Okayama December 2006 Photographs

At the Bikan Historical Village along the Kurashiki Canal, Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, Japan

2006-12-22T04:36:00.000-08:00

At the Graduate School of Environmental Science, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan

2006-12-18T07:53:00.000-08:00

At the Tivoli Park, Kurashiki, Okayama, Japan

2006-12-18T06:52:00.000-08:00

Yet another cup of coffee... at the Seto Ohashi Waterfront Pier Cafe

2006-12-17T02:35:00.000-08:00

There, now it looks like good honest south Indian coffee, na?

And then, like a true Indian, you add some milk...

The Georgia Coffee... made from an instant seed grinding machine and decanter... instant expresso-like decoction...

The waterfront cafe... Notice that there are no waiters or employees hanging around the tables

The view from the waterfront cafe... one can see the Seto Ohashi Bridge from the coffee tables...

At the Seto Ohashi Waterfront Pier...

2006-12-17T01:57:00.000-08:00

Posing in front of the Seto Ohashi Bridge and a testimonial yellow endemic granite memorial to the construction of the Bridge...

Posing to give you an idea of the size of the circular cable... the cable that I am holding on to, is also used to give support to the larger cable...

The details of the cable... I will get it translated later to provide information about the details provided here.

The closest that I could get to... the cable is actually made of nearly a million small cables within it... lending it exponentially a million times more strength...

A further close-up...

A close-up of the trans-section of the cable...

Mr. Fujiwara in front of the trans-section of the cables used to provide support to the Seto Ohashi Bridge... The entire circular trans-section is one cable... Notice the size...

Posing in front of the Seto Ohashi Bridge...

With Mr. Fujiwara from the Shimoden Landscape Company, at the Seto Ohashi Waterfront Pier

The Seto Ohashi Bridge, Kojima District, Okayama

2006-12-17T01:24:00.000-08:00

The map illustration of the Seto Ohashi bridge over the inland sea in front of the bridge itself...

Notice the railway train running in the middle rung of the Seto Ohashi Bridge...

Notice the splendid design work and structural efficiency in the planning of the Seto Ohashi Bridge... The grid design supports a 2-way railway line and the 2-way expressway by lodging itself securely on an island in the inland sea

An illustrative map of the Seto Ohashi Bridge area across the Inland Sea

The 2-way road expressway has a 2-way railway line running below it above the Inland Sea.

The first sighting of the Seto Ohashi Bridge... after you come out of the tunnel on the expressway. The World's largest bridge system spans the Seto Inland Sea National Park near Washuzan, linking Honshu and Shikoku.

More than 12.3 km long, the magnificent Seto Ohashi is aesthetically designed to harmonize with the natural beauty of the forested islands and the surrounding sea.

There is also a high-speed cruise available leaving regularly from the Kojima Sightseeing Pier east of JR Kojima Station.

Arriving at our first sighting of the Seto Ohashi Bridge, in Kojima district, Okayama, Japan. We are driving through a tunnel on the expressway. Notice the GPS terminal on the dashboard... showing the location of the vehicle on the road network in Japan... all the time... all the time... all the time...

At various locations of the Kibutsu Shrine Campus...

2006-12-15T04:43:00.000-08:00

With Mr. Yashwant Khaire at the entrance to the Kibutsu Shrine...

Yet another clean up junction... set up in stone.. with bamboo ladles... and pebbles below to help capture the excess water...

A young lady in her birthday finery... arriving at the Kibutsu Shrine to seek blessings...

Riot of colours... just be introducing red? 3 smaller shrines at the Kibutsu Shrine...

Some of the ceremonial testimonial stones at the Kibutsu Shrine...

A smaller shrine...

The water flow based Wheel... splendid location... shot an entire video at this location...

A traditional typical entrance to another shrine in the campus...

The forest behind the second shrine... spectacular... you simply have to be there...

Another shrine at the Kibutsu Shrine...

From the Kibitsu Shrine, along the gabled passage...

2006-12-15T00:06:00.000-08:00

The historical record from several hundreds of years of people donating support to the Kibitsu Shrine... preserved along the gabled passageway...

The passage... seen from outside it... extremely beautiful...

The entrance to one of the sections of the gabled passageway...

