One of the hardest things to do in Japan is find a place to eat. Not because there aren't plenty of choices, but rather, a lot of the establishments sell the same thing and it's hard to tell which one is the best. 
Soba tower
Seasonal assortment
Cool fountain
Personal eating stations for McDonalds
Good night!
I think for me the best thing about going back to Kyoto Tower was that it felt familiar. The entrance was different and they had done a lot of renovations to the hotel below in the several years that I had been away. But of course, the view was largely the same.
Those telescopes to me are always a waste of money. Here was my first pic of them:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/akim_hobo/123478501/in/set-72157604303381201/
It is a rare moment in Japan when you can have a clear view of just one person. I stood here for quite a while wishing that everybody would go away and that the classy gentleman wouldn't.
One of the many views
Looks like a video game
Love how clean this looks. I don't even think I tilted and it still looks miniature due to the vibrant colours and how clean Kyoto is in general.
I remember we were thinking of finding out where this rooftop party/dinner was and trying to eat there. Should have.
If I were to try and describe Japan in a simple photo. This would do nicely.
The view from the outside.
Thinking back, I liked how small Hiroshima felt, and yet I know that we barely scratched the surface of that city. The dome, museum, Tokyu hands, okonomiyaki, and of course the ridiculously good tsukemen. I must go back.
Bye bye bikes
Hello passengers
Hello station
I have no idea where I took this, but I like it.
Hello Kyoto!
Pretty sunny so not many good captures here. The park was very nice though.
The central pond
Man vs Nature. I imagine the garden's designers purposely creating views like this.
I liked this bridge. If you look closely there are people on top :)
Another rule of traveling: as important as it is to spend at least one night out, one should try to wake up ridiculously early for one day as well. I started this practice due to the requirements of light when taking pictures. I usually get my best photos in early mornings when I travel because not only is the light better, but it's easier to capture people alone in their environments.
In Hiroshima I slept in. Oh well.
Rain shield, sun shield
An example of how awesome the light makes everything look, even something ordinary like a trolley
Sun's out. When old ladies take cover, your light is too harsh to take pictures anymore. That should be another rule of photography
It was a long day, but as a general rule, one should always spend at least one night out in a city before you go. I'm glad we did.
The same bridge I took pictures of earlier. It was almost impossible to get focus in the dim light and without a split prism on my manual 50 1.2
Liked the texture of this one.
This is in a bar where I had my first cocktail ever in Japan. It was the second best martini I've ever had in my entire life. The best being in Shinjuku. While while the western bar scene may be more creative. Nobody has spent more time making the perfect simple cocktail than the bartenders in Japan.
The view from the window
The best. I remember now ordering a vodka martini, simply because it was the only drink I was sure they would understand in English that I also enjoyed drinking sometimes. Seriously amazing.
Another tasty cocktail. I forget which
Walking back to the hotel. Liked the colours.
Liked the shadow on this one.
Been eating a lot this weekend at random places. This would have made it the best weekend ever.
Step one: Quench one's thirst
Step two: Request spiciness level
Step three: Blow mind away
Step four: Put out fire on tongue with snack
Rejoice
One last longing glance backwards at a perfect meal
Hiroshima is simple. I like that.
Underneath the museum.
Sun is setting
Such peace in this place. I want to go back.
Having trouble remembering details already, which means that I'll have to soon do a massive upload of my images before I forget what I did that day. From what I can remember, we walked around to the Hiroshima Dome, the monument directly below where the bomb detonated and eventually made our way to the museum. Add bridges to the list of my favourite things.
Bridge + Umbrella = win
Bridge + Bike = win
One can see the dome through the arch of this monument. Many people frequented this monument. The thought put into it, and the space around it was just beautiful.
There were two main reasons we were in Hiroshima. The first being the museum, and indeed it lived up to its expectations. The second was the Hiroshima style okonomiyaki. It too did not disappoint.
Gratuitous bike photo
Rain stops. Bus stop.
Delicious.
As the rain began to fade, our hunger grew and so the search for a delicious breakfast was on. For some reason most stores and restaurants were closed so we had a tough time finding something. What we ended up with was a cafe that ended up being quite good.
Everything is closed
There is a better crop here, I am just being lazy I suppose
Finally, breakfast. This place was quite busy with men reading newspapers and quietly sipping tea.
Ok, I screwed up the date on the last post, and I had pics from two different days, so I'm setting it straight with umbrellas. It was my sincere wish that it pour when I was in Tokyo. I've forever been a fan of Japanese woodblock prints, in particular Hiroshige, bonus points if you know what print I'm talking about. Anyways, as it turns out, I only got Hiroshima, which for what I envisioned, didn't quite have the population density I wanted for a capture. Also, dreaming about umbrella pics is much more pleasant than actually taking pictures in the pouring rain. Maybe it was a good thing it didn't rain again in Tokyo.
I wish there were twice the people.
Seems like the lady sized clear plastic umbrellas were popular. Yes, I bought one.
This one was unique.
It only takes a glance to make you feel like you're being creepy.
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