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| A dragon water sculpture is displayed at the Gokogo Shrine on December 29, 2011 in Himeji, Japan. Japanese zodiac years are commonly associated with the twelve animals Mouse, Cow, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig and this coming year will be the year of the Dragon. Japan celebrates their New Year on January 1 of each year, following the Gregorian calendar. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe) |
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People make rice cakes, Mochi for
celebrations of the forthcoming Year of the Dragon at Zuiganji temple on
December 28, 2011 in Himeji, Japan. The Japanese calendar is divided into
twelve parts and is commonly associated with the twelve animals, the Rat, Ox,
Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and the Pig.
Sticky rice cakes, or mochi, as the
Japanese call them, are made by pounding the steam rice. Mochi is a traditional
food and decoration which make for Japanese New Year. Kagami Mochi as rice cake
decoration for the new year and usually displayed inside the house, the god of
the new year, to bring good luck and prosperity in the new year. Kagami mochi
is made from two rice cakes (mochi) of
different sizes, the smaller placed over the larger one and Japanese type of
bitter orange placed on top. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe/Getty Images)
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| Mikos (shrine maidens) arrange 'Hamaya' (arrows intended to destroy evil spirits) to which 'Emas' (wooden plaques) are attached featuring a picture of dragon in celebration of the forthcoming 'Year of the Dragon' at Sosha Shrine on December 27, 2011 in Himeji, Japan. Japanese years are commonly associated with the twelve animals Rat, Ox Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe) |
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| Participants in Santa costumes race in the Kyoto Santa Claus Marathon on December 23, 2011 in Kyoto, Japan. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe) |
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A spider is seen in nest of autumn leave
hang on December 11,2011 in Masui mountain, Himeji city, Japan. (Photo by
Buddhika Weerasinghe)
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Geiko geisha girls receive special fans
from their traditional dance master Inoue Yachiyo (L) as they show their
gratitude for the past year and best wishes for the new year on December 13,
2011 in Kyoto, Japan. The annual ritual is called 'Kotohajime', and is the
start of preparation for the new year. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe)
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Photographers take pictures of Maiko and
geiko geisha girls as they walk outside the traditional art and tea house after
showing their gratitude for the past year and best wishes for the new year to their
dance master on December 13, 2011 in Kyoto, Japan. The annual ritual is called
'Kotohajime', and is the start of preparation for the new year. (Photo by Buddhika
Weerasinghe)
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| Candles burn during the One Million People's Candle Night event on December 7, 2011 in Osaka, Japan. For tow hours people were suppose to turn off holiday lights and use candles. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe) |
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| A professor of Traditional Art Super College of Kyoto, Kosho Sudo carves eye of Buddha statue on December 5, 2011 in Kyoto, Japan. The Buddha statue is being made of pine from Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, hit by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. About 5,000 people have so far contributed to the carving of the 270 cm high, 180 cm deep statue. When the Buddha statue is finished it will be given to the world famous Kiyomizu Buddhist temple to be displayed to the public from March 11, 2012. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe) |
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| Anti-nuclear activist hold banners and shouts slogans during a protest beside the Monju prototype fast-breeder reactor at Siraki on December 3, 2011 in Tsuruga, Japan. Protesters gathered to call for the closure of troubled Monju nuclear reactor. Members of the Democratic Party of Japan and private sector experts agreed at a government energy policy session last week and the reactor needed to undergo a operational and budgetary review. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe) |
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| People view illuminations during the Kobe Luminarie annual event on December 1, 2011 in Kobe, Japan. The Luminarie festival is held in memory of the over 6,400 people who lost their lives in the Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake on January 17, 1995. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe) |
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| People stand under lanterns as the Lantern Fair begins on November 30, 2011 in Kobe, Japan. About 400 Chinese lanterns light up Chinatown Square and the main street during the month long celebration. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe) |
