​After our Lawson lunch, and the street car ride, we arrive at Tenryu-ji Zen Temple:

"Tenryū-ji (天龍寺) is the head temple of the Tenryū-ji branch of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism.  The temple was founded by Ashikaga Takauji in 1339, primarily to venerate Gautama Buddha.  As a temple related to both the Ashikaga family and Emperor Go-Daigo, the temple is held in high esteem, and is ranked first among Kyoto's so-called Five Mountains.  In 1994, it was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto."

Lot's of shrines along the way...

​Sōgenchi Garden, a "Special Place of Scenic Beauty"...

Touring the ceremonial rooms...

Master carpentry happened here...

​....zen tree....

A Japanese graphical artist created this weird man....a painting of great monk Daruma, a symbolic character of Zen Buddhism.

"Lines and shapes are integral components of Zen gardens. They are used to create a sense of harmony and balance, as well as to guide the viewer's eye through the garden.

The use of straight lines in Zen gardens is often associated with man-made structures, such as walls and buildings. These lines can be used to create a sense of stability and order, and are often paired with curved lines to create contrast and balance.
​
Curved lines, on the other hand, are associated with natural elements, such as water and hills. They are often used to create a sense of movement and flow, and can be used to represent the ebb and flow of the natural world."

​To the bamboo forest...

Lotus as far as the eye can see...

​A septet of raccoon-dogs...

Rock trumpet (?) - a flowering vine from the New World (?)

Back to more temples...

The zen garden is more temple, than the actual small temple...

​Continuing our hike...

...seeing more of those historically authentic Kyoto neighborhoods.

Won't you help a poor raccoon-dog down on their luck?

​Again with the bamboo...

We subject you to the last Japanese Torii Gate we discovered....

The other side of torii...

Walking through the gate...

This is just like that U2 song - With or Without You...

Goodbye Japanese torii gate......hello thatched roof.

A bus ride back across town...

"Hongan-ji (本願寺, Temple of the Primal Vow), also archaically romanized as Hongwanji, is the collective name of the largest school of Jōdo Shinshū Buddhism (which further sub-divides into the Nishi and Higashi branches).  Nishi Honganji (西本願寺) and Higashi Honganji (東本願寺) are two major temples in Kyoto.

The Hongan-ji was established as a temple in 1321, on the site of the Ōtani Mausoleum, where Shinran, the founder of the Jōdo Shinshū ("True Pure Land") was buried."
​

​Aaaaahhhhhh, dinosaurs at the temple!!!!

​Our second to last brewery in Japan...

​Our last conveyor belt sushi joint in Japan...

A lot of oishiness for just $49 bucks.

We pause a moment, while a photo is taken...

Cute as a button...

An aqueduct, not Roman (lol), we're guessing from the 1800's...

Off to see the monkeys, but, no such luck, they were elsewhere today...

A sacred shower (that thin water column that looks like a pole), with a changing room and loaner robes...

We soon encountered this curious fellow (not the philosopher), who convinced most any strolling tourist to participate with launching his leaf and blossom "boats" into the stream - he showed us how to hold and release them just so...

Buddha's footprints...

​"Lego" workmen.....................a last look over our shoulder at the Philosopher's Walk...

We take this pathway up to get a view from a bit higher over the temple...

We're "templed out" and have reached our "zen limit" today, headin' to a brewery and back to Isakayas No. 1 and 2...

A big honkin highball and a frozen lemon sour starts off the re-visit at Isakaya No. 2.

...followed by diy hand-rolled sushi.

Handy instructions for our diy hand-rolled sushi, we did purdy good....and diy roasted chili peppers.

And then back out and over to Isakaya No. 1 for rolled sushi.

Here's a mouthful - the name of our Kyoto neighborhood bus stop we used several times...

