Here I am with another postcard from Japan! As before, there’s way more going on over on Instagram (@ali_haikugirl) at the moment than there is here, as it’s hard to find the time to sit down and post. However, over Christmas I will start to go through all my photos (4,700 ish so far…) and will begin work on detailed posts about all of the wonderful places I’ve been travelling to and the incredible things I’ve been experiencing (and eating!).
My journey so far has included a number of pretty spiritual spots, such as Koyasan and also the Kumano Kodo. I expected those areas to make me think and feel a lot of things, but what I didn’t expect was to have so many thoughts and feelings upon coming to Naoshima. Naoshima, the ‘art island’ in the Seto Inland Sea, is one of my new favourite places and I’m already trying to work out how and when I can return.
A lot of the art cannot be photographed (and some simply couldn’t be photographed even if you tried), so you will have to trust me when I say I have experienced some amazing things. My perceptions have been changed. What I thought was white, may have been orange, what I thought was darkness may have been light. What I believed to be solid may in fact have been an open space. What seemed natural was in fact man-made. Worlds appeared within worlds, and I felt I could jump right in to the ‘window’ in a solid sphere like Alice jumping into the rabbit hole.
Thank you, Naoshima, for changing and challenging my perceptions.
Walter De Maria – Seen/Unseen Known/Unknown
Come and find me on Instagram for more snippets from Japan! 11 days to go!
Instagram: @ali_haikugirl
Haikugirl's Japan 
We are three weeks into our travels – from Sapporo to Himeji and, like you, I take a mass of photos. Many are far from tourist pics because of my fascination with Japanese routine life. Highlights have been the light display on the Kyoto JR steps – to be witnessed to be appeciated – and the Luminairie in Kobe – wondrous. Both are far from the old culture we delight in.
Having enjoyed the benefits of a Green Car class on various shinkansen, I’d be more than content with the lesser carriages but a JR pass opens a multitude of doors, seeking out the less-visited features.
Our detour to Nikko was well worth the effort. A decent multi-speed bicycle for a very reasonable hire just out of the station for 3.5 hrs made a difference.
I have discovered the benefits of flying in to the ‘other’ centres such as Kanazawa and Shin Chitose rather than KIX or Narita – worth investigating.
And back to ous sister city with Shirasagi-jo in its fresh glory.
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