tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42266423022011188252024-02-07T11:03:39.803-08:00Our First Visit to JapanJared Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07213301757820349332noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4226642302201118825.post-89513557323194163822009-11-14T22:50:00.000-08:002009-12-14T21:05:43.360-08:00Day 23: Homeward boundFinished packing this morning, checked out, and headed straight for the station to take the train to the airport. I was a little nervous about the size of the luggage I've got because of my kendo <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bogu">bogu</a>, but it worked out fine. Got to the airport with quite a few hours to kill so I bought a couple last minute gifts using the spare money on my rail pass.<br /><br />Wandered around the airport a while trying to find a wireless network. Just as I was about to give up and head back to my gate to wait it out, I stumbled on a "Yahoo Cafe" which is a room full of computers with free internet access. Woohoo! Finally got a chance to finish my last few blog posts before I leave (I'll post them when I get back since I don't have the pictures uploaded).<br /><br />Heading out now to catch my flight. I'm indebted to so many people who helped me here and made sure everything went super smoothly. Thank you, all!Jared Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07213301757820349332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4226642302201118825.post-71781978827519376462009-11-14T22:45:00.000-08:002009-12-14T21:02:58.831-08:00Day 22: Back to Tokyo<i>On the way down the hill from Akahoshi Sensei's temple today, we took a video of the amazingly narrow, steep road. My video skills don't quite do it justice, but you can get the idea.</i><br /><br /><div align="center"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxJlAEOF_uXzOV2jsB0RHYeWuaWKhNT0ZiCjTStekAo7LsvxosSBSo7bnu1jl_-NUtVdyogYSWtqng8eCLvrQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><br />Took the shinkansen back to Tokyo today. Once again, Urabe Sensei and his wife were kind enough to come meet us at the station and once again they gave me a gift. They even bought tickets so they could go through the turnstile and walk me onto my train. Really looking forward to seeing them again next summer.<br /><br /><div align="center">With Urabe Sensei and Akahoshi Sensei at Fukuyama Station:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin5GzKtwIRURg20C_bFkNHNoQLk9D3P7A1qkpEhnwR1zNN6mdmSmDjUKQZ7NhTZpxk0FPFhxSExiMU21vuTXPyJ5TFTpLnNAvugH28vqgmlcBqR8QMqNVYE-s8KRJILQHmtYagY1u9fuM/s1600-h/IMG_2336.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin5GzKtwIRURg20C_bFkNHNoQLk9D3P7A1qkpEhnwR1zNN6mdmSmDjUKQZ7NhTZpxk0FPFhxSExiMU21vuTXPyJ5TFTpLnNAvugH28vqgmlcBqR8QMqNVYE-s8KRJILQHmtYagY1u9fuM/s320/IMG_2336.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415310656988923986" border="0"></a><br /><div align="center">With Mrs. Urabe:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbhkfvBYzVGzWadEWmlls9X4p-Hcsv5nns7RBjYflBIowIEpXPXiYlSzwO24vxK5m3ayvfzhPNEa4s4yNEN7O2pBFSGScvQDrwLfUk5wdYZd_nu7PRrWL0JXVeaM0Yf12mz9mzZ4bdWic/s1600-h/IMG_2339.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbhkfvBYzVGzWadEWmlls9X4p-Hcsv5nns7RBjYflBIowIEpXPXiYlSzwO24vxK5m3ayvfzhPNEa4s4yNEN7O2pBFSGScvQDrwLfUk5wdYZd_nu7PRrWL0JXVeaM0Yf12mz9mzZ4bdWic/s320/IMG_2339.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415310644939648130" border="0"></a><br /><div align="center">The view of Fukuyama Castle from the station:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibG_ChLYxL_9fAw9E42f_sMcTjt0GwHORsfKRVs1FN6fbLn8yzW5POMKPXzK643txMWofXd4y1IjtTDN84A7i9KqvsNrREzSxffIhcCmUIxWepEDxbG1AJ4TpAqRWNWH8bPs9QCNNmr9w/s1600-h/IMG_2341.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibG_ChLYxL_9fAw9E42f_sMcTjt0GwHORsfKRVs1FN6fbLn8yzW5POMKPXzK643txMWofXd4y1IjtTDN84A7i9KqvsNrREzSxffIhcCmUIxWepEDxbG1AJ4TpAqRWNWH8bPs9QCNNmr9w/s320/IMG_2341.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415310636451170354" border="0"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZo59nHKRYmhJH7DcOo0mYWsMCN3wXPBrRmhRkJZJpxrPaqU2bu9nSqhE36IamLitxs0FdoEqYDSXlohGR1TwdbXiQErZiQa5cwf4a8lbNqbX2Fth6MybePNS_BPMsr2JgrzDDgT37wNM/s1600-h/IMG_2342.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZo59nHKRYmhJH7DcOo0mYWsMCN3wXPBrRmhRkJZJpxrPaqU2bu9nSqhE36IamLitxs0FdoEqYDSXlohGR1TwdbXiQErZiQa5cwf4a8lbNqbX2Fth6MybePNS_BPMsr2JgrzDDgT37wNM/s320/IMG_2342.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415310629523118642" border="0"></a><br /><br />The train ride back was pretty uneventful, though at once stop an entire class of Japanese high school students got on the train escorted by their teachers. They were well-behaved, though, and pretty quiet.<br /><br />Picked up the kendo equipment I dropped off in Tokyo a couple weeks ago. Repaired and good as new. Now all that's left is to pack and head to the airport tomorrow.Jared Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07213301757820349332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4226642302201118825.post-16514061332995600952009-11-14T22:24:00.000-08:002009-12-14T20:03:43.230-08:00Day 21: Fukuyama<i>Still haven't kicked this stomach flu entirely. Not being able to eat much is putting a bit of a damper on things.</i><br /><br />Today I met Kobayashi Sensei for lunch. It went much better than I'd feared. It took a lot of work, but we were pretty much able to communicate everything we wanted to. Talked a bit about kendo and also about his recollections of Portland. He wants to come back, which would be great.<br /><br />Kobayashi Sensei was born and raised in Fukuyama so after lunch, he took me around to show me some of the sights. First he showed me the budokan ("martial arts school") where he learned kendo as a child. Outside this school was a shrine and on the way up the stairs to the shrine there is a stone on which <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miyamoto_Musashi">Miyamoto Musashi</a> (probably the most famous samurai in history) meditated.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfdWpBeHYnqRecdeUDMJWH2tvaKduhWPWNfbA3SlQqXeHiwM1qVimOSH65WQ4Yx0SUwpz1-FkJYEWr3rW_W_v9s_xNRBkf2KkLj5kMx3mijev4DejFmHPvpy5gCrBh7fbrS5jep4K5wtA/s1600-h/IMG_2299.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfdWpBeHYnqRecdeUDMJWH2tvaKduhWPWNfbA3SlQqXeHiwM1qVimOSH65WQ4Yx0SUwpz1-FkJYEWr3rW_W_v9s_xNRBkf2KkLj5kMx3mijev4DejFmHPvpy5gCrBh7fbrS5jep4K5wtA/s320/IMG_2299.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415305976266531010" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcSupsMDFg5tDqJflvNV_mgV4PPxuPap65jO_dHFcSapweUbCVpxryC4Es6vCr3ygAb-W7EXhOPn4Uadxxz4mBw9DglXodGGm-96q0Q8Sj0uzYYE3nOdGARWcRz8aezz4ukaq9ZiDC6gU/s1600-h/IMG_2301.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcSupsMDFg5tDqJflvNV_mgV4PPxuPap65jO_dHFcSapweUbCVpxryC4Es6vCr3ygAb-W7EXhOPn4Uadxxz4mBw9DglXodGGm-96q0Q8Sj0uzYYE3nOdGARWcRz8aezz4ukaq9ZiDC6gU/s320/IMG_2301.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415305964870000242" /></a><br /><br />Then we walked to the nearby Fukuyama castle, which is now a museum inside. There was a garden show going on outside the castle so we checked that out too. There was some kind of drawing going on where if you had a museum ticket you could draw a stick and if it had a red tip, you'd win one of the nice chrysanthemums they had there. Sensei walked up and drew one dramatically "ZAAATT!" and sure enough it was a winner. We gave the chrysanthemum to Akahoshi Sensei's wife back at the temple.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6V7WjoxEqOaLvQgNc5gKKTAeot-bQ7qU2WAVAulh1j-85YzND4vdtR21xPUjIJ2Ik-kkYcFiJgaJmpynCLT7FNe-VTvofQPzmNoWA-owQbFzZ-1E0HSb3fUlBlFXNx-L7BH6IrO_Bs2g/s1600-h/IMG_2318.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6V7WjoxEqOaLvQgNc5gKKTAeot-bQ7qU2WAVAulh1j-85YzND4vdtR21xPUjIJ2Ik-kkYcFiJgaJmpynCLT7FNe-VTvofQPzmNoWA-owQbFzZ-1E0HSb3fUlBlFXNx-L7BH6IrO_Bs2g/s320/IMG_2318.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415305576648209330" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw3CbdYCI1IenzLGyAljtNJS6TED9k9qrC3B0kXi2Cy1tcJI7_jz0_omPdcV6AC7hi-efDUpkXDnkmqKgEZkJHc1v_mlz5GeJac9fzM0Mz3DZ0aqWIhwNJRo9JDMe9QKmHCV2RdNBwLO8/s1600-h/IMG_2308.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw3CbdYCI1IenzLGyAljtNJS6TED9k9qrC3B0kXi2Cy1tcJI7_jz0_omPdcV6AC7hi-efDUpkXDnkmqKgEZkJHc1v_mlz5GeJac9fzM0Mz3DZ0aqWIhwNJRo9JDMe9QKmHCV2RdNBwLO8/s320/IMG_2308.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415305946958316258" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIlJgWmS4IcNvKiBtenkwa8Aa1mlqcLHw3jFAMs3z2v6nydWlHT016hjDcYB25iW9WL_-E-TQieZfZPj9k1Zw8oqxiRepzhOvZi_cKiqfDVtWokjCde6PlFAyBNa6WVXy0p-TSZNrSC8s/s1600-h/IMG_2310.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIlJgWmS4IcNvKiBtenkwa8Aa1mlqcLHw3jFAMs3z2v6nydWlHT016hjDcYB25iW9WL_-E-TQieZfZPj9k1Zw8oqxiRepzhOvZi_cKiqfDVtWokjCde6PlFAyBNa6WVXy0p-TSZNrSC8s/s320/IMG_2310.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415305940672199762" /></a><br /><div align="center">View of the courtyard from the castle tower:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4yaYnjNSgEZ_0p27pusgr4AkS9-dqsfFFiwbs4TIzddDmMFgooZbzy8g74uC-CnFf6ad4dbSoVQIjXypahgr1hcaNQtwxVj1tTwaecw0cHpM9ks-ayV7zukqlZZxgVcOmOEHIuaUYGKk/s1600-h/IMG_2315.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4yaYnjNSgEZ_0p27pusgr4AkS9-dqsfFFiwbs4TIzddDmMFgooZbzy8g74uC-CnFf6ad4dbSoVQIjXypahgr1hcaNQtwxVj1tTwaecw0cHpM9ks-ayV7zukqlZZxgVcOmOEHIuaUYGKk/s320/IMG_2315.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415305577679394242" /></a><br /><div align="center">Flower show:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtZ8tdzX8B7l4g3G3xMp0nanTeMSE831ccoQQxuqZzdIh4D2yzJL51opLF_CmXGp57y44a692MGTe64LrO7tx_vlssF1pg6U6ywR0YGotRJQj-deSdQjotDlWWeeOCLt8cbcU6CrCtBm0/s1600-h/IMG_2322.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtZ8tdzX8B7l4g3G3xMp0nanTeMSE831ccoQQxuqZzdIh4D2yzJL51opLF_CmXGp57y44a692MGTe64LrO7tx_vlssF1pg6U6ywR0YGotRJQj-deSdQjotDlWWeeOCLt8cbcU6CrCtBm0/s320/IMG_2322.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415305563801390754" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDb2EaaomAhoA28RNeXsIJaMhAZewlG1ybC1oWCZhkLcQO5DUwUAFcppt6QYu_n-CtoT4FCkqu2DcNYsn7GaM8LZ7HvZjprRe5ErpTgIXt9x6azOAQo02rSPSyB4pPfhtIO35DBbuAmJ0/s1600-h/IMG_2326.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDb2EaaomAhoA28RNeXsIJaMhAZewlG1ybC1oWCZhkLcQO5DUwUAFcppt6QYu_n-CtoT4FCkqu2DcNYsn7GaM8LZ7HvZjprRe5ErpTgIXt9x6azOAQo02rSPSyB4pPfhtIO35DBbuAmJ0/s320/IMG_2326.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415305556688849218" /></a><br /><br />That evening, Akahoshi Sensei and I met with Yoshihara Sensei and Okuno Sensei for dinner. Had a nice Japanese meal with fish caught in the inland sea which borders Fukuyama. Both Senseis said they had very nice experiences in Portland last year and they'd like to come back again when Tsuchida Sensei visits next summer. It's shaping up to be another great seminar next year!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEighJ5cKuPe1Nq3BbykNWxVYmNkKYq_aBcF8oeYmrxXjl_lE7zNIsFeAnEG15LagMQr3D8GCLrbe21TDsG5SUIVTdoR1WNEToOUyvK0CVR_DTEwOmFSqDFX29UTbvWBP4u1BWVvvI1JIHk/s1600-h/IMG_2334.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEighJ5cKuPe1Nq3BbykNWxVYmNkKYq_aBcF8oeYmrxXjl_lE7zNIsFeAnEG15LagMQr3D8GCLrbe21TDsG5SUIVTdoR1WNEToOUyvK0CVR_DTEwOmFSqDFX29UTbvWBP4u1BWVvvI1JIHk/s320/IMG_2334.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415305549948169234" /></a>Jared Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07213301757820349332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4226642302201118825.post-29517008704180992962009-11-14T22:00:00.000-08:002009-12-14T19:33:38.828-08:00Day 20: Joge to FukuyamaToday Tsuchida Sensei drove me from Joge to Fukuyama to drop me off at Akahoshi Sensei's temple.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgid61fx0r5fHCT2kvytQpQLo7E40jdyNaWNVruzj3S9Ql_Eo_5g2owmbnEaa9RimTwQkQxA8SnpBXkYMFMJa2S2_j68wscDWCWZyUI71hQj5foS7RZ5liN_2fAQ0jI27x2LLLpocMvy30/s1600-h/IMG_2225.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgid61fx0r5fHCT2kvytQpQLo7E40jdyNaWNVruzj3S9Ql_Eo_5g2owmbnEaa9RimTwQkQxA8SnpBXkYMFMJa2S2_j68wscDWCWZyUI71hQj5foS7RZ5liN_2fAQ0jI27x2LLLpocMvy30/s320/IMG_2225.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415287044742267378" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF4fNjj8Fc0OJk0gz01eq-5Vve2JXPHzSZ-Y-2xuXxVjQxUBbGtqUXLoQeZ2puu6YSv7ifLtaM0Ce4UFDc06s-6xFPNTqS-LkSqt9wiI465jQHGCwLRGNMeHIcV5dao0w3V27VZV7KrJU/s1600-h/IMG_2226.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF4fNjj8Fc0OJk0gz01eq-5Vve2JXPHzSZ-Y-2xuXxVjQxUBbGtqUXLoQeZ2puu6YSv7ifLtaM0Ce4UFDc06s-6xFPNTqS-LkSqt9wiI465jQHGCwLRGNMeHIcV5dao0w3V27VZV7KrJU/s320/IMG_2226.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415287039008274018" /></a><br /><br />Akahoshi Sensei's temple is at the top of a steep hill which is tricky to navigate so he met us in his car at the bottom and we followed him up. Wow, is this road ever tricky. It is by far the narrowest, steepest, windiest road I've ever seen. The road is *barely* big enough for a small Japanese car to fit on and it winds between people's property going up the hill so that you often have a wall on one side and a ledge on the other, both just inches from the car.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMkQyisDA6R-Y1Xy9gAAnHvBmwNmJsB2rEsvN1Uy4oaGYgoy_AHF2Yphxv88ZrvxqUpYnTAYR8kPwvrBmrs8gPU-UqB-GNLZUFzxtk8lBhpskvD1jTt4JQWuJG5-QR1nJAet9vF75s4SQ/s1600-h/IMG_2246.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMkQyisDA6R-Y1Xy9gAAnHvBmwNmJsB2rEsvN1Uy4oaGYgoy_AHF2Yphxv88ZrvxqUpYnTAYR8kPwvrBmrs8gPU-UqB-GNLZUFzxtk8lBhpskvD1jTt4JQWuJG5-QR1nJAet9vF75s4SQ/s320/IMG_2246.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415286567260055858" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH9QPp3Kwf6Ej4l2J-smhWiuTpFAW_HNoeXo1PCC6LsZpB5iQ-pDpg_UY_Gyk9VpYhCrSJBo1H80HFjvHPoccPWxc6Ryma-JdMRPUQxZgrFKGcXNYttc9NpMbW3lHo-oCJL7KVIConrQg/s1600-h/IMG_2247.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH9QPp3Kwf6Ej4l2J-smhWiuTpFAW_HNoeXo1PCC6LsZpB5iQ-pDpg_UY_Gyk9VpYhCrSJBo1H80HFjvHPoccPWxc6Ryma-JdMRPUQxZgrFKGcXNYttc9NpMbW3lHo-oCJL7KVIConrQg/s320/IMG_2247.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415286566588661154" /></a><br /><br />From the top, you can see all around the city. Sensei brought us in and served us tea. Once Tsuchida Sensei was on his way, Akahoshi Sensei showed me around a little and let me take some pictures of the temple. He also explained a lot about what the different statues and symbols mean, which I really appreciate.<br /><br /><div align="center">Main shrine area:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4pLsw3BcMNphL9RGBjn5bn8E08OWWnuCriv-q1bFe7B5bCwg6Xc9Q5MGQAgJEHTAXKtjhYOB4jLkJHGOGWs9PfmYiBaaJe6B-cmDqAC6NmPqOMrd7jiJTBtC0NfLQ9J_XThMxTQqy1pY/s1600-h/IMG_2250.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4pLsw3BcMNphL9RGBjn5bn8E08OWWnuCriv-q1bFe7B5bCwg6Xc9Q5MGQAgJEHTAXKtjhYOB4jLkJHGOGWs9PfmYiBaaJe6B-cmDqAC6NmPqOMrd7jiJTBtC0NfLQ9J_XThMxTQqy1pY/s320/IMG_2250.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415286557807965986" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9jWrnS6cmBTbtBqns8HaBWsmQvHrUIakXd8Adw8QURlsdmWqud_V9JPaM6UN6kJ2wrKPSWSBDhIZDhEEuR4JTq2aAW9ryfQuHeUU5ET-8oubccFQEz8aUY-ruik98B7Ir1jMg2rl6728/s1600-h/IMG_2254.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9jWrnS6cmBTbtBqns8HaBWsmQvHrUIakXd8Adw8QURlsdmWqud_V9JPaM6UN6kJ2wrKPSWSBDhIZDhEEuR4JTq2aAW9ryfQuHeUU5ET-8oubccFQEz8aUY-ruik98B7Ir1jMg2rl6728/s320/IMG_2254.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415286537254061234" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QKP863206SE/Syb2D10BS- I/AAAAAAAAAqA/udY_XMIMBkw/s1600-h/IMG_2262.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn_m00p1rA72xGvjqldW0xJ3q13dzvvek4Ua9hoBg_W8LBpvzausZqjvLgT1P3NtNraejhdSUBYJlvSqvWQjxI1fsqqpGqgiwbppAk6mLSCR84RWL5dXI_noA1UYZ2BARDG6ECos6E_P4/s320/IMG_2262.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415286147804908514" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM8yhiowEPyiNuD-Ig8eLxIcLpPZCgwUd55WTa45r25YkNNca-CHd7gL3byy_r188Dx-KgmAdZmYrdS0mGqQwAfsGHTYWR39Quax4fAP463EaYdojSmGfhaX3v8hmfUMbfMwzKV0dy9JE/s1600-h/IMG_2282.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM8yhiowEPyiNuD-Ig8eLxIcLpPZCgwUd55WTa45r25YkNNca-CHd7gL3byy_r188Dx-KgmAdZmYrdS0mGqQwAfsGHTYWR39Quax4fAP463EaYdojSmGfhaX3v8hmfUMbfMwzKV0dy9JE/s320/IMG_2282.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415286137344744274" /></a><br /><div align="center">Side shrine:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeoYO3gMGgeTHBMOCJAxWpVig_4NO3V03mP_l1eQjuG5lJE0KKAeF3N3bpMoRyAxPIRiXsIcsLmhbeoArhxs7BgKp6jhFpInkEdtomevbEZMMgGuzW1wxEQGGDYhVufX9xlC8_AoW6UQI/s1600-h/IMG_2251.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeoYO3gMGgeTHBMOCJAxWpVig_4NO3V03mP_l1eQjuG5lJE0KKAeF3N3bpMoRyAxPIRiXsIcsLmhbeoArhxs7BgKp6jhFpInkEdtomevbEZMMgGuzW1wxEQGGDYhVufX9xlC8_AoW6UQI/s320/IMG_2251.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415286547724835618" /></a><br /><div align="center">Where the head priest sits during the service:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuiqcmZEbOKC0q7PLvE39auWE7bWQrlwUjWMFmm3L9YWj4EQ6_4xGWOr_3B90UeImKw3eeT3MDL_4sJ51__BgwqB53iTiDP42o85IOji57K1SJXfpo9GAnQZDcMg_2IUysp5QlYhL9t0g/s1600-h/IMG_2284.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuiqcmZEbOKC0q7PLvE39auWE7bWQrlwUjWMFmm3L9YWj4EQ6_4xGWOr_3B90UeImKw3eeT3MDL_4sJ51__BgwqB53iTiDP42o85IOji57K1SJXfpo9GAnQZDcMg_2IUysp5QlYhL9t0g/s320/IMG_2284.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415286127520817730" /></a><br /><div align="center">Screen at the entrance to the temple offices:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1JU78qIyDuUfYT6Morzp6-MuTLEysDkV-mfa-jXI9wLeMci4o1Yw-UIxnkXkwNWmmGkSYuSyufd_c5RHculEeMFHar1eYtuSgjjhBJUtyL379eroPNUnmi7oqOTzzriCTCKZZzW5q8YE/s1600-h/IMG_2267.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1JU78qIyDuUfYT6Morzp6-MuTLEysDkV-mfa-jXI9wLeMci4o1Yw-UIxnkXkwNWmmGkSYuSyufd_c5RHculEeMFHar1eYtuSgjjhBJUtyL379eroPNUnmi7oqOTzzriCTCKZZzW5q8YE/s320/IMG_2267.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415286144115420050" /></a><br /><br />Sensei said a service was about to begin and invited me to come watch. Of course, I did and it was a good experience. Sensei's religion (Nichiren Buddhism) believes in a sacred phrase which they often chant during the service, "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Namu_Myoho_Renge_Kyo">Namu myoho renge kyo</a>". I could follow along at this point because Ai-chan and her parents taught me this when we went to Nichiren's birthplace, but for the rest of the ceremony I mostly just meditated quietly.<br /><br />The congregation there was really surprised to see me, of course. At the end of the service, Sensei brought me up front and said "You're probably all wondering who this is..." and introduced me as his kendo friend from Portland.<br /><br />It was a really rare opportunity, staying at the temple with the minister, having him explain what everything is, and going to his service. Something I won't soon forget.<br /><br />That evening, Sensei asked another minister to take me to a nearby kendo practice. This practice is run by Kobayashi Sensei (kendo 7 dan), who many people in my dojo actually know because he visited Portland around 10 years ago. This practice was for sensei's middle-school students so I watched the drills he had them doing and then got to practice with him afterwards.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEk9-m4v4m1L5DdK_vRSBs-uHU5Bj_qyqiXpu9VJdHN7fEMJzqdFRHUu6fQSGn5VCHi7Z5Mc9FwZXUbYytd8hOslTGCTcjq56CaQ3YeQz2kEc9nd2vCF8EuaFhAfgAeb4ZM8NNI9Q76dY/s1600-h/IMG_2286.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEk9-m4v4m1L5DdK_vRSBs-uHU5Bj_qyqiXpu9VJdHN7fEMJzqdFRHUu6fQSGn5VCHi7Z5Mc9FwZXUbYytd8hOslTGCTcjq56CaQ3YeQz2kEc9nd2vCF8EuaFhAfgAeb4ZM8NNI9Q76dY/s320/IMG_2286.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415286113406801042" /></a><br /><br />I got totally dominated, of course, and when Sensei left right away without saying much I thought maybe I'd done so poorly that he was insulted or something. But when Akahoshi Sensei came to pick me up he said that Kobayashi Sensei would be picking me up for lunch tomorrow. Okay! He also said that Kobayashi Sensei told him we wouldn't need a translator. Oh no, I said a few things and now he thinks I can speak Japanese...Jared Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07213301757820349332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4226642302201118825.post-85017774288172671222009-11-14T21:47:00.000-08:002009-11-14T21:59:56.501-08:00Day 19: Hangin' with Mr. CooperSick day today. Tsuchida Sensei took me to the hospital to make sure I didn't have "infuruenza", which I think might mean H1N1 here and not just what we would call the flu. I didn't want to go to the hospital but my hosts insisted. I've heard that they go to the hospital over even minor things here so I guess it's just a cultural difference. Anyway, their tests came back negative which relieved my Japanese hosts.<br /><br />Tsuchida Sensei and I pretty much just hung out in his office all day today. I updated this blog (see day 18) and then Sensei started getting out photo albums to show me so I showed him some of the pics I have online too. He seemed to really like this (they include a lot of people he knows) and he asked how he could see more, so we made him a Facebook account. :-)<br /><br />Sensei also gave me a copy of something he wrote a number of years ago which was translated into English. It talks about his experience during the war, some of the things he saw, and really goes into his personal feelings at that time and now looking back. It was really moving and he asked me to share it with people so I think I'll type it up and post it somewhere when I get back.<br /><br />Slow day, but in the end a nice one.Jared Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07213301757820349332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4226642302201118825.post-42383097942546713462009-11-10T23:32:00.001-08:002009-11-11T01:43:06.869-08:00Day 18: Hiroshima<i>Had a rough night last night. Up sick a lot and didn't get much sleep. Managed to make the best of it, though, and get through the day by just not eating much.</i><br /><br />Today Tsuchida Sensei took me to the Peace Park at the site of the first atomic bomb dropping in Hiroshima. He invited Ikeoka Sensei (5 dan iaido) to come since she speaks some English and she actually drove us around all day. One of her students is a New Zealander who's in Japan teaching English, so she brought him along as well. This was really nice since it gave me someone to talk to and he could also help with some translating.<br /><br />When we got to Hiroshima, we were met by Yoshihara Sensei (7 dan kendo), who is another of the senseis who visited us in Portland last year.<br /><br />As I had kind of feared, once we started walking around the area Tsuchida Sensei started talking about his experiences during the war. I was <b>really</b> glad someone was there to translate because he was there when the bomb was dropped. He was only 17 years old at the time, stationed at a base just outside Hiroshima. When the bomb was dropped, he actually saw the mushroom cloud and heard the ringing of the explosion.<br /><br />He also talked about the fact that he was a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukuryu">fukuryu</a>, which is something I'd never even heard of. Apparently, this was another kamikaze unit that was being trained to defend the Japanese mainland in case of a direct assault. These soldiers were trained to get in scuba suits and literally walk up to incoming ships underwater and then stab the ship hulls with an explosive spear. Because the atomic bombs were dropped and Japan surrendered, this force was never deployed.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOV0LqvX3wnhyphenhyphenj-82Mxec8J648XFBfCBDxFls5HJ4Q2COzmMmGa64Dah88qRvxkxa46ocotaPp27uQMHTTSDcuKm3FQr83GGM7-vWSFI6JWR1KTJ4XcSvrQGzRVDFtQ7l9uCFrfrY92EU/s1600-h/IMG_2125.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOV0LqvX3wnhyphenhyphenj-82Mxec8J648XFBfCBDxFls5HJ4Q2COzmMmGa64Dah88qRvxkxa46ocotaPp27uQMHTTSDcuKm3FQr83GGM7-vWSFI6JWR1KTJ4XcSvrQGzRVDFtQ7l9uCFrfrY92EU/s320/IMG_2125.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402772245793259378" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3oCtfiXdDJxYsDefzMumbIvGczL-PVRbckJD3sVJzoMj6G4Xq2qdqSrGlCViUw4J507Bch-bIJNrOTnpH-m8kEFZkk3W7BaGTAuPa5ByXXQXMmVOVpseT-gklkhxWcVColqPWPPSgfgA/s1600-h/IMG_2131.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3oCtfiXdDJxYsDefzMumbIvGczL-PVRbckJD3sVJzoMj6G4Xq2qdqSrGlCViUw4J507Bch-bIJNrOTnpH-m8kEFZkk3W7BaGTAuPa5ByXXQXMmVOVpseT-gklkhxWcVColqPWPPSgfgA/s320/IMG_2131.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402746232056656402" /></a><br /><div align="center">This flame was taken from the smoldering ashes of Hiroshima and has been kept lit ever since:</div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtqGTcUUKl7ia1CStRYlaqHqw1UWjsl6MNCYjrjTjfoYQmC4ZxTBBz4_nKycBVJheJob5t5Qn85xqZmc6KpnYjclCuAEB-btWcScJNUw_Qeiss-G3k_1DGEYvIXVqm6jarIk3ohY7k5jI/s1600-h/IMG_2133.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtqGTcUUKl7ia1CStRYlaqHqw1UWjsl6MNCYjrjTjfoYQmC4ZxTBBz4_nKycBVJheJob5t5Qn85xqZmc6KpnYjclCuAEB-btWcScJNUw_Qeiss-G3k_1DGEYvIXVqm6jarIk3ohY7k5jI/s320/IMG_2133.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402746396154454114" /></a><br /><div align="center">Booths full of paper cranes made by children as wishes for peace. The pictures are actually mosiacs made from cranes:</div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlEXm1XBXbimsmU5R4D6-BOLU1wJVREZpYT8iFEqjkvZnqUucThE5Tph_aJ_ulIi2TG5ErlEjDNkR9dqU8BmaEAMNg7nUvHOaWvkuJlWmLPMrsDLq3G5KPhXez2W_BsGDt34KI0PklfIs/s1600-h/IMG_2137.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlEXm1XBXbimsmU5R4D6-BOLU1wJVREZpYT8iFEqjkvZnqUucThE5Tph_aJ_ulIi2TG5ErlEjDNkR9dqU8BmaEAMNg7nUvHOaWvkuJlWmLPMrsDLq3G5KPhXez2W_BsGDt34KI0PklfIs/s320/IMG_2137.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402746881371832050" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJVBfgzWQ9a5c_9uhyphenhyphenBVC3JuCTPaueXXwzeRomiArrSS4ppY0QVy1_lSGqBicbZuxscjNHctUEmhgR5hAJtkFhYzh_Q9ZXdIH-cvYlNBbKML4_uWci7UV1V8C7s7S3QA40JKNPaVb0hFM/s1600-h/IMG_2138.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJVBfgzWQ9a5c_9uhyphenhyphenBVC3JuCTPaueXXwzeRomiArrSS4ppY0QVy1_lSGqBicbZuxscjNHctUEmhgR5hAJtkFhYzh_Q9ZXdIH-cvYlNBbKML4_uWci7UV1V8C7s7S3QA40JKNPaVb0hFM/s320/IMG_2138.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402746893011542338" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fXiu88kKucGVZjT-SL8qBaCD1-qjQnFquCbYvnZvYFagL-5Uq1Ij-r34J-EMQab-vEkShCmR4npTjnOVEdjSiko4rww22rfPQKQCM5EA1ud3JI58OSj5l9cz5Fdkl3N3NFu1bqfmmkY/s1600-h/IMG_2139.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fXiu88kKucGVZjT-SL8qBaCD1-qjQnFquCbYvnZvYFagL-5Uq1Ij-r34J-EMQab-vEkShCmR4npTjnOVEdjSiko4rww22rfPQKQCM5EA1ud3JI58OSj5l9cz5Fdkl3N3NFu1bqfmmkY/s320/IMG_2139.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402746900071737730" /></a><br /><div align="center">The bomb was exploded in the air almost directly over this building, which somehow kept the walls intact. It is now kept standing as a memorial:</div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSzeM3S06CVfuNH54u4ZaFiM3LUJVhrZUjCNmcod92DKR9ITdUK7DL3DEA3CK2J7gvA-AI3L57FuiBN5kuvQhG6sv412KhGRQ0dUqd4r7KdZZhkLYbjCiLCq0GaMz9IYZFEv2bEx8vK6g/s1600-h/IMG_2145.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSzeM3S06CVfuNH54u4ZaFiM3LUJVhrZUjCNmcod92DKR9ITdUK7DL3DEA3CK2J7gvA-AI3L57FuiBN5kuvQhG6sv412KhGRQ0dUqd4r7KdZZhkLYbjCiLCq0GaMz9IYZFEv2bEx8vK6g/s320/IMG_2145.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402747138243897650" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDPpuXBtnypT7rlGhk7uqPW3i18AarxScpWqxpvI_txYAOv7tZf19-U-95x4VBRLueQN8FiI5pAnFs-W0jWTJ4bIM6Q_-pWTmK7OoeuarcvkN9d6ln35fI9NkGhSfJ86RJRmFCohbm6t4/s1600-h/IMG_2152.