​"Kinkaku-ji (金閣寺, literally "Temple of the Golden Pavilion"), officially named Rokuon-ji (鹿苑寺, lit. 'Deer Garden Temple'), is a Zen Buddhist temple and one of the most popular buildings in Kyoto, attracting many visitors annually.  It is designated as a National Special Historic Site, a National Special Landscape and is one of 17 locations making up the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto which are World Heritage Sites.

Kinkaku-ji is ranked No. 85 of the Most Holy Places on Earth by religious leaders, writers and scholars in the Patheos multi-faith religion project Sacred Spaces: The 100 Most Holy Places on Earth."

Tim "swished" his 10-yen piece here - a teen next to us was quite impressed...

Daitoku-ji (大徳寺, the ‘temple of Great Virtue’) is a Buddhist temple, one of fourteen autonomous branches of the Rinzai school of Japanese Zen.  The Daitoku-ji temple complex covers more than 23 hectares (57 acres).

Daitoku-ji originated as a small monastery founded in 1315 by the monk Shuho Myocho (宗峰妙超, also pronounced Sōhō Myōchō; 1282–1337), who is known by the title Daitō Kokushi ("National Teacher of the Great Lamp") given by Emperor Go-Daigo.

Section of a tree burl (abnormal growth on a tree's trunk) - they don't have tree rings as it's erratic growth.

And now what you've been waiting to see - our esteemed lunch location today...

...and around the corner, we catch a street car to our next stop (see next chapter as Kyoto Day 4 continues through the afternoon).

We head to the east side of the city, into the hills, to see many temples and shrines.

A very grand gate...

Daily rentals available to use in walking about the area - too hot, yes too hot for us...the blue one is about $20/day.

"Kiyomizu Temple area tourist guide map"

This family opted for matching floral patterns - we'd see them here and there for the next couple hours.

Another look back at that last pagoda...

Fortune requests in the Year of the Rabbit:

We leave this temple complex and cross to the next, passing through preserved leftovers from the days of traditional dwellings and busineses.

Peeking out the backside of one of the old business complexes, we see a not-so-hidden tour bus lot.

Two pairs of kimono ladies touring in style.

No, not satellite dishes, but traditional Japanese paper umbrellas.

The sky laser that gave Godzilla an ouchie one day some years ago.

Onto the next temple complex, a more leisurely set of stairs than the last several...

Proudly sporting their very nice kimono's...

"Kōdai-ji is a temple of the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism in Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto —the largest subtemple of the Kennin-ji branch.

It was established in 1606 by the nun Kōdai-in, who was the widow of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, to pray for her late husband. The principal image is a statue of Shaka.

The temple possesses a number of objects designated as Important Cultural Assets. Among these are the Main Gate and the Spirit Hall, noted for its use of maki-e.  Maki-e (蒔絵, literally: sprinkled picture (or design)) is a Japanese lacquer decoration technique in which pictures, patterns, and letters are drawn with lacquer on the surface of lacquerware, and then metal powder such as gold or silver is sprinkled and fixed on the surface of the lacquerware.  The origin of the term maki-e is a compound word of maki meaning "sprinkling" and "e" meaning "picture" or "design".

The temple is nicknamed the "Maki-e Temple."  It also holds paintings, including one of Hideyoshi, as well as textiles, and a bronze bell with an inscription dating it to 1606."

Back on down some easy going steps...

This path must go somewheres...

...ah, another temple...

Heading up, looking back over our shoulders, ...

Passing through the gate with many doors again...

Into a royal residence...

And, back to our hood again, and a favorite isakaya, "Sushi Bar Onihasoto", while we wait for another to open around the corner...

Now at isakaya "Anji", specializing in local seafood...

This mackerel looked so good when served that we devoured it and then remembered to take the picture.

It lists highball dark, lemon sour and refill, Dashi roll, and mackerel -- all for around $30 bucks.

We take a 90 minute "slow train" ride from Osaka to Kyoto, i.e. not the bullet train.

