Lately it's been seeming like things are flying by so fast that if you don't stop and document them, they just fly away. With this post, the doucmentation is going to have to be mostly pictures, as it represents a few days.  Enjoy...

Kamikochi Japan is a tiny village in the Alps with expensive lodging ($200 per night) and some of the best scenery in Japan.  Despite rain, we really enjoyed the natural beauty.

 Mt. Yakedake:

 The Azusa River:

 From Kamikochi, we spent a couple of nights in Matsumoto, where it rained a little more.  This caption should read "Damn you rain!!!"

 Alas, Matsumoto has a stunning castle:

 We took a day trip to a town called Hotaka, where you can rent a bike...

 ...ride across picturesque rice patties...

To Japan's largest wasabi farm:

 To end this session, we went to Himeji Castle, one of Japan's most famous sites, and a UNSECO World Heritage site.  We happened to arrive on a beautiful day that also corresponded with the colorful Matsuri Yatai Festival.

 These guys were all wearing shoes "tabis" like this:

 But we really came for the castle:

 And it's original architecture.

 And views for miles...see the festival below?

 And then we went to Osaka, where we'll be for a while as we explore Kyoto, Nara, etc.