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDPpuXBtnypT7rlGhk7uqPW3i18AarxScpWqxpvI_txYAOv7tZf19-U-95x4VBRLueQN8FiI5pAnFs-W0jWTJ4bIM6Q_-pWTmK7OoeuarcvkN9d6ln35fI9NkGhSfJ86RJRmFCohbm6t4/s320/IMG_2152.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402747796146225746" /></a><br /><br />We went to the museum afterwards, which is about as sad as you'd expect. I think they do a really good job, though, of talking about the war as a tragedy for everyone and not trying to place blame.<br /><br />After Hiroshima, we went to visit the island of Miyajima. This island is absolutely beautiful. It is considered a sacred home of gods. In fact, the island itself is worshipped as a god so they built the gated entrance to it in the sea.<br /><br /><div align="center">Ferry to the island:</div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoHxedeYwdaZpQr21itEskX_1YQYTlITJFuxg5mbVjzw_VZ8okr-c2YHwS41VZYtmyIp2Dok0TT6MqaP3FhDspm6XdpzwGZ_iD-rKp-BkB-kgv3JjULo40LO05CckD3m_JlaclMegK7zY/s1600-h/IMG_2159.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoHxedeYwdaZpQr21itEskX_1YQYTlITJFuxg5mbVjzw_VZ8okr-c2YHwS41VZYtmyIp2Dok0TT6MqaP3FhDspm6XdpzwGZ_iD-rKp-BkB-kgv3JjULo40LO05CckD3m_JlaclMegK7zY/s320/IMG_2159.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402747803201926290" /></a><br /><div align="center">Tame deer wander all over the place here. These two were really interested in this bakery:</div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUKraU8U2buI-4FWs1hyuoAOB4Ivd8VTnumKXbwXemFIpRev5A8JaSGMdCq-HDDZr8HeeOba_giJ3Ysg8g4ikysTN6WhVIoBlz2SbWDZAy3lq6r3Uw76XLHrNuBncun-BpnrMsdO94vFk/s1600-h/IMG_2165.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUKraU8U2buI-4FWs1hyuoAOB4Ivd8VTnumKXbwXemFIpRev5A8JaSGMdCq-HDDZr8HeeOba_giJ3Ysg8g4ikysTN6WhVIoBlz2SbWDZAy3lq6r3Uw76XLHrNuBncun-BpnrMsdO94vFk/s320/IMG_2165.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402748637170261010" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjagRkcd7fbfnG11pHcKhR7VugcBjOsGkHZpljeUgjvbbRQwrt_FuqH96j50fxw24ljtK0kTVPYAQJlzDy79Hpridj8NP0Yi-RaRdWOApwNYF1d8KPL_xuNwYo6a3rElVNhAeI4M-9gG0w/s1600-h/IMG_2173.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjagRkcd7fbfnG11pHcKhR7VugcBjOsGkHZpljeUgjvbbRQwrt_FuqH96j50fxw24ljtK0kTVPYAQJlzDy79Hpridj8NP0Yi-RaRdWOApwNYF1d8KPL_xuNwYo6a3rElVNhAeI4M-9gG0w/s320/IMG_2173.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402748647518591218" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyX-FlW_eP35JtdXgl0Cp8E646QM7GS8vTS7KPZUHZZi3rZFz3hnnsAIi3-0OgVrMfYmuDj2JmurkHd2HvmysMIMUantqtKY5KDyEiDQmG5dqI58SI8suaKVB78EVnUOgoZ7kx5VG2EEw/s1600-h/IMG_2179.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyX-FlW_eP35JtdXgl0Cp8E646QM7GS8vTS7KPZUHZZi3rZFz3hnnsAIi3-0OgVrMfYmuDj2JmurkHd2HvmysMIMUantqtKY5KDyEiDQmG5dqI58SI8suaKVB78EVnUOgoZ7kx5VG2EEw/s320/IMG_2179.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402748651503733970" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijEwxuKQgNOaCXjq_NEIdZV_AcwYFA3CD6W0jkdTrUmjcWy4xnedUWdCfPUdv6yQgkeyPF8x0yVVPVgk-o7eirR_uU5c1B0l05P6XP0k9pJHeQjB4CqObFGcj2iMhT7aIiuqdcopb_9q8/s1600-h/IMG_2180.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijEwxuKQgNOaCXjq_NEIdZV_AcwYFA3CD6W0jkdTrUmjcWy4xnedUWdCfPUdv6yQgkeyPF8x0yVVPVgk-o7eirR_uU5c1B0l05P6XP0k9pJHeQjB4CqObFGcj2iMhT7aIiuqdcopb_9q8/s320/IMG_2180.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402748664489456690" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCdH3HWvAAl-c_CMO9HvkvQRRhy-5WS9V09ocUBNCeaI_U370qVg9nxOigRet-NSbJZhyuH4a73cCrx0s-TgJWWQnfgN-Q-CU1kh_oM0V_qLjnmPaWUqjUmIOEngyeeaEVRuCcCQF5wSs/s1600-h/IMG_2184.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCdH3HWvAAl-c_CMO9HvkvQRRhy-5WS9V09ocUBNCeaI_U370qVg9nxOigRet-NSbJZhyuH4a73cCrx0s-TgJWWQnfgN-Q-CU1kh_oM0V_qLjnmPaWUqjUmIOEngyeeaEVRuCcCQF5wSs/s320/IMG_2184.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402751619882761746" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiU9LF3d7Y-EmFURedfHcE0kZoh5eJE-eAJkmGsGmGnkJMXPrV2hdvew4ZyVPZ6K3P0GZ-2qkLKvvZU7EGjbt4fySHY5Pn_GuXkMQMm28_b592-qCPFXob2joqSaWCx27CUzGt1Y4uY0s/s1600-h/IMG_2185.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiU9LF3d7Y-EmFURedfHcE0kZoh5eJE-eAJkmGsGmGnkJMXPrV2hdvew4ZyVPZ6K3P0GZ-2qkLKvvZU7EGjbt4fySHY5Pn_GuXkMQMm28_b592-qCPFXob2joqSaWCx27CUzGt1Y4uY0s/s320/IMG_2185.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402751629601720210" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzVK557V5k1kGBT9dC2G0fqI0-M8a2KdMGP5Ur9cluC3U0nKXQSx3rfFax4ililuUq8k2TnT7EUEGTDd428RhPmuDydw3-AoeD5C6Yy1FZ7-jxxMY9wU1UbLhYI1kJ8skStd9uQ-JfHsc/s1600-h/IMG_2183.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzVK557V5k1kGBT9dC2G0fqI0-M8a2KdMGP5Ur9cluC3U0nKXQSx3rfFax4ililuUq8k2TnT7EUEGTDd428RhPmuDydw3-AoeD5C6Yy1FZ7-jxxMY9wU1UbLhYI1kJ8skStd9uQ-JfHsc/s320/IMG_2183.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402751639947653442" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM94rqiCpmMfh0PtdXt5qaUcUfZUgIcaRJ3lfL7buxzH71CpShik_v6KTB6CN9pUjfzsVPCMBvTbw6sCFdiWIN2oJOetMWMPdwS5yjHfCuNFc76Gdhyphenhyphen3XMvA3UZ0qXatQwM3MJpYDImtc/s1600-h/IMG_2195.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM94rqiCpmMfh0PtdXt5qaUcUfZUgIcaRJ3lfL7buxzH71CpShik_v6KTB6CN9pUjfzsVPCMBvTbw6sCFdiWIN2oJOetMWMPdwS5yjHfCuNFc76Gdhyphenhyphen3XMvA3UZ0qXatQwM3MJpYDImtc/s320/IMG_2195.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402752745629807522" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmlwURVinZ-s17KZ_AUgADgPYfVk9StYF662YC8xXb4P-z1li1m2xCo7XsS1Kur2bpBggtg0y8wTkRA5KEXGHR-qYWRXzHDTbjBwzBeBQlHGhF8TaKHNUilPfZwCgW4NLUH0VzM35H53Q/s1600-h/IMG_2198.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmlwURVinZ-s17KZ_AUgADgPYfVk9StYF662YC8xXb4P-z1li1m2xCo7XsS1Kur2bpBggtg0y8wTkRA5KEXGHR-qYWRXzHDTbjBwzBeBQlHGhF8TaKHNUilPfZwCgW4NLUH0VzM35H53Q/s320/IMG_2198.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402752759373485650" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtKUmrJT1KCve2yi8aVjKxe7n2Nc0jndeLIvKoQZfWgoyY8ml4aI1lcdmLct2vDXIBW8Y4vqI7uPwbfYHCNmUWZcyiJkmyIEVjQZCQLBH2teV7VKfDMXLFnqhcefZi2S6rcfBalYMajWs/s1600-h/IMG_2200.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtKUmrJT1KCve2yi8aVjKxe7n2Nc0jndeLIvKoQZfWgoyY8ml4aI1lcdmLct2vDXIBW8Y4vqI7uPwbfYHCNmUWZcyiJkmyIEVjQZCQLBH2teV7VKfDMXLFnqhcefZi2S6rcfBalYMajWs/s320/IMG_2200.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402770136116365794" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgWWFX9fGzYAR0Pa7EDunqeHG7z-dVJf8sbzw03apYWCMazcy2nECYcxd43zNZZAs5SJUxKEvf_AomoepSPYioGMuztNuF3KsHBSoP7_yRc1nyZgcNXhxrzWZ7x1otD7VXXxv0-PiJeD4/s1600-h/IMG_2201.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgWWFX9fGzYAR0Pa7EDunqeHG7z-dVJf8sbzw03apYWCMazcy2nECYcxd43zNZZAs5SJUxKEvf_AomoepSPYioGMuztNuF3KsHBSoP7_yRc1nyZgcNXhxrzWZ7x1otD7VXXxv0-PiJeD4/s320/IMG_2201.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402770143950359906" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJJ5ekOyg1rYIS-S7O6E2iZMSaHQF_Z2XFeeqUbQPxP-Lex94GsMqzkWWp1Xv0Y3aBw1ApnQ_7_1P-YKcY125HCygcsHz9MZ9JHOZ6cyAszk2li6JKk7bAFVXuqEzndj-y8t5TCidoz54/s1600-h/IMG_2208.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJJ5ekOyg1rYIS-S7O6E2iZMSaHQF_Z2XFeeqUbQPxP-Lex94GsMqzkWWp1Xv0Y3aBw1ApnQ_7_1P-YKcY125HCygcsHz9MZ9JHOZ6cyAszk2li6JKk7bAFVXuqEzndj-y8t5TCidoz54/s320/IMG_2208.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402770154005147058" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiAfPukgmDfF8wwiO22HsguqrJmnJOBrf3Zj6yxc5_XtBdVdQnYpJNxLrsLVxZMPJEVbVvgIo9cua7nCJdQpwj7b8we2nRx4lpjx24cjAKASaOVMyjNxa2F3SkQ4NrL6bpu9Pngmb4lRU/s1600-h/IMG_2211.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiAfPukgmDfF8wwiO22HsguqrJmnJOBrf3Zj6yxc5_XtBdVdQnYpJNxLrsLVxZMPJEVbVvgIo9cua7nCJdQpwj7b8we2nRx4lpjx24cjAKASaOVMyjNxa2F3SkQ4NrL6bpu9Pngmb4lRU/s320/IMG_2211.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402770536943217170" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4_qkfQoICxVd7hQ9h0bzv73a9zvgVeoRgWloDjkJtnHfbDrnUeL8yRbZC28kqX6bAAOUqa5iJ0go3jjMsisdVMRkpWDESdsxwmOXdtFl1I1RMwGVGM2Z82re2OhKtd_9GGrQ3mClM0kw/s1600-h/IMG_2207.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4_qkfQoICxVd7hQ9h0bzv73a9zvgVeoRgWloDjkJtnHfbDrnUeL8yRbZC28kqX6bAAOUqa5iJ0go3jjMsisdVMRkpWDESdsxwmOXdtFl1I1RMwGVGM2Z82re2OhKtd_9GGrQ3mClM0kw/s320/IMG_2207.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402770545934887058" /></a>Jared Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07213301757820349332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4226642302201118825.post-88859448292001170382009-11-10T22:05:00.000-08:002009-11-10T23:32:02.982-08:00Day 17: JogeTravel day today. Took the shinkansen from Tokyo to Osaka and then from Osaka to Fukuyama.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQAAMwha19FsYY-d8TYIOBdjOZHEuirT5Iw9wQWrTyjRSN5tReH2gGUTKlbQzma-UMCgQP1xEbfoSzf_rfNhZT4YfwSofLwljCF-Xp-7siKDmgJqh53ULziQ3UGUPX5L0axKRygG9UTFk/s1600-h/IMG_2087.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQAAMwha19FsYY-d8TYIOBdjOZHEuirT5Iw9wQWrTyjRSN5tReH2gGUTKlbQzma-UMCgQP1xEbfoSzf_rfNhZT4YfwSofLwljCF-Xp-7siKDmgJqh53ULziQ3UGUPX5L0axKRygG9UTFk/s320/IMG_2087.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402725045418844226" /></a><br /><br />At the station, Tsuchida Sensei was there waiting for me along with a couple surprise guests. Urabe Sensei and his wife live in Fukuyama and they came to say hello and give me a couple iaido and kendo DVDs.<br /><br />From there, Tsuchida Sensei drove me to his <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryokan_(Japanese_inn)">ryokan</a> in Joge. He took me to my room, which is rediculously nice. It's two rooms, in fact, bigger than any of the places we've stayed at in Japan.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwCBnEJbZjuIsemX1dUNKPVU1ZQ8BuuUqQg8yntDL_5M4-jYxAQVy35sNN2Ht1mDVxW42_MbxTB7b8EuYn3V2TB57RL-wbslAx-cYWmgAAV_dN4pQBYY5mTQC9ToevkmcFCYAUuIpd9lU/s1600-h/IMG_2092.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwCBnEJbZjuIsemX1dUNKPVU1ZQ8BuuUqQg8yntDL_5M4-jYxAQVy35sNN2Ht1mDVxW42_MbxTB7b8EuYn3V2TB57RL-wbslAx-cYWmgAAV_dN4pQBYY5mTQC9ToevkmcFCYAUuIpd9lU/s320/IMG_2092.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402738471233768658" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidPm9H55mssuq397Lqoi9ycZnKkPhkqIqH9I7vTJNBXpHUGbRV7lMXyl-HDPjYvETLMrCeS4nW24UmzRhl3XmTN7AoOeAEUAlwSvNlmkvlNUoeKBQ5aOgNbMtk8xd4UZG4GQyOhnkdxi4/s1600-h/IMG_2215.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidPm9H55mssuq397Lqoi9ycZnKkPhkqIqH9I7vTJNBXpHUGbRV7lMXyl-HDPjYvETLMrCeS4nW24UmzRhl3XmTN7AoOeAEUAlwSvNlmkvlNUoeKBQ5aOgNbMtk8xd4UZG4GQyOhnkdxi4/s320/IMG_2215.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402744585992911666" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnNL6lK0vd15wi8jUa7UwBra85Y3x9EnNeIX-W7-PXTETaqypvajVqBi39Y29Fu7uuEtLw3o4ofTZELeI3aBqutQzbC1ZQw6XwEa-Fnrf_LHhMvN0r3_K7FL3ghX-XjSu9Yxvy7YJVDGo/s1600-h/IMG_2112.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnNL6lK0vd15wi8jUa7UwBra85Y3x9EnNeIX-W7-PXTETaqypvajVqBi39Y29Fu7uuEtLw3o4ofTZELeI3aBqutQzbC1ZQw6XwEa-Fnrf_LHhMvN0r3_K7FL3ghX-XjSu9Yxvy7YJVDGo/s320/IMG_2112.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402737260636633298" /></a><br /><br />After dropping my things off in the room, Tsuchida Sensei took me to a nearby onsen which was really nice. After the onsen, we came back for dinner. At this point, I met Tsuchida Sensei's son and daughter-in-law who are the chef and waitress. From what I gather, the three of them run this place by themselves.<br /><br />We were served a delicious meal with sashimi, tempura, and sukiyaki. Since we weren't able to speak to each other very well, Tsuchida Sensei got on the phone and invited one of his friends over to join us. His friend speaks some English so this let us communicate. It turns out that his friend is also a kendo sensei. In fact, he's the head instructor of the dojo in Joge under Tsuchida Sensei's guidance.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJeRlqzjDDZIsWHYuwTphAJKHpaEPKHIKBvvSs_ZTrRVe9bRuq5WgzDWEivPLYs-RG2q8Rtt79Wy5W3oylfMFaLF26CyOdjzJj6dWE3DbA5Gc4vtablrvuOnbw0KhkWxPFE6f0LMIxt64/s1600-h/IMG_2096.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJeRlqzjDDZIsWHYuwTphAJKHpaEPKHIKBvvSs_ZTrRVe9bRuq5WgzDWEivPLYs-RG2q8Rtt79Wy5W3oylfMFaLF26CyOdjzJj6dWE3DbA5Gc4vtablrvuOnbw0KhkWxPFE6f0LMIxt64/s320/IMG_2096.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402738476626193922" /></a>Jared Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07213301757820349332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4226642302201118825.post-74194688771141740762009-11-10T20:13:00.000-08:002009-11-10T21:52:01.013-08:00Day 16: NaritaToday Michelle, AJ, and Ai-chan went back home. Ai-chan's parents were kind enough to take our luggage in their car so we just had to take the shuttle to the airport. We had lunch and saw everyone off and then I took the train back to Tokyo. It was shaping up to be a boring night back at the hotel in Tokyo, but it turned out I had a real scare in store.<br /><br />I had reserved a ticket on the Shinkansen (Japan's high speed rail) earlier in the week, but when I looked at my ticket to double-check the time, I realized that the ticket I'd gotten was for the wrong day (earlier today!).<br /><br />I grabbed my coat and started to leave for the nearest ticket office, when it occurred to me to make sure it would still be open. I hit the Japan Rail website and sure enough, it had closed a couple hours earlier and wouldn't reopen until shortly before I was supposed to be on the train.<br /><br />I looked through all the ticket offices and eventually found one that was still open for another hour. With a little help from the front desk of the hotel, I figured out the fastest way to get there and took off. When I finally got to the station and found the ticket office, it was just starting to shut down but they were able to see me and gave me tickets for the right day. Whew.Jared Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07213301757820349332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4226642302201118825.post-37040460595422208752009-11-08T05:17:00.000-08:002009-11-08T06:53:23.949-08:00Day 15: KashiwaGotta be another quick post today because I'm now getting ready to leave for Fukuyama in Hiroshima prefecture. Don't know if I'll have internet access this week either...<br /><br />Today was our last full day in Japan together.<br /><br />Early in the day, we went back to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meiji_jingu">Meiji Jingu</a> to look around some more and do some more souvenir shopping. It so happens we picked a lucky day to go because the place was crawling with little kids dressed in kimonos. The first few pictures we took are blurry because they've of people on the move, but I think you still get the idea.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyM-oYRGnDOYS-C5iCCZDeezqE13SDoSTg0QNv_WJQEVLYryQ8AQMdNsZ67qtgqJEdPS4eJxwaiVkee8bEHu6mulN7dLbAeeothyphenhyphenO9KebTQtOjf9ircKaKgp-bhVtwgcJrxAdQUl1jkfM/s1600-h/IMG_2013.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyM-oYRGnDOYS-C5iCCZDeezqE13SDoSTg0QNv_WJQEVLYryQ8AQMdNsZ67qtgqJEdPS4eJxwaiVkee8bEHu6mulN7dLbAeeothyphenhyphenO9KebTQtOjf9ircKaKgp-bhVtwgcJrxAdQUl1jkfM/s320/IMG_2013.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401731303508154082" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXKcGKDQprjM_d2W3TCYW-vgrT3CiGzVx335IuzOkznALBIANqWUwvyl88A3ui7AhSFPxT7E8skn3iKOc-pZl1v3r-mcMwGvDKBXAsKMtoylxXbVPHurOGo3LZGcrxeh0g9An0UuIemOo/s1600-h/IMG_2016.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXKcGKDQprjM_d2W3TCYW-vgrT3CiGzVx335IuzOkznALBIANqWUwvyl88A3ui7AhSFPxT7E8skn3iKOc-pZl1v3r-mcMwGvDKBXAsKMtoylxXbVPHurOGo3LZGcrxeh0g9An0UuIemOo/s320/IMG_2016.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401731294266919458" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr8t8zuSVBGq3rflgfCOaAiTT5fUzZ0DbpecnsH5yRD7ew6pm-0MXYTyNTdEwvaX4LDH1pJ9mg9eIUm8TJQoJtb7H6dQG2jvevWjz-SPOCcTUxClj2zRKVEpnHmsN-biO90ZhaRpRHtP8/s1600-h/IMG_2017.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr8t8zuSVBGq3rflgfCOaAiTT5fUzZ0DbpecnsH5yRD7ew6pm-0MXYTyNTdEwvaX4LDH1pJ9mg9eIUm8TJQoJtb7H6dQG2jvevWjz-SPOCcTUxClj2zRKVEpnHmsN-biO90ZhaRpRHtP8/s320/IMG_2017.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401731293015187938" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Do2VfZng8ulj3uq_m1ZOxABBPlK-YzKioGiKRJrLlB-DHia1qhbdCzjREMgFGFTaNxPytJDDKVptg0my0GwMWVAuDKE97iViJ1xK8eR95RWUa9276sWHp5ppujGyk6ipW2QhNh89BBw/s1600-h/IMG_2020.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Do2VfZng8ulj3uq_m1ZOxABBPlK-YzKioGiKRJrLlB-DHia1qhbdCzjREMgFGFTaNxPytJDDKVptg0my0GwMWVAuDKE97iViJ1xK8eR95RWUa9276sWHp5ppujGyk6ipW2QhNh89BBw/s320/IMG_2020.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401731284557381202" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio1xuz4w8adQnPAn6Wc_6IHL4zeRXeWy5np5oafkSfLJ4nYTH60XNnAD7_ToTgbT3NuSrgrWM24P8G4VVQGhYRnt3JNCSppNDMNghbpFT5aXfFIHMKFHr21lUlTdRF_eaO66i_khWNH-E/s1600-h/IMG_2026.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio1xuz4w8adQnPAn6Wc_6IHL4zeRXeWy5np5oafkSfLJ4nYTH60XNnAD7_ToTgbT3NuSrgrWM24P8G4VVQGhYRnt3JNCSppNDMNghbpFT5aXfFIHMKFHr21lUlTdRF_eaO66i_khWNH-E/s320/IMG_2026.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401728934648160050" /></a><br /><div align="center">Giant tree at the shrine on which people hang their wishes:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqsjmgVuYf9hj1im3Z3hgI2-RfLhHNGOHjuY-h3Lij6G_idPqvdmzgzXOngyw_H_DStYIU89UxjmwP6vUsen5xVwfGcPH4KZfJcnfazQvr40Lfb7va7UuFw8-F3I0mmbCpalfq61ZitSs/s1600-h/IMG_2025.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqsjmgVuYf9hj1im3Z3hgI2-RfLhHNGOHjuY-h3Lij6G_idPqvdmzgzXOngyw_H_DStYIU89UxjmwP6vUsen5xVwfGcPH4KZfJcnfazQvr40Lfb7va7UuFw8-F3I0mmbCpalfq61ZitSs/s320/IMG_2025.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401728943443588546" /></a><br /><br />Ai-chan's parents wanted to take us out for dinner our last night here, so today we took a train out to the small town of Kashiwa near where they live.<br /><br />The restaurant they took us to was really amazing. Everything about this place was beautiful. We sat at a bar right in front of where the "master" (taisho) was preparing our food. It was really a kingly feast.<br /><br />An unusual thing about this restaurant is that they serve raw chicken, sashimi-style. The chickens they use for this are literally raised in a clean room like they use at Intel. Ai-chan's parents assured us that this was a trusted place and they weren't kidding. Look at the dishes we were served:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWYfopPyprOIuds6Mif2aF-8n9zAI9_cZPHGNuxGyL7RxHqfF693cONrIb6yXYIrBBIiqQNnuwjlbtEdlslPKHcHNJlQt4H1A-WVRThv8ZWlYSHt5yAynbsn9XNFzgABP7qMdx7eIAsJQ/s1600-h/IMG_2034.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWYfopPyprOIuds6Mif2aF-8n9zAI9_cZPHGNuxGyL7RxHqfF693cONrIb6yXYIrBBIiqQNnuwjlbtEdlslPKHcHNJlQt4H1A-WVRThv8ZWlYSHt5yAynbsn9XNFzgABP7qMdx7eIAsJQ/s320/IMG_2034.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401728923821468738" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp64FRI0GMC8b2DDz0zvnMKGPE5WbGbchgPmN6Wz8VWH-gE_7ed4aLKSPvHpl-skw9jVQp3oEuSgd3PwG53IfI_r22QEM5YYMZl6YKHGmqdHnFXDGj91OMJfTYWLak2JeWsdMBdgXOizU/s1600-h/IMG_2035.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp64FRI0GMC8b2DDz0zvnMKGPE5WbGbchgPmN6Wz8VWH-gE_7ed4aLKSPvHpl-skw9jVQp3oEuSgd3PwG53IfI_r22QEM5YYMZl6YKHGmqdHnFXDGj91OMJfTYWLak2JeWsdMBdgXOizU/s320/IMG_2035.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401728568235430194" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFc1N6_ajUe3NvmnE1-tUY6yDVI4sBhb9QaEfkX45ev2UQOwjBx13guwXbeGksbq9d5vkk0NkhR6mc1dN86WjPT4_Aax0fx8AlwC-RWX37ROb5H5Sl2Fq-iENW5VZbFQdpB1AxAtm2YXI/s1600-h/IMG_2039.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFc1N6_ajUe3NvmnE1-tUY6yDVI4sBhb9QaEfkX45ev2UQOwjBx13guwXbeGksbq9d5vkk0NkhR6mc1dN86WjPT4_Aax0fx8AlwC-RWX37ROb5H5Sl2Fq-iENW5VZbFQdpB1AxAtm2YXI/s320/IMG_2039.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401728559338526514" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioqCWkYfI29r0hbsWaaGrjHETVFJb2-Ki0FrnQ2SZEtzk_ySI0gmufIIhPEpHi4mdeSUIOsb38_K65rjMJl9g0odhg9uD-SSO6pOWlge7iYqEh-v9rcAahpqPFS4vZnyLoQi1E52mwtUk/s1600-h/IMG_2040.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioqCWkYfI29r0hbsWaaGrjHETVFJb2-Ki0FrnQ2SZEtzk_ySI0gmufIIhPEpHi4mdeSUIOsb38_K65rjMJl9g0odhg9uD-SSO6pOWlge7iYqEh-v9rcAahpqPFS4vZnyLoQi1E52mwtUk/s320/IMG_2040.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401728551174298738" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlVhKPfinszpMWiMYGafNaC5472n7PQdpGNzY1vTsUu4lpozA34K_qb99q3gvkwI_nCNtnLKSvhN0GruaG1lKmL53I8KsJnt9tPGa5JCrBbm0gcwQweQpjG1dgK9SONDcAm7FMsETEDf4/s1600-h/IMG_2041.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlVhKPfinszpMWiMYGafNaC5472n7PQdpGNzY1vTsUu4lpozA34K_qb99q3gvkwI_nCNtnLKSvhN0GruaG1lKmL53I8KsJnt9tPGa5JCrBbm0gcwQweQpjG1dgK9SONDcAm7FMsETEDf4/s320/IMG_2041.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401728541345269202" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUIaqzRgax-zlnBc5glPwk5Fdf-0VsHmffhYMlIIlDoyqejAggq7xx8nTw8JQOGeX4AoSEOUP32vWjJBMwCa229cwXO3Cmlsk_Jz-1ABBJuyb2TpRVYIY6R91qG0zFtgnDy7P39bzD_AE/s1600-h/IMG_2042.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUIaqzRgax-zlnBc5glPwk5Fdf-0VsHmffhYMlIIlDoyqejAggq7xx8nTw8JQOGeX4AoSEOUP32vWjJBMwCa229cwXO3Cmlsk_Jz-1ABBJuyb2TpRVYIY6R91qG0zFtgnDy7P39bzD_AE/s320/IMG_2042.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401728036213627922" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBNKuy0ZiPaw1jIPL2BY_m8bvqj0JeW4kn8Lecah22tI0URJZNGt2uyM1bVki8rNAQtaJ5KDxhHNfOpxhFcXMrMQkd92xLcoxye8H_5i1ysx0cGiEnz3BPxwohwIVMNMwUGvHyR9OZK58/s1600-h/IMG_2044.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBNKuy0ZiPaw1jIPL2BY_m8bvqj0JeW4kn8Lecah22tI0URJZNGt2uyM1bVki8rNAQtaJ5KDxhHNfOpxhFcXMrMQkd92xLcoxye8H_5i1ysx0cGiEnz3BPxwohwIVMNMwUGvHyR9OZK58/s320/IMG_2044.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401728027772229602" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWID8tuO3e_G2HpXuFJnb8joqbg_kegSgZyZttMwWfiiTuUKACjHuQ3ZIKncO2hjt12OGBA38Ey6Z1RMWqaqLmckfxNTil78cZrRT6nhvHDPkiHFG-ZRiDWLjAA4B0HG-G8wHCodriXJI/s1600-h/IMG_2048.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWID8tuO3e_G2HpXuFJnb8joqbg_kegSgZyZttMwWfiiTuUKACjHuQ3ZIKncO2hjt12OGBA38Ey6Z1RMWqaqLmckfxNTil78cZrRT6nhvHDPkiHFG-ZRiDWLjAA4B0HG-G8wHCodriXJI/s320/IMG_2048.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401728017505004658" /></a><br /><div align="center">Matsutake mushrooms sitting on the bar. The good ones like these are super expensive. Think hundreds of dollars per pound:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXn2wfXJiqCGSZ7ADdT4uRmvigGuwSBYOF51DenoSuYindXV0iPt6nIdOIQmAPsNLX8x6TQkywrKB4Zq_bKlr08gGlafJZJWp_-2Apr8Vw0McKcrnp13DxDd4Ct-FsJCfGrC_6BXrzvmI/s1600-h/IMG_2049.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXn2wfXJiqCGSZ7ADdT4uRmvigGuwSBYOF51DenoSuYindXV0iPt6nIdOIQmAPsNLX8x6TQkywrKB4Zq_bKlr08gGlafJZJWp_-2Apr8Vw0McKcrnp13DxDd4Ct-FsJCfGrC_6BXrzvmI/s320/IMG_2049.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401728007293381122" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipAvKSxgJrVweOHFBl2UZK1nFQzHaB0fb3QuYBM-qrvBHVpARuruchkGBT-QDYcWE7UGjhLp8SEjlSDH7EFX7FSPYBiinRgbngQ79qORnRkLXySoee5QC7K-rS2hPISbdp2BrVXN4UVAc/s1600-h/IMG_2050.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipAvKSxgJrVweOHFBl2UZK1nFQzHaB0fb3QuYBM-qrvBHVpARuruchkGBT-QDYcWE7UGjhLp8SEjlSDH7EFX7FSPYBiinRgbngQ79qORnRkLXySoee5QC7K-rS2hPISbdp2BrVXN4UVAc/s320/IMG_2050.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401727524119955522" /></a><br /><div align="center">Raw chicken livers. This was actually quite good. Somewhere in between <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fois_gras">fois gras</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_urchin#As_Food">uni</a>:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhetXccKc1gM5m7_Y-YmzcgKSBmrkMhhw2wpok7JJCzagFYGmb-TYOpBHw1tDjXdu6DfKEYLOQyEriZLhUiDekZsi04_c853IzX2iGeuvpyF-1BhION1wrUThVMHf2Mv44Wk6PrM9T0ca8/s1600-h/IMG_2051.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhetXccKc1gM5m7_Y-YmzcgKSBmrkMhhw2wpok7JJCzagFYGmb-TYOpBHw1tDjXdu6DfKEYLOQyEriZLhUiDekZsi04_c853IzX2iGeuvpyF-1BhION1wrUThVMHf2Mv44Wk6PrM9T0ca8/s320/IMG_2051.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401727516667864706" /></a><br /><div align="center">Shisamo. You eat these fish whole:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2zW4eCBpCjsjj22fQ9ik3Nw5Xg9kmi-jBESF__vyffQCce-1LIMbRIXws2_0jxKhFmbYefZwWb5w3mX8oNx_dQPHNA1dP3KryF4Hi8Bnj2vgn5UsPxNMd3aQbQSAqGg16wEFVlO_e0iM/s1600-h/IMG_2052.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2zW4eCBpCjsjj22fQ9ik3Nw5Xg9kmi-jBESF__vyffQCce-1LIMbRIXws2_0jxKhFmbYefZwWb5w3mX8oNx_dQPHNA1dP3KryF4Hi8Bnj2vgn5UsPxNMd3aQbQSAqGg16wEFVlO_e0iM/s320/IMG_2052.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401727508480962050" /></a><br /><div align="center">Sashimi chicken:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWj9EbKSxpCKPhmUJ3ZmrHvr_z3UxX9geJ2AHtjv9mpk9BaBwMAoHzBWKgeH6q6bcWQipbCU-xXazvxmnevMrFSk9fsHdfNu85WSpErx5X9WXuvvhXGHdcRGWZ9TkbanzeiC9q9AoCzps/s1600-h/IMG_2053-copy.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWj9EbKSxpCKPhmUJ3ZmrHvr_z3UxX9geJ2AHtjv9mpk9BaBwMAoHzBWKgeH6q6bcWQipbCU-xXazvxmnevMrFSk9fsHdfNu85WSpErx5X9WXuvvhXGHdcRGWZ9TkbanzeiC9q9AoCzps/s320/IMG_2053-copy.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401740182722851074" /></a><br /><div align="center">Homemade shiokara. Squid fermented in its own guts. Yummy:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNA2XPEF1ExNPKkkuhwQaQMgA7H6YJarJw3v99Llhsdp1YE6S0PnUB6JAmZPQ9_Ve5cYtijzw3p3S2wqixC2SZ9yCzZJ0eJXcsHvfKsswKB9I-AuqTSYt-G7NJmS1Y0rpTVRPr0t0kzM8/s1600-h/IMG_2054.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNA2XPEF1ExNPKkkuhwQaQMgA7H6YJarJw3v99Llhsdp1YE6S0PnUB6JAmZPQ9_Ve5cYtijzw3p3S2wqixC2SZ9yCzZJ0eJXcsHvfKsswKB9I-AuqTSYt-G7NJmS1Y0rpTVRPr0t0kzM8/s320/IMG_2054.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401726992665208418" /></a><br /><div align="center">Tuna cheek. This is prized in Japan as the best part of the fish:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8iNVjU9R98AMo1bUPgAsfJjvxNvoWF1UFlIJZOBBXr-ZWOu5xnsqwvhgtFMPr4AsB9UtukMlSvqiwZCTyW2orAEEyjVxxPI_ZjQELCcaw8tmc39U4SbJ5mbPX6miT6TPKEjFy6Wcqj-s/s1600-h/IMG_2055.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8iNVjU9R98AMo1bUPgAsfJjvxNvoWF1UFlIJZOBBXr-ZWOu5xnsqwvhgtFMPr4AsB9UtukMlSvqiwZCTyW2orAEEyjVxxPI_ZjQELCcaw8tmc39U4SbJ5mbPX6miT6TPKEjFy6Wcqj-s/s320/IMG_2055.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401726978880340786" /></a><br /><div align="center">Figs in a sweet miso sauce:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5YjOc6DkS6XWcMHf78bO17sFHLNZMtsRmWRs1wfsb3JSvCP0OiSQZ_kasO_MmjJHc12BX1ToKyNJXAXVKTYO8-b2EYdf92G8WspkdtV4K7BZYFoLilm0CDaD-E08x2qrGZEV9n-YYYZY/s1600-h/IMG_2056-copy.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5YjOc6DkS6XWcMHf78bO17sFHLNZMtsRmWRs1wfsb3JSvCP0OiSQZ_kasO_MmjJHc12BX1ToKyNJXAXVKTYO8-b2EYdf92G8WspkdtV4K7BZYFoLilm0CDaD-E08x2qrGZEV9n-YYYZY/s320/IMG_2056-copy.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401740193183808626" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC59MB2EhTtJy-5cIt49QmE32QuFD6lsR8oRP-_FNh3qd4WCp3m4JlYYuQPLhFaYXtASt6O0vgsimfBcLpsY1USAUGWUfjQ678LEdhVD_G5f4fwq89tEfCCjC1ZMdYcgG8UkTuBZZ-lTA/s1600-h/IMG_2057.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC59MB2EhTtJy-5cIt49QmE32QuFD6lsR8oRP-_FNh3qd4WCp3m4JlYYuQPLhFaYXtASt6O0vgsimfBcLpsY1USAUGWUfjQ678LEdhVD_G5f4fwq89tEfCCjC1ZMdYcgG8UkTuBZZ-lTA/s320/IMG_2057.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401725888441167106" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHXm2hJGsCqvTS-E-U_liEwnNstQliKyLAlxf49oryV1749g3hBj9G6rkmFj6UF8jcBr5G7EXRB6MdTEqhduT68pQgZHGOFY7OnBHakZz1TgBz7lX0hYRhsv5Q0GUUuFGmNs80mgybmGg/s1600-h/IMG_2058.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHXm2hJGsCqvTS-E-U_liEwnNstQliKyLAlxf49oryV1749g3hBj9G6rkmFj6UF8jcBr5G7EXRB6MdTEqhduT68pQgZHGOFY7OnBHakZz1TgBz7lX0hYRhsv5Q0GUUuFGmNs80mgybmGg/s320/IMG_2058.