"Kyoto, officially Kyoto City, is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture and forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe.  As of 2020, the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it the ninth most populous city in Japan. The city is the cultural anchor of a substantially larger metropolitan area known as Greater Kyoto, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) home to a census-estimated 3.8 million people.

Kyoto is one of the oldest municipalities in Japan, having been chosen in A.D. 794 as the new seat of Japan's imperial court by Emperor Kanmu. The original city, named Heian-kyō, was arranged in accordance with traditional Chinese feng shui following the model of the ancient Chinese capitals of Chang'an and Luoyang.  The emperors of Japan ruled from Kyoto in the following eleven centuries until 1869.  The capital was relocated from Kyoto to Tokyo after the Meiji Restoration.  The modern municipality of Kyoto was established in 1889.  

The city was spared from large-scale destruction during World War II and as a result, its prewar cultural heritage has mostly been preserved.

Kyoto is considered the cultural capital of Japan and is a major tourist destination. It is home to numerous Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines, palaces and gardens, some of which have been designated collectively as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO."  

​
In Kyoto Station a posting shows us what's in store - history all over the city.  First, since check-in isn't until 4pm, we squeezed our bags into a locker at the station before heading out for some first day sights.

We head to the food market stopping for a few moments at a shrine marking one end of the market.

Turning about-face, we enter:

First up, the fish cake, mmmm  mmmm mm.

Tim is already thinking about the Wendy's poster we passed coming from the train station, as he nibbles the shrimp tempura.  Meanwhile, Gerri can't pass on the milk pudding with caramel topping.

And now for the coup de gras - baby octopus with a hard boiled quail egg stuffed in its head.  Yeah, she actually ate this thing.

Onto the castle...

Nijō Castle, from 1679, is a flatland castle consisting of two concentric rings (Kuruwa) of fortifications, the Ninomaru Palace, the ruins of the Honmaru Palace, and various support buildings and several gardens.  The castle sprawls over 68 acres), of which 2 acres is occupied by buildings.  It is one of the seventeen Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto which have been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Another gate to pass through, and we're on the inside, at lower right in above diagram at the third red arrow...

The weather people promise no rain today, but Tim's umbrella wouldn't fit inside the train station locker.

"The 36,000-square-foot Ninomaru Palace consists of five connected separate buildings and is built almost entirely of Hinoki cypress.  The decoration includes lavish quantities of gold leaf and elaborate wood carvings, intended to impress visitors with the power and wealth of the shōguns.  The sliding doors and walls of each room are decorated with wall paintings by artists of the 15th century establish Kanō school.
​
The castle is an excellent example of social control manifested in architectural space.  Low-ranking visitors were received in the outer regions of the Ninomaru, whereas high-ranking visitors were shown the more subtle inner chambers.  Rather than attempt to conceal the entrances to the rooms for security (as was done in many castles), the Tokugawas chose to display them prominently.  Thus, the construction lent itself to expressing intimidation and power to Edo-period visitors (1603-1868)."

​(below photos)
"Honmaru Goten, meaning "the palace in the inner-most circle of defense".  Honmaru Palace was originally similar to Ninomaru Palace. The original structures were replaced by the present structures between 1893 and 1894 by moving one part of the former Katsura Palace within the Kyoto Imperial Enclosure (Kyoto Gyoen, the enclosure surrounding the Kyoto Imperial Palace) to the inner ward of Nijō Castle, as part of the systematic clearing of the disused residences and palaces in the Imperial Enclosure after the Imperial Court moved to Tokyo in 1869.  In its original location the palace had 55 buildings, but only a small part was relocated. In 1928 the enthronement banquet of Emperor Hirohito was held here."

For us, it's all closed for refurbishment.

​Views of the garden and inner moat:

Working our way outward now...

Now back in our hood after checking into our latest digs - we'd passed this isakaya earlier, and had to circle back and check it out - the place "Sushi Bar Onihasoto", became one of our two favorite eateries for Kyoto, the other just a few paces from here.  It's a nice laid back and welcoming spot - and with calming views of..........motorcycles!

