Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama, Japan (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/734

Located in a mountainous region that was cut off from the rest of the world for a long period of time, these villages with their Gassho-style houses subsisted on the cultivation of mulberry trees and the rearing of silkworms. The large houses with their steeply pitched thatched roofs are the only examples of their kind in Japan. Despite economic upheavals, the villages of Ogimachi, Ainokura and Suganuma are outstanding examples of a traditional way of life perfectly adapted to the environment and people's social and economic circumstances.

1- Ogimachi Village - Shirakawa-Mura, Ono-gun, Gifu Prefecture

2- Ogimachi Village 2 - Shirakawa-Mura, Ono-gun, Gifu Prefecture
3- Ainokura Village - Taira-Mura, Higashi-tonami-gun, Toyama Prefecture
4- Suganuma Village - Kamitaira-Mura, Higashi-tonami-gun, Toyama Prefecture

Postcard 1 : Shirakawa-Mura

Sender: kyoto348,  Sent on: 13 May, 2014, Received on: 13 Jun, 2014, Travel time: 31 days

Postcard 2 : Suganuma Village



Sender: tabisuruyuki, Sent on: 19 Mar, 2014, Received on: 28 Mar, 2014, Travel time: 9 days

Ogasawara Islands, Japan (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1362

The property numbers more than 30 islands clustered in three groups and covers surface area of 7,939 hectares. The islands offer a variety of landscapes and are home to a wealth of fauna, including the Bonin Flying Fox, a critically endangered bat, and 195 endangered bird species. Four-hundred and forty-one native plant taxa have been documented on the islands whose waters support numerous species of fish, cetaceans and corals. Ogasawara Islands' ecosystems reflect a range of evolutionary processes illustrated through its assemblage of plant species from both southeast and northwest Asia, alongside many endemic species.

Sender: cococaby, Sent on: 11 Mar, 2014, Received on: 21 Mar, 2014, Travel time: 10 days

Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara, Japan (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/870

Nara was the capital of Japan from 710 to 784. During this period the framework of national government was consolidated and Nara enjoyed great prosperity, emerging as the fountainhead of Japanese culture. The city's historic monuments – Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and the excavated remains of the great Imperial Palace – provide a vivid picture of life in the Japanese capital in the 8th century, a period of profound political and cultural change.

Sender: cococaby, Sent on: 11 Mar, 2014, Received on: 21 Mar, 2014, Travel time: 10 days

Himeji-jo, Japan (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/661

Himeji-jo is the finest surviving example of early 17th-century Japanese castle architecture, comprising 83 buildings with highly developed systems of defence and ingenious protection devices dating from the beginning of the Shogun period. It is a masterpiece of construction in wood, combining function with aesthetic appeal, both in its elegant appearance unified by the white plastered earthen walls and in the subtlety of the relationships between the building masses and the multiple roof layers.

Sender: cococaby, Sent on: 11 Mar, 2014, Received on: 21 Mar, 2014, Travel time: 10 days

Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range, Japan (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1142

Set in the dense forests of the Kii Mountains overlooking the Pacific Ocean, three sacred sites – Yoshino and Omine, Kumano Sanzan, Koyasan – linked by pilgrimage routes to the ancient capital cities of Nara and Kyoto, reflect the fusion of Shinto, rooted in the ancient tradition of nature worship in Japan, and Buddhism, which was introduced from China and the Korean Peninsula. The sites (495.3 ha) and their surrounding forest landscape reflect a persistent and extraordinarily well-documented tradition of sacred mountains over 1,200 years. The area, with its abundance of streams, rivers and waterfalls, is still part of the living culture of Japan and is much visited for ritual purposes and hiking, with up to 15 million visitors annually. Each of the three sites contains shrines, some of which were founded as early as the 9th century.

Sender: cococaby, Sent on: 11 Mar, 2014, Received on: 21 Mar, 2014, Travel time: 10 days

Shrines and Temples of Nikko, Japan (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/913

The shrines and temples of Nikko, together with their natural surroundings, have for centuries been a sacred site known for its architectural and decorative masterpieces. They are closely associated with the history of the Tokugawa Shoguns.

Sender: cococaby, Sent on: 11 Mar, 2014, Received on: 21 Mar, 2014, Travel time: 10 days

Itsukushima Shinto Shrine, Japan (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/776

 

The island of Itsukushima, in the Seto inland sea, has been a holy place of Shintoism since the earliest times. The first shrine buildings here were probably erected in the 6th century. The present shrine dates from the 12th century and the harmoniously arranged buildings reveal great artistic and technical skill. The shrine plays on the contrasts in colour and form between mountains and sea and illustrates the Japanese concept of scenic beauty, which combines nature and human creativity.

