Category: Culture

The Song of Kumamoto Castle

Kumamoto Castle (熊本城 Kumamoto-jō) is a hilltop Japanese castle located in Chūō-ku, Kumamoto in Kumamoto Prefecture. In 1588, Katō Kiyomasa was transferred to the early incarnation of Kumamoto Castle. From 1601 to 1607, Kiyomasa greatly expanded the castle, transforming it into a castle complex with 49 turrets, 18 turret gates, and 29 smaller gates.

Kumamon (くまモン) is a mascot created by the government of Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. It was created in 2010 for a campaign called to draw tourists to the region after the Kyushu Shinkansen line opened.

Yuru-chara (Japanese: ゆるキャラ Hepburn: yuru kyara) is a Japanese term for a category of mascot characters; usually created to promote a place or region, event, organisation or business. They are characterized by their kawaii (cute) and unsophisticated designs, often incorporating motifs that represent local culture, history or produce.

エグスプロージョン（EGU-SPLOSION）は、日本のダンサー（ダンスユニット）・振付師。よしもとクリエイティブ・エージェンシー所属。

“EGU-SPLOSION is a Japanese dance and choreography group. They are represented by Yoshimoto Creative Agency.”

Samurai Smartphone Parade

Samurai (侍) were the military-nobility and officer-caste of medieval and early-modern Japan. In Japanese, they are usually referred to as bushi (武士) or buke (武家).

A smartphone or smart phone is a mobile phone with an advanced mobile operating system which combines features of a personal computer operating system with other features useful for mobile or handheld use.

A parade (also called march or marchpast) is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats or sometimes large balloons.

A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running.

[NTT DoCoMo] was the last major global mobile carrier to offer Apple’s iPhone, which it finally did with the release of the iPhone 5s and 5c.

Take JR Tokai to Kyoto’s Cherry Blossoms

The Philosopher’s Walk (哲学の道 Tetsugaku-no-michi, lit. Path of Philosophy) is a pedestrian path that follows a cherry-tree-lined canal in Kyoto, between Ginkaku-ji and Nanzen-ji. The walk is a popular destination for tourists and locals, especially during hanami.

Kamigamo Shrine (上賀茂神社 Kamigamo Jinja) is an important Shinto sanctuary on the banks of the Kamo River in north Kyoto, first founded in 678.

Ninna-ji (仁和寺 Ninna-ji) is the head temple of the Omuro school of the Shingon Sect of Buddhism. Located in western Kyoto, Japan, it was founded in AD 888 by the retired Emperor Uda. Most of the surviving buildings date from the 17th century, and include a five-story pagoda and an orchard of dwarf cherry trees.

Tō-ji (東寺 Tō-ji) (East Temple) is a Buddhist temple of the Shingon sect in Kyoto, Japan. The grounds feature a garden and pond, in which turtles and koi swim.

Daigo-ji (醍醐寺 Daigo-ji) is a Shingon Buddhist temple in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Japan. More than seven centuries after its founding, Toyotomi Hideyoshi held a famous cherry blossom viewing party called Daigo no hanami in 1598 at the Sambō-in sub-temple.

The Heian Shrine (平安神宮 Heian-jingū) is a Shinto shrine located in Sakyō-ku, Kyoto, Japan. The Japanese-style garden takes up about half the land area (approximately 33060 m2).

The Central Japan Railway Company (東海旅客鉄道株式会社 Tōkai Ryokaku Tetsudō Kabushiki-gaisha) is the main railway company operating in the Chūbu (Nagoya) region of central Japan. It is officially abbreviated in English as JR Central and in Japanese as JR Tōkai (JR東海).