Tokyo, Norwegian Cruise, Osaka, Kyoto, Nagaski 2019

Drinking Champagne on the flight to Tokyo, Japan	Settled in for Atlanta to Tokyo flight	Flying over the Porsche Experience Center in Atlanta	Arrival at Tokyo Narita International Airport	Tokyo traffic on the way to our hotel
Our first restaurant in Tokyo, Japan	Japanese Yakatori and Beer with Graham and June Short	Welcome to the Robot Restaurant in Tokyo	Sitting on giant robot at entry to Robot Restaurant in Tokyo	Robot Restaurant Bar in Tokyo
Graham meets a Robot	Bill at Robot Restaurant Bar in Tokyo	Drinks before Robot Restaurant Showtime	Robot Band in Tokyo	Robot Restaurant Showroom is several floors below the bar
Robot Restaurant show opens with Japanese Taiko Drummers	More drummers introduce an evil float at the Robot Restaurant	Robot Restaurant is all about good versus evil	Giant bird at Robot Restaurant in Tokyo	An obviously evil float at Robot Restaurant
Performer at Robot Restaurant in Tokyo	Performers on Dragon Float at Robot Restaurant in Tokyo	A little bit of Halloween at the Robot Restaurant	Halloween is becoming more popular in Japan	Giant Panda is a hero at Robot Restaurant
Giant Frog fights evil robots at Robot Restaurant	Evil Robot at Robot Restaurant	Fire-breathing Dragonfly and Ninja Turtle at the Robot Restaurant	Giant Snake enters the Robot Restaurant	The snake is one of the good guys at Robot Restaurant
Giant Snake finishes off a villain at Robot Restaurant	A Japanese Vampire at the Robot Restaurant	Performer at the Robot Restaurant	Big lightsticks at the Robot Restaurant	MC at the Robot Restaurant
Lightsticks at the Robot Restaurant	Salute to countries of the world at the Robot Restaurant	Giant Chicken with eggs of the world at the Robot Restaurant	Riding a Giant Turtle at the Robot Restaurant	Some strange costumes at the Robot Restaurant in Tokyo
Robot Dog at the Robot Restaurant	At Robot Restaurant Show Finale	Entrance sign to Golden Gai in the Shinjunku District of Tokyo	A little cold in Golden Gai area of Tokyo	Golden Gai is 6 narrow alleys with more than 200 tiny bars and clubs (most seat less than 10)
Notice we found in our hotel room upon our return	Multi-function, heated toilet at the KEOI Plaza Hotel in Tokyo	Our view of Mt Fuji the morning after Typhoon Hagibis passed through Tokyo	Looking at Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (Tokyo Tocho) from our hotel room	Shoji Kyoto is our tour guide for a day in Tokyo
Tokyo subway station decor	First of several hundred stairs in our tour of Tokyo	The first wooden Torii Gate at Meji Shrine is made of 1500-year old cypress	Stone bridge on the path to Meji Shrine in Tokyo	Barrels of Burgundy wine offered by France to consecrate the spirit of Emperor Meji
Sake barrels are offered annually to honor the enshrined dieties of Meji Shrine	Second Torii Gate into Meji Shrinei is the biggest of its kind in Japan at 40 feet	Performing the purifying ritual before entering the shrine	Entrance to Meji Shrine	Meji Shrine is dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shoken
Traditional Japanese Wedding at Meji Shrine	Japanese Groom and Bride at Meji Shrine	Japanese girls celebrate a rite of passage at ages 3 and 7 at Meji Shrine	'Ema' are small wooden plaques with wishes or prayers written on them	Another wedding at Meji Shrine
Sweeping the courtyard at Meji Shrine	Tokyo rickshaw mixes with modern traffic	Lunch at Tempura Restaurant in Tokyo	Shrimp Tempura	The Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate) is the outer gate of Sensoji Temple in Tokyo