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| A woman prepares green tea in front of the clients at ceremonial tea room, during the winter tea ceremony in Oushouji Buddhist temple on November 27, 2011 in Fukusaki , Japan. Usually, Japanese Traditional Tea Ceremony takes a place inside the Tea ceremony House, called the Chashitsu, which is accessed by a narrow and low entrance. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe) |
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| Bouze Shrine Bridge is seen over the sea on November 25, 2011 in Himeji, Japan. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe) |
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A woman arranges the Taiwan tea powder at a Chinese tea shop in Kobe Chinatown on November 24, 2011 in Kobe, Japan. Kobe Chinatown is one of only three
designated Chinatowns in Japan and has around 10,000 Chinese people residing in
it. Kobe Chinatown established when the Japanese Port of Kobe opened in 1868. At
that time many Chinese who came to merchant and settled around the western end
of Kobe’s foreign settlement and the area soon became the focus point for
subsequent Chinese migrants. Today, Kobe Chinatown is tourist spot as popular
Chinese food. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe)
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| Scenic view of miscellaneous action of runners during the start of Kobe City Marathon on November 20, 2011 in Kobe, Japan. About 23,000 Japanese and overseas runners participated. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe) |
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Photographers line up and capture colored autumn leaves images at Kobe Municipal Arboretum on November 17, 2011 in Kobe, Japan. Most of park and mountain side autumn
leaves delayed to change the colors due to high climate in this year. (Photo by
Buddhika Weerasinghe)
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| People walk on the historical Takeda castle sight on November 16, 2011 in Asago, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. The castle built in 15th century by Yamana Aozen, is thought to be the one of the most beautiful mountain castle in Japan. It located top of a mountain of Mt. Torafuku about 353.7 meters high from sea level. The scale is 400 meters from north to south and 100 meters from east to west. After Battle of Sekigahara castle was abandoned in 1600. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe) |
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| A couple walks through the seasonal decorations at Illuminated Kobe Fruits And Flower Park on November 13, 2011 in Kobe, Japan. This year 3 million LED lights are being lit up for seasonal decorations in the park, which will be on display until the middle of January in next year. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe) |
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A woman dress up as a kitchen tools and performs music during
the B class national foods festival on November 12, 2011 in Himeji city, Japan.
B-1 Grandprix, foods festival started to promote and introduce to local areas
popular foods in 2006. About 63 popular cuisines introduced by different part
of prefectures and expected more than 400,000 people in 2-days foods festival from
12-13 November.(Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe)
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| A woman sorts red coloured snow crabs during a crab auction at Kasumi port on November 6, 2011 in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. The snow crab is found in the deepest and coldest waters in the Sea of Japan. Each year snow crabs are caught from November through to March, with the current season starting today. The largest male crab, weighing about 1.4 kilograms, fetched 24,000 Japanese yen (306.7 USD) during the first day of the auction today. The day's total weight of male and female crabs was about 5,337 kilograms, worth some 7,640,000 Japanese yen (97,664.4 USD). (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe) |
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A Japanese women perform green tea during
the outdoor tea ceremony under the colorful autumn leaves at Zuihoji Temple
Park, Arima on November 3, 2011 in Kobe, Japan. The Japanese Tea Ceremony also
called the Way of Tea and Tea Art is a Japanese traditional cultural activity involving
the ceremonial preparation and presentation of “Matcha,” powdered green tea.
Tea is “Cha” in Japanese. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe)
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A domestic airplane flies over the construction
sit on October 27, 2011 in Osaka, Japan. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe)
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A cow rests in a pen during the 93rd Hyogo
Prefecture Livestock Industry Promoting Auction on October 23, 2011 at
Nishiwaki in Kobe, Japan. Kobe beef is one of most expensive beef around the
world and this year highest priced bull sold at auction 5,001,000 Japanese
yen (65,578.28 U.S. Dollars). The highest priced bull's weight 790
kilogram.
Livestock Industry Promoting auction
organizing official said auction price of Kobe and Tajima beef this year become
less demand due to March 11 Fukushima nuclear accident and economy crises.
