Cool, huh?

See you again, Japan!!!

Leaving Kyoto for Osaka on the shinkansen, and then to Kansai Airport

Alright! time for a nap on the plane. Mom, could you move your stuff?
Back to Melbourne!!!

The Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine, Kyoto

Behind me, the kitsune (fox), a messenger with a key in its mouth for the rice granary

A torii (Japanese gate)-lined meandering footpath. We overcame this with my 3-wheeled pram no less!!!

Charming Kyoto!!!

Our traditional Japanese inn, the Ryokan Kyoraku

Very comfortable on the tatami, indeed!!!

Interesting encounter at Takashimaya, Kyoto

Appetizing and colourful food displayed at Takashimaya!!!

I can see why mom and dad are so obssessed with every meal!!!

Mori Tower Observatory at Roppongi

"Very Good, ah!!!"

Fantastic Tokyo!!!

French Kitchen at the Grand Hyatt, Roppongi Hills

Melon made of Gold!!!

This musk melon (or rock melon here Down Under) costs about A$100!!!

You can buy about 30 for that price here in Melbourne!!!

Gotemba and then back at Shinjuku

Gotemba Premium Outlets

(1 h 40 mins by bus west of Tokyo)

Savoury food at Suizan restaurant

Mouth-watering dessert!!!

View of the magnificent Mount Fuji from the Gotemba Premium Outlets

Spectacular View of the night skyline of Tokyo from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building at Shinjuku

Ueno, Imperial Palace Gardens, Ginza and Shinjuku

Delicious Sushi "all you can eat!!!" at a restaurant in Ueno

Outside the Imperial Palace, Tokyo

Testing the gadgets in the Sony Building showroom at Ginza, downtown Tokyo

"All you can eat!!!" shabu shabu (Japanese steamboat) at Shinjuku

Surely, this did not involve me, but I had good fun entertaining my parents and our friend Hiroto while they were enjoying their meals ;P

The Senoji Temple at Asakusa, Northeast Tokyo

Our Japanese guide, Hiroto-san. He brought us around Tokyo for the day - Asasuka, Ueno, the Imperial Palace compound, Ginza and then back to Shinjuku. Arigatou-gozaimasu, Hiroto!!!

Welcome to Tokyo!!!

Shinjuku Station - the world's busiest train station (2-3 million passengers in a single day!!!)

Can you imagine us negotiating through the sea of people with easiest the largest pram in whole of Tokyo, if not Japan?

Our hotel for the next 4 nights, Nishi Shinjuku Hotel in Shinjuku, West Tokyo

The streets of Shinjuku

Soaking in the bustling night life of Tokyo

Mushi Mushi!!! We are in Japan!!!

Ready for take-off, see'ya later Melbourne!!!

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Konbanwa, Osaka!!!

Hi Hi!!! Here we are in Osaka!!!

4 November 2007

Hey dad, when are we leaving for Tokyo?
(beyond, the Shin-Osaka Train Station)

At Shin-Osaka Station, ready to depart for Tokyo!!!

Leaving Osaka for Tokyo on the Shinkansen