Best Of Best Pictures from Japan
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These drink vending machines were EVERYWHERE! | | In a grocery store -these funny pyramid shaped contains were like a can substitute. |
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Strawberry and cream sandwich, right next to the ham and cheese! | | The place we stayed was RIGHT next to the train tracks. |
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At the Daiso (100 yen store, like a dollar store) - rubber booties, for when you're cleaning the bathtub | | The rice here is priced very high, a protectionist scheme to benefit Japanese farmers. One of the large bags (5 kilos or 11 pounds) is about 25 dollars. |
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Love the models of the food at restaurants! | | Very serene neighborhood nearby, called Mejiro Woods |
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Even the smallest little strip of property is often very nicely cared for. | | A beautiful gate |
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A view from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building | | At the food court in the Isetan department store. It was truly an exceptional experience, with an amazing array of beautifully prepared foods. |
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| | Some (beautiful) tomatoes for about $32 |
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The fruits were displayed like jewels | | The playground at Nishi-Ikebukuro Park. We went back so Peter could enjoy the slide. A group of kids from a daycare were there as well. |
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| | We did the tour at the Ikebukuro Life Safety Learning Center. First, fire extinguisher usage |
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![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_vid_20180404_100149.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_20180404_105428.jpg) |
| | Also an earthquake simulation |
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![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_vid_20180404_110056.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_20180404_140926.jpg) |
Peter's earthquake simulation was for kids only, and much gentler. The adult version was rough! I felt "shaken up" for quite a while afterwards. | | Nice border made of bamboo, at a temple |
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The temple also had a batch of polliwogs in a bowl. | | Finally bought a drink from one of the many vending machines. I was surprised - it was hot! Next time I know that if the price is in red, it's not. Blue is cold. |
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![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_mvimg_20180404_143141.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_mvimg_20180404_143739.jpg) |
Another beautifully kept space | | A lame small playground, but this little egg was cool |
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![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_mvimg_20180404_145504.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_20180404_145646.jpg) |
Ringing the bell | |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_mvimg_20180404_150012.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_0851.jpg) | | |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_mvimg_20180404_151214.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_mvimg_20180404_152433.jpg) | This area was to get water and brushes for cleaning the tombstones | | Beautiful workmanship of a temple bench. The woodworking in Japan was amazingly well done. |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_mvimg_20180404_154056.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_0863.jpg) | Neat water fountain, that sprays straight up! | | At Minami-Ikebukuro Park. It was a beautiful open space in the middle of the city, obviously very popular. |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_mvimg_20180404_160939.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_20180404_161158.jpg) | Oddly shaped ping pong tables | | These ladies set up a very fanciful scene, involving stuffed animals, little trays of what looked like fake food, etc, and then took pictures of it. I have no idea why. |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_mvimg_20180404_164810.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_20180404_175214.jpg) | Beautifully tended micro parking spot | | Our place, from the train track side |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_0809.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_mvimg_20180404_180047.jpg) | | | Checking out the selection at a restaurant, via their models of food |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_mvimg_20180405_091429.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_20180405_092433.jpg) | Ueno Park was a big cherry blossum viewing area. There were large blue plastic sheets set up for people to set up picnics on, along with signs telling them to stay only one hour | | Octopus on a stick |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_0875.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_20180405_112726.jpg) | Some cherry trees, still in bloom | | View of the Senso-ji temple area |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_0890.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_mvimg_20180405_121239.jpg) | The symbol for Buddhist temples looks like a swastica, except not on an angle, and turned the other direction | | Many shops on the way to the temple, selling souveneirs and snacks |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_mvimg_20180405_121308.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_mvimg_20180405_123324.jpg) | I asked this lovely lady in a kimono to pose with Peter | | Paying 100 yen to get a paper fortune |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_20180405_132920.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_0905.jpg) | Headed back home on the subway, unusually empty. The subways are spectacularly clean and comfortable. | | The Akihabara neighborhood, previously famous for electronics, and there's still a few stalls left. It's mostly all about anime now, though. |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_0911.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_0929.jpg) | Old radios | | Many places had whole walls of vending machines, selling various collectibles |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_mvimg_20180406_152836.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_20180406_153317.jpg) | Some of the many interesting buildings in our neighborhood. This one was very narrow | | A mini townhouse complex |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_mvimg_20180406_163707.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_mvimg_20180406_164641.jpg) | This Frank Lloyd Wright designed building was a few minutes walk away from our house. | | The traditional fence building style is to tie bamboo together with black cord |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_mvimg_20180406_164932.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_20180406_165314.jpg) | At the Mejiro Teien temple/garden, very close to our house | | A very beautiful looking driveway |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_0946.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_mvimg_20180407_102126.jpg) | The Nippon Foundation held a show to promote Adoption Day in Japan. | | At a "love hotel" |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_0948.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_0951.jpg) | We stumbled upon "Outdoor Day" at Yoyogi Park. Peter and Eric in a tent sauna. It was hot in there! | |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_0953.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_20180407_110143.jpg) | A s'more station for kids | | Fully disposable bbq set |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_20180407_110833.