Those in the know tell us that Matsuo Basho was meditating outside a Teahouse similar to this one in Kyoto, Japan when a frog leaped into the lake. And this is what lead him to compose one of his most famous haiku.

Old pond –
a frog leaps in
water’s sound.

Haiku by Matsuo Basho

Bhaktapur is an ancient, picturesque city east of Kathmandu, Nepal. It’s past prosperity creating ornate dwellings and pagoda-style temple designs that spread all the way to Japan.

Bhaktapur is a popular day-trip from Kathmandu, especially for Japanese tourists who go their to experience how some of their towns must have looked, hundreds of years ago. There are some nice (simple) places to stay. And some cafes were you can just sit, read (or write) a book and watch the world go bye.

Seeing Sake barrels piled in front of a temple is common in Japan — they are offerings to the deities. I have always called rice wine Sake, but it seems the correct Japanese name is Nihonshu. Sake, by the way, means alcohol.

This shot of Mt Fuji was taken from a Shinkansen — a Bullet Train.

circle in stone
makes me think hard about life –
it doesn’t last.

maybe not a Haiku by John Holman

I’m embarrassed to admit I can’t remember the name of the temple nor actually where it was in Japan — but I think it was Kyoto. If you know then please do tell!

Seems a 73 year-old Japanese Buddhist priest has been checking out the age of enlightenment by paying 80,000 yen to have sex with 15-year-old girls. Link