 

Postcard 1 :

 

 

Sender: sunflower66, Sent on: 11 Apr, 2014, Received on: 25 Apr, 2014, Travel time: 14 days 

 

 

Postcard 2 :

 

 

Sender: naomi703, Sent on: 4 Feb, 2014, Received on: 14 Feb, 2014, Travel time: 10 days

Bazara (Meikira), Twelve Heavenly Generals Statues, Shin-Yakushi-ji Temple, Nara, Japan

Shin-Yakushi-ji is a Buddhist temple of the Kegon sect in Nara, Japan. It was founded in 747 by Empress Kōmyō. Initially a large complete Shichidō garan temple, it suffered from fire damage and deteriorated during the Heian period. The temple was revived during the Kamakura period. Only one building, the present main hall or Hon-dō, has survived from the 8th century. All other structures date to the Kamakura period.

Shin-Yakushi-ji owns several cultural assets. The Hon-dō, the principal image of Yakushi Nyorai and eleven statues of the Twelve Heavenly Generals have been designated by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of the government of Japan as National Treasures.

Bazara (Meikira): 162.9 cm, with hair standing on ends and an open mouth as if crying out. He holds a sword in his right hand.

Sender: KAYU, Sent on: 2 Feb, 2014, Received on: 10 Feb, 2014, Travel time: 8 days

Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome), Japan (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/775

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome) was the only structure left standing in the area where the first atomic bomb exploded on 6 August 1945. Through the efforts of many people, including those of the city of Hiroshima, it has been preserved in the same state as immediately after the bombing. Not only is it a stark and powerful symbol of the most destructive force ever created by humankind; it also expresses the hope for world peace and the ultimate elimination of all nuclear weapons.

Sender: cococaby, Sent on: 8 Feb, 2014, Received on: 14 Feb, 2014, Travel time: 6 days

Season's Greetings, Japan

Sender: Naomi, Sent on: 13 Dec, 2013, Received on: 19 Dec, 2013, Travel time: 6 days

Yakushima, Japan (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/662

High moors are found above 1600 m, such as Hananoego, Kohananoego and Shikanosawa. These high moors have been produced as a result of sphagnum moss piling up. Such high moors more often found in colder regions. Those on Yakushima Island are the southernmost occurrences of such moors in Japan.

These are high moors situated at an elevation of roughly 1,600 m in the center of Yakushima and it is an area of the southernmost high moors in Japan. Sphagnum moss grows over its entire surface, and the alpine plants and rows of white Yakusugi trees around its periphery present a beautiful spectacle.

Photo taken by Tsuyoshi Nishiinoue

Sender: minami23, Sent on: 2 Dec, 2013, Received on: 16 Dec, 2013, Travel time: 14 days

Yakushima, Japan (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/662

Located in the interior of Yaku Island, at the meeting-point of the palaearctic and oriental biotic regions, Yakushima exhibits a rich flora, with some 1,900 species and subspecies, including ancient specimens of the sugi (Japanese cedar). It also contains a remnant of a warm-temperate ancient forest that is unique in this region.

Of great significance to the area is the presence of indigenous Japanese cedar, known colloquially as 'sugi'. Sugi can reach more than 1,000 years of age on stable sites under the climate of the island: specimens younger than 1,000 years are known as 'Kosugi'; older specimens, which may reach 3,000 years, are known as 'Yakusugi' and are found between 600 m and 1,800 m.

Traditionally, the Island Mountains have been considered to have a spiritual value and the 'Yakusugi' were revered as sacred trees.

Yakushima occupies a strategic situation on the boundary between the Holoarctic and Palaeotropic biogeographic regions, and much of its conservation value is reflected in the 200 plant species which have the southern limit of their natural distribution on the island. The altitudinal continuum of the forests across some 2,000 m is considered to be not only the best in the Japanese archipelago, but the best remaining in East Asia. Ancient yakusugi trees are of prime conservation value to the island.

Sender: minami23, Sent on: 2 Dec, 2013, Received on: 16 Dec, 2013, Travel time: 14 days

Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu, Japan (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/972

Five hundred years of Ryukyuan history (12th-17th century) are represented by this group of sites and monuments. The ruins of the castles, on imposing elevated sites, are evidence for the social structure over much of that period, while the sacred sites provide mute testimony to the rare survival of an ancient form of religion into the modern age. The wide- ranging economic and cultural contacts of the Ryukyu Islands over that period gave rise to a unique culture.

The Katsuren-jô (Katsuren Castle), built in the 12th-13th centuries, was the stronghold of another powerful chieftain, Amawari. Sited on a dominant hill, it comprises four linked enclosures with walls of coralline limestone. There are several ancient places of worship, in particular the shrine dedicated to Kobazukasa, a round stone column in the middle of the first enclosure, is still of considerable spiritual significance.

Sender: lilmummy, Sent on: 1 Dec, 2013, Received on: 9 Dec, 2013, Travel time: 8 days

Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu, Japan (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/972

Five hundred years of Ryukyuan history (12th-17th century) are represented by this group of sites and monuments. The ruins of the castles, on imposing elevated sites, are evidence for the social structure over much of that period, while the sacred sites provide mute testimony to the rare survival of an ancient form of religion into the modern age. The wide- ranging economic and cultural contacts of the Ryukyu Islands over that period gave rise to a unique culture.