A 'tuna of two types' roll featured on their menu - we split this a couple times and loved it, and then we ate our own on the last visit and the green herb inside was too much then (if you're reading this, and come here, note).

And just 2 1/2 blocks away are a couple of breweries...

After riding the subway metro train, we walk back out into the sunshine in the environs of Osaka Castle.

In this aerial photo, we're presently at the extreme lower right, just after coming off the subway.

​The Story of Osaka Castle 

Below, condensed from Wikipedia, is a history about the birth and multiple deaths of the castle.  Suffice it to say the castle has suffered numerous calamities from changes in political power, to natural causes, and then wars - today it is a reinforced concrete version of what it once was.  Skip the story, you get the gist, unless you are a glutton for the details.

"In 1583 Toyotomi Hideyoshi commenced construction of Osaka Castle on the site of the Ikkō-ikki templei. In 1597 construction was completed and Hideyoshi died the year after.  Osaka Castle passed to his son, Toyotomi Hideyori.  Osaka Castle fell to the Tokugawa clan, the Toyotomi clan perished, Hideyori and Yodo-dono committed seppuku and the castle buildings burned to the ground.

In 1620, the new heir to the shogunate, Tokugawa Hidetada, began to reconstruct and re-arm Osaka Castle. He built a new elevated main tower, five stories on the outside and eight stories on the inside, and assigned the task of constructing new walls to individual samurai clans. The walls built in the 1620s still stand today, and are made out of interlocked granite boulders without mortar. 

Construction of the 5 story tenshu started in 1628 and was completed 2 years later, about the same time the rest of the reconstruction, and followed the general layout of the original Toyotomi structure.  In 1660, lightning ignited the gunpowder warehouse and the resulting explosion set the castle on fire.  In 1665, lightning struck and burnt down the tenshu.  In 1843, after decades of neglect, the castle got much-needed repairs when the Bakufu collected money from the people of the region to rebuild several of the turrets.

In 1868, Osaka Castle fell and was surrendered to anti-bakufu imperial loyalists.  Then much of the castle was burned in the civil conflicts surrounding the Meiji Restoration.  Under the Meiji government, Osaka Castle became part of the Osaka Army Arsenal (Osaka Hohei Kosho) manufacturing guns, ammunition, and explosives for Japan's rapidly expanding Western-style military.

In 1931, the ferroconcrete tenshu was built.  During World War II, the arsenal became one of the largest military armories, employing 60,000 workers.  American bombing raids targeting the arsenal damaged the reconstructed main castle tower and, on August 14, 1945, destroyed 90% of the arsenal and killed 382 people working there.

In 1995, Osaka's government approved yet another restoration project, with the intent of restoring the main tower, the tenshu, to its Edo-era splendor.  In 1997, restoration was completed. The castle is a concrete reproduction (including elevators) of the original and the interior is intended as a modern, functioning museum."

After walking a short distance we get a good view of the central tower (tenshu) in the distance - there's a fair amount of ground to traverse before we're actually at the front door.

Osaka's moderness looking over a castle moat.

We approach the gate of the inner moat - the castle tower/pagoda lies beyond:

Tour guides call this stone "The Octopus" - see it, see it, yeah, it's maybe like seeing animals in the clouds.

We can now almost see the front door...as we get photobombed.

"I must really have the hat, I implore you to hand it over, okay, how about a trade for my carp or my medallion?"

It seemed many tourists formed a long line for the elevator to the top, as the "museum" like floors on the way didn't really excite them.  We bypassed that line by taking the wide open up-stairs and perused the floor exhibits - yeah they weren't really all that much, at least not enough to motivate us to take any photos.

So, here are the views out the top:

Now on the dedicated going-down staircase - yeah, this castle is not like Himeji, with it's glorious massive timbers and elaborate woodwork inside and out.

The large stone blocked base is mostly original however.

