Hello from Tokyo!

These are early morning pictures I took in the stunning Japanese Gardens by our hotel. I spent a long time here. There are so many beautiful plants and trees, waterfalls, birds, insects, and fish…I could stay there all day just sketching.

At our welcome party, 2 very talented musicians played traditional Japanese music for us.

The stringed instrument is called a Koto and the wind instrument on the right is a Shakuhachi. They both make beautifully peaceful sound.

The clothes they are wearing are traditional too.

On the other hand, a more modern fashion trend could look like this creative ensemble!

There are temples all over Japan. These are places where people of the Buddhist religion can come to pray. The architecture of the buildings is unique to this area of the world. There is art everywhere…even on the ceilings!
This is the oldest temple in Japan, called the Senso-ji. It has many dramatic gates, halls, shrines, and shops. I bought a ‘temple book’ and a monk used a brush, ink, and stamp to exquisitely note inside that I had visited that particular temple. They will do this at any temple you visit. I will show you the art-filled book when I get home!