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_mvimg_20180407_112000.jpg) | Japan style RV | | The largest ballon sculpture I've ever seen |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_0958.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_0961.jpg) | A Subaru made front-wheel drive bike | | This guys had FIVE poodles |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_mvimg_20180407_120801.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_20180407_122351.jpg) | A folding cooler. The Japanese have all kinds of cool ideas for folding and collapsible items. | | Another cherry blossum viewing area |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_20180407_122656.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_20180407_123035_1.jpg) | A folding picnic table | |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_20180407_130735.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_mvimg_20180407_131407.jpg) | At the Meiji Jingu Shinto shrine | |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_0970.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_20180407_132800.jpg) | We happened to come across a very formal Shinto wedding ceremony | | The bride and groom, and attendants |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_20180407_133333.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_0980.jpg) | | |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_20180407_134703.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_mvimg_20180407_135033.jpg) | A beautiful avenue | |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_mvimg_20180407_142157.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_20180407_161249.jpg) | It's more interesting to walk down the street in Japan because things actually happen and are visible on the street. This man has a street-side shoe polishing stand. | | The grocery store about a 2 minute walk away, we bought all our food there. Nothing was in English, and there were no American brands, so it was pretty difficult to figure things out. |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_mvimg_20180407_171344.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_mvimg_20180407_171557.jpg) | Based on what Google maps shows, this was a foundation. | | Interesting narrow buliding |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_0981.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_20180407_171921.jpg) | Another interesting narrow building | | This is the only place I saw bike sharing facilities |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_mvimg_20180407_174219.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_mvimg_20180407_174309.jpg) | More interesting buildings | |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_20180407_174520.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_20180407_174720.jpg) | Pristine and very nice looking gates were everywhere | |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_0982.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_20180407_180711.jpg) | At our house. The Christmas decor was a little out of date. There were only Japanese programs on TV, no subtitles or dubbing. It was kind of relaxing to watch. | | Progress on the building diagonally across from us, on the other side of the train tracks |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_mvimg_20180407_185720.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_20180408_093252.jpg) | Our steps. The house was three stories, and the stairs were narrower than what we're used to, and also the railing was lower. | | A parking garage close by |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_20180408_093639.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_20180408_094132.jpg) | Climbing wall at a school nearby | | Very narrow builiding |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_0984.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_20180408_102327.jpg) | Homeless man at a nearby park. Overall, there were very few visible homeless, though - maybe about 1/1000th of the what Seattle has. | | At the shopping complex in Ikebukuro. The bottom floor of department stores seem to always have these amazing dessert areas. They're decorated like jewels. |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_20180408_102341.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_20180408_102423.jpg) | | |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_20180408_105459.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_20180408_133731.jpg) | At a local department store - this was a whole new category of furniture for me. It's like an armchair, but on the floor. I guess for the low tables? | | Visiting with our friend from Geneva, Alison, and her two boys. It was really great to sege them again. |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_20180408_145510.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_20180408_154157.jpg) | Little dogs wearing dresses. They were everywhere! | | Basketball at the park with Alison's boys |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_20180408_164313.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_0991.jpg) | I finally figured out that all the bumpy yellow lines were for blind people. There were any more visible blind people walking around Japan than in the US (where you basically never see blind people).f | | At a parking gargae/carousel |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_20180409_091114.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_20180409_115135.jpg) | The house 2 houses down from ours, now being completely demolished | | In the line to ride the Shinkansen (bullet train) into Kyoto |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_20180409_115228.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/tokyo/gallery_img_20180409_115729.jpg) | These ladies in pink clean the train and turn it around in about 8 minutes | | On the train! |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180409_145439.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180409_170526.jpg) | In our Kyoto AirBnB. Very, very, traditional Japanese style, including low doorways and thin mats. | | In the neighborhood where our AirBnB was - a driving training area |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180409_175736.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_0998.jpg) | Disaster preparadness storage area under train tracks | | The outside moat of Nijo Castle |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180410_101922.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180410_102830.jpg) | | |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_1006.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180410_105230.jpg) | Inside the castle | |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180410_105451.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_1013.jpg) | The inside moat | | From the top of the watchtower platform |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180410_114509.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_1024.jpg) | Little sticks with nearly invisible string were set out, I assume to discourage ducks | | Beautiful gardens |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_1026.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180410_121242.jpg) | | | Interesting bench |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180410_165443.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180410_171633.jpg) | Workers were fixing the concrete steps of the house next to our AirBnB | | We walked along a little stream west of our house for a while |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180410_173526.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180410_174652.jpg) | I saw these water bottles next to houses, all over the streets. I assumed it's a disaster preparedness thing, but then when looking it up, it appears people do it to repel cats! | | At a restaurant. This one was not a winner |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180411_102337.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180411_104425.jpg) | In the Arashiyama area. We went there primarily to go to the Monkey park, but turns out it's a big tourist area! | |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_1032.