Farewell Osaka Castle tensu, you're no Himeji, but we still like you!

These restrooms have an interesting view of the defensive walls.

We're serenaded by the Japanese version of a conch shell bugler as we depart the inner castle gates.

Now back in our own hood, we have to try out an eatery we've been passing all week.

Our motto is "never leave a brewery unvisited" - one more time before leaving Osaka.

A street performer - she was no slouch - very entertaining.

​Huh - "na no ha na" - on the river no less???

Good night and goodbye Osaka (cue sound of mic dropping)!

Today's touring was very similar to yesterday's - we're not so much tourists now, but pretending we live here, and are spending a Saturday wandering around Osaka.  The weather is nice, so let's do this.

Going to a hood where modern is becoming modern-cutting-edge...

At a Mazda showcase display in the lobby of one of the skyscrapers - our new ride, now how do we get it home...

​Reaching for the heavens, glass and steel...

​There's also a brewery nearby.

Too much beer?, no, no, not even close - we like to do a little geocaching here and there, eureka, she found it.

This shiny beast has a village skyline perched on top.

Heading into the base of another skyscraper, we find a pin-pong tournament about to kick off...

...in the basement complex, a conference center featuring a timely topic.

Let the games begin!

More breweries...

Tim gets BBQ at Brewpub Centerpoint, it was okay (below left) - but, if you want excellent BBQ outside of the USA try Split, Croatia, Baraka BBQ & Brew Bar - he always goes back to that BBQ comparison when on foreign shores.

Round houses to the right...

It's early evening on a Saturday night, time to take the cardboard to the recycler.

We find curious city sights, sushi of course, tall things, and a little beer...

Even before World War II, Osaka had become a modernized urban and industrial powerhouse in Japan.  After massive aerial bombardment, and the end of WWII, Osaka resurrected back into a powerhouse and a very modern city.  It provides far less opportunities for touring of historical sites, but is rich in finding experiences of modern Japanese culture.

Just a walkin down the street we come upon a restaurant with Dino's - can't say if the food is as good as the window dressing, we're headin' to sushi...

Now we turn into a multiple level shopping mall that promises interesting things...

You wish!

This green one has so many joints making it fold tiny - alas, we left it be for a different forever owner.

And now for a little sushi - just a little we swear, only about $27 worth!

Friday afternoon crowds ply the streets...

We do know where to find a little suds...to put beer and pizza in da bellies

Day is done.

Finishing up with our final 3-week Japan Rail (JR) Pass (we'll use the actual last of it the next day for a day trip), after doing the over-the-road bus initially, we ride most of the way on the bullet train to Osaka.

For this entire trip we have used 2 3-week JR Passes, and 1 2-week Pass.  These Passes will go up 70% this October - by happenstance we just avoided that.  A 3-week cost us $421 each, and the 2 $330.  The last bullet train we'll take, from Kyoto to Tokyo will cost us $99 (not using a JR Pass).

Seeing Fuji again, in between heavy clouds today...

Now in Osaka...

Our JR Pass expires at midnight, we need to see the sights of Nara, about an hour's 'commute' east of Osaka, so the Pass will cover the 28 bucks for both of us round trip to do it.

Ooh, look at the velour upholstery on the Osaka local train!

We make it to Nara.

"Nara was the capital of Japan during the Nara period from 710 to 794 A.D. as the seat of the Emperor before the capital was moved to Kyoto.  Nara is home to eight temples specifically Tōdai-ji, Saidai-ji, Kōfuku-ji, Kasuga Shrine, Gangō-ji, Yakushi-ji, Tōshōdai-ji, and the Heijō Palace, and together with Kasugayama Primeval Forest, collectively form the Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara, a UNESCO World Heritage Site."