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401725873945378322" /></a><br /><br />At one point during the meal, they cleared some space in front of me for a "surprise". They dimmed the lights and started singing happy birthday (it was the next day) and brought out the most amazing birthday cake I think I've ever seen. It was a sushi cake! The flowers around the plate were made from sashimi (fresh fish) and the happy birthday sign was their house-special tamago (baked, flavored egg thingies).<br /><br />The cake itself was made from cooked rice and covered with amaebi (sweet shrimp sashimi). When we cut it open we realized that the taisho had actually made multiple layers like a birthday cake using seaweed and maguro (tuna). It was awesome.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis_vGvMJd2UiTfmInmFnEjLpotjlxl3COB-My4gf7C4htY2FJGSwmtSFx7nmcH7TdPsbiuG5Yp_XL8xZL3qb4B2rCwBQsxfG-ujC43RCdM7ISflT_q4z2lqmaMyM-tibGsqB0Efptl6Dc/s1600-h/IMG_2063.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis_vGvMJd2UiTfmInmFnEjLpotjlxl3COB-My4gf7C4htY2FJGSwmtSFx7nmcH7TdPsbiuG5Yp_XL8xZL3qb4B2rCwBQsxfG-ujC43RCdM7ISflT_q4z2lqmaMyM-tibGsqB0Efptl6Dc/s320/IMG_2063.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401725873395600610" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJCfPuqOr01dp4pZJMpbmHj0u21YSJidEVWsjtwMfWx5r4GuPSw4Ah90wrqHuW-O2rC8ZCV0X26Q4-bE8G5qaVdF6f77-7nhzs9R2RzFlhDmvHj70lPMf7UFiQGqY50Yb0TZghsC52t7E/s1600-h/IMG_2067.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJCfPuqOr01dp4pZJMpbmHj0u21YSJidEVWsjtwMfWx5r4GuPSw4Ah90wrqHuW-O2rC8ZCV0X26Q4-bE8G5qaVdF6f77-7nhzs9R2RzFlhDmvHj70lPMf7UFiQGqY50Yb0TZghsC52t7E/s320/IMG_2067.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401725864419709778" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrZdLY4F4fxbLOyvosJSeNbt1hjd5lSov_yVBqu-zkg_6XEZzwttsvy62QaABNsMMzJl0kEvfGRxQ-qyIiIYbJUSFgwBoXWOcwvm-81f_vXbj_h9DAbIdGowu0JnO5B22dECSGgtINTFc/s1600-h/IMG_2068.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrZdLY4F4fxbLOyvosJSeNbt1hjd5lSov_yVBqu-zkg_6XEZzwttsvy62QaABNsMMzJl0kEvfGRxQ-qyIiIYbJUSFgwBoXWOcwvm-81f_vXbj_h9DAbIdGowu0JnO5B22dECSGgtINTFc/s320/IMG_2068.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401725859422586610" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicxaw5dk3Y1rG8SewL0Gzozdbz6j7DMSO-XXVMzdlSqxEJfxRVXpBzdih_rbUiz8bZuROEUYsfyScLIFqPtet2up5ImFjGO9yVBUFpvTZPqITgdIgo6XVbn5N2KxmoT5DocQ2GaXWIJ9g/s1600-h/IMG_2071.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicxaw5dk3Y1rG8SewL0Gzozdbz6j7DMSO-XXVMzdlSqxEJfxRVXpBzdih_rbUiz8bZuROEUYsfyScLIFqPtet2up5ImFjGO9yVBUFpvTZPqITgdIgo6XVbn5N2KxmoT5DocQ2GaXWIJ9g/s320/IMG_2071.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401725279483354690" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDWNDLJbHt8lyYekaWuxw5-PideojY4WXGpvoYeTh_Rl-QrSLPf-ZOdnjoMyIy00VyYbG474fQAWie9ZnF1v-JJP7hfC7cFpjr8fgOjaDL0btDPM_HsbHidtFayfmhzEYW3vKEWNsTcQo/s1600-h/IMG_2073.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDWNDLJbHt8lyYekaWuxw5-PideojY4WXGpvoYeTh_Rl-QrSLPf-ZOdnjoMyIy00VyYbG474fQAWie9ZnF1v-JJP7hfC7cFpjr8fgOjaDL0btDPM_HsbHidtFayfmhzEYW3vKEWNsTcQo/s320/IMG_2073.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401725274155879090" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT4U1Jer7OiOojXR3x9RFY1uqCl25WKG1Ehj5-cL4tDXnEhQ7Sadue0DJMwoUB5j9CCfYxHaMGyh6CPERlz51UyA3DvYn35FA8r1Wldb4mfIzqFn1U5bIL59Xca3AY5NBttUPxgpwMwfw/s1600-h/IMG_2075.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT4U1Jer7OiOojXR3x9RFY1uqCl25WKG1Ehj5-cL4tDXnEhQ7Sadue0DJMwoUB5j9CCfYxHaMGyh6CPERlz51UyA3DvYn35FA8r1Wldb4mfIzqFn1U5bIL59Xca3AY5NBttUPxgpwMwfw/s320/IMG_2075.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401725267863396658" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje1UUCzLpayl4ywebLC_pN_zfQCWDrwRUiXVaqlqRzYcyhy9nTskGm9Ck5T_ncY_BRBsGRdDvtiea69muFxHPNSJRntI6ENNzLbGu6iWW3cFE40PfMmjz-WqYRgCzXpMVFbxphWuh6bcI/s1600-h/IMG_2076.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje1UUCzLpayl4ywebLC_pN_zfQCWDrwRUiXVaqlqRzYcyhy9nTskGm9Ck5T_ncY_BRBsGRdDvtiea69muFxHPNSJRntI6ENNzLbGu6iWW3cFE40PfMmjz-WqYRgCzXpMVFbxphWuh6bcI/s320/IMG_2076.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401725255833765122" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtXH8oQzbKbHkEMD4WtKJhLR3vj9Lmf0t3EuSjeEdx1sI20NUfDvm83WdpFoTdqzYQ-H89Y42Tw-pU9bBSad3opjFX0nN6v9OKZtklPs5lF3AMV4h2ITO7OoI9hmaIH77FKNouCzEiQK4/s1600-h/IMG_2077.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtXH8oQzbKbHkEMD4WtKJhLR3vj9Lmf0t3EuSjeEdx1sI20NUfDvm83WdpFoTdqzYQ-H89Y42Tw-pU9bBSad3opjFX0nN6v9OKZtklPs5lF3AMV4h2ITO7OoI9hmaIH77FKNouCzEiQK4/s320/IMG_2077.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401725242462121154" /></a>Jared Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07213301757820349332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4226642302201118825.post-51235218423140861202009-11-08T01:44:00.000-08:002009-11-08T04:59:18.309-08:00Day 14: Noma dojoToday was my second chance to visit Noma dojo. The second day was definitely better since I knew the routine and had met a few people the day before. Also, even people I hadn't met seemed to recognize me and were more willing to interact and give me advice.<br /><br />This visit was also special because I got to meet Umemura Sensei and talk to Tomokawa Sensei. Tomokawa Sensei is the 8-dan head instructor of Noma dojo who has travelled to Tacoma to give a kendo seminar the past two years in a row. Umemura Sensei visited Obukan some years ago (before my time) and he is the one who donated the trophy that our club gives out every year at our tournament. When I told Stroud Sensei I would be visiting Noma dojo, he put me in contact with Umemura Sensei which I really appreciate. Umemura Sensei was very kind to me during practice and took me out for breakfast afterwards which was a real treat.<br /><br />This was our last full day in Tokyo, so in the afternoon we pretty much just ran around picking up souvenirs. Just got a couple quick pics of the Tokyo Dome, a rollercoaster that goes right through a building, and a small shrine we walked past.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtD-vLloIglBHL4EeHz_DoDkF_1fomD6feG67DBwqVh-UGJVRGoQbOy7eu-iXX9-jbyMv11p4NNMWDblVO9TckDHyZKLlunbeDy5Z3Od5yWqXj3I8vYLh97BCXuzRkLRvkmtMwlJySEKQ/s1600-h/IMG_2006.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtD-vLloIglBHL4EeHz_DoDkF_1fomD6feG67DBwqVh-UGJVRGoQbOy7eu-iXX9-jbyMv11p4NNMWDblVO9TckDHyZKLlunbeDy5Z3Od5yWqXj3I8vYLh97BCXuzRkLRvkmtMwlJySEKQ/s320/IMG_2006.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401705798164046418" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfLBi8_Ye9pVjU46lk2zGg_UOM8upHdrRRxCM8X8FrA3eI5Rvss_66hSE308JfeuqeMkrzluEzGVHyU0vI3usak7nSFRRcbZhY9J34T2o1VyUdfJ3lI41MR0kgIcJFi-VjpAHxPvOhojY/s1600-h/IMG_2009.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfLBi8_Ye9pVjU46lk2zGg_UOM8upHdrRRxCM8X8FrA3eI5Rvss_66hSE308JfeuqeMkrzluEzGVHyU0vI3usak7nSFRRcbZhY9J34T2o1VyUdfJ3lI41MR0kgIcJFi-VjpAHxPvOhojY/s320/IMG_2009.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401705806649945506" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaLVYrLEZl7ylY2W1hj-EkHMjZGivF6y43lgHErm-YxpCsjA1wSJtE1QgGxsVbMDbth2TNSwG87f3yZKiMVifwbknif5UZcWu9dFGz9ZRIZJ17Oc_BE7rOibUIKMeSl1YAyrXikWohhJ4/s1600-h/IMG_2010.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaLVYrLEZl7ylY2W1hj-EkHMjZGivF6y43lgHErm-YxpCsjA1wSJtE1QgGxsVbMDbth2TNSwG87f3yZKiMVifwbknif5UZcWu9dFGz9ZRIZJ17Oc_BE7rOibUIKMeSl1YAyrXikWohhJ4/s320/IMG_2010.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401705814826346082" /></a><br /><br />For dinner, we got ramen since it's quick and easy to order. Though it's worth mentioning that ramen here is a totally different affair than the dried noodles and salt packets that we're used to in the states. Restaurants actually make their own noodles and broth using vegetables and meat. We've had ramen a few times here and it's really delicious.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCMiTPW3-WWPwMdfgWBz-2x1mO9Tm1q7QXDCmbZiYDlyYCrrLPHVl-hDXQvpeEMJVK_bXg-TaoDeeYvm2HJtily6CZKB3E3z04rm2Cwe8-RoIDAC0zM4tV4wpP7HQzSsXwOP0A9HEopJ0/s1600-h/IMG_2011.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCMiTPW3-WWPwMdfgWBz-2x1mO9Tm1q7QXDCmbZiYDlyYCrrLPHVl-hDXQvpeEMJVK_bXg-TaoDeeYvm2HJtily6CZKB3E3z04rm2Cwe8-RoIDAC0zM4tV4wpP7HQzSsXwOP0A9HEopJ0/s320/IMG_2011.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401715906671985570" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsstMbXaIMVnJj5KxcRb47pYCjvuvNuFE9x2YQdVybvnwb2s7sHaCzRZcEbNy8IhKBtqtCpOkxFHl0JeuQISMxCQCg5nswE6kdOFo4Q_r9uSFUFFkXPg777FSdFGHz3omTF639L5AMIsE/s1600-h/IMG_2012.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsstMbXaIMVnJj5KxcRb47pYCjvuvNuFE9x2YQdVybvnwb2s7sHaCzRZcEbNy8IhKBtqtCpOkxFHl0JeuQISMxCQCg5nswE6kdOFo4Q_r9uSFUFFkXPg777FSdFGHz3omTF639L5AMIsE/s320/IMG_2012.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401715915645250402" /></a>Jared Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07213301757820349332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4226642302201118825.post-42546565835021710942009-11-05T15:50:00.000-08:002009-11-05T18:29:27.920-08:00Day 13: Imperial Palace (Kokyo)This morning I got my first chance to practice kendo in Japan. Following instructions from Stroud Sensei, I managed to find the famous Noma dojo. The new dojo is really amazing. The floor in the main practice area has a nice feel to it, though it is very slippery by comparison to the places we practice in the US. Outside the main practice area, they have multiple rooms for getting changed, a room to hang your gi and hakama, and even a tea room. They also have showers and a large hot bath, similar to what you'd find at an onsen. Obukan has got to get one of these...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMUNvODWbxQ75NeafyBO8woC5VnqdsYnWJRdKiqEVsmdNqka9lYGR-siKWjn0uVbW7LiGlUA-TDSD0GJzeHyUsG8O7dhv8YvHrmggHToy3aQkiIljijgkcO27OjuBV1LbivABaUOMhzf8/s1600-h/IMG_1920.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMUNvODWbxQ75NeafyBO8woC5VnqdsYnWJRdKiqEVsmdNqka9lYGR-siKWjn0uVbW7LiGlUA-TDSD0GJzeHyUsG8O7dhv8YvHrmggHToy3aQkiIljijgkcO27OjuBV1LbivABaUOMhzf8/s320/IMG_1920.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400775326408199346" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAUBCHh7fPUsca77PHhiXo8XEGGOx-IdERMScU_ZONwVIX2o1VwlQld5gMCIpDOuGcv7_lakSt1EVUw5ygXj7k8PPn4xLtpcuq_ME7-xC2OBX32HF8aMrjFXyRNyU8NtMbiyiAuMtg9CM/s1600-h/IMG_1921.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAUBCHh7fPUsca77PHhiXo8XEGGOx-IdERMScU_ZONwVIX2o1VwlQld5gMCIpDOuGcv7_lakSt1EVUw5ygXj7k8PPn4xLtpcuq_ME7-xC2OBX32HF8aMrjFXyRNyU8NtMbiyiAuMtg9CM/s320/IMG_1921.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400775307321516434" /></a><br /><br />After practice (it's from 7 to 8AM), we headed out for the Japanese Imperial Palace, called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kokyo">kōkyo</a>. This is the place where the emperor currently lives and the site has been in use by the imperial family since they took over the castle from the shogun in 1868. The area where the emperor lives is closed to the public except on two days a year, but they have a large garden with historic sites that is always open to the public.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1YDlHz5ZCW6_k6dlYLUmSlL8qhaF-THNrNRNGOIbnyGUP07av5FPQWrV87EkluUXb4KKvqT2FO2n3Wu0pty__ajXJug2IQvv_W9WDqBJ9Y90B5PsVAmGGv23hiGwktaij6XQanbocf9E/s1600-h/IMG_1924.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1YDlHz5ZCW6_k6dlYLUmSlL8qhaF-THNrNRNGOIbnyGUP07av5FPQWrV87EkluUXb4KKvqT2FO2n3Wu0pty__ajXJug2IQvv_W9WDqBJ9Y90B5PsVAmGGv23hiGwktaij6XQanbocf9E/s320/IMG_1924.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400775317811954706" /></a><br /><div align="center">This large stylized dolphin used to be on top of one of the gates, but it was knocked down by bombing during WWII:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaoc4buoK1Bog8p43vAIvf1N9qnenrJuM30sjKiJnGbAXTTKkXqSsQQYweRVgZ6M5IHpT6mVY9qd60UQ43LuJh-KTzxoNqjlgt71j6emajyuuXWKOIU7F6piBMCeGSyVGu00J5Ornhvo0/s1600-h/IMG_1926.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaoc4buoK1Bog8p43vAIvf1N9qnenrJuM30sjKiJnGbAXTTKkXqSsQQYweRVgZ6M5IHpT6mVY9qd60UQ43LuJh-KTzxoNqjlgt71j6emajyuuXWKOIU7F6piBMCeGSyVGu00J5Ornhvo0/s320/IMG_1926.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400775305472064994" /></a><br /><div align="center">We saw this tiny hummingbird in the gardens and had to get some pictures. This little guy was only slightly bigger than a bumblebee:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8JeO-jAFh-Qk65lr3C24PsR0LubK2CbYJdMDyQrJXOHPepEFsor3Bk_uUTdNI_JZPBpQpyRS0NxFobgrDjcHRqCDOmE3qHqCrY2kFxuLdFfGaieOctFjyRWs_xMq-1YbgvMyEJ7vEX1s/s1600-h/IMG_1931.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8JeO-jAFh-Qk65lr3C24PsR0LubK2CbYJdMDyQrJXOHPepEFsor3Bk_uUTdNI_JZPBpQpyRS0NxFobgrDjcHRqCDOmE3qHqCrY2kFxuLdFfGaieOctFjyRWs_xMq-1YbgvMyEJ7vEX1s/s320/IMG_1931.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400775294900351618" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_bzajM2G4aXOxhuOldvW3O9UHDEFu3pKh3zwf1NscVx9GEvFOcExXtcsrKmYR7b-I2JSqSSKyuSDMum-bgVTDM5vzWVJYXVd0X4FIKkYx7cmrSg2KySAtNkwhIPi_hPTUUc_-r435bM/s1600-h/IMG_1934.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_bzajM2G4aXOxhuOldvW3O9UHDEFu3pKh3zwf1NscVx9GEvFOcExXtcsrKmYR7b-I2JSqSSKyuSDMum-bgVTDM5vzWVJYXVd0X4FIKkYx7cmrSg2KySAtNkwhIPi_hPTUUc_-r435bM/s320/IMG_1934.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400773698494511554" /></a><br /><div align="center">A former guard house where samurai were stationed:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4NOtpAftB_8tjse0ZNvQ8V37y_OJjWoNZ-if6l2mzs-KL_grRLtyeoB1cefNqamsYdtPf4p3pexK68ndaQbeEVNyjZwYEdBuio57OHAzo_sft1zdGlDo6nmtHdV2DXiKTv_kHPGzs6_Y/s1600-h/IMG_1935.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4NOtpAftB_8tjse0ZNvQ8V37y_OJjWoNZ-if6l2mzs-KL_grRLtyeoB1cefNqamsYdtPf4p3pexK68ndaQbeEVNyjZwYEdBuio57OHAzo_sft1zdGlDo6nmtHdV2DXiKTv_kHPGzs6_Y/s320/IMG_1935.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400773695367234786" /></a><br /><div align="center">A larger guard house in which 100 higher ranking samurai lived:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEQB2mkI3PWoxnOXQj71gzRk02T6spRp1FjzC6Mrcbvh70BSoeLWUowzz_qfrN122ZsNapswYdk2h61q0q3wVdgCmLPy0NykwUtDNmDAJBto3IkO52VuYWQCB5khgAWDDrev8W4bXbNH4/s1600-h/IMG_1938.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEQB2mkI3PWoxnOXQj71gzRk02T6spRp1FjzC6Mrcbvh70BSoeLWUowzz_qfrN122ZsNapswYdk2h61q0q3wVdgCmLPy0NykwUtDNmDAJBto3IkO52VuYWQCB5khgAWDDrev8W4bXbNH4/s320/IMG_1938.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400773687109938546" /></a><br /><div align="center">This giant stone structure was the base for a huge 6 story tower, which burned down during a huge fire in Tokyo. In its time, the structure was the highest in Tokyo:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT7VgQOplKn4qd921WFRZBxbTI1bbOUFAD1FtVl3Q7XZ8CudfOwS7woLucn2WQnHZENqjedE2QLfaYhlsveKK0r0LYVEDGQIRkvOAOM1N8xCBeBIX-r6UoPVmvT8W1bdVBJCPnSyj3dkk/s1600-h/IMG_1951.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT7VgQOplKn4qd921WFRZBxbTI1bbOUFAD1FtVl3Q7XZ8CudfOwS7woLucn2WQnHZENqjedE2QLfaYhlsveKK0r0LYVEDGQIRkvOAOM1N8xCBeBIX-r6UoPVmvT8W1bdVBJCPnSyj3dkk/s320/IMG_1951.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400773677249029330" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_w0ZwPeriPWsiMT8USjNeYQ40zQOI53B0eusbY7GnuWxmh9Jc3kLIjG1T2ZDYcC_IrVthqQI0RgWP_WdpJi9YW6_g6dYPgsglPZ_Y5JH4_But4p7SqhH-j4AZiSNpIODqqWMSLPNSHmc/s1600-h/IMG_1954.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_w0ZwPeriPWsiMT8USjNeYQ40zQOI53B0eusbY7GnuWxmh9Jc3kLIjG1T2ZDYcC_IrVthqQI0RgWP_WdpJi9YW6_g6dYPgsglPZ_Y5JH4_But4p7SqhH-j4AZiSNpIODqqWMSLPNSHmc/s320/IMG_1954.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400773666978710194" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFRSy_9TXgwsq4_mMJvGObMGHEG5-JuFBUK4cTg5hr_XJmF2A7okn88NiZAwpXXENWuzA_cLqBEsXUMHdiykqrjCxHETXEldA5j6U1xi_YrMeUaVg9_hd0uAIuYDTPLlImgSsJsh4u6fo/s1600-h/IMG_1957.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFRSy_9TXgwsq4_mMJvGObMGHEG5-JuFBUK4cTg5hr_XJmF2A7okn88NiZAwpXXENWuzA_cLqBEsXUMHdiykqrjCxHETXEldA5j6U1xi_YrMeUaVg9_hd0uAIuYDTPLlImgSsJsh4u6fo/s320/IMG_1957.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400773005488782850" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDk6lOfyW-fwzXepPHWnoOoohEPCaXmx-mKB5o9ZOykzw3ufm4HqYoh4oX0xKvGRfse9T4QD6Oc2IgkN58lLBSPVx4pSS1dOPHuNgVJz_gpgSx-yZS0nzbgseMyZmWZD1ogKOw7fn4W5I/s1600-h/IMG_1960.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDk6lOfyW-fwzXepPHWnoOoohEPCaXmx-mKB5o9ZOykzw3ufm4HqYoh4oX0xKvGRfse9T4QD6Oc2IgkN58lLBSPVx4pSS1dOPHuNgVJz_gpgSx-yZS0nzbgseMyZmWZD1ogKOw7fn4W5I/s320/IMG_1960.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400773003906582322" /></a><br /><div align="center">Tea house. Currently being restored:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxWQX7WLSyZfX2y-oB-o_slc9DLoSQasTgeFhdZhyphenhyphenp6YGspDznKMYIPQ4wlBOJQJTzNodc3x3lzezBgje2uuUx_KCjorJadZkFEmqrUsW1p5apEac8Msh_PUhB6RCXCxiWOC08hqwzlhE/s1600-h/IMG_1963.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxWQX7WLSyZfX2y-oB-o_slc9DLoSQasTgeFhdZhyphenhyphenp6YGspDznKMYIPQ4wlBOJQJTzNodc3x3lzezBgje2uuUx_KCjorJadZkFEmqrUsW1p5apEac8Msh_PUhB6RCXCxiWOC08hqwzlhE/s320/IMG_1963.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400772994272878226" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtKzZwYYVEXxB9heDpfygZTzaTPQQy_NQKsaZIqknUIuSyQaFbac86uP5vqdeGBq9qYwfX8QhNc3OJXDEHi9UZBLtJqnJaqnwqFE0xlYX2POajhTbmURM7vzrHB4oI8cO-G95ZvR_6N_c/s1600-h/IMG_1971.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtKzZwYYVEXxB9heDpfygZTzaTPQQy_NQKsaZIqknUIuSyQaFbac86uP5vqdeGBq9qYwfX8QhNc3OJXDEHi9UZBLtJqnJaqnwqFE0xlYX2POajhTbmURM7vzrHB4oI8cO-G95ZvR_6N_c/s320/IMG_1971.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400772987612695954" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-hK5QMv5NPH2gCZMHBH4Xoashn0oH86mWJWXTvtJ4EQ-Urb0_ubB1PZSJjtwToEcHQyJv1lydeTp2_xEZQPjnyogm2RHTGc7Dm8sBSHY-KeKFTSu_qHLVr3XUlv1MpXderH-HabKRkAA/s1600-h/IMG_1976.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-hK5QMv5NPH2gCZMHBH4Xoashn0oH86mWJWXTvtJ4EQ-Urb0_ubB1PZSJjtwToEcHQyJv1lydeTp2_xEZQPjnyogm2RHTGc7Dm8sBSHY-KeKFTSu_qHLVr3XUlv1MpXderH-HabKRkAA/s320/IMG_1976.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400772974490791954" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2M92D7mL0iEhtgJXKq2d-1od-EV-1yRvtezd-AT0grjiAHv4SwXEwQeFhgljuhCTcCKe-tzDUx7-MPV44wu0VuwNYyl7Y2gYQK2_dvckcFEP9K5FJWW6MJa4R0Qt2VoAoiojk9R2b_Iw/s1600-h/IMG_1983.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2M92D7mL0iEhtgJXKq2d-1od-EV-1yRvtezd-AT0grjiAHv4SwXEwQeFhgljuhCTcCKe-tzDUx7-MPV44wu0VuwNYyl7Y2gYQK2_dvckcFEP9K5FJWW6MJa4R0Qt2VoAoiojk9R2b_Iw/s320/IMG_1983.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400772195459691490" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGjQ7a293peG7951AewfA2QjoGoLQxmY8TlwC5CbP3fY5-tlSDyhYWcjybvxwDv4gNlTCnvkk_o8YNjk9eGm2gazs6Hz-lTJiBV6rXl2Zty6MuIo8FpgRpIEQ3-5bmgr87FQnOUZfMNEE/s1600-h/IMG_1989.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGjQ7a293peG7951AewfA2QjoGoLQxmY8TlwC5CbP3fY5-tlSDyhYWcjybvxwDv4gNlTCnvkk_o8YNjk9eGm2gazs6Hz-lTJiBV6rXl2Zty6MuIo8FpgRpIEQ3-5bmgr87FQnOUZfMNEE/s320/IMG_1989.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400772187119200242" /></a><br /><br />In the evening we headed back to Asakusa to look around some more and find dinner. We couldn't help but take a couple more pictures.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_1vPtjuS0MeqiTZnzt7Ng4ItxMU9Tu8UDcBU-dTztThAdPBReuFER1ZFF8LsZyQ8eLGNBV2Kw4AJaBqVyZaoIqITPTFFZoQcrcGNSYUQlYs4AMkB6BjY0AoMJNiOrMzqN6JhVgrCbQHA/s1600-h/IMG_1998.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_1vPtjuS0MeqiTZnzt7Ng4ItxMU9Tu8UDcBU-dTztThAdPBReuFER1ZFF8LsZyQ8eLGNBV2Kw4AJaBqVyZaoIqITPTFFZoQcrcGNSYUQlYs4AMkB6BjY0AoMJNiOrMzqN6JhVgrCbQHA/s320/IMG_1998.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400772175520662434" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji5dPD25iH0qA0AGeM3-1lkjxswyCOfC-AZ7AWG9tEW9zaI-mtGs_li1ga6IgXt1KZR4n1STSJaxI4Io9TNOAZdDpShPhr0HIURNwxwYVDn9jOkzxn8A2xkjkG3DcDkRwTRbNVKc0G38A/s1600-h/IMG_2000.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji5dPD25iH0qA0AGeM3-1lkjxswyCOfC-AZ7AWG9tEW9zaI-mtGs_li1ga6IgXt1KZR4n1STSJaxI4Io9TNOAZdDpShPhr0HIURNwxwYVDn9jOkzxn8A2xkjkG3DcDkRwTRbNVKc0G38A/s320/IMG_2000.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400772170305220706" /></a><br /><br />We wandered around for a while before finally deciding to brave an okonomiyaki restaurant on our own. When we walked in, we realized that this was a tiny mom and pop kind of place. It literally had four tables with one man working out front and his wife in the kitchen.<br /><br />As we came in, the man (who I presume is the owner) asked in Japanese whether we understood Japanese. From the way he asked, I got the impression that he meant "If you don't, this place isn't for tourists." I answered "Only a little", but he was happy to hear it and welcomed us in.<br /><br />When we came in and sat in seiza, then proceeded to explain why we are in Japan (friend's wedding) and why I speak some Japanese (kendo), the owner became our best friend. He was super nice and basically sat through our meal talking with us and showing us his way of making okonomiyaki. There was another couple there and he was joking with them about the fact that the foreigners were sitting seiza but they weren't. We had a really great time and toward the end, the owner disappeared into the back and came out with one of the paper lanterns that they hang for a festival in that area. He put it in a bag and told us it was a "puresento" (present). It was a great experience.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6aYGuYmfPNJNH2RcPKSYylGe_dcLBNGmpNqxlWyBApKf_7GfzA3866I6PLQTL6j4WUBh7hiHAhnX4iPIA44w16V94EDq10ti-k1vxsDhoD0_ywr5c7Q70_qwP0e7zq0aQEC905QcmQW4/s1600-h/IMG_2002.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6aYGuYmfPNJNH2RcPKSYylGe_dcLBNGmpNqxlWyBApKf_7GfzA3866I6PLQTL6j4WUBh7hiHAhnX4iPIA44w16V94EDq10ti-k1vxsDhoD0_ywr5c7Q70_qwP0e7zq0aQEC905QcmQW4/s320/IMG_2002.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400772159890676402" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNNFmVIkVMamYQFOqW2beM62OA_WAXP6UQMQEaDaSqkSFZ7jj_Rz6xjkxfCgtQbnF5cv_-UO0AnHngzQrA9fxWrVRyA_O4irZMxAfWZSqOHCGpcxPjz2DTajOb3p7zTGMMd5pOJh9n7Bo/s1600-h/IMG_2004-copy.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNNFmVIkVMamYQFOqW2beM62OA_WAXP6UQMQEaDaSqkSFZ7jj_Rz6xjkxfCgtQbnF5cv_-UO0AnHngzQrA9fxWrVRyA_O4irZMxAfWZSqOHCGpcxPjz2DTajOb3p7zTGMMd5pOJh9n7Bo/s320/IMG_2004-copy.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400809071353623714" /></a>Jared Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07213301757820349332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4226642302201118825.post-86897722101511196242009-11-04T00:39:00.000-08:002009-11-04T01:08:57.239-08:00Day 12: TokyoCaptain's log supplemental.<br /><br />We found a few short video clips that we took during AJ and Ai-chan's wedding that we forgot to post. They're just a few seconds each, but they'll give some idea what was going on.<br /><br /><div align="center">Entering the jinja for the wedding ceremony:<br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxu5AMsKDgkobH2_Wp7o0_RLQbc6vMJpiCK8vOROC0e1x2kpA1B-0CAeL_nDY10lokcyLxvpnYQL42Xvu0JDQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><br /><div align="center">Entering the reception:<br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyASCMXqt3gDpIIdrqVNiCYa0fl4cJfYDGP_ogNG37iNzttZFnDzUMStPfeHoc0TtnY9oZULW_j64Wbb6GHZg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><br /><div align="center">Ceremonial opening of a sake barrel:<br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyT197K7PttGglg9cgfTyW24VGNfAmljVsE4dvaEiRUzjCK6WbHiY58-oG2V4lBiccJqfAW2aX2Rmx_RTvHnw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><br />We also found a picture of the nihonshu (sake) that we picked up in Nikko. We were told this one won a competition for best nihonshu in Japan the past two years.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2yeGHEOd9jmnx-OMOblBsZDson4e3i6vt-_VLXvk_sthew5f9xRGqzCJFr1-vvCfA4Xv1ErmJBQeeifZ8TEcFSXH4LjkIiSbNoaGgjX7fIDAUy82TCFzxDMk0Zh9Wwn87XYzQIu-bkY4/s1600-h/IMG_1918.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2yeGHEOd9jmnx-OMOblBsZDson4e3i6vt-_VLXvk_sthew5f9xRGqzCJFr1-vvCfA4Xv1ErmJBQeeifZ8TEcFSXH4LjkIiSbNoaGgjX7fIDAUy82TCFzxDMk0Zh9Wwn87XYzQIu-bkY4/s320/IMG_1918.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400171653513820466" /></a><br /><br />We were on our own today so it was a chance to catch up on chores and shopping. We picked up a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetsubin">tetsubin</a> for ourselves today, which is a traditional cast iron tea kettle. These are historically used in Japanese tea ceremony.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKxP6KD3LNSG0FOZEdi5iT2SDBtXKrAUBscK9s2LDnHHB3Uy2gy5k8mYlB77Egllqe_o4xPuz4tp2-9rftKicC9L8H24eXV4Qhp1IicjGzNmxuih-iZpqOdkOBG7E_HHJOocryITS8mxw/s1600-h/IMG_1919.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKxP6KD3LNSG0FOZEdi5iT2SDBtXKrAUBscK9s2LDnHHB3Uy2gy5k8mYlB77Egllqe_o4xPuz4tp2-9rftKicC9L8H24eXV4Qhp1IicjGzNmxuih-iZpqOdkOBG7E_HHJOocryITS8mxw/s320/IMG_1919.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400172074532880818" /></a>Jared Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07213301757820349332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4226642302201118825.post-71723117698504524332009-11-03T15:17:00.000-08:002009-11-03T17:38:05.816-08:00Day 11: Return from NikkoThis morning we woke up and it was still snowing, but this time without the strong winds. So we got up first thing and went back to the rooftop to enjoy a morning soak. Since the previous night, they had adjusted for the change in weather by really cranking up the heat in the outdoor tub.<br /><br />There is nothing better than soaking in a steaming hot bath while it's snowing. The view from the rooftop was really nice too, with rolling hills out to the horizon. I wish I could have taken a picture of the outdoor onsen, but that story would end with me getting tackled by a bunch of naked Japanese dudes. And nobody wants that.<br /><br /><div align="center">Inside the hotel. You can see the breakfast area below:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWUVRQekVwZVxFUJ5RHBXOn7ntBStrFZqFetJjHYjZ_CfqqV8XbZviBsZYi218eEHCZqsDbOKQaNNQlPWHjQ692DA2-iIEJZB0uBEHzR3VL4IHgbbUBUQiiKtH5pFGi6lXTVAaofcMid4/s1600-h/IMG_1888.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWUVRQekVwZVxFUJ5RHBXOn7ntBStrFZqFetJjHYjZ_CfqqV8XbZviBsZYi218eEHCZqsDbOKQaNNQlPWHjQ692DA2-iIEJZB0uBEHzR3VL4IHgbbUBUQiiKtH5pFGi6lXTVAaofcMid4/s320/IMG_1888.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400021206397530194" /></a><br /><div align="center">The view from our room:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy5W2G5bGdwegG6R_zm-N6808IqkoczbmxD1KovYxwjC6tzq9bTaMJkAltiCznrrExIZXP40ROvK30bQ9kG5bAXiHxPFgaGImupyiVFJW-fkBQXtYqM9didsf4iUL6XbxNdhkGmQ6S-8Y/s1600-h/IMG_1889.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy5W2G5bGdwegG6R_zm-N6808IqkoczbmxD1KovYxwjC6tzq9bTaMJkAltiCznrrExIZXP40ROvK30bQ9kG5bAXiHxPFgaGImupyiVFJW-fkBQXtYqM9didsf4iUL6XbxNdhkGmQ6S-8Y/s320/IMG_1889.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400021200548233954" /></a><br /><div align="center">The view from our room:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE594rjnkZz9evb6_jc-3vJK_4hYqZysIxppsrZHhsA_-O3x5fKNTDECHEf94sHoqmpje6hk8AtEG91c8Y7cZSjvMJR_18zPP0wzh-aEFEWtGRxf0BFJnjHNT9ZF8OOqcGLa6x0LYOn8I/s1600-h/IMG_1893.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE594rjnkZz9evb6_jc-3vJK_4hYqZysIxppsrZHhsA_-O3x5fKNTDECHEf94sHoqmpje6hk8AtEG91c8Y7cZSjvMJR_18zPP0wzh-aEFEWtGRxf0BFJnjHNT9ZF8OOqcGLa6x0LYOn8I/s320/IMG_1893.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400021186159805986" /></a><br /><br />After breakfast, we got on a bus and then a train back to Tokyo.