KitKat with beans! Tastes good.
Two days late, but on the 3d of October I ate Hutspot met Klapstuk, the traditional Leiden dish for that day.
Namiko enjoys her share of this Dutch meal. I never ceise to be amazed by how little Japanese women eat.
Somewhere, this train on the Keisei-line to Narita airport must have taken a wrong turn. This can't be Japan can it? That's a Dutch windmill with a Dutch flag!
Showing Annabel around in the garden next to the Chinsansō hotel.
Despite appearances, this kitchen in the Tokyo apartment of the Nakadate family was a joy to cook in. It has a proper gas-stove, which is a pleasure to use after months of fiddling around with an induction cooking plate.
Edogawabashi.
It seems like an odd place for trees to grow.
The Edo-Tokyo Museum.
Edo scenes.
Edo era carpenting.
Edo era child birth scene.
Edo era shops.
Edo era drawings.
Meiji-era Asahi Shinbun (newspaper) building.
Annabel.
The Edo-Tokyo Museum seen from the plaza behind it.
Contrast between garden and Tokyo skyline.
In front of the Imperial palace.
Foundations of the Edo era palace of the Shōgun.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office Building.
Impressive as it may be, it was designed and (for the most part) built during the 1990s economic bubble. It is actually too big for the Metropolitan Government to use efficiently.
A rake.
The free tour through the building was interesting, and the building really does feel too big for its purpose.
The long corridors lack the amount of activity you would expect.
One Japanese friend described the building as having an „intimidating air”. I like it.
The assembly hall in the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office Building.
West Shinjuku houses a lot of impressive skyscrapers.
Looking down from the observation floor.
East Shinjuku on the other hand is more chaotic.
East Shinjuku feels more like what you would expect in Tokyo. Annabel learned quickly that she isn't a big fan of these kind of areas.
A trip to Odaiba in the rain.
The Tokyo Big Sight is a conference hall famous for its odd shape.
A saw, obviously.
Odaiba is a man-made island in the Tokyo Bay. It features wide avenues and plazas rare in urban Tokyo.
The buildings in front look like they were taken straight from some European town. It is a fake village complete with church and steeple used for wedding ceremonies.
Odaiba features a huge pedestrian bridge way too big for its purpose. Perhaps more people use it on sunny days?
The Ship Science Museum.
All accompanying text was in Japanese, but the many models make it an interesting museum for people who can't read Japanese (Annabel in this case).
A model of the battleship Yamato.
Built according to the „You can never have too many guns” principle.
Outside of the museum.
The Ship Science Museum is built in the form of a ship.
The landmark Fuji TV building.
The Rainbow bridge.
Sun sets over the Satsuma peninsula.
Sakurajima in the Kinkō-bay in Kagoshima prefecture. Nanami tries her English on Annabel.
Beyond, Kaimon-dake, also called Satsuma Fuji because of its shape, beckons.
Nanami's parents presented us with a real feast. This was one of the most satisfying meals I've had in Japan.
Nanami's mother insisted that Annabel try her daughter's kimono on for size.
The Southern-most public telephone box on Japan's four main islands.
On our way to cape Sata, the Southernmost point on Japan's four main islands. (The Ryūkyū Islands lie much further South) An abandont ice cream vending machine.
Annabel and Nanami head towards the light.
Near cape Sata.
The cape houses a shrine as well, famed for protecting expecting mothers.
An abandoned restaurant, built and exploited in better times (presumably the bubble era).
Inside, nothing really changed except for a layer of dust and rust. (This might be explained in part by the "No entrance!" sign I ignored outside)
The kitchen is creepy.
The lighthouse on an islet in front of the cape.
Annabel (アナベル) and Nanami (奈々美).
"Cape Sata, the Southernmost point of the main islands".
Jeroen and Annabel.
On the other peninsula, Kaimon-dake.
The obseration tower was built in better times too, but is still being operated. For ¥200 we climbed up to the observation deck, where a make-shift fence replaces the glass panels long since blown out by heavy storms. This place is pretty remote, even compared to Kagoshima city, so the number of tourists that visit is limited. (although we did see some ten-odd Japanese tourists pass by)
The abandoned restaurant.
The Pacific Ocean.
Lots of nothingness, which feels good after a week of Tokyo.
Lighthouse seen from the observatory.
Annabel, Jeroen and Nanami.
Annabel and Jeroen.
If you ever need some free crockery, just drop by this abondoned kitchen.
Torii near the shrine at cape Sata (佐多岬).
The tunnel back to the real world.
I still don't understand why the Ishimine family (Nanami's parents) has a cuckoo clock in their living room.
The Ishimine family, Jeroen and Annabel.
Coloured wind things made from recycled PET-bottles in Kagoshima city.
The stone bridges of Kagoshima city.
Annabel and Nao (直央).
More old stone bridges. They were built after the locals got bored with rebuilding the previous wooden bridges every time the river flooded.
Stone bridge.
The spiders here are huge.
Sakurajima.
Nao and Jeroen. She's always complaining about her height, I don't see why really. :)
Cats in a boat.
The tram tracks in Kagoshima city are covered in grass. This, reportedly, helps lower temperatures in the summer (asfalt reflects the heat) and makes the city look more pleasant.
The train to Ibusuki. For the most part it follows the coast line which has the added benefit of a lovely background.
