13 April: Tokyo - sunset view from The Hotel New Otani
13 April: Tokyo - in the garden of the Hotel New Otani
13 April: Tokyo - Eileen, girl about town!
14 April: Tokyo - the garden of the Hotel New Otani
14 April: Tour Manager Frances, with local guide Ted
14 April: Tokyo - Odaibo district, overlooking Tokyo bay and Rainbow Bridge
14 April: Tokyo - Tsukiji Fish Market
14 April: Tokyo - near Tsukiji Fish Market
14 April: Tokyo - near Tsukiji Fish Market. Alan eating seaweed
14 April: Tokyo - statue of Kusunoki Masashige, 14th-century Samurai warrior
14 April: Tokyo - as much as we could see of the Imperial Palace
14 April: Tokyo - the famous Shibuya Crossing, the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world
14 April: Tokyo - time for lunch
14 April: Tokyo - Mario Go Karts
14 April: Tokyo - the Meiji Shrine
14 April: Tokyo - the Meiji Shrine. A wedding
14 April: Tokyo - the Meiji Shrine. Sake barrels for consecration
14 April: Tokyo - the Meiji Shrine. Burgundy wine for consecration
14 April: Tokyo - the Honda showroom, with an impressive performance from Asimo the robot
14 April: Tokyo - the Honda showroom, Alan with the NSX
15 April: Ted, our guide!
15 April: Tokyo - the Sensoji Temple
15 April: Tokyo - the Sensoji Temple. Breathing in the smoke from the incense.
15 April: Tokyo - the Edo Museum
15 April: Tokyo - a stop at the garden bar/cafe in the Mitsukoshi department store in the Ginza district
15 April: Tokyo - store and its top-deck garden in Ginza 6
15 April: Tokyo - store and its top-deck garden in Ginza 6. Air-con!
15 April: Tokyo - Uni-qlo store from top-deck store garden in Ginza 6.
15 April: Tokyo - metro back to our hotel
16 April: Tokyo - view of the revolving restaurant of the Hotel New Otani, from our hotel window
16 April: Lake Kawaguchiko
16 April: View from the top of the Kachi Kachi Yama Ropeway
16 April: Mount Fuji, in cloud, seen (just about!) from the top of the Kachi Kachi Yama Ropeway
16 April: Kachi Kachi Yama Ropeway
16 April: Mount Fuji, in cloud
16 April: Boat on Lake Ashi to Hakone
16 April: View from boat on Lake Ashi to Hakone
16 April: Hakone Hotel
16 April: In the wood-working shop next to the Hakone Hotel
16 April: Alan & Eileen (nearly) ready for their nude hot bath sessions with other guests!
17 April: Misty morning views of Lake Ashi from Hakone Hotel
17 April: Catching the Bullet train (Shinkansen) from Mishima to Nagoya (change for Hiroshima)
17 April: Collecting Obrento boxes (lunch packs) at Mishima station
17 April: Examples of Obento boxes
17 April: Catching the bullet train (Shinkansen) from Mishima to Nagoya (change for Hiroshima)
17 April: On the bullet train (Shinkansen) from Mishima to Nagoya (change for Hiroshima)
17 April: On the Bullet train (Shinkansen) from Mishima to Nagoya
17 April: Bullet train at Nagoya
17 April: Arriving at Hiroshima
17 April: On the island of Miyajima
17 April: The Torii Gate at the Itsukushima Shinto Shrine
17 April: Itsukushima Shinto Shrine
17 April: A 'Noh' theatre performance at the Itsukushima Shinto Shrine
17 April: Garden at a bakery in Itsukushima Shrine town
17 April: Buying grilled oysters in Itsukushima Shrine town
17 April: Enjoying (?) grilled oysters in Itsukushima Shrine town
17 April: Night-time view from the Sheraton
18 April: Hiroshima Peace Museum and Park. The 'Peace Watch'
18 April: Hiroshima Peace Museum and Park. Talk by A-bomb survivor Yazuko Kondo
18 April: Hiroshima Peace Museum and Park. Museum exhibit
18 April: Hiroshima Peace Museum and Park
18 April: Hiroshima Peace Museum and Park. Schoolshildren presenting their symbolic origami cranes to the shrine
18 April: Hiroshima Peace Museum and Park - The Dome, preseved as a lasting reminder of the A-bomb
18 April: Hiroshima - the Shukkeien Garden
18 April: On the streetcar bound for supper in Hiroshima
18 April: On our way to supper in Hiroshima
18 April: Supper in Hiroshima - Okonomi-yaki (delicious pancakes filled with all-sorts)
19 April: Okayama Castle and Korakuen Gardens. Crane
19 April: Okayama Castle and Korakuen Gardens
19 April: Okayama Castle
19 April: View from Okayama Castle
19 April: Okayama Castle and Korakuen Gardens. Young couple being photographed
19 April: Okayama Castle and Korakuen Gardens. Another young couple being photographed!
19 April: The Kyoto tower at night
19 April: Eileen in Kyoto Station
19 April: Dining in the Koke Kokko grill at the top of the Isetan department store in Kyoto station
19 April: The Kyoto Tower at night
20 April: Kyoyo - view of the station from hotel. Bullet train departing
20 April:
20 April: Nijo-jo Castle
20 April: At Nijo-jo Castle. Gold-plated ice cream (yes, really!)
20 April: Bamboo Forest at Arashiyama
20 April: Arashiyama
20 April: Arashiyama. Couple posing for photographs by river
20 April: Arashiyama. 'Cosplay' girl in the station
20 April: Kyoto - Rioanji Temple
20 April: Kyoto - The Golden Pavilion
20 April: Kyoto - theatre at the famous Gion Corner
20 April: Kyoto - kimono girl at the famous Gion Corner
20 April: Kyoto - kimonos at the famous Gion Corner
20 April: Kyoto - the famous Gion Corner, theatrical performance
20 April: View from the observation deck of the Kyoto Tower
21 April: Hi-tech Toilet seat!
21 April: Our second guide, Junko, on the bus
21 April: Kyoto - Fushimi-Inari Shrine
21 April: Kyoto - Fushimi-Inari Shrine. The 'thousand Torii gates' as featured in 'Memoirs of a Geisha'
21 April: Kyoto - Fushimi-Inari Shrine. The 'thousand Torii gates'
21 April: Kyoto - Fushimi-Inari Shrine. The 'thousand torii gates' as featured in 'Memoirs of a Geisha'
21 April:
21 April: Nara - Todaiji Buddhist Temple
21 April: Lunchtime around Nara station - trees in blossom
21 April: Nara - Kasuga Shrine
21 April: Kyoto - Century Hotel
21 April: Kyoto Tower
22 April: Kyoto - Century Hotel
22 April: Kyoto - The Philosopher's Path
22 April: Kyoto - Ginkakuji Shrine
22 April: Kyoto - Flower Arranging class, Eileen
22 April: Kyoto - Flower Arranging class, Eileen and Celia with teacher Mieko Namura
22 April: Kyoto - Tea Ceremony lesson
22 April: Kyoto metro
22 April: Kyoto - at the Ryokan traditional hotel
23 April: Kyoto - at the Ryokan traditional hotel
23 April: Kyoto - around the Gion
23 April: Kyoto - around the Gion. Poster-girl
23 April: Kyoto - photography exhibition (part of the Kyoto Festival of Photography)
23 April: Bullet Train from Kyoto to Shinagawa (for Tokyo Airport hotel)
24 April: Catching the shuttle bus to the international departures terminal, for the long flight home