KYOTO ADVENTURE 2

I dig japan.

Hello Kids.

So I spent a lot of time in kyoto...

you can go back!

you can go back back!

Oishi Takako (RiRi) It's RIRI!
we are waiting in Gion to go to this famous tea shop for sancha ice tea! it was a long lineup because it was golden week, but it was really really cool. yummy!

Kazuhiro Shinmura Shinmura-san is Riri's friend. we all went to eat icecream together. in other news... he likes tigers!

Yumiko Yukawa We met Yukawa-san in front of the Book off! and then we went out for FOOOOOOD! katsudon, at this really awesome katsudon place that let you grind up your own seasame seeds. take that MCDONALDS! (family crest)

Kyoto University I took this photo of a staircase in the residence of kyoto university. looks very "young one's" ish, eh?! I tok this photo cuz my dad used to complain about MY first year residence.
AVERAGE JAPANESE DORM And this is what your average Japanese Dormatory looks like. It was totally sweet. man. If i got holed into something like that with 5 of my co-conspirators, we could get into HELLA trouble. seriously. awesome things.
Here is Shinmura-san with his Otaku friend. man. I am jealous of japanese universities.
ME AND ASTROBOY well. I remember when i was a kid, watching astroboy, at the end there was a segment where, if you figured out what astro left out of his story "astro would play with you" . I was a gullible child, and always hoped that... anyway. technically I've been waiting my whole life for this moment!
REINA TOMODACHI-DACHI!
The Heian Jinja, in Kyoto
Heian Jinja The entrance to the Heian Jinja.
subway/train THis is what your average (pretty full) japanese train/subway looks like. that's right. just like any other subway/train only it's filled with JAPANESE people. no grope-ing perverts, no pushing crowds. you can all stop caring..
Train Station and this is what a train station looks like. this is the tofukuji JR stop, in kyoto. near the kamo river, and about a 5 minute walk from J-hoppers.

YAGYU YAGYU Samurai are legendary for their sword skills. anyway. one day I decided to walk to yagyu from Nara along the old highway back when highways were for feet and not cars. OLD highway. they gave me a map (and advice to change my plans) at about noon at the train station in Nara. I didn't listen. what a walk. anyway. yagyu is on the other side of the mountains to the right of this photo. what a crazy walk.
YAGYU
YAGYU .
communist Here I am with the Japanese Communist party. cool, eh? please don't arrest me...
???????? I don't know where i took this. but it's very pretty.
Daikakuji So Aki-san takes a day off and we go on an adventure. the first stop is daikakuji, which was iced with blooming sakura (cherry blossom). wow.
Daikakuji

Daikakuji

Daikakuji .

Daikakuji

Daikakuji It's... AKI-kun!

This is a valley between Kyoto and Kameoka. it has these cool fish in it that are very territorial and so are caught by tying one of their species of fish to a string, dropping it in, and waiting for others to come and attack it!
I think this picture is up somewhere else. these are priestesses doing a ritual dance at a shrine in kameoka famous for its fresh water spring.
me and astroboy! Tetsuwan Atomu!

Hieiyama In kyoto, on my last week in japan, I walked from J-hoppers to the top of the holly mountain Hiei. from the top, all manner of wild flowers were blooming. the walk was over 30 km long, and i had to actually leave in the MORNING to go on it.. like at 10 or something.
Hiei
Enryaku-ji Atop the Holly mountain Hiei stands the temple complex Enryakuji, famous for its fighting monks, and for antagonizing various shogun. It was burnt down to keep the political power in check, but has since been rebuilt.
Enryaku-ji A dark mist was floating down the mountain through the cedars.
Enryaku-ji In another part of the temple compelx, there is a flame which has been burning for over a thousand years!
Hiei-yama Benku
Hiei Yama
Has mist, cedars and sakura
and also Yankees.
bn

The last of the mountain sakura. It's now a month and a half since the photos in AKUNE of sakura were taken, probably 2 months since they first appeared in Kagoshima.
Hiei-adventure of course. I got lost going up the mountain. who wouldn't. the first path led me over two dams, and through the bushes past some sparrow bees! (EEEEK!)
to this tiny forgoten butsu-dan for who knows who.
Hiei-adventure and I saw this salamander thing. cooooool

