Sushi-go-round. Figuring out our tab based upon the number of plates!
The Hakata Gion Yamagasa, is a summer festival in which takes place from July 1 to 15, held at Kuahida Shrine. During the festival, large floats called Kazariyama decorate Fukuoka's streets, and early in the morning of the 15th the Oiyama is held. Men race through the street carrying one-ton "portable shrines. The spectacle is made more amusing by the sumo-like attire of the participants. The Oyama is extremely heavy and the racers hold it on their shoulders, while a crowd of people push them to increase speed. Not surprisingly, people die in this festival, and in my mind it is somethign akin to the running of the bulls in Pamplona (perhaps without the stupidity of tourists involved).
Funny statue outside of some temples in Hakata.
We stumbled upon the Japanese equivalent of horse-racing...here they bet on boat races, shown on the big screen across the harbour, when they aren't live.
Clement, his colleague, and colleague's friend (who showed us around Hakata that afternoon). This place specialized in cuisine from Okinawa.
Nagasaki. This mural was outside the peace museum commemorating the bombing.
Artifacts converted to glass by the heat of the radiation.
Templed out on the second day!
Amazing restaurant that Clement wanted me to experience. He'd already been taken here. There was no menu here!
Shinkansen...pricey, but fast!
A game involving both luck and some skill, similar to gambling. Certainly had the atmosphere of a casino.
Downpoor in Kyoto.
During the downpoor, we went for icecream...really tasty!
I partook in a friend's sukyaki.
Tsukiji Fish market. These are the big Tuna...from the Indian Ocean, perhaps?
Tokyo buildings...
Museum of Emerging Science and Technology in Tokyo. Highly recommended. This huge globe illustrated a time-lapse of clouds over the past 30 days. Very cool!
The start of the Fuji expedition. Sorry, I don't have a picture of Midori-San, our guide of "Robert-san, I love you; come with me; come with us" fame.
Trail options up this side of the mountain.
Ken on the trail up the mountain. It's kinda hard to lose this trail, so I don't understan how people die here every week. Probably lack of preparedness for exposure to the elements, but still, there were buildings nearly every 200 meters along the route.
The morning of the ascent, right as our guide and the rest of our group was beginning to head down the mountain.
The summit of Fuji. This is a temple where we prayed in typical Japanese fashion. Souvenirs were also sold.
Tokyo skyline from a skyscraper in Shinjuku.
Sato and her dog on the roof of their house.
Enoshima island intertidal zone
Squid rice paper! Some nice japanese gave me a piece when I asked if I could take a photo of this.
This is why dogs resemble their owners! I didn't see this one when I got my PADI certification, but watch out for a barking sound, under water!
This little dance troupe was being filmed for a commercial in Nara.
Lots of domestic deer in Nara!
Not quite sure who this is, but if I were ever tempted to fear hell, this image might come to mind. Somehow, the pink hoodie doesn't lesten the effect. This is guarding the doorway to a huge hall with a giant Buddha in Nara.
Another guardian in contra-pasto stance, looking scary.
Serene gardens where we went for a tea ceremony. Important temple on hill used to guard the route that brought foreigners (from Korea, who took the long route, to make Japan seem large) and Japanese from the Eastern Prefecture to the Emperor's seat in Kyoto at the time.
Offering tea to me. Lacking manners, I'm taking a picture of the host, rather than bowing my head in respect, which is what I probably should have been doing.
A kind of local turtle found in Lake Biwa.
Caligraphy for an upcoming movie, designed by Ken's caligraphy instructor.
The silver temple in Kyoto.
Me, Ken, and his neice, Youko
Silver temple in Kyoto.
Gold temple in Kyoto. Similar architecturally, but very different look.
Youko and Kei-Ichi prepared a fabulous sushi array for hand rolls!
Calm section of water in a river/bay of Biwaco.
Checking the traps for Black Bass and other invasive fish.
Private and free tour of a sake factory...this is where the bottling takes place.
Sampling the products.
Typical chef's bandana!
Festival. Meicho dancing to the sound of Japanese flute.
Crazy dance troupe changes the tone of the festival, drastically.
More traditional music.
Food displays in Tokyo.
Heaven and hell mural.
Cooking table-side at a very nice restaurant.
Lotus flower in garden, Kamakura.
Sake casks near temple in Kamakura.
Kamakura Buddha.
River at sunset in Fujisawa.
Class with Ken's caligraphy teacher, Saun.
The art we made. Mine is near the upper right and means "nervous" in kangi.
Saun's idea...
Me and Saun.
Ken and I in Jimbe, Edo-period casual wear!