<br /><br /><div align="center">From the bus, as we were leaving the hotel:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh-CAKP9yCCrah7HFjZQSmOewoGZqjMV8iA3fU1NNQl4GPMNqZhYyCFhVnNeX03W30B_qN0nGfGkqxnAbD3COhkQOi-IklCu2HQmQqAI2wyHt90L2yrHlgxyA7FmWVnguFMpPMFndYBWs/s1600-h/IMG_1900.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh-CAKP9yCCrah7HFjZQSmOewoGZqjMV8iA3fU1NNQl4GPMNqZhYyCFhVnNeX03W30B_qN0nGfGkqxnAbD3COhkQOi-IklCu2HQmQqAI2wyHt90L2yrHlgxyA7FmWVnguFMpPMFndYBWs/s320/IMG_1900.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400021007920689602" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWcjDR0jeTNeoU2tE1xmXUQc4ykjNRLn29rkXVSIG-hgMr1IvzzYBdtDH2ZUvfW2jBoLaZ7sHNbKVwSrq4agbMRDVFQqto6l5-LO3l6iOvOxlj9eB_SlTzMtfL6QgEfzfUa_Qvr_cO_OA/s1600-h/IMG_1905.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWcjDR0jeTNeoU2tE1xmXUQc4ykjNRLn29rkXVSIG-hgMr1IvzzYBdtDH2ZUvfW2jBoLaZ7sHNbKVwSrq4agbMRDVFQqto6l5-LO3l6iOvOxlj9eB_SlTzMtfL6QgEfzfUa_Qvr_cO_OA/s320/IMG_1905.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400021000844673458" /></a><br /><div align="center">The small train we took to get to the long-distance train:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_IuQeAp5DS-OmoqQuAQnmVN0QtlzHZmpjUDS5fYNAOS7NPs_qp7Mu3UiH7aBJXuJtSyjDk7Q58rhaR8NocgrYH9B9tkN-fiThbUnX4ZAEIDbXTc8CSvqduZcsxdCAdPO5BSFinAm3wwk/s1600-h/IMG_1906.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_IuQeAp5DS-OmoqQuAQnmVN0QtlzHZmpjUDS5fYNAOS7NPs_qp7Mu3UiH7aBJXuJtSyjDk7Q58rhaR8NocgrYH9B9tkN-fiThbUnX4ZAEIDbXTc8CSvqduZcsxdCAdPO5BSFinAm3wwk/s320/IMG_1906.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400020998860614050" /></a><br /><div align="center">From the train:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYH1meqDk525oI6aG_rt3JTZHr_FqTGrhrlI12XKCjmC_gtDW9M7pbz_fT8tQ5cHFqbXspoZYEqbdVPAzWtAorkIcAP6B0IYY7qTwxwxRL2a5FM6Y0FJni3xnBKqv_HF57lVKVJ4vByso/s1600-h/IMG_1907.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYH1meqDk525oI6aG_rt3JTZHr_FqTGrhrlI12XKCjmC_gtDW9M7pbz_fT8tQ5cHFqbXspoZYEqbdVPAzWtAorkIcAP6B0IYY7qTwxwxRL2a5FM6Y0FJni3xnBKqv_HF57lVKVJ4vByso/s320/IMG_1907.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400020989248290098" /></a>Jared Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07213301757820349332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4226642302201118825.post-72705528879776690772009-11-03T15:09:00.001-08:002009-11-03T17:14:51.191-08:00Day 10: ToshoguAfter breakfast at the ryokan, we travelled by bus to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikk%C5%8D_T%C5%8Dsh%C5%8D-g%C5%AB">Toshogu</a>, the shrine complex built for the first shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhukmNA6Ko2NMz_iZ197UBeXui3ncq8OEKwlWT1gyis_HnUHMJ3Stk-kEF9KHgcyTs4ZuX_KYBpH-FNrp2WClZ-gPtE2lPCYBRleRgphtVaxnP74yKaSy2gdXp86hGrd3cbnj5tbrlg5Ms/s1600-h/IMG_1806-copy.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhukmNA6Ko2NMz_iZ197UBeXui3ncq8OEKwlWT1gyis_HnUHMJ3Stk-kEF9KHgcyTs4ZuX_KYBpH-FNrp2WClZ-gPtE2lPCYBRleRgphtVaxnP74yKaSy2gdXp86hGrd3cbnj5tbrlg5Ms/s320/IMG_1806-copy.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400047511609841522" /></a><br /><br />This shrine was built by the second shogun, Ieyasu's son, to deify his father as a guardian of Japan. This shrine was maintained as a sacred place by the samurai for the hundreds of years they were in power.<br /><br />It was cold and raining the whole time we were there which was unfortunate, but at least the rain made the fall colors look vibrant. It doesn't really come out in the pictures, but this shrine is built inside a magnificent old forest in the mountains. They really chose a great location to build such a place.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsTy0ItM4nyhUcS7ceMeVjmvbSN8cRg77UMIGTH883RGI71PJSza3IVNoElREgEcWtLIAT46K-sqY6gz-ayg-uVrNSMxdRKOnZnycwNdEbt8J3CdjbJWxF2zi_XzVt7xA0tjJ9byyyJKI/s1600-h/IMG_1814.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsTy0ItM4nyhUcS7ceMeVjmvbSN8cRg77UMIGTH883RGI71PJSza3IVNoElREgEcWtLIAT46K-sqY6gz-ayg-uVrNSMxdRKOnZnycwNdEbt8J3CdjbJWxF2zi_XzVt7xA0tjJ9byyyJKI/s320/IMG_1814.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400020278791747522" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqlAkDTk662ucx4Vhi5m2IUDA_xY2yJ3kXxygJ64J4o6s6iL3FWzxDgNwKXSBeCTqtQVEQB8VdcvjJWZUbzr2mEBt7Ket6sWCtJ5v0B1EjXSqDxBgW5Oz-Hd9hyphenhyphen782dCm_OVBQ5TNcjBs/s1600-h/IMG_1817.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqlAkDTk662ucx4Vhi5m2IUDA_xY2yJ3kXxygJ64J4o6s6iL3FWzxDgNwKXSBeCTqtQVEQB8VdcvjJWZUbzr2mEBt7Ket6sWCtJ5v0B1EjXSqDxBgW5Oz-Hd9hyphenhyphen782dCm_OVBQ5TNcjBs/s320/IMG_1817.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400020100895281682" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsl2tWxkc5VG4Seo-nffjCSzcrRtoNJFmPiZWdW8Y-0-_kcZyrVAaVmhZdoW9FZaR2HMLmA5-naFQFkaq_E_LaQuSkhhnQlzKldrZPU58Mnmn1GtRKT49MfDr_mmjjuS4wX8g9ymUzicY/s1600-h/IMG_1824.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsl2tWxkc5VG4Seo-nffjCSzcrRtoNJFmPiZWdW8Y-0-_kcZyrVAaVmhZdoW9FZaR2HMLmA5-naFQFkaq_E_LaQuSkhhnQlzKldrZPU58Mnmn1GtRKT49MfDr_mmjjuS4wX8g9ymUzicY/s320/IMG_1824.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400020092060548530" /></a><br /><div align="center">Entrance into the shrine complex:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvTWqjjt1JDP6L3gwjHmtwO5TB9LT6NriUFLy54iCGQkb6j8snEheF1-c0Fy1dnetgJjMEbcFS0mh7ENvGeWThGl0PLbT0YZuDoolpdvorWLE-ZpHw-sf1ERwp-wT3SWoge1kR1FQ-irc/s1600-h/IMG_1825.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvTWqjjt1JDP6L3gwjHmtwO5TB9LT6NriUFLy54iCGQkb6j8snEheF1-c0Fy1dnetgJjMEbcFS0mh7ENvGeWThGl0PLbT0YZuDoolpdvorWLE-ZpHw-sf1ERwp-wT3SWoge1kR1FQ-irc/s320/IMG_1825.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400020080326859394" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivt9REYuwWEa4CWe_ZXzwH9oFiHsfR04SCcmkrEV3sYSM4y71heViFNp-1RF20fjmdRZVe-bzzQe30aa41ND1T89m8yXlr9pmHij-bX1pD3-beOJ-BfPk-GUchpi8IEeRBvlDsy4Lr5rI/s1600-h/IMG_1830.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivt9REYuwWEa4CWe_ZXzwH9oFiHsfR04SCcmkrEV3sYSM4y71heViFNp-1RF20fjmdRZVe-bzzQe30aa41ND1T89m8yXlr9pmHij-bX1pD3-beOJ-BfPk-GUchpi8IEeRBvlDsy4Lr5rI/s320/IMG_1830.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400020075172411058" /></a><br /><div align="center">Monkey carvings that go around the stables. This carving of the three monkeys is very famous:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjui-WFHiTPyON5_owKoW7J7yxgQjR4nPR8kdtYiSjuSvVKOBPxulRGDtt7wLD4bCu7Rj_UjK5FevREv8J5QVb6K16YWDGZNGhCXLw38hmUGszQN68FuFeyrXonwcxW8B_j5aPU9nvbdes/s1600-h/IMG_1831.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjui-WFHiTPyON5_owKoW7J7yxgQjR4nPR8kdtYiSjuSvVKOBPxulRGDtt7wLD4bCu7Rj_UjK5FevREv8J5QVb6K16YWDGZNGhCXLw38hmUGszQN68FuFeyrXonwcxW8B_j5aPU9nvbdes/s320/IMG_1831.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400019846461321458" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWYfbLKiBdwIz5yiri7dj-Gh6D1MICA-TfH6dzRZ0blXiZTduhgvsLRb6WwMpMsIF2hlovmd7iukEFo0ZtimP8Cs3urTo9TkEb_O4KPrECnswEIY-xVAQ9GBAhOa47HKZ9mGIWAoRoDRA/s1600-h/IMG_1836.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWYfbLKiBdwIz5yiri7dj-Gh6D1MICA-TfH6dzRZ0blXiZTduhgvsLRb6WwMpMsIF2hlovmd7iukEFo0ZtimP8Cs3urTo9TkEb_O4KPrECnswEIY-xVAQ9GBAhOa47HKZ9mGIWAoRoDRA/s320/IMG_1836.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400019832770627746" /></a><br /><br />There were many buildings in different courtyards, almost like a small college campus. The buildings included libraries, living quarters, and a temple. This complex was built in a year and a half using 4.5 million people at a cost of over 40 billion yen ($400,000,000 USD).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinHML63GngwmDPilwo-Vh5Raps7Jt-id-PrQ5k83Swhrp3yIR5C-2YtWreJpYqQXcouEHi3Ib7b7krAL7Dv5Ihwi8zp87TuOkLvFqGD-KNOnCueuJd4i1cy7jPfA202FD0IxBXkbptgNY/s1600-h/IMG_1837.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinHML63GngwmDPilwo-Vh5Raps7Jt-id-PrQ5k83Swhrp3yIR5C-2YtWreJpYqQXcouEHi3Ib7b7krAL7Dv5Ihwi8zp87TuOkLvFqGD-KNOnCueuJd4i1cy7jPfA202FD0IxBXkbptgNY/s320/IMG_1837.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400019823863635650" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb0W3xVPiRwWFwII3JOIr8Y8ApmVB_Rr50AITUZdEAnBM88zAkKkMRlLO4mMOP2bevOZG0bvHobfHIuuOVoJg7yf6YiSuEvECf_IlsqO5g1aNCLko8pdVpLJxBh0LJV9oVi1c9ypsYkdw/s1600-h/IMG_1839.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb0W3xVPiRwWFwII3JOIr8Y8ApmVB_Rr50AITUZdEAnBM88zAkKkMRlLO4mMOP2bevOZG0bvHobfHIuuOVoJg7yf6YiSuEvECf_IlsqO5g1aNCLko8pdVpLJxBh0LJV9oVi1c9ypsYkdw/s320/IMG_1839.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400019814500653570" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghjykaRMPI4NQxWulVlEjq9DawQ8d0mYmL1aAEZrZCJF8aW6ourMHt7l1be16zNeqMVBqczrnwaDlvMPOwDKDn0r5Cq48rd1ygcU3_yFGbzYdM6ErA-Rbmpc_CQdNLUD0faHjG-_yn7PM/s1600-h/IMG_1841.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghjykaRMPI4NQxWulVlEjq9DawQ8d0mYmL1aAEZrZCJF8aW6ourMHt7l1be16zNeqMVBqczrnwaDlvMPOwDKDn0r5Cq48rd1ygcU3_yFGbzYdM6ErA-Rbmpc_CQdNLUD0faHjG-_yn7PM/s320/IMG_1841.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400019619229310482" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibz1HPGaf5RM5QlZVlFMFfhVxkTo22G9n1VaKc2As9-6OB1LIhKLNjNAgXxh_t_X1J2mc_W_rhmHsSDHg8zfa4iNGLVyN5UZgr1xXi7QHZUPLHx95tHxEeOpEK7rMWFELT_4uZ7eg6vMk/s1600-h/IMG_1843.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibz1HPGaf5RM5QlZVlFMFfhVxkTo22G9n1VaKc2As9-6OB1LIhKLNjNAgXxh_t_X1J2mc_W_rhmHsSDHg8zfa4iNGLVyN5UZgr1xXi7QHZUPLHx95tHxEeOpEK7rMWFELT_4uZ7eg6vMk/s320/IMG_1843.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400019608280390530" /></a><br /><div align="center">Intricately detailed gate leading to the temple where Tokugawa's spirit is enshrined.</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_HauLIgzlxM06JPzY-PJbmUq0li42RAByLErrSlKEUwKYVhh50EvPS2nrJt_yNLOEhgRRfNsFXD7Cz5ggKM4Lolp-rbpOa5oApGOtryNooG3xn1ru9drdiWicxjYyneqE4JfIOSHtmWc/s1600-h/IMG_1844.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_HauLIgzlxM06JPzY-PJbmUq0li42RAByLErrSlKEUwKYVhh50EvPS2nrJt_yNLOEhgRRfNsFXD7Cz5ggKM4Lolp-rbpOa5oApGOtryNooG3xn1ru9drdiWicxjYyneqE4JfIOSHtmWc/s320/IMG_1844.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400019593429394338" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMvE99nbB65DXY0nrMEz-yeNGrcpXtndFGyHzmBH9PAPo81i77OEb3rQ4cozfgksp1Vb2v66YwXi4fbSXJBVntycegDl21KbNu-bsDCnMDJduf-2_eQEYz9jqsfXbwm89liwt60ixgHyk/s1600-h/IMG_1849.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMvE99nbB65DXY0nrMEz-yeNGrcpXtndFGyHzmBH9PAPo81i77OEb3rQ4cozfgksp1Vb2v66YwXi4fbSXJBVntycegDl21KbNu-bsDCnMDJduf-2_eQEYz9jqsfXbwm89liwt60ixgHyk/s320/IMG_1849.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400019587050246930" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbXhgSqUXZmQ4cY53DHLIczPeamK0FSLHOy63X8HL-vGd6EmopSatJsRBYVM1KUNLe1oTp3f2swFppehBZ_L6mT7lyR7ru89Am-VrYNodoMl7zEpFyJ83HpH6GhnUDDIW6PQkM9gaERRY/s1600-h/IMG_1851.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbXhgSqUXZmQ4cY53DHLIczPeamK0FSLHOy63X8HL-vGd6EmopSatJsRBYVM1KUNLe1oTp3f2swFppehBZ_L6mT7lyR7ru89Am-VrYNodoMl7zEpFyJ83HpH6GhnUDDIW6PQkM9gaERRY/s320/IMG_1851.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400019212248142450" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0kl93j1UFTy1tDkWl9mgPitrFD7Y10lVvrUmLu0tGWdWSlP5W5Nruwe2X7xSx61eqylLJhx5u33FWayMB06MlrQL2IvXW45J7OeKY-xPPgmM2EUK2CsUOI6MGOCRlWhHHWAStCbk1KCQ/s1600-h/IMG_1854.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0kl93j1UFTy1tDkWl9mgPitrFD7Y10lVvrUmLu0tGWdWSlP5W5Nruwe2X7xSx61eqylLJhx5u33FWayMB06MlrQL2IvXW45J7OeKY-xPPgmM2EUK2CsUOI6MGOCRlWhHHWAStCbk1KCQ/s320/IMG_1854.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400019198156489314" /></a><br /><div align="center">This cat is carved above an entrance to a long staircase which leads to the place where Tokugawa Ieyasu is buried. The cat is also very famous. Some people say the cat is sleeping because the world is safe but others say it is only pretending to sleep. The way it's carved, you can't really tell:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL1QRdS_HUfSDAbcfnYHhOBwFCh8LP4A3u6slJJHEr55a73b4_LaWmdSNXdxsCdvo9asgUeAgngmSdcWT6rH4zT6qFQqagayeGeGcZeHERK9_dl6z_n75fgzufC8qn_iYUheeGbATiNFw/s1600-h/IMG_1855.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL1QRdS_HUfSDAbcfnYHhOBwFCh8LP4A3u6slJJHEr55a73b4_LaWmdSNXdxsCdvo9asgUeAgngmSdcWT6rH4zT6qFQqagayeGeGcZeHERK9_dl6z_n75fgzufC8qn_iYUheeGbATiNFw/s320/IMG_1855.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400019193517665186" /></a><br /><div align="center">This gate is the entrance to the area where Tokugawa's remains were laid to rest. When the samurai were in power, only the reigning shogun was allowed to pass through here:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij8mY209ZkBClLZdXcOj_5-yOzvYfRRQwJL1ekPxrAGWBkzlF_Op0w_lPb6N5OVJ2zpq83gvorM3GmEp6twRXwRkocJlSoc-kstGajEjLdacdCH9L9CrkmcSc4X7XXJdd4FmHCd-5ABU0/s1600-h/IMG_1859.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij8mY209ZkBClLZdXcOj_5-yOzvYfRRQwJL1ekPxrAGWBkzlF_Op0w_lPb6N5OVJ2zpq83gvorM3GmEp6twRXwRkocJlSoc-kstGajEjLdacdCH9L9CrkmcSc4X7XXJdd4FmHCd-5ABU0/s320/IMG_1859.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400019183765580466" /></a><br /><div align="center">...but those times are long over, so now we foreigners can go through like we own the place. This is where Tokugawa Ieyasu is buried:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkuSss3fKDx5nhIB7_gO3-Qx2_4Y9rae3UKHUxwIgMf6MQEFN7cMNVzjDWL12l0Tfb-N67nsGV7iH4IozSy_L4_kEzketa1Sf5ZqzFm9jfU2u4fCyDnZVNpM_iYsViCY5NR6bmuraNmiY/s1600-h/IMG_1863.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkuSss3fKDx5nhIB7_gO3-Qx2_4Y9rae3UKHUxwIgMf6MQEFN7cMNVzjDWL12l0Tfb-N67nsGV7iH4IozSy_L4_kEzketa1Sf5ZqzFm9jfU2u4fCyDnZVNpM_iYsViCY5NR6bmuraNmiY/s320/IMG_1863.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400018995706565378" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3zm2SmpdIt-HdIje7Rftxxv1hRp5gIf0GUhd57F24PMyhI_NKYsPF6zPGIOQx02UROuhNaCRpffmLGH1N60OabkgTRM-yxO20yqWA2Y4hzzM8uEsZ9fRx3YzQqgLUTfVH9CmZ8L1slFQ/s1600-h/IMG_1867.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3zm2SmpdIt-HdIje7Rftxxv1hRp5gIf0GUhd57F24PMyhI_NKYsPF6zPGIOQx02UROuhNaCRpffmLGH1N60OabkgTRM-yxO20yqWA2Y4hzzM8uEsZ9fRx3YzQqgLUTfVH9CmZ8L1slFQ/s320/IMG_1867.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400018987087045042" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifspGnLt__VPoAJvNt_6scCPJvacS-ajWZMh_jH0ZU2297Rn3q5JfuOYzH5n4RUfoeZlNBGV7dPxPLx9hxIydK34sYwZDBAUuSdp4RFCMYEj-h2XsQfeFMPAbBalrYlK0sO0ZLkU5v00o/s1600-h/IMG_1869.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifspGnLt__VPoAJvNt_6scCPJvacS-ajWZMh_jH0ZU2297Rn3q5JfuOYzH5n4RUfoeZlNBGV7dPxPLx9hxIydK34sYwZDBAUuSdp4RFCMYEj-h2XsQfeFMPAbBalrYlK0sO0ZLkU5v00o/s320/IMG_1869.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400018978267594626" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5fcE33dRwIt7euRovV7b9kZi1Hg1wWm2fSg-kt8yRU-ov3N-Wz-3IdxoBEmd-JeINAliMI47opGS6JlCsZcLPl-dCFDKDDRJ1WH2sQMW6FHEpGN1vQMyf3-ZsAu0G_yXPYGFpuVxE5NQ/s1600-h/IMG_1870.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5fcE33dRwIt7euRovV7b9kZi1Hg1wWm2fSg-kt8yRU-ov3N-Wz-3IdxoBEmd-JeINAliMI47opGS6JlCsZcLPl-dCFDKDDRJ1WH2sQMW6FHEpGN1vQMyf3-ZsAu0G_yXPYGFpuVxE5NQ/s320/IMG_1870.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400018970022396930" /></a><br /><div align="center">Drum tower:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF6gFOu62UCiU-udG58eEr8kwrJZNOHp258lxi8fncRvGTIrNeLVkvIe3MhHxarZfAz5e0Wi4v6FAxesgDhu9Dg7JL2WbEKOoOwq1KoVK0I445pRkmzAQSRvlR5iEAYuNZ2nKmQDUJw4c/s1600-h/IMG_1874.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF6gFOu62UCiU-udG58eEr8kwrJZNOHp258lxi8fncRvGTIrNeLVkvIe3MhHxarZfAz5e0Wi4v6FAxesgDhu9Dg7JL2WbEKOoOwq1KoVK0I445pRkmzAQSRvlR5iEAYuNZ2nKmQDUJw4c/s320/IMG_1874.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400018769969239058" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhad0CbXVKgMXJyR2wbCpC587Z7S0K0J9NAKlBrk1zgwC706iNVib_DQJC50BVT0d5P3V9A2eU21NFhs4IZERYMEr57p1cwPQFI_TFqQ1LwTBF9Ge9_xE2UqSa-XKoXWVwLv6F1RQs5ayU/s1600-h/IMG_1875.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhad0CbXVKgMXJyR2wbCpC587Z7S0K0J9NAKlBrk1zgwC706iNVib_DQJC50BVT0d5P3V9A2eU21NFhs4IZERYMEr57p1cwPQFI_TFqQ1LwTBF9Ge9_xE2UqSa-XKoXWVwLv6F1RQs5ayU/s320/IMG_1875.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400018759255887122" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRZQhzKn6e76joUB9e0xBn7c9p0SzO8wWNY0hlyfu60B9OmvhOz6hdyoliukypFIsg1lYfbHd1HoptXfOVU1gul5Zf8GDnGWVCBi8aSO1wvsN2F-sFKKxNRKBPLgAGySno9DlClO5fzYU/s1600-h/IMG_1879.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRZQhzKn6e76joUB9e0xBn7c9p0SzO8wWNY0hlyfu60B9OmvhOz6hdyoliukypFIsg1lYfbHd1HoptXfOVU1gul5Zf8GDnGWVCBi8aSO1wvsN2F-sFKKxNRKBPLgAGySno9DlClO5fzYU/s320/IMG_1879.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400018745076029890" /></a><br /><br />After Toshogu, we went to our next hotel and immediately hit up the onsen. Man, it felt good to get in a giant steaming hot bath after a long day in the cold rain.<br /><br />Nikko is known for their water quality and their rice, so they are naturally also known for their sake. So while we were in town, we picked up a bottle to share when we got back to the hotel. While Michelle, Chun-Fang, and I were drinking and talking it started to get warm so we opened the door to our porch, when we suddenly discovered that it was snowing outside! Everyone immediately had the same thought - onsen time! We gathered our towels and raced for the rooftop.<br /><br />The men's and women's onsen are on different ends of the building, so we had very different experiences. Apparently, over on the women's side there were a bunch of women there enjoying themselves with kids playing in the snow. Over on the men's side, it was a totally different experience. Our side was all howling winds and stinging wet snow so the guys were only using the indoor bath. I was the only one crazy enough to go out, but it was awesome.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ISFlGNE47Uhgcm43BuHJSbuwHPuS9dTlSj14mWHigNR84H61qZ3vjPymKcC36B5FXMv-5fueB5T1NoOct9lXBcg0DS788sAVXeJ1jkCurstOGXmABC5nngPBAgRpxCzzg3Uv4Pg2ExE/s1600-h/IMG_1883.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ISFlGNE47Uhgcm43BuHJSbuwHPuS9dTlSj14mWHigNR84H61qZ3vjPymKcC36B5FXMv-5fueB5T1NoOct9lXBcg0DS788sAVXeJ1jkCurstOGXmABC5nngPBAgRpxCzzg3Uv4Pg2ExE/s320/IMG_1883.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400018736903410770" /></a>Jared Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07213301757820349332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4226642302201118825.post-65315896025577947412009-11-03T15:05:00.000-08:002009-11-03T15:50:29.758-08:00Day 9: NikkoFinally back in Tokyo after a few days out of town. We took a trip to Nikko, which is a beautiful town in the mountains north of Tokyo.<br /><br />The first night, we stayed at a ryokan where we got to enjoy an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onsen">onsen</a> before having a great meal. We couldn't take pictures of the onsen, of course, because it is a communal bath (divided by sexes). But this one was really nice with trees all around in their fall colors.<br /><br /><div align="center">Arriving in Nikko:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixO6yfVXKx0B1AngBGzOcGm6UBmWXZDKpiORBps7qa6-0EP8SZEBbgxuZBcDGvQ0vo8DlBhQywzBHYZlsDZqsa3kEgTqNwrJHOwrHVzJaJIKOSrCpM6Xgla_M_Y5KM-Og6hEGR0Mno9Co/s1600-h/IMG_1790.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixO6yfVXKx0B1AngBGzOcGm6UBmWXZDKpiORBps7qa6-0EP8SZEBbgxuZBcDGvQ0vo8DlBhQywzBHYZlsDZqsa3kEgTqNwrJHOwrHVzJaJIKOSrCpM6Xgla_M_Y5KM-Og6hEGR0Mno9Co/s320/IMG_1790.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400018157742369938" /></a><br /><div align="center">Our dining room:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiKh_d_vqxZo-xWbii0Zt0C2RPyo7aEq5nyY3vWhj8zX7Wo9mYiNgtl6kCTQh7jaWYCLmf92bnMXuP9iPr_hhdhJN9XpXbzqBOPp2QteqLi1j7i00e2UqjXdQh3jvuM791saZ2rulcW2E/s1600-h/IMG_1795.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiKh_d_vqxZo-xWbii0Zt0C2RPyo7aEq5nyY3vWhj8zX7Wo9mYiNgtl6kCTQh7jaWYCLmf92bnMXuP9iPr_hhdhJN9XpXbzqBOPp2QteqLi1j7i00e2UqjXdQh3jvuM791saZ2rulcW2E/s320/IMG_1795.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400018150945503042" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglCav31Uscp8lpmCuZ-OyX6yVue92r-KXGHyg4SfalgQoEp85vYW1SuUqOZlPZIt0tsjRnToltvCYZSv51SY5vW6IxOpbzgu_wPoHAOSCgdJ5Wm0aUlhDApFeoguWUZlzJr9rKv56wKFA/s1600-h/IMG_1796.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglCav31Uscp8lpmCuZ-OyX6yVue92r-KXGHyg4SfalgQoEp85vYW1SuUqOZlPZIt0tsjRnToltvCYZSv51SY5vW6IxOpbzgu_wPoHAOSCgdJ5Wm0aUlhDApFeoguWUZlzJr9rKv56wKFA/s320/IMG_1796.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400018140397069938" /></a><br /><br />The meal included scallops, shrimp, tuna, udon soup, and a seafood mousse with salmon eggs inside. We also got some of the tofu that they make in this region, which is made by stacking a bunch of thin tofu layers together; this makes a very different texture and is really good. We also had <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shabu_shabu">shabu shabu</a>, where we cooked our own meat, vegetables, and mushrooms in the little pot you see in the top right of the picture below.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiIX01yz3V2K28e0eX-GltIbiasrASqeozACcTVRKsYLv09PFbc07I1FsIv9mDuvHX-io7Zl12wqJnIVJPZzGlyzh97wGg8Fc5kyG6y-2jAUcMCvbhXuFgT4qYu0EBTd_-cDVNyvzN8Hw/s1600-h/IMG_1797-copy.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiIX01yz3V2K28e0eX-GltIbiasrASqeozACcTVRKsYLv09PFbc07I1FsIv9mDuvHX-io7Zl12wqJnIVJPZzGlyzh97wGg8Fc5kyG6y-2jAUcMCvbhXuFgT4qYu0EBTd_-cDVNyvzN8Hw/s320/IMG_1797-copy.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400026354413494754" /></a><br /><div align="center">The view from our window. Misty mountains:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq18UtUydAA5yDJYs73E9kDdk3HJwrDel_E7bjskpBAtZIajC1dAOhe4eppokTXRNMTtiEr31rRDtsRiieZJ8tmqmn_VQtajhhdr7ELCboLZGU5VEuLxBvA1r_TwG8DjvyI-pb-rMFnvA/s1600-h/IMG_1800.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq18UtUydAA5yDJYs73E9kDdk3HJwrDel_E7bjskpBAtZIajC1dAOhe4eppokTXRNMTtiEr31rRDtsRiieZJ8tmqmn_VQtajhhdr7ELCboLZGU5VEuLxBvA1r_TwG8DjvyI-pb-rMFnvA/s320/IMG_1800.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400017923769963042" /></a><br /><div align="center">Fall colors:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm6VXBRWNZkj4VKvLXVOtt3RhSo5tsz_2z30cyky99Z9XU99TKIR1WASXeMpeXDFonw1JLB9uAw0dI3Opnr99Hi76VKTTEQy60NVUdtk0r9JbFd-dGEAx34GtFNMVhwGd0LuszdtWSorM/s1600-h/IMG_1801.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm6VXBRWNZkj4VKvLXVOtt3RhSo5tsz_2z30cyky99Z9XU99TKIR1WASXeMpeXDFonw1JLB9uAw0dI3Opnr99Hi76VKTTEQy60NVUdtk0r9JbFd-dGEAx34GtFNMVhwGd0LuszdtWSorM/s320/IMG_1801.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400017911554700290" /></a><br /><div align="center">And a waterfall down below:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpnpJK0a5uM9AcGhRHk9-CMQG_4748_kSUPnPa9408zQnI1cpK8_dMaexIf9koFua6r4_8YnjbcR2azQI_SzurWMOkz62QMRVGFBGHP6bcJePoVfmz4vH-9yfwX8emtpaiuWh2zC9MyhE/s1600-h/IMG_1802.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpnpJK0a5uM9AcGhRHk9-CMQG_4748_kSUPnPa9408zQnI1cpK8_dMaexIf9koFua6r4_8YnjbcR2azQI_SzurWMOkz62QMRVGFBGHP6bcJePoVfmz4vH-9yfwX8emtpaiuWh2zC9MyhE/s320/IMG_1802.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400017903505573842" /></a>Jared Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07213301757820349332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4226642302201118825.post-17524297313687320742009-10-31T18:27:00.001-07:002009-10-31T18:55:12.989-07:00Day 8: Weddin' day!Another quick post since we have to check out in a few minutes.<br /><br />Yesterday was AJ and Ai-chan's (third) wedding. The Japanese wedding is broken up into three parts. For each part, Ai-chan wore a different outfit. Two different kimonos for the first two and a more western style wedding dress for the final party. First, there was a ceremony at a shinto shrine. This was really beautiful, though we couldn't really understand what was being said.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAfPoA1KXv002RaKJjk8hLJ_GWw2i3NYHmBswGRWM-Had5OgW8EFFyFpiM4B1-nEMnui9H-HswdhLBzWcZJ7RYNk6KfH0n3BnhcpbjSVMByVvLSLqjb7FGcn95yGviuGy1nfD-ncL2pqQ/s1600-h/IMG_1675.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAfPoA1KXv002RaKJjk8hLJ_GWw2i3NYHmBswGRWM-Had5OgW8EFFyFpiM4B1-nEMnui9H-HswdhLBzWcZJ7RYNk6KfH0n3BnhcpbjSVMByVvLSLqjb7FGcn95yGviuGy1nfD-ncL2pqQ/s320/IMG_1675.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398942934181037682" /></a><br /><div align="center">The pictures don't do this kimono justice. You can kind of see some of the details in this picture, but in person they were much more visible:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjscGS6QOWleGkA0IEPLxbMD7WiHG2LMAeUPAi7D4qZE7UridPbXzMzfAjX4-cD4dZ71sjAaAwc5tumCnVmn0izJUAjPPfHHkvP3nuEMD6XFfZ6GTAmNVIrE4jxR8-g_TmAVr2eIjox8U/s1600-h/IMG_1686.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjscGS6QOWleGkA0IEPLxbMD7WiHG2LMAeUPAi7D4qZE7UridPbXzMzfAjX4-cD4dZ71sjAaAwc5tumCnVmn0izJUAjPPfHHkvP3nuEMD6XFfZ6GTAmNVIrE4jxR8-g_TmAVr2eIjox8U/s320/IMG_1686.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398942926680718818" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXWxoIr73G1vMsv7sPkNL7sCHPapLhQKIct2kjv8dsjCdnyT9OYZorPMnwFDhRPt8b2D9YKo_colPn_4tDooXfVjtoKM5fyUSRUqmMKsYpqtTtF2eyKh7RKKs2iJWLNkOf538A62hP1dc/s1600-h/IMG_1688.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXWxoIr73G1vMsv7sPkNL7sCHPapLhQKIct2kjv8dsjCdnyT9OYZorPMnwFDhRPt8b2D9YKo_colPn_4tDooXfVjtoKM5fyUSRUqmMKsYpqtTtF2eyKh7RKKs2iJWLNkOf538A62hP1dc/s320/IMG_1688.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398942916733752834" /></a><br /><div align="center">Ai-chan's family:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5VOjhVlV_LCXhLbKimOg1uZ2rEz6zovB9c_YK5afAYFGfZcY6n_XCSr6OASUSa_h7wcVuDC_QT3gqmxDCoy5Mjb6cA1qPtlxMG8CO7aVvCz5v-v_je2nM51GRaoNB4AZqQMZ83_-1lNA/s1600-h/IMG_1693.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5VOjhVlV_LCXhLbKimOg1uZ2rEz6zovB9c_YK5afAYFGfZcY6n_XCSr6OASUSa_h7wcVuDC_QT3gqmxDCoy5Mjb6cA1qPtlxMG8CO7aVvCz5v-v_je2nM51GRaoNB4AZqQMZ83_-1lNA/s320/IMG_1693.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398942907463185042" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuHmNbfaKTNJJWSosyPFSlU-31uZGxNFdGXqCXN5va85eLXf2pqig-h_bjsbesD2cY2RByhRCeI4k6xB2fdS7pLL-3ZXI2QWv4wt4Y8qEbwEPbB3rTWLM5rByhW_36hyphenhyphenjTNBfc_NaRIY0/s1600-h/IMG_1669.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuHmNbfaKTNJJWSosyPFSlU-31uZGxNFdGXqCXN5va85eLXf2pqig-h_bjsbesD2cY2RByhRCeI4k6xB2fdS7pLL-3ZXI2QWv4wt4Y8qEbwEPbB3rTWLM5rByhW_36hyphenhyphenjTNBfc_NaRIY0/s320/IMG_1669.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398943138419529138" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWFwz5rbzXTYQWizzhIemh20n-d3ZXkzNqZUnHHJuIAc_a5F8zkm38_k29Mz7ih3_3SQ3Qf6XEIExZOkQjxkp0CYxx0XsdoTXHPxgEviHBzxGo_iBmmJCXS6chsExcwVNnxQs3AB98htQ/s1600-h/IMG_1709.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWFwz5rbzXTYQWizzhIemh20n-d3ZXkzNqZUnHHJuIAc_a5F8zkm38_k29Mz7ih3_3SQ3Qf6XEIExZOkQjxkp0CYxx0XsdoTXHPxgEviHBzxGo_iBmmJCXS6chsExcwVNnxQs3AB98htQ/s320/IMG_1709.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398942370206611330" /></a><br /><div align="center">Rice hung to dry. I'd never seen this before:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieDLx4VBAEox_O-t-H3n2tEqAg1N1Ytpw65PyF6kP7dpa0i0ZgFCLauo0BpzhTsc01VC3C-rwPpQrgZY4hn3Mv5ZFwWrOXnU8XRDE2SoLS5oJpQt_Y54AgD7ae7Z_fiCWIX653NvfeccQ/s1600-h/IMG_1710.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieDLx4VBAEox_O-t-H3n2tEqAg1N1Ytpw65PyF6kP7dpa0i0ZgFCLauo0BpzhTsc01VC3C-rwPpQrgZY4hn3Mv5ZFwWrOXnU8XRDE2SoLS5oJpQt_Y54AgD7ae7Z_fiCWIX653NvfeccQ/s320/IMG_1710.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398942358298931330" /></a><br /><div align="center">Everyone gathering after the ceremony:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiElF1DnzpUBx6G1dcpCbhyphenhyphen0JcL1sNXELvWomy4EjQMQSSXYWDdepsIR1hMrVUmUuhfuwUeRwhkMlJYYrDqEkNu2enUWUJ6HfQ0vfYdk5j5O6obIbAE7WvX4jgH56W2QaOQHMIWoVn_NF4/s1600-h/IMG_1720.