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Japan Camera Roll – Part 4

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Tokyo

– Cherry blossompocalypse

Some of Natalie’s students met up with us, and took us around Tokyo. First stop was Hozomon Gate and Senso-ji Temple.
Ignoring our arrival the night before (unbeknownst to us, at Japan’s busiest train station), this was our first time experiencing Tokyo level crowds.
The gate.
Natalie opted to get her fortune (using some traditional numerology method). Once done, if you’re not satisfied, you can elect to tie it onto a frame nearby. Natalie also opted to do this.
Looking back at the gate from the steps of the temple.
The painted ceiling of the temple. Quite pretty.
On our way out, we passed yet another shrine (they’re everywhere).
Once leaving the craziness of the temple area, the girls took us on a tour of the very-nearly cherry blossoms. Most of the time, they were annoyed that the blossoms weren’t quite out (but still very pretty).
The tallest (I think) tower in Tokyo (or maybe Japan)?
When the blossoms are in full bloom, it’s quite common for people to hire a boat, to glide down the river, accompanied by blossoms on both banks.
The students were thrilled once we arrived at this spot, as it was exactly what they’d been looking for!
Full cherry blossoms.
As with Kyoto, it’s common to see people dressed up in a Kimono for the day.

Natalie sees a street full of people, and nopes her way out of there.
Shibuya. Classic modern Tokyo. This is the area you’ll see a lot of if you watch a movie set in Tokyo.
Walking around the neighbourhood we were staying in, Shinjuku, we stumbled upon some wild sights. Crazy juxtapositions of different styles and periods. A little bit red-light-districty, a little bit crazy, but fully Japanese.
Seen on a street in Kitazawa, a little outlying neighbourhood of Tokyo, which was very Brooklyn-esque. No idea what this guy is staying, but a good example of how the Japanese seem to have mascots for everything.
The next day, we decided to work our way to a park to get a little bit of open space. We inadvertently stumbled upon this.
Blossoms and the moon.

Natalie likes photos of me walking against interesting backgrounds. The book is out in June.

Quest of open space achieved! The blossoms and the brilliant blue skies were a big bonus.
We took a little time to relax and read.
Final day in Tokyo, we had an afternoon train to Kyoto, so in the morning we planned to go to a museum near Ueno Park. Little did we know, there were epic cherry blossoms.

Also: The official cherry blossom mascot! Kid’s loved it.
Many people came out to see the blossoms, but really, who can blame them?
I creeped on this dog, and have no regrets.
Godzilla! This was the building right across from our hotel. At one point, we zipped up to the top floor to use the hotel onsen, and discovered that there was a full sized Godzilla head sticking out of the building as well.
On the train to Kyoto, we had a partial view of Mt. Fuji. I can imagine how impressive it must look on a clear day.
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Hi, we’re Natalie and Jackson: a trans-continental couple who met in New York City in 2013 and haven’t been apart since. We got married in June 2015 and have been traveling around the world together.

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