Postcard 294- Japan

Received 19 December 2012- A snkae card from Japan!  Yay! I was born in the year of the snake, so reallly happy to get one!  postcard id:JP-345510

Postcard 258--Japan

Received 8 November 2012 as part of the october alt rr.  A picture of Himeji Castle.  sender id: d1350874

Postcard 242- china

Received 25 October as part of the october round robin.  A Japanese cartoon bear! sender id:truly_ctr

Postcard 236- Japan

Received 15 October 2012 as part of the october alternative rr- a Japanese anime card- this is "rose of versailles"  sender id: biic

Postcard 218- Japan

Received 20 September 2012 as part of the September alt RR  A lovely ukiyo-e.  sender id: d1350824

Day 279- magnets

5 October 2012- These three magnets came from Hakone- the Pirate ship, the cable car and the ropeway. 

Postcard 187- Japan

Received 27 July 2012 as part of the july alternative round robin.  I always like these Japanese postcards, the images are often so quirky and different.  sender id:ricola

Postcard 178- Japan

Received 18 July 2012 from Japan- this is two characters from an anime series called Shirokuma cafe- ie white bear cafe! Postcard id: JP-289387

Postcard 100- Japan

This card was received 3 April 2012 from Japan.  It shows some of the 1001 statues of Kannon (goddess of mercy) in the temple, Sanjusangendo.  It's in Kyoto, but is one of the temples I have never visited! Postcard id: JP-253823

Day 91- cute

31 March 2012- These two cats are a Japanese decoration I bought years ago, somewhere I also have a sleeping cat with kotatsu for winter, but these are the summer two- there is a little hibachi nearby as well.

Day 71- Slippers

11 March 2012- New slippers from Japan.  Wooden floors are not great for my feet, these really help

Postcard 43- USA

Received 23 February 2012 from the USA, an illustration for a Japanese traditional tale.  Very pretty.  Postcard id: US-1531824 

Postcard 4- Japan

Received 8 January 2012 from Tokyo, a lovely illustration of a doll's tea party. ith a Christmas tree shaped stamp! Postcard id: JP-222824

Day 16- Year of the dragon

16 January 2012- It's the year of the dragon. Here you see some of the dragon related stuff we acquired in Japan.

Day 5- last chance

5 January 2012 - At the airport, eating dinner, Greg had his last giant beer. This size of beer glass is not uncommon in japanese pubs and restaurants.

Day 4 - Night view

4 January 2012- We went to the top of the Umeda Sky Building, and there were some amazing views. Of course it was bitterly cold and windy, so we didn't stay too long!

Day 3 - Snow

3 January 2012 - We went in search of snow. We took a day trip to a mountain twon famous as significant Buddhist temple area. It involved a train up a mountain, then a "cable car"ascent (what I would refer to as a funicular). Once there, there was a lot of snow and it was cold. We wandered through a Buddhist graveyard, and it was absolutely silent. Amazing, after days of being in cities. This little statue was on the main road in the little town centre.

Day 2- Kyoto Station

2 January 2012- We went to Kyoto for the day for another shrine visit (Gion) and a taste of the madness of new year sales. Kyoto station is an impressive piece of modern architecture. We are on the 9th story, looking down banks of stairs to the station area.

Day 1 - A visit to the shrine

1 January 2012- We started the new year with a very typical Japanese activity- visiting the local Shinto shrine to pray for good luck in the new year. Well, we visited the shrine, along with half a million other people. It's a very festive atmosphere, with various food stalls, the sale of various good fortune trinkets for the coming year and everyone getting there on the same 2 carriage tram!

Day 365- The lonely glove

31 December 2011 - A wander through the waterfront Merican Park, someone has lost a glove, and someone else has placed it on the post.