Tsuruhashi Fugestu-Okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki is kind of a Japanese Pizza. It's a mixture of vegtables, meat, shellfish, mayo, plum sauce, eggs, and a few things that I've forgotten. What is very important though is that it's cooked. If you're seeking a meal that's a little different, but good, and hot, then this is the dish for you. Order a beer and relax. My customer enjoyed it so much he tried to take some home with him!

Read all about it here:
http://www.ideaosaka.co.jp/web/english/okonomiyaki/index.html

Kyoto at Night

Kyoto is actually a fairly large city with a population of about 1.7 million. While the temples and the temple area may be the bread and butter of the tourist business, there's a whole different (and modern) side to Kyoto.

Kyoto-Nijo Castle

Nijo castle was one of my favorite places that I've visited in Japan. Time was tight, so we only had about an hour at this site. It's a former Shogun residence dating back to 1603. It was facinating to learn a little bit about what it was like to live in a Shogun residence.



Many bells like this are only rung once a year, on New Year Eve and New Years day. They're run a certain number of times starting on New Years Eve and continuing into New Year's day. I tend to visit sites like this when the crowds are nill. I've seen pictures of this place (and others like it) on New Year's Day and they are mobbed with people.

Kyoto-Hozugawa River Ride

I rode the Hozugawa river in the middle of the winter with a customer. (The only way I would have rode down this river was with a customer!) The river seemed quite dirty, and there was a fair amount of trash on the edge of the water. I did see monkeys wandering along the side of the river. It was more interesting than fun. I stayed close to the heater.

I knew the boat was small, but it wasn't until the boat pulled away from the dock that I fully realized how small it was. It was (almost) laughable how much money we paid for the boat ride. I say "we" in a collective sense. Since I was with a customer, my company paid. I don't think it would be worth it to pay out of the personal pocket.

Truth

Look closely at the sign. You'll notice that inside the building is the Non-smoking area. Extrapolate that information. This is why I consider Japan to be Asia's ashtray.