While we were in Higashi Hoganji, we managed to befriend some rather gregarious pigeons, and I took some creeper photos of the most adorable tiny child as he did the same thing. 

Higashi Hoganji temple in Kyoto - I will admit that we only went here because it was the first thing we stumbled on when we fell out of the train in Kyoto that first weekend. But I’m really glad we did - it was an awesomely huge place, with interesting architecture. And the best Engrish motto in the world. 

I really enjoyed the municipal mascots that Japan had - even though none of the rest of them could compete with Hikonyan, the cutest samurai cat in the world, some were pretty awesome.

A couple of weeks ago The Frog Man posted a rather terrifying photo of Kumamon, but I thought he was pretty cute when I saw him outside the Kyoto station. And that adorable child in the second photo was obsessed with him. 

They have mascots and advertisements for EVERYTHING. The character on the side of the Red Cross truck is Kenketsu-chan, or ‘blood donation girl,’ and the egg-like thing is actually Mayumaro, a silk worm larva and the mascot for the Kyoto National Cultural Festival. And they’re all ADORABLE. 

Also, the people in the third photo are probably going to show up in a lot of these - Edge, Kiersten, and Michelle (from left to right) went with me to a LOT of places. (Not pictured for some reason: Sara. She will show up later)

One thing I really miss about Japan is the trains. Even though I was living in a town that wasn’t exactly close to places like Kyoto or Osaka, it was easy enough to hop a train there on the weekend. I wish the train system in the US was half as useful. 

Also, the views from the 電車 are way better than from the road, and it’s easier to take creeper shots of your friends this way, too. 

Kumamon! He’s the mascot of Kumamoto prefecture - I took a picture with him in January!

I think they were trying to get people to vote for him as best prefectural mascot.