Oishi Takako (RiRi)	It's RIRI! we are waiting in Gion to go to this famous tea shop for sancha ice tea! it was a long lineup because it was golden week, but it was really really cool. yummy!
Kazuhiro Shinmura	Shinmura-san is Riri's friend. we all went to eat icecream together. in other news... he likes tigers!
Yumiko Yukawa	We met Yukawa-san in front of the Book off! and then we went out for FOOOOOOD! katsudon, at this really awesome katsudon place that let you grind up your own seasame seeds. take that MCDONALDS! (family crest)
Kyoto University	I took this photo of a staircase in the residence of kyoto university. looks very "young one's" ish, eh?! I tok this photo cuz my dad used to complain about MY first year residence.
AVERAGE JAPANESE DORM	And this is what your average Japanese Dormatory looks like. It was totally sweet. man. If i got holed into something like that with 5 of my co-conspirators, we could get into HELLA trouble. seriously. awesome things.
	Here is Shinmura-san with his Otaku friend. man. I am jealous of japanese universities.
ME AND ASTROBOY	well. I remember when i was a kid, watching astroboy, at the end there was a segment where, if you figured out what astro left out of his story "astro would play with you" . I was a gullible child, and always hoped that... anyway. technically I've been waiting my whole life for this moment!
	REINA TOMODACHI-DACHI!
The Heian Jinja, in Kyoto
Heian Jinja	The entrance to the Heian Jinja.
subway/train	THis is what your average (pretty full) japanese train/subway looks like. that's right. just like any other subway/train only it's filled with JAPANESE people. no grope-ing perverts, no pushing crowds. you can all stop caring..
Train Station	and this is what a train station looks like. this is the tofukuji JR stop, in kyoto. near the kamo river, and about a 5 minute walk from J-hoppers.

YAGYU	YAGYU Samurai are legendary for their sword skills. anyway. one day I decided to walk to yagyu from Nara along the old highway back when highways were for feet and not cars. OLD highway. they gave me a map (and advice to change my plans) at about noon at the train station in Nara. I didn't listen. what a walk. anyway. yagyu is on the other side of the mountains to the right of this photo. what a crazy walk.
YAGYU
YAGYU	.
communist	Here I am with the Japanese Communist party. cool, eh? please don't arrest me...
????????	I don't know where i took this. but it's very pretty.
Daikakuji	So Aki-san takes a day off and we go on an adventure. the first stop is daikakuji, which was iced with blooming sakura (cherry blossom). wow.
Daikakuji

	This is a valley between Kyoto and Kameoka. it has these cool fish in it that are very territorial and so are caught by tying one of their species of fish to a string, dropping it in, and waiting for others to come and attack it!
	I think this picture is up somewhere else. these are priestesses doing a ritual dance at a shrine in kameoka famous for its fresh water spring.
	me and astroboy! Tetsuwan Atomu!

Hieiyama	In kyoto, on my last week in japan, I walked from J-hoppers to the top of the holly mountain Hiei. from the top, all manner of wild flowers were blooming. the walk was over 30 km long, and i had to actually leave in the MORNING to go on it.. like at 10 or something.
Hiei
Enryaku-ji	Atop the Holly mountain Hiei stands the temple complex Enryakuji, famous for its fighting monks, and for antagonizing various shogun. It was burnt down to keep the political power in check, but has since been rebuilt.
Enryaku-ji	A dark mist was floating down the mountain through the cedars.
Enryaku-ji	In another part of the temple compelx, there is a flame which has been burning for over a thousand years!
Hiei-yama	Benku Hiei Yama Has mist, cedars and sakura and also Yankees. bn The last of the mountain sakura. It's now a month and a half since the photos in AKUNE of sakura were taken, probably 2 months since they first appeared in Kagoshima.
Hiei-adventure	of course. I got lost going up the mountain. who wouldn't. the first path led me over two dams, and through the bushes past some sparrow bees! (EEEEK!) to this tiny forgoten butsu-dan for who knows who.
Hiei-adventure	and I saw this salamander thing. cooooool