Wednesday, September 25, 2013

NARA, A CAPITAL OF ASUKA ERA (7th~8th Century)

Nara was a capital of Japan from 7th to 8th century. We went there to see historical places and buildings.

                       古都、奈良に行きました。


Kondo building and a five storied pagoda.

法隆寺の金堂と五重塔です。


                                           Kondo is the oldest wooden building in the world.

金堂です。


The oldest five storied pagoda in Japan.

五重塔です。


A wind bell is hung from the roof of this pagoda.

裳階(もこし)に風鐸が下がっています。 

This wind bell is named Hutaku or Hotyaku.

風鐸は宝鐸(ほうちゃく)とも呼ばれます。


From「季節の花300」
This plant is named Hotyaku-So. The name came from the windbell above.

ホウチャクソウです。

This metal accessory is located at the top of this pagoda,and named Kurin.

五重塔の天辺に相輪があります。丸い輪の部分を九輪(くりん)と呼びます。


From 「季節の花300」
This plant is named Kurin.

クリンソウです。


The balustrade is designed as if swastika variety. These design are very characteristic in this Era.

 卍崩しというデザインが欄干にあります。飛鳥時代の建物の特徴です。


There is a little devil between the roofs.

邪鬼がこの塔の裳階の間に居ます。


Closing up the devil.  We would ask him "Very heavy?"" He would reply," Not at all."

「重いでしょう」と聞くと、「全然」と答えるそうです。


The windows of the fence are designed like this photo. We would able to  see outside if we were a right angel,
but  we would stand obliquely,we could not see outside.

連子格子の窓です。直角に見ると外が見えて、斜めから見ると外が見えません。


Then we went to go Asuka temple. There is the oldest  a statue of Buddha in Japan.

飛鳥寺に行きました。


Asuka Big statue of Buddha.

飛鳥大仏です。


Closing up. His face looks like a archaic smile.

 アルカイックスマイルを浮かべています。 鞍作りの止利の作と言われてます。


This kind of accessories is named Keman.

華鬘(けまん)です。

From「季節の花300」
This plant is named Ki-Keman. Ki means yellow.

キケマンです。 

There were  beautiful flowers in this precincts.

境内に咲いていた花です。 

Fuyo.

フヨウです。

White fuyo

白いフヨウです。
 
 
















64 comments:

  1. What beautiful buildings. Such intricate details! Years ago, we had a Japanese exchange student for 6 weeks and she was from Nara.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Linda.
      Thank you very much for your comment. I think she explained many things about Japan and Learned a lot of things from you.

      Delete
  2. Nara looks like a wonderful place to see these historic buildings. The architecture is so beautiful with the upward-curving roofs and the marvelous sculpted wooden details throughout. It's very light and organic-looking with even the bells resembling some of nature's beautiful flowers.

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    Replies
    1. Dear Pat.
      Thank you very much for your comment. I feel happy you looked many things from my post.

      Delete
  3. Very interesting story to tell us ... I thought it had always been Japan. Minoru did not know this. I love architecture, so different from ours.
    Beautiful photos. and very good details. I was pleased to see Nara through your photos.
    A hug.

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    Replies
    1. Dear Laura.
      Thank you very much for your comment. I feel very happy that you like architecture. and you enjoyed my post. Thank you again.

      Delete
  4. Love the architecture and the wonderful collection of pictures.

    K is for ...

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    Replies
    1. Dear Marcy.
      Thank you very much for your comment.

      Delete
  5. Great shots and very informative. I knew about pagodas, but not about the kondo.

    Leslie
    abcw team

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    Replies
    1. Dear Leslie.
      Thank you very much for your comment.

      Delete
  6. What amazing structures these are, Minoru.
    And to think that they are so old.
    I really love the metal tower.
    Hard to imagine what it must have taken to build that!

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  7. It's interesting how some of your flowers have been named after architectural features. These ancient wooden buildings must be fascinating to visit.

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    Replies
    1. Dear Karen.
      Thank you very much for your comment. I feel happy you checked the flower names from the buildings.

      Delete
  8. a KOOL building at the top
    ROG, ABC Wednesday team

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    Replies
    1. Dear Roger.
      Thank you very much for your comment.

      Delete
  9. Beautiful historical city. Thank you for the tour! (That little devil is working hard! ;>))). ) The buildings and the flowers are all lovely here.

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    Replies
    1. Dear Sallie.
      Thank you very much for your comment.

      Delete
  10. 法隆寺は行ったことはありますが、ざっと見ただけ。こんな風に説明いただくと実に興味深い建物ですね。植物と並べるのは、Minoruさまならではの視点。おもしろかったです。
    邪鬼ががんばってるのも楽しい。”あまのじゃく”な邪鬼ですね。

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Merry Witch.
      こんばんは。あの邪鬼は江戸時代に付けられたものらしいですが、ユーモアが有って面白いと思いました。 植物との関連はいつか書きたいと思っていました。

      Delete
  11. I have hopped over from Through the Sapphire Sky. Really enjoyed your blog, and looking forward to reading some more.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1.  Dear N Buckles.
      Thank you very much for your comment. I hope you will come to my blog repeatedly.

      Delete
  12. Spectacular architectural style of the building! like it. sounds a memorable tour..
    thanks for sharing your experience with beautiful photographs..

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    Replies
    1. Dear Ecrotravels.
      Thank you very much for your comment.

      Delete
  13. Those pagodas are amazing!
    Great captures of the flowers!

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    Replies
    1. Dear Indrani.
      Thank you very much for your comment.