The famous historical and traditional gabled passageway behind the Kibitsu Shrine...

At the sacred Kibitsu Shrine...

2006-12-14T23:33:00.000-08:00

Bottles of Sake, Japanese traditional liquor, kept on the shelves at the Kibitsu Shrine...

The person who writes down the talisman records at the Kibitsu shrine...

It was the small touches that made the visit to the Kibitsu Shrine more memorable... Simple structures, simple landscape design, tastefully and respectfully done...

The natural style hand washing place... notice the pebbles below that allows the excess water to drain within... The water container is in stone, and the ladles are in bamboo...

The place to keep your umbrellas and slippers, outside, prior to entering the meditation hall... no photographs allowed inside...

Splendid example of Japanese Landscape in the traditional style... merges with the forest environment around the Kibitsu Temple...

The sacred goldfish kept near the Kibitsu Shrine...

The place where you purchase your talismans, record your oaths, and promises to the Lord of the Kibitsu Shrine..

The impressive ancient architecture along with the well maintained Japanese landscape within the forest environment is excellent...

The sacred Kibitsu shrine... very awesome and tremendous in its impressions on a good believer... I could feel the sacred vibrations as I prayed here... There is good metta here... tremendously good metta and dhamma here...

The Kibitsu Shrine, set at the foot of Mt. Naka along the old Sanyo Road, is dedicated to Kibitsuhiko no Mikoto who was dispatched by the Imperial Court of Yamato to conquer the Kibi Province. the magnificent inner shrine and the outer shrine gabled in the Hiyoku-Irimoya style are designated as National Trearues.

Mr. Fujimoro and Mr. Yashwant Khaire starting to climb the stairs. The white balloon like units along the stairs are lanterns.

The Shopping Street Plaza near Symphony Hall - A covered walking mall

2006-12-14T06:03:00.000-08:00

The Nishigawa Canal lit up at night, alongside the Shopping Hall Plaza...

Decorative reindeer ready for Christmas... they move their heads... they have motors attached to their bodies...

Reminds one of Fashion Streets in Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Hyderabad and Chennai... clothes kept outside the shops.. on circular stands... with bargain prices...

All the space is used imaginatively, with some good architects at work... what you see in the picture above, is the use of the space between two shops... leading to the opening of an in-between shop that is actually behind the front ones...

The Christmas trees are already out... waiting for messages to be put on it by people... all those red stuff are notes written by people to tie up... goodwill messages mostly...

Everybody walks on the Shopping Street Plaza... senior citizens... children... youngsters... all out for window shopping mostly... and some serious purchase expeditions...

The sitting "Katta", chairs, around a tree in the plaza... Look at the central space given to prevent strangulation of the tree... it is actually a large tree pot... so you need lesser space for the roots... permaculture could start it off....

The tree guards on the Shopping street plaza... also used as a bicycle stand... and enough space at the base for water percolation without strangling the tree...

This is the most amazing aspect of shopping areas in Okayama... where small businesses, large ones, medium sized ones, franchisees, hawkers and vendors... all survive together... by simply covering the street with a roof... the street has interlocking paving blocks... 4-wheelers are discouraged... bicycles are allowed... it is well-lit and clean

This is an excellent example of urban planning that should go in to most crowded shopping streets in India... Imagine Kalbadevi in Mumbai, Laxmi Road in Pune and Eldams Road in Chennai... Anything is possible...

The Comfort Hotel Reception Lounge, Okayama, Japan

2006-12-14T05:46:00.000-08:00

The waste bin... stylish, hidden... There is a dispenser for liquids... and one for the solid items... The cabinet is on wheels... so it can be simply wheeled away to be emptied, instead of carrying the waste bins out in the open...

The Breakfast serving table... various types of bread, jam, margarine, eggs etc are kept on this table... about 10 sq feet... for about 100 plus people for breakfast from 0630 to 0930 am...

Those screens hide the breakfast units... microwaves, ovens, cornflake dispensing machines etc etc etc... the screens are simply pulled down, and the stuff is hidden for the day... no need to move them around and have more manual labour...

