First post before I fly

As I write this, I am 6 hrs away from my 1 month trip 'explorer' trip in Japan! This is the 20th time I fly to the country, so I am not there to explore the usual suspects or to do the typical touristy things. If you care to know how a 300 yr old traditional Japanese house in a snowy Unesco heritage place looks like (I hope it is still snowing!), or how snowboarding in the alpines is like, or maybe...how staying in a temple in Kyoto is like...watch this space :)

As a prelude to this adventure, here are some shots in various parts of Japan I have experienced which can only partly explain why I love it so much already.

Itsukushima Shinto Shrine (Miyajima, Hiroshima)

Torii Gate (Miyajima, Hiroshima)

Biei (Hokkaido) on 3rd week of July, 2008

Outside our inn at Biei (Hokkaido)

The A-Bomb remains (Hiroshima)

Mt. Fuji (view from Hakone)

Sanja Matsuri (Asakusa, Tokyo)

Children at the Matsuri (Asakusa, Tokyo)

Nightlife at Shinjuku (Tokyo)

of course, Japanese cuisine (taken at Hokkaido)

And to top it all off...

Sanja Matsuri (Asakusa, Tokyo)

Japan is a FUN place to be in! :)