I've been back again in Tokyo for a week and here are a few impressions of these Japanese Times that I went through. Japan can be a very strange experience for a western traveller, exotic and fascinating in one minute, closed off and alienating in the next and outright homely and familiar again a few moments later... November 6th, 1998 I'm visiting Senso-ji Temple in the Asakusa area of Tokyo today. The temple is reached through a narrow lane full with shops selling everything you can name - from kimonos to plastic toys, from snacks to camera equipment. It's lively and crowded with Japanese and foreign tourists getting rid of their money before they reach the temple area... The entrance to the temple area itself is framed by rows of paper lanterns. The main hall towers impressively over the surrounding buildings. Inside of the temple hall, a golden image of the goddess of mercy is enshrined. You can't see the image itself, but the shrine is a splendid example of gold-plated craftsmanship. 3D-Images: (New window, lots of graphics) Inside Senso-ji Temple Entrance of Senso-ji Temple - My Homepage - - A Day In Japan - The China Room - - eMail me! -