Appendix to Previous Post; Pictures for September 5th to 8th

Sorry for the lack of updates this week but if you had read the previous post i've been forced to take a 1-week detour off my plan because my dad and younger brother Brandon are here to tour Japan. It (unfortunately) feels like i've been unofficially appointed as tour guide and program planner for their holiday so i've still been busy (and quite tired frankly) despite the fact that most of the travelling has been in a rented car. As for photos from the 9th to this point, well both of them don't want me putting their pictures online but i'll sort through the photo pile (and there are alot of pics because Brandon is real shutter-happy) eventually and pull out the nice ones that do not feature either of them.

September 5 pictures: Osaka -> Kyoto


Tourists flocking to the top of Kiyomizu Temple, Kyoto.


Kiyomizu temple steps and gate.

September 6th pictures: Kyoto -> Suzuka


Behind me is Lake Biwako, biggest lake in Japan. Unfortunately the area i chose to detour to the lake was decidedly un-scenic.

Instead of room numbers, the rooms in Suzuka are named. Very comfortable tatami rooms w/ futons and a very accomodating host made Suzuka one of my favourite stops so far.

September 7th and 8th pictures: Suzuka -> Nagoya


Sharing a dorm room with 2 others in a Youth Hostel.

Japanese metal band playing at Sakae street; unexpectedly entertaining!

Top left is a no-bicycle parking sign but... This seems to be the situation all over Japan (i myself have blatantly ignored it) and thankfully i have not encountered any enforcement of this no-parking law.

Oasis 21 shopping complex and Nagoya TV Tower in the background.

September 9th - 12th: Nagoya -> Takayama -> Toyama -> Nagano -> Tokyo

TO BE UPDATED IN THE NEXT POST. I think it's really true that a picture paints a thousand words so i'll let the pictures of these places do the talking. Thanks to Brandon for taking most of the pictures for these past few days and some of the scenery up in the mountains was simply spectacular!