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiElF1DnzpUBx6G1dcpCbhyphenhyphen0JcL1sNXELvWomy4EjQMQSSXYWDdepsIR1hMrVUmUuhfuwUeRwhkMlJYYrDqEkNu2enUWUJ6HfQ0vfYdk5j5O6obIbAE7WvX4jgH56W2QaOQHMIWoVn_NF4/s320/IMG_1720.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398942355841946514" /></a><br />After the ceremony, we were taken by taxis to the reception dinner. The reception is only for family and close friends so it had a nice intimate atmosphere. We had a great meal and they went around and introduced everyone and asked people for stories about AJ and Ai-chan.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQnmYd_IJPRnef0ZB0Sy_igiIh6AY7VYpf2I5TSp6DuCtbu9L4GHn9PVAwnnVtrMcU85mNe35pBweaDwD3cC6xrsTmRtA2W7-ofPnqX1Z7GJ-3gOTTZ98zQxIckUMuOT0lv4KcphGPPGQ/s1600-h/IMG_1721.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQnmYd_IJPRnef0ZB0Sy_igiIh6AY7VYpf2I5TSp6DuCtbu9L4GHn9PVAwnnVtrMcU85mNe35pBweaDwD3cC6xrsTmRtA2W7-ofPnqX1Z7GJ-3gOTTZ98zQxIckUMuOT0lv4KcphGPPGQ/s320/IMG_1721.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398942346430694946" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijqP4Ap9m2-BItsLG2Bf2_JtgFtVLaOY_J7WVr35QhOoisBxfTzOlPWJ_byzXFi7ika_jvQezq5ABBcnr0dxWNGW_5_Gv26ggLMeUZzeTb_9_5isjF0gmVNE-PwuU9_X3m2ZOxOeeGHko/s1600-h/IMG_1733.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijqP4Ap9m2-BItsLG2Bf2_JtgFtVLaOY_J7WVr35QhOoisBxfTzOlPWJ_byzXFi7ika_jvQezq5ABBcnr0dxWNGW_5_Gv26ggLMeUZzeTb_9_5isjF0gmVNE-PwuU9_X3m2ZOxOeeGHko/s320/IMG_1733.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398941878420886322" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib2klsnNLfhCBoeHdx3GZCLhkTG0_Rh220_l9dALt4Rs17uJXZccYWWiOuyNJPSYEKuRQ-fkARKhvytg2m75S7a4KYxyV9A1aMaU-If9kwhBrqrxRTl0bUf1iLKUEETd0JDkwZAZ4hmD4/s1600-h/IMG_1737.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib2klsnNLfhCBoeHdx3GZCLhkTG0_Rh220_l9dALt4Rs17uJXZccYWWiOuyNJPSYEKuRQ-fkARKhvytg2m75S7a4KYxyV9A1aMaU-If9kwhBrqrxRTl0bUf1iLKUEETd0JDkwZAZ4hmD4/s320/IMG_1737.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398941868755818194" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglYLAKfgcH8u3YVmne2koSVIvtPkS2NThlwywv-xW7qGwBEfLpdEUCzuWIYiza__s8VZamO3VlBZtk9_TqKRTXP8pi5zp5aPDrPJZRJJFyY5xvfdli21bo_L-KRIeNGaaRQWTGb4cnniM/s1600-h/IMG_1740.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglYLAKfgcH8u3YVmne2koSVIvtPkS2NThlwywv-xW7qGwBEfLpdEUCzuWIYiza__s8VZamO3VlBZtk9_TqKRTXP8pi5zp5aPDrPJZRJJFyY5xvfdli21bo_L-KRIeNGaaRQWTGb4cnniM/s320/IMG_1740.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398941861204899698" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrJQU8HxJUZZ2rOXnmvCWuBLSO67IIv7xTdWVy1eTc_XV6fYzueDSEOS_tOefOWUGNJdWtFElNWtfgV_qyi0nqHOZyzBb5jsFt02GgCndffWmAYQCc_6IdAowqj7hyRK-uswGJv7XsSTs/s1600-h/IMG_1743.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrJQU8HxJUZZ2rOXnmvCWuBLSO67IIv7xTdWVy1eTc_XV6fYzueDSEOS_tOefOWUGNJdWtFElNWtfgV_qyi0nqHOZyzBb5jsFt02GgCndffWmAYQCc_6IdAowqj7hyRK-uswGJv7XsSTs/s320/IMG_1743.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398941851520679090" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2dg3zHDmQR5BeejY8HOFGDFi7EBFQ7iWybKrLtTOFIYvHd13WSlIskDrBp09Dc1wO-sydeCwoxsA-4tQpCDfHtN2Fafo6cZ0lewEwxJkM46ngkp11spB8p5l5alKxaqz6s9mBcIdxXyA/s1600-h/IMG_1744.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2dg3zHDmQR5BeejY8HOFGDFi7EBFQ7iWybKrLtTOFIYvHd13WSlIskDrBp09Dc1wO-sydeCwoxsA-4tQpCDfHtN2Fafo6cZ0lewEwxJkM46ngkp11spB8p5l5alKxaqz6s9mBcIdxXyA/s320/IMG_1744.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398941468172842738" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPusny-gO3aur11CfKtpsIpE7ljd96Vg7ZgWWKaQtaadPkooaTPlkqu7v1Huv4bH_NayXaC-ODcwWlsLv2IGsOYUP4lBdyphQaReMAhCPxcR2iQOY9w9NoXAkWImPJlI8_i1rNa6d-NOs/s1600-h/IMG_1745.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPusny-gO3aur11CfKtpsIpE7ljd96Vg7ZgWWKaQtaadPkooaTPlkqu7v1Huv4bH_NayXaC-ODcwWlsLv2IGsOYUP4lBdyphQaReMAhCPxcR2iQOY9w9NoXAkWImPJlI8_i1rNa6d-NOs/s320/IMG_1745.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398941460416291538" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK4drmOAu0vFVRTyj210CJS5-UFADMkQ7Dfyjucbci70k05EFImzkREv2Jep8JTmdwRr8a5qfRjB8oEnkzXNPnu0JtodxzbCvHC1BKik3gOeKMO_elUSM7iUIl_kiBkg2aS1WHRuRQ8BM/s1600-h/IMG_1747.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK4drmOAu0vFVRTyj210CJS5-UFADMkQ7Dfyjucbci70k05EFImzkREv2Jep8JTmdwRr8a5qfRjB8oEnkzXNPnu0JtodxzbCvHC1BKik3gOeKMO_elUSM7iUIl_kiBkg2aS1WHRuRQ8BM/s320/IMG_1747.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398941457111561154" /></a><br /><div align="center">Downstairs from the reception. The studio wanted to film the big fight scene in Kill Bill in this place but the restaurant couldn't rent it to them for a whole month. So the set in the movie was built to approximate the restaurant:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7n9yncLkQF491Bz8XN6_ynnSdrgu4R8yKDMCHAzCjkjCj0NA2Ry6k1wkkhqRTTZpIgHALtnLcsuLa6wqLqZrDiV4QTtia58_FyA_qaSfcBeuffafLVIwMThUq1trTcPuBl9bLZvdvLGY/s1600-h/IMG_1755.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7n9yncLkQF491Bz8XN6_ynnSdrgu4R8yKDMCHAzCjkjCj0NA2Ry6k1wkkhqRTTZpIgHALtnLcsuLa6wqLqZrDiV4QTtia58_FyA_qaSfcBeuffafLVIwMThUq1trTcPuBl9bLZvdvLGY/s320/IMG_1755.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398941448054119282" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAIXar4wJ_8Qdhc1m0jI4yROUALOTGYMQ8YL5nDAl-1U-NZm7Yyty6e4Mp5rvrXh2fgIxDnvOkuATMhICRKVBDJ9bRHBREC5xFlynu0xhevJnv6T6t2_IsmEgFBP-8KA4A7UtpaASH00E/s1600-h/IMG_1767.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAIXar4wJ_8Qdhc1m0jI4yROUALOTGYMQ8YL5nDAl-1U-NZm7Yyty6e4Mp5rvrXh2fgIxDnvOkuATMhICRKVBDJ9bRHBREC5xFlynu0xhevJnv6T6t2_IsmEgFBP-8KA4A7UtpaASH00E/s320/IMG_1767.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398941068829524466" /></a><br /><br />After the reception it was on to the next event, called the nijikai (basically, the second party). Family isn't invited to this party. It's for the couple's extended circle of friends. They rented out a bar for this and it was packed wall to wall with their friends. There were a whole series of events and games. It was a great time.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBza-CAX-USv0-0yyYJL2_6ANq31tX_V4hzuo8Qq7FpyLV_lR4LPQiycsCEgWoENsBdFrI6uipPJ7a2mUMcH7cGqW9ztFrHaYNkS3lucHHitM2nw5HrmKtsDeSb96jeK3xW8twusMsX50/s1600-h/IMG_1769.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBza-CAX-USv0-0yyYJL2_6ANq31tX_V4hzuo8Qq7FpyLV_lR4LPQiycsCEgWoENsBdFrI6uipPJ7a2mUMcH7cGqW9ztFrHaYNkS3lucHHitM2nw5HrmKtsDeSb96jeK3xW8twusMsX50/s320/IMG_1769.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398941059624915522" /></a><br /><div align="center">Pouring a champaign tower:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht-_5XrGUQC5tVithccitcR4xgsocNvTAMpSWd8Vl95BK_SV15O9d_XdZp_5kIJEkmGFhiMIDEUutX5Y4pWxlplKW1xlIKuPQjIsxVHtXLWTLwtV6qW5OdlTDnAXdmiwqMfjQNeFJB4UQ/s1600-h/IMG_1773.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht-_5XrGUQC5tVithccitcR4xgsocNvTAMpSWd8Vl95BK_SV15O9d_XdZp_5kIJEkmGFhiMIDEUutX5Y4pWxlplKW1xlIKuPQjIsxVHtXLWTLwtV6qW5OdlTDnAXdmiwqMfjQNeFJB4UQ/s320/IMG_1773.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398941053547738578" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXRgJHW3VsEPO9vDRELqNkwmLlXufEfCeNbwv7ml4Oh_Wrpp5w440BdIBpP1s259mUYsmrIrtCbpaXD7Ab20MWnHfwW87XNnpE0HJw5nVvr7JiT8na6qDOTQ4qyF94-OUuUeHZB_Anedo/s1600-h/IMG_1779.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXRgJHW3VsEPO9vDRELqNkwmLlXufEfCeNbwv7ml4Oh_Wrpp5w440BdIBpP1s259mUYsmrIrtCbpaXD7Ab20MWnHfwW87XNnpE0HJw5nVvr7JiT8na6qDOTQ4qyF94-OUuUeHZB_Anedo/s320/IMG_1779.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398941041423416642" /></a>Jared Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07213301757820349332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4226642302201118825.post-54886154296848078832009-10-31T17:41:00.001-07:002009-10-31T18:26:48.257-07:00Day 7: AkihabaraQuick posts today. We've got to check out of our hotel soon and go to Nikko for a couple days (don't know if we'll have net access there...).<br /><br />We were on our own today, so we tried to go to the Imperial Palace and Gardens in Tokyo. Unfortunately, we didn't know that the gardens are closed on Fridays (who closes on a Friday?) so we'll have to go back next week. Still, the outside was pretty.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUyfRMIg7q9Qiz8V-LMRsyX-BAO0HDWXoMEhc20-IGjUHhisjIi9mSc5rNCGbpIcRgQ3QyvL7UY8QJX55Lt3VFpILs1G56C4UzL_1kbyy4ihcwVu9uuTbTHZksi2kK7CxytN20On96yko/s1600-h/IMG_1608.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUyfRMIg7q9Qiz8V-LMRsyX-BAO0HDWXoMEhc20-IGjUHhisjIi9mSc5rNCGbpIcRgQ3QyvL7UY8QJX55Lt3VFpILs1G56C4UzL_1kbyy4ihcwVu9uuTbTHZksi2kK7CxytN20On96yko/s320/IMG_1608.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398931273042084354" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2RXkQavQmXX0u5PWyd2WNMkKmiGQSqWHObUrNehbtbDdQk5IgoZ9bUkre9lGCmtLykbcj7upq8nBqVqPBrdXirgPVrJD4DUPZ_NJu2gqKZPgC1Un2P5VA8_XKrT46jPDUWPsn1LadDPM/s1600-h/IMG_1609.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2RXkQavQmXX0u5PWyd2WNMkKmiGQSqWHObUrNehbtbDdQk5IgoZ9bUkre9lGCmtLykbcj7upq8nBqVqPBrdXirgPVrJD4DUPZ_NJu2gqKZPgC1Un2P5VA8_XKrT46jPDUWPsn1LadDPM/s320/IMG_1609.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398931262836340290" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNyvxD6lYXMpY3uGBjHpVkTK6buBaIE3c52RP31lVruvURxYPFQBrrh1iCwDzfHTEDdrpSPI6I6IeJKbvX4FnJdv99tdwkV2rr638SZB2p5_8Zsc99t-Y0EoIk7zDPMrqr21LcjfwR_kI/s1600-h/IMG_1612.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNyvxD6lYXMpY3uGBjHpVkTK6buBaIE3c52RP31lVruvURxYPFQBrrh1iCwDzfHTEDdrpSPI6I6IeJKbvX4FnJdv99tdwkV2rr638SZB2p5_8Zsc99t-Y0EoIk7zDPMrqr21LcjfwR_kI/s320/IMG_1612.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398931252156790098" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTf5CTstmkh2KiaSY7uw1VaAcqH9PnX2wKjcIYt0S_NszRdMAHUagEtlzvZ-MUcm6Xtt1cBdTxM_38XU64U0Lk5icdtitzfHaYoR_fFvBRvCUvVwcANqfHBVHkZxMM2j87UUsmFss7scM/s1600-h/IMG_1620.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTf5CTstmkh2KiaSY7uw1VaAcqH9PnX2wKjcIYt0S_NszRdMAHUagEtlzvZ-MUcm6Xtt1cBdTxM_38XU64U0Lk5icdtitzfHaYoR_fFvBRvCUvVwcANqfHBVHkZxMM2j87UUsmFss7scM/s320/IMG_1620.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398931241885860898" border="0" /></a><br /><br />After that, we went to another little park to figure out our plans for the rest of the day.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFMi_VCq47A7btvlBJ3ETimJ9ahUqaOMFzdg0wSEGBo4t9TmZF8I4pIline_f_-IKBrsYgI4IuDu4M08kJs5s3G-ulpnHOrxNL81pps5SlHNQ5qa-ZY164SETpGG5lMlPKA2STE05NdDc/s1600-h/IMG_1623.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFMi_VCq47A7btvlBJ3ETimJ9ahUqaOMFzdg0wSEGBo4t9TmZF8I4pIline_f_-IKBrsYgI4IuDu4M08kJs5s3G-ulpnHOrxNL81pps5SlHNQ5qa-ZY164SETpGG5lMlPKA2STE05NdDc/s320/IMG_1623.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398930534836858274" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Finally, we decided to check out the Akihabara neighborhood to see the Electric City area which has shops selling all kinds of electronics. It turns out that this neighborhood is also known for anime and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maid_cafe">maid cafe</a>s. So as you're walking around the area there are girls dressed in maid outfits advertising for their cafes. For whatever reason, they also pretty much all wear cat ears. The place had a pretty wierd vibe to it, but we did find some really cool stores.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXFuQjrzx6p5UZ-yE8eMU98c7ofAMzX8x7r_tcvkr1NU-5VL45YMEGqt4XMLDwqEycCLQG5fWX4z2BATMJ4tBc7nG7mwVQajbW1EP7edJieBZSsuXerkUxbBmSIkbNQ3t7_BbmAGqgDv0/s1600-h/IMG_1630.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXFuQjrzx6p5UZ-yE8eMU98c7ofAMzX8x7r_tcvkr1NU-5VL45YMEGqt4XMLDwqEycCLQG5fWX4z2BATMJ4tBc7nG7mwVQajbW1EP7edJieBZSsuXerkUxbBmSIkbNQ3t7_BbmAGqgDv0/s320/IMG_1630.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398930526978829218" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfB0UGvlI5IAVI0tctLxI1wjWdx7sC9TIDCo_cdjIumb7HkIXgl0336KEzt2CmeLl87W6Y-0W5dSZJc6B0Z4L3LT855ArTdMUCXwgfmBdXxX7NJucDb8wwBSAPx-po54Xty_XkCfk05F0/s1600-h/IMG_1632.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfB0UGvlI5IAVI0tctLxI1wjWdx7sC9TIDCo_cdjIumb7HkIXgl0336KEzt2CmeLl87W6Y-0W5dSZJc6B0Z4L3LT855ArTdMUCXwgfmBdXxX7NJucDb8wwBSAPx-po54Xty_XkCfk05F0/s320/IMG_1632.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398930517375052306" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center">There were a bunch of little stores like this selling every imaginable electronic component. If you really want to build a computer from the capacitors up, this would be the place to do it:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxJvTzEO8D9UYKzu8HerE7IRMNYqCp67k0snXwjU7hPLAMdgpkeMwU4yowJJoZzjJOVxu_7ZnpaRHcy17pNtDKU1-NDQ6zTBkG4CAA_31P_GUa9QnsJ4eYzKhJQPz40Sy53W-PdsSewzo/s1600-h/IMG_1637.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxJvTzEO8D9UYKzu8HerE7IRMNYqCp67k0snXwjU7hPLAMdgpkeMwU4yowJJoZzjJOVxu_7ZnpaRHcy17pNtDKU1-NDQ6zTBkG4CAA_31P_GUa9QnsJ4eYzKhJQPz40Sy53W-PdsSewzo/s320/IMG_1637.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398930509508654322" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center">Michelle with one of the maid cafe girls:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvYH3wo77s27W4jdGW7vwQpO01-BoikXK1hDBYJYwKxzcoP3o18d6osNl1ku6FTaV4MDydMOLZiXzwd99Q-QyxFJAhIKQPaBKjDqVhj5S1xzCBO5leZReFPiXvrH0i1jUEe3xColNTuvc/s1600-h/IMG_1639.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvYH3wo77s27W4jdGW7vwQpO01-BoikXK1hDBYJYwKxzcoP3o18d6osNl1ku6FTaV4MDydMOLZiXzwd99Q-QyxFJAhIKQPaBKjDqVhj5S1xzCBO5leZReFPiXvrH0i1jUEe3xColNTuvc/s320/IMG_1639.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398930007894252530" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center">Star wars stuff:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKW3mjMsuZ1Jsg3YESXgKO3GDCkoN2_F-8OEATxavD0rteVvAAZCWFTsiTS0AVTcHYCFN-S1dReU14DkYMyPcPM33MqS0liFE0P23VQLo9HBJiUgB9cqxea0j2JvWWytF_QgprQCYxQ5w/s1600-h/IMG_1641.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKW3mjMsuZ1Jsg3YESXgKO3GDCkoN2_F-8OEATxavD0rteVvAAZCWFTsiTS0AVTcHYCFN-S1dReU14DkYMyPcPM33MqS0liFE0P23VQLo9HBJiUgB9cqxea0j2JvWWytF_QgprQCYxQ5w/s320/IMG_1641.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398929998708418802" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center">Final Fantasy toys:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKuYKq1n8QeNgxK7GYf_4sl3HJhLTR5jsCpw5Or_JIBR7ISx0fBiwj1SePKQyJRImNl29LjpNuKx6BeX1ScsUz65DyydY783YKkWmAiDIbS_Wwdvy8fVX4ltkcOOKjbAMwTwfN-hzqNJA/s1600-h/IMG_1643.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKuYKq1n8QeNgxK7GYf_4sl3HJhLTR5jsCpw5Or_JIBR7ISx0fBiwj1SePKQyJRImNl29LjpNuKx6BeX1ScsUz65DyydY783YKkWmAiDIbS_Wwdvy8fVX4ltkcOOKjbAMwTwfN-hzqNJA/s320/IMG_1643.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398929986439671330" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center">A giant camera store:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf9x9HJqWEjorOZ_CYtfegdSh3Hpk_z9q00pb6HgxxjXM4XCsWzaLSQedyl_jpUMo0ex9m70VRvDTq-7MO1nAi3U80xgaHVBvDdn7jV95p8VJ-uuItaNyzO66idhG9PjWLpGOUzUNuMdc/s1600-h/IMG_1644.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf9x9HJqWEjorOZ_CYtfegdSh3Hpk_z9q00pb6HgxxjXM4XCsWzaLSQedyl_jpUMo0ex9m70VRvDTq-7MO1nAi3U80xgaHVBvDdn7jV95p8VJ-uuItaNyzO66idhG9PjWLpGOUzUNuMdc/s320/IMG_1644.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398929977915496674" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center">The Windows 7 burger, which I'm told is only in Japan:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi38VMonSXgKiQc25JpH4yo007IhdzNiL5PmEpPEtR5nqUOHuV9bBWUCpxCl2zsOxEPcwRn3Ybsa4qGWd_56Vtql2KM8hnY3pyFBehddYYw7_skx7LOcQP3Ura7LdjtTVORgySvFrynF7c/s1600-h/IMG_1645.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi38VMonSXgKiQc25JpH4yo007IhdzNiL5PmEpPEtR5nqUOHuV9bBWUCpxCl2zsOxEPcwRn3Ybsa4qGWd_56Vtql2KM8hnY3pyFBehddYYw7_skx7LOcQP3Ura7LdjtTVORgySvFrynF7c/s320/IMG_1645.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398929457407520866" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Later that day, Chun-Fang's flight arrived so we met her for dinner. We ended up in a really cool place, but I couldn't manage to get a good picture. The restaurant was all booths with translucent walls and curtains that they closed once you got in, which gave you some privacy but didn't totally cut you off from the restaurant. It was really nice.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxEHfkKCOG6MoyWSJcfPnOOrB7Wdhd9SWB1-o01nSJycK8Mp-UUYSkBEsz1ai7bl_utFa4wacyYg9ih5ggmhjqs5sAguD7_q0q7oLOa2cmpetna0lRjYmjkSI9-HAmwYIjc79C9D5F0gc/s1600-h/IMG_1653.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxEHfkKCOG6MoyWSJcfPnOOrB7Wdhd9SWB1-o01nSJycK8Mp-UUYSkBEsz1ai7bl_utFa4wacyYg9ih5ggmhjqs5sAguD7_q0q7oLOa2cmpetna0lRjYmjkSI9-HAmwYIjc79C9D5F0gc/s320/IMG_1653.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398929449559872178" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center">Wagyu beef. Yumm:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnnJRb1BFJkH2dbfd3_lAc29Bq5Iuht_p922IJtr2TXA5sRTK0Vu4LHmzZuMUzy5yQokiodAkk7eAyRgQqbwo89Xn3pEqMpv2x1O9Adc8SyeHr_djFkimhBn0uq2TmNOWwIw8XMBrfTls/s1600-h/IMG_1661.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnnJRb1BFJkH2dbfd3_lAc29Bq5Iuht_p922IJtr2TXA5sRTK0Vu4LHmzZuMUzy5yQokiodAkk7eAyRgQqbwo89Xn3pEqMpv2x1O9Adc8SyeHr_djFkimhBn0uq2TmNOWwIw8XMBrfTls/s320/IMG_1661.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398929438210548370" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center">One of the walls surrounding our booth:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9YlBw06hYxC1I-EeXuIf-EQa4SwjSzKqk3kq2AuBi8X7SGEuqFl5Ro82Yy3MyTbIoVktKnUu3d-BA1QIwCTkyRMKHvKBLlQvSYC0GkKTsobUrAui7xH1qDDgd7WTRFJa2E-WcwwGvCnw/s1600-h/IMG_1663.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9YlBw06hYxC1I-EeXuIf-EQa4SwjSzKqk3kq2AuBi8X7SGEuqFl5Ro82Yy3MyTbIoVktKnUu3d-BA1QIwCTkyRMKHvKBLlQvSYC0GkKTsobUrAui7xH1qDDgd7WTRFJa2E-WcwwGvCnw/s320/IMG_1663.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398929433390368130" border="0" /></a>Jared Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07213301757820349332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4226642302201118825.post-58509675029319175422009-10-29T16:06:00.000-07:002009-10-29T18:36:46.477-07:00Day 6: KappabashiYesterday we went to the Kappabashi neighborhood of Tokyo, which has a ton of restaurant supply stores. The main thing that brought us to this area was Michelle's quest for a sashimi knife (she found a nice one). They had stores totally packed with cooking utensils, serving dishes, and everything you could need for a kitchen or restaurant. It's a shame the ceramics are so heavy or we could have picked up some really nice plates and tea cups.<br /><br /><div align="center">Cute kids in yellow hats:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwSL6lr61_1JiTepC-Xfk24A3nTf8GtSESSuBJAEUTvaO6I-0R1ZHlO_e7ohT6ad676cGhKoj94-vuxaa7fI-X0-4TB0t7BiSbLMdlporCVj9_7kffCh8KMC1SDhUaznMQKaLbFEwyKGs/s1600-h/IMG_1556.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwSL6lr61_1JiTepC-Xfk24A3nTf8GtSESSuBJAEUTvaO6I-0R1ZHlO_e7ohT6ad676cGhKoj94-vuxaa7fI-X0-4TB0t7BiSbLMdlporCVj9_7kffCh8KMC1SDhUaznMQKaLbFEwyKGs/s320/IMG_1556.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398163612087309122" border="0"></a><br /><div align="center">Giant temple that we stumbled upon:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUp2iWPQbiQ18IJVXVBPwkDOTj7XWrh98_iJCEEdQYySE7920r-iPzkuQpHcKgRSctkTIXQd-JeOX1HD96g4GppX-QZ8e3Sri8BeK3Wx66lalslKzbCXQSCJxoGMn7CbA8AF_4bgCVOQY/s1600-h/IMG_1557.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUp2iWPQbiQ18IJVXVBPwkDOTj7XWrh98_iJCEEdQYySE7920r-iPzkuQpHcKgRSctkTIXQd-JeOX1HD96g4GppX-QZ8e3Sri8BeK3Wx66lalslKzbCXQSCJxoGMn7CbA8AF_4bgCVOQY/s320/IMG_1557.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398163604231064418" border="0"></a><br /><div align="center">Entrance to Kappabashi:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicG2BtAd1tnyo6PelIlIV-AiFOKKHv6ilxTWUxe6xn8_TrKPynErTsBmK2RqTr1nQ6_8yDuvgbNXMunAnf_zkHuXynNRbN3jL0QkRpvOoIT3Rdl5_BSVxG7RXrY5514zQ6cARJkcLE098/s1600-h/IMG_1561.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicG2BtAd1tnyo6PelIlIV-AiFOKKHv6ilxTWUxe6xn8_TrKPynErTsBmK2RqTr1nQ6_8yDuvgbNXMunAnf_zkHuXynNRbN3jL0QkRpvOoIT3Rdl5_BSVxG7RXrY5514zQ6cARJkcLE098/s320/IMG_1561.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398163360642201682" border="0"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEI3iN10Imiai21AU_W3QNQPbXL1LZ2TGZDeEYrTR1ibBwZfw1LCSZVCMFIFbYr-psLqN4DkdwF4rUsgylWy1HxSQzVj4C5b3024UgCFqV5FAfC2ICMoLUWEWLWUVsUSnuRobEHe_nkgQ/s1600-h/IMG_1563.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEI3iN10Imiai21AU_W3QNQPbXL1LZ2TGZDeEYrTR1ibBwZfw1LCSZVCMFIFbYr-psLqN4DkdwF4rUsgylWy1HxSQzVj4C5b3024UgCFqV5FAfC2ICMoLUWEWLWUVsUSnuRobEHe_nkgQ/s320/IMG_1563.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398163350418919250" border="0"></a><br /><div align="center">Store selling tons of different plastic foods:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSUh9-QNRbuwVy7ku4CkZjnQ4MxvgPMtgAE_Z6oF9VccO6hoezHeoPnBIxLvSHRy6gKJlaCFlht-upeMUOUIaPdIe4_nf0T27SPnosKjAYV8e3w2ixl6vahtDN5gaVpAgb2sYSak9E66g/s1600-h/IMG_1567.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSUh9-QNRbuwVy7ku4CkZjnQ4MxvgPMtgAE_Z6oF9VccO6hoezHeoPnBIxLvSHRy6gKJlaCFlht-upeMUOUIaPdIe4_nf0T27SPnosKjAYV8e3w2ixl6vahtDN5gaVpAgb2sYSak9E66g/s320/IMG_1567.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398163346166574850" border="0"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI7Xcz0Cbn90_4SqFcoo7eqXPbH4Plhng3NOTzQx0tOOT39b9OeL0-rZIENtZnfv28PS1XqN3y7mk1f1tCGaNYsr4kwX07r-lbCQKuYqLi1sZe2cSmoiCJwmugi8mocHf9HJpq-W0nShA/s1600-h/IMG_1568.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI7Xcz0Cbn90_4SqFcoo7eqXPbH4Plhng3NOTzQx0tOOT39b9OeL0-rZIENtZnfv28PS1XqN3y7mk1f1tCGaNYsr4kwX07r-lbCQKuYqLi1sZe2cSmoiCJwmugi8mocHf9HJpq-W0nShA/s320/IMG_1568.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398163332240150994" border="0"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNZLV9ZmpSPCriq1v3pIV7PItFv3YE7hVgF1TX4Pohxt2XZGRpKg1iq6g_sWA0lkp70fva2DJ4RjWPZtQWUG-RsHYIjYYy1q1mA8nFweLEYr2NYG0uKcriuBDy6v7E4mRWVBardYhpARQ/s1600-h/IMG_1570.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNZLV9ZmpSPCriq1v3pIV7PItFv3YE7hVgF1TX4Pohxt2XZGRpKg1iq6g_sWA0lkp70fva2DJ4RjWPZtQWUG-RsHYIjYYy1q1mA8nFweLEYr2NYG0uKcriuBDy6v7E4mRWVBardYhpARQ/s320/IMG_1570.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398162884198263538" border="0"></a><br /><div align="center">Scary-looking knives for cutting soba noodles:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdlf6rPJeop6_SYUDm2L7oYIRtmTqgv0U3z8SZg9JnA61ashxkN59vcsvum_HVP7AWJOm1QPRhvd-t5rGVW-9CCXn2V_YM0VE9aScHfEE3QrmvXDkwM3gIMyE8lsbLhCzdA8soxh3KOcY/s1600-h/IMG_1571-copy.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdlf6rPJeop6_SYUDm2L7oYIRtmTqgv0U3z8SZg9JnA61ashxkN59vcsvum_HVP7AWJOm1QPRhvd-t5rGVW-9CCXn2V_YM0VE9aScHfEE3QrmvXDkwM3gIMyE8lsbLhCzdA8soxh3KOcY/s320/IMG_1571-copy.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398185826211875266" border="0"></a><br /><div align="center">Kappabashi means "kappa bridge". This is a golden <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kappa_%28folklore%29">kappa</a>:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr0Xh-bfKec8YsB8wUgT5pm7j1j_PyNIIi6j1jSaWBtKPdVVhyphenhyphenTiGoCjXxYRRdwGOveQ5l59E9t55y1dEk0eHP6o-hn8RoWGvGaGnKDETXzCMZQvsfk88XRHv7A4oaRbcqhcZeuAiEQ10/s1600-h/IMG_1572.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr0Xh-bfKec8YsB8wUgT5pm7j1j_PyNIIi6j1jSaWBtKPdVVhyphenhyphenTiGoCjXxYRRdwGOveQ5l59E9t55y1dEk0eHP6o-hn8RoWGvGaGnKDETXzCMZQvsfk88XRHv7A4oaRbcqhcZeuAiEQ10/s320/IMG_1572.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398162864805198146" border="0"></a><br /><div align="center">Michelle's sashimi (sushi fish) knife:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQzTdJ_c2YvoSTSy4oblIt9a-mszLmBfp6RibBGvrRZrUmUFuEhqyOcGcYXpm8snIu0BVBqmQAYvtgyU0bI0lxWbtRGO6fYV3zFitbV5FYsxIDmbtj-qFZRtomkQReeYirNEbECcmqioU/s1600-h/IMG_1597.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQzTdJ_c2YvoSTSy4oblIt9a-mszLmBfp6RibBGvrRZrUmUFuEhqyOcGcYXpm8snIu0BVBqmQAYvtgyU0bI0lxWbtRGO6fYV3zFitbV5FYsxIDmbtj-qFZRtomkQReeYirNEbECcmqioU/s320/IMG_1597.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398162857989549250" border="0"></a><br /><br />After shopping, we went to a restaurant for dinner. This was a special reservation that Ai-chan's parents made for us so we could try fugu (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blowfish">blowfish</a>). Blowfish is lethally poisonous if you just cut it up and eat it, but there's a certain way to carve it up safely. In Japan, you have to be licensed in order to legally serve it and this place had a license.<br /><br />This was the most exotic meal we've had by far. Along with the puffer fish, we were also served squid and halibut so fresh that the uncooked parts of the fish were still moving (but not really alive) when the dishes were brought to the table. This was pretty freaky, but the point is to show that the fish just came out of a live tank. (They don't do anything special to keep the heads moving; if they didn't put them on the plate, they'd still be moving like this in the garbage.) Every part of the animal was used in the meal. After eating the raw squid and halibut meat, they took away the heads to use them for the next dishes. The halibut head was cut up and put into miso soup for flavoring and the squid head and tentacles were deep fried (calamari, basically).<br /><br />They also served turtle in the meal. First, turtle blood served mixed with apple juice and served in shot glasses. Then the raw organs - heart, liver, gall bladder, and shoulder. Finally, the meat was used for turtle soup.<br /><br />This meal was definitely challenging at times, but it was good and a really unique experience.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2bJU1oYSYy_nQm9tR0mDIk1IpcpF4tjHGTSNRZT8Fgr9iicslcNikZnoMjIm34-4JhZ6Gw38jtbcQV6fPADgTOWBlyiOtsL6YYYMTBVGKR43SZY9LtvBlwA8ZPNX3ODSly0Ub7ELsyGQ/s1600-h/IMG_1577.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2bJU1oYSYy_nQm9tR0mDIk1IpcpF4tjHGTSNRZT8Fgr9iicslcNikZnoMjIm34-4JhZ6Gw38jtbcQV6fPADgTOWBlyiOtsL6YYYMTBVGKR43SZY9LtvBlwA8ZPNX3ODSly0Ub7ELsyGQ/s320/IMG_1577.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398195772034842322" border="0"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKraZEFV6b8TKNUEcaVHh7jglY_j42rboF_AR7gL0DlXXK_2I1FXi9WCiKzDEgXOCpn6sKb3fSjIGogWLtkCK0NW6hDcHWrttWwcf2zdVlRfKJtmTGwG41Zdmfy929QhL1ndGr0HBa5Ms/s1600-h/IMG_1595.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKraZEFV6b8TKNUEcaVHh7jglY_j42rboF_AR7gL0DlXXK_2I1FXi9WCiKzDEgXOCpn6sKb3fSjIGogWLtkCK0NW6hDcHWrttWwcf2zdVlRfKJtmTGwG41Zdmfy929QhL1ndGr0HBa5Ms/s320/IMG_1595.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398195331575536914" border="0"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBET3tUMO5RJeihCpWnZ0GvIldUSlLV390QhyWiJdlphb7khp84FplWEDtRXtNUNMMheJRXeDwkSBwStu19eD1wOmuJoH62zmkmKmd1JzEP8GO_UkfD4lJ0nvzsiI9Z3Iku5jJ_b1nwLo/s1600-h/IMG_1580.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBET3tUMO5RJeihCpWnZ0GvIldUSlLV390QhyWiJdlphb7khp84FplWEDtRXtNUNMMheJRXeDwkSBwStu19eD1wOmuJoH62zmkmKmd1JzEP8GO_UkfD4lJ0nvzsiI9Z3Iku5jJ_b1nwLo/s320/IMG_1580.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398195768337575218" border="0"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgptKkE0reToydFI2d4m_FYaOGLIVxUcRrY9JjBn9_2k1cLgesZ4wr_MNba3ZMS0Vwuvmlhmy9DUTav_sEIxxkrbM-E8AhyphenhyphenXOqjPVpdYjUIbcu6ZqlWL4HeHxV2r67dRhXhpo2s67-KvzA/s1600-h/IMG_1581.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgptKkE0reToydFI2d4m_FYaOGLIVxUcRrY9JjBn9_2k1cLgesZ4wr_MNba3ZMS0Vwuvmlhmy9DUTav_sEIxxkrbM-E8AhyphenhyphenXOqjPVpdYjUIbcu6ZqlWL4HeHxV2r67dRhXhpo2s67-KvzA/s320/IMG_1581.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398195755111361778" border="0"></a><br /><div align="center">Squid (ika):</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWOiOMs0h1VTINUrxRiqZedELwq30a0S765yVeQDDUNlTVk9y26lTSJZ__K9WCDBjX6W8GN45xG9_w-bVTVWEnzi8jTrZKsUz-bIxDNTfl6o_qLTVt8B5lLWR8Pf6Qo-nqKhUfraMxi1U/s1600-h/IMG_1582.