Japan

Toyama Castle was destroyed in the Second World War. It was rebuilt after the war. (Toyama, 2005)

Toyama is a cozy little city.

A little village called Mozumi is a portal to one of the world's most sophisticated high energy physics laboratories KamLAND (Kamioka Liquid Scintillator Anti-Neutrino Detector).

Me all suited up inside the "holy of holy" (dome area) of KamLAND.

A memorial on the site of Sendai Castle ruins (Sendai).

Congratulations hung next to the memorial. Half of these plates celebrate good grades in school which tell you something about the Japanese value system.

Japan is full of beautiful mountains and nature trails. However one should watch out for bears.

Simple things are all we need to clear our minds.

Japan has a lot of water in all different forms (2006).

I wonder if I can get a snow plow like this one in Home Depot.

The aftermath of record snow storm in snow country. Sometimes the difference between beauty and disaster is only a hair wide.

The span of these giant moths is about the size of a hand.

The world heritage Shirakawa-go is a historical village characterized by straw-roofs.

Shirakawa-go is a natural beauty.

Cherry blossom in Kiyomizu Temple, Kyoto.

Cherry blossom in Osaka Castle, Osaka.