Skip to main content

ThingsAsian | ThingsAsian Press


ThingsAsianThingsAsian
  • Destinations
    • Afghanistan (24)
    • Armenia (3)
    • Azerbaijan (3)
    • Bangladesh (22)
    • Bhutan (30)
    • Brunei (20)
    • Cambodia (132)
    • China (548)
    • East Timor (6)
    • India (260)
    • Indochina (9)
    • Indonesia (126)
    • Iran (36)
    • Iraq (32)
    • Israel (27)
    • Japan (332)
    • Jordan (4)
    • Kazakhstan (4)
    • Korea, N (23)
    • Korea, S (67)
    • Kuwait (3)
    • Laos (70)
    • Lebanon (7)
    • Malaysia (250)
    • Maldives (3)
    • Mekong River (12)
    • Mongolia (21)
    • Mount Everest (4)
    • Myanmar (70)
    • Nepal (57)
    • Pakistan (48)
    • Philippines (164)
    • Saudi Arabia (16)
    • Singapore (89)
    • Sri Lanka (26)
    • Syria (18)
    • Taiwan (68)
    • Thailand (399)
    • Turkey (31)
    • United Arab Emirates (4)
    • Uzbekistan (6)
    • Vietnam (508)
    • Yemen (16)


  • Destinations
    • Afghanistan (24)
    • Armenia (3)
    • Azerbaijan (3)
    • Bangladesh (22)
    • Bhutan (30)
    • Brunei (20)
    • Cambodia (132)
    • China (548)
    • East Timor (6)
    • India (260)
    • Indochina (9)
    • Indonesia (126)
    • Iran (36)
    • Iraq (32)
    • Israel (27)
    • Japan (332)
    • Jordan (4)
    • Kazakhstan (4)
    • Korea, N (23)
    • Korea, S (67)
    • Kuwait (3)
    • Laos (70)
    • Lebanon (7)
    • Malaysia (250)
    • Maldives (3)
    • Mekong River (12)
    • Mongolia (21)
    • Mount Everest (4)
    • Myanmar (70)
    • Nepal (57)
    • Pakistan (48)
    • Philippines (164)
    • Saudi Arabia (16)
    • Singapore (89)
    • Sri Lanka (26)
    • Syria (18)
    • Taiwan (68)
    • Thailand (399)
    • Turkey (31)
    • United Arab Emirates (4)
    • Uzbekistan (6)
    • Vietnam (508)
    • Yemen (16)


Search form


Shades of Red


by Robert George, Dec 23, 2002 | Destinations: Japan / Tokyo
Transportation workers in Japan are held to impeccable standards of safety, precision and punctuality. Trains and buses arrive and depart with near-perfect timing. The drivers are neat and trim in their crisp uniforms, and of course, the ubiquitous white gloves.

Transportation workers in Japan are held to impeccable standards of safety, precision and punctuality. Trains and buses arrive and depart with near-perfect timing. The drivers are neat and trim in their crisp uniforms, and of course, the ubiquitous white gloves.

Image © 2002 Robert George
Transportation workers in Japan are held to impeccable standards of safety, precision and punctuality. Trains and buses arrive and depart with near-perfect timing. The drivers are neat and trim in their crisp uniforms, and of course, the ubiquitous white gloves.
Hie Shrine was built by the Tokugawa Shogunate in homage to the god O-Yamakui, also known as Sannô Gongen, the deity of Mount Hiei near Kyoto. From June 10 through June 16, in every odd-numbered year since 1681, Hie Jinja stages an elaborate pageant called Sanno Matsuri, in which hundreds of patrons dressed in traditional Heian era costumes parade through the streets of Tokyo's Akasaka district on palanquins and elaborate floats with dancers, singers, and musicians in attendance.
Hie Shrine was built by the Tokugawa Shogunate in homage to the god O-Yamakui, also known as Sannô Gongen, the deity of Mount Hiei near Kyoto. From June 10 through June 16, in every odd-numbered year since 1681, Hie Jinja stages an elaborate pageant called Sanno Matsuri, in which hundreds of patrons dressed in traditional Heian era costumes parade through the streets of Tokyo's Akasaka district on palanquins and elaborate floats with dancers, singers, and musicians in attendance.
The New Year is Japan's most important celebration. At this time, the people of Japan visit shrines and temples to pray for blessings in the year to come. Families gather to enjoy specially prepared foods called O-sechi, and to exchange seasonal gifts. One traditional New Year's gift is a symbolic arrow to ward off bad fortune in the coming year.