Nao gave us a ride from Nigatsuden station to Kaimon-dake. Her car matches her appearance.
In lake Ikeda, a large mysterious monster is said to roam. "Isshii" is its name, similar to Loch Ness' "Nessie". No monster when we visited, but they do have eels measuring over a metre.
Lake Ikeda (池田).
Nao cheerful as ever.
Nao with matching car.
Up to Kaimon-dake. This mountain is only 924m high, but due to its location (right next to the coast and the highest point for many kilometres) dominates the local landscape.
Annabel leads the way.
Perfect weather for mountain hiking.
Pacific Ocean, cape Sata lies beyond.
Local flora and fauna.
"Rescue point number two".
The Pacific coast line.
Lake Ikeda.
On top of the world?
Time to head back down.
Satsuma peninusula.
Actively used though.
The Southernmost manned railway station of Japan! Exciting times for sure.
Living in Tokyo you forget that Japan has a coast line as well.
The weather down in Kagoshima is perfect in autumn.
A hill in Kagoshima city.
On top of the hill. Again, Sakurajima, the active vulcano in the Kinkō bay.
Huge daikon.
Vending machines are every where.
Hill in Kagoshima city.
The woods around this hill house a fairly sized cat population. This cat here seems bent on world domination, I'm not sure why…
Someone's statue. The cross-in-circle emblem is the traditional mark of the Satsuma region.
WWII fallen soldiers memorial grave. Comes with free cat guardians.
A rare sight in Japanese parks; unmaintained paths.
After the Meiji revolution in 1868, Japan started Westernising in a rapid pace. The army uniforms were updated too.
Tiny canals filled with carp.
Jeroen.
Old castle moat and walls.
Magenta!
The grounds where once a castle stood now house the prefectural museum.
Miniature recreation of Meiji era shopping street in Kagoshima.
More carp.
Saigō Takamori, the Satsuma samurai partly responsibly for triggering the Meiji revolution.
Annabel and flowers.
Shirokuma; a local shaved ice delicasy.
The Shinkansen train in Hakata.
Construction work on the station in Hakata. In 2010 you can ride the Shinkansen from Tokyo all the way to Kagoshima. The sign reads "Madness? THIS IS SPARTA!".
Kyoto station. It's late October and they've got the Christmas tree up already…
Kyoto tower.
Kyoto station at night.
Why?
So basically, the coming two months will be all about Christmas everywhere.
Temple gate.
Temple garden.
Temple.
Autumn colours.
Colourful.
More temple.
Small back roads.
Urban scenery.
Walking from one part of the city to another, an unexpected sight. Someone created a small potted garden beneath an express way overpass.
The rose didn't seem to mind its odd location.
Stone path.
Folding fan shop.
Ema. Wooden placques with wishes written on them. Lots of "I want to marry this boy and be with him foreeeever" and such.
Our visit to Kyoto coincided with autumn recess, so hordes of school classes visited the landmark temples and shrines of Kyoto that weekend.
The temple houses shrines as well.
A hare.
100 statues of Buddhas?
Kiyomizu temple.
Kiyomizu temple, taken from a distance.
Pagoda near the temple.
On top of the hill behind Kiyomizu temple.
The paths in the hills behind Kiyomizu temple are maintained well, and utterly devoid of tourists.
Drinking water from this waterfall is said to be beneficial to your health.
Kiyomizu from below.
Statue.
Busy tourist street. Lots of interesting shops selling souvenirs, local products and food.
Annabel poses.
Shrine.
Due to its history, Kyoto has more Buddhist temples and Shintō shrines than convenience stores. Japanese cities have a lot of convenience stores.
Note how the steering wheel on this imported car is on the left. In Japan people drive on the left-hand side of the road, so domestic cars have their steering column on the right.
Detail.
Chion-in, another big Buddhist temple.
Japanese couple in Yukata visiting a temple.
Annabel looks at her surroundings in a completely different way, and as a result takes photos I wouldn't have taken (and vice versa).
Near the Lake Biwa Canal Museum.
This is an old boat lift, built in the Meiji era as part of the waterworks of Kyoto. It fell into disuse in the 1950s, but its tracks and two carts remain, and have been turned into a quiet walking path.
Boat lift. Because this incline is located a little bit out of the way of most major tourist hotspots, it makes for a nice quiet place to enjoy autumn scenery, away from the masses.
The last person to use this lift left his boat behind as well?
Parts left over from the old boat lift.
Looking back down the incline.
Side view.
Here the underground canal from lake Biwa ends. The building here is part of the waterworks established in the Meiji era.
Nice garden?
Tunnel under the boat lift incline.
The huge torii up ahead marks the presence of the shrine these doors belong to. (Heian shrine). If you zoom in you'll see a lot more police about than usual. Today the Japanese emperor visited Kyoto, hence the security. We did get to see the emperor drive by though, so no complaints.
Another shrine! This is the Heian shrine.
"Rawr".
Hopeful visitors tie their wishes written on strips of paper on these trees.
The water from lake Biwa heads further down to central Kyoto.
Converyer belt sushi. You just grab the dishes you want and pay for the amount of saucers you've emptied afterwards. This place was pretty cheap at ¥137 a dish, with most dishes having two pieces of sushi on it. It probably isn't the best sushi you can buy in Japan, but it's good and a great way to try different sorts of sushi!