​And so, so many deer here:

"The Shinto religion and local beliefs hold that a deity named Takemikazuchi arrived in the old capital of Nara on a white deer to act as the city's protector, and as a result, the deer of Nara have been considered sacred  messengers of the gods.  The genetic differentiation of the Nara Park deer from the Kii Peninsula deer population occurred about 1,300 years ago, which is genetically close to the year 768, when the Kasuga Grand Shrine was built."

A venerable old gate, see the front side and then the back side...

...and then we pass through yet another gate.

"Tōdai-ji is a Buddhist temple complex that was once one of the powerful Seven Great Temples. Though it was originally founded in the year 738 CE, Tōdai-ji was not opened until the year 752 CE.  The temple has undergone several reconstructions since then, with the most significant reconstruction (that of the Great Buddha Hall) taking place in 1709.  Its Great Buddha Hall houses the world's largest bronze statue of the Buddha Vairocana, known in Japanese as Daibutsu (大仏).  The temple also serves as the Japanese headquarters of the Kegon school of Buddhism."

Yeah, this temple is huge - note the two people beyond the lantern at the front door.

We've avoided the expected rains today so far, but the clouds are rolling in closer and the Gods are rumbling.

It's here!  And it's not so bad...

...there's even a handy lunchstop in the middle of the complex - we made it just before it closed and before the rain came down a bit harder.

Kasuga-taisha (春日大社) is a Shinto shrine of the Fujiwara family, established in 768 CE and rebuilt several times over the centuries.  The interior is famous for its many bronze lanterns, as well as the many stone lanterns that lead up to the shrine.

Apparently the trees are sacred as well:

The temple has one room kept dark, except for illuminated lanterns, where silent contemplation is the custom.

We've seen thousands of lanterns around Japan - can't ever remember one with a serpent base:

Now going down back towards town on an alternate pathway...

We pass one of the temples we saw earlier in the day, with better lighting now...

Ya'll come back now!

...with more kibble for mah bellah!

It's 2 trains and a bus to Kawaguchiko today, about 4 hours worth of travel.  We come here for one reason, for one of us to climb world famous Mount Fuji.

Prior to our lodging host picking us up at the bus station, we hit the equipment rental across from the station to get a couple of hiking poles for tomorrow's climb.

Mt. Fuji is often swaddled in clouds during the climbing season, from about mid-July through August.  Here it peaks at us from over the roof of the bus station.

It's Oh-Dark-Thirty in the Morn' - that is 530 am - I trek out alone, with Tim sleeping in.  It's too many hard steps up and then more so on the down for Tim - it would take him too many hours and too many pills to do it.  :-(

Oh well, I have many "friends" who will make the attempt with me today.

After we're halfway to the get-off, we're above the clouds and the skies look very nice...

It begins...

It's time for hats and sunglasses...as I depart from Station 5.

The trail starts tamely, wide enough for service trucks...

Now it's more to my liking, a human path, and I can start getting some elevation behind me...

Tim is somewhere down below those clouds.

When I look up, it's nothing but blue skies from now on.

​From here, I can see how far I still have to go..........up

Now at Station 6, all the stuff you may have forgot to bring is found here.

I now have to hobble up this morass, and those buildings above are still Station 6.

Yes, the store stands ready to serve, but I think I've brought up more than I need today.

Station 7 is attained, where people will arrive later, lodge a bit, and then hike at night to catch sunrise at the top.

This trail segment is providing more of the morass challenge.

...and then more of what is called "Station 7", and more lodging for those sunrise seekers.

Now going straight up to find Station 8.

And here it is!

Yeah, still at Station 8, and still about 1,500 feet up to go.

I'm glad I get to come down an alternate route some of the way back - my knees don't enjoy steep steps.

600 feet higher, I'm at Station 8.5...

Yes, lot's of "friends" are with me here.

Station 9 - about 600 feet more to the top.

​As the day warms up below me, the clouds can reach a bit higher, but fortunately it's not supposed to storm today.  Meanwhile, "Blue Vest Man" is grimacing at the effort.

