Our new best friend in Takayama. Amazing miso grilled Hida beef on a leaf (we couldn't figure out what kind of leaf it was). One of the best meals we had in Japan. We also had a dried-fish soaked sake... fishy, savory, and steamy -- weird, but in a good way.

Snowy village. On the train ride. From Nagoya to Takayama.

Hida Folk Village, Takayama.
Skiing, Japanese folk-style...

Hida Folk Village, Takayama. In front of the frozen lake and Nishiokas' House. Its a typical house from the 14th C in the Hida region. The thick A frame roof is made for long harsh winters with heavy snowfall.

Arashiyama. Tunnel through the bamboo forest. Nothing like the bamboo forest in Taiwan, these are orderly and uniform bamboo with no unrulely branches.

Arashiyama. Tenryu Temple.

Nijo-jo in Kyoto. 4:26pm - doors close at 4:30.
A tokugawa castle, this is where they have the squeeky floors to prevent ninja assasins, they call them nightingale floors.
This was the 5th site we visited that day. Phew...

Kyoto: Ryoan-ji Temple

Rather beautiful impeccably maintained Zen Buddhist rock garden.