Kiyomidu-dera Temple

 

Kiyomizu-dera  is an independent Buddhist temple in eastern Kyoto. The temple is part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) UNESCO World Heritage site.

The place is not to be confused with Kiyomizu-dera in Yasugi, Shimane, which is part of the 33-temple route of the Chūgoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage through western Japan, or the Kiyozumi-dera temple associated with the Buddhist priest Nichiren.

Kiyomizu-dera was founded in the early Heian period. The temple was founded in 778, and its present buildings were constructed in 1633, ordered by the Tokugawa Iemitsu. There is not a single nail used in the entire structure. It takes its name from the waterfall within the complex, which runs off the nearby hills. Kiyomizu means clear water, or pure water.

It was originally affiliated with the old and influential Hossō sect dating from Nara times.However, in 1965 it severed that affiliation, and its present custodians call themselves members of the "Kitahossō" sect.

Source : Wikipedia

Thanks to Akiko via Postcrossing for this lovely Temple card 

for my thematic collection!

Sent: 6 June 2016   Received: 16 June 2016   Travelled: 10 days

Alice

Thanks to 1101ringo via PostcardUnited for the lovely

Alice in Wonderland postcard and the lovely stamps!

Sent: 28 May 2016   Received: 6 June 2016  Travelled: 9 days

Red Fuji

Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (富嶽三十六景 Fugaku Sanjūrokkei?) is a series of landscape prints by the Japanese ukiyo-e artist Hokusai (1760–1849). The series depicts Mount Fuji from different locations and in various seasons and weather conditions. The original thirty-six prints were so popular that Hokusai expanded the series by ten.
Source: Wikipedia

Sent: 11 April 2016   Received: 22 April 2016   Travelled:11 days

Monkey kitty

Hehehe it's a Hello Kitty in a monkey suit, it's awfully cute!

Thanks to Denise for the monkey card swap

Sent:7 January 2016   Received: 26 January 2016   Travelled: 19 days

Japan Zodiac card

If you look in the middle, instead of the Dragon zodiac it's replace by the 

seahorse. As the dragon is the only mythical creature from the zodiac,

it's replaced by the seahorse. The seahorse in Japanese is sometimes 

called "Dragon's bastard child" hence..the seahorse hahaha

Love this card from Japan!

Sent:7 January 2016   Received: 26 January 2016   Travelled: 19 days

Gotochi Haloween mailbox

Today I told my mom to rescue my mail because it looked like it was going to rain.

She showed me a picture of my mail while I was at work so I couldn't wait to

get home and see what I got. I received many postcards and some surprise

envelopes, one of it was this super cute Gotochi mailbox! yay!

Thanks to Kelly for this nice surprise and the skeletons haha!

Sent: 14 Oct   Received: 27 Oct 2015   Travelled: 13 days

Ichimatsu doll

Ichimatsu dolls (市松人形) represent little girls or boys, correctly proportioned and usually with flesh-colored skin and glass eyes. The original Ichimatsu were named after an 18th-century Kabuki actor, and must have represented an adult man, but since the late 19th century the term has applied to child dolls, usually made to hold in the arms, dress, and pose (either with elaborately made joints or with floppy cloth upper arms and thighs). Baby boy dolls with mischievous expressions were most popular in the late 19th and early 20th century, but in 1927 the friendship doll exchange involved the creation of 58 32" dolls representing little girls, to be sent as a gift from Japan to the United States, and the aesthetic of these dolls influenced dollmakers to emulate this type of a solemn, gentle-looking little girl in elaborate kimono.

Source: Wikipedia

Yay! a doll card in my collection. Yes , I collect dolls as a theme (is there anything

that I don't collect?!) I collect especially traditional dolls because being a People

collector, dolls are also another aspect of culture which I enjoy. It's particularly interesting

to see how other cultures make a doll. Imagine being a Japanese doll master with hundreds

of these dolls all on the shelf...that would really be something to see. 

Thank you Miyuki for this swap

Sent: 9 October 2015    Received: 20 October 2015   Travelled: 11 days

Whale art

A most beautiful illustration of whales sent by dear Karla who loves the blue 

ocean world. Thanks for this so colourful and great card.

Sent: 2 July 2015   Received: 10 July 2015   Travelled: 8 days

Kimono face

Junihitoe, Japanese Ancient Formal Costume of
Noblewomen.
Thanks to Rayu for this beautiful costume card.
which also looks like an abstract face (which is what I saw first)

Sent: 29 August 2014   Received: 23 June 2015    Travelled: 298 days o.o!