Thunder Gate was first built in 941 AD, but moved to this location in 1635 AD	The wooden carving of a dragon on the bottom of the great red lantern on the Kaminarimon	The Nakamise-dori is a street on the approach to the Sensoji Temple	Masks for sale on the Nakamise-dori street	Lanterns decorate the street to Sensoji Temple
Tokyo Skytree is the second tallest structure in the world after the Burj Khalifa	The Hozomon is the main gate (10th century) to Sensoji Temple	Entering through the left side of the Hozomon gate	The smoke from the 'Jokoro' in front of Sensoji Temple is supposed to have healing powers	The 'Goju no To' five-storied pagoda (942 AD) holds Buddha's ashes
Sensoji Temple (founded 645 AD) is the oldest in Tokyo	Inside Sensoji Temple	Line waiting to see Sensoji Temple	In Buddhism, the swastika is considered to symbolize the auspicious footprints of the Buddha	The Nisonbutsu in Tokyo depict the Bodhisa Seshi on the left and Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara on the right
Crossing the Sumida River in Tokyo	Dai-Ichi Seimei Building was where Douglas MacArthur had his headquarters during the occupation of Japan following World II	The stone wall above the moat of the Imperial Palace dates to the 14th century	Meganebashi (Eyeglass Bridge) is the stone bridge at the Imperial Palace built in 1889	Fujimi-Yagura Watchtower (1659) at Tokyo Imperial Palace
Imperial Guards on the Eyeglass Bridge provide security for the Emporer of Japan	Changing of the Imperial Guards at the Tokyo Imperial Palace	Tsukiji Hongan-ji Temple (founded in 1617) but rebuilt in 1934	Namiyoke Inari (protection from waves) Shrine with lighted lanterns	Namiyoke Inari Shrine was founded in 1658
Lion-dog figure at Namiyoke Inari Shrine	Present Tsukiji Hongan-ji Temple was heavily influenced by Indian temples	Tokyo Government Office Towers at night	Waiting for elevator to South Observation Tower in Tokyo Government Office Towers	Arriving at the 45th floor of the South Observation Tower in Tokyo Government Office Building
City of Tokyo and Skytree from South Tower Observation Deck	Our Hotel (KEIO Plaza) from South Observation Tower	Tokyo has been selected to host the 2020 Summer Olympic Games	First look at the Port of Yokohama, Japan	Panoramic View of Osanbashi Pier in Yokohama, Japan
1st Leg of Far East Cruise on Holland America Westerdam	Onboard the Holland America Westerdam	Stateroom 6066 on the Holland America Westerdam	Excited to have double sinks and a tub in our cabin	Intersting benches on elevator landings of the Holland America Westerdam
Statues in the stairwell going to Deck 9 on the Westerdam	Pool on the Westerdam	Pool Bar on Deck 9 on the Westerdam	Curious Statue on the Holland America Westerdam	Our first Happy Hour with Graham and June Short from Australia
Ship's elevators remind you what day it is	First Gala Night on Westerdam	Martini Tasting on the Westerdam	Tonight's Martinis	'Orange Night' on the Westerdam
Dinner in Canaletto on 'Orange Night'	Second Gala Night on the Westerdam	Chinese Dragon in the Lido Buffet	Clothesline Candied Bacon at Pinnacle Grill on the Westerdam	Dinner in the Pinnacle Grill on the Westdam
Not-So-Classic Baked Alaska	Shuffleboard and wine on the Westerdam	Still don't know how our waiter did this	Going to the Halloween Party	Ready for the Halloween Party
Crew Pumpkin Carving Contest	Crew Pumpkin Carving Contest	Bar Team won Pumpkin Carving using Orange Beads from us	We didn't win the costume contest, but we only took what was easy to pack	Last night of Martini tasting
A few of our favorite towel art animals on the Westerdam	Minato Mirai 21 is a seaside urban area of Yokohama, Japan	Sailing into Osaka, Japan	Docked in Osaka, Japan	Truck stop on the way from Osaka to Kyoto, Japan