The Internet Terminal, Computer Plus Printer, Xerox Machine, with the coin machine next to it, and the Cigarette Sale Machine... Again, notice what's missing? There are no chairs at the Internet Terminal... So, nobody can sit around and hog the internet terminals...

And, at the xerox machine, you put in coins... mark the number of copies you want... and do your own work... Again, no employees hanging around...

The reception area... and the lobby... can you notice a significant aspect that is not present... ?? There are no employees moving around...

The Breakfast lobby on the Ground Floor of the Comfort Hotel, Okayama, Japan

Returning from Korakuen Garden along Asahi River

2006-12-14T05:20:00.000-08:00

The potted coloured and white cauliflowers... along the Asahi River...

White and coloured cauliflowers... grown by local households, along the Asahi River... Again, a small touch that leaves you breathless for the imagery...

A close-up... The castle seems lost without the entire river and the Korakuen Island in the same image...

The rain gathered steadily... dusk set in by 4.30 pm... and the silhouette of the Okayama Castle was prominently placed alongside the Asahi River... it was a setting for writing some serious poetry... in solitude, about solitude... imagining life forever... establishing your footprints in history... like the Okayama castle, the Asahi River and the Korakuen Garden has done... I love this photograph... the photo itself seems like a poem... what can you write after such an image?

This grey heron was waiting out the steady drizzle of rain in the cold... no foraging... no hope for getting any food... just simply waiting it out...

At the Korakuen Garden, Okayama, Japan

2006-12-13T21:25:00.000-08:00

The resting place for tourists and visitors...

The Japanese crane captive breeding facility at the Korakuen Garden...

The Korakuen Garden landscape... remarkably well-maintained...

The Resting Stand for tourists and visitors to the Korakuen Garden...

Ancient hut design preserved through actual use at Korakuen Garden...

A view of the Okayama Castle from the Korakuen Garden...

Korakuen Garden trees protected from pests...

Posing in front of the ancient walkway to the historical green tea house... Tea is still served there in the ancient style, with a person dressed appropriately...

The unique hut with the river stream flowing through it... historically maintained...

The sacred goldfish... spectacular colours... some of them are more than 3 feet in length...

The ancient hut design kept preserved in the Korakuen Gardens... Notice the perfect thatch roof... and the nets in the ponds to protect the sacred goldfish from being eaten by birds of prey...

Photographs of the Korakuen Gardens... Beautiful in autumn colours...

A close up if you did not feel satisfied with the photograph below ---

Posing at the rear walls of the Okayama Castle, enroute to the Korakuen Garden

Birds at Asahi River and Korakuen Gardens, Okayama, Japan

2006-12-13T05:20:00.000-08:00

The Turtle Dove at Korakuen Garden, Okayama, Japan

Female Pintail Duck at Asahi River, Okayama near Korakuen Garden

A Pintail (Male) duck at Asahi River, near Korakuen Garden Island

Mallard (Male) at the Asahi River, near Korakuen Garden

The mute swan at the Asahi River, near Korakuen Garden

Pintail (Male) at the Asahi River, Okayama between the Okayama Castle grounds and the Korakuen Garden Island...

At the Italian Cafe near Hayashibhara Museum of Arts, Okayama, Japan

2006-12-13T04:56:00.000-08:00

The flower display at the corridor to the Italian Restaurant...

A view of the chandelier in the lift to the Italian Restaurant... chic and posh... stylish... very...

A view of the Italian Restaurant... Notice the full-length glass windows... white cane chairs, glass top tables, japanese and italian groups in a working lunch... shows how good the restaurant is...

A view of the freshly brewed very very very very strong Italian coffee... something that will make the best south Indian coffee expert blush to the roots of his hair...

Olive oil being provided for dipping hot fresh baked bread... more italian than italian restaurants in the USA... never saw this happen even in good italian restaurants in the USA... Yashwant Khaire to the left, and a host from Shimoden... this lady studied physics in Stanford, USA and is now working in the accounts department at Shimoden, Okayama

The glass window to sky roof on the Italian Cafe near the Hayashibhara Museum of Arts, in Okayama, Japan

At the Hayashibhara Museum of Arts in Okayama

2006-12-11T08:06:00.000-08:00

The view of the Autumn flames of the forests in the Okayama Hills, as seen from the Hayashibhara Museum of Arts, Okayama

The entrance to the Hayashibhara Museum of Arts... Photography is prohibited inside the museum... a tragedy for me...

