Day trip to Osaka

Back at Kyoto station we witnessed this wedding ceremony from the 'skywalk' - the guests noticed us as we went up and down the escalator several times so that we could see what was going on!!
Oh boys and trains - they love the shinkansen bullet trains!!
I loved the jellyfish in the Osaka aquarium although the sea otters, dolphins, manta rays and sharks were pretty cool too!
Although we didn't get to snorkel off the barrier reef this trip we did see lots of fish from this and other parts of the globe in the aquarium - great but a little sad to see them in such small spaces.

Kyoto shopkeeper

Just another park...we have seen/visited a lot of parks on this trip! This one was in the Gion area of Kyoto.
A typical restaurant doorway with delightful curtain!
We set off to visit the Golden Temple in Kyoto but heard that it was shut when we reached a bus interchange. Disappointed we took a bus back toward Kyoto centre and en route saw a second-hand shop from the bus window. Jumped out at the next stop and found it to be full of junk albeit Japanese junk but the lady owner was very kind and she gave the boys traditional Japanese toys: a wooden ball and cup, a card game and a plastic pirate game. They spent ages sitting on the floor of the shop playing with these games and when we finally left they lined up together for this photo! More than made up for missing out on the temple (we made it another day anyway)! Thereafter we got off at Gion area to see Geishas but only saw two sitting in the back of a taxi. Very touristy area so the restaurants were very expensive so we continued on foot...and got lost!

Kyoto temples

Kiyomizu - a lovely (world heritage) temple near the traditional ryokan (b&b) YHA that we stayed in for one night in Kyoto. This photo shows the people collecting therapeutic water to drink from the temple well...Patrick ran past this and other temples on his early morning runs delighting in passing through before the gates opened (and visitors were charged to enter the sites). He usually ran at 0600 to avoid the heat and in doing so encountered people going to pray at the temples (lighting candles and making a single clap of their hands after saying a few words or chanting).
Around the back of the temple we found these sculpted stones wearing aprons or bibs!!!
Very, very hot and pretty busy as you can see!
Fun feeding the pigeons at the largest temple in Kyoto (just outside the railway station).

Budo centre, Kyoto

Oldest martial arts centre in Japan and I happened upon an aikikai training session here with a 6th Dan woman who had trained with Tissier - fab!

Sights of interest in Tokyo museum

Check out the toilet - all singing and dancing - sound effects to mask sounds you might make, heated seat, bottom shower, bidet and even a blow dry - makes me think of the Billy Connolly pubic hair sketch!!!
Just a little tea bowl from the ceramic collection
Couple of weapons - unbelievable blades and a groove for the blood to run down!
Not sure my aikido would be up to defending myself from anything but a wooden tanto after seeing the real thing!