About 800 kilogram wait 106 cows and bulls bring
to competition and auction which cows bring around the Kobe. 65 cows sold for
Kobe meat and others sold for cattle farm. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe)
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Livestock farmer Nobo Fujimoto holds this year highest priced Masaru, Kobe bull after the won the competition
during the 93rd Hyogo Prefecture Livestock Industry Promoting Auction on October
23, 2011 at Nishiwaki in Kobe, Japan. Two years and 8 months old Masaru is weight
790 kilogram and sold 5,001,000 Japanese yen (65,578.28 U.S. Dollars)
(Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe)
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Shrine Parishioners bump their portable
shrines during Nada No Kenka Matsuri, or Nada Fight Festival of Matsubara
Hachiman Shrines at Otabi Mountain on October 16, 2011 in Himeji, Hyogo, Japan.
The fight, the highlight of the shrine's Autumn Harvest Festival as part of the
thanking to god and nature. Over 100,000 people visit the Nada No Kenka
festival in every year. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe)
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Japanese Tendai-Syu Buddhist monks pray for
earthquake and Tsunami victims during the moon seen festival on October 9, 2011
in Kakogawa, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. Japan is marking seven months since a
magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck Japan offshore on March 11 at 2:46pm local
time, triggering a tsunami wave of up to ten metres which engulfed large parts
of north-eastern Japan and also damaging the Fukushima nuclear plant, causing
the worst nuclear crisis in decades. The current number of dead and missing is
reportedly estimated to be 22,900. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe)
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ALONE AGAIN
A staff member holds the pet dog of a
family after they left during the annual festival at Happy House on October 8,
2011 in Osaka, Japan. The NPO Japan Animal Trust (JAT) are taking care about
200 of the cats and dogs for their owners who are unable to keep their pets due
to their current housing conditions and the fact that they are living outside
the no entry zone of the Fukushima Nuclear disaster area. (Photo by Buddhika
Weerasinghe)
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Shingon-Shu Buddhist Monks Collect Alms on September 29, 2011 in
Himeji city, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe/Street
Photo Gallery)
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Cigarette packs display in the tobacco selling
counter on September 29, 2011 in Himeji city, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. High –
ranking officails in the government and Democratic Party of Japan have proposed
to sell the government shares in Japan Tobacco Inc to reduce the total amount
of revenue needed from extra tax hikes to raise 9.2 trillion yen ($120 billion)
fund for reconstruction of the Tohoku region following the March earthquake and
tsunami. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe/Street Photo Gallery)
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A worker
cleans the street on September 29, 2011 in Himeji city, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan.
The Democratic Party of Japan’s Select Committee on the Taxation System has proposes
increases in the income, corporate and tobacco taxes to raise 9.2 trillion yen($120
billion) fund for reconstruction of the Tohoku region following the March 11
earthquake and tsunami.(Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe/Street Photo Gallery)
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A farmer collects sack of harvested rice in
a paddy field during rice harvesting season on September 18, 2011 in Sayo city,
Hyogo, Japan. September is the month for Inekari 'the rice harvest' in Japan. According
to official Agricultural information, Hyogo Prefecture cultivates 33890
hectares of eating rice and 4130 hectares of sake production rice. (Photo by
Buddhika Weerasinghe)
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| Anti-nuclear activists demonstrate during a 'Say to Goodbye to Nuclear Energy' protest on September 11, 2011 in Kobe, Japan. Japan is marking sixth months since a magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck Japan offshore on March 11 at 2:46pm local time, triggering a tsunami wave of up to ten metres which engulfed large parts of north-eastern Japan and also damaged the Fukushima nuclear plant, causing the worst nuclear crisis in decades. The current number of dead and missing is reportedly estimated to be 22,900. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe) |
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Anti-nuclear activists light candles to
commemorate the six months anniversary of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami
during a 'Say to Goodbye to Nuclear Energy' protest on September 11, 2011 in
Kobe, Japan. Japan is marking sixth months since a magnitude 9.0 earthquake
struck Japan offshore on March 11 at 2:46pm local time, triggering a tsunami
wave of up to ten metres which engulfed large parts of north-eastern Japan and
also damaged the Fukushima nuclear plant, causing the worst nuclear crisis in
decades. The current number of dead and missing is reportedly estimated to be
22,900.(Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe)
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View of hill side rice paddies field at Tawa on September
10, 2011 in Sayo, Himeji, Japan. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe)
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A worker harvests rice paddies with a