On the road from Osaka to Kyoto, Japan	On the road from Osaka to Kyoto, Japan	Japanese school kids visiting Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan	Entering the 'first gate' into grounds of Rokuon-ji Temple in Kyoto, Japan	Rokuon-ji (officially) in Kyoto, Japan is known as Kinkakuji (the Golden Pavilion)
The Golden Pavilion was completed in 1397, but rebuilt after burning in 1950	The Golden Pavilion is situated on a pond garden typical of the Muromachi period	The Golden Pavilion is covered with 200,000 sheets of gold leaf	The Golden Pavilion was built as a retirement dwelling for Shogun Yoshimitsu	The Pond Garden contains rocks donated by provencial lords of each period
The Golden Pavilion (Kinkakuji) is a Buddhist Temple containing relics of Buddha	People throw coins for luck in the gardens of The Golden Pavilion	An-min-taku Pond has never dried up and contains Hakuja-no-tsuka (white snake mound) Pagoda	Moat and guard tower surrounding Nijo Castle (1603)	Yagura-mon (upgraded in 1626) is the main gate to Nijo Castle in Kyoto
Chinese-style Karamon Gate guards the second ring of Nijo Castle in Kyoto	In front of Chinese-style Karamon Gate into Nijo Castle in Kyoto	Details of Karamon Gate at Nijo Castle in Kyoto	Carvings on Karamon Gate at Nijo Castle in Kyoto	Ninomaru Palace, Kyoto was the site of the return of authority to the Imperial Court (1867) by Tokugawa Yoshinobu (last Shogun)
Taking off shoes before entering Ninomaru Palace	Ohiroma (Grand Hall) in Ninomaru Palace is where 'restoration to Imperial Rule' took place	Ohiroma Yon-no-ma (4th Room) in Ninomaru Palace contains the most famous wall painting (Matsutaka-zu) in the palace	Hanging bells were used to warn the populace surrounding the Shogunate of fires and other emergencies	Underneath 'nightingale floors' that make a chirping sound when walked upon (to warn of intruders)
Gardens of Nijo Castle in Kyoto	Typical Japanese toilet	How to use Japanese toilet	Susan at the base Yagura-mon Gate at Nijo Castle in Kyoto	One of many coffee shops in Japan
Lunch at Fortune Garden Restaurant in Kyoto	Any idea which one of these actually flushes the toilet?	Most Barber Shops in Japan have an barber pole out front	Gate to Heian Shrine in Kyoto	Purification ritual before entering Heian-jinku Shrine
A purification basin inside the gate of Heian Shrine	Panorama of the Heian Shrine courtyard	The Heian Shrine (796 AD) was re-built in 1895 to celebrate the 1100th anniversary of the capital's foundation in Kyoto	White items on the tree are written wishes or prayers	The Garden of Heian Jintu Shrine
Taihei-kaku is a wooden bridge in the Garden of the Heian Shrine	Taihei-kaku hashidono (covered bridge) was moved from the Kyoto Imperial Palace to Heian Garden	Replicas of Samurai Helmets	Replica of Samurai o-yoroi (armor) that cost more than Bill was willing to spend	Western influence on architecture in Kyoto, Japan
Houses along the Shirakawa Canal in Kyoto	Biking along the Shirakawa Canal in Kyoto	Farmland between Kyoto and Osaka, Japan	Tempozan Ferris Wheel in Osaka is 369 feet tall	When Tempozan Ferris Wheel opened in Osaka July 12, 1997, it was then the tallest Ferris wheel in the world
Sailing away from Osaka, Japan under a bright moon	Interesting design of Nagasaki Cruise Terminal, Japan	View of Nagasaki, Japan from our balcony	Nagasaki Museum of History and Culture	Reconstructed Magistrate's Office in the Nagasaki Museum, which existed during the Edo Period (1603-1868)
Machi-bugyo were magistrates of the Tokugawa shogunate in Edo period	Our guide, Yoko, demonstrates court proceedings in the Edo Period	Transcript of Magistrate Court document from 1828	This room in the Magistrate's Office was used for inspection of imported articles	Screen in Nagasaki Museum of History and Culture
