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"At first observation, Tokyo reveals two basic characterisitics: firstly, it appears as a chaotic, cyclonic mass; secondly, it is formed almost entirely of new, or at least recently constructed buildings. What justifies the analogy with a cyclone is the city's chaotic, dynamic and boundless bulk, and the shock the unprepared visitor thus undergoes. In addition, everything seems to revolve, vortex-like, around an empty nucleus - the eye of the storm - formed by the Imperial Palace and the large park surrounding it." Livio Sacchi
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| To Kansai | Lunch | Tokyo, Omotosando | |
| Kyoto | Osaka! | Nezu museum garden | |
| Kyoto, folliage | Osaka, Shinsaibashi | Shibuya crossing | |
| Kyoto, Prince Hotel | Osaka AM | Shibuya 109 | |
| Fushimi Shrine | Osaka, Umeda | Shibuya, dinner | |
| Tsukemono | Tokyo Return | "Live House" | |
| Sanzenin | Tokyo return | Hello, Sunagin! | |
| Gion | Tokyo, shopping | Greenway at night | |
| Pontocho | Tokyo, lights | ||
| Nishiki Market | Mt. Mitake vicinity | ||
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Click on any for a larger view
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To Kansai
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Without delay - to Kyoto
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276 _10Nov22-nih10_1850 Buying shinkansen tickets. That's Obaachan with her old person cart.
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276 _10Nov22-nih10_2140 The splendid Kyoto train station
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276 _10Nov22-nih10_2145
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277 _10Nov22-nih10_2146
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277 _10Nov22-nih10_2147
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278 _10Nov22-nih10_2149
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278 _10Nov22-nih10_2310 Used bookstore near Setsuko's
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To Kansai
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At a little known shrine, famorite of Setsuko's
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279 _10Nov23-nih10_0010
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279 _10Nov23-nih10_0011
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280 _10Nov23-nih10_0011a
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281 _10Nov23-nih10_0012
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281 _10Nov23-nih10_0015
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281 _10Nov23-nih10_0018
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282 _10Nov23-nih10_0021
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To Kansai
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After dinner with Tatsushi at the Prince Hotel, Kyoto
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7 _10Nov22-nih10_1638
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To Kansai
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Fushimi shrine (famed for torii and for foxes)
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283 _10Nov23-nih10_1832
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283 _10Nov23-nih10_1838b
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283 _10Nov23-nih10_1854
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284 _10Nov23-nih10_1854a
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284 _10Nov23-nih10_1919
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285 _10Nov23-nih10_1924
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286 _10Nov23-nih10_1926
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286 _10Nov23-nih10_1928
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287 _10Nov23-nih10_1931a
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287 _10Nov23-nih10_1937 Those rocks must embody powerful spirits.
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288 _10Nov23-nih10_2004 Nearly everybody in Japan visits in this season (it seems)
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289 _10Nov23-nih10_2005
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290 _10Nov23-nih10_2008
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290 _10Nov23-nih10_2011
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290 _10Nov23-nih10_2023a
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To Kansai
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Lunch at famous Tsukemono factory
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290 _10Nov23-nih10_2205 Look closer!
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291 _10Nov23-nih10_2206
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To Kansai
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Sanzenin Temple
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292 _10Nov23-nih10_2259 Along the approach
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303 _10Nov23-nihon10_2305 Jizos.
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303 _10Nov23-nihon10_2305a More Jizos.
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293 _10Nov23-nih10_2308 The stairs just outside the temple wall
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294 _10Nov23-nih10_2309
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303 _10Nov23-nihon10_2309
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295 _10Nov23-nih10_2310
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296 _10Nov23-nih10_2315
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296 _10Nov23-nih10_2316
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297 _10Nov23-nih10_2316a
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298 _10Nov23-nih10_2316b
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299 _10Nov23-nih10_2317
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299 _10Nov23-nih10_2319
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301 _10Nov23-nih10_2322
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303 _10Nov23-nihon10_2324 This garden is the "pond viewing" type.
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303 _10Nov23-nihon10_2325
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303 _10Nov23-nihon10_2326
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303 _10Nov23-nihon10_2328
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303 _10Nov23-nihon10_2329
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303 _10Nov23-nihon10_2329a
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303 _10Nov23-nihon10_2330
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303 _10Nov23-nihon10_2334
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302 _10Nov23-nih10_2335
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303 _10Nov23-nihon10_2337
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303 _10Nov23-nihon10_2338
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303 _10Nov23-nihon10_2348
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303 _10Nov23-nihon10_2353
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312 _10Nov24-nihon10_0015
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312 _10Nov24-nihon10_0015a
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312 _10Nov24-nihon10_0015b
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303 _10Nov24-nih10_0017
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To Kansai
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Gion street after dusk (the Geisha district)
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305 _10Nov24-nih10_0342 On the prowl to spot Geisha.