combine harvester in a paddy field which damage caused by heavy rain delivered by Typhoon Talas on
September 10, 2011 in Sayo, Himeji, Japan.(Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe)
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| Members of Ground Self-Defense Force, firefighters and police officers continue the search for missing people among the debris of houses destroyed by a landslide caused by heavy rain delivered by Typhoon Talas on September 6, 2011 in Tanabe, Wakayama, Japan. Rescue teams and aid are being brought into the area in the aftermath of the tropical storm which hit western Japan over the weekend, leaving 42 people confirmed dead and over 50 people still missing. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe) |
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| People attempt to pump away rain water triggered by Typhoon Talas at Higashiyama on September 3, 2011 in Himeji, Japan. The Japan Meteorological Agency has issued heavy rain and wind warnings. Over 40,000 people have been advised to evacuate areas across of Western Japan as the typhoon sweeps in from the Pacific. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe) |
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People walk through the strong rain from
Typhoon Talas on September 3, 2011 in Himeji, Japan. The Japan Meteorological
Agency has issued heavy rain and wind warnings. Thousands of people have been
advised to evacuate areas across of Western Japan as the typhoon sweeps in from
the Pacific. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe)
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Students leave school early for protection
from the approaching Typhoon on September 2, 2011 in Himeji, Japan. Japan
Meteorological Agency has issued heavy rain warnings to a wide area. (Photo by
Buddhika Weerasinghe)
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A port worker closes the flood gates as
Typhoon Talas approaches on September 2, 2011 in Himeji, Japan. Japan
Meteorological Agency has issued heavy rain warnings to a wide area. (Photo by
Buddhika Weerasinghe)
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| A woman stands at an observation point to
view repairs being carried out to the main roof at Himeji Castle during its
extensive restoration work on August 31, 2011 in Hemeji, Japan. Built between
the 14th and 17th centuries and registered as a World Heritage site in 1993.
Himeji Castle is undergoing a 5 year period of full-scale restoration work
which began in December 2009 and is due to be completed in 2014. Using
traditional techniques, structural repairs are being carried out to plaster
walls, the eaves and canopies of the upper levels that have been damaged or
become soiled over a period of 45 years since the last major restoration work
was completed in 1964. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe/Street Photo Gallery) |
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| People float lanterns during the Obon Festival, honouring the spirits of deceased ancestors, at Eiheiji on August 21, 2011 in Fukui, Japan. The Japanese Buddhist festival sees families returning to their home towns to gather and pray with each other for relatives who have died, honouring their spirits. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe/Street Photo Gallery) |
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A child plays on the metal structure of
bird in Children Park on August 14, 2011 in Fukui, Japan. (Photo by Buddhika
Weerasinghe/Street Photo Gallery)
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Sunset in the hottest summer day on August 14,
2011 in Fukui city, Japan. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe/Street Photo Gallery)
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A child cool off playing at a water fountain in the Angele
Land on August 13,2011 in Fukui, Japan.
According to local media over 33 degrees Celsius high temperatures continue
in Japan. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe/Street Photo Gallery)
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| People carry baggage and return to their home town for spends to Obrn holiday on August 12, 2011 at JR railway station in Fukui, Japan. Obon is one of the most important Japanese traditions. People believe that their ancestors' spirits come back to their homes to be reunited with their family during Obon and pray for the spirits. For the reason, Obon is an important family gathering time, and many people return to their hometowns. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe/Street Photo Gallery) |
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Women use traditional style modern umbrellas and perform dance on the street during a competition of Phoenix dance festival on August 6, 2011 in Fukui city, Japan. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe/Street Photo Gallery) |
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| A survivor of the atomic bomb who evacuated from Hiroshima, attends a religion ceremony commemorate the 66th anniversary of the world's first atomic bomb attack, at Buddhist temple on August 4, 2011 in Fukui, Japan. The world's first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 by the United States during World War II, killing an estimated 70,000 people instantly with many thousands more dying over the following years from the effects of radiation. Three days later another atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe/Street Photo Gallery) |
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A power-generating windmill turbine operates against the backdrop of sunset in a wind farm on August 1, 2011 at Awara city, Fukui, Japan. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe/Street Photo Gallery) |
