· Tsukiji fish market
· Fresh sushi for breakfast
· Walked around Ginza (expensive stores)
· Kabuki-za to see a play
· Harajuku - punk girls, cool buildings, sea of umbrellas
· Ate icecream in crepe cone.
· Jelly fish in Chinese place in Harajuku
· Tokyo tower

· Accidentally took a 1.5 hour train to Nara, and got there pretty late. Went to the 5 story pagoda and the Kofukuji temple. Visited the treasure house with statues of Buddha, monks, Buddhist gods from 8 century and on.
· Played with deer, went to the Todaiji (Big Buddha) temple (he lost his head like 5 times). Donated money for reconstruction of some temple and wrote "Anton, Marina, and Katya wish peace to all world" and a date one month in the future.
· Walked to the Kasuga Shinto shrine with 3 thousand lanterns. Saw the "boobs and feet" shrine, and the orange tree.
· Hiked down a local street with late blooming cypress trees, saw deer roaming around. Chanced upon a beautiful pond with a bridge and a gazebo in the middle and listened to a local in a gauze mask practicing his classical guitar. Observed a couple on a boat, swans, and deer on the shore, very moviesque place.
· Went to the pond to which small carp were released earlier in the day and saw about 13 turtles.
· Had lunch in MOS burger with amazing service, and perfectly aligned tray with coffee.
· Had cocktails, cake and good conversation before taking the train back to Kyoto.
· Got some Shochu (?, similar to sake) and went home. Took baths. Invited neighbor Mark(?, former english teacher) from Seattle.

· Took a bus to the Golden (Ryogin?) Pavilion, and had breakfast of suki-yaki-don. Golden temple was cool but it was not that sunny. Amazing garden of weeping cherry blossom trees, and ponds. Saw a geisha with a traditionally dressed man posing for pictures.
· Walked to the Temple with the Zen (rock) garden. Nice place, but too many people. Beautiful gardens and the weather finally got warm.
· Took a cab to the Nijo Castle, barely made it. Had to run through the castle in 25 min because it turned out that the palace closes earlier the then gardens. Nightingale floorboards for intruder alert, amazing woodwork and sliding doors, but it was dark because the place has no artificial light. Ignored announcements to go to the exits of the castle, and walked around the grounds saw sakura in full bloom. Went to the second palace; went up to the site of the castle tower, great site. As we were leaving we chanced upon an place where a free koto concert was to be held later on.
· Left the castle and had some excellent cake and coffee at a café nearby. Returned to the castle in time for 3rd performance which was excellent. Bought cookies, promenaded around the park which was lit up with lights and lanterns (movie set too). Very cold, warmed up by milk royal tea and coffee from the vending machines. Returned for another koto concert which was even better.
· Took a bus home and stopped by for food and beer in a pretty seedy place in Pontocho neighborhood. Saw a great street performer and a band called ShaleApple with awake androgynous base player.

· The breakfast was as amazing as dinner with about 9 dishes in 3 turns. Upon check out we found that we drank $40 worth of sake! The could have told us that it was not included!
· Wondered around Gion, until reaching some temple and grounds. Many women, young and old in beautiful kimonos.
· Went to the monastery (?) with long stairs and cementary on both sides, heard chanting monks
· Hiked up a hill with many shrines.
· Went to Choin-in temple where they had 800th bday of the founder and meditated listening to the chanting and the gong and sticks sounds of the monk.
· Walked through street vendors and when to the gion corner to by tix for Miyako Odori
· Took a cab to the Heian Shrine (orange), saw the amazing gardens, and the ikibana exhibition.
· went back to Miyako Odori show, saw a geisha on the street followed by a paparazzi, sat on the tatame seating (actually on blankets); had to ask neighbor to be quiet. Chinese people behind us could not shut up. Beautiful show
· Got coffee for markiza, went to buy tix for the Gion Corner show. Met the women from St. Petersburg (female militsioner and economist). First exchange with militsioner: "А вы откуда? -> Мы из Чикаго. А вы? -> А мы из Ст. Петербурга! Настоящие русские! Съели?" После чего это быдло говорит (примерно)"Мы на ихней чайной церемонии не были, но это фигня". Вторая женщиня довольно нормальная.
· Gion corner was a demo of japanese arts for foreigners. Tea Ceremony, Ikibana, koto, , .
· Wondered around small streats with fancy secluded restaurants and museums and lit up trees, until we found Ryokan Motonago, got our luggage, and took a cab to Ryokan Hinomoto. Japanese-style room had nice decorations and tea and cookies!

· Breakfast at hostel
· Walked around very foggy streets. Scary to cross river. Need to listen to sounds of coming cars.
· Take bus to the Checkpoint again; see the museum with life size reanactions; meterial museum.
· Take hiking trail to some mountain. Do not really reach it. Go back to make the Shinkansen train to Kyoto
· Kyoto: futuristic train station. Many escalators to observation deck. Cab to Roykan Motonago.
· Bath and keiseki dinner at the traditional ryokan Motonago

· 7:30 train to Odawara station, ate great fast food from City Convenience Kitchen
· At Odawara, leave suitcases in the locker
· Train to Hakone-Yumoto, take scenic tran to Gora, but get out on a random stop. Went down an old road, met local kids with plants and a tire :)
· Returned to the train and went to see Hakone Open-air Museum: awesome statues, carp in the pond, foot bath, symphonic tower, Picasso collection
· Took funicular to Souzan, then Ropeway to Togendai. Little geysers all over the mountain - man made to control volcanic activity
· Walk to egg hut - ate eggs boiled in hot spring water
· Get a great view of Fuji covered in snow
· Take a closed trail (due to landslides) down the mountain. Get to touch the hot springs water.
· Miss the last Pirate boat to Hakone Yamoto. Not a big loss because the weather was really foggy
· Took bus to Hakone Machi. Went to bathroom in a super fancy hotel.
· Walk in the dark to Checkpoint; Cedar Alley, 24-hour detached garden. Smoked in the garden.
· Walk down from garden on long slippery stairs. Walked to Moto-Hakone. Bought lunch boxes at 7-11 - great food. Ate at bus stop. Met french travelers.
· Hostel: Hakone Lake Villa. Needed help from old japanese dude to make the bed.

· Shinjuku - piss alley (narrow alleys with shops)
· West side: NS building with the button story; Metropolitan Government building; rings toy
· Breakfast at local conveyor belt sushi.
· East side: Neon Haven! Streets with strip clubs and love hotels

· Asakusa: Sensoji temple - first cookies with beanpaste, rain, pachinko
· Shady men in suits
· older nighborhood, sakura alley by the river
· Lunch with no picture with sushimi for 700 yen
· Ueno park: Tokyo National Museum
· Got off on the wrong station on the way home, had dinner at the place with pausing fire on walls
· Kareoke in Roppongi!

· Visited roman's hood
· Walked around the town, bought food, made dinner for roman
· Talked, played poker at Roman's

· Had breakfast in "Hello, Holly" (or something like that) café, with great jazz and good sandwiches.
· Went to Teramachi street to get tea, souvenirs, yukata for markiza.
· Got stuffed in the Musashi the 120 yen conveyer sushi place.
· Took the train to Kanazawa and met with Roman under the wooden Pi (gate)
· Went to a nearby shrine and a café to start catching up.
· Had dinner with Oz, Reed, Heather in a fancy place.
· Got Roman to go to Kareoki which had awful service and selection of songs