The changing colours of Autumn ... with winter already set in... at Okayama.. in the Hayashibhara Museum of Arts...

The amazing bonsai-like forest-grove created by Shimoden Landscape Company at the Hayashibhara Museum of Arts in Okayama, Japan

At the Hayashibhara Biotechnology Company in Okayama

2006-12-11T06:48:00.000-08:00

The lawns at the Hayashibhara Biotechnology Company... made and maintained by the Shimoden Landscape Company of Okayama... the brains behind the Okayama Garden in Pune...

Another view of the Hayashibhara Biotechnology Company Conference Room

The visiting cards being exchanged... an unique feature of showing respect to each other... absolutely perfect... immediately makes perfect strangers into friends...

At the viewing gallery of archival documents... superb use of a blind corridor... converted it into a museum... Even Jane Goodall's letter and signature were up there...

Taking a closer look at the germplasm being taken out of liquid helium containers...

I am in discussion with the Professor at the Liquid Helium storage containers... to preserve the germplasm... at minus 197 degrees centigrade...

The collection of the old microscopes at the Hayashibhara Biotechnology Company

An archive photograph of the Emperor and Empress of Japan at the Hayashibhara Biotechnology Company. The person in the background in the photograph, we were informed, is the Honorable Governor of Okayama... It seems the Emperor of Japan was touching the hibernating Hamster...

An archive photograph of Shri Morarji Desai, former Prime Minister of India, on a visit to the Hayashibhara Biotechnology Company in Okayama...

An old photograph of one of the earlier seniors of the Hayashibhara family and their earlier industry... kept in the archives gallery of photographs...

Mr. Yashwant Khaire and the Professor in serious discussion about potential use of the Hayashibhara Biotechnology research in AIDS, Cancer and Hepatitis ...

The poster presentation at Hayashibhara Biotechnology Laboratories about Hamster Hibernation and how to induce hibernation in mammals... amazing work... pioneering...

The Hayashibhara Biotechnology Company Laboratories... All sanitised and clean... spotless spotless spotless clean laboratories...

Our local host.... He is an Associate Professor of Biotechnology at the University of Hiroshima... Extremely intelligent and knew English... explained the Hayashibhara Biotechnology initiatives very sincerely...

At the Hayashibhara Biotechnology Company's conference room... Absolutely a treat... It had full ceiling to floor glass walls that helped see outside... lace curtains on it... leather chairs... And can you see the sets of files and folders kept ready for our visit?

The Okamaya Castle Turret Area

2006-12-11T05:51:00.000-08:00

A view of the Okamaya Castle Turret grounds, and the layout of the ancient building...

The actual corner of the ancient walls preserved intact... as highlighted in the photograph below...

A photograph of the ancient Okamaya castle walls... when it was uncovered... kept preserved... with a lot of care

The Okamaya Castle seen from the Okamaya Turret Grounds... I am yet to go there...

View of the Okamaya Castle Turret from across the pond in the Turret grounds....

The small pond in front of the Okamaya Castle Turret area... Notice the trees changing colour in the background...

Some more line drawings of the Okamaya Castle Turret...

The line drawings of the Okamaya Castle ... Beautiful sketches... well exhibited... but all the text is simply not in English...

The Okamaya Castle Turret grounds and the Turret... a genuine example of ancient Japanese architecture... Remarkably preserved... spotlessly clean...

The entrance to the Okayamadjo Castle Turret grounds...

2006-12-11T05:22:00.000-08:00

A close up of the logo /symbol of the Okayama Castle turret grounds structures....

A good view of the entrance to the Okayama Castle Turret area... and the stairs climbing away to the Turret grounds that housed the earlier buildings...

The entrance to the Okayama Castle Turret area... Absolutely fantastic doors and castle walls... extremely clean... Reminds one of the MARATHA forts of Maharashtra...

A close up of the Okayamajo Castle ... from the visitors map

Information about the Okayama Castle. It's written - "Okayama Castle was built in 1597 by Lord Ukila who governed Okayama, then known as the province of Bizen. Was nicknamed UJO (Crow Castle) stemming from the black exterior. The original castle was destroyed during a World War II air raid and reconstructed in 1956."