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWOiOMs0h1VTINUrxRiqZedELwq30a0S765yVeQDDUNlTVk9y26lTSJZ__K9WCDBjX6W8GN45xG9_w-bVTVWEnzi8jTrZKsUz-bIxDNTfl6o_qLTVt8B5lLWR8Pf6Qo-nqKhUfraMxi1U/s320/IMG_1582.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398195749037185410" border="0"></a><br /><div align="center">Halibut (hirame):</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFb4jLJCRHZgLnif5XfyFT2gqeq655JEcWb6NocoChUYignhvEdIybAxMQoTq_Lkd5PGrb36skjpXKAOZh4Q_saTurQDwEFTiMVFjqC1rXSMiixkifrhGaZ3xi2Gyo8z59hfG4j6CYe_Y/s1600-h/IMG_1585.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFb4jLJCRHZgLnif5XfyFT2gqeq655JEcWb6NocoChUYignhvEdIybAxMQoTq_Lkd5PGrb36skjpXKAOZh4Q_saTurQDwEFTiMVFjqC1rXSMiixkifrhGaZ3xi2Gyo8z59hfG4j6CYe_Y/s320/IMG_1585.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398195351440921042" border="0"></a><br /><div align="center">Blowfish (fugu):</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFVJqIfmHv0yM4_0Bii30Jj2cB85ix6nial8xLnzawNtdBBY-6TLaQvqG8mRAwVU475LgGKZYF18QyXQAwGXb-LCGactCU-cVOWtrk979PJZ3J4oG55LBy7CDAMpVUM9J0-SPEMGUZvLk/s1600-h/IMG_1587.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFVJqIfmHv0yM4_0Bii30Jj2cB85ix6nial8xLnzawNtdBBY-6TLaQvqG8mRAwVU475LgGKZYF18QyXQAwGXb-LCGactCU-cVOWtrk979PJZ3J4oG55LBy7CDAMpVUM9J0-SPEMGUZvLk/s320/IMG_1587.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398195348147215906" border="0"></a><br /><div align="center">Turtle soup:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqhtTP2koBQ4EbWUIxY6rsOu4aPlr3a-0wEcpZk2JH7j1l7kw27oJ6UDMGrX2ktiWNrMyv5Xed9WCLK-nPJ2WPhJBIxhBa7U34kdgzWSUWUwDthe6RmgrlRC71-V38CyQlt95w2OlgyiE/s1600-h/IMG_1590-copy.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqhtTP2koBQ4EbWUIxY6rsOu4aPlr3a-0wEcpZk2JH7j1l7kw27oJ6UDMGrX2ktiWNrMyv5Xed9WCLK-nPJ2WPhJBIxhBa7U34kdgzWSUWUwDthe6RmgrlRC71-V38CyQlt95w2OlgyiE/s320/IMG_1590-copy.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398196739583931698" border="0"></a><br /><br /><div align="center">Video of live squid outside the restaurant:</div><br /><div align="center"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxIPTDvIdaD2KKdVJse4COqHRKH_PWyPZ_CSAiprFm15Ej9IvkGQ4u_-wppPF93_3_EXYIlCHj0t5qjnCYo' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div align="center">Video of live blowfish outside the restaurant:</div><br /><div align="center"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzOiG2hz-x6XJdhMNbonUcuvFE9-B3CniZunsKX9z03P5JfqvVRTYOovAxyPcNtwUWfgQJ2SWnBDkmrrEP9Nw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div align="center"><b>WARNING: This is where it gets real.</b> Video of the squid tentacles still moving on the plate. If you're squeamish or think that animals can live a long time without their vital organs (they can't), you might not want to watch:</div><br /><div align="center"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxcZt6K0bq0wGZ0weGp014BIBrzPfaJNVIHMFp0dh497E6dYya5kxK3mcNtYcGanRdW3nqOOBF7G5lwzQYF6A' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div align="center"><b>WARNING: This is where it gets real.</b> Video of the halibut reflexes still working on the plate. If you're squeamish or think that animals can live a long time without their vital organs (they can't), you might not want to watch:</div><br /><div align="center"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzxy2suvz4fCjmy-lQn2NslPaLwoFQ4YVX7XSiW74WoNw3ulrG31s1PniWqQs4pTjmKr4CBNiT-WJCXAbb20g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Jared Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07213301757820349332noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4226642302201118825.post-63235776115858791152009-10-28T19:06:00.001-07:002009-10-28T20:44:28.734-07:00Day 5: Tokyo - Ueno Koen, Meiji Jingu, HarajukuSince we were out so late the night before, AJ and Ai-chan decided to just stay at our hotel. They ended up in the room next door to us; apparently we're just destined to always be neighbors.<br /><br />Today was a chance to see a little more of Tokyo. In the morning we left the hotel with AJ and walked to the nearby Ueno Park. This was a pretty big park with shrines, museums, and recreation areas.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjR57vIrJFPhYaF9BSHZs4pTZkPNkh9zdi3AfS9YZCRsofDnaRZ116PpecLQdtTcI1y6Afvka8cgDuuXxf9y4sdMRQQOHqe8Uo6hdEW11NGWgfPTphsokpKeQdt8lGjPz6XSdc_VwFKCQ/s1600-h/IMG_1451.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjR57vIrJFPhYaF9BSHZs4pTZkPNkh9zdi3AfS9YZCRsofDnaRZ116PpecLQdtTcI1y6Afvka8cgDuuXxf9y4sdMRQQOHqe8Uo6hdEW11NGWgfPTphsokpKeQdt8lGjPz6XSdc_VwFKCQ/s320/IMG_1451.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397847407893910594" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2zlicdgFjFAh-teLYKoTUv2NguNYpEALt1_fLyOxxT3zhdeYASQRcZczSCSoiaAXRtKezODOegMUXHICa3PA2A2h1zAvJoGdrg9Z-7omhwGBeEwe8rOxtqdh8up378hj0BQuZDPBLErI/s1600-h/IMG_1453.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2zlicdgFjFAh-teLYKoTUv2NguNYpEALt1_fLyOxxT3zhdeYASQRcZczSCSoiaAXRtKezODOegMUXHICa3PA2A2h1zAvJoGdrg9Z-7omhwGBeEwe8rOxtqdh8up378hj0BQuZDPBLErI/s320/IMG_1453.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397847399940233058" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii0JtPkHVD-38xCdCFxBIzNpdCah1gFkEfSIN5GzeiQj9yQadiQZJjVK5-bfMcbm7IAyzjliUUORkPToyZTXeB-3WGIibFDs_Sh0BxTiPuCOahrWwuRLn-t_ExqxFZAQgxnSnhA91LZcM/s1600-h/IMG_1455.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii0JtPkHVD-38xCdCFxBIzNpdCah1gFkEfSIN5GzeiQj9yQadiQZJjVK5-bfMcbm7IAyzjliUUORkPToyZTXeB-3WGIibFDs_Sh0BxTiPuCOahrWwuRLn-t_ExqxFZAQgxnSnhA91LZcM/s320/IMG_1455.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397847387528841298" /></a><br /><div align="center">These colorful strands on a memorial are composed of thousands of hand-made origami cranes. They're wishes for an end to nuclear war.</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZhXYEza6ZxkIU4a8GFX390tFPzcVOY_Tp8MaMpmhoO7SBOsGaU0am6zzW9rW_LsAbySyVM2zJdn9a9iHm70owvQjiGddQwZiIEO98PmEEZEHYWo1gJ4ByzCQy47wwqfLgq7ZYah6LWI/s1600-h/IMG_1465.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZhXYEza6ZxkIU4a8GFX390tFPzcVOY_Tp8MaMpmhoO7SBOsGaU0am6zzW9rW_LsAbySyVM2zJdn9a9iHm70owvQjiGddQwZiIEO98PmEEZEHYWo1gJ4ByzCQy47wwqfLgq7ZYah6LWI/s320/IMG_1465.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397847377171354994" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsUuaUOEHAjC9Kdwdp8ldihhe0z3jaiLxJCx-NJCRroLf6pIHesu7k9oZhvFdZcG9Q15tMwDkrofYw-zYaUehFfKztf6IPpHDfwhIlm5skl4Em9G4u1o9GQBMlWg9kOBOuAfA2TS8y4HQ/s1600-h/IMG_1467.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsUuaUOEHAjC9Kdwdp8ldihhe0z3jaiLxJCx-NJCRroLf6pIHesu7k9oZhvFdZcG9Q15tMwDkrofYw-zYaUehFfKztf6IPpHDfwhIlm5skl4Em9G4u1o9GQBMlWg9kOBOuAfA2TS8y4HQ/s320/IMG_1467.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397845876464402290" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN9R-ctuXqc608vYB5Ktv_alC8kTigipikN8yDjR-tdgLYOQ4cd-lE-FcVfEx7lnydx_jMOd_lwGJO8WZWOhp5Z89g5eFCuiCP6hOsIjE3u21gYVeA8pBw3Gvp8vsyx8LYAkI3cwMUAhA/s1600-h/IMG_1475.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN9R-ctuXqc608vYB5Ktv_alC8kTigipikN8yDjR-tdgLYOQ4cd-lE-FcVfEx7lnydx_jMOd_lwGJO8WZWOhp5Z89g5eFCuiCP6hOsIjE3u21gYVeA8pBw3Gvp8vsyx8LYAkI3cwMUAhA/s320/IMG_1475.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397845862562954306" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8sQovSjLSGhDRgQT94iiJke_v7h9e6ju6Rncw-zAYggrGUhgBc0qBCNQ3cx-6HC7ZQ_6W6K9BH4uEVUFXJ0LT8v6ng46Yvz-GxjQTdurl-7CaPNeqlY6S81DrKl540Sg-kCaIXL5yEq8/s1600-h/IMG_1476.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8sQovSjLSGhDRgQT94iiJke_v7h9e6ju6Rncw-zAYggrGUhgBc0qBCNQ3cx-6HC7ZQ_6W6K9BH4uEVUFXJ0LT8v6ng46Yvz-GxjQTdurl-7CaPNeqlY6S81DrKl540Sg-kCaIXL5yEq8/s320/IMG_1476.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397845852809788578" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDFlnLkU4lnq4_8ZDDi0guDJC0SVDf3YF8-p2U_f7R-1kwgYX5ozprwl_JJkzhYDOZQeXAdbF2iGfVeovnXkOEm4ZC5r9uHkhUrYKCHjZRMiY3ZPThDlumlULDeq7GF73OOOqKCC9DMbc/s1600-h/IMG_1481.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDFlnLkU4lnq4_8ZDDi0guDJC0SVDf3YF8-p2U_f7R-1kwgYX5ozprwl_JJkzhYDOZQeXAdbF2iGfVeovnXkOEm4ZC5r9uHkhUrYKCHjZRMiY3ZPThDlumlULDeq7GF73OOOqKCC9DMbc/s320/IMG_1481.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397845846792324514" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAmV5UhlJzGjl4V39X_k5Jf5VzTWVFPN-4dk5KzgK5LOnMVr0NivIUr0hn8_IFZ1QPN3eEMI7JPYittrou0Yim4uT_8XG_5IbNFThIhOHwtX9zdTtC07-318f_umB91YSHpW2c5KBdK5I/s1600-h/IMG_1485.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAmV5UhlJzGjl4V39X_k5Jf5VzTWVFPN-4dk5KzgK5LOnMVr0NivIUr0hn8_IFZ1QPN3eEMI7JPYittrou0Yim4uT_8XG_5IbNFThIhOHwtX9zdTtC07-318f_umB91YSHpW2c5KBdK5I/s320/IMG_1485.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397845287291759202" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrKp8ek6bs-pdB4tBnak6ABk5WV8PVQ6k33QT9UXNK7y5IkidCS0cuLBS3AcVrpR4VzsIbjf82zE8E5WgbHyHRqTNkCyhpZn3Z9c6rvFgDFQOs_EPaBEm73ks2AMxYLYNfL5Bjis9WZH0/s1600-h/IMG_1488.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrKp8ek6bs-pdB4tBnak6ABk5WV8PVQ6k33QT9UXNK7y5IkidCS0cuLBS3AcVrpR4VzsIbjf82zE8E5WgbHyHRqTNkCyhpZn3Z9c6rvFgDFQOs_EPaBEm73ks2AMxYLYNfL5Bjis9WZH0/s320/IMG_1488.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397845276998509714" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeAsaD-B54O69aEbMIuQFUqoGdsgEZpy5_keOBhuljdGfOUV-Asu9q1yK_ZaN-7m1yqHvJ6VODnjrM27KrVIlKlIp1wpSe4Tl81hRdIeHDkDWR-3ZKy2FsjdQ4i2ko1MvtPL9Co8q3rWM/s1600-h/IMG_1497.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeAsaD-B54O69aEbMIuQFUqoGdsgEZpy5_keOBhuljdGfOUV-Asu9q1yK_ZaN-7m1yqHvJ6VODnjrM27KrVIlKlIp1wpSe4Tl81hRdIeHDkDWR-3ZKy2FsjdQ4i2ko1MvtPL9Co8q3rWM/s320/IMG_1497.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397845270591708898" /></a><br /><br />After Ueno park, we met up with the rest of the group and walked around Shibuya for a bit (sorry, no pics). Shibuya is a really busy place and to make the walking traffic flow easier a lot of the intersections have additional crosswalks that go diagonally. AJ found ice cream crepes here, which he'd been seeking for days.<br /><br />From there we went to Meiji Jingu, a large shrine built after the death of Emperor Meiji. The grounds of the shrine are covered in an old forest that must be hundreds of years old. It's really striking how peaceful everything becomes as soon as you walk through the gate into this forest. The noise and lights of Tokyo disappear and the air is cool fresh. As the sun was setting while we were there, a number of beautiful lanterns came on. For some reason, I really liked these and took about a million pictures of them. <br /><br /><div align="center">Entrance to the shrine grounds:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR6_FUETYa-LepehBlqgQIVqXF4_APxlOnsuEbWyQAr5F-102mLMpXS7mOHO4RCqd7u4bk2ya14vWdGrl6Wy8ZZmdB57dhd8-BCRaIT12hgmXbYzpw1VU3GZ0ztk8cX1v2PgqNCe02jYo/s1600-h/IMG_1498.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR6_FUETYa-LepehBlqgQIVqXF4_APxlOnsuEbWyQAr5F-102mLMpXS7mOHO4RCqd7u4bk2ya14vWdGrl6Wy8ZZmdB57dhd8-BCRaIT12hgmXbYzpw1VU3GZ0ztk8cX1v2PgqNCe02jYo/s320/IMG_1498.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397845259086697810" /></a><br /><div align="center">Large barrels of nihonshu (sake):</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz2c-vd88zJM5aDRu3O8uJCayyxNxhs0Vl6DMvyqtRgFTEi7mlBVq24QOpEXoRoI2NshZun6DeVMfpOeQyloUDZeqpGhZVi3KFf7w82ctF-t9Na1OTktXs96zBDyhk961xgW2sRHpmKZY/s1600-h/IMG_1504.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz2c-vd88zJM5aDRu3O8uJCayyxNxhs0Vl6DMvyqtRgFTEi7mlBVq24QOpEXoRoI2NshZun6DeVMfpOeQyloUDZeqpGhZVi3KFf7w82ctF-t9Na1OTktXs96zBDyhk961xgW2sRHpmKZY/s320/IMG_1504.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397843918086311266" /></a><br /><div align="center">After a long walk through the forest road, the main shrine entrance:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUYkdBlBDEl7FNr2Nd16uOCLLZ6tm1ia_74i1AD5tIOZWNaoqCPScU6bjd2-qfp8xKqyExmssl2rlX1ZVxiWJMFnhuP2JmT8l2QIbSJb5AEaE7RSJD4JCTupNmDLiaBaXAKxsYhcjdA-c/s1600-h/IMG_1509.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUYkdBlBDEl7FNr2Nd16uOCLLZ6tm1ia_74i1AD5tIOZWNaoqCPScU6bjd2-qfp8xKqyExmssl2rlX1ZVxiWJMFnhuP2JmT8l2QIbSJb5AEaE7RSJD4JCTupNmDLiaBaXAKxsYhcjdA-c/s320/IMG_1509.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397843908211799042" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ6ixqe770qfzhes59Ux7YTnA7WawatMRA4iB9WtJmUDWoKphbpDkwlNvjef3cEyOhz9QlX2sfEcN1AGTwmCiuS7X_Fm57Yi-tAmmieR206egt2qpMqDdSG8kDanGznedSWjkhf_IvUeg/s1600-h/IMG_1525.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ6ixqe770qfzhes59Ux7YTnA7WawatMRA4iB9WtJmUDWoKphbpDkwlNvjef3cEyOhz9QlX2sfEcN1AGTwmCiuS7X_Fm57Yi-tAmmieR206egt2qpMqDdSG8kDanGznedSWjkhf_IvUeg/s320/IMG_1525.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397843480018972642" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6_8xUvjLGgrkkqU44n50l5QiijpynPYwPceuKBxxgWB7bKluKxy_YtpC0hvwtAsPjVZMu05c0kMRHyUnTnPpO6B2TKe7AFK71y7dA5fuA4v3G0pFvrRo0Zslw9Hf7Vo8vcwchl3orgLQ/s1600-h/IMG_1526.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6_8xUvjLGgrkkqU44n50l5QiijpynPYwPceuKBxxgWB7bKluKxy_YtpC0hvwtAsPjVZMu05c0kMRHyUnTnPpO6B2TKe7AFK71y7dA5fuA4v3G0pFvrRo0Zslw9Hf7Vo8vcwchl3orgLQ/s320/IMG_1526.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397843465929065778" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCXaUK-OE8I9KxHXHIXireFzJAGtvcCCmZWx61OqJL2aJCgMNq6LbOwmCbPAEtyYZGt1rp9z3vIN27LDZYx_KdSXJtzuXrpmv9ye_qJP5mUd2BPpsmFp4kNcYniRrzul46ziyE2A-2P_s/s1600-h/IMG_1512.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCXaUK-OE8I9KxHXHIXireFzJAGtvcCCmZWx61OqJL2aJCgMNq6LbOwmCbPAEtyYZGt1rp9z3vIN27LDZYx_KdSXJtzuXrpmv9ye_qJP5mUd2BPpsmFp4kNcYniRrzul46ziyE2A-2P_s/s320/IMG_1512.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397843895290109746" /></a><br /><div align="center">Inside the main entrace, in a large courtyard:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3XhDrnhgxWzjR6IdPtdeBx4t_Gb7u4VqvB7GV6nXi6pzGb958vEQVv2jClwQBzoujIjLUC9cjZOnFDj8R6tl-Q9Uy5HoIglhyf2taBEHGMfarkQLTwhaSqN6-cGvpAXJ8WIZ1SdZ_xQ/s1600-h/IMG_1528.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3XhDrnhgxWzjR6IdPtdeBx4t_Gb7u4VqvB7GV6nXi6pzGb958vEQVv2jClwQBzoujIjLUC9cjZOnFDj8R6tl-Q9Uy5HoIglhyf2taBEHGMfarkQLTwhaSqN6-cGvpAXJ8WIZ1SdZ_xQ/s320/IMG_1528.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397843447423163298" /></a><br /><div align="center">The entrance to the heart of the shrine. No pics allowed inside:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit1gK3BaUHdoX7mBfxr4rdg6y25mSFDNq_tOMLzbDaBhNNfaDtnVdGcP0eTK0lBpHWtFpP63dy8tjnyQz7AfDac-FfDl9x0UtFz3o6Wf8Ft_G58Fq33uRBbiZL-Z555bEFQBc6dhmjpa8/s1600-h/IMG_1518.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit1gK3BaUHdoX7mBfxr4rdg6y25mSFDNq_tOMLzbDaBhNNfaDtnVdGcP0eTK0lBpHWtFpP63dy8tjnyQz7AfDac-FfDl9x0UtFz3o6Wf8Ft_G58Fq33uRBbiZL-Z555bEFQBc6dhmjpa8/s320/IMG_1518.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397843888112942338" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinrWkxryNB98stm5lf3KlCHLr3zCifVXow3gOKTTTsvHZsAA3SckO8WGaMIGL83dSpT3J4Z5PjVEPSovNs8GwaIQ-IJpabUWngdfgJTIx0d3GDeq_KYDpWsqYJGuVmCbTbF2oYcYwoxok/s1600-h/IMG_1527.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinrWkxryNB98stm5lf3KlCHLr3zCifVXow3gOKTTTsvHZsAA3SckO8WGaMIGL83dSpT3J4Z5PjVEPSovNs8GwaIQ-IJpabUWngdfgJTIx0d3GDeq_KYDpWsqYJGuVmCbTbF2oYcYwoxok/s320/IMG_1527.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397843457810807634" /></a><br /><div align="center">Bonsai in bloom:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy-ZCI1Q50hjuRTHaFUkiahDplYuPlw3pUs1uRvs_3Hajn60fQeC6vGblKDES4-7JPDqKERborHtYECBkqfcFFVhimIlIGcE5YPOJOfhBHjF8aZKwIg5c1tX83D7P4MeegvUyDA3sfOEU/s1600-h/IMG_1534.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy-ZCI1Q50hjuRTHaFUkiahDplYuPlw3pUs1uRvs_3Hajn60fQeC6vGblKDES4-7JPDqKERborHtYECBkqfcFFVhimIlIGcE5YPOJOfhBHjF8aZKwIg5c1tX83D7P4MeegvUyDA3sfOEU/s320/IMG_1534.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397842875461716594" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjApi2bvMX5QJCh0cStKDvbsPkfUrOAkIZTVOEdmrWZcA0xfjDZMTc4y76thYBZP244YlRx1xSR3XWFwFse5WZ_ErzA2MMcf8V8YyqaAv_zZFoI5t1Xk9l8BktfRwtOXHxFfFQeryVgvyY/s1600-h/IMG_1535.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjApi2bvMX5QJCh0cStKDvbsPkfUrOAkIZTVOEdmrWZcA0xfjDZMTc4y76thYBZP244YlRx1xSR3XWFwFse5WZ_ErzA2MMcf8V8YyqaAv_zZFoI5t1Xk9l8BktfRwtOXHxFfFQeryVgvyY/s320/IMG_1535.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397842869735722866" /></a><br /><br />After the shrine closed, we left and walked across the street into Harajuku. This neighborhood is the exact opposite of the park. It is loud, bright, and colorful. Harajuku is famous for the young people who hang out here and the over-the-top fashions that they wear.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigt1nAK5H_mRx4sVtpGI-u9K93tlTBD9aA7yHINOG4Dw9PyL-CLnvDlR2ck0P3XiMXydrZkIwtZayLPe_p7eyM3P7GsUOM2ECanCsv-HFibLGAb0NgaSOLUiu3HGTq7bJwtvQYJJeTQxY/s1600-h/IMG_1549.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigt1nAK5H_mRx4sVtpGI-u9K93tlTBD9aA7yHINOG4Dw9PyL-CLnvDlR2ck0P3XiMXydrZkIwtZayLPe_p7eyM3P7GsUOM2ECanCsv-HFibLGAb0NgaSOLUiu3HGTq7bJwtvQYJJeTQxY/s320/IMG_1549.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397838021104378066" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgngC_dZLg0h2oPUmXt9PrkXBmXMv6pQb0gtvGOvZbtw3Iw-1Mypww40hLIbj1FayxZTOpCtpxpUDFOf2986HnFUXsVobnSyFiTgEdvkLJJj5HTDF5ML9cY7MEWq6rGuzUiIQpW2Y1SoDU/s1600-h/IMG_1537.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgngC_dZLg0h2oPUmXt9PrkXBmXMv6pQb0gtvGOvZbtw3Iw-1Mypww40hLIbj1FayxZTOpCtpxpUDFOf2986HnFUXsVobnSyFiTgEdvkLJJj5HTDF5ML9cY7MEWq6rGuzUiIQpW2Y1SoDU/s320/IMG_1537.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397842863772874994" /></a><br /><div align="center">Socks:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Itkfk4uJO7S0IAHbmTjZjcvbu50gwyCXK3q5bFKYAGUu9tQo8hNuF0GP6wKcbqSOMItK3kafhDOOPdROZcHn9-7EXfQC3KEHoxF0XtmyvNacLC51qSO5xR1qpHgnuEC2yRQ5-A0_RyU/s1600-h/IMG_1539.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Itkfk4uJO7S0IAHbmTjZjcvbu50gwyCXK3q5bFKYAGUu9tQo8hNuF0GP6wKcbqSOMItK3kafhDOOPdROZcHn9-7EXfQC3KEHoxF0XtmyvNacLC51qSO5xR1qpHgnuEC2yRQ5-A0_RyU/s320/IMG_1539.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397842857816239634" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEDingeb9AIlbnHZl3h73iCuzKwtE2Sr_H5Bbvfdw4ruXIqlyavS78yovD02zfUsna7uFQcojPLB2z3RlG3I-LZIljIOm-K4XJS0xiJpfivfceVI8I8KFnJjZF9U5DK4_5z6_dG0ilqsA/s1600-h/IMG_1542.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEDingeb9AIlbnHZl3h73iCuzKwtE2Sr_H5Bbvfdw4ruXIqlyavS78yovD02zfUsna7uFQcojPLB2z3RlG3I-LZIljIOm-K4XJS0xiJpfivfceVI8I8KFnJjZF9U5DK4_5z6_dG0ilqsA/s320/IMG_1542.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397841356594176914" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL4K1k1lZ9-EQQsTV3s8v_dPtqlYnAANKGb8196wQ25YFU3Wd5HXPfgu-HpyKjWAvYk46dIxkvg1ho2oA2TXIsQuHuDoWgv5IUJioObK-e5dygrCr4I0ebsXPUYX4buuhYAjmkQr2g6vs/s1600-h/IMG_1544.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL4K1k1lZ9-EQQsTV3s8v_dPtqlYnAANKGb8196wQ25YFU3Wd5HXPfgu-HpyKjWAvYk46dIxkvg1ho2oA2TXIsQuHuDoWgv5IUJioObK-e5dygrCr4I0ebsXPUYX4buuhYAjmkQr2g6vs/s320/IMG_1544.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397841349153299186" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk4My2Z0Aql3TnrORCQLEq_UoiMLzQmHFY5uN-Jfo9q4WkLdgILRF-tynAvLcqZJLkGs3WNXWf-M71_RPZAtLxa770w3cHoQWMQRC5X9qC2sU76iJGciCkprbXmTiyqdMXGhi9o2p_vvw/s1600-h/IMG_1545.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk4My2Z0Aql3TnrORCQLEq_UoiMLzQmHFY5uN-Jfo9q4WkLdgILRF-tynAvLcqZJLkGs3WNXWf-M71_RPZAtLxa770w3cHoQWMQRC5X9qC2sU76iJGciCkprbXmTiyqdMXGhi9o2p_vvw/s320/IMG_1545.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397841339978493074" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizgreh6UuQk-cqJs-EYP5QrG8ZlETOOHl1dUi0qc1e7Qmh0IfaSwlBbm6KiEWMs1YXqE-TFuz-2FiXpxtGDSS0ZTKAWCEYuHi_mj9tMil5x0mVFI7s-Tg2QJq9LD3jUGCfMk644d_KMEQ/s1600-h/IMG_1547.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizgreh6UuQk-cqJs-EYP5QrG8ZlETOOHl1dUi0qc1e7Qmh0IfaSwlBbm6KiEWMs1YXqE-TFuz-2FiXpxtGDSS0ZTKAWCEYuHi_mj9tMil5x0mVFI7s-Tg2QJq9LD3jUGCfMk644d_KMEQ/s320/IMG_1547.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397841333251379714" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWXVpwKhh4WQd25nVNSzjx23i8AcjpMLtLaGksYYTYDYnj6Pj6PA1q4lI53q07F5BQp1OB4EVSfyUfCdwmJtAXdW1Xph5bKaJPEudDzSAznXoRYSexKI3KbIgTHfFuoYF-BrxV0qf1WM8/s1600-h/IMG_1548.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWXVpwKhh4WQd25nVNSzjx23i8AcjpMLtLaGksYYTYDYnj6Pj6PA1q4lI53q07F5BQp1OB4EVSfyUfCdwmJtAXdW1Xph5bKaJPEudDzSAznXoRYSexKI3KbIgTHfFuoYF-BrxV0qf1WM8/s320/IMG_1548.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397838028858600482" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjszoOV0_IgkY0w0ORtS3EndVzujJveemqRaFqqqy6wvDeFa37hIk8tuASUvWw_BIWXVB_XIJdNEtuW3lzucm9q2IGlj9OyMOkvd7o6j4vExy5vYyGoxY_RhlxCD07GqNJcti_Ihjab2Js/s1600-h/IMG_1552.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjszoOV0_IgkY0w0ORtS3EndVzujJveemqRaFqqqy6wvDeFa37hIk8tuASUvWw_BIWXVB_XIJdNEtuW3lzucm9q2IGlj9OyMOkvd7o6j4vExy5vYyGoxY_RhlxCD07GqNJcti_Ihjab2Js/s320/IMG_1552.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397838012393642962" /></a><br /><div align="center">Extra dope clothes. For people who are extra dope:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_BcwZkFXxmo76cLSCOV4tePjTpofAseT6lpQVTQ7uv6JJPhGA_8pGcaJkaE7Wq4ovm7MmSiYNd3zuxGjNFDYh5V11YqrzftFYxOAUhWYtV2r1fX_9-wBdYQYpagm0D4lAviTB6e3zpLk/s1600-h/IMG_1553.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_BcwZkFXxmo76cLSCOV4tePjTpofAseT6lpQVTQ7uv6JJPhGA_8pGcaJkaE7Wq4ovm7MmSiYNd3zuxGjNFDYh5V11YqrzftFYxOAUhWYtV2r1fX_9-wBdYQYpagm0D4lAviTB6e3zpLk/s320/IMG_1553.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397838005082138546" /></a><br /><br />For dinner, we were on our own for the first time. It took a while, with a few completely disasterous attempts at communication but eventually we found a place where we could get seated and actually order some food. It really helps being able to read the "spelled out" version of Japanese writing, but signs in kanji are pretty intimidating. Still, we're slowly figuring out what some characters say by means of a kind of sudoku process. "Well, this picture shows a beef bowl and I know this is the character for beef. So this other character must be the character for bowl. That's one more kanji in our arsenal."<br /><br />Tomorrow we're visiting a knife shop (for Michelle) and we've got a dinner reservation with Ai-chan's parents at a place that is licensed to serve blowfish.Jared Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07213301757820349332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4226642302201118825.post-40458828899544860902009-10-27T18:14:00.001-07:002009-10-28T19:57:34.408-07:00Day 4: KominatoWhen last we left our heroes, they were going to sleep in the small coastal town of Emi.<br /><br />On day four, we woke up early to take our turn in the hot bath on the roof. From the hot tub, we watched the sun rise as roosters called out all over the town below. You could get used to starting the day this way.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7UYsyF8sRpSflO3Z3SxwZCt1oq2LiJEeBi0qS0Re8wBAADLjjs4z2Nd4fHbz0RqfAwiDCGjQTZafdotvLNC8HWTpXN1l4sBquGFV3cHXbg9L_glTEOTFhAmNr0Rk8wUcY4GoNQuQpZOw/s1600-h/IMG_1305.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7UYsyF8sRpSflO3Z3SxwZCt1oq2LiJEeBi0qS0Re8wBAADLjjs4z2Nd4fHbz0RqfAwiDCGjQTZafdotvLNC8HWTpXN1l4sBquGFV3cHXbg9L_glTEOTFhAmNr0Rk8wUcY4GoNQuQpZOw/s320/IMG_1305.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397458703608142258" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The ryokan provides yukata to wear after you get a bath, so when our time on the roof was up we got dressed and headed to breakfast.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEZNo2ihyphenhyphenZf1Wxy-xMdz-GzyMX6ccVS-z0LIDe5cVCdpfhNU6xgO-RnpZjR9gYNPfdx4sa25_FjgPTJ9CI0W6M3HIdaE80bRvAkpq-aBjHSYwMhGN7ptW6hV4YfZYuGy2UPLs1_MUjBeA/s1600-h/IMG_1308.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEZNo2ihyphenhyphenZf1Wxy-xMdz-GzyMX6ccVS-z0LIDe5cVCdpfhNU6xgO-RnpZjR9gYNPfdx4sa25_FjgPTJ9CI0W6M3HIdaE80bRvAkpq-aBjHSYwMhGN7ptW6hV4YfZYuGy2UPLs1_MUjBeA/s320/IMG_1308.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397458698943493858" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA-6ktfhsEl73FqlEy-J_PgdIL1gDdw4QLT4tr65PmHf597jGtyPKmcj-SXCVmJ8bfM2UbxXr_opmwDSeSzR562zWxPs6kzGEbMksVYXdZ2iu2hh0bqHZMIBUe_yIxObncrSCJZ4NFtdM/s1600-h/IMG_1310.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA-6ktfhsEl73FqlEy-J_PgdIL1gDdw4QLT4tr65PmHf597jGtyPKmcj-SXCVmJ8bfM2UbxXr_opmwDSeSzR562zWxPs6kzGEbMksVYXdZ2iu2hh0bqHZMIBUe_yIxObncrSCJZ4NFtdM/s320/IMG_1310.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397458686544904290" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjta1k9ndcgzKt4X9s6qK5qG16dLpWe6svA42wFMEo-8qv9s1Tfs7d0hYK3_irNK0Hr1guykUS7WFC8ACNqdQPDajg3RDaARIppg16UaJsJSmFok3dalPDdFgqvIBJiQyxzdFQQyDKJL5o/s1600-h/IMG_1320.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjta1k9ndcgzKt4X9s6qK5qG16dLpWe6svA42wFMEo-8qv9s1Tfs7d0hYK3_irNK0Hr1guykUS7WFC8ACNqdQPDajg3RDaARIppg16UaJsJSmFok3dalPDdFgqvIBJiQyxzdFQQyDKJL5o/s320/IMG_1320.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397458681568197378" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyQ1dweLD-cM26mFSq6_hGVbQ_3MQWg7CbO1YrIwB__ZFUS4G82wT2Hw2FRrv-46NpB7lrRGDpqPqjgqNL9M9_xR9owiBHXhpObatg_5w6yYzEiyLaKj9yp9021jG9fy8K0MX54FV_uIU/s1600-h/IMG_1323.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyQ1dweLD-cM26mFSq6_hGVbQ_3MQWg7CbO1YrIwB__ZFUS4G82wT2Hw2FRrv-46NpB7lrRGDpqPqjgqNL9M9_xR9owiBHXhpObatg_5w6yYzEiyLaKj9yp9021jG9fy8K0MX54FV_uIU/s320/IMG_1323.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397458263212020514" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Here's a pro-tip: If you're going to visit a ryokan on the coast of Japan, you better like seafood. Breakfast was another seafood feast, with different kinds of fish and seaweed.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzwjuDMSoyVqpRhxUmVnOXyDzDVeXsJnu9-GS6-LOqc_a8ptx3oWA0JXjlh9XD-O7kwR5VwoBXL_1F4Mu9OwULtdGjFQKlgnMnd6xSkY8inlP9pWpZrhBMw0hZ_GVCCwak6CQSGQPQh14/s1600-h/IMG_1327-copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzwjuDMSoyVqpRhxUmVnOXyDzDVeXsJnu9-GS6-LOqc_a8ptx3oWA0JXjlh9XD-O7kwR5VwoBXL_1F4Mu9OwULtdGjFQKlgnMnd6xSkY8inlP9pWpZrhBMw0hZ_GVCCwak6CQSGQPQh14/s320/IMG_1327-copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397793225050585522" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZukdz9leCmdN0uisYKTMZuQAVgQg5EM9OWuJ50ttv5mIWRVioeZz-GGoD-cCEyXeg_RkhVieSKB_qcKK0vHEaV0UtYdXM_pZbOEnnIeWyDqz9hUZgZU0MLhxGvqSS05sNLhtpEctufro/s1600-h/IMG_1328.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZukdz9leCmdN0uisYKTMZuQAVgQg5EM9OWuJ50ttv5mIWRVioeZz-GGoD-cCEyXeg_RkhVieSKB_qcKK0vHEaV0UtYdXM_pZbOEnnIeWyDqz9hUZgZU0MLhxGvqSS05sNLhtpEctufro/s320/IMG_1328.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397458240561494546" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq_2XYxkNyLBhdqPYSQoYAJG0eVE3mjCsPGvQqlaGp_5XMJ1u78i4qxKIfuTVohEFU5jDlIfOS08s-pPbO7hSAHgfdw7b17fh1eWuvP351aNd_t0r32AtNpEqz_Tl__A03BiGhWjvURrg/s1600-h/IMG_1331.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq_2XYxkNyLBhdqPYSQoYAJG0eVE3mjCsPGvQqlaGp_5XMJ1u78i4qxKIfuTVohEFU5jDlIfOS08s-pPbO7hSAHgfdw7b17fh1eWuvP351aNd_t0r32AtNpEqz_Tl__A03BiGhWjvURrg/s320/IMG_1331.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397458232017965186" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsrJAFD4T_7l24_6MHLU_g0dYxokmCd7ejHGeoEWCl5eyNerGJN26qSOqWIr6A_Qr4OSoWABB0HMI6Wt5ct42982mB7Q_6-kUZhQUP0478uo2GFiKq-dkPZ7AObOUKw_qdaKJecnhfKMc/s1600-h/IMG_1337.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsrJAFD4T_7l24_6MHLU_g0dYxokmCd7ejHGeoEWCl5eyNerGJN26qSOqWIr6A_Qr4OSoWABB0HMI6Wt5ct42982mB7Q_6-kUZhQUP0478uo2GFiKq-dkPZ7AObOUKw_qdaKJecnhfKMc/s320/IMG_1337.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397457742642085186" border="0" /></a><br /><br />On the walls inside the breakfast area, they had cloth prints of fish posted around. These are actual imprints of trophy fish that people have caught nearby. They make them by painting the fish with ink and then stamping them on the cloth.