It’s interesting how I (and perhaps many other people) have completely different reactions toward cigarette smokers and pipe smokers. The reality is that they are both inhaling tobacco, the only difference is the delivery system. I saw this smartly dressed, Japanese man at Matsuyama castle. If he’d been smoking a cigarette I probably wouldn’t have approached him, but he was carefully packing tobacco into the bowl of his pipe. I went over and we talked as he smoked his pipe. The scene was very similar to the one with Gandalf and Frodo at the start of the Fellowship of the Rings. After our conversation, I asked if I could take a couple of photographs. He was more than happy to pose for a couple of shots, and then with his pipe extinguished he continued on his way. A lovely encounter with a charming man.

Matsuyama Castle is one of the other main attractions in Matsuyama City. From the city center, it is a short walk uphill to the castle. For those who believe only horses should sweat, there is a ropeway and chairlifts. Cherry blossom was in full bloom during my visit, and when the clouds cleared I managed to get some nice shots. (If you walk up to the castle before the chairlift opens you can even take photographs free from the crowds.)

Dogo Onsen is the oldest hot spring in Japan, and a special bath for the royal family. According to legend, a white heron once dipped its injured leg into the spring’s warm waters and was miraculously healed. White herons can be seen on the pillars around Dogo Onsen, on yukata worn by guests, and most famously on the roof. The onsen building is delightful, an island of ornate wood and tile  in a sea of concrete and asphalt. Dogo Onsen was the inspiration for the bathhouse in Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away. Just as in the movie, it is an enchanting place to visit. (If you haven’t seen the film, rent, borrow, or buy a copy. It’s very good.) For ¥250 you can go for a guided tour of the onsen, but unless you are very shy or have tattoos, there are far better options. For just ¥400 you can bathe in the Kami-no-Yu bath. For ¥800 you can bathe in the Kami-no-Yu bath and follow this with tea and senbei. The best option is for …

From Beppu, I took the ferry across to Yawatahama on the island of Shikoku. I then headed north to the historic town of Uchiko. Uchiko is famous for its vegetable wax candles and Uchiko-za a Kabuki and Bunraku theater. It was an interesting place to walk around for a few hours. Kosyo-ji Temple at the top of the hill had an impressive giant reclining buddha statue that I hadn’t expected. And finally, I almost asked this guy for directions, but he wasn’t very talkative.

I’m pretty sure that saying Korakuen Garden is a tautology as -en means garden. But, for the sake of clarity, I’ve titled this post Korakuen Garden, Okayama. Here’s a bit of info from The Best of Okayama. Okayama’s mild climate and fertile soils mean that the prefecture is known for its quality rice, grapes and peaches. One of Japan’s most popular children’s stories is about Momotaro, the boy who was born from a peach, and a statue of Momotaro greets visitors at the city’s main train station. The area’s fertile soil also contributed to Okayama’s Koraku-en becoming one of the country’s top three gardens. Constructed between1687 and 1700, Koraku-en was designed with an expansive lawn for leisurely walks, a tea plantation, paddy field, and the Yatsu-hashi zig-zag bridge. Another classic feature of the garden is its use of borrowed landscape. Okayama Castle, although outside the boundary of the garden, is “borrowed” so that its presence on the skyline makes it appear as an integral part of the scenic landscape. Before this trip, I didn’t have …

I visited Okayama Castle several years ago when writing The Best of Okayama. It was good to drop by again on my latest trip, especially as the sky was postcard blue. (These shots are good examples of images where I have left room for text. Doing this hopefully makes things easier for the photo editor and the graphic designer laying out the page.) Here’s the description of the castle from The Best of Okayama. Modern Japan may be dominated by giant corporations, but for centuries it was feudal lords or shoguns who ruled the land. A lord’s castle served as both a military stronghold and as a sign of his power and status. Nearly all Japanese castles were painted white, the most famous example of which is Himeji-jo. With its elegant towers and iridescent walls, Himeji-jo is thought to be Japan’s most beautiful castle, and became known as The White Egret Castle. Eastern philosophy says that everything has its opposite: Yin and Yang, good and evil, life and death. The White Egret Castle in Himeji has …