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7 _10Nov23-nih10_1505
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8 _10Nov23-nih10_1507
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To Kansai
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Dinner at Pontocho akachochin
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306 _10Nov24-nih10_0445 Pontocho is the old, impossibly narrow street paralleling the river; nearly all restaurants.
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308 _10Nov24-nih10_0448
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To Kansai
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Nishiki market arcade, Kyoto, before the crowds
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9 _10Nov24-nih10_0518
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309 _10Nov24-nih10_1804
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312 _10Nov24-nihon10_1803
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312 _10Nov24-nihon10_1804
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312 _10Nov24-nihon10_1811
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310 _10Nov24-nih10_1808
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312 _10Nov24-nihon10_1830
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312 _10Nov24-nihon10_1830a
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To Kansai
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Lunch at renowned chicken restaurant near Setsuko's
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311 _10Nov24-nih10_2205
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To Kansai
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Family gathering at Tomonari's place, new building, in Osaka
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312 _10Nov25-nih10_0232a
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313 _10Nov25-nih10_0233
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314 _10Nov25-nih10_0234
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316 _10Nov25-nih10_0235a
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317 _10Nov25-nih10_0235c
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318 _10Nov25-nih10_0535b
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319 _10Nov25-nih10_0536
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320 _10Nov25-nih10_0536e
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321 _10Nov25-nih10_0600
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322 _10Nov25-nih10_0601
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323 _10Nov25-nih10_0606
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324 _10Nov25-nih10_0606a
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To Kansai
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Shinsaibashi, nearly midnight on a Thursday
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325 _10Nov25-nih10_0711
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331 _10Nov25-nihon10_0711 Signifying fugu delirium.
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331 _10Nov25-nihon10_0712a "Tokyo people 'die' for clothes but Osaka people 'die' for food."
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331 _10Nov25-nihon10_0717
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To Kansai
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Breakfast, and tour of the new building
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326 _10Nov25-nih10_1709
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331 _10Nov25-nihon10_1753 Roof garden on level 8.
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328 _10Nov25-nih10_1756
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To Kansai
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Umeda station - above ground view
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329 _10Nov25-nih10_1940
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330 _10Nov25-nih10_1941a
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Tokyo Return
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"Franco Purini once said that Tokyo proves that God does not exist. This is a credible thesis if you consider the city's chaotic conformation, its lack of any hierarchical structure, its unbridled consumerism, the impenetrability of its ethical and spiritual dimension - if such a dimension exists." Livio Sacchi
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331 _10Nov28-nih10_0040 Park near Koichi's residence
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331 _10Nov28-nih10_0126 Light display near Koichi's
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Tokyo Return
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Shopping in Ginza
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332 _10Nov28-nih10_2306 Lunch at Tsukiji, resturant wedged in the gap between two corrugated steel sheds.
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332 _10Nov28-nih10_2332
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332 _10Nov28-nih10_2341
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10 _10Nov28-nih10_0937 Priest awaiting alms, in the middle of Ginza
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332 _10Nov29-nih10_0117 Night falls on Ginza
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333 _10Nov29-nih10_0121a
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334 _10Nov29-nih10_0124
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335 _10Nov29-nih10_0127b
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Tokyo Return
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Illumination in Roppongi
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336 _10Nov29-nih10_0224
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337 _10Nov29-nih10_0224a
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337 _10Nov29-nih10_0225
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337 _10Nov29-nih10_0232
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338 _10Nov29-nih10_0234
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339 _10Nov29-nih10_0236a
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340 _10Nov29-nih10_0237
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341 _10Nov29-nih10_0240a
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342 _10Nov29-nih10_0252
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343 _10Nov29-nih10_0256
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344 _10Nov29-nih10_0257a
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345 _10Nov29-nih10_0301
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346 _10Nov29-nih10_0301a
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Tokyo Return
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Near Mt. Mitake, a day with Yoshimura and Itsuko
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347 _10Nov29-nih10_2103 The station, just opposite Yoshimura's house.
