Japan

Tokyo

An airline map showing the route we were taking from Vancouver, BC to Tokyo, Japan.
Empty railways in Japan
A bronze statue of Hachiko the dog, in Shibuya.
Some white blossoms with young green leaves of another tree behind it, in Yoyogi Park, Tokyo.
A small pond with a fountain in Yoyogi Park, Tokyo. Trees with young light green leaves are in the distance.
Large picnic blankets spread out under the sakura blossoms, in Yoyogi Park, Tokyo.
A large wooden Torii gate leading to the Meiji Jingu, in Tokyo.
A sign that says: "This is the biggest wooden 'torii' of the Myojin style in Japan, rebuilt and dedicated by a pious benefactor on December 23, 1975, and modeled both in form and size exactly after the original built in 1920. The material wood used is 'Hinoki' (Japan cypress), 1500 years old from Mt. Tandai-san Taiwan."
A large wooden shrine gate (torii), on the path towards the Meiji Jingu.
Another torii on the path leading to the Meiji Jingu.
Spring foliage on the way to the Meiji Jingu.
A small brook on the path to the Meiji Jingu.
Another shrine gate in the Meiji Jingu.
Detailed woodwork and framing at the shrine in the Meiji Jingu, Tokyo.
A lantern hanging from wooden eaves at the Meiji Jingu.
Stone gutters lining paths around the Meiji Jingu.
A bright green tree, illuminated by sun from behind.
Pink and white blossoms, against a bright blue sky. Yoyogi Park, Tokyo.
A black bird perched in a fountain, as a water droplet from its beak drops back into the water. Yoyogi Park, Japan.

Kyoto

Railway station, waiting for the train in Kyoto.
View from a hotel room in Kyoto, Japan, of the street below.
A large orange Torii in Kyoto, with a stone shrine in the foreground.
A large orange and white shrine, part of the Fushimi Inari shrine, Kyoto.
Another view of the Fushimi Inari shrine, decorated in white and bright orange with gold accents.
A large orange Torii, with a blue sky in the background. Kyoto.
An orange and black torii, with two fox statues on either side, starting the trail up Mt. Inari.
A small orange and white shrine with a bell in front. Kyoto.
A hallway made of many torii gates.
A stone path leading up Mt. Inari, lined by hundreds of orange torii.
A small torii, with a smaller torii in front of it, and then a small stone fox statue beneath both.
The path surrounded by torii gates bends around to the right.
Small torii gates and statues, to honor the dead.
The path lined with Torii, but from outside the path.
More fox statues guarding the entrance to another set of torii.
A stone sculpture with the eyes, mouth, and claws painted, along with the ball the statue has under one paw.
A serpent-like dragon sculpture at a shrine on Mt. Inari, Kyoto.
Statues of Komainu (lion dogs), with a smaller komainu under the paw of a larger one.
Stand of Bamboo on Mt. Inari, Kyoto.
A sign saying "Shichimen noTaki Narutaki" and "Wood Carving Workshop"
In a forest on Mt. Inari, in Kyoto.
Bright green leaves on bamboo, with a lush green hillside in the background.
Two tall bamboo shoots cross each other.
Stone stares straddled by torii leading to another grave area, fox statues looking on.
Several torii gates where the orange has started to fade to white on the upper parts of the gate.
A terrace of small family shrines on Mt. Inari, Kyoto.
A stone path straddled by orange torii gates, with sunlight shooting through the space between the gates.
A stone fox statue looking down at the camera, wearing an orange scarf.
Following the stone path with many orange torii arching over the path.
Looking out over the city of Kyoto from halfway up Mt. Inari.
Empty stone path through many torii gates.
A sign that says: "Boars have been stopped in the precinct. Do not approach them if you come across. Be careful, especially at night." (Pretty sure "stopped" should have been "spotted.")
Heading down Mt. Inari, on the path with many torii gates.
Stone steps lead down the path lined with torii gates.
Tree blossoms in Kyoto, with a backdrop of a blue sky.
Pink blossoms outside the Fushimi Inari shrine, Kyoto.
Light pink blossoms, with deeper pink blossoms in the background.

Nara

Wooden eaves making up the first roof of a pagoda, in Nara.
A five story pagoda, part of the Kofukuji Temple, Nara, Japan.
A small brook with waterfall in Nara Park, Nara, Japan.
A small deer looking for biscuits from tourists. The antlers have been cut off and polished to prevent people from getting accidentally gored.
Part of the entry path to the Todaiji temple.
Older woodwork on the roof of a building near Todaiji, in Nara, Japan.
A very large (more than two stories tall) statue, behind a mesh fence. Nara, Japan.
More views of the woodwork on a temple near Todaiji in Nara, Japan.
A tall golden spire near Todaiji in Nara, Japan.
Red wood and white panels with a fresh roof on a temple near the Todaiji temple in Nara, Japan.
The largest wooden structure in the world, the Todaiji Temple. Small figures can be seen entering the large doors in front, giving a sense of scale to the image.
Bronze figures hold up a small table and bowl.
A large wooden sculpture of a figure holding a brush. The statue is roughly 20-25 feet tall.
An ornate vessel with eight sides, sitting on a pedestal.
A very large black statue of the Buddha, with gold plates in the background showing smaller Buddhas.
A very large golden Buddha statue.
Empty rails in Japan, buildings nearby and hills in the distance.

Hamamatsu

Another view of Hamamatsu, Japan.
View of the city of Hamamatsu, Japan, taken from a hotel room.
A view of the city of Hamamatsu, taken at night.
Cobbled stone steps, with the marker for each step being larger stones.
Stone stairs leading up a path that then bends to the left.
A view of the white and black Hamamatsu Castle in Hamamatsu, Japan.
Another view of Hamamatsu Castle, in Hamamatsu, Japan.
A view from below looking up at the keep of Hamamatsu Castle.
A view of the castle grounds at Hamamatsu Castle.
A large bronze statue of Tokugawa Ieyasu on the grounds of Hamamatsu Castle.

Tokyo Revisited

A water feature in Ueno Park, Tokyo.
The small lake found in/near Ueno Park, Tokyo.
A view of the lake at Ueno Park, Tokyo, Japan.
A tree whose trunk has been trained to loop into a circle, with a shrine behind it.
A blue-green roof of a small shrine in Ueno Park.
The Kyu-Kaneiji five-storied pagoda in Ueno Park.
A small shrine in Ueno Park.
A red Japanese maple near the lake in Ueno Park.
Small shrines on pedestals in Ueno Park.
A blue-green curved roof on a shrine with a red cross-beam, in Ueno Park.
A black and gold roof for a temple in Ueno Park.
A stone (or possibly concrete) torii gate.
A large komainu statue looks down at the camera.
A large maintenance cover (manhole cover), depicting a sakura tree.
An ornate manhole cover with a large sakura blossom embossed in the steel.
A statue of a frog spits water into the fountain.
An interesting moss-covered concrete (or stone) dome sits with a golden spire on top.