Zenkoji Temple, Nagano, Japan
Zenkoji Temple in Nagano offers a variety of religious images best taken in context.
Matsumoto Castle, Matsumoto, Japan
We toured the castle at Matsumoto, which is entirely made out of wood, btw, while we waited for the light to swing around and hit the “good” side of the…
The Temples of Nikko, Japan
The temples of Nikko, Japan are some of the most ornate in Japan. The Nikko shrines were built by the Tokugawa Shoguns in the17th to 19th Centuries.
Getting Lost in Tokyo
We had a notion that Japan was going to be a bit, shall we say, inscrutable. And we were right. There’s something about not having an alphabet so foreigners can…
Roadside Shinto Shrine, Nikko, Japan
This Shinto shrine was tucked into a hillside right next to the highway. Nikko is the home to some of the most distinctive Shinto shrines in Japan.
The Layered Look of Tokyo
I know now that my assumptions were wrong. I was thinking of Japan as a leader in high tech industry, as a center of fashion, as an international power, and…
National Championships, Sumo Wrestling, Tokyo
For some reason the first day of the national Sumo Wrestling tournament in Tokyo reminded me a bit of bullfighting in Spain. There's a lot of traditional pomp, a lot…
Our Very Own Guided Tour of England
Who doesn't love the information imparted by a zealous local who guides you around their turf like a friend. Even better if he or she is a friend. Oliver Nicholson…
Haleakala Volcano Crater, Maui, Hawaii
The crater at the Haleakala Volcano National Park on Maui was not made by an eruption, but by the constant erosion of the wind and rain in the time since…