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348 _10Nov29-nih10_2143 Making soba
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348 _10Nov29-nih10_2154
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349 _10Nov29-nih10_2154b
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350 _10Nov29-nih10_2154c
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350 _10Nov29-nih10_2155
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351 _10Nov29-nih10_2157
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352 _10Nov29-nih10_2157a
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353 _10Nov29-nih10_2241 Enjoying the river
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353 _10Nov29-nih10_2242
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353 _10Nov29-nih10_2245
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353 _10Nov29-nih10_2313
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354 _10Nov29-nih10_2313a
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354 _10Nov29-nih10_2314
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354 _10Nov29-nih10_2322
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354 _10Nov29-nih10_2343 The sake plant
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354 _10Nov29-nih10_2343a
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354 _10Nov29-nih10_2344
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354 _10Nov30-nih10_0008 Kanzakura near the Onsen. It blooms in winter.
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355 _10Nov30-nih10_0009
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356 _10Nov30-nih10_0152 Preparing dinner, the Olde Fashion
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356 _10Nov30-nih10_0152a
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356 _10Nov30-nih10_0156
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356 _10Nov30-nih10_0200a Powering up the hot charcoal (this process went on for a while)
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357 _10Nov30-nih10_0217b
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357 _10Nov30-nih10_0229a
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358 _10Nov30-nih10_0239a
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359 _10Nov30-nih10_0239c
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360 _10Nov30-nih10_0327 While waiting for the fish, savoring Yoshimura's legacy sword
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361 _10Nov30-nih10_0327a
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361 _10Nov30-nih10_0327b
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362 _10Nov30-nih10_0328
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362 _10Nov30-nih10_0328a
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363 _10Nov30-nih10_0329
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363 _10Nov30-nih10_0356 Fish nearly ready
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364 _10Nov30-nih10_0415
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Tokyo Return
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Omotosando, headed for museum
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365 _10Nov30-nih10_1830 Designer Row, in Omotesando
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365 _10Nov30-nih10_1831a
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366 _10Nov30-nih10_1831b
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366 _10Nov30-nih10_1832a
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Tokyo Return
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The tea garden of the Nezu museum
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367 _10Nov30-nih10_2006a
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367 _10Nov30-nih10_2007a
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367 _10Nov30-nih10_2008
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367 _10Nov30-nih10_2011a
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367 _10Nov30-nih10_2012
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368 _10Nov30-nih10_2014
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368 _10Nov30-nih10_2015
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368 _10Nov30-nih10_2025
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369 _10Nov30-nih10_2026a
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369 _10Nov30-nih10_2032
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369 _10Nov30-nih10_2032a
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Tokyo Return
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Shibuya crossing - highways and pedestraian overpasses.
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246 _10Dec01-nih10_0152a The below-ground is far more complicated.
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247 _10Dec01-nih10_0152b
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248 _10Dec01-nih10_0152c
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249 _10Dec01-nih10_0152e
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250 _10Dec01-nih10_0152f
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251 _10Dec01-nih10_0153b
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252 _10Dec01-nih10_0153d
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253 _10Dec01-nih10_0153e
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Tokyo Return
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Shibuya, in front of the 109 building
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11 _10Nov30-nih10_1322 Always a pleasure to see Hatchiko.
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254 _10Dec01-nih10_0200a Approaching the 109 building
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255 _10Dec01-nih10_0200b
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256 _10Dec01-nih10_0201a (the Blair doll bag can be faintly seen. Oops - Blythe.)
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257 _10Dec01-nih10_0201b
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Tokyo Return
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Shibuya, dinner at an akachochin run by Itsuko's fish store
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258 _10Dec01-nih10_0324
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260 _10Dec01-nih10_0326
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264 _10Dec01-nih10_0526
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266 _10Dec01-nih10_0547
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261 _10Dec01-nih10_0335a Anyone for oysters?
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262 _10Dec01-nih10_0448
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263 _10Dec01-nih10_0449
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265 _10Dec01-nih10_0528a How about Fugu (blowfish) nabe!
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Tokyo Return
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At last Tami finds the way to a Tokyo "Live House"
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11 _10Nov30-nih10_1639
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11 _10Nov30-nih10_1645
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12 _10Nov30-nih10_1648
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13 _10Nov30-nih10_1700 Wait - is Tami the youngest person in the audience??
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13 _10Nov30-nih10_1730
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Tokyo Return
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Sunamachi Ginza, near Obaachan's place
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267 _10Dec01-nih10_1904 In spite of the new shopping mall nearby, customers have not deserted the old way of shopping.
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267 _10Dec01-nih10_1904a
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268 _10Dec01-nih10_2008
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268 _10Dec01-nih10_2008a
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Tokyo Return
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Views of the greenway beside Obaachan's place, at night.
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268 _10Dec02-nih10_0154
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269 _10Dec02-nih10_0205
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270 _10Dec02-nih10_0205a
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271 _10Dec02-nih10_0212
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272 _10Dec02-nih10_0213a
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273 _10Dec02-nih10_0214
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