Sapporo

We arrived in Sapporo on December 22nd and were immediately hit with a snow storm.  It wasn't a big one for the people of Sapporo, but for those of us from North Carolina, it was a big deal!  We had fun and were thankful the city didn't shut down like our town would have!

 We have now met up with another lady and her son as well...here are my two original travel mates, and the son of our other friend enjoying the snow.  We walked over to the convenience store to grab some snacks after lunch.

 A common site at intersections was these containers with packets of a salt mixture.  If you felt the sidewalk was slick, you could use some to help keep it safe for everyone.  What a neat idea!

 The next day, we went to the site of the Winter Olympics in 1972...the ski jump!  It was very cool to see, and I was shocked at how tall the jump was!  I don't know why one day you'd wake up and decide to jump!

 Another view...there is a chair lift going up the left hand side...the wind was blowing pretty strong, so it was not working...

 We waited in the museum/cafe/gift shop for a while to see if the wind would die down enough for it to run, but it did not.  We enjoyed yummy soft cream though.  Hokkaido is known for dairy, and their soft cream is delicious!

 We took the bus back down the mountain and found a shrine.  This is a Shinto shrine, and the others we've seen thus far have been Buddhist.  I am not sure the true differences, and other than not seeing a statue of a Buddha, I could not tell a difference.

 Of course they have the cute lanterns that I love so much...it was neat to see them in the snow.  You may need to biggify, but the trees in the background are braced up...many in the town were like this, so we figured it was to protect against the weight of the snow over the winter.  Some of you in the northern climates may see similar things in your area, but this was new to us.

 The actual shrine...there was a wedding party about to come out, hence the photographer.

 Lunch the next day, and we tried the melon soda...it is quite green and quite delicious!

 Venturing around Sapporo more...the clocktower is a recommended site...it was smaller than I was expecting.

 For Christmas, the tradition is to eat KFC, sushi, and strawberry shortcake...here are some Christmas cakes for sale...

The last day in Sapporo, Christmas Day, we went to Odori park, and went up in the tv tower.  This picture shows the park from the tower.  At night it is all lit up with pretty lights!  Right now, due to the earthquake and tsunami, the country is conserving energy where they can, so the illumination area is only about half the size and density from previous years, according to the taxi driver.  This is talso the area where the snow festival will take place in February. 

We flew back to Tokyo this day, so that's where we'll be tomorrow...

Kyoto

After spending the morning in Kobe, we grabbed a Bento box, ate lunch on the train and headed to Kyoto...the ride was about 1 hour.

 Once in Kyoto, we headed off to one of our favorite temples, Kiyomizu-deru.  You need to take the city bus to the area, and then walk a ways to get to the temple.  Thankfully, there are plenty of things to see along the way...like this old gate.  I love the mix of old and new that you find in Japan.

 Before you get to the temple, there is a huge hill to climb...the Japanese were smart, and put shops and restaurants all along this hill...we stopped often for a rest and snack!  This gate is the first thing you see when you make it up the hill...it is a welcomed site!

 Smaller buildings around the main temple...I love the roof lines and the small lanterns...

 There are quite a few buildings and structures that make up this temple...this building holds a bell...

 In the background you can see that part of the temple is under construction.  They cover things completely to do renovations...The color of the buildings is called Vermillion.  It is supposed to ward off evil spirits in the night.

                                
 Handwashing is an important step at temples...neat ornate fountains are stationed at the entrance to the more important buildings.  Be warned though...the water is VERY COLD!!

 Another lantern...and you can see the construction in the background...

 Beautiful blooming trees...

 This temple is built on the side of a hill...the structure is amazing...the color is a bit weird because the sun was setting...

 You walk down the other side of the hill and find these fountains...they are for drinking and luck.  Each stream is for something different, like good grades, health, wealth, etc...We bought a cup to use to drink from, and decided to try them all :)  Extra luck can't be bad, now can it?

Continuing our journey to the front of the temple, and trying to find those shops we passed on the way up...I turned around and saw part of the pagoda extending above the trees...so pretty.

This temple, and some shopping are all we did in Kyoto this time...we were only there a few hours.  After dinner, we boarded the train and headed back to our hotel in Osaka.  The next day, we had an early flight to Sapporo, so that's where we'll be tomorrow...stay tuned!