Dog

Thanks to a postcrosser in Japan for this postcard of a dog,

the teddy bear stamp is absolutely lovely!

Sent:26 March 2015   Received: 2 April 2015   Travelled: 7 days

Azusa River, Nagano

Photo by Takahashi Masao

Thank you Anna for this beautiful view from Japan

Sent: 8 September 2014   Received: 18 September 2014   Travelled: 10 days

Mt Fuji's reflection

And lastly, a reflection card of Mt Fuji, the biggest surprise for me

as it assures me that people pay attention to the different and varied 

themes that I collect :D Thank you very much Chris and Rafal for this

great addition to my Reflection theme!

And the gorgeous stamps!! 

dziękuję!

Sent: 12 September 2014   Received: 23 September 2014   Travelled: 11 days

Map: Japan

Hahaha!

A really awesome map card sent by Chris and Raf who highlighted their

country and mine,Poland and Malaysia respectively, and the place they were 

travelling in. Someday , someday I'll visit Japan!

Love everything about this map card, the iconic Rising Sun flag superimposed

onto the map with the map of the world on the back and the awfully cute 

Hello Kitty stamps, SUPER!!

Sent: 16 September 2014   Received: 23 September 2014   Travelled: 7 days

Ginza, Tokyo

Tokyo: Fujiya is a Ginza landmark and pioneer in western-style confections.

Sent by Chris who was on a fantastic Japanese adventure!

Arigato!!

Sent: :o ??  Received: 23 September 2014   

Nakamura Utaemon III

 

Art by Hokusho (1808-1832)

The British Museum Department of Asia

 

Thank you Dominique who sent this card from Belgium for my sister who

loves everything to do with Japanese culture.

Sent: 12 May 2014   Received 26 May 2014   Travelled: 14 days

Japan's Wooden Postcard

 

Thanks to a dear friend who was in Japan to hike the Nakasendo trail, who sent this card

from the postal town of Magome. It arrived with a bent corner but hopefully a little

super glue can put it right.

Arigatou gozaimasu Nathan!

Received: 20 May 2014   

Nagasaki, Japan

Aerial view of Nagasaki harbor

 

 Nagasaki is the capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. Nagasaki was founded by the Portuguese in the second half of the 16th century on the site of a small fishing village, formerly part of Nishisonogi District It became a center of Portuguese and other European peoples' influence in the 16th through 19th centuries, and the Churches and Christian Sites in Nagasaki have been proposed for inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Part of Nagasaki was home to a major Imperial Japanese Navy base during the First Sino-Japanese War and Russo-Japanese War. Its name means "long cape".

During World War II, the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki made Nagasaki the second and, to date, last city in the world to experience a nuclear attack.

 

Thanks to my penpal Yuriko for this view of Nagasaki.

arigatou!

Received: 29 April 2014

Cha-no-yu

 

Excerpt:

Cha-no-yu a traditional culture of Japan since 16 C. Cha-no-yu tea ceremony

is growing more and more popular not only in the domestic but Europeans and

Americans.

 

Hehe sometimes cards from East Asia has rather funny English :D but I am absolutely

excited with what the postman brought today, two people cards and especially

this much "hoped for" card from Japan showing a maiko and the tea culture of Japan.

arigato Reiko(postcrossing) for this superb card!

Sent: 12 April 2014   Received: 23 April 2014   Travelled: 11 days

Sumo

Sumo-Ritual and sport converge in this traditional form of wrestling dating back 2000 years. Giant bodies clash as wrestlers try to overcome opponents with speed, power and winning technique. Sumo is regarded as the nation sport of Japan and enjoys much popularity today.

Yay! I'm so happy to get a sumo card from Japan. Next to get, maiko,akita and more gotochi!

Arigato gozaimasu Sayuri!

Sent: 31 March 2014   Received: 11 April 2014   Travelled: 11 days

Japanese Yen

This is the second post card from Sayuri depicting the Japanese currency. When the Japanese occupied North Borneo, they had also printed North Bornean Japanese Yen which the locals

called "Banana money" as it had banana trees on the notes. Thanks for this cultural aspect on the postcard!

Sent: 31 March 2014   Received: 11 April 2014   Travelled: 11 days