Jenner & Kaiser - Honeymoon Pics

[Kizyr]

Hi everybody! We're finally posting our honeymoon photos from Japan. (Yeah, three months late, but hey we've been busy.) Anyway, in all, we went to about six to seven different cities. I have five sets of pictures to put up, so I'll have a new one up each day in this same thread, with some commentary.

TOKYO

The first set is our pics from Tokyo, our first and last stop on the journey. This was my fourth or fifth time in the city, but of course Jenner's first. Even then, in one of the best cities in the world, there's plenty for the both of us.

We have a larger set of pics up at http://www.lunar-net.com/wedding/photos.html#tokyo
Click on any of the thumbnails below for larger versions.

Shibuya
After we checked into our hotel, one of the first places I wanted to show Jenner around was Shibuya. This is where I spent most of my time back in 2004, and the only area I know pretty well by this point. So yeah, one of my favorite spots...

This is also where the famous Hachiko statue is. It really is a lot smaller than you'd imagine.

I wanted to go to this one kaiten-sushi place that one of my friends took me to in 2009. I remembered exactly where it was, but didn't find it... After asking around a bit, we find out that the place has closed down {..}. In its place, there's this other restaurant called "Genki Sushi". It's ok (all automated orders and stufF) but not really as good as what was there before... Oh well.


Shinjuku
Another area we went around was Shinjuku. Train-lovers might know this as the busiest train station in the world. It's no exaggeration.

Yet we found this pretty rooftop garden in the middle of the city.

I asked one guy to take our picture while we were there. He was hesitating a sec; I said I spoke Japanese, so he continued, pointing out that the first place we asked for a photo had the rooftop fence and construction in the background--there was a place just a bit up the path with flowers in the background that'd make for a much better backdrop. See, the thing is, everyone we asked to take a picture of us was this nice -- like, making sure it was a good background, that the picture came out clear, etc. etc. Definitely brightened my day.


Roppongi and Tokyo Midtown
We stopped by Roppongi Hills on another day. This is like a high-end (and rather nice) shopping area -- even though we're not much for shopping it was still worthwhile.

We also strolled through the park nearby. BTW, Jenner is very good at recognizing animal breeds (comes from years of working as a rehabilitator). Every single time, without fail, she could spot a breed from half a block away. (Though there was one time, and only one time, when I got lucky and guessed that one guy's dog was a greyhound instead of a whippet. But that was 100% luck.)

A little further down, in Tokyo Midtown, we found the Konami building! Jenner wanted to sneak into the building inside of a cardboard box, so I had to stop her.


Other Areas - Harajuku, Ueno, Meiji-jingu, Yoyogi
Here are a couple other areas: Harajuku (Takeshita-dori), Ueno Park, Meiji-jingu-mae, and Yoyogi Park:


Edo Museum
Since I love museums, we decided to take a trip down to the Edo Museum to see the exhibits they had there:


Cat Cafe
And since we both love cats, on Jenner's insistence, we visited a cat cafe in Shinjuku:

Though to be honest, the cats are kind of only interested in you if you have food. They're a bit too... complacent. Nevertheless it does combine two things I love the most: cafes, and cats.

More Sightseeing - Tsukiji, Asakusa, Skytree, Tokyo Tower
One day, we met up with my host sister from back in 1999, Noriko. It was a lot of fun, and we went around various other parts of the city, including Tsukiji-shijou, Asakusa, and the Tokyo Skytree.
Here's a shot of us at Honganji (note the Indian, as opposed to Buddhist, design of the temple). Unfortunately, it was under renovation the day of.

More of us around Asakusa, one of the more traditional and historic areas of the city.

And on the opposite end of the scale, we have the Skytree: Tokyo's newest landmark, finished just earlier this year, it's twice the height of the diminutive Tokyo Tower. This thing is so huge that it's impossible to fit the whole thing in one camera shot without going panoramic.

A few days later, we decided to take a trip to the Tokyo Tower anyway. Man, this is really underwhelming now that the Skytree is in town. The Tower seems a tad upset over it, though, so we thought that the next time we visit we'll be sure to get a bunch of Tokyo Skytree t-shirts and stuff to wear and carry with us when we go. Because we're jerks like that.



