Nakasu (中洲), Fukuoka

"The largest red-light district in the western Japan area next to Osaka."

Nakasu is the red-light district which exists between the sandbank of the Nakagawa River and the Hakata River, in Fukuoka City.

I took many photos of Nakasu day and night.

A view of Nakasu and Canal City Hakata from Fukuhaku Deai Bridge.

Fukuhaku Deai Bridge, where meets the old cities of Hakata and Fukuoka.

Night scene from Nishi Nakajima Bridge.

A view of Nakasu and Canal City Hakata at night from Fukuhaku Deai Bridge.

Kumho Bus Lines/錦湖（クムホ）高速

I took Kumho Bus Lines several times in Jeollanamdo when I was there in June 2009. Kumho Bus Lines is one of express and intercity bus operators in Korea and is a subsidiary company of Kumho Asiana Group.

２００９年６月全羅南道に行ったとき錦湖高速を数回利用しました。錦湖高速は韓国の高速市外バスを運行している会社のひとつで錦湖アシアナグループの子会社です。

The Hyundai Universe Xpress Nobel 960 awaiting for departure to Seoul./順天市外バスターミナルに停車中のソウル行き現代（ヒュンダイ）ユニバースエクスプレスノーブル９６０。

Haeinsa Temple (해인사/海印寺), Gyeongsangnamdo, Korea/韓国慶尚南道（キョンサンナムドウ）の海印寺（ヘエインサ・해인사）

Today (28 March 2012), I found three photos of Haeinsa taken during my 5 days travel to Korea in March 2006. I was uploaded my travel photos onto fotopic.net website until February 2011. But this website was down in March. Now, I kept just three of them in my photoshop.

今日（2012/3/28)に２００６年３月の韓国５日間旅行で撮った写真のうち海印寺の３枚の写真を見つけました。旅行の写真を２０１１年２月までfotopic.netにＵＰしていたのですが、このウエブサイトは３月でサービス停止となってしまって...　今ではこの３枚だけフォトショップに残っています。

The Tripitaka Koreana /高麗八萬大蔵経 (こうらいはちまんだいぞうきょう)

How to get there:Take intercity bus services from Daegu Seobu Intercity Bus Terminal (서부시외버스터미널). The bus operates 40 times a day. The fare is 3,900won one-way.

交通アクセス：大邸（テグ）西部市街バスターミナル(서부시외버스터미널)から海印寺行き市外バス利用。バスは１日４０回運行している。料金は片道３，９００ウオンだ。

Yeosu (여수/麗水), Jeollanamdo/麗水（ヨス・여수）、全羅南道

After I left Naganeupseong, I came back to Suncheon by bus. Then I took an another bus to Yeosu. Yeosu is a beautiful port city with a population of 295,439 in 2007.

楽安邑城を後にしてバスで順天まで戻ってそこから別のバスに乗り換えて麗水まで向かいました。麗水は美しい港町で２０１０年の人口は269,937人です。

View of Central Yeosu from Odong-do Island./麗水（ヨス）市内の眺望

A cliff at Odong-do Island./梧桐島（オドンド)の断崖

A cliff and a lighthouse at Odong-do Island./梧桐島（オドンド)の断崖と灯台

A view of Gyeongsangnam-do from Odong-do Island./梧桐島（オドンド)から慶尚南道(キョンサンナムドウ)を望む。

Naganeupseong (樂安邑城, 낙안읍성) in June 2009, Suncheon, Korea/２００９年６月楽安邑城（ナガンオプソン, 낙안읍성)、韓国順天（スンチョン）市

I went to Korea (Seoul and some parts of Jeollanamdo) for 4 days between 18 and 21 June 2009. First, I flew to Seoul by Asiana Airlines. I spent one night at Insa-dong Crown Hotel. The next day, I was decided to go Naganeupseong, a Korean castle in Nagan-myeon, Suncheon, Jeollanamdo, Korea. How did I get there? I took subway line 5 from Jungno 3-ga to Gimpo Airport, flew Asiana Airlines to Yeosu. From Yeosu, I took an airport bus to Suncheon, then took an another bus to Naganeupseong.

