Japan 2006

Here's our itinerary, in the order of perambulation. (For details of what we did, check out "Other observations" on the sidebar.)

1. Tokyo (Although devastated by the Great Earthquake of 1923 and again by fire-bombing during World War II, Tokyo is today home to 11 million people, including these nighttime crowds at Shibuya.)



2. Dewa Sanzan (Dewa Sanzan, or Three Sacred Mountains of Dewa, maintains the oldest tradition of mountain worship in Japan. Ascetic devotees called Yamabushi--and scads of elderly pilgrims--worship at the mountain-top shrines.)



3. Nikko (The shrines and temples at Nikko were reconstructed in the 17th century for the worship of the Edo Period Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu.)



4. Kyoto (The former capital of Japan--it has it all--temples, gardens, geishas, shopping, museums--when can we go back?)



5. Nara (Home of the world's largest wooden building, currently in its third--and smallest--iteration. The capital of Japan from AD 710 to 784, the royal complex at Nara was constructed incorporating Chinese and Korean aesthetic and religious influences.)



6. Koyasan (Center of Shingon Buddhism, a sect which was introduced to Japan in 805 by Kobo Daishi. This small mountain-top town houses over one hundred temples.)



7. Himeji (Japan's best preserved feudal castle dates from 1609.)



8. Hiroshima (The city has been entirely rebuilt following the destruction of the atomic bomb.)


9. Fukuoka (Center of administration and economy in the Kyushu region--and very hot and humid!)