Ropes aren't provided to help you get up, but for keeping you on the route.

A high shrine is up ahead...

Ooh nooo, do I have to pass through the 'Pearly Gate'...

Or is this the last gate before Nirvana?

Passing beyond there's a National Flag, there's a monk stamping memory plaques.....

...there's a caterpillar truck???

...rocks used to keep buildings from blowing...........off the top?

Could it be?

Yaaasssss!!!!

Yes, yes, yes.

A crater slumbers in the background...

Many happy hikers around me....

Yep, there's now the "down" to contend with...at least a lot of it is an alternate trail.

Sharing the trail with "others".

Snaking right, then left, then another right, and then more turns than my fingees and toeys can count.

I save another 200 yen ($1.40) - I didn't need to pee all day.

Tired and satisfied...

...another thumbs' up for a hike in Japan, a big thumbs' up!

After the hour's bus ride, I walk by the local Lawson on the way "home" - its been almost 12 hours since I passed this spot in the fog this morning.  People here say this Lawson has the most beautiful setting of all the Lawson stores in Japan - it's hard to disagree.

Today was the backup day for climbing Mt. Fuji - yes, the weather yesterday was very nice, today, not so much.  So we have a day of rest and relaxing - with beer and fine sushi from the local supermarket.  Yeah, sushi from a supermarket, it was very good, believe it or not.

Good night Mt. Fuji!

We take a bus day-trip out of Nikko today for some more hiking adventure and to see water falling.

We're just in time to catch the next bus and lucky to get seats together for the hour and ten minute ride.

Despite the driver's best efforts, we succeed in getting to the start of the hike.

There are many fine hikes here, we're taking the one from between the big lake and the red square, up along the river and the moor (wetland) going northwest (note map is turned on its side), to just before the smaller lake.  After than we'll catch a bus all the way back to Nikko from there.

Ryuzu Falls is encountered early on - although we'd call it more like a cascade, it's very nice all the same.

It's starting to rain steady, luckily lightly, but the trail is getting a bit sloppy - we press on.

Good to know...

The trail is a whole lot less sloppy here, as we approach the moor (wetland).

The atmosphere is a bit thick, but we can still see some of the sights provided by the mountains.

Getting closer...

Yes, water is falling here, but it's no water fall or even a cascade for that matter.

Boy, this free umbrella given to us by the doorman in Kagoshima some weeks ago is sure getting used today.  Gerri preferred her rain jacket however, 'forest hikers don't carry umbrellas'.

We got the bear warning, but Loch Nessie's, there was no mention of those (or Stream Nessie's in this case).

Mmmmmmkay, a detour here from the "All Trails" route on the I-phone we're following, but the original trail is apparently blown out by erosion.  And, we're back to the sloppy trail, but it's not really too bad at all.

Must be a bear concentration nearby, they provide a hefty bell to warn them before you might blunder into one or more - we gave it a strong gonging; hmmmm, not sure, but maybe the bridge crossing will head them off, but probably only if you can run faster across it than the other hikers.  Alas, there were no bear sightings today.

Ah, the more preferred version of water falling.  "The Kotaki Waterfall (or Nikko Kotaki to distinguish it from other “small waterfalls”) is a diminutive companion to the impressive Yudaki Waterfall further upstream."

Going up...

Any luck today?  No?  Maybe why the bears are elsewhere today.

A two-tracker here...

Mmmmm, nearby the waterfall, toasted rice balls - the sauce was especially good - a sweet miso.

This signage was perfectly placed to zig-zag us from the little visitors center to where we need to catch our bus.

Hang on to yer seat, we're taking the F-1 Bus straight (not so much really) to the finish line - aaaahhhhhh!

Back in Nikko, we hop off before the point where we hopped on - Gerri has found a last minute site of interest.

There are a lot of Buddhas sitting here along the stream.

... a lot.

Here's a nicely focussed photo of the fireworks along the river we caught on the walk back to our lodging.