Entering the Okayama Castle Turret area... The visitors map at the entrance

The Asahi River between Korakuen and Okayama Castle

2006-12-11T03:49:00.000-08:00

A closer close up of the flood proof embankment along the Asahi River... several lessons to be learnt for cities in India

The flood proof embankment along the Asahi River...

The Asahi River... beautiful and serene... yet needed to be managed for flood control... see the embankment...

The ancient sledge... that was used to move the stones to build the Okayama Castle... recreated to inform the people about the tremendous work put in by the people at that time...

The pigeons in front of the Asahi River... the bridges behind it, and the Korakuen Island to the right across the river

The blue rock pigeons basking in the warm sunlight in a cold December month at the Public Garden near the Asahi River.

The open air amphitheatre in the public garden near the Asahi River, between Korakuen Garden and the Okayama Castle. Beautiful place, very scenic.

Moving in at Comfort Hotel, near Symphony Plaza, Okayama

2006-12-10T06:24:00.000-08:00

The view outside my window at Comfort Hotel... The road from Okayama Station to Asahi River

The Plasma TV set at the Comfort Hotel room... very compact... absolutely fantastic for its 3D imagery and the small box below it... The only sore point was that there was CNN Japan as the only English Channel running on it... I am now an expert on CNN Japan timings in Japan... I know when it is Larry King Live...

The Haier Refrigerator... beautiful, compact, quiet. With a notice on it "Please use as a cooler box freely"... what a relief...

A close up of the electronic dashboard on the Cot at Comfort Hotel... Notice the sleek aluminium style finish with the black cedar wood plywood headrest... and the digital clock with the alarm facility?

The cot at Comfort Hotel... Had a window with a view... phew... I could see the entire traffic from the Okayama Railway station to the Asahi River... The trams, the buses, cars, cycles, people... splendid... An enormous change from the claustrophobic view-less room at Leo Palace

The cot at Comfort Hotel had an electronic dashboard... with a digital alarm clock, a mounted headlamp, a floor lamp and a separate switchboard to it... along with independent sockets on it... a double pillow, good mattress... and a bedsheet plus quilt...

The initial shock... From India to Leo Palace... Amazing Claustrophobia

2006-12-10T05:54:00.000-08:00

This was the great electrical hub in 21st century Japan... in Leo Palace, of course.. It had a fridge, water heater, telephone charger, rice cooker, Clothes iron and 2 more empty sockets... all attached to one one socket... seemed quite efficient untill I read the Leo Palace Manual, that mentioned that if the power went off... I had to repair the surge protector like stuff on a high location in the passage (that would be stark dark, if the lights went off), in minus zero degree centigrade... and if something went badly wrong... I may be in for a Yen 100,000 cost for repairs...

This was supposed to be the cot, the storage space and the TV plus broadband at Leo Palace - the plywood platform was creaking loudly... It would go - "cccrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee" - Imagine hearing it when you are alone in a new country and a new town, on your first day out...

I removed the mattress from the platform and placed it on the floor... and used the platform as my open wardrobe... the lower cupboard was more comfy... but ultra claustrophobic even if you entered it to sort out stuff...

The video phone at the door at Leo Palace. Was quite enjoyable. That was the only entertainment that I had there. From 5 pm to 9 am through the zero degree centigrade... inside the room... it was warmer outside the room... but keeping the window open brought in the chill winds...

The mattress ... with the quilt on it... was quite comfortable. But the room was extremely cold... I had to keep the mattress on the floor, because the plywood platform where it was supposed to be kept, was creaking, and making loud sounds, as though I would go through it... It was hideous... like a haunted house...

The first place that I stayed at - Leo Palace, between Okayama Railway Station and the University... This was the only furniture that I had - Dining Table+Writing Table+Study Table+Rice Cooker Stand+whatever... Notice the Hot Iron below the table... and the Ironing board... This was also supposed to be placed on the table...

For those who know me... and my huge tables, about 1000 sq feet back at Pune, imagine living with this 3 sq feet table for a month... Made me extremely claustrophobic, and almost convinced me to return to India...