In and around Kyoto

An alter in a Shintō street shrine along the shopping street in Kyoto.

Another alter in the Shintō shrine on the shopping street.

A lighted personal alter outside a house on a residential street near our hotel.

Dramatic architectural detail carved into the ends of the beams of a temple.

A washing well for cleansing before prayer at a Shintō shrine.

The Nishiki Tenmangu Shrine is a small Shinto shrine located in the covered Kyoto Shinkyogoku Shopping Street.

The Kyoto Shinkyogoku Shopping Street is over a quarter mile long and contains countless stores, restaurants and souvenir shops.

Sika fawn sculpture in the garden of a Buddhist temple.

The Kenrei-Mon Gate, one of the massive outer gates to the walled Imperial Palace in Kyoto.

Shirakumo Shrine in the Kyoto Gyoen (Imperial Grounds).

Itsukushima Shrine is perched on a small island in the Kujyo Pond at the south end of the Kyoto Gyoen.

Prayers written on wooden tags called ”ema” are left at the shrine for the goddess, Benzaiten, deity of, “all that flows,” including water and music.

This Heron was enjoying a lovely day at the Itsukushima Shine overlooking Kujyo Pond.

Entrance gate to Hogsmead at Universal Studios Osaka.

Osaka Hogwarts Castle!

Mmmm, conveyor belt sushi! Place an order on the pad at your seat and your desired dish quickly arrives!

Yep, octopus and shrimp on a stick! The sea food sellers in the shopping street have extravagant displays to temp buyers.

Local trains are the best way to get around.

It’s difficult to get a picture of the Shinkansen (bullet train) as it speeds through the station!

Universal Osaka selfie.