Akihabara
We also went to Akihabara. We caught an ACTA protest while we were there, and then browsed around the shops a bit. I did buy a new, very nice, electronic dictionary while I was there.



But... ...ok, to level with you: I really hate Akihabara. This wasn't always the case, so lemme explain...

See one of the things I love about the Japanese marketplace is that it lends itself towards niche markets way more easily, even well before everyone had internet (which is why you can have even the most minor video game spawn off a few comics, videos, soundtracks, figurines, etc. -- and that's just one example). Back in 2004 (and presumably much earlier), places like Akihabara were great for that. If you were into obscure music, there were stores for it. If you loved DIY computer building, there were stores for that. If you loved 10-year-old video games, there were stores for that. And so on.

In the last... I'd estimate 4-5 years... that's not really the case anymore. If you're into collectible card games and whatever the latest manga is, great! But anything else that isn't 'in' right now? Forget it. And that's not even getting into the... ...for lack of a better way of putting it, 'infestation' of maid cafes. Just a few years ago it seemed small enough to ignore if you didn't care. But now you can't go half a block without passing by 2 cafes and 20 girls dressed as maids advertising for it. It really soured Jenner to the entire area, and considering that I really hate the concept of maid cafes also, didn't do much for me either.

Now there're other places around the city, and around the country, that are great electronics havens or places for niche markets (Nakano Broadway in Tokyo, or Den-Den Town in Osaka). If you check comments about those places online(at least the Japanese ones), you'll even occasionally see something like "it's like Akihabara used to be" (or, the contrary, "it's becoming like Akihabara", which is synonymous with a glut of maid cafes and the same CCG stores left and right).

So yeah... My next time through there's a decent chance I may not even stop by this part of town...

Studio Ghibli Museum
Ok, how about something more pleasant now? The Studio Ghibli Museum. This place is beautiful (and packed, too -- I had to get tickets three weeks in advance). The thing about it is, the entire place is designed with the same kind of feeling and playfulness that's in a lot of Miyazaki's films. There is so much attention to detail in the most random places. The "map" that they give you at the end isn't really so much a map, as a bit of information and a request to (to paraphrase) just get lost in the beauty of the museum and feel your way around. They don't allow photos inside the building, so we just have a few of the outside. But trust me, inside is even better:


Miscellaneous
Also, Jenner likes taking pictures of random graffiti.


And I love cafes. It's sort of my thing -- if I see a place that looks like it has good ambience, coffee/tea, desserts, or any combination thereof, I have to stop in for a drink. We usually went to one or two per day the entire time we were there...


That's all for this go-around. Our next stop is Nagoya and Kasugai! KF

[Imperial Knight]

Looks like fun! Especially the kitty part!

[Kizyr]

NAGOYA

Here's part 2 of our honeymoon photos. After Tokyo, we went to visit my previous host families and the city I spent most of my time in several years back, to Nagoya. This is of a few places around Aichi-ken: Nagoya proper, Inuyama, Kasugai, and Obu.

While there isn't a lot to sightsee here, it's still one of my favorite places to live in. As before, we have a larger set of these pictures up at: http://www.lunar-net.com/wedding/photos.html#nagoya
Click on any of the thumbnails below for a larger version.

BTW, we spent the first few days with my host family from 2004. During that time, Akiko (my host sister from '04) offered to take us around a bit -- she's who we went with up to Inuyama, the Tokugawa Museum, and a little around Nagoya Castle. We spent the next few days with my host family from 1999 -- I don't have as many pictures from then, since we spent most of the day at a restaurant and resort near the sea, and visiting some folks in the area. As always, it was great being able to see them again. I can't really express how great they were to take us in for those few days, and how great their hospitality was.

Inuyama
One place we stopped at was Inuyama, site of Inuyama Castle (among other scenic places, castles, and temples, that had we been here longer we probably would've checked out as well). Inuyama Castle was relatively undamaged from the war, so it's in a bit better condition than most. And considering the strenuous upkeep of most historical sites around Japan, that's actually saying more than it seems.

