One of the beautiful kiriko's at the Waijima Taisai festival. 

Another picturesque view of Sojiji Temple. I loved this place - solemn and welcoming at the same time and incredibly tranquil, even for countryside Japan. 

This is the childrens' fountain at Sojiji Temple, in the right hand corner is all the toys that have been left as an offering. I love how all the statues are dressed. 

This guy lives at a world famous Buddist Temple in a neighbouring town. Like everyone else in Japan he seems to have a job. 

Toby picking rice with his high school kids.  

These stone statues are scattered all over the country side. 

The ponds of Kenrokuen are full of these beautiful things. 

More of Kenrokuen. 

The very Japanese(& beautiful)Kenrokuen gardens in Kanazawa - capital of Ishikawa prefecture. 

Much of the coast around Wajima looks like this. Sweeping hills down to the water, covered wherever possible by rice fields. 

Fishing boats at the wharf. Everyone has bikes like the one in this picture - including me. 

Wajima, looking south to the port. The evening of the first day of crab season we went with our friend Naoko and her mum to the wharf to buy crabs just off the boats. We then made fools of ourselves at Naoko's home not really knowing how to go about eating them. 

This is the view looking north up the coast from Wajima - home of many tombis (Siberian kytes) which make wierd screaming noises and swoop down for your food if you eat in the streets, all the fish you can eat and Japan's best lacquerware. 

Tokyo was just what I expected it to be like - like all the pictures you've ever seen. Skyscrapers and flashing billboards and endless mysteries for the illiterate foreigner. 

This was the view from our hotel room in Tokyo. Arriving here was a nerve wracking and of course exciting experience. This was definalty our "Lost in Translation" period, protected from the outside world by our plush hotel, air conditioning and English speaking company - all 2000 of them. 

A bright, sunny, tie-wearing future.