Japan...
Found some old pictures of my trip to Japan while cleaning up my harddrive. I was there during the summer of 2001 (I think). I urge anyone who has the chance to take a trip there, it is a spectacular country.
I would definatly recommend going to Tokyo (of course!) and taking a train to Kyoto for a few days, you'll find the best temples there.
The photo to the left (taken by me) is of Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) which is actually covered in real gold leaf.
Another temple of note is Sanjusangendo. Inside the temple are 1001 hand-carved statues of Kannon, a spectacular sight for sure!
And definatly make sure to hit up Enryakuji on Hieizan. A beautiful temple located on a heavily forested mountain.
You should also be sure to visit Shibuya while in Tokyo, it is an amazing center of, well everything! Great bars, shopping, karaoke, and extremely easy to get to from just about anywhere in Tokyo via the most excellent transit system the world has ever seen!
I took this photo while leaving the subway station that I took from Kanagawa where I was staying. Notice the insane amount of people on the crosswalk, its fun to stop and talk to random people in the city. Most of the people I talked to had a pretty good grasp of english. Well I'm done typing, need more coffee.
