Castles, temples and power rocks

I'm back home in Oregon, but can't leave the topic of Japan without revisiting some of the sites Japan is most famous for—castles and temples. At these sites, we were impressed by the intentional choice and position of rocks, often carried over great distances and implying symbolic meaning and power. Here is a sampling. Castle of the Tokugawa shogunate in...
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Tateyama Alpine Route in ten stages

In the early 1970’s, a 37 km (23 mile) long east–west route was created in the northern part of the Northern Japan Alps. This Alpine Route reaches an elevation of 2450 m (8,000 ft) and provides access to impressive mountain scenery. Although the infrastructure is somewhat dated, the route remains a popular tourist activity. To preserve the natural setting and...
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Kamikoche—Japan’s Yosemite Valley

Kamikoche Valley is not bordered by glacially-scoured granite walls like Yosemite Valley, but it is a wildly popular site within the Chubu-sangaku National Park. As in Yosemite National Park, most visitors go to the valley, but there is also an extensive network of higher-elevation trails for hiking and backpacking. Also like Yosemite, the area has an interesting geologic history. Although...
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Walking the Nakasendo, an ancient (Edo-era) road

Nakasendo (meaning Central Mountain Route), is where Samurai warriors and other officials walked, starting more than 400 years ago. This road served as a vital artery for trade, communication, and cultural exchange among the central regions of Japan during the Edo period (1603-1868) when warring fiefdoms had been united under the Shogun Tokugawa. If you watched the recent TV series...
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Volcanoes, onsens, and Japan’s first geopark

Hanging out around active volcanoes, and the calderas of volcanoes that previously blew themselves up, has certain advantages. One clear benefit is that the hot magma associated with active volcanism heats groundwater that can rise to the surface to create hot springs. Hokkaido is crazy with hot springs. In Japan, onsen refers to the springs themselves and to the hotels...
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Daisetsuzan National Park: the rooftop of Hokkaido

Daisetsuzan National Park was established in 1934, the oldest park in Hokkaido, along with Akan-Mashu National Park. The park was nicknamed "the rooftop of Hokkaido" because it has the tallest mountains on the island. It is huge—at 2,267 km2 (875 miles2), it is the largest national park not only in Hokkaido, but in all of Japan. The Ishikari River, which...
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Akan-Mashu National Park: nests of volcanoes and calderas

You may have visited Crater Lake, Oregon's only national park. You may know that it is misnamed. A crater is the depression on the top of a volcano where lava and/or pyroclastic materials spew forth during eruptions. But Crater Lake should actually be called Caldera Lake. Calderas are formed when volcanoes are so explosive that they blow off a major...
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Shiretoko Peninsula: Japan’s “end of the earth”

One of the most remote parts of Japan, Shiretoko is derived from sir etok, meaning “the end of the earth” in the Ainu language. Ainu people lived in the region for thousands of years, but like indigenous groups worldwide, they were discriminated against, and largely obliterated when, in this case, the Japanese people moved into Hokkaido in the 19th century....
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Japan: a country full of geologic activity

Jay and I arrived in Japan on 27 August and will be traveling in the country for 6 weeks. There are many reasons to travel here. The culture and history are fascinating and—wow!—who doesn't enjoy the high quality food. For two earth scientists, learning more about the country's geologic makeup is another big draw. In Japan, no one is immune...
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Evidence of coastal uplift at Brookings, Oregon

Oregon's coast is a geologic wonderland of steep cliffs, nearshore sea stacks and caves, estuaries where rivers flow from the coastal range into the sea, and a large variety of landscapes and rock types. The entire coast is adjacent to the Cascadia Subduction zone where the oceanic plate is colliding (and descending beneath) the continental plate. Because the plates are...
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Palenque and other Mayan ruins in Chiapas, Mexico

During our trip to Chiapas in March (2024), we visited several Mayan ruins, including Palenque, considered to be one of the most impressive and mysterious of all Mexico’s ancient Maya sites. Please see my last post for map of Chiapas and location of Palenque: https://landscapes-revealed.net/the-beautiful-turquoise-blue-waters-of-chiapas-mexico/. In this post, I'll describe some features of the Mayan sites and consider why these...
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The beautiful turquoise-blue waters of Chiapas, Mexico

Chiapas is Mexico's southernmost state. It is celebrated for its natural beauty and strong indigenous culture. In late February to early March (2024), we spent 16 days in Chiapas. After a week in San Cristobal de las Casas, known for its well-preserved colonial architecture and excellent tourist infrastructure, we completed an eight-day circuit to visit natural sites and ancient Mayan...
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About the Blogger

Karen (here with Mt. Shasta in background) is a geology professor emerita who aims to provide a "pocket geologist" for world travelers. Follow the blog to explore the landscapes of our planet and figure out what causes them to look the way they do.

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