      Delete
  14. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  15. 宝鐸(ほうちゃく)とホウチャクソウ、九輪と九輪草、華鬘(けまん)とキケマンが、写真で対比されてるとは、
    今回の日記はこってますね。素晴らしいです。
    風鐸や、邪鬼も普通に歩いてると見過ごしてしまうと思うので、大変参考になりました。
    そして飛鳥寺の釈迦如来のアルカイックスマイルには癒されますね。
    この日記を拝見して、奈良の魅力を再発見しました。

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 弘世旅空様 
       こんばんは。おほめにあづかり、嬉しいです。植物愛好家もあまり知らない事を、書いてみました。
      明日か大仏は写真撮影がオーケーでしたので撮れて嬉しかったです。

      Delete
  16. What the glorious buildings! such an amazing architecture..

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    Replies
    1. Dear MastHoliday.
      Thank you very much for your comment.

      Delete
  17. Gorgeous shots and such amazing architecture.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Lady Fi.
      Thank you very much for your comment.

      Delete
  18. Oh, man. Nara. I so want to go there.

    Lovely shots!

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    Replies
    1. Dear Zandarmid.
      Thank you very much for your comment.

      Delete
  19. Thank you very much for the culture lesson. Amazing buildings and so old and beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Yogi.
      Thank you very much for your comment.

      Delete
  20. Great to see, thanks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear travelwithintent.com.
      Thank you very much for your comment.

      Delete
  21. 奈良へようこそ!法隆寺は広大な敷地で、見どころも満載なのでお忙しかったのではないかと思います。私も先日は飛鳥の稲淵にある棚田と彼岸花を見に行ってきた所です。飛鳥も歴史の宝庫ですし、興味の尽きないところで私も好きです。飛鳥寺のすぐ近くにあるお蕎麦屋さんなんか行かれなかったですか?知る人ぞ知る小さな店ですが、10割そばのとても美味しいところなんですよ。

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear cosmos.
      こんばんは。今回は講師付きのツアーで聖徳太子の足跡を巡る旅に参加しました。 橿原ロイヤルホテルに連泊して、太子の生まれた所から、霊廟まで訪ねました。
       とても楽しかったです。

      Delete
  22. Dear Jim.
    Thank you very much for your comment.

    ReplyDelete
  23. A lovely sky above the pagoda.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear sceneoftranquility.
      Thank you very much for your comment.

      Delete
  24. what an abundance of tranquil beauty!

    ReplyDelete
  25. What the unique architectural building! love it.

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    Replies
    1. Dear ercotravels.
      Thank you very much for your comment.

      Delete
  26. I would love to visit Nara again.

    Thank you Minoru for sharing. :)

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    Replies
    1. Dear lina.
      Thank you very much for your comment. I hope so. Wishing you a wonderful weekend.

      Delete
  27. What a beautiful building! I would love to see it in person. All the neat details are wonderful. I love the wind bell and the pretty flowers. Lovely photos, have a happy day!

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    Replies
    1. Dear eileen.
      Thank you very much for your comment. Wishing you a wonderful weekend.

      Delete
  28. Magnificent building and wonderful flowers. Thank you so much for sharing.

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    Replies
    1. Dear Denise.
      Thank you very much for your comment.

      Delete
  29. Incrível essa sintonia entre as flores e a arquitetura.
    Extremamente delicada.

    ¸.•°♡彡Ótimo sábado!
    ♡♫° ·.Bom fim de semana!
    Beijinhos.
    ¸.•°❤❤⊱

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Magia.
      Thank you very much for your comment.

      Delete
  30. This is a culture-rich place. And it is beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Rainfiels61.
      Thank you very much for your comment.

      Delete
  31. What a fascinating post, so full of Japan's old history! Given how old Nara is, how old do you reckon that oldest wood building in the world is?! I wonder what sort of wood it's built from, or what - if anything - has been used to treat it over the centuries to preserve it.

    As always I love the flowers, especially the Kurin. Funny it shares a name with the elaborate metal accessory, just as the other flower shares its name with the handsome wind bell!

    The little devil is a wonderful detail! In European architecture, it would be called a "grotesque." (People often mistakenly call them "gargoyles," but it's only a gargoyle if it's a water spout).

    And the oldest Buddha statue in Japan ~ beautiful! What a fun visit that must have been to see all that wonderful history. Thank you for sharing!

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    Replies
    1. Dear Laloofah.
      Thank you very much for your comment. You always read about my posts carefully,I always thank about your comments. Thank you about telling me the difference between grotesque and gargoyle. This kind of a little devil would be called as a anagonistic devil. He would always give opinions opposite to what we would ask about. Laloofah,thank you again.

      Delete
    2. And I thank YOU, Minoru, for your lovely replies! And for the additional information about the contrarian little devil! (I know a few people like that, LOL) I always enjoy your posts, it's a pleasure to read them! :-)

      Delete
    3. Dear Laloofah.
      THank you very much!

      Delete
  32. excellent places to visit.. now i know about the plant n the bell.

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    Replies
    1. Dear cquek.
      Thank you very much for your comment.

      Delete
  33. 奈良に来られたんですね。法隆寺は3回程行ってますが。宝鐸や、華まん、初めて知りました。又その名からとった花もあるなんて思いもよりませんでした。私は、法隆寺なら、百済観音像が好きです。

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear sarah.
      こんばんは。スタイルが良い百済観音はとても魅力的でした。法隆寺はあまりにも有名なので、違った切り口でブログを書くのに苦労しました。

      Delete