Japan Pictures.

Pictures of our Japan Trip Thanksgiving, 2007, to see our son, Brian.

Takasaki, Brian's city, about 1 hour by Shinkansen (bullet train) northwest of Tokyo.
  • Brian on the train the day we got to Japan (November 18, 2007).
  • Brian and Jim at the Takasaki City Center.
  • Its' contagious! The old apostrophe bugaboo at the Takasaki JR Train Station.
  • A View of Taksaki City from the 21st floor of the city center building
  • Brian Dinner at a fancy restaurant in Takasaki with Paul, Brian, me, Jim, Nao, Shuhei.
  • Plastic Food on Display at a restaurant at the Takasaki JR Station
  • The Shinkansen (bullet train) at Takasaki Station. We rode these a lot!
  • Kannonyama statue in Takasaki. We climbed up into her head!
  • A small shrine at the Kannonyama statue in Takasaki
  • A street scene in Takasaki.
  • We had dinner with Shuhei and his Mom at a lovely restaurant in Maebashi.

  • Kyoto, the beautiful temple city in Kansai, Japan.
  • Yuuka met us in her kimono in Kyoto at the train station.
  • The temple gate at Kiyomizudera.
  • The awesome (and very crowded) pavilion at Kiyomizudera.
  • Another shot of the pavilion at Kiyomizudera.
  • Gorgeous fall colors at Kiyomizudera. This is why all the people were at Kiyomizu.
  • Jim, Brian and I at Kiyomizudera.
  • Looking down from Kiyomizudera to the city of Kyoto. You can see the tower at the train station from here.
  • A bike in Kyoto like Brian's bike (Wildchamp) on which he broke his collarbone!
  • Brian and Jim at dinner in Kyoto.
  • Yuuka and I at dinner in Kyoto.

  • Nara, the ancient former capital of Japan, in Kansai.
  • Todaiji Temple in Nara. The largest wooden structure in the world.
  • The huge bronze Buddha in the Todaiji Temple in Nara.
  • A school band we came across while walking around Nara on Thanksgiving Day.
  • Sonic the Hedgehog made an appearance in Nara, too.
  • Nara has some interesting restaurants, even Italian ones.
  • Yes, there are McDonalds in Japan, and Starbucks, too.
  • Pounding rice cake dough to make rice cakes in Nara. Cool video.
  • Little street in Nara.
  • Bikes parked in Nara. Everyone rides bikes in Japan.
  • Looking at a pagoda in Nara from near the reflecting pool.
  • Yuuka and I getting maccha (strong, foamy green tea) at a traditional Nara teahouse.
  • This is what maccha (strong green tea) looks like (with a bean cake). As you can see, its warmer here than it was in Kyoto.
  • Japanese hot pot (nabe) dinner cooking away in Nara.

  • Fushimi-Inari, very near Kyoto. This amazing site has over 10,000 Torii gates going up the mountain, making almost a tunnel as you walk.
  • Getting started walking up the mountain under the Torii gates at Fushimi-Inari.
  • Some of the Torii gates were really big!
  • Some of the smaller Torii gates look like a tunnel as you go up.
  • A shrine part way up the mountain.
  • Another shrine.
  • A reflecting pond part way up the mountain. We ate lunch at a little tea house near here.
  • The fox is a theme here at Fushimi-Inari.
  • Amazing, but each string of papers here is actually a whole lot of origami (folded paper) cranes or other designs all strung together.
  • Brian exhibiting his strength!

  • Nikko. This is a beautiful place with all kinds of wonderful temples and waterfalls in a national park, a couple of hours from Brian's place. Jim and I managed to get here by ourselves!
  • This beautiful bridge over the river is right next to the hotel where we stayed.
  • This huge Torii gate is among the giant trees here.
  • This big temple is part of the temple complex at Nikko.
  • The gate to one of the temples in Nikko.
  • A closeup of the guilded gate.
  • The guardian of the shrine. These guys are everywhere at the temples we visited in Japan.
  • The guardian on the other side of the shrine.
  • Huge stone lantern.
  • Gorgeous carved wooden door at Nikko.
  • Hear no, speak no, see no Evil!
  • Everyone was snapping photos of this carving of the sleeping cat, so we did, too.
  • Drums full of saki. If you want to buy one of these, you can make a wish and then pop the top and drink it. These things are huge.
  • A view of the mountains from our (expensive) hotel window.

  • Kamakura. On the coast, about 1 hour South of Tokyo. At one time, this city was the capital of Japan.
  • The giant Buddha here is outside. The temple housing this Buddha was washed away, along with most of Kamakura, in a tsunami many years ago, but the Buddha statue remained. You can climb up partway into the statue.
  • Another view of the giant Buddha.
  • A Japanese Garden in Kamakura.
  • A sign at the JR station in Japanese.
  • Same sign, but now showing English.

  • Narita. The Tokyo airport.
  • Goodbye at Narita. Mickey and Minnie got into the act!