A story told with photos.


More From This Author

Japanese salarymen are expected to show devotion to the company by working long hours, often six days a week. So, a sunny lunch hour provides a welcome opportunity for a little R&R.

The Streets of Tokyo

Japan
Robert George
Perhaps the most anticipated and beloved celebration in Japan is the season known as Ohanami. The word translates as flower watching, and depending upon the weather in mid-spring, sometime during the month of April, the entire nation of Japan bursts into bloom with the ubiquitous sakura, the flowering cherry tree. The sakura create a frosty-pink canopy over city parks and country hillsides alike, and the people of Japan emerge after the long winter to rejoice in this ephemeral season. Beneath a canopy of blossoms, street vendors offer an array of traditional foods, including yakitori, skewers of savory grilled chicken.

The Taste of Japan

Japan
Robert George
In contemporary Japan, urban architecture is an eclectic juxtaposition of old-world traditional, post-war Bauhaus, and ultra-modern futuristic styles. And sometimes--it's a combination of all three!

High Rise Japan

Japan
Robert George
In Japan, children are treated with the utmost care and attention. The literacy rate in Japan ranks among the world's highest, and the infant mortality rate is among the lowest. Despite its population density and astronomical cost of living, Japan provides excellent 'quality of life' for its children.

A Child's Life - Japan

Japan
Robert George

More Japan Stories

Seijin Hi: Coming of Age Day in Japan

Japan
Frank Lev
Maiko

My life In Tokyo

Japan / Thailand
Stephen Bueckert
Goldfish Go Home

Strangers in Strange Lands at Cinequest 2013

Japan / Vietnam / India
Celeste Heiter
A view by the Miyagawa River in Hida Takayama, Japan (c) Sze-Leng Tan

Miyagawa, Takayama: A Morning By the Crystal River

Japan
Sze-Leng Tan

Explore Other Destinations

China

China

Myanmar

Myanmar

Vietnam

Vietnam

India

India

Malaysia

Malaysia

Japan

Japan

Cambodia

Cambodia

Thailand

Thailand

Afghanistan (24)
Armenia (3)
Azerbaijan (3)
Bangladesh (22)
Bhutan (30)
Brunei (20)
Cambodia (132)
China (548)
East Timor (6)
India (260)
Indochina (9)
Indonesia (126)
Iran (36)
Iraq (32)
Israel (27)
Japan (332)
Jordan (4)
Kazakhstan (4)
Korea, N (23)
Korea, S (67)
Kuwait (3)
Laos (70)
Lebanon (7)
Malaysia (250)
Maldives (3)
Mekong River (12)
Mongolia (21)
Mount Everest (4)
Myanmar (70)
Nepal (57)
Pakistan (48)
Philippines (164)
Saudi Arabia (16)
Singapore (89)
Sri Lanka (26)
Syria (18)
Taiwan (68)
Thailand (399)
Turkey (31)
United Arab Emirates (4)
Uzbekistan (6)
Vietnam (508)
Yemen (16)



About ThingsAsian

ThingsAsian is an Asia travel website with stories contributed by a worldwide community. Although we cover a wide range of topics, our emphasis is on art, culture, history and travel. Our writers, photographers and contributors are real people who tell you the stories of their personal travels and experiences. Some of the countries we currently cover are Burma, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Email: info@thingsasian.com


© 1994-2015 Global Directions, Inc. All Rights Reserved.


Web Design by Dayspring