We had a bit of time to play around also.


Tokugawa Museum and Gardens
Oh hey, we found a triforce!

Anyway, one other place we went to was the Tokugawa Museum. This is recent (as in it wasn't completed, or it was under renovation, back in 2004). But both the museum and the garden around it were really gorgoeus.

Both me and Jenner love gardens (we even got married in one). So there're a lot of garden shots. One feature is the ishi-domari (stopping stone), which is a less obtrusive way to signal an area that visitors aren't supposed to go down:

More shots of us and koi.


Nagoya Castle
We also went a bit around Nagoya Castle, at least before it started raining and we headed back.

I also got to ride an elephant, finally! Sorta.


Nagoya Aquarium
The last place we visited was Nagoya Aquarium. They keep adding onto this place each year.


That's all for now. Tomorrow I'll have our shots from Kyoto up! KF

[Kizyr]

Ok, so a bit of a bonus here. I have some pics from when we also spent time with my host family from '99.

First, they invited us to a tea ceremony. One of my host mother's friends is an instructor, and so the whole group of us went over for the full deal.

Here's some of me kind of messing up certain aspects of it, and Jenner more or less getting it right out of luck (and seeing me mess up first). The thing is, everything about the ceremony is in exacting detail, and I kept on picking up only part of the actions/movements/positions that were important (e.g., it's not just washing your hands, but how you hold the apparatus that washes them; it's not just how you sit, but the direction you face and where on the mat you are; etc.). There was also a lot of me translating what was going on, but not even understanding what I was hearing in the first place on account of the complexity and traditional vocabulary ("Um, we need to face this direction since... something about spirits in the alcove?").


And a couple of us just relaxing:


Also, we went by a restaurant and resort at the sea. There were some gorgeous views, a public bath on the upper floors, and some amazing food. One thing we had was 'iketzukuri', or, well... very, very fresh sashimi:


That's all, folks! Tomorrow will be our Kyoto pics. KF

[phyco126]

Fantastic pictures! Looks like you guys had a lot of fun. And fresh sushi... mmmmm.


The pictures in the second post aren't loaded though, so an error message with a certain somebody in the bath shows up.

[Kizyr]

Fantastic pictures! Looks like you guys had a lot of fun. And fresh sushi... mmmmm.
The pictures in the second post aren't loaded though, so an error message with a certain somebody in the bath shows up.

Sorry about that! There, the links should be fixed now. KF

[GhaleonOne]

I'm with phyco... the fresh sushi looks delicious! Great pictures though! Looks like a fantastic honeymoon! Inuyama, Tokugawa Museum and Gardens and Nagoya Castle especially look beautiful. One of these days soon, I may hit you up for advice on visiting Japan.

[Kizyr]

I'm with phyco... the fresh sushi looks delicious! Great pictures though! Looks like a fantastic honeymoon! Inuyama, Tokugawa Museum and Gardens and Nagoya Castle especially look beautiful. One of these days soon, I may hit you up for advice on visiting Japan.

Y'know, most people are slightly shocked after viewing that video {^^}. (Though it's sashimi, not sushi, strictly speaking.) Glad to know we weren't the only ones who thought it looked tasty at first glance.

I'm working on putting together/commenting the Kyoto pics now. So those should be up shortly. KF

[Kizyr]

KYOTO

Ah, the old capital. City of traditions, a thousand temples, beautiful scenery, and an address system so confusing you'd swear it was designed just to mess with you. One of my friends from college lives in Kyoto now with her husband, so when Jenner and me visited, we spent much of the time hanging out with her.

We spotted a group of unusual monks singing by the canal the first day there. (I say unusual because they looked like Tibetan Buddhist monks; Tibetan Buddhism is very uncommon outside of, well, Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, etc.). The other two shots below are gardens around Ryoanji. BTW, can you tell how many rocks are in the last picture below?


Here are a few from Ginkakuji, the silver pavilion. This was less damaged during the war than other sites (like Kinkakuji) and, as a result, it's more in its original condition and has less restoration (meaning it actually looks a bit more worn-down). That and the gardens around it were very nice.


