Takayama 24.11.2013

DSCN0173 Sage on a