２００９年６月１８日から２１日まで４日間韓国のソウルと全羅南道に行ってきました。最初アシアナ航空でソウルまで向かいました。仁寺洞（インサドン）にあるクラウンホテルで一泊し、翌日全羅南道順天にある楽安邑城に行くことにしました。どのようなルートで行ったかと言えばまず地下鉄５号線で鐘路３街（ジュンノサンガ）から金浦空港まで出てアシアナ航空で麗水（ヨス）まで飛びました。麗水から空港リムジンバスで順天まで出てそこから別の市内バスで楽安邑城まで向かいました。

Mount Aso (阿蘇山), Kumamoto in October 2011

I took many photos of Mount Aso, the largest active volcano in Japan, and is among the largest in the world. We went there on 19 October 2011 for my 37 years old birthday.

The steaming creator of Mount Aso.

Mount Komezuka is a volcano "parasite" of Mount Aso.

A view of the five mountains of Aso and Aso Caldera from Shiroyama Viewpoint.

Aso Volcano Museum

A view of Mount Naka from Aso Volcano Museum observation deck.

Kusasenri, an old crater of Mount Aso.

Fuki-ji (富貴寺) Temple, Bungotakada, Oita

"The oldest wooden structure in Kyushu"

Day tripping to Fuki-ji Temple in Bungotakada City, Oita on 06 December 2009. Fuki-ji was built in 718, and is located on the Kunisaki peninsula.

O-do is designated as a national treasure.

More photos from Nakatsu, Oita

After we left Rakan-ji Temple, we were visited to a couple of the city's major tourist attractions; the Nakatsu Castle, a symbol of Nakatsu and Fukuzawa Yukichi's old residence, located near the Nakatsu Castle.

Nakatsu Castle (中津城) was built in 1588 by Lord Kuroda Yoshitaka.

 Fukuzawa Yukichi's old residence (福澤諭吉旧宅). Fukuzawa Yukichi, known as the founder of Keio University, Educator and thinker and the man on the 10,000yen banknote. Next to the house, there is the Fukuzawa Yukichi's Memorial Hall.

Rakan-ji (羅漢寺) Temple, Nakatsu, Oita

Day tripping to Rakan-ji Temple in Nakatsu City, Oita on 25 August 2011. As usual, my mother drove me all time.

Summery

Rakan-ji is a Sōtō temple in Nakatsu, Oita Prefecture, Japan. The temple stands on the mountainside of Mt. Rakan, the rocky cliff of which has countless mouths of caves. The main gate and the main hall stand directly in the rocky cliff. In the caves, over 3,700 stone Buddhas are enshrined.
The temple was established in 1337, but it was destroyed by fire in 1943. The present main hall was reconstructed in 1969.

Source:Rakan-ji (Oita) on Wikipedia

Sanmon main gate

Main hall

500 rakan (五百羅漢) in Murodo (無漏洞) cave

Fururakan (古羅漢) rocky cliff

Shitsu Catholic Church (カトリック出津教会), Nagasaki

After we left Kurosaki, we went to Shitsu Catholic Church.

History

Father de Rotz devoted himself not only to upgrading the livelihood of local residents, but also to educating mothers and daughters, who play important roles in raising children. He provided religious education in plain words, and laid the foundation for nurturing more priests and religious in this district than in any other place in Japan. Father de Rotz was in charge of all the design and construction work of Shitsu Church, which was enlarged twice. As with Oura Cathedral, which has been designated a national treasure, Shitsu Church was built by covering brick walls with mortar. The Father de Rotz Memorial Hall, located near the church, stores documents related to the church design.

Source:Shitsu Church on Nagasaki Prefecture Official site

Kurosaki Catholic Church (カトリック黒崎教会), Nagasaki

On 24 August 2010, we decided to take a drive to see two catholic churches in the Sotome area of Nagasaki City, Kurosaki and Shitsu.

History

Kurosaki, one of the Christian communities of the former Sotome village, became Kurosaki parish independent from Shitsu parish in 1885. From that time, the faithful of the new parish came to desire their own church in Kurosaki, and prepared a site for it under the direction of Father de Rotz. However, the church construction saw little progress, since the people lived in poverty. In 1918, construction finally commenced, led by Father Iwanaga. The faithful laid bricks one by one until Kurosaki Church was finally completed in 1920, during the pastorate of Father Harve. Kurosaki Church stands on a small rise of land overlooking the sea. The bell tower beside the church was built by Father Shibuya to celebrate the return of hidden Christians to the Church.

