A few pictures, as it's been quite a few days since the last entry... firstly, our Christmas day - opening presents in our hotel room in Kyoto, then out to the golden pavilion. Christmas day lunch was as much sushi as we could eat - which turned out to be a stack of 24 plates. A bargain at 137Yen per plate - approx 60p!

We've also visited Himeji castle, and are now in Nikko, which has been an experience - as we are staying in a Japanase style room, so tatami mats and beds on the floor. The good news however was that there is a 'Hello Kitty' shop in Nikko, so Ruth has been able to feed her growing obsession with 'Hello Kitty' merchandise some more!

An early start today to view some beautiful scenery - the Kaegon Falls - we got there 1st thing, and were the only people there. Then back to Nikko, to see the shrines and temples that the town is famous for. We didn't see many real monkeys up in the mountains, only 2, but we did see the famous 'See no evil, Hear no evil, Speak no evil' monkeys at the Toshugu shrine.

Off out shortly for our last mean in Nikko - most likely Korean cuisine. Last night was noodles in a tiny Japanese restaurant with 3 tables. Back to Tokyo tomorrow to enjoy the cosmopolitan faster pace of life for the remainder of our holiday.

Kyoto

Kyoto has been great so far. On our very long walk yesterday, we were lucky to see 2 Maiko (apprentice Geisha), no doubt on their way to an appointment. We saw 3 shrines, and enjoyed exploring the garden at one of them. We also enjoyed the views from the Kiyomizu-dera temple.

Nagasaki

In Nagasaki, we visited the Glover gardens, a group of colonial style western buildings that have been assembled overlooking the harbour. We also went to the hypocentre of the a-bomb, and looked at the statues in the peace memorial park.

Hiroshima

A visit to the a-bomb site (1st picture is the cenotaph with the a-bomb dome visible through it, second is the a-bomb dome itself). Also, a watch in the museum, that was stopped on 08:15, when "Little Boy" was dropped.

Miyajima Island

One of the most scenic views in Japan, and a small train/ferry ride from Hiroshima, Miyajima island was a great day out. We were greeted by very tame deer when we got off the ferry, then caught a cable car 1/2 way up Mount Misen, after viewing the torri gate. We then walked up the rest of the mountain, to where I am pointing to... thankfully the view was worth it!

Snow in Takayama

Next stop - Takayama - much higher altitude, and snowy, which made a nice change, and made things feel a bit more like Christmas! There were outdoor hot spring baths (Onsen) at the hotel, which were nice to sit in, with snow hitting your face - the only drawback is the very fetching Yukata you wear to go to the baths!

Trip to Hakkone

A trip to Hakkone - to visit the outdoor art museum, and a walk up a hill to see the hot springs, where they boil eggs until they are black in the spring water.