Osaka, Japan

OSAKA

Sailing into Osaka international port, we are greeted with a colorful welcome from a fireboat shooting colored water high into the air

A group of intrigued schoolchildren swarm around us; Japanese children, especially the younger ones, seemed by nature to be both curious and outgoing, despite the language barrier that existed

Osaka is an economically-based and metropolitan city; Japan, it has been said, is a hyper-developed country - their technology and economy is still ranked as one of the best in the world, despite the fact that they are currently in a financial recession

Leaving Osaka by train, I travelled to Nara and Kyoto, where I independently backpacked, staying in hostels or guesthouses and 'winging it' for the remainder of my stay here - it was an experience, and adventure, I will never forget. I highly recommend it to others: try letting go, and you may be surprised about the amazing times you can have without plans or expectations

NARA: AROUND THE CITY

The Naraken Seishounen Kaikan Youth Hostel, my home while in Nara

Graceful artwork stands side-by-side with modern life here in Japan

An outdoor mall in Nara; Japan rivals the U.S. with this hyper-capitalist, hyper-advertising atmosphere

Walking toward the temples in Nara, I stopped at this lake in the middle of the city; Japan demonstrates a delicate balance of nature and modernity that is difficult to find in this day and age

The giant Five-story Pagoda, a famous symbol of ancient Japan

The Nara Deer: truly talented beggars, complete with cute faces, stubborn and persistent personalities, and a nack for stealing food from your bags when you're not looking. A baby deer (left); deer harass Japanese schoolchildren (middle, right)

NARA: TODAIJI

Todaiji, or Hall of the Great Buddha: this is the largest wooden building in the world, housing one of the largest bronze Buddhas in the world and containing numerous examples of the finest in ancient Japanese art

Field-trip! Japanese elementary-school children descend upon the temple en-masse

This Boddhavista (a being who has reached enlightenment following the teachings of the original historic Buddha, Siddhartha Guatama) is one of the statues in the Todaiji

Learn more about Buddhism at Buddha Net

The warrior-scholar, a pivotal icon in Japan's history

A tranquil path near Todaiji

KYOTO: AROUND THE CITY

I admit, I love this picture: this is a view of the Kyoto skyline, seen entirely through its reflection on the glass-covered upper floors of Kyoto train station

In the middle of Downtown Kyoto rests a centuries-old temple

Like most of Asia, the Japanese nightlife is vivid, energized ... in a word, alive

While in Kyoto, I stumbled upon the Chrysanthanum Festival, a yearly Kyoto festival commemorating Kyoto's past. The cermony garners worldwide attention, and I met many Americans that had come to Japan solely for this festival

KYOTO: NIJO CASTLE

Sunset casts a warm glow on Nijo Castle and its moat

Another view of the castle

The castle was surrounded by gorgeous, full gardens; this is just one example

KYOTO: KINKAKUJI

Kinkakuji, the Golden Temple: a symbol of opulance evident when Kyoto was ruled by powerul Buddhist factions and was capital of Japan (around the turn of the first millenium, C.E.)

DEPARTING JAPAN, OUR FINAL PORT

Before London built a larger ferris wheel for the Millenium celebration, this ferris wheel was the largest in the world; here are pictures of it at day (left) and at night (right)

A remote Japanese island was visible after we lost sight of the mainland; this was the last land we would see before returning to my native soil...

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