A few more shots of the Imperial Palace and the gardens around there. I wasn't too into this part, because we had to tour the grounds in a large group (and, well, I really dislike tour groups).


Here's Kinkakuji, the golden pavilion (on the opposite side of the city from the silver pavilion). You'll notice it's much mor restored.


This temple is Kiyomizudera. The one shot of the three fountains (first photo) has a legend about it: one stream is for wealth, one for health, and one for love. You can make a wish and drink from one of the three, but only one as more would be greedy. The second shot of the patio has another legend: if someone has a wish that he/she desperately wants to come true, make it and leap from the ledge -- if you survive, the wish will be granted (it's a very long drop, perhaps 40-60 feet). They don't let people jump from it, of course.


This area is around Maruyama park, and the surrounding area. I was too lazy to match back up all the shots with the specific locations though; sorry.


Below is some of Nijo Castle, and the surrounding gardens.


This is around Shimogamo Jinja, and Yasaka Jinja, two other shrines and places we visited.



Ahh, and here are some pictures from my favorite tea and dessert house in the city: Hosendo. It's a very longstanding place, one that I went to in 2009 with our friend Liz, that I wanted to go back to with Jenner this time around. This is some tea and the rice cakes we had there.


And of course we went to do karaoke. Because I love karaoke.


And that's Kyoto! Next time we have the high point of the trip, Hiroshima and Miyajima. KF

[Kizyr]

Ok, I'm going to go a little out of order here, and save all the Miyajima pics for last.

HIROSHIMA

After Kyoto, we stayed for a day in Hiroshima. I've always really loved this city -- it's small but not too small, and the local specialty (okonomiyaki) is delicious. This was my second time here, and Jenner's first, so we hit a few of the major places to see in the short time there. The pics below are from the Genbaku Dome (the structure near the atom bomb blast that now stands as a monument and memorial), and the Peace Park around the museum.
(Full set here: http://www.lunar-net.com/wedding/photos.html#hiroshima)



After Hiroshima, we went to Miyajima for four days. There are a ton of pics from here, so I'm going to save that for the last day and skip on ahead.

OSAKA

On the way back from Miyajima, we stopped off in Osaka for two days -- this was the only place that was 100% new to me. There's quite a lot to do here, and we did some of our late shopping around town.
(Full set here: http://www.lunar-net.com/wedding/photos.html#osaka)

I mentioned Osaka's Den Den Town in my earlier rant re: Akihabara, and besides there we also went around Shinsaibashi (another fun area of the city).


We also went up in the Sky Building, a tall building near Osaka station that has a great view of the city.

BTW, that second-to-last picture above: notice the "Gate Tower Building" in the center--it's the one with a highway (the Hanshin Expressway) running through it.

And a couple of other random pictures that Jenner snapped:


That's all for now. Tomorrow we'll have pictures from Miyajima up. KF

[Arlia]

Really? Another topic about your relationship? Just merge them or something.

[Sonic#]

I find it useful to be separate in case I want to load the honeymoon pics and not the wedding pics.

What's the story behind the cats in Hiroshima? Were they strays, or associated with the groundskeeping of a park?

[Werefrog]

It looks like you both had a wonderful time. Another success for Lunar-Net message board/ matchmaking service.

Oh and that living sashimi, that's the reason vegans yell at me on my way to class. I hope you're happy.

[Kizyr]

What's the story behind the cats in Hiroshima? Were they strays, or associated with the groundskeeping of a park?

No story. There are stray cats in lots of places; Jenner just likes getting pictures of them. Sometimes local folks feed/take care of them (esp. in parks where there are a few homeless people living in them, who'll also look after the cats often).

Oh and that living sashimi, that's the reason vegans yell at me on my way to class. I hope you're happy.

Just explain that meat couldn't be murder if the thing you're eating isn't actually dead.

But really, though, I had to wait until it was really dead before I started eating. KF

[Monde Luna]

Oh and that living sashimi, that's the reason vegans yell at me on my way to class. I hope you're happy.

Just explain that meat couldn't be murder if the thing you're eating isn't actually dead.