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_1035.jpg) | Monkeys galore! | | This monkey baby was being groomed, clutching leaves in both hands. |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_1049.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_1054.jpg) | Feeding time | |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_1058.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_1064.jpg) | | | Sometimes they got a little feisty |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180411_112254.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180411_114954.jpg) | | | Along the Katsura river |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180411_121907.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180411_130124.jpg) | We had lunch at a peaceful riverside restaurant. They led us to the one table that actually had chairs - at the others, you sat on mats. | |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_1086.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180411_132931.jpg) | | |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_1092.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180411_140454.jpg) | The streets in the Arashiyama district had lots of tourists! | | Peter, posing in the style of some of the Japanese ladies we've seen |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180411_140557.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180411_141330.jpg) | | |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180411_143951.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180411_144213.jpg) | At a smoking rest area in one of the temples | | Japanese style RV |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_1106.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180412_100622.jpg) | Kenny at the local Indian restaurant. He was very happy to have some curry. | | The little stream that runs east of Horikawa Dori. Would have been a nice place to walk |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180412_102545.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_1109.jpg) | The park around the Kyoto Imperial Palace. There were some CRAZY wide gravel avenues. | |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180412_104826.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_1119.jpg) | At the info center of the palace | |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_1122.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180412_112018.jpg) | Beautiful gardens | |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180412_112338.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180412_112518.jpg) | This man was manually plucking every single plum off this tree. It must have taken hours | |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180412_114213.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180412_121953.jpg) | Sweeping the leaves up, with a little straw whisk. This is why everything is so clean! But you'd think they would use a blower or something to make it faster. | | The bento selection at a local convenience store |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_1131.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180412_140537.jpg) | On the Philosophers Path | |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180412_140513_b.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180412_145439.jpg) | | | On the way home, saw a family in kimonos on the bus |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180412_152041.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180413_104956.jpg) | ... and a boy in a school uniform, complete with cap and fancy school bag | | On our way to the railway museum, we walked through a very active fish processing area |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180413_112747.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180413_113037.jpg) | Kenny as a conductor or an old bullet train | | The public toilets at the museum had the same fancy, complex self-washing features that the toilets found in most homes do |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_1154.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180413_113749.jpg) | The new bullet train will look like this | | Building an arc |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180413_114302.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_1165.jpg) | Peter is self propelled on a train track | | Why train wheels are shaped as they are |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180413_115244.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180413_120733.jpg) | Pretending to be a conductor | |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_1187.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180413_144448.jpg) | At the old steam train | | Doing a bullet train simulation |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_1196.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180413_180342.jpg) | | | A kid's meal at the Tenkaippin restaurant, which mainly carried the Kyoto style of ramen soup with heavy broth (which tasted like essence of fried chicken) |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180413_183243.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180414_100720.jpg) | This is how you buy celery here - in single sticks! | | It's always a jolt to see the Buddhist symbol, which looks like a swastika, but laying flat and turned the other direction. |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_1202.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180414_134114.jpg) | At Fushimi Inari Taisha, a Shinto shrine | | The gravel is very smooth because it's layered on a criss-cross mat. It looks like it's been raked smooth, but it's caused by the crossgrain of the mat |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180414_134646.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180414_134715.jpg) | The fox, wirh red bib, is a Shinto messenger of Oinari, the god of food, farmers, and the rice harvest. | | More good-fortune sticks for sale |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180414_134839.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180414_135528.jpg) | Smoothly "raked" gravel | | A fortune teller |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180414_135931.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_1221.jpg) | There are thousands of the orange gates at this shrine | |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180414_140635_1.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180414_140730.jpg) | | | Throw in a coin, maike a wish, pick up the stone. If it feels light, your wish may be granted |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180414_140901.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180414_141954.jpg) | Most temples had a little ritual washing area | | A bamboo shoot |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180414_142657.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_1223.jpg) | Another one, just poking it's head out of the ground | |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_1230.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180414_144901.jpg) | There are miles of paths with little shrines along the side | |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180414_152144.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180414_153016.jpg) | Outside of the shrine are the food stalls. Kenny had orange juice, Eric had grilled meat | | A really interesting star-shaped lincoln log type building |
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| ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_20180414_153316.jpg) | | ![](/Pictures/2018/04-01-2018-japan/kyoto/gallery_img_1231.jpg) | This was by far my favorite street food - fish shaped pancakes filled with either red bean paste or a custard paste. Extremely tasty! | | Octopus fritters. I didn't try them, but they were for sale everywhere | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |