Konnichiwa from Tokyo!

Our travel plans included a layover in Tokyo, so we decided to explore a bit. We visited Kamakura, a little town with a lot of history and religious sites. Beautiful Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines abound. They were mostly built in the 13th century. They say that in Japan people are born Shinto, marry Christian, and die Buddhist.

It's been fun to compare the city of Tokyo to Singapore. They are both large, Asian, and relatively wealthy, but quite different. The Japanese have got a culture that is totally unique. Their history is mind boggling and the culture fascinating. The spectrum is broad--anywhere from traditional to extreme. Cute, Hello-Kitty-type or anime characters bombard the senses and along with young folks in wild get-ups. Tokyo definitely also has all of the bright lights and tightly packed trains that you would expect, right next to timeless and pristine scenes taken straight from the traditional block prints. Take a look at our Tokyo photos to see for yourself.

-Morgan