Source:Kurosaki Catholic Church on Nagasaki Prefecture Official site

Statue of Virgin Mary is standing at the entrance.

A night view of Central in Hong Kong Island/香港中環(Central)の夜景

I'm posting a magnificent night view of Central in Hong Kong Island in January 2005. This photo was taken from Star Avenue in Kowloon./２００５年１月香港行ったときに尖沙咀のスターアベニューから撮った中環(Central)のすばらしい夜景です。

Planes at Hong Kong International Airport/香港国際空港で見かけた飛行機

A collection of planes taken to wait for transit at Hong Kong International Airport./香港国際空港で乗り継ぎの待ち時間に撮影した飛行機の写真集です。

Cathay Pacific A340-300 CX506 to Osaka Kansai before departing./出発前のキャセイパシフィック航空A340-300機CX506便大阪関西行き。

Cathay Pacific A340-300 CX410 to Seoul Incheon before departing./出発前のキャセイパシフィック航空A340-300機CX410便ソウル仁川行き。

Cathay Pacific B747-400 CX252 arriving from London Heathrow in the foreground, and Thai Airways A330-300 TG603 to Bangkok taxiing for departure in the centre picture./ロンドン・ヒスーローから到着するキャセイパシフィック航空B747-400機CX252便(手前）とタイ国際航空A330-300機TG603便バンコク行き離陸のためのタキシング（中央）。

Cathay Pacific B747-400 spotting./駐機中のキャセイパシフィック航空B747-400機。

Malaysia Airlines A330-300 MH75 to Kuala Lumpur before departing./出発前のマレーシア航空A330-300機MH75便クアラルンプール行き。

Singapore Airlines B747-400 SQ1 to Singapore before departing. This flight is from San Fransisco to Singapore via Hong Kong. In addition, this route is also operated via Seoul Incheon. /出発前のシンガポール航空B747-400機SQ1便シンガポール行き。本便はサンフランシスコ発香港経由シンガポール行きである。また同路線にはソウル仁川経由も運航している。

Thai Airways A330-300 TG603 to Bangkok taxiing for takeoff./タイ国際航空のA330-300機TG603便バンコク行き離陸のためのタキシング。

Travelling abroad: Hong Kong and Sydney on 05 and 12 January 2009 (Part 4)/海外旅行：２００９年１月５日～１２日香港・シドニー（その４）

CX flights 138 and 6700 to returning home. By the way, the CX6700 code-share and non-stop flight on Fukuoka route is operated by Hong Kong Dragon Air (see the photo), a wholly owned subsidiary of Cathay Pacific./CX138便と6700便で帰国しました。ちなみに福岡線直行便であるCX6700コードシェア便はキャセイパシフィック航空の完全子会社である香港ドラゴン航空（写真）での運航となっています。

Travelling abroad: Hong Kong and Sydney on 05 and 12 January 2009 (Part 3)/海外旅行：２００９年１月５日～１２日香港・シドニー（その３）

More photos from Sydney. Today, I'll introduce you the facilities related to the nature./シドニーに関する写真集です。今日は自然に関連する施設を紹介します。

Bondi Beach is a popular beach in Sydney./シドニーで人気なビーチであるボンダイビーチ。

The Gap, looking south over Watsons Bay and Vaucluse with the City of Sydney and the harbour on the right. The Gap is an ocean cliff in eastern Sydney./ザ・ギャップ(The Gap)は右側にはシドニー市街と港を南側にはワットソンズベイ(Watsons Bay)とボークルーズ(Vaucluse)を見渡せる。ザ・キャップはシドニー東部にある海崖。

A view of the City of Sydney and the harbour from the Gap./ザ・ギャップからのシドニー市街と港を眺望。

The Gap/ザ・ギャップ

Koalas and Kangaroos at Sydney Aquarium/シドニー水族館のコアラとカンガルー

Sleeping Kangaroos at the wildlife centre./眠っているカンガルー。ワイルドライフセンターにて。

Koalas at the wildlife centre./ワイルドライフセンターでのコアラたち。