Still catching up with 2008, when in Nov I was in Japan for a mix of business and pleasure. I ended up in Kyoto, at what turned out to be the start of the Kooyoo season - when the leaves turn red.
As you can see, it was less than 50% redness when I was there, so you have to use your imagination as to you brilliant it would look when everything is a sea of red. On the TV there are weather reports showing contour maps of where the leaves are turning red up and down the country. 
The torii gate at the entrance of Hieizan temple
The Kyoto river that we rode along. People were fishing, picnicking, playing instruments, and eagles were flying overhead. Michael, a friend from Aus working in Nagoya, came for the weekend and has a fetish for photographing other people taking photos. I think it was catching. 
The jumble of buildings along the riverside
A real geisha in a real rickshaw really close to the real Gion district 
Boo on her bike. I think she'd prefer to be sitting in the rickshaw
There are so many temples in Kyoto, that even shopping centers must be built around them.
Guess the fish bits
A shrine to commercialism. I never found out what comes out when you put the coin in.
Boo and Sachiyo
Typical Japanese Street 
The Germans around me love the use of "-ish", a vaguness-making concept that can be added to almost any English word. Of course couldn't possibly exist in German as there's never any need to be vaugue. So how cool are these frozen drinks?
It's not just the office ladies, but the stone guardians who also wear dinky aprons to work!
