It me

Two random photos I found from my old flat in Hamburg, testing out my then new DSLR. They feel nostalgic and eerie now. The first one had its ISO value cranked up to (dear me) 6400.

The crabs of Ise city (mecca for Shinto shrine enthusiasts). Bird on Meoto Iwa (wedded rocks). Hello Kitty popcorn vending machine, Ise Meotoiwa Shopping Plaza.

Nagoya City Art Museum. Marie Laurencin Special Exhibition inside the art museum. Nagoya is a big city (next to Osaka and Tokyo): Pedestrian street overpass under highway overpass. A visit to Ghibli Park Nagoya (not to be confused with the one in Tokyo). Located on the grounds of the Moricoro Expo park. It me 👀

A trip to Kamikochi in summer, a beatiful part of the japanese alps with clear green/turquoise streams and maquace monkies. Last bear sighting: two weeks ago. Atop Mt.Chogatake and above the clouds. Hey! It me.

A short stay in Beppu, known for its many hot springs (onsen). Staying a capsule hotel while enjoying the built-in hot baths all day, so not too many relevant photos here. A very friendly cat in an old shopping street in Beppu. A short but heavy rainfall.

Inside of Aso valley lies Mt.Aso, an active vulcano. The whole mountains has 5 craters, one of them being active. The smell of sulfur is very strong if you go to the closest observatory near the active crater. The whole vulcano feels very alien and different to the alps I was used to, with stretches of black sand and layers of red rock. It me 👍...

Yakushima island is located south of Kagushima, about 4 hours by ferry. Visiting during rainy season gave a week of (almost) uninterrupted rain. A hike through Shiratani Unsui gorge. Dubbed a “magical forest”. Moss everywhere. Slow-rotting cedar trees along the path. View from “Drum Rock”, one of the endpoints of the gorge trail. Visiting Ohko waterfall during a rainy day. Ride back from the waterfall....

I don’t know how many other train stations have ferris wheels in them, but this is definitly one of them. An almost empty hostel that felt and smelled like a hospital. Eerie. Visiting Sakurajima, an active volcano. Just 20 minutes by ferry. It me. At least there was a colorful chalkboard at the hostel.

Fukuoka, as seen from Fukuoka Tower. Capitol of Kyushu and famous for its food stalls near the riverside. Apparently only ~5 hours by ferry to Busan, South Korea. Ohori park. Taking a trip to Dazaifu. A married couple visiting the Tenmangu shinto shrine. A small and older amusement park in the woods behind the shrine. Nope. Nearby: Kyushu National museum. A look at Japans interactions with other countries throughout history....

The Shimanami Kaido is a highway between Onomichi and Imabari, as well as a fantastic bicycle trail. Tons of bridges between small islands that are one of the direct connections from mainland Japan to Shikoku. Chomp. Jellyfish and palm trees along the ride. Summer is here. The last bridge of the trip (Kurushima-Kaikyo) is about 4-5km long. No end in sight. It me, a reflection....