Kakegawa Castle
During Golden Week (a period of public holidays bunched together to get overworked Japanese a chance to get a longer consecutive holiday) late April to early May I visited Kakegawa City in Shizuoka Prefecture to the west of Tokyo. I have blogged about Kakegawa before and you can see those posts by clicking on the tags at the bottom at this post. It was a bright sunny day and the koinobori, carp streamers were up to celebrate the little boy’s day. See if you can spot the ninja in the photos. If you have time to spare I really recommend Kakegawa City, it has a few interesting places to visit and I might just have been lucky but I found the people quite friendly and open! Maybe it is something in their famous locally produced green tea?
Tokyobling's Blog 
I randomly stumbled across your blog when browsing the ‘photography’ section on WordPress, and I’ve been hooked ever since that first visit. I’m glad I’ve become a regular visitor. I don’t know anything about photography so I can’t give you any very-educated photo-related compliments or ask you what lens you use, but your photos are beautiful and they bring Japan to life in a way I’ve never come across before. I’ve always loved different cultures and studying anthropology, and through your blog you show so many different aspects of Japanese life.
Thank you for all the wonderful photographs and keep up the amazing work!
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Thank you, dear Zainab, for your kind and generous comment! I used to be quite into photography but these days I don’t have time to think too much about it, I just go out there and get the photos! (^-^;) I think that is what is important for this blog. I also enjoy your blog, Pakistan needs to be better understood by the world community I think. I wish someone would do a Baluchistanbling-blog! (^O^)
Thank you again and please keep coming back!
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I sure will! And I wish someone would do a Balochistan-bling blog too! I might just try it some day. Sadly, access to most areas is limited because of the security situation and the only pictures that do make it out are of violence and poverty.
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Thank you! I think that people’s perception of places really change how they really are. Even if it’s barely nothing, any good story to come out of violent places like this would a breath of fresh air and a change in the right direction. Because let’s face it, there is no absolute reason why Balochistan couldn’t be as rich and friendly and fun as Japan or the UK or France or whereever! People there aren’t better or worse than anywhere else. I hope things improve and the people of Pakistan just decide to stop the paranoia, the corruption and the power lust. In the meantime maybe we can get a Lahorebling-blog? (^-^)
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So many exams, so little time (for sleep, and eat at max :|). I want to go and fly a kite too >.<
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You can do it! Soon you’ll be a real scientist and can start working on solving all the world’s problems! (^-^)
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I gotta make a time machine! I wouldn’t have any problems with managing my free time 😀
Until then keep posting all these amazing pictures, they keep my spirits up between study times! (^-^)v
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Haha… don’t beat yourself up over it! This post was the 1227th, I don’t expect anyone to go through them all… (^-^;)
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I just went there in April this year, too. The cherry blossoms around the castle were beautiful! ^-^
I also visited Sunpu Caslte in Shizuoka City, Kaminoyama Castle and Tanaka Castle while there.
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Oh, fantastic! Lot’s of castles for you! I missed out on the cherry blossoms but I at least I got the koinobori. I’ll have to try and visit all those other castles as well! (^-^)
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Hehe, yeah. I’m a castle hunter!
Whenever I go somewhere I check out the castles that are around and make sure to visit them all.
My goal is to visit at least 100 Japanese Castles one day. Quite challenging! ^-^;
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Challenging and very very expensive! I have visited one hundred temples and one hundred shrines but there are a lot more of those than there are of castles! A good goal! (^-^)
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Wow, nice.
Yeah, I’m sure I’ve been to hundreds of temples and shrines by now, but castles are tough indeed. Some of them are far out and it’s difficult to access them, but I won’t give up. Currently I’m counting 65 – and it took me 4 years! It’s gonna be tough, but I will do it. The question is only how long it’ll take in the end! 😉
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Don’t give up! You can do it! Even if the last 35 castles take you 40 years! (^O^)/
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Hi. As always, these are splendid. (Pretty amazing view from the top of that hill!) Does the little wooden box in front of the fish (?) sculpture have a utilitarian purpose?
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Thank you Jon! The fish is a replica of the guardian sculpture on top of the castle roofs of Japan. The box itself looks like it there to accept donations or offerings after prayers. Some people consider these statues holy. I hope it works! I’d hate to see this castle damaged in an earthquake.
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There is something about your pictures that give me that feeling of tranquility. Is it because they are inherently picturesque? Or maybe because of the photographer, the feelings are translated into the photos themselves. I really can’t put my finger on it, but there is definitely something there, I’ve been feeling a great bit of stress lately, so it’s nice therapy for me to enjoy your blog. Definitely cheaper and more effective than an actual therapist.
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Thank you D! I am glad to hear that. (^-^)
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Great set of images, there, especially the use of natural lighting.
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Thank you for the kind comment! (^-^;)
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Tea and the local culture where’s village produced it. We could absolutely prediction, the local people must be quite friendly 😉
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Yes, quite right! Kakegawa is famous for it’s green tea! The town is surrounded by tea plantations in neat row. (^-^)
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