked across!

The route ends at a small lake, where you can take a short boat across for 500 yen return. On the other side of the lake is a small cafe that offers food and a free cup of hot green tea, yum yum!

And look! My friends Legolas and Aragorn came along too! 

 I would definitely recommend coming to Sandankyo Gorge, and if you can time your visit for when the leaves are at their most vibrant (this year early November) it will be even better (trust me I saw some friends photos from literally a week or two before and the difference is amazing)!

 But even with the autumnal colours coming to an end it was still a gorgeous place to go, with it's mystical pools and untouched forests it really does remind you of how beautiful rural Japan can be.

Shimanami Kaido- Part 1!

Yesterday my friend and I attempted the Shimanami Kaido cycling route!

The route connects Japan's main island of Honshu to the island of Shikoku, from Onomichi to Imabari, with six smaller islands in between! The overall route is about 60 Km.

image from: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3478.html

We only managed half ha ha!

Our trip covered the first three islands: Mukaishima, Innoshima and Ikuchijima. The journey began with getting up super early for a 6.30am train from Hiroshima to Onomichi...

The early morning view from my balcony.

Just outside of Onomichi station is the port for the first ferry that takes you across to Mukaishima. There are no pedestrian/ bicycles bridges that cross here, but the ferry is only 110 yen for an adult with a bike. The bike rental place is also right by the train station, very easy to find. Renting cost 2000 yen, 1000 of which is a deposit you get back when/ if you return your bike.

View from Onomichi Station as the sun is still rising.

The ferry heading to Mukaishima.

The cycling route is very difficult to get lost on, since you just have to follow blue lines on the road the whole way! It is a beautiful journey, taking you through small towns, woodland, and by breathtaking ocean/ mountain views!

House on stilts- eek!

The steep, winding pathways leading up to the main bridges that connect each island are the hardest part of the journey, particularly if you are a novice cyclist like me! But the views from the top are fantastic, and the descent on the other side is SO MUCH FUN!

Entrance to the first bridge- you cycle below the main road.

The second bridge, where you ride on top!

absolutely stunning!

CHEESE!

Along the road we came across some of the locals...

Someone looks happy.

That'll scare more than just birds...

And fruits that look like monsters!

One of the main reasons we only did half of the complete route was because we wanted to stop and fully enjoy the scenery and local tourist sites.

One place we visited was Kosan-ji Temple on Ikuchijima Island, which consists of many different style buildings replicating those found across Japan such as Kyoto. It was beautiful, and since it was a Monday it was reasonably quiet.

Beautifully detailed entrance to the Temple grounds.

Just behind Kosan- ji is the 'Tower of Light' by Hiroshima artist Kazuto Kuetani. This great white marble structure is only accessible through the temple grounds and, in my opinion, was really bizarre! 

I wonder why...

Maybe it was all the inexplicable faces...

giant nut cracker??

I conquered it!

yeah...

We also found this little guy!

Time for a patdown?

Our trip finished at Setoda Port, where we were able to catch a small ferry with our bikes back to Onomichi. By now the sun was setting and we were tired and aching! 

I name this blog post part 1, because I definitely intend to do the second half of the route at some point in the future- possibly next spring when the cherry blossoms start coming out! I feel that for me personally, doing the route in two halves was right because it meant extra time for stopping and enjoying the sights.

I highly recommend Shimanami Kaido to anyone visiting the area, but avoid it during the peak of summer and on holidays! We went just as autumn is arriving and we still burnt and holidays are guaranteed to be packed with people. For us it was so quiet and peaceful.... aaaah bliss.

See you next time!