Jacelyn Yap
Worship and cultural sites in Japan are known for their beauty and craftsmanship. Many of these sites have meticulous upkeep and are culturally significant like Nagoya Castle, where restoration works are in progress since its destruction in the 1945 air raids. Restoration efforts focus on being historically accurate, and the paintings are replicated according to the detailed historical records of the castle. The incomplete rooms were also open for viewing when I visited, and it was a stark contrast to see the empty white walls beside the intricate completed paintings.
Such care and attention to detail is common across cultural sites, and is best savoured in the moments of stillness. Walking through a quiet residential area near Kanazawa station, I passed by a flashy but deserted structure, the statues of the Kujakuzan Myo-ji Temple. They stood in contrast with the neighbouring modern houses. Even in busy sites like Kobe’s Ikuta Jinja, which I visited after a fantastic lunch at Steakland (everyone knows Kobe beef is a must-have!), these sites fill me with a sense of tranquillity.
Inside Nagoya Castle
Kujakuzan Myo-ji
Temple Views 1
Temple Views 2
Temple Views 3
Ikuta Jinja
A Peek into Ikuta Jinja
A View of Shirakawa-go
Additional Reading
https://www.nagoyajo.city.nagoya.jp/en
https://www.kobestation.com/ikuta-jinja-shrine/
Jacelyn (she/her) is a self-taught visual artist who ditched engineering to make art because of a comic she read. Her artworks and photography have been published by the Commonwealth Foundation’s adda, Chestnut Review, The Lumiere Review, and more. She can be found at https://jacelyn.myportfolio.com/ and on IG @jacelyn.makes.stuff.
Photos by Jacelyn Yap
