Friday, September 15

On request: Nikko best pics

And as a tribute to my friend who joined me to Nikko for the tour of the Shrines and Temples, I need to post some of the best pictures from that trip. I hope you can also find some fun in the last picture, even though the term "money laundry" would have been more fun. :) I have also understood that most countries have only one embassy per foreign country, so I was quite amazed to see where France decided to place their embassy (Nikko). I guess this is where they stashed away Francois Miterrand and where they intend to place Jacques Chirac at the end of his reign...



Last weekend in Kappabashi

My last Sunday in Tokyo this time was spent in Kappabashi, looking for an "otemai" (wooden water cup) for the Macha (green tea) ritual. I found everything else but an otemai, so I decided to upload some pictures for the guide of others who are interested in visiting Asakusa and Kappabashi, the map is taken from the public road and the stores depict a good knife store as well as a rather new and discounted plate and mug store. I recommend a visit to them both.




Thursday, September 7

Hongkong Sept 4-6

Auditing a vendor can have certain advantages, this time we went to Hongkong and Guangdong in China. Not far from Shenzhen I realised I had been in these parts before; in 2004 I went to a small (for Chinese standards) town called Zhuhai in the same area. Anyway, the weather was hot and terribly humid, the food good, the language impossible but the company great. And getting out of China is almost harder than getting in, believe it or not when you have all the papers in order and still get the wrong VISA from the Chinese embassy in Tokyo who claim the invitation SIGNED by the Chinese government was not correct.



Saturday, September 2

Kegon Falls



... is an almost 100 m vertical drop waterfall near Chuzenji Lake. Beautiful and quite powerful as well.

Three monkeys


In Toshogu Shrine you find these small monkeys depicted on a building structure. Here is also a mausoleum of Ieyasu Tokugawa, the first Tokugawa Shogun.

Nikko


Nikko is a small town to the northwest of Tokyo. The town has many temples and is, in parts, listed as a world heritage. The most known locations include Lake Chuzenji, Futarasan shrine, Kegon Falls and Toshogu Shrine.