About Nihonzaru

“Nihonzaru” is the Romanized spelling of the Japanese 日本猿（にほんざる）which literally means “Japanese monkey” but which refers specifically to the Japanese macaque, also known as Snow Monkey, one of the most interesting animals native to Japan (pictured above bathing in a hot spring). We think “Nihonzaru” is cool name for a blog about Japan.

About the header images in Nihonzaru

We’d like to thank the photographers of the wonderful photos that we used for the headers of Nihonzaru.com.

Tokyo At Night, Panorama by Ian Muttoo
This is a nice stitched panorama of nighttime Tokyo, showing the river and the fascinating lights of this city that doesn’t seem to sleep.

Tokyo Ginza at Night by Tilton Lane
A great street level photo of Ginza, the heart of Tokyo, capturing the feel of the city. The blurred bus “makes” this picture.

Overlooking Shirakawago 2 by Jippolito
The greenish color of this great photo of Shirakawago (a World Heritage site) refreshingly contrasts with the mostly urban images that we have here in Nihonzaru.

Mt. Fuji from Tokyo by Jean-Marc Rocher
A view of Mount Fuji is always an exciting experience, but the juxtaposition of Japan’s highest mountain with Tokyo’s modern buildings makes for an unusual photo.

night railroad (Nakano, Tokyo) by mioge
A familiar scene in urban Japan, railroads are the arteries that move millions of people around the country everyday. Light streaks contrast nicely with the greenish metal.

Koumyouzenji @ Dazaifu by e-chan
Raked sand (the oceans) and green grass (land) are captured in this simple yet effectively composed photo of a Japanese garden, a miniature representation of the earth.

A set on Mifune Matsuri 02 by ionushi
Colorful garments show the festive mood of a matsuri on a river; the receding boats lead the eyes towards the horizon.