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDlAh2xdsXka1lQsWQYw4OxJPandumnPkcSmbl7CAv0JJNvUnWOYftwq3fLFkGoimPg1Z1nc_fc8UHjHDBSVgnmH6v30KXXlWt7YPKCVwLiBXAzaLNriNOIB1AXgfoh6B2vYk6ZlUAp78/s1600-h/IMG_1335.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDlAh2xdsXka1lQsWQYw4OxJPandumnPkcSmbl7CAv0JJNvUnWOYftwq3fLFkGoimPg1Z1nc_fc8UHjHDBSVgnmH6v30KXXlWt7YPKCVwLiBXAzaLNriNOIB1AXgfoh6B2vYk6ZlUAp78/s320/IMG_1335.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397457766248674466" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFR636P7XtQ-_ouT7-3gWe25i-hrXBvVIYqw7ctvpiVZa8Mp6QO0wSQ6v2soyd0ZwlKGdm4ctJapaPa9EYgA8SL5uQRZtftmWb5wWXK3SZXRGNIrQMZYFdL0WWBy1RR_wg4hnvm5UTUmM/s1600-h/IMG_1336.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFR636P7XtQ-_ouT7-3gWe25i-hrXBvVIYqw7ctvpiVZa8Mp6QO0wSQ6v2soyd0ZwlKGdm4ctJapaPa9EYgA8SL5uQRZtftmWb5wWXK3SZXRGNIrQMZYFdL0WWBy1RR_wg4hnvm5UTUmM/s320/IMG_1336.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397457751143893986" border="0" /></a><br /><br />After breakfast we walked through the town to the small train station to catch a ride to the nearby fishing village of Kominato.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPK-dPCOkqpTlmI3JS0kdtQ_eo7j-7RN0N_h1N2D0p9qUYXAe3tdZIo5Iv6ZrFr59xg8Zji4_ojIIEtCiM0UoYYZH17RNG7ZuJGwpzb7LZYt0QKpniA-eavO6idPgWLQir7nbm2NIitzI/s1600-h/IMG_1349.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPK-dPCOkqpTlmI3JS0kdtQ_eo7j-7RN0N_h1N2D0p9qUYXAe3tdZIo5Iv6ZrFr59xg8Zji4_ojIIEtCiM0UoYYZH17RNG7ZuJGwpzb7LZYt0QKpniA-eavO6idPgWLQir7nbm2NIitzI/s320/IMG_1349.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397457733125834482" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp-u-gISQtoQrOrPr0_9kWlgNy7VVjkJcfCH6FY3d15o_rLLfDeS419TiWuOi2u0m8RpFwWKrw7OODvAMEs_Jev64KXYq41C4Q_MjOA4WdoB59BlZOkAw2ImY6H-2pnY_M7LXuPWuuOA0/s1600-h/IMG_1353.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp-u-gISQtoQrOrPr0_9kWlgNy7VVjkJcfCH6FY3d15o_rLLfDeS419TiWuOi2u0m8RpFwWKrw7OODvAMEs_Jev64KXYq41C4Q_MjOA4WdoB59BlZOkAw2ImY6H-2pnY_M7LXuPWuuOA0/s320/IMG_1353.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397457315478835986" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO-3zRFoCL1rplCSKR6mGRacIlmV8AobPoAZvCdVZWvgZx_xU2vhSJVFzUZecsEwO17eOvxl8TH2ZX2L0LCm4dzCBbNwLZWcL3cl_IJpwEF_WK4oIOlBGrpDp3LVzGlPFELLVrhZ6LgaY/s1600-h/IMG_1356.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO-3zRFoCL1rplCSKR6mGRacIlmV8AobPoAZvCdVZWvgZx_xU2vhSJVFzUZecsEwO17eOvxl8TH2ZX2L0LCm4dzCBbNwLZWcL3cl_IJpwEF_WK4oIOlBGrpDp3LVzGlPFELLVrhZ6LgaY/s320/IMG_1356.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397457305100863026" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitI7p9AnrRTrNeeGztLehxSQqsVz58MAn1wqnpySH7PP5RB8RM0RMKYrr3U4LrTs_iP4hyphenhyphennPhabFy89wjLoyeFAw09N6029McKRCYlYdmqBn8EIGAkpAuOgpOhee0gcKPd4NM-qVVKFM0/s1600-h/IMG_1358.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitI7p9AnrRTrNeeGztLehxSQqsVz58MAn1wqnpySH7PP5RB8RM0RMKYrr3U4LrTs_iP4hyphenhyphennPhabFy89wjLoyeFAw09N6029McKRCYlYdmqBn8EIGAkpAuOgpOhee0gcKPd4NM-qVVKFM0/s320/IMG_1358.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397457296503184530" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisjOwvghQPp5SDEFikyREGZD6blwWHdsaV9f64LZVA7cPrLdzShdzNx91j3cAlTICZQmpbsUe4uWPh2QWEH-ycPU-3W0twtyts1McAB5CDppMh6Nx0p0n_ZdqsOE1cLc5fPexu8jOsB4g/s1600-h/IMG_1359.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisjOwvghQPp5SDEFikyREGZD6blwWHdsaV9f64LZVA7cPrLdzShdzNx91j3cAlTICZQmpbsUe4uWPh2QWEH-ycPU-3W0twtyts1McAB5CDppMh6Nx0p0n_ZdqsOE1cLc5fPexu8jOsB4g/s320/IMG_1359.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397457286742679906" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizB5PeCAm4JhYhoUYg4GSlql6CyK2nOzyLd68FqFhWQg0ghNqK7IG7YEabpmj7vxweKqRRtYUz-RTO5qAluokQ0iH40aqVABcYI7y2H1Me8RYGTH_w3LazV0Z2iC7BWhM0ziLPfsx11SE/s1600-h/IMG_1362.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizB5PeCAm4JhYhoUYg4GSlql6CyK2nOzyLd68FqFhWQg0ghNqK7IG7YEabpmj7vxweKqRRtYUz-RTO5qAluokQ0iH40aqVABcYI7y2H1Me8RYGTH_w3LazV0Z2iC7BWhM0ziLPfsx11SE/s320/IMG_1362.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397456649763436754" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1DaJGN3eVZfnN_jKlPtHk530pfog08KSRGFzv6HFy6Haf6ouW7tinN1MqbLr1M0PUHkPOOtAxswa0-g1rmXsn56ggqLSjSgBgi1svNwvVdjosWHMdRFAjBfAMbeMDnbEX3jZ6CmYMIiM/s1600-h/IMG_1371.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1DaJGN3eVZfnN_jKlPtHk530pfog08KSRGFzv6HFy6Haf6ouW7tinN1MqbLr1M0PUHkPOOtAxswa0-g1rmXsn56ggqLSjSgBgi1svNwvVdjosWHMdRFAjBfAMbeMDnbEX3jZ6CmYMIiM/s320/IMG_1371.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397456642620214882" border="0" /></a><br /><br />From the train station, we walked a little ways through Kominato.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7tuUHPsXkNp5_3FjsXpmYgLIXwlnVfaZM5CKN9UlPhKzC7109VHLBeb5e0JiM3fhSKf3tpJSgMejQqXna_2CbwyHKXTXkHEo-GUp7IA5aPnlPXEmO7OgfxqfA0Fm4v8uYWQy6lH_nKaQ/s1600-h/IMG_1377.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7tuUHPsXkNp5_3FjsXpmYgLIXwlnVfaZM5CKN9UlPhKzC7109VHLBeb5e0JiM3fhSKf3tpJSgMejQqXna_2CbwyHKXTXkHEo-GUp7IA5aPnlPXEmO7OgfxqfA0Fm4v8uYWQy6lH_nKaQ/s320/IMG_1377.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397456633937599778" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMzF6EiCq6b12B7VkqLrwqzU4kEhZ-1TtmtpQwjmN6HAKJyRDx2iP6vzHhL2xuxxz_HYPrBo1WLfoUsH-BfQxUCJphslfb61_TmlGSLKIaOZVno3G_V38zcrgscFQwGN6Hrk_5jVDmc3s/s1600-h/IMG_1380.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMzF6EiCq6b12B7VkqLrwqzU4kEhZ-1TtmtpQwjmN6HAKJyRDx2iP6vzHhL2xuxxz_HYPrBo1WLfoUsH-BfQxUCJphslfb61_TmlGSLKIaOZVno3G_V38zcrgscFQwGN6Hrk_5jVDmc3s/s320/IMG_1380.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397455918220547970" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center">Lobster nets:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnA4LjymPDjQcogUPfmyRdunwPUd8Z_MYorezF_MnvS4aw8N27dSfTTPkSZKMmXSC_zKjvqgFES22rK4b1vaUvXTsrPPYgajs54ao36s3vIfVDO33qSpq2pPlFn2bd35kRZT4aW7EQmM0/s1600-h/IMG_1382.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnA4LjymPDjQcogUPfmyRdunwPUd8Z_MYorezF_MnvS4aw8N27dSfTTPkSZKMmXSC_zKjvqgFES22rK4b1vaUvXTsrPPYgajs54ao36s3vIfVDO33qSpq2pPlFn2bd35kRZT4aW7EQmM0/s320/IMG_1382.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397455911495540594" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXiik9beAwS2B8-fRwXpGBa_EAgBmBFAYw5CWp-1xcrmAcCzwCHq6Mq31CyfQCr9vXFQm4g8Cr1YySdTYHHm55ORjuylfyaG-jAYJPQuEwBwEIPlN2oOTBdRmCOSm9oNOCm7njUyZUg-Q/s1600-h/IMG_1386.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXiik9beAwS2B8-fRwXpGBa_EAgBmBFAYw5CWp-1xcrmAcCzwCHq6Mq31CyfQCr9vXFQm4g8Cr1YySdTYHHm55ORjuylfyaG-jAYJPQuEwBwEIPlN2oOTBdRmCOSm9oNOCm7njUyZUg-Q/s320/IMG_1386.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397455899417976306" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT7FY72XzJiCjJtiXsxtdzxa0lPC-tTpXfyW8UQ6ec5WqwGdQQgolRYhXrSjp6kl4iZj8JwCehsQwb0WeeBZtUer0mUottFgSdGaQKea4i21pmSVDMOK0F4XxkAn1urNHZU36horpdeFU/s1600-h/IMG_1387.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT7FY72XzJiCjJtiXsxtdzxa0lPC-tTpXfyW8UQ6ec5WqwGdQQgolRYhXrSjp6kl4iZj8JwCehsQwb0WeeBZtUer0mUottFgSdGaQKea4i21pmSVDMOK0F4XxkAn1urNHZU36horpdeFU/s320/IMG_1387.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397455893113838786" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWuUnYuynj4HQjCp6_E6R-r4iAvKQQv0Fhkq2qz5dDU6sN3agfOmhCEYN-uiOELaQ_4MP65lftSIwDFr8qXlVKzy8zUnAmOsiDFpuK4pq5Dt0Rw29XekQoWqOS2NnYeyDgWOb9Z11Mttc/s1600-h/IMG_1389.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWuUnYuynj4HQjCp6_E6R-r4iAvKQQv0Fhkq2qz5dDU6sN3agfOmhCEYN-uiOELaQ_4MP65lftSIwDFr8qXlVKzy8zUnAmOsiDFpuK4pq5Dt0Rw29XekQoWqOS2NnYeyDgWOb9Z11Mttc/s320/IMG_1389.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397455415575317314" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center">Lamp made from a real blowfish:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijvwt3bSCwYfYqmSvgPt4qmENFZT7Iups2V_R1j2vRAYficz3k3iPSxscYbBQYnr49jqrN3paCU6QCC2AKxDhxl7fw7A7_wAlduHI_beyjjA5vQvwkr1oQOJOQ-SPTVsCy0Ay5ipBzX9k/s1600-h/IMG_1391.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijvwt3bSCwYfYqmSvgPt4qmENFZT7Iups2V_R1j2vRAYficz3k3iPSxscYbBQYnr49jqrN3paCU6QCC2AKxDhxl7fw7A7_wAlduHI_beyjjA5vQvwkr1oQOJOQ-SPTVsCy0Ay5ipBzX9k/s320/IMG_1391.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397455405872609266" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Finally we arrived at our destination, a temple called Kominato Yama. This is the temple of Nichiren, the founder of Nichiren Buddhism who was born in Kominato. This is a peaceful and beautiful temple that has kites (the birds, not the toys) flying low all around. Here we learned the phrase "Nam myoho renge kyo". Nichiren taught that you can achieve enlightenment by chanting this phrase.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-kqoG-pUDCYajRHXLqBexf1FgUHlJHlD9QnUV7PytvKdyBOKbC4XVQbamLVMVCwcnKFIWgfGG5CGtkjrjHnCHoMyyMJjZKFP6icpH0p8hMvxFhFR5Ra9I9yL3nDJnGeKUIlkxq-S4htM/s1600-h/IMG_1392.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-kqoG-pUDCYajRHXLqBexf1FgUHlJHlD9QnUV7PytvKdyBOKbC4XVQbamLVMVCwcnKFIWgfGG5CGtkjrjHnCHoMyyMJjZKFP6icpH0p8hMvxFhFR5Ra9I9yL3nDJnGeKUIlkxq-S4htM/s320/IMG_1392.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397455403596382770" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center">Giant temple guardians inside the pillars of the gate above:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD4t0FTumhKzeXpmgnoXswzcDDOcGw1vH-o7eRRuIY8qxnPwdeCZAR6gw9mtNWo_i52uiACE09s9pysKvZGRGTz39Y-Ggfrf-fv8BVraxx7-LS_RNhyphenhyphen-tlXNIPQ1bv6YnFSpUuyVdmICI/s1600-h/IMG_1397.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD4t0FTumhKzeXpmgnoXswzcDDOcGw1vH-o7eRRuIY8qxnPwdeCZAR6gw9mtNWo_i52uiACE09s9pysKvZGRGTz39Y-Ggfrf-fv8BVraxx7-LS_RNhyphenhyphen-tlXNIPQ1bv6YnFSpUuyVdmICI/s320/IMG_1397.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397455395561068594" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Z4LpYciejtPIEqNndA5WSDqLzODTParxJLaochixChx7vJR9HKJ__FinbHMse3wp__XFhTaWZ8jt-s0HEjNS8ubRX1pxP9T1F5w8uZROfgRua1Wi21bS4P0XD_FpWK0SlERB_p_GVc0/s1600-h/IMG_1399.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Z4LpYciejtPIEqNndA5WSDqLzODTParxJLaochixChx7vJR9HKJ__FinbHMse3wp__XFhTaWZ8jt-s0HEjNS8ubRX1pxP9T1F5w8uZROfgRua1Wi21bS4P0XD_FpWK0SlERB_p_GVc0/s320/IMG_1399.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397454944880907746" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx0gtRH-If9E030qDUAgkXaNIVM2wPdTsRKawSzr8zCxIkWaOqU1SMHE3YiXr9DDscd0NE0s3n5O7PPa7vSX0od1Na_ODTOdMq7CNAuY7XJpwRFcpZyyZdpeqPfn4OyxCHWSzcgR4Ol6A/s1600-h/IMG_1403.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx0gtRH-If9E030qDUAgkXaNIVM2wPdTsRKawSzr8zCxIkWaOqU1SMHE3YiXr9DDscd0NE0s3n5O7PPa7vSX0od1Na_ODTOdMq7CNAuY7XJpwRFcpZyyZdpeqPfn4OyxCHWSzcgR4Ol6A/s320/IMG_1403.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397454930664691618" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUgc1-sG9XsdGQ0qzTAf9-n5HDsL4g1it8hXujYDyeilL-xDTygazlwCu-f0kG5I4aTGgNQ7NbcUZgyo89LOf514EgJgl63McdRfLGBGHAMcMATI3LUnm-9KEgTTdkw2mckr52ihTrcdU/s1600-h/IMG_1404.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUgc1-sG9XsdGQ0qzTAf9-n5HDsL4g1it8hXujYDyeilL-xDTygazlwCu-f0kG5I4aTGgNQ7NbcUZgyo89LOf514EgJgl63McdRfLGBGHAMcMATI3LUnm-9KEgTTdkw2mckr52ihTrcdU/s320/IMG_1404.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397454927969062082" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center">Basin for ritual hand and mouth washing at every temple:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnLltBJO9GvvQMUxOfvIrL3i5YGTRJkCfSX8lNxa2UgcWrNACw20QcKAuKAgCRztgWfpxuaYyNU4gKlwNCJx3UPNaK3K66IwHDzgHEUGsqPoMnFx8lkDz5s-9M_7-B2JiZlQ3GSh3TpZM/s1600-h/IMG_1408.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnLltBJO9GvvQMUxOfvIrL3i5YGTRJkCfSX8lNxa2UgcWrNACw20QcKAuKAgCRztgWfpxuaYyNU4gKlwNCJx3UPNaK3K66IwHDzgHEUGsqPoMnFx8lkDz5s-9M_7-B2JiZlQ3GSh3TpZM/s320/IMG_1408.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397454917464187154" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center">Nichiren at age 12:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpt43YMqfTHomI_CLPUIwmSUA0798XOxVZjS54QbXYNQx9JFaNuHspD_0qdB2xkh6vgEv5QhUEEgYVIImvdrBOJXBVVCOAe2pzH5wobSkux1JC_q2cXRbH8qXDvizVjj1EkuFDg_RMqY0/s1600-h/IMG_1410.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpt43YMqfTHomI_CLPUIwmSUA0798XOxVZjS54QbXYNQx9JFaNuHspD_0qdB2xkh6vgEv5QhUEEgYVIImvdrBOJXBVVCOAe2pzH5wobSkux1JC_q2cXRbH8qXDvizVjj1EkuFDg_RMqY0/s320/IMG_1410.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397454297678030674" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ljJYTh8REm80e5LNQG4S342SsyvBGg-EmmjRitY5k2SHmgRBLA0kgnjz7DJ8uYK0QefYEQcj1bhmPBVJkIMPzf5mUvwxK-Te1OLoKMJmvpdyt_EfSPxzQI0BZ1FiTPdmjU23b9Btweg/s1600-h/IMG_1411.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ljJYTh8REm80e5LNQG4S342SsyvBGg-EmmjRitY5k2SHmgRBLA0kgnjz7DJ8uYK0QefYEQcj1bhmPBVJkIMPzf5mUvwxK-Te1OLoKMJmvpdyt_EfSPxzQI0BZ1FiTPdmjU23b9Btweg/s320/IMG_1411.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397454290545989362" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGIBA8MeS2YdQt8LdxZ-QaFkpC1xNhzRHX12SMUORGNi6QrtUipsQKUvpr1CX6yAAtgfpLcJ1oAGw0lbZUt9tznd3mLeRMufR3cHNWrYt1OSKRG38iNjFIl82NBUvka1zS8bgXuvMiwOs/s1600-h/IMG_1414.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGIBA8MeS2YdQt8LdxZ-QaFkpC1xNhzRHX12SMUORGNi6QrtUipsQKUvpr1CX6yAAtgfpLcJ1oAGw0lbZUt9tznd3mLeRMufR3cHNWrYt1OSKRG38iNjFIl82NBUvka1zS8bgXuvMiwOs/s320/IMG_1414.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397454277570562370" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Then we took a long bus ride back to Tokyo through Chiba prefecture. Chiba is known for its rice and we saw a lot of rice fields along the way.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx_qmJgnU8-hpZAk-t9L7zU2tT2FbWwhjrIkJJSx3c9sf8ajXXTzocV_wpihcDS56lIQVD4bqSUP9cKbKdELIiF4IqIdgMCMZfDmQ5_hwDMckPB6s2JLwxXRRrAePos3n3GkePJC6ZRyY/s1600-h/IMG_1425.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx_qmJgnU8-hpZAk-t9L7zU2tT2FbWwhjrIkJJSx3c9sf8ajXXTzocV_wpihcDS56lIQVD4bqSUP9cKbKdELIiF4IqIdgMCMZfDmQ5_hwDMckPB6s2JLwxXRRrAePos3n3GkePJC6ZRyY/s320/IMG_1425.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397454268002636610" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkh7D-NLYjNJGVyzh1Zv2sQwEUdoo42qLhfMNy2MbZaDxZWGWpPg4ZuNebxLpke2r835iMv74Gk8maQeh26pZ2RBvYvaMgUHz9EC-blkgAgX5WmUIYd74Ly4qCCp6ba8cvDGvGRkMt4eo/s1600-h/IMG_1429.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkh7D-NLYjNJGVyzh1Zv2sQwEUdoo42qLhfMNy2MbZaDxZWGWpPg4ZuNebxLpke2r835iMv74Gk8maQeh26pZ2RBvYvaMgUHz9EC-blkgAgX5WmUIYd74Ly4qCCp6ba8cvDGvGRkMt4eo/s320/IMG_1429.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397453687583572466" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRaOTH798u0ZJ5OKNgEcCc-Xhyphenhyphen_ikMTW2bolLmxtaOgJGLiK4-BFBNMNiiPnyBDdcR5sKMVa4EOOmCKdeMtGL7XAbYdY0pvGXqS9lpXsmOClMVeXTznZfDTOU5W5QeSvFKP1Pdi9LtDdo/s1600-h/IMG_1433.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRaOTH798u0ZJ5OKNgEcCc-Xhyphenhyphen_ikMTW2bolLmxtaOgJGLiK4-BFBNMNiiPnyBDdcR5sKMVa4EOOmCKdeMtGL7XAbYdY0pvGXqS9lpXsmOClMVeXTznZfDTOU5W5QeSvFKP1Pdi9LtDdo/s320/IMG_1433.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397453678579860338" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center">Azuki (red bean) Pepsi. It's actually good:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpopf0eCL-jz3_TrWh9HxoXr6bwMydtitX6t7GsaSavM_hlc0Kd87SNnuuon5bacjMNgJA_GSPSaPKP6ZjCuRuSIGYy9cO9kNZQgLi8DKnd_RhisPRNfqsudvf2oVJy4Lr93OY9vXqLfM/s1600-h/IMG_1434.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpopf0eCL-jz3_TrWh9HxoXr6bwMydtitX6t7GsaSavM_hlc0Kd87SNnuuon5bacjMNgJA_GSPSaPKP6ZjCuRuSIGYy9cO9kNZQgLi8DKnd_RhisPRNfqsudvf2oVJy4Lr93OY9vXqLfM/s320/IMG_1434.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397453672144211298" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center">Back in Tokyo:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD4gynAa3tUZ2LMsfd-bQ3j9upaGqE-Qk0SvwYUD35UiT2XPxRnjgxQx-RXmBX_8YJ1gQgIJWseyZoqcGfB_gocKxNIPxCpHQTgt8URRsIeIUSn3oFloisFV3Y4Cpfvc9eQe_spwR-lhE/s1600-h/IMG_1445.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD4gynAa3tUZ2LMsfd-bQ3j9upaGqE-Qk0SvwYUD35UiT2XPxRnjgxQx-RXmBX_8YJ1gQgIJWseyZoqcGfB_gocKxNIPxCpHQTgt8URRsIeIUSn3oFloisFV3Y4Cpfvc9eQe_spwR-lhE/s320/IMG_1445.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397453660840816466" border="0" /></a>Jared Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07213301757820349332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4226642302201118825.post-15471317441216626432009-10-27T16:14:00.000-07:002009-10-27T17:53:23.559-07:00Day 3: Chiba kenMissed a post yesterday because we were off the grid.<br /><br />Day three we travelled by train from Tokyo to Emi, a small town in Chiba Prefecture near <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Kamogawa+City,+Chiba+Prefecture,+Japan&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=61.669968,73.212891&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Kamogawa+City,+Chiba+Prefecture,+Japan&ll=35.110641,140.098686&spn=8.103081,9.151611&z=7">Kamogawa City</a>. It rained the whole way there, which we found out was because a typhoon was passing through nearby.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTq0NefpUgIFFF_Ep62qf9I-TyaQVmAsqVcjuMTUb34b4iO_fBtv6CVAyBlYlK_Ks9aZKSGPbPv8yzOPqhY8MBUWiWR4J2Ql999K9jtSB40biRSW1kn7gjkc8rpbM6rfvvAdnnR2HhVos/s1600-h/IMG_1262.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTq0NefpUgIFFF_Ep62qf9I-TyaQVmAsqVcjuMTUb34b4iO_fBtv6CVAyBlYlK_Ks9aZKSGPbPv8yzOPqhY8MBUWiWR4J2Ql999K9jtSB40biRSW1kn7gjkc8rpbM6rfvvAdnnR2HhVos/s320/IMG_1262.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397425675427743362" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEkt_bu-Wo6GYv69MyZNUaruDBEfJ14OgdPEaUiBwKMmHrVU8bQduY2SeEqPmYns_AGZAyXtbuhuVJPXub4VccOYIGgpGTKhcSS6Xeyy51Bwtxm2Ko7OGlvt2bOkZ-3Q4-LipFNKP1ERI/s1600-h/IMG_1265.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEkt_bu-Wo6GYv69MyZNUaruDBEfJ14OgdPEaUiBwKMmHrVU8bQduY2SeEqPmYns_AGZAyXtbuhuVJPXub4VccOYIGgpGTKhcSS6Xeyy51Bwtxm2Ko7OGlvt2bOkZ-3Q4-LipFNKP1ERI/s320/IMG_1265.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397436077545878034" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This is where we had our first fiasco.<br /><br />We had to change trains to travel the last little distance to our destination and our group of nine had to split in half to take a couple elevators at the station because of the luggage we brought. As our first group got onto the train, Ai-chan started looking very nervous that the rest of our group hadn't caught up yet. We didn't know it, but the train was about to leave. Ai-chan got off the train and told us to get off at the "Emi" station and go to the hotel without us. "Wait, what? Aren't you just gonna get on the next train?" "Yes, but the next train isn't for another hour." With that, the train pulled out of the station.<br /><br />At this point, none of us foreigners had any idea where we were even going so we were pretty nervous. We got the name of the hotel, though, got off at the right station and started looking around trying to figure out where to go. And then we got a taste of the Japanese magic that I've heard so much about.<br /><br />Three seconds after we stepped off the train, someone from the station motioned us over. As we were heading towards him, Ai-chan's parents suddenly appeared. This was maybe 10 minutes after we'd been separated from AJ and Ai. Her parents got us through the gate and onto a bus from the hotel which was instantly there waiting for us.<br /><br />After whisking us away to the hotel, we were brought into the lobby where a note was sitting on the table, in English, telling us that Ai-chan and the rest of the group would be joining as soon as the next train arrived. Then they served us green tea as we sat around marveling at what had happened.<br /><br />The hotel itself was beautiful. It had a traditional feel. The floors were tatami mats (which feel really nice and smell great), our room had shoji panel doors and a view of the ocean, and there were outdoor hot tubs on the roof facing the ocean as well.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHvKajiBx7rV1tdM3hoBnZDAd500uylmhLtOfWhAYELf6hX8MBVuXi8tk9pnJEzU8-bwaDeVhRWVWa55XWKu7RYL3UL7P1K-jPbOAr67tYNQDhKCj-B-PeKPhwWmgFN5gq4SYS_tAe5rE/s1600-h/IMG_1268.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHvKajiBx7rV1tdM3hoBnZDAd500uylmhLtOfWhAYELf6hX8MBVuXi8tk9pnJEzU8-bwaDeVhRWVWa55XWKu7RYL3UL7P1K-jPbOAr67tYNQDhKCj-B-PeKPhwWmgFN5gq4SYS_tAe5rE/s320/IMG_1268.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397425667047687842" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUj0UUEcFMqzC33o0_RH_lPrwQOVmwnUzbp8WoeZt5cCqRWcajnOXQpGTToWVCUWrPar4ZjaGjGtTj2cccEM3hxmPLyRjDs42aPOplqAPvxALJ45z85uvNTfscXf96Y-nAV_4EN1URJ-M/s1600-h/IMG_1272.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUj0UUEcFMqzC33o0_RH_lPrwQOVmwnUzbp8WoeZt5cCqRWcajnOXQpGTToWVCUWrPar4ZjaGjGtTj2cccEM3hxmPLyRjDs42aPOplqAPvxALJ45z85uvNTfscXf96Y-nAV_4EN1URJ-M/s320/IMG_1272.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397425233921585202" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0F9_MKtSn72N_R464PGQzl2AKmyc0Pt4wwo8f0j5AvM8jspOu9YDZLCgJmvmXZnoj0gK0VhpRXbMJJlaPjb4IZGznZdRFcIb8XsRA58fC5jgFcDroGwR7dyjLz_-HXRwNGrPaZ2nhd7c/s1600-h/IMG_1275.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0F9_MKtSn72N_R464PGQzl2AKmyc0Pt4wwo8f0j5AvM8jspOu9YDZLCgJmvmXZnoj0gK0VhpRXbMJJlaPjb4IZGznZdRFcIb8XsRA58fC5jgFcDroGwR7dyjLz_-HXRwNGrPaZ2nhd7c/s320/IMG_1275.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397425231436261714" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcGAvJ531p5W9c_bzZemMKh2QHuY8VlsHjlLtdPeZw7To-w_-7Hp3275bwWJdSUuDzfrU7XT2jZxRjGwxX5bY4cK-Vhz8pgEsQG6Jnjgod0CX3pnzXxHhjt4A5NJ96u4WjVQYiC4x7-nI/s1600-h/IMG_1276.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcGAvJ531p5W9c_bzZemMKh2QHuY8VlsHjlLtdPeZw7To-w_-7Hp3275bwWJdSUuDzfrU7XT2jZxRjGwxX5bY4cK-Vhz8pgEsQG6Jnjgod0CX3pnzXxHhjt4A5NJ96u4WjVQYiC4x7-nI/s320/IMG_1276.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397425223658923442" border="0" /></a><br /><br />After Ai-chan's dad took AJ and I to a kendo gear shop, we got back in time to join everyone for dinner. We had our own dining room and we were served a real feast. Lots of seafood since we were right on the ocean: seaweed, mackerel, yellowtail (hamachi), mature yellowtail (buri), sea snail, abalone, whale (...), red snapper, and more. Oh, and local nihonshu ("sake") too. It was a truly awesome meal.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixT4GpTCl3UpCc6drAN-tZyW-FOck7QHr594b-wteyMY53FU47LkPCWaSLfJEiq-Sn5Vs1qjIzKk-IBxtqLxBWfYWVLUZHLexgtP1wfCTXUjU1SLVl6ulVuvpeEO6RWdIGt2McWjs1eLw/s1600-h/IMG_1286-copy.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixT4GpTCl3UpCc6drAN-tZyW-FOck7QHr594b-wteyMY53FU47LkPCWaSLfJEiq-Sn5Vs1qjIzKk-IBxtqLxBWfYWVLUZHLexgtP1wfCTXUjU1SLVl6ulVuvpeEO6RWdIGt2McWjs1eLw/s320/IMG_1286-copy.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397447243748453250" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCQzN5Cv31k9AsEwuBuC4QteW3ft11YzwXkPKm0e0pOcFm5OQ10ZqKA_60LaKNcHBeoqcjyjZiuHDQSc4iQbBdDrD393SDLgZFU2Pkq4JFJTB_8q30Wm8fFUvfyc_XeaiAFhd1O_PGf8w/s1600-h/IMG_1282.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCQzN5Cv31k9AsEwuBuC4QteW3ft11YzwXkPKm0e0pOcFm5OQ10ZqKA_60LaKNcHBeoqcjyjZiuHDQSc4iQbBdDrD393SDLgZFU2Pkq4JFJTB_8q30Wm8fFUvfyc_XeaiAFhd1O_PGf8w/s320/IMG_1282.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397425212255727650" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAniGs7TKBqh6-5YUYFjIT5wsZyTTIp1uPOZKlihgvqWTOx5kGonU_3HrHluT0V1aqeGmbQqT9fQ5cGcPCN0Dcv8lIgQzmQ8PNGqPWSOOiDI0UGuFIa3cz96fY-PrS6je9DwpSMgyEcYE/s1600-h/IMG_1285.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAniGs7TKBqh6-5YUYFjIT5wsZyTTIp1uPOZKlihgvqWTOx5kGonU_3HrHluT0V1aqeGmbQqT9fQ5cGcPCN0Dcv8lIgQzmQ8PNGqPWSOOiDI0UGuFIa3cz96fY-PrS6je9DwpSMgyEcYE/s320/IMG_1285.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397424716277258466" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This is a bone from the red snapper. The Japanese word for this fish is "tai" and the bone looks like a fish so they call it "tai no tai" which means basically "fish in the fish".<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyNHVNXN3he_Pe27ngDlGKkpbW7sDHsFPasSLTnDoZ2v6NSv7qVjWPUB2UcMKpYtjjXLsnfr2WEo9rAYDaWJqUCm_LcPDIi8jus3l-k1cgyre4tEef3NfUtfARxXB-9I1woKqS3tNYkbU/s1600-h/IMG_1291.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyNHVNXN3he_Pe27ngDlGKkpbW7sDHsFPasSLTnDoZ2v6NSv7qVjWPUB2UcMKpYtjjXLsnfr2WEo9rAYDaWJqUCm_LcPDIi8jus3l-k1cgyre4tEef3NfUtfARxXB-9I1woKqS3tNYkbU/s320/IMG_1291.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397424695648845090" border="0" /></a><br /><br />When we got back to our room after dinner, we found that the table had been moved aside and futon had been brought out for us, transforming our dining room into a bedroom. This is really cool. Instead of using multiple rooms at different points in the day, they use the same room but just swap out the furniture.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPZV2ZG4wGVNYv7Lm6b9ekayFivb-7kYittJsdz4y0-045YkCYdk8zPJ_aK2iPOy9Wo_yUtHuI1xBkeCVE1Or8I7aE7YwnadiRCl0bd8lF76L_ULenXGO-ss8Y_CrWjULZYBbdJtFcaaA/s1600-h/IMG_1293.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPZV2ZG4wGVNYv7Lm6b9ekayFivb-7kYittJsdz4y0-045YkCYdk8zPJ_aK2iPOy9Wo_yUtHuI1xBkeCVE1Or8I7aE7YwnadiRCl0bd8lF76L_ULenXGO-ss8Y_CrWjULZYBbdJtFcaaA/s320/IMG_1293.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397424685453046850" border="0" /></a>Jared Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07213301757820349332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4226642302201118825.post-51766047980357774432009-10-25T04:44:00.001-07:002009-10-25T17:37:24.622-07:00Day 2: AsakusaYesterday was our first full day in Tokyo. We had the whole morning to ourselves so we decided to walk around the neighborhood between our hotel and Ueno station. The first place we visited was an area with a market and a bunch of shops. Every street we turned on in this area was lined with little shops.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4rCHWeUx4HqQEwN6cYRF6oqPoAEkrfz3nrmGIU7xAVBOeY2_vIovsL0y2sOmnUIyEBsrrXD6laGeATH4xKJSpCeRrtAw3OqJHi4MqY8fMw72-n6SI7n1li-23hBi4w6oGfqK6rYJAvjA/s1600-h/IMG_1251.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4rCHWeUx4HqQEwN6cYRF6oqPoAEkrfz3nrmGIU7xAVBOeY2_vIovsL0y2sOmnUIyEBsrrXD6laGeATH4xKJSpCeRrtAw3OqJHi4MqY8fMw72-n6SI7n1li-23hBi4w6oGfqK6rYJAvjA/s320/IMG_1251.JPG" alt="Market" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396662889940130738" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHEQKrP0iNDUP7K3yujY7GJHaxrzHdjUedhCPt4leGL_LGolM1d8Dwb8TIcCHuAM9JmUTMmy8sXfF8zFEgK5T9xn0EOaV1Rnqanh08Ct9tr7UZxjP8Z67Ccv5NRD9KzNsKo4W0b9jhZpE/s1600-h/IMG_1234.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHEQKrP0iNDUP7K3yujY7GJHaxrzHdjUedhCPt4leGL_LGolM1d8Dwb8TIcCHuAM9JmUTMmy8sXfF8zFEgK5T9xn0EOaV1Rnqanh08Ct9tr7UZxjP8Z67Ccv5NRD9KzNsKo4W0b9jhZpE/s320/IMG_1234.JPG" alt="Beans" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396666303858301586" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7jrTNhntv47DsV1atk3ijfdPuC9Sj4NIq9_epY-a2LfMXTPGqj2zcHH9fMDUCayxi2dTt56QmFq8_QyWC5WSGNVsMtPPAwW-M2HekF2k-vUbGnLBer5C4YPjESk6NGxzMs_a6bb3BYeo/s1600-h/IMG_1233.PNG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7jrTNhntv47DsV1atk3ijfdPuC9Sj4NIq9_epY-a2LfMXTPGqj2zcHH9fMDUCayxi2dTt56QmFq8_QyWC5WSGNVsMtPPAwW-M2HekF2k-vUbGnLBer5C4YPjESk6NGxzMs_a6bb3BYeo/s320/IMG_1233.PNG" alt="Octopus" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396673467971440850" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZoAsCM9DxZ_KcsK_lcP2Ltjj9XrcIwKQxhzSfkX60WcyYgEWnQHAuzNuOC1jv09HxukiYTAqWRJIVXjhoaIogmuQaiWne-oLWC44MdImJ1gmqoYdagcWgsAF9396N6Y2GHdJjZ365hdI/s1600-h/IMG_1232.