Mother-of-Pearl inlaid desk from the late Edo Period in Japan	Early statues of Maso (the protective deity of navigation) in Nagasaki, Japan	Model of the Chinese residential quarter in Nagasaki around 1800	Chinese sea goddess Matsu and her two guardians	Chinese all-seeing guardian
Chinese all-hearing guardian	Utsutsugawa ware (1691-1749)) in Nagasaki	Kameyama ware (1807-65) in Nagasaki was deeply influenced by Chinese and Dutch trading	Sword Rack with mother-of-pearl inlay	Transportation in Nagasaki, Japan
Statue in front of Peace Memorial Museum, Nagasaki	Dome over Atomic Bomb Museum, Nagasaki	1,000 oragami cranes represent a wish for peace at the Atomic Bomb Museum, Nagasaki	Ramp down in Atomic Bomb Museum, Nagasaki	Clock that stopped at the exact time the atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan
Mushroom cloud from atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki	Reproduction of remains of Urakami Cathedral in Nagasaki (located about .3 miles from hypocenter of bomb)	Interesting information in the Atomic Bomb Museum in Nagasaki	Events leading to Nagasaki being selected as potential target for atomic bomb	Information in the Atomic Bomb Museum in Nagasaki
Information in the Atomic Bomb Museum in Nagasaki	Information in the Atomic Bomb Museum in Nagasaki	Information in the Atomic Bomb Museum in Nagasaki	Replica of the Atomic Bomb dropped on Nagasaki	Facts about 'Fatman' -- the Atomic Bomb dropped on Nagasaki
Photo of remains of residential district in Nagasaki (located about .2 mile from hypocenter of bomb)	Fires broke out more than 2 miles from the hypocenter of bomb	'The Road to the Atomic Bomb' in Nagasaki's Atomic Bomb Museum	Famous photograph by American Joe O'Donnell of Japanese boy waiting at a crematory to hand over his dead baby brother	Strings of paper cranes donated to the Atomic Bomb Museum by individuals wishing for peace
Outside the Atomic Bomb Museum and Peace Memorial Hall in Nagasaki	The basin at the National Peace Memonrial Hall in Nagasaki	Monuments on hill across from Atomic Bomb Museum in Nagasaki	Sculpture across from Atomic Bomb Museum in Nagasaki	Nagasaki Peace Park
Nagasaki Peace Statue is 32.8 feet tall and represents a mixture of western and eastern art, religion, and ideology	Man in Nagasaki Peace Park who miraculously survived the blast while working in the Mitsubishi Weapons Plant (.68 miles fro	'Nagasaki Peace Bell' Monment in Nagasaki Peace Park	Nagasaki Peace Bell from Urakami Cathedral survived the A-bomb blast on August 9, 1945	Back entrance to Nagasaki Peace Park
Nagasaki Fountain of Peace sprays water in the shape of dove's wings	A monument in the 'Peace Symbols Zone' in Peace Park, Nagasaki	The 'Peace Symbols Zone' contains 49 monuments donated from countries around the world to the Peace Park in Nagasaki	Monument donated by the USA to the 'Peace Symbols Zone' in the Peace Park, Nagasaki	Interesting monument in the 'Peace Symbols Zone' in the Peace Park, Nagasaki
Monument in the 'Peace Symbols Zone' in the Peace Park, Nagasaki	Remains of Urakami Branch of Nagasaki Prison (closest public building at about 100-350 m from ground zero) in Peace Park, Nagasa	Stone 'One-legged Torii Gate' in Nagasaki survived being 800 m from the explosion epicenter	Looking at Nagasaki from our balcony aboard the Westerdam	Farewell performance from Nagasaki, Japan
Local farewell from Nagasaki, Japan	Big hands waving goodbye from Nagasaki	Japan Coast Guard in Nagasaki	Hillside Cemetery in Nagasaki	High-rise apartments in Nagasaki suburbs
Megami Bridge is at the entrance of the Port of Nagasaki	Headed into the East China Sea from Nagasaki