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Japan trip
Day 7 - 12th June - Kyoto, Amanohashidate (Part 1)
I spent 3 times as long in Japan as during the Hokkaido trip, spent about the same amount of money, saw a lot more and enjoyed myself much more. Tours suck.
A few of the sights in Kyoto require the permission of the Imperial Household Agency to visit. I didn't want to bother going down, not least due to my limited time and there being so many other things to see. After coming back I found out that you could apply online. Stupid Lonely Planet (unless you couldn't in 2006). Oh well, next time.
For today, I had planned Amanohashidate - one of the Nihon Sankei (Three Views of Japan). It's a sand spit that is the "Bridge of Heaven". The express train there didn't leave so early so I had time to visit another temple first.
Many elementary school boys walk around in trousers.
Fire station. Notice the wooden building in the background, half a block away. Very convenient if it burns down.
Hongwanji information plaque
Entrance gate
Unfortunately, like half the cultural buildings in Japan, Hongwanji was under renovation when I visited it. Oh well, something for next time.
Main hall (IIRC)
Hongwanji's Scripture Repository, and blurb
World Heritage Plaque
Carvings at side of one roof
Happily, photography was allowed inside. I was so happy I donated some money to them.
Altar
Lantern
Paper (?) Wrapping (?) for beams
Praying. Don't ask me why the schoolgirls were there at 8:30am (presumably it wasn't a school trip)
Wooden plaques. These seem to indicate various institutions.
Exit
Conflicting renovation notices (and obviously they'd overrun)
Karamon
Another stitch. You can do a HDR if you want.
Overhead bridge
Tower hotel
The Kyoto Train Station was a work of wrought steel.
The Limited Express Hashidate 1 - my ticket away from this place (for the day).
Stream seen on the way there
I started out at the town on the southern end of the sand spit.
Map of Amanohashidate
Drying fish
Mr Tako is very happy to be eaten (something similar to, but not as cute as this is already on the Flickr pool: Scary beings eating themselves. I added this and the next.
Takoyaki stand. They claim they're famous for takoyaki. Pfft. And presumably the stall owner uses the female octopus puppet to catch the males.
Drying octopuses. They look bizarre.
Drying seafood. Notice the fan - the sun presumably isn't enough.
Shore