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZoAsCM9DxZ_KcsK_lcP2Ltjj9XrcIwKQxhzSfkX60WcyYgEWnQHAuzNuOC1jv09HxukiYTAqWRJIVXjhoaIogmuQaiWne-oLWC44MdImJ1gmqoYdagcWgsAF9396N6Y2GHdJjZ365hdI/s320/IMG_1232.JPG" alt="Fresh seaweed" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396673439963941042" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiegcjeu63HIrSh6wg0MOQ9Gf9HCKKe759w8D8hyphenhyphen0WpjZi97bKv9PBUJzqJ_hLld-TEJE8TVlMpsNh3oJ5zCy5hmZqBX7T3rxeEbFxf84Z9TpaSFjJRxwf2Hfe5Syred47GejQKWSWiZ-s/s1600-h/IMG_1231.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiegcjeu63HIrSh6wg0MOQ9Gf9HCKKe759w8D8hyphenhyphen0WpjZi97bKv9PBUJzqJ_hLld-TEJE8TVlMpsNh3oJ5zCy5hmZqBX7T3rxeEbFxf84Z9TpaSFjJRxwf2Hfe5Syred47GejQKWSWiZ-s/s320/IMG_1231.JPG" alt="salmon eggs" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396673429946834386" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjNxk1Q9mO6Kb4dHru7_P0cLaXXYyw7SGsqr08WxEdtG9Z0pWn0aaPs4OY4xcHqh1ZGXLDZqeQrOha1wwcal7YRO-n3nO98uIDwbM6idLYbq-9YtZow5GKnUr8zLkQt7DsWf1-nfgKKD0/s1600-h/IMG_1229.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjNxk1Q9mO6Kb4dHru7_P0cLaXXYyw7SGsqr08WxEdtG9Z0pWn0aaPs4OY4xcHqh1ZGXLDZqeQrOha1wwcal7YRO-n3nO98uIDwbM6idLYbq-9YtZow5GKnUr8zLkQt7DsWf1-nfgKKD0/s320/IMG_1229.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396665948019380850" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT2lkHa2M-g9hK64NgiVWDknInVoUZp5H0G0DuIrdsl_-F_KBGkZSQ3BfLmOSeYwMteXpHw0PJBwZlypDHx2p8tQH2zpLnu56Dm3QppJ3yCwF5aIpzsf3dRaFxm3fzFtOwtmT289m9xV8/s1600-h/IMG_1230.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT2lkHa2M-g9hK64NgiVWDknInVoUZp5H0G0DuIrdsl_-F_KBGkZSQ3BfLmOSeYwMteXpHw0PJBwZlypDHx2p8tQH2zpLnu56Dm3QppJ3yCwF5aIpzsf3dRaFxm3fzFtOwtmT289m9xV8/s320/IMG_1230.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396665810085185778" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The interior of each block had a bunch of shops too.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDoPfcBOOnHvXjF-Mqor3ZoblikdegocaRkayJN_ivVU9z8a2ptenTgLNu1bYB9UhSmCTk58WbKFbo0r9YA2Ev3wHvK2Xcfiy7LpO7fDlRVQYaCdZmP7vRHODe7Bkv6o-hhbbmaScQvHg/s1600-h/IMG_1236.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDoPfcBOOnHvXjF-Mqor3ZoblikdegocaRkayJN_ivVU9z8a2ptenTgLNu1bYB9UhSmCTk58WbKFbo0r9YA2Ev3wHvK2Xcfiy7LpO7fDlRVQYaCdZmP7vRHODe7Bkv6o-hhbbmaScQvHg/s320/IMG_1236.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396663735994715410" border="0" /></a><br />There are tons of stores selling clothes, shoes, and bags. The things for sale are really nice, but very expensive. I looked at a couple pairs of shoes and jeans I liked and they were both over $200.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmH85CnM6dzvqpbYSSSb90h8XxKtLsEXGVX4QcUfpaB_H30CLmpaLuep55J1n0w3XJ9uHpM2sEH_gPoq_07xS42WwfKw2Ey54Le0oY5jqW0ZhNJuhsllJVULoTe2WbKLG2FiRFmq3encg/s1600-h/IMG_1237.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmH85CnM6dzvqpbYSSSb90h8XxKtLsEXGVX4QcUfpaB_H30CLmpaLuep55J1n0w3XJ9uHpM2sEH_gPoq_07xS42WwfKw2Ey54Le0oY5jqW0ZhNJuhsllJVULoTe2WbKLG2FiRFmq3encg/s320/IMG_1237.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396664725557993746" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Next we wandered into a big store with seven floors of electronics. This place had everything that takes a plug or a battery but our favorite part was the top floor - video games.<br /><br />They had tons of DS accessories.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN2EDuqFs3eLgD90lBraWD7vke3NYj_iTiWWSFeVIZ3ppndHwp2OOPoq4wrZBB9oYzDMvS4SM4CovHq1LqCS5rK5vn-Z_INqiCtm5lY_AfDC4V-vRI4GovGeW-hma80tQ_t7OufWeFBpM/s1600-h/IMG_1204.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN2EDuqFs3eLgD90lBraWD7vke3NYj_iTiWWSFeVIZ3ppndHwp2OOPoq4wrZBB9oYzDMvS4SM4CovHq1LqCS5rK5vn-Z_INqiCtm5lY_AfDC4V-vRI4GovGeW-hma80tQ_t7OufWeFBpM/s320/IMG_1204.JPG" alt="Mario kart capsules" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396675171405283810" border="0" /></a><br /><br />A lot of games that haven't been released in the US yet. Here are a couple from series that Michelle plays ("If only I could read Japanese").<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLvhvB9t2ZVqo8kG7-oQqOVlDIDov8K3LN3pUU9C9I56nrDwnaHs8fRBzFyItT_IbJQuuaD22eav5uX-LMGzTDfexBIEUCzzrZyHmPMVpzFqjtHu-8rYyNDbNckmRzvcqa_qJR7hFHRDs/s1600-h/IMG_1205.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLvhvB9t2ZVqo8kG7-oQqOVlDIDov8K3LN3pUU9C9I56nrDwnaHs8fRBzFyItT_IbJQuuaD22eav5uX-LMGzTDfexBIEUCzzrZyHmPMVpzFqjtHu-8rYyNDbNckmRzvcqa_qJR7hFHRDs/s320/IMG_1205.JPG" alt="Capsule toys" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396675174797486482" border="0" /></a><br /><br />In the back they had a section with a ton of these little "capsule toy" machines. They had these little toys for a bunch of different video games and anime series.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLHQBFRfMnpF-o_kvzuud5VYZSKetQqsBgMPA6HCdlhf6C92WK4MORKbBQ19xIcFvN5M7UOqMSRUBEkoZpJaA-1AxrAQGQrXSMiMB9ok7Lj7W1oJW4hReCf4oJTgqDMVQBvuqWsWZghuQ/s1600-h/IMG_1208.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLHQBFRfMnpF-o_kvzuud5VYZSKetQqsBgMPA6HCdlhf6C92WK4MORKbBQ19xIcFvN5M7UOqMSRUBEkoZpJaA-1AxrAQGQrXSMiMB9ok7Lj7W1oJW4hReCf4oJTgqDMVQBvuqWsWZghuQ/s320/IMG_1208.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396675181364589794" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8xbJPbOTpSn_WbH6bE8TeVHpfd5FAp04gEpPDXy7tiicGoHoEaK3gzuxIyBDgDBB0cEu9wSWW-1oIG6FZAq1-d1ZZ5JH0rIvKcSupyIzU1dXKb3AAq-AkZuefZvQiXV_jRjRABHhr-1E/s1600-h/IMG_1209.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8xbJPbOTpSn_WbH6bE8TeVHpfd5FAp04gEpPDXy7tiicGoHoEaK3gzuxIyBDgDBB0cEu9wSWW-1oIG6FZAq1-d1ZZ5JH0rIvKcSupyIzU1dXKb3AAq-AkZuefZvQiXV_jRjRABHhr-1E/s320/IMG_1209.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396675189896057042" border="0" /></a><br /><br />They also had Nintendo DS and Wii systems in colors that we don't have in the US.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIs-iBJ91Ytnf0C6p0wYcIu1CJdZAf5dBfs6gGHbATucfCCaEG39k5ndZRqO4I6jHrV1GhNSfQ3wTHxJ7XDA_FrHlpr5nwIPLGCv4VJHYYCGqQtRrKah4bLpfSDAcxJ29kmPSO5zO6mvc/s1600-h/IMG_1211.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIs-iBJ91Ytnf0C6p0wYcIu1CJdZAf5dBfs6gGHbATucfCCaEG39k5ndZRqO4I6jHrV1GhNSfQ3wTHxJ7XDA_FrHlpr5nwIPLGCv4VJHYYCGqQtRrKah4bLpfSDAcxJ29kmPSO5zO6mvc/s320/IMG_1211.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396676381471869090" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKDhAlxkkpW2WArjzO6qy_pplnpHAUts490gKUFZYiK5uJztjLW_PeQo66z0onLs5ea76PJc3c-g972Wm5FPjxq4ffF9T1wbIxlRvlCkmBgCTG4Z9fobwjZz82fF0G0BxhinFcb4QdtWk/s1600-h/IMG_1213.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKDhAlxkkpW2WArjzO6qy_pplnpHAUts490gKUFZYiK5uJztjLW_PeQo66z0onLs5ea76PJc3c-g972Wm5FPjxq4ffF9T1wbIxlRvlCkmBgCTG4Z9fobwjZz82fF0G0BxhinFcb4QdtWk/s320/IMG_1213.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396676390709030498" /></a><br /><br />They had DS television receivers.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQxvfA0tRB9tcv9ypvLvObPi7APsYqKaTtR15Z8sLc5n3RbXIF7SSewukGh5YvpC56X2jWiT0gJCJeh3VnHlLRqkwdOd3ljZslLGyjU3L26da-owkH92Ih3ad7_wo0lNdRTneym4xTOCk/s1600-h/IMG_1212.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQxvfA0tRB9tcv9ypvLvObPi7APsYqKaTtR15Z8sLc5n3RbXIF7SSewukGh5YvpC56X2jWiT0gJCJeh3VnHlLRqkwdOd3ljZslLGyjU3L26da-owkH92Ih3ad7_wo0lNdRTneym4xTOCk/s320/IMG_1212.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396676399943569122" /></a><br /><br />And... a dog translator??<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdRJKO6wMrSTlB8fLeKk8kgFttd0Z4hQ7YvNYR9z1ErUU2XMZbiEoqA4m86u5A1NEHnfm616n-nh58ejUUfIVnbvQ4S7J4_veN-PoiGRbXECrIowEZhAVA694n2huWok0_OibdeU58MfU/s1600-h/IMG_1214.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdRJKO6wMrSTlB8fLeKk8kgFttd0Z4hQ7YvNYR9z1ErUU2XMZbiEoqA4m86u5A1NEHnfm616n-nh58ejUUfIVnbvQ4S7J4_veN-PoiGRbXECrIowEZhAVA694n2huWok0_OibdeU58MfU/s320/IMG_1214.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396676400861399394" /></a><br /><br />We hit up an arcade where Michelle tried to win a dancing fuzzy thing.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-h49rKnEdXeqbCa2TSCSXXeWrkL6w0CJCgmb9NS6Mrja67dKWNJZTNxJN1fojbFHdYCjXimp6H5Fetuhh8-wUwmo86wy3a-5on3u2AB1r8UP9DYp06DIquPKZI3KSMnMBTnrMdk10DY4/s1600-h/IMG_1226.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-h49rKnEdXeqbCa2TSCSXXeWrkL6w0CJCgmb9NS6Mrja67dKWNJZTNxJN1fojbFHdYCjXimp6H5Fetuhh8-wUwmo86wy3a-5on3u2AB1r8UP9DYp06DIquPKZI3KSMnMBTnrMdk10DY4/s320/IMG_1226.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396677891313575106" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBYyIQABCpYNjJEMC3Jm3lMjEd6t-XCk9C3DOyEDly9fE3GGcpv2DltVA9clp3OabbaixlqzHxttaunlgHxppGw9L88foYnxVosYqu3nMPr7uSDYBK4PieWXuk3z2CG0PjJK2Y80cLIQQ/s1600-h/IMG_1224.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBYyIQABCpYNjJEMC3Jm3lMjEd6t-XCk9C3DOyEDly9fE3GGcpv2DltVA9clp3OabbaixlqzHxttaunlgHxppGw9L88foYnxVosYqu3nMPr7uSDYBK4PieWXuk3z2CG0PjJK2Y80cLIQQ/s320/IMG_1224.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396677913508863474" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibr6FC5D2t9ZZJLGvKU_GNvTp0UvyiCiQnMDg6fuu3NgZHnk-MCB7IttN0OaSXm4KVsHLtG0M9wFyx6p-YMuTQ2bQOI3TlcX9XkqupKGwR-kIjtjsIFCsdbx933GoZZgDUV_cZSNx0-O0/s1600-h/IMG_1223.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibr6FC5D2t9ZZJLGvKU_GNvTp0UvyiCiQnMDg6fuu3NgZHnk-MCB7IttN0OaSXm4KVsHLtG0M9wFyx6p-YMuTQ2bQOI3TlcX9XkqupKGwR-kIjtjsIFCsdbx933GoZZgDUV_cZSNx0-O0/s320/IMG_1223.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396677905101627186" /></a><br /><br />Then we went looking for lunch. Even if you don't speak Japanese it's pretty easy to find a restaurant with the food you're looking for because most of the restaurants here have plastic models of all their food in their display windows. These models are super realistic. Looking at a plastic bowl of soup that was right in front of me yesterday, I couldn't tell if it was real or not. Someone else had to stick the finger on the "broth" to prove it was plastic.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmMk-o52pEaS90_nU6cABeGLpLtsd2jTpo8qDj62OoUo382FaujCw9xyfG4msJlFh1FGRZsVcz1is2_ukMw0R7teUghm_ywbLqdjUXqpDwFv2ZXByM7fZ2AZh71ZBI1YAmucyq2TQjs5o/s1600-h/IMG_1242.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmMk-o52pEaS90_nU6cABeGLpLtsd2jTpo8qDj62OoUo382FaujCw9xyfG4msJlFh1FGRZsVcz1is2_ukMw0R7teUghm_ywbLqdjUXqpDwFv2ZXByM7fZ2AZh71ZBI1YAmucyq2TQjs5o/s320/IMG_1242.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396680254321892402" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzHD_1jVXpFeyAnirlICcvrNJRaKCQ0R3NM36zmd4LU0sF9iHkxq7WCWMtcLvv5BPW0E1fbtm83AzOmlogKRoHjr_3BmvHixKIS6-Qm_ftC8Vtib9NT_Qfd8EjoQ4oLSrnftgjsDo6fLM/s1600-h/IMG_1239.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzHD_1jVXpFeyAnirlICcvrNJRaKCQ0R3NM36zmd4LU0sF9iHkxq7WCWMtcLvv5BPW0E1fbtm83AzOmlogKRoHjr_3BmvHixKIS6-Qm_ftC8Vtib9NT_Qfd8EjoQ4oLSrnftgjsDo6fLM/s320/IMG_1239.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396680248341459058" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDbvCoI7Z8ojaN5UPWFLdzLEp87YrXFsFAAl1u_vxwAeDT1EzkCl9iUGlSSzn2bJ41uMUAjjVlkXu1hx5VZho8NIH1FX2uKzDdy8uU4yHzzTlkkeeYDBheF_hevGU_JJzEXx1jw52YqI4/s1600-h/IMG_1238.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDbvCoI7Z8ojaN5UPWFLdzLEp87YrXFsFAAl1u_vxwAeDT1EzkCl9iUGlSSzn2bJ41uMUAjjVlkXu1hx5VZho8NIH1FX2uKzDdy8uU4yHzzTlkkeeYDBheF_hevGU_JJzEXx1jw52YqI4/s320/IMG_1238.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396680243696190562" /></a><br /><br />For lunch, we settled on kaiten sushi restaurant. Basically, you sit at a counter and different plates go by on a conveyor belt. You take and eat what you want as it goes by and just stack up the plates that you've eaten. When you're done, you pay by the number of plates you took. The place we went to was tiny and crowded (a good sign). It had the feeling of a small diner with very limited seating and people packed shoulder to shoulder at a counter that encircled the area where the chefs were busy making the sushi plates. The food was delicious, but the woman at the counter told us we didn't eat enough.<br /><br />After lunch, we went to Asakusa with our friends. This is a beautiful neighborhood around a famous old temple.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggWPD9W659Ko0qq1WYqLcp5d96d2YmwLp7R0jt077g-kw3RaDIOrPiZtDe_xR_cjmoqBPByX_2oTmOgNXE2dDTMYus1AgTT17vADjhH0MZgKX94HyTermzSdJXzRP1YvOhaDNhGuCeOuQ/s1600-h/IMG_1255.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggWPD9W659Ko0qq1WYqLcp5d96d2YmwLp7R0jt077g-kw3RaDIOrPiZtDe_xR_cjmoqBPByX_2oTmOgNXE2dDTMYus1AgTT17vADjhH0MZgKX94HyTermzSdJXzRP1YvOhaDNhGuCeOuQ/s320/IMG_1255.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396681910946127650" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIQyeISYIGZ00N3mbr9ZEDCYgAHIhY2BQY9zWMoP3t460pBfOI73OFTmi8B3BToGVwSez2Ylhaj4W0cs_ucOngdziBCa5ntyEuQPtLr3s1juPpZqfSL4Ltt8ObKM4OrYH39SgjgRSRtMM/s1600-h/IMG_1257.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIQyeISYIGZ00N3mbr9ZEDCYgAHIhY2BQY9zWMoP3t460pBfOI73OFTmi8B3BToGVwSez2Ylhaj4W0cs_ucOngdziBCa5ntyEuQPtLr3s1juPpZqfSL4Ltt8ObKM4OrYH39SgjgRSRtMM/s320/IMG_1257.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396681917171329298" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKbvcORhpuuQhdBJH453XoaiF6zk7lczbhwFDbiMprLNaJhauIK7alTb9pY9SFSeHiEvD8pLosH4uVwtSWyBva9WmlrpdjbpocOgPkGpD1uvmktynxP9y-fpnWnaGY17bfUGFAdNQQQss/s1600-h/IMG_1350.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKbvcORhpuuQhdBJH453XoaiF6zk7lczbhwFDbiMprLNaJhauIK7alTb9pY9SFSeHiEvD8pLosH4uVwtSWyBva9WmlrpdjbpocOgPkGpD1uvmktynxP9y-fpnWnaGY17bfUGFAdNQQQss/s320/IMG_1350.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396681930051920626" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVAZPN1i_aDkqbOvWtDi5fXiQUabwQlqd6rzTDuFl5bYRb5mLhgPMZ_VJaLo3hgDma26n6gLFQj872Tz7IIhkK27ZAX23MyHdpj2-y5it215R_nA1zlduc1tFUmvmOOfKumARfMUsN_DE/s1600-h/IMG_1359.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVAZPN1i_aDkqbOvWtDi5fXiQUabwQlqd6rzTDuFl5bYRb5mLhgPMZ_VJaLo3hgDma26n6gLFQj872Tz7IIhkK27ZAX23MyHdpj2-y5it215R_nA1zlduc1tFUmvmOOfKumARfMUsN_DE/s320/IMG_1359.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396681945441834978" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifVc_uxN7bNHhZSa1eVSf_v79vus_nfgUtObHNYOzv0TIHEBx8JUL8XIp9MBoLpJ7DSpKZQQNBB_WzqQz4X9UU9wne_HBcUrkVbiIiybZQO7q80exn80pnJTdlvGrJmvYk8CI8UsqqGro/s1600-h/IMG_1356.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifVc_uxN7bNHhZSa1eVSf_v79vus_nfgUtObHNYOzv0TIHEBx8JUL8XIp9MBoLpJ7DSpKZQQNBB_WzqQz4X9UU9wne_HBcUrkVbiIiybZQO7q80exn80pnJTdlvGrJmvYk8CI8UsqqGro/s320/IMG_1356.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396681940059343250" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC1ikhSXqAjmv4mQ-bJLUUzj3xJ_8pQ4JU3ywqVwtht9_POwDxfJM777zS9o-li3RBXii-p_YcamsalU9kFwomfsGZC3wT5xN5HXnnMDF6q33GjvnlnU9CP86i7PRZxWCqUhVapCeyEMQ/s1600-h/IMG_1369.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC1ikhSXqAjmv4mQ-bJLUUzj3xJ_8pQ4JU3ywqVwtht9_POwDxfJM777zS9o-li3RBXii-p_YcamsalU9kFwomfsGZC3wT5xN5HXnnMDF6q33GjvnlnU9CP86i7PRZxWCqUhVapCeyEMQ/s320/IMG_1369.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396691432925490002" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT52oUjvUXoaCeDfe3jLmU_zB6ogPk9wmvUK9jV4u7lrarZlf9Ftkx1ieI33YZh0PSFxKG01VcU_05zTi2yMpZYEINtSa1ifOIw-zohbuHWttXJgy4HujEGJ5aWm-4KJJhEFEKa-cLdsc/s1600-h/IMG_1378.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT52oUjvUXoaCeDfe3jLmU_zB6ogPk9wmvUK9jV4u7lrarZlf9Ftkx1ieI33YZh0PSFxKG01VcU_05zTi2yMpZYEINtSa1ifOIw-zohbuHWttXJgy4HujEGJ5aWm-4KJJhEFEKa-cLdsc/s320/IMG_1378.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396692061359540242" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUrwkr4ERwjYzXMGmf_IlfAOFIc9qX7jvxOrHmO0MHMv4lZozPElMk9P2lSq2FJLufAhO-5Tkod9fNYCCkoEwbY1fGsKBCHS-JKkn2Jb9ECAd6wPn-mUHEx0LySbAe0etkuU6yp8z4SoM/s1600-h/IMG_1379.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUrwkr4ERwjYzXMGmf_IlfAOFIc9qX7jvxOrHmO0MHMv4lZozPElMk9P2lSq2FJLufAhO-5Tkod9fNYCCkoEwbY1fGsKBCHS-JKkn2Jb9ECAd6wPn-mUHEx0LySbAe0etkuU6yp8z4SoM/s320/IMG_1379.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396692071655118418" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFTKRx7B1c7F8afC76yH6kXkmBSBHCRg1HRofuvxMGd-ty3UiWPdkWJYmxTLhSL77X4amYwm0R-VtohRLIHVd-xiEKs1FzX9Kajn7l48wjA_9eDG2kSX33xwN9YmZl1qPkIEldDLhZios/s1600-h/IMG_1402.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFTKRx7B1c7F8afC76yH6kXkmBSBHCRg1HRofuvxMGd-ty3UiWPdkWJYmxTLhSL77X4amYwm0R-VtohRLIHVd-xiEKs1FzX9Kajn7l48wjA_9eDG2kSX33xwN9YmZl1qPkIEldDLhZios/s320/IMG_1402.JPG" border="0" alt="Children's Kabuki"id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396692080314211442" /></a><br /><br />After the temple, we walked around the neighborhood a bit and then went to a restaurant for dinner. The meal was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okonomiyaki">okonomiyaki</a>. We sat around low tables and talked while Ai and her dad did most of the cooking. It was really, really good.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNbx8ktXwU83TNsJyz1H564FQaFoOd_tRLGYpVuRy5Nf8noDKqUwSW0XLVx3Sq4uiRxcpcWnURm6hHuk1ZyALGb3G5GdEvzewhne1BnGJFEUS-z6MUHlldI5qIiLwGjGn4JwOWqcI2w6Y/s1600-h/IMG_1403.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNbx8ktXwU83TNsJyz1H564FQaFoOd_tRLGYpVuRy5Nf8noDKqUwSW0XLVx3Sq4uiRxcpcWnURm6hHuk1ZyALGb3G5GdEvzewhne1BnGJFEUS-z6MUHlldI5qIiLwGjGn4JwOWqcI2w6Y/s320/IMG_1403.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396694954348222930" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz_LryIrf0yEnHaLXu7cXfEnvOyTOFHEGJcISxKi_u7ZxUYdmS2Q4aiH4A0JwhCeE1D5iVxfZ_xYiyzrimztAbxhA1IfBTpcfZvNYSl4A-9h9TtvGEJpe1XtDaZsjzU_PJmh_KeYpCepU/s1600-h/IMG_1406.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz_LryIrf0yEnHaLXu7cXfEnvOyTOFHEGJcISxKi_u7ZxUYdmS2Q4aiH4A0JwhCeE1D5iVxfZ_xYiyzrimztAbxhA1IfBTpcfZvNYSl4A-9h9TtvGEJpe1XtDaZsjzU_PJmh_KeYpCepU/s320/IMG_1406.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396694958334169810" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvwIRiRvh7zvYOdmlBgHyLtI1mtO6rnQ6q5fCsGA0zmiKbM1p0_pWMYm4lqj-n8Da78MMMo9YN2W5nuHWnN_mHHZ_BSOB2xzeP1rFn9qBUj9Q3KCywlnsgIEzM9bfxLM5AZve4BkVru9o/s1600-h/IMG_1409.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvwIRiRvh7zvYOdmlBgHyLtI1mtO6rnQ6q5fCsGA0zmiKbM1p0_pWMYm4lqj-n8Da78MMMo9YN2W5nuHWnN_mHHZ_BSOB2xzeP1rFn9qBUj9Q3KCywlnsgIEzM9bfxLM5AZve4BkVru9o/s320/IMG_1409.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396695364448694802" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCEjbOjQjl0M9ds8YBCOfft3ZQDTiuhDjZOry30-EaIXAvGH8GybnPwZcNxLswkrtO06f57l_WW9m0EJBvfyJWypbH-GRzpA7zeJmUnEhucUd2l7DrJrb2-qYVd-TzRVxfIpkfLKFewAI/s1600-h/IMG_1410.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCEjbOjQjl0M9ds8YBCOfft3ZQDTiuhDjZOry30-EaIXAvGH8GybnPwZcNxLswkrtO06f57l_WW9m0EJBvfyJWypbH-GRzpA7zeJmUnEhucUd2l7DrJrb2-qYVd-TzRVxfIpkfLKFewAI/s320/IMG_1410.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396695368852680514" /></a><br /><br />The okonomiyaki place. Here you can see the ingredients and what it looks like as you mix up and fry the ingredients. It's something in between a potato cake, a pancake, and an omelet. We tried a bunch of different types (seafood, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimchi">kimchi</a> and pork, beef and onion, etc.) and they were all delicious.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid_HtCiMDxaIW_tTe3Se6gDYzFkmUhr54nKMxLdCaQiEhhJxCEq4Pb4ZQh1ywBbgr8UQIpyypKmBU4kBh3TDKoZQ2228Gbwqci5DcTklP70s01sWX0Rj26Pr6Vel20EcqpoRdxiKJcwjY/s1600-h/IMG_1419.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid_HtCiMDxaIW_tTe3Se6gDYzFkmUhr54nKMxLdCaQiEhhJxCEq4Pb4ZQh1ywBbgr8UQIpyypKmBU4kBh3TDKoZQ2228Gbwqci5DcTklP70s01sWX0Rj26Pr6Vel20EcqpoRdxiKJcwjY/s320/IMG_1419.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396695939031108402" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmcgNcjbZH-_IVSeWAldsAufF2nCkZ3nJfVqCCLYGl93sU6_rKeaUE0GJgXdZCPEO0nl-IOTkp74ZWBNKuDhGqotipEqraqZ6GN6k5DyEen9csOuR0oMwanS6PMvCjpgyVktgLmO0wTKc/s1600-h/IMG_1421.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmcgNcjbZH-_IVSeWAldsAufF2nCkZ3nJfVqCCLYGl93sU6_rKeaUE0GJgXdZCPEO0nl-IOTkp74ZWBNKuDhGqotipEqraqZ6GN6k5DyEen9csOuR0oMwanS6PMvCjpgyVktgLmO0wTKc/s320/IMG_1421.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396695943495747282" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwhN6mAUEG9xEXaRdIzqZzo-q10xLIjf8IRr94zp3TxgZ6GJTrQwAOEPyQmb18RnsHXMWbiV2DO2cB71LCmEY-81AwsVmXwCTG9LRwrSFW2C1v5dW2Ew9m3AJ38MT5PkbfoBpTmht9t_c/s1600-h/IMG_1426.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwhN6mAUEG9xEXaRdIzqZzo-q10xLIjf8IRr94zp3TxgZ6GJTrQwAOEPyQmb18RnsHXMWbiV2DO2cB71LCmEY-81AwsVmXwCTG9LRwrSFW2C1v5dW2Ew9m3AJ38MT5PkbfoBpTmht9t_c/s320/IMG_1426.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396696556395216274" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsP4Vb5sc9gI7lq3W1ogFRD-mOVGGByYbxxWrDuMbMyDrRyLSI3VzIoUZqRH8al673eyxQfMqv5knJf1IiLTaQg8dIQ8WMMw_dZRL3fsJSSR6sRmLdDn3-gwuQGqEThLrLC3SWy_YXs5w/s1600-h/IMG_1430.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsP4Vb5sc9gI7lq3W1ogFRD-mOVGGByYbxxWrDuMbMyDrRyLSI3VzIoUZqRH8al673eyxQfMqv5knJf1IiLTaQg8dIQ8WMMw_dZRL3fsJSSR6sRmLdDn3-gwuQGqEThLrLC3SWy_YXs5w/s320/IMG_1430.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396696561198578546" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNLH_2yoEmGYUvVwvjZSVvz7MVoNr3OP3aFX2aNAQa8ni9FjL_AOpljdXiKiffYQRNniEWCwGp-9dr0NogOOm4fKq86Cmz0kNJ2shpZjWsoDbu0ukqSrjI6uWRiXRwNnzaVBtwZyrFOqw/s1600-h/IMG_1431.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNLH_2yoEmGYUvVwvjZSVvz7MVoNr3OP3aFX2aNAQa8ni9FjL_AOpljdXiKiffYQRNniEWCwGp-9dr0NogOOm4fKq86Cmz0kNJ2shpZjWsoDbu0ukqSrjI6uWRiXRwNnzaVBtwZyrFOqw/s320/IMG_1431.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396696567616254338" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjFKTZeMx1yPuaAVQmghCl6ssVosDNpUNHuyUESr9IWEcBSXOU_6ji7Xk88bQCJCbDd1dMZls7CGYavOZgl-jSE4OMuTqkMe2qhK0a77202pAfPV2GeXVHTQtCa1qjId72Iu45hm_qANk/s1600-h/IMG_1440.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjFKTZeMx1yPuaAVQmghCl6ssVosDNpUNHuyUESr9IWEcBSXOU_6ji7Xk88bQCJCbDd1dMZls7CGYavOZgl-jSE4OMuTqkMe2qhK0a77202pAfPV2GeXVHTQtCa1qjId72Iu45hm_qANk/s320/IMG_1440.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396697443685744482" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiFrZ6JbbagRtJKVRjPUETe_qBYiTppC9bKBxQGm_lAnBQ-0gIgUf8LMPE0cJpnRnpbpitrLiJJhsFbxmTsOJiz821t312vHw8NrTHtr_85WRDHTxaBREvacKSjQG0lVLxHTuVh2dfUaY/s1600-h/IMG_1446.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiFrZ6JbbagRtJKVRjPUETe_qBYiTppC9bKBxQGm_lAnBQ-0gIgUf8LMPE0cJpnRnpbpitrLiJJhsFbxmTsOJiz821t312vHw8NrTHtr_85WRDHTxaBREvacKSjQG0lVLxHTuVh2dfUaY/s320/IMG_1446.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396697454413989266" /></a><br /><br />After we got back, I took a couple pictures of our hotel lobby.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEIwjUntJ8zfEvyh-9Jwyd_7P-z2VONAzWsm-eGoNiIih_sAsLSMG8I2RBnhF123p86y3-gu0TMIBHF37DB7xzxcXuqBrCTyaTmendod9C9BxCleXWwM9uvwLTgeVK_J-4M3aK1sN6-mo/s1600-h/IMG_1456.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEIwjUntJ8zfEvyh-9Jwyd_7P-z2VONAzWsm-eGoNiIih_sAsLSMG8I2RBnhF123p86y3-gu0TMIBHF37DB7xzxcXuqBrCTyaTmendod9C9BxCleXWwM9uvwLTgeVK_J-4M3aK1sN6-mo/s320/IMG_1456.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396697467384633442" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPSBU2FM71y-sTzYoWjSWT7XLeKzNy1pjdp7KSUL7Wj2ECY3LQ7Kj8HAt88G4Og_GY9GEmiKhXuoQcaqbuzaw_V87EIGopdC5JedLWOSXFNTXyrLysxkdz7k0hxmZPPYJbB2ueLLByO54/s1600-h/IMG_1454.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPSBU2FM71y-sTzYoWjSWT7XLeKzNy1pjdp7KSUL7Wj2ECY3LQ7Kj8HAt88G4Og_GY9GEmiKhXuoQcaqbuzaw_V87EIGopdC5JedLWOSXFNTXyrLysxkdz7k0hxmZPPYJbB2ueLLByO54/s320/IMG_1454.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396697459425423058" /></a><br /><br />Tomorrow it's off to Katsuura, a small fishing village that has a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kendo">kendo</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bogu">bogu</a> shop we want to visit.Jared Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07213301757820349332noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4226642302201118825.post-11620175103511039952009-10-24T15:19:00.000-07:002009-11-20T14:54:58.638-08:00Day 1: Arrived in JapanWe arrived at Narita Airport in Tokyo yesterday evening. Had a nice flight in on Japan Airlines (JAL) - good food, personal video screens, friendly service, and unlimited free drinks. Ai-chan and her dad picked us up at the airport along with some of their other friends who arrived at the same time. Ai-chan's dad was kind enough to take all of our luggage in his brand new (giant!) Land Cruiser so we could take the train from the airport without dragging our bags with us.<br /><br />After AJ's flight arrived, we all met for dinner at a nearby izakaya. When you sit down, they bring out a little plate with some starters and then they brought out a wooden boat filled with samples of the day's seafood.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtrWpeTeOvkXos7CPeubuW8nhpK75i6QY2ssIgjktjKhaC_6es5wil1O-4NUb_foO-mICY0-jdThajqh8NtEOVFmtoFnmah7pfSzAG89Ke33pzSsJoLtDU_dkj7mVaGTZhnbNLfdvIyIU/s1600-h/IMG_1190.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtrWpeTeOvkXos7CPeubuW8nhpK75i6QY2ssIgjktjKhaC_6es5wil1O-4NUb_foO-mICY0-jdThajqh8NtEOVFmtoFnmah7pfSzAG89Ke33pzSsJoLtDU_dkj7mVaGTZhnbNLfdvIyIU/s320/IMG_1190.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396303420711877890" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw0PJGx1hEotrZGKU5twL3o4QVLtNNmTgV6NnVb2LGkSujcmPaXY37K6I_7HHP6CbvGMDu4hD6BSd355Ihv5FPggAYyOdGS7Y_ixfoNavimzwqsNQq0z2dToGVbLf496SPZJdGCmxcAXQ/s1600-h/IMG_1194.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw0PJGx1hEotrZGKU5twL3o4QVLtNNmTgV6NnVb2LGkSujcmPaXY37K6I_7HHP6CbvGMDu4hD6BSd355Ihv5FPggAYyOdGS7Y_ixfoNavimzwqsNQq0z2dToGVbLf496SPZJdGCmxcAXQ/s320/IMG_1194.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396297853537693666" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We ordered a bunch of different little plates, almost all seafood. Sashimi (raw) shrimp, yellowtail, scallops, and shellfish, deep fried octopus, broiled mackerel, and some grilled fish that you eat whole. We also ordered some tofu that the izakaya makes by hand that was really good.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYbwmWk49cb_d-WZQTdNGADIHsM3qit_nrw0Ikgc6cfCZp7c00vMi8YGSQ4YQlmXok7fkb4SSrX9b4NClCCqLf-9dndK2QgW25RRmet6WuhTSYH9AEx-rb8b_H5oUdrTKnwll-bfRznDk/s1600-h/IMG_1197.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYbwmWk49cb_d-WZQTdNGADIHsM3qit_nrw0Ikgc6cfCZp7c00vMi8YGSQ4YQlmXok7fkb4SSrX9b4NClCCqLf-9dndK2QgW25RRmet6WuhTSYH9AEx-rb8b_H5oUdrTKnwll-bfRznDk/s320/IMG_1197.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396299618021850514" border="0" /></a><br /><br />After the izakaya, we headed to our hotel and crashed. By this point, we'd been up for over 24 hours. The hotel room is really small, but quite comfortable. The bathrooms here are sweet. The toilet seats are warmed and so are the mirrors to prevent them from fogging when you get a shower. Awesome.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIvy8okqRwn75pxKD2NjVOmledqeBznqFA15jho-1zWhY-YmP059HeuLNxeEFUWIr0oooqhw-5AaBxZb7oVSq-eTTxooIml2z08TnaMJKA9C80tHkMkH_BNLTtZ8-jyeE1ZtsDZwk8zbY/s1600-h/IMG_1200.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIvy8okqRwn75pxKD2NjVOmledqeBznqFA15jho-1zWhY-YmP059HeuLNxeEFUWIr0oooqhw-5AaBxZb7oVSq-eTTxooIml2z08TnaMJKA9C80tHkMkH_BNLTtZ8-jyeE1ZtsDZwk8zbY/s320/IMG_1200.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396302919483372642" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIAd0aEfnBmjoD-51RdQ176DIRDv8CCjtevB5xxY0XT-wilulrRzwV_C-C2-cliUjWI344P7RWUOU90KoIaxC-qiA9FY-rY9eQMpfgCoC0_6vbjInQ0AhYCg5cyOl9-SaR4_V0Ey1_Qvo/s1600-h/IMG_1203.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIAd0aEfnBmjoD-51RdQ176DIRDv8CCjtevB5xxY0XT-wilulrRzwV_C-C2-cliUjWI344P7RWUOU90KoIaxC-qiA9FY-rY9eQMpfgCoC0_6vbjInQ0AhYCg5cyOl9-SaR4_V0Ey1_Qvo/s320/IMG_1203.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396303008308190946" border="0" /></a>Jared Burnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07213301757820349332noreply@blogger.com1