nara

we contemplated skipping the day trip to nara all together. we grew up around deer so it didn’t seem worth the bumpy train ride through the mountains—my husband gets pretty severe kinetosis. we were thrilled to be wrong. it may have been the most enjoyable thing we did together. in retrospect it makes sense, we both get more excited about animals than people. and when they look like this, how could you not love them? the secret to enjoying the deer in nara is this—either buy shika sembei (deer biscuits) and quickly feed the deer or do not purchase biscuits at all. running around trying to photograph the deer while taunting them with biscuits proved traumatic for many visitors that day. the deer have learned that head-butting the men in the groin make the biscuits magically fall from the sky. since women often squeal and run, the deer chase them in a herd until the biscuits are surrendered. they do seem to leave the children alone for the most part, only reaching high into the air to snatch the biscuits from the smallest ones. and the cutest thing happens while they await their treat—they bow! some say they have learned to imitate the japanese, others (my husband) says they are simply preparing to buck you in the crotch. either way, it is done with the tongue slightly out and is the cutest thing i’ve ever seen.



bambi bow.

gion

exploring gion’s rain-soaked alleys was a magical experience. the machiya architecture with its lovely lanterns, bamboo inu yarai, and ceramic roof tiles all add to to the mysterious beauty of this well-known geisha district. i was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of both geiko and meiko—two in the back of a black car, and i passed another in a narrow alley. i do not have photos of these encounters as i decided to constrain my gaijin instincts and respect their privacy, but i was excited to find that they are even more stunning and graceful in person. hopefully these traditional artists continue to perform in the future. i have a lot of respect for women who brave the rain in a kimono.



mysterious geiko.

himeji castle

we took a day trip to himeji to see himeji castle, also known as the white heron. it’s the most impressive castle i’ve seen, complete with moat, stoney fortress, super steep stairs, and secret doors. and if that weren’t enough to remember, my first cup of matcha was served at the koko-en garden tea house. it was hot, frothy, and my favorite hue of green. i even learned how to make it using a bamboo chasen! and although my sugar handicap prevented me from sampling the wagashi, i was able to capture the handmade confection forever. banzai!



matcha castle.

arashiyama

arishiyama is an area in northwest kyoto. we went for two things—the sagano bamboo forest and tenryu-ji temple. walking through the bamboo was quiet and surreal. the forest was cool and wet—we were completely drenched by the time we reached the temple. tenryu-ji offered a rest on tatami mats, beautiful color-changing flowers, meticulously-maintained gardens and additional views of the bamboo.



bamboozled.

fushimi inari

fushimi inari is one of the first places i think of whenever someone mentions japan. you may recognize the shrine from the movie, memoirs of a geisha. there is a scene where chiyo runs through the toriis after meeting the chairman. i was happy to find it even more stunning in person. endless rows of red-orange toriis winding through the damp, green forest along inari mountain. some of the toriis were seasoned, while others were shiny and new. there were maiko praying for good fortune, bibbed foxes, and the scent of prayer. i’d say the only non-charming thing about the experience were the frequent encounters with large spiders. i wish i could share a photo, but thanks to my arachnophobia i was too freaked out to take one.



halloween shrine.

pontocho

pontocho is a narrow alley known for its geisha houses. i didn’t see any geisha, but i did see lots of restaurants and tourists. i found the area visually charming because of the multitude of lanterns and illuminated signs, window decor, and welcoming spaces. the people were also very friendly, despite the many tourists arguing loudly about where to eat. i was glad to have eaten udon at my favorite noodle place before we arrived.



pretty pontocho.

nijo castle

nijo castle is surrounded by the most gorgeous greens i’ve ever seen. the foliage, the moat, the aging metals, are all lovely shades of midori (green). the best part for izaak was the ninomaru palace—an audio technician’s dream with its singing nightingale floors.



nature’s song.

kamakura

we took a day trip to kamakura to see yabusame, or japanese archery. there is a festival at the hachiman-gu shrine twice a year. it is apparently very popular because all we ended up seeing where the shinto people praying and the grounds as we ran through the forest looking for a better view. i finally lucked out and was roped off by a police officer where i got close enough to capture the archers making their way to their horses—the costumes were elaborate and worth the wait.



yabusame wardrobe.

yokohama

we ended up spending two days in yokohama because there were so many fun things to do. we went through chinatown—the largest in japan—where we were surrounded by all sorts of panda souvenirs. the atmosphere was enchanting—lanterns overhead, narrow streets, ornate facades, until my husband was yelled at (his first time here…not mine) for opening what he thought was a trash can. we’re not sure what its actual purpose was or if we just misunderstood the woman yelling, but we decided it was a good time say sayonara. we ended up at cosmoworld around dark, for a spectacular view of the famed ferris wheel, and we were able to get a panoramic view of yokohama at night from the landmark tower. it was the best view i’ve seen to date.



a view for lovers.

tsukiji

i stayed up all night in nearby ginza just to visit the tsukiji fish market—the largest wholesale fish market in the world. i don’t even like seafood, but i HAD to see the tuna auction that takes place from 5 to 6:15am. it was cold, fascinating, and quite disturbing to see the sellers slide the mammoth frozen carcasses around the floor and then jab them with a metal pick. they were bluish silver with a bright pink circle on the back where the tail fin once was. i was in a state of delirium as i stumbled through the rest of the market on my way out, trying to photograph the multitude of sea creatures, many of which were still moving. as far as recommendations, i’d say go if you love to eat fresh seafood, but otherwise the photos will suffice. i say this because we felt like a huge inconvenience to the hundreds of people working that day, from the vendors setting up their stalls to the men racing around on the miniature trucks. and yes, they WILL run you over.



bloodbath on ice.

asakusa

my favorite part of tokyo so far is probably asakusa, pronounced uh-sock-sa. why? because i was in kokeshi heaven. everywhere i went, kawaii kokeshi! and there were other things such as wagashi, umbrellas, and washi. if you’re not into shopping, you can relax at the sensō-ji temple, with this man, or go check out the five-story pagoda next door.



is there a kokeshi temple?

odaiba

we are big fans of odaiba, a large artificial island in tokyo bay. we arrived by a train that runs alongside the rainbow bridge. our first stop was the miraikan (future museum), where we saw our favorite little robot, asimo! another highlight was the real-time weather globe that’s used to explain environmental problems. once we had our science fun, we ended up at yet another arcade—izaak couldn’t have been happier, but he got his later when he accidentally ordered shrimp spaghetti. we rode the hello kitty ferris wheel, watched all the cute dating couples, and ended the evening with a night view of the bay, sprinkled with colorful yakatabune boats.



nerd love.

yanaka

after all of those deafening games and flashing lights, we were ready to see the quieter side of tokyo, so we made our way to the neighborhood of yanaka, located near ueno in the taito ward. first, we stared pensively at the tenno-ji temple. it was sublime until we spotted the giant black ants marching toward us and decided to move it along, through the picturesque yanaka cemetery. then we got lost in a lovely neighborhood and ended up at the choan-ji temple, where we saw an apple tree, mating butterflies, and were bitten by what appeared to be little black and white mosquitoes—they especially loved izaak. it was just enough nature to remind us that we prefer chaos to quiet.



where tanukis frolic.

shinjuku

i received my first dose of sensory overload in the bright and ever-
blinking shinjuku, one of tokyo’s 23 special wards. the fun began at the train station—the busiest in the world—and ended hours later as i drug my drooling husband away from the never-ending rows of pachinko, just one of thousands of games to choose from. it was fun with a bit of dizzy, cute with some scary, and an overall magical first look at the great city of tokyo!



neon night.