But really, though, I had to wait until it was really dead before I started eating. KF

Thanks for sharing gorgeous pics! Congrats u two!

[Kizyr]

MIYAJIMA

So here's the last part, Part 5, of our honeymoon photos! We saved the best for last: this is Miyajima, a beautiful resort of an island off the coast of Hiroshima -- if you've ever seen the famous image of the Shinto Gate (torii) in the water, this is where it is, along with some wonderful scenery, shrines, and nature trails. I'd been wanting to come back here since 2004, and there was a lot here for both of us to enjoy. The full version of the pictures is up at http://www.lunar-net.com/wedding/photos.html#miyajima

Itsukushima Shrine
First up, here are some pictures of the bay (between Miyajima and Hatsukaishi), and of the torii (Shinto Gate) in the bay. The torii marks the entrance to Itsukushima Shrine, the most famous shrine on the island (you'll see pics of that one later).

Here's a shot of the Five Story Pagoda with Itsukushima Shrine in the foreground.

And a few shots of the most famous one on the island, Itsukushima Shrine:


Mt. Misen
Mt. Misen is the famous mountain on the island. (There's actually straight line between the peak of Mt. Misen, Itsukushima Shrine, and the Torii, so that the gate serves almost like the "entrance" to the island and the mountain.) Eight years ago, together with a group of students from my university, we spent the entire day hiking from the base to the peak and back again. This time around, Jenner and I took the ropeway up, hiked another hour to the peak, then hiked another five hours all the way back down. Along the way, the view is phenomenal, and there are several shrines (major and minor) throughout the mountain.

We had plenty of time to enjoy ourselves up and down the trail though.

By the way, in 2005 there was a devastating typhoon that damaged the trail along the mountain. So, in many parts, they had signage up indicating where the older trail had been damaged, and where the new trail they carved was set up.

And here're some shots of the view on the way up and down.

These last two are of the Shiroito River Dam along the trail.


Other Shrines
Here are a few other shrines and temple complexes around the island. This is Daishoin, which has literally hundreds of Buddha statues around. One popular figure is Fudô-Myôô (the last picture you see below).

As always, a few gardens in the area.

Another smaller shrine -- I didn't catch the name of this one though.

This isn't a shrine, but rather a preserved building with several historical artifacts inside -- some old (as in greater than 500 years), some recent (as in less than 150 years). The place is named Senjôkaku (lit., room the size of a thousand tatami mats).


Famous Landmarks
Of course the thing that really puts Miyajima on the map is the world's largest rice spoon! ZOMG IT'S THE GIANT SPOON!

One thing that was going on around this time: the serial drama Taira no Kiyomori, a historical drama about a person of the same name set in the 12th Century. It takes place mostly in the Miyajima area, and so you saw things all around the island talking about the show, and this one museum using that as a theme (with artifacts from that era).


Wildlife
Jenner also got a lot of pictures of the wildlife. Oh, and the deer. There are tons of completely tame deer on the island -- they'll just walk right up to you and snatch paper out of your hands. They don't even run off when you try to shoo them away...

This, by the way, is an albino tanuki.


Hotel
Oh, the last picture below is of the room we stayed in. About that... we stayed at a place called Yamaichi Bekkan. And I swear, the next time we go there we're staying at the same inn. They're less costly than any other hotel on the island ($200/night -- which , honestly, is less than everything but the hostels). The owners are really nice (they also speak English). The food is excellent (they serve breakfast and dinner -- we had breakfast every morning here, and dinner one night). And on the last two days, due to a cancellation, they upgraded us to this immense Japanese style room at no cost.


Ok, so that's all! Thanks for playing! KF

[Lord Yggdrasill]

Thats so sweet, almost like a fairy tale that two internet pals became a couple.

[Shiva Indis]

I don't know why I'm so into that albino tanuki, but I am. Staying at Miyajima seems like a good plan, it's so common to make a day trip of it from Hiroshima but the other way around seems more fun/relaxing. Looks like you had a wonderful time!

[Old_School]

Congrats on getting hitched. I hope the two of you share a happy life together.