After 2 days in Hong Kong, I flew into Tokyo where I spent a number of days, after Tokyo I went through the Hakone open air museum (a giant open museum founded by a religion/cult that sees art and beauty as a form of worship), Mt Fuji (which I climbed in a rainstorm at 12PM) the Japanese "alps" (pretty hiking area that was opened up by an Englishman), A bunch of small japanese towns, traditional Ryokans, Naoshima (artists island, containing one of the most amazing art museums i've seen in my life), an 18th century castle and finally Kyoto, traditional heart of Japan (and the former capital before the Tobunagawa shogunate).
Monk in Tokyo
![Image](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3474/3799670062_d14a1ae1b1.jpg)
Sushi restaurant
![Image](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3571/3798853527_a042615265.jpg)
I was hungry :). (Each plate was a small pile of Sushi on a conveyor belt)
IMG_0377
![Image](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3483/3799671358_7a03f5aa23.jpg)
It really is that bendy.
IMG_0385
![Image](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2495/3799672064_4fb03a43b1.jpg)
Tokyo building
IMG_0525
![Image](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2585/3799673214_c0109e582c.jpg)
The young people's street in Tokyo
Japanese symbology
![Image](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2426/3798856753_2e121c4996.jpg)
Bollocks and the Asian symbol. (It was on all the GPS location spots and temples).
It means love and/or tranquility or somesuch
Meows
![Image](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3523/3798857359_96507c8031.jpg)
IMG_0522
![Image](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2439/3799675574_299c45871d.jpg)
Tea ceremony pots
![Image](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3516/3799676280_c6daf35c21.jpg)
Stuff from a tea ceremony house
Condomania
![Image](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2655/3798859997_f1f1a8679d.jpg)
Condomania. Middle of a super busy street in the fashionable part of town.
It's exactly what you think.
IMG_0580
![Image](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3461/3799678000_5c33cda8a7.jpg)
Condomania shop
Bendy towers
![Image](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3425/3799678700_ecc4de617c.jpg)
IMG_0592
![Image](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3537/3799679640_e57d1747ee.jpg)
Tokyo fish market auctioneer
![Image](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3570/3798863099_bfeb370ab6.jpg)
Tokyo fish market auction
![Image](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2658/3799681410_a572ee7378.jpg)
The Tokyo fish market is the largest of the world (7 times the size of the Paris market!).
A fish can be flown in from Alaska, sold then shipped back to Alaska within 24 hours.
I was there at a 5AM auction (this is just one side of one hall)
IMG_0658
![Image](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2628/3799681858_ee595fcb85.jpg)
Fish tails
IMG_0659
![Image](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3488/3798865177_3975fb6dec.jpg)
Fish for sale
Butcher's Knife
![Image](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2649/3798865971_d32bfe90ac.jpg)
Fish knife in the Tokyo fish market. (I went there at 5AM for the auction)
Tentacles
![Image](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2633/3798866901_0ff4dbb5ec.jpg)
IMG_0742
![Image](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3501/3799685070_0abc86e8b7.jpg)
Evil Japanese cat
IMG_0751
![Image](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2535/3798868819_a8563a3bab.jpg)
Aerial view of Tokyo from my hotel window
IMG_0790
![Image](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3512/3799687198_681e800894.jpg)
IMG_0793
![Image](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2497/3799687952_98f7e6160b.jpg)
Stained glass tower from the inside
![Image](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3018/3798871509_0b12924114.jpg)
Taken in Hakone. I then climbed to the top
IMG_0827
![Image](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2473/3798871945_eccf6df1bd.jpg)
Hakone open air museum sculptures
Hakone gardener
![Image](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2482/3798872949_e83e46d7c6.jpg)
Hakone open air museum sculptures
![Image](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3478/3798874081_05cdb50460.jpg)
Hakone open air museum sculptures
IMG_0939
![Image](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3485/3799691998_4937224a68.jpg)
Monkeys
![Image](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3441/3799692778_13490663c8.jpg)
IMG_1086
![Image](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2593/3799693884_260affd825.jpg)
IMG_1143
![Image](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3581/3799694450_fae003401e.jpg)
the japanese alps
Hot springs
![Image](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3456/3798877883_f8f8489f1c.jpg)
Hot springs inside the hotel. Also had a cold water pool
IMG_1322
![Image](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2581/3798878617_6f6417ba91.jpg)
Grass picker inside a town
IMG_1356
![Image](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2633/3799696688_ed7b28b825.jpg)
Creepy Bunny & Toys
![Image](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2482/3798879833_8c568e56b1.jpg)
IMG_1465
![Image](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3525/3798880471_922593bc71.jpg)
Chubby little kid :)
IMG_1540
![Image](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2470/3799698250_7ba52c33d7.jpg)
Inside the astoundingly asthetic hotel in Naoshima.
IMG_1570
![Image](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2502/3798881383_5cfb2c11e2.jpg)
IMG_1587
![Image](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3422/3798882123_fab9b53286.jpg)
Anyone up for a Dresden files joke?
CC
![Image](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3532/3798883089_340bb9625d.jpg)
Wall in Naoshima
IMG_1593
![Image](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2665/3799701896_9dc4639751.jpg)
Wall in Naoshima
IMG_1601
![Image](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2509/3798885053_09f59615f4.jpg)
IMG_1733
![Image](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2634/3799702962_e4f3f840db.jpg)
Biggest gate in Kyoto! (Museum district)
IMG_1776
![Image](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2569/3799703876_2dc6b4bf4d.jpg)
Imperial gardens. (the Kyoto one, not the Tokyo one)
IMG_1845
![Image](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3475/3798887421_031e5db62f.jpg)
Rice pounding.
One man kneads the dough, the other one pounds it in between.
Good coordination
IMG_1879
![Image](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2600/3799705326_532a8aee2f.jpg)
Geisha on her way to work in Kyoto.
It's very important not get in there way on their way to work
IMG_1883
![Image](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2504/3798888899_018e5953c3.jpg)
Geisha in Kyoto.
Taken in the traditional Geisha area, not the touristy one
IMG_1864
![Image](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2573/3799706648_d7c493dda2.jpg)
Geisha in Kyoto.
Taken in the traditional Geisha area, not the touristy one
IMG_1905
![Image](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2624/3798890317_60ae770f46.jpg)
Ginza in Kyoto
IMG_1913
![Image](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2509/3798890937_af002c8e9a.jpg)
Rickshaw driver in a small town
IMG_1917
![Image](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2467/3798891473_b879fd6748.jpg)
IMG_1928
![Image](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3455/3798892111_74b49636db.jpg)
Geisha in Kyoto.
Taken in the traditional Geisha area, not the touristy one
IMG_0030
![Image](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2595/3798893319_7ffb0f3243.jpg)
Golden engraving on a pillar
IMG_0031
![Image](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2541/3799711100_be1337de77.jpg)
Engrish on a Kyoto drink machine
IMG_0258
![Image](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3501/3799712004_7c1ba15188.jpg)
Buddha statue
selection-13
![Image](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2598/3798895357_30799039d1.jpg)
selection-14
![Image](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2429/3798896443_737b8e73f3.jpg)
Nintendo's original location
selection-17
![Image](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3420/3798897183_f1d1f0a283.jpg)
selection-22
![Image](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3479/3798899135_a3ff1f4317.jpg)
Again, this is only a small selection due to the short attention span of various Japan-haters. It's because of the robot toilets, isn't it?