Nihon

Ok here is more highlights from my trip to Japan!!!

SO then we took the bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto..which I just loved. Kyoto was such a fun city with lots to see.

First we went to:



Here met an Australian couple...the man reminded me of Dr. Settle to the T. They were in Japan to do the first filming of a Shinto Wedding...COOL!

Where we learned a lot about Japanese Arts like:

The tea ceremony:



The musical instrument the Junanagen (I think):



Flower Arranging:



Imperial Dancing:



A Play:



Maikos dancing (aka Geisha-girls-in-training):



Lastly A Puppet Master (I really don't know the Japanese name)He was amazing and probably the best part of the entire show:



After our amazing education of Japanese arts we went to temples, shrines, and gardens.

Kiyomizu Temple (my favorite...but everything was my favorite):

The Gate (That's my fam):



Temples:







Buddha:



Beautiful Garden:



Turtle:



I tried to feed it a bean pancake and then the gardener warned me that it could snap off my finger...SCARY TURTLE

Lily Pads (SISTERS HEART):



Karate Kid:



Bridge:





Blue Crane:



The Golden Pavilion (Could I be anymore awkward?):



Ok then we went to Hiroshima. It was very different...the same different that you feel at Pearl Harbor. I don't really like that feeling, but I can respect it.

My favorite part was the tribute the children who lost their lives. Check it out:



A Crane made of cranes...WHOA:



We also went into the museum which was extensive and very well done. It had the same feeling as the Holocaust Museum in DC.

Before:



After:



Monument:



Whew I forgot how much we did. I guess I will have to do one more post after this to finish up the highlights.

And you know me I still have more to come...I haven't even talked about my family, the food, or the fun of it all.

Plus I will have a bonus with the best pics from the trip. YEAH.

much love

b.