Shuri-jô (Shuri Castle) built in the second half of the 14th century, was the main castle of the kings of Chûzan and, after unification, of the Ryukyu Kingdom. The hill on which it stands dominates Naha City and its port. It is divided into inner and outer enclosures, conforming with the topography. The castle's enclosure walls, built with random bonding of coralline limestone, extend over 1,080 m.

Sender: lilmummy, Sent on: 1 Dec, 2013, Received on: 9 Dec, 2013, Travel time: 8 days

Hiraizumi – Temples, Gardens and Archaeological Sites Representing the Buddhist Pure Land, Japan (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1277

Chûson-ji Konjikidô is a remarkable survival and has been conserved with great skill in a way that ensures its authenticity of materials and construction. The authenticity of the temple in its landscape has to a certain extent been compromised by the concrete sheath building that now surrounds it.  To sustain the ability of the property to convey its value, it is essential that the four temples are able to convey in an inspiring way their association with the profound ideals of Pure Land Buddhism.

Sender: Tyskie, Sent on: 25 Nov, 2013, Received on: 9 Dec, 2013, Travel time: 15 days

Fujisan, sacred place and source of artistic inspiration, Japan (UNESCO WH)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1418

The beauty of the solitary, often snow-capped, stratovolcano, known around the world as Mount Fuji, rising above villages and tree-fringed sea and lakes has long inspired artists and poets and been the object of pilgrimages. Its representation in Japanese art goes back to the 11th century but 19th century wood block prints have made Fujisan become an internationally recognized icon of Japan and have had a deep impact on the development of Western art. The inscribed property consists of 25 sites which reflect the essence of Fujisan’s sacred landscape. In the 12th century, Fujisan became the centre of training for ascetic Buddhism, which included Shinto elements. On the upper 1,500-metre tier of the 3,776m mountain, pilgrim routes and crater shrines have been inscribed alongside sites around the base of the mountain including Sengen-jinja shrines, Oshi lodging houses, and natural volcanic features such as lava tree moulds, lakes, springs and waterfalls, which are revered as sacred.

Sender: impreza, Sent on: 13 Oct, 2013, Received on: 3 Nov, 2013, Travel time: 21 days

Flag of Japan

White with a large red disk (representing the sun without rays) in the center.

Sender: manatii, Sent on: 25 Aug, 2013, Received on: 4 Sep, 2013, Travel time: 9 days

Japanese Currency

Sender: Kozue, Received on: 22 Jul, 2013, Distance: 8,752 km (5,438 miles), Travel time: 22 days

Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities), Japan (UNESCO)

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/688

 

Built in A.D. 794 on the model of the capitals of ancient China, Kyoto was the imperial capital of Japan from its foundation until the middle of the 19th century. As the centre of Japanese culture for more than 1,000 years, Kyoto illustrates the development of Japanese wooden architecture, particularly religious architecture, and the art of Japanese gardens, which has influenced landscape gardening the world over.

 

KYOTO
1) Kiyomizudera Temple
2) Kinkakuji - Rokuonji Temple
3) Ginkakuji - Jishoji Temple
4) Ryoanji Temple
5) Hongwanji Temple
6) Nijo Castle
7) Ninnaji Temple
8) Toji - Kyoogokokuji Temple

9) Kamigamo - Kamowakeikazuchi Jinja
10) Shimogamo - Kamomioya Jinja
11) Daigoji Temple
12) Kozanji Temple
13) Kokedera - Saihoji Temple
14) Tenryuji Temple

UJI
 15) Byodoin Temple
 16) Ujigami Jinja

OTSU 17) Enryakuji Temple

 

Postcard 1 : Nijo Castle, Kyoto

 

 

Sender: y12315259, Sent on: 6 May, 2014, Received on: 14 Mar, 2014, Travel time: 8 days

 

Postcard 2 : Moss Garden of Saiho-ji, Kyoto

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saihō-ji_(Kyoto)

Saihō-ji is a Rinzai Zen Buddhist temple located in Matsuo, Nishikyō Ward, Kyoto, Japan. The temple, which is famed for its moss garden, is commonly referred to as "Koke-dera", meaning "moss temple", while the formal name is "Kōinzan Saihō-ji". The temple, primarily constructed to honor Amitabha, was first founded by Gyōki and was later restored by Musō Soseki.

Sender: Hiroshi, Sent on: 19 Feb, 2014, Received on: 27 Feb, 2014, Travel time: 8 days

 

Postcard 3 : The Buddhist temple of Byodo-in

Byōdō-in is a Buddhist temple in the city of Uji in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. It is jointly a temple of the Jōdo-shū (Pure Land) and Tendai-shū sects.

Sender: Sawa, Sent on: 17 Jun, 2013, Received on: 01 Jul, 2013, Travel time: 15 days

Kyoto Gotochi Postcard

Sender: Mariko, Received on: 17 Jun, 2013, Travel time: 11 days