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These are in the vicinity of Kisarazu, a city in Chiba, east of Tokyo. We were staying there with friends before beginning our travels. Some of these photos (throughout this travelogue) are of signs and labels which made me laugh because of their use of English. The picture of the toilet is there to illustrate the complexity of the typical toilet in Japan.        Now we're traveling in the areas around Tokyo, visiting a Kirin whiskey distillery, a traditional village, Mt. Fuji (which was so fogged in we couldn't see it at all), and a museum that had beautiful hand-dyed and hand-stitched kimonos (but which did not allow photography inside).         We're back in Kisarazu now. The first photo is the best photo I got of Mt. Fuji, despite having driven up it and down it and all around it; if you can see it at all, you've passed your vision test for today. After that, we're going to a cafe, visiting our friend Mariko's ancestor's tomb, and visiting Mariko's father's home town (which had a wonderful garden tended by a friend of Mariko's father, which we strolled through). The final shot is of a $50 bento box prepared by Mariko's mother's restaurant in Kisarazu.             These are in Tokyo. The first one (a mechanical flagman whose arm waves back and forth) we saw on the street. The rest are at Yoyogi Park, where young folks get dressed up in costumes and hang out for fun.        Heading out from Kisarazu to start our journeys. The first photo is a sign on the building next to the bus station that is funny to me (but perhaps not to you). The second photo is Mariko and her parents, seeing us off at the bus stop.   On the shinkansen to Kobe!  Part 2: Kobe & Himeji |
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