My trips around the world ...

Japan was great. The first impression I got was: “oh my! it’s so clean!” The second was: “oh, it’s so clean!” And finally: “wow! Everything is clean". I wouldn’t want to live in Japan but for a short vacation, it’s fantastic.

Kyoto is very a historic town with many shrines and temples. Kiyomizutera temple and Heian shrine are both very majestic and well taken care of.

In Nara city at Tou Dai Ji temple, the friendly deers were very cute. The myth is that deers protect the gods, so the park protects the deers.

In Osaka, Dotombori, the street of gourmet, and Sinsaibasi, the main street, were hip and crowded. But my favorite site in Japan has to be Kobe for its breathtaking view, steep yet charming streets and marvelous harbor.

It's amazing how Japan has managed to blend and maintain the old and the new together. It seems that the traditional Japanese culture has found a way to proudly stroll along generation to generation, and come to terms with the western culture.