Osaka, Nara and Kobe

The next day, we took the Shinkansen (Bullet Train) to Osaka.  We had a pass and could use the trains as much as we wanted for 7 days.  On the way to Osaka, we passed Mount Fuji. 

 Mount Fuji from the train windows...the weather cooperated with us!  We arrived in Osaka, and checked into the hotel.  Then it was off to the town of Nara...

 In Nara, we fed the deer...they are friendly and sacred animals here.  We all enjoyed feeding them...except when they would bite you because you weren't fast enough handing out the crackers!!

 Todaiji Temple is one of the largest wooden structures in the world.  It was neat to see, and we enjoyed touring around inside.  We were fortunate that very few people were there, so we could take our time.

 Inside the temple is a large Buddha statue...

 They were starting a renovation project and needed funding...you could purchase a roof tile for 1000yen (about $10) and paint a message on it...this is my tile.

 After Nara, we went back to Osaka and found dinner.  This noodle shop is just awesome!!  It is in an area of town called Namba, and we loved it! 

 The next morning we went to Kobe to visit a cat store we had found on the previous trip to Japan in 2008.  We were excited it was still there...once again, we stimulated the economy :)

Waiting outside until the cat store opened, we enjoyed these pretty gardens...I was surprised at some of the flowers that were still blooming.  Many that would have long stopped for the winter back home, were still going strong.  The weather seemed just as cold as back home, so I don't know what the difference would be.

Tomorrow we'll visit Kyoto...we hope you are enjoying these photos.

Kamakura and Yokohama

On our first free day, we did a day trip to Kamakura, and then stopped at Yokohama for dinner.

 Here are the two ladies I traveled with at the Big Buddha statue in Kamakura at the Kotokuin Temple.  This statue was constructed in 1252.  It was fun to walk around and look at the various gardens and buildings.

 I love these cute laterns...they come in all shapes and sizes.

 I enjoy walking around the temple areas...sometimes I find the smaller outbuildings to be more interesting than the main structure...

 Walking back to the train, we saw this neat shop/house with a cool blue roof!

 This cat store made us all very happy...we stimulated the economy in there!

We stopped at Yokohama for dinner.  Their Chinatown is known for steamed buns...we ate several types and they were divine!

Tomorrow we head to Osaka, Nara and Kyoto...

Stay tuned...

Mancats are Tired

The mancats are worn out after having mom gone for so long...we think we'll let her blog this week about her trip.  We hope you enjoy the pictures of Japan.

 The first day we were in the country, we attended an event called Jump Festa.  It is a big anime event, promoting new releases and what I would consider a customer appreciation event.  It was fun.  We knew several voice actors from the convention we work with in Raleigh, and they helped us get special staff badges.  This was really nice because the line to get into the event was at least a three hour wait!  We walked right in with our badges and started our day.  There are many anime with cats in them, so I focused on those...this little red kitty was having a good time!

 This grey kitty was a bit disgruntled about appearing with so many people...he tried to be a good sport though...

 This stuffed kitty caught our eye...you could pre-order him, but they do not ship to the US...we were out of luck!  We are going to try and find a way to order him though...he is too cute!

Here's a closer shot. 

Tomorrow we'll have some actual scenery, as we visited Kamakura and Yokohama...enjoy!

Secret Paws

Our Secret Paws package arrived while mom was in Japan.  We bugged her the minute she arrived home to open it...she caved in and we opened it yesterday!  We were all excited to see who sent our gift to us...it was Laila and Minchie!!  

 Tanner was most excited about the nip nanner!  He loved to lick it all over...

 The fevver balls were a hit too...they really fly across the room!

 Devon loved the nip nanner too when he got a turn...

 Cousin Sophie loved the treats and the mice...

 Tanner took a nap with his fevver ball...

 Devon tried to squeeze into the box...he was too big.

 Smokey chowed down on the treats...Beachside Crunch is his favorite!

 Hey, I'm all out over here...I need some more please...

I'll get in this box if it's the last thing I do...

Thanks Laila and Minchie...we love all our gifts!!