Micro pig cafe
Micro pig cafe
The river
(Moving) crab restaurant
Shrine, Kyoto
Cemetery
Human avalanche, Higashiyama
Stone figures. Not sure what the bikini bottoms are for
Gardens, Higashiyama
Kyoto Klub, minus me
Posers
Two lovebirds
End of day, Nio-Mon Gate
View of city, Nio-Mon Gate
Shrine near Nio-Mon Gate
View of city from Nio-Mon Gate
Poser, Nio-Mon Gate
All out at 6
Nio-Mon Gate
Street sweeper
Golden lanterns, Fushimi Inari Taisha
Path, Fushimi Inari Taisha
Fushimi Inari Taisha
Fushimi Inari Taisha
Fungi!
Steps, Fushimi Inari Taisha
Didn't see any of these. Maybe too wet
Fushimi Inari Taisha
Schoolgirl pose, Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
Warning
Arashiyama Bamboo Forest. I thought the bamboo forest in Adashino Nenbutsuji Temple was much better, and far fewer people
The easy way
Religious discrimination
Wild orchid
Japanese kitsch
Nishiki Market
Japanese burgers!
Gion District
Gion district - the upmarket part of Kyoto
Geisha going home, Gion district
Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion). Incredibly crowded, but paths well laid out so you got a good view of the whole thing
Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion). Incredibly crowded, but paths well laid out so you got a good view of the whole thing
Gardens, Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion).
School party, Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)
School party, Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)
Waterfall, School party, Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)
Money for the gods
Gardens, Imperial Palace, Kyoto
Hundreds of statues, Otagi Nenbutsuji 愛宕念仏寺
Otagi Nenbutsuji 愛宕念仏寺 in the rain
Golden Buddha, Otagi Nenbutsuji 愛宕念仏寺
Statues, Otagi Nenbutsuji 愛宕念仏寺
Statue, Otagi Nenbutsuji 愛宕念仏寺
Our waitress
Very late lunch
Village near Bamboo gardens, Adashino Nenbutsuji Temple
Adashino Nenbutsuji Temple
Bamboo gardens, Adashino Nenbutsuji Templeあだし野念仏寺
Bamboo gardens, Adashino Nenbutsuji Templeあだし野念仏寺
Bamboo gardens, Adashino Nenbutsuji Templeあだし野念仏寺
Adashino Nenbutsuji Templeあだし野念仏寺
Adashino Nenbutsuji Templeあだし野念仏寺
Adashino Nenbutsuji Templeあだし野念仏寺
Adashino Nenbutsuji Templeあだし野念仏寺
Shinkansen. No trip to Japan complete without a ride on one of these
Streetcar, Hiroshima
The iconic atom bomb dome
Mound where countless victims were buried
Tree planting
Monument to Koreans killed by atom bomb
Eternal flame
Hotel High Up
View from museum
Atomic bomb dome from bahind
Hiroshima Castle
Hiroshima Castle - wet!
Local cop car
Nakatsugawa. A slightly nondescript town. Bus to Nagome
View from restaurant over mountains, Magome
Lunch at Magome
Magome. The start of the Nakisendo Highway. Quite touristy, but not very crowded
Wild daisies
One of many bamboo groves
Quirky sign, Nakasendo Highway
Wild orchid
One of many bear warnings. Lots in the news about bears in Japan
Bell to frighen off bears
Toyota sewing machine. Toyota made the first looms in Japan and kicked off their textile industry
The forest
Rice paddy near Tsumago on Nakisendo Highway
Bear statues. Maybe to frighten them away?
Upmarket clothes shop. Ownder clains to have woven and created everything. No prices marked
Giggly girls, Tsumago
Tsumago village
Fuki-no-Mori Hotel with view of mountains
Massive meal in Fuki-no-Mori Hotel. Completely over the top. Compulsory traditional costume for dinner in these places
Tsumago
Tsumago in good weather
Tsumago from the castle
Ruins of Tsumago Castle (completely gone actually)
One of many bear warnings and bells
Black (?) goldfish, Nagiso
Ornamenal garden, Nagiso
Statues, Nagiso
Traditional accommodation in Kiso Fukashima
Kiso Fukishima from over the river
Gongen Waterfall
From Gongen Waterfall
Gongen waterfall. Steep track through forest. We initially chickened out when we heard strange noises but met a 76 year old local who did it every day and had bear bells and spray. He does this as part of a longer walk every day. Has summited the Matterhorn in the past
Kiso Fukashima old town by night (almost completely deserted)
Kiso Fukashima from the river
Sekisho Ato museum. This functioned as a checkpoint to collect fees from passers-by. Lots of weapons on display
Looking back at Kiso Fukashima
Ontake Shrine
Fungus
Ontake Shrine at top of Torii Pass
Torii Pass
Pine cone decorations
Hachiman Shrine
Hachiman Shrine
One of the front doors
Buddhas at one of the many shrines
Narai main drag
In pajamas for dinner - apparently the correct dining dress
Claypot rice and vegetables at ryokan
Narai - after a thunderstorm
In Kamikōchi with our guide Mariko
Mountains and Kappabashi Bridge
Yake-Dake Mountain. An active volcano. It erupted in 1915 and created Taisho Pond
Pigeon. One of the few birds that we spotted. Heard a woodpecker pecking away nearby, but didn't see it
Lunch queue. A popular spot
Myojin Pond
Myogin Pond
Prayers, Myojin Pond. There was a queue for selfies and prayers at this spot
Part of the track
Bizarre tree root
Butterfly. It wou;dn't open its wings
Family gathering
Watching over the people
One of the many monkeys. They seemed to ignore the humans. Probably because the locals don't feed them
Monument to Walter Weston, who introduced mountaineering to Japan
Tashiro Pond, with wild azaleas
Bear spotted yesterday on the track
Cathy with pigeon, Ebisu-jinja Shrine
Cushing's syndrome
Bridge, Matsumoto Castle
Matsumoto Castle
Guard Matsumoto Castle
View of city from Matsumoto Castle
Shrine at top of Matsumoto Castle
View of bridge from top of castle
Matsumoto Castle
With Saumrai warrier, Matsumoto Castle
The Visionary Flowers - Yoyai Kusama. Matsumoto Art Gallery
Pumpkin - Yoyai Kusama
Matsumoto Art Museum
Ebisu-jinja Shrine
Ebisu-jinja Shrine
Matsumoto Castle
Flying squirrel warning
Flying squirrel in nesting box
Flying squirrel. We saw him flying a couple of times
Warning at railway station
Mt Asame from Karuizawa. This has erupted multiple times in the past. In 1783 it erupted killing over 1100 people
One of the many posh houses in the forest
"Happy Valley" - named by the Americans
Oolong tea and coffee break on guided walk
Former residence of Muro Saisei - a famous writer of poetry and novels
Path into the forest
Anglican church
Chocolate waterfall
Easy way
One of the few shrines that we saw
Kumoba Pond
Salt fish cooked on hot coals. Near Shiraito Waterfall
Sign on Shinanoji nature trail
Mushrooms, Shinanoji nature trail
More mushies
Ferns, Shinanoji nature trail
Mushrooms
Endless steps, Shinanoji nature trail
Shiraito falls. Water comes straight out of springs on the fat left
