Japan 2012: Number One

I'm back from Japan! It was my sixth stay in Japan and the very first for such a brief time: Not even 6 full days! (We took the plane back to Germany early in the morning of the sixth day.)
And it was my first time in a group as I accompanied customers of my (not-so-new-anymore) employer.

Whew- what a week! On the second day I felt like I've been in Japan already for a week so much did we see. Our schedule was very Japanese-like-tight meaning we didn't have time to take a breath or go for a walk by ourselves for a bit. Shopping opportunities were also very rare.

But still I managed to get my new camera! In pink! Yay.

Mainly, we visited production factories. But as we weren't allowed to take pictures, I can't show you. Those factories were really very fascinating. Chaos and order, perfectly synchronized. ;)

One has to love the Japanese.

Photos (from the top):
1) Shinkansen arriving at Kyoto main station (which has a very magnificient building btw) in the early morning as viewed from my hotel room. The first picture with my new camera.
2) On the way to Kiyomizu dera in Kyoto. School children everywhere!
3) Dragon fountain at Kiyomizu dera. I take this picture everytime I visit. (It was my third time.)
4) School children enjoying ice cream after temple visit. These sailor suits remind me of my teenage years when I loved a certain Manga/ Anime series and desperately wanted a sailor style school uniform myself.
5) Garden at Heian Shrine in Kyoto. I just love Japanese gardens and the ones in Kyoto in particular!
6) Building next to the Golden Pavilion (kinkakuji) in Kyoto with a huge "Bonsai" shaped into a sailing ship. (Our fabulous Japanese guide said it was indeed a Bonsai, which is hard to believe considering the enormous side.)
7) School children (there actually are schools in Japan without an uniform!) with a deer in front of the Todaiji temple in Nara. The deer belong to Nara and roam about the park freely. The tourists love them - but they can be a little tricky when they try to chew through your backpack.
8) Scene at dusk in Nara.
9) View from a hotel room at our hotel in Tokyo.
10) View of the bay of Tokyo when driving over the famous rainbow bridge.

I'm doing this tour again in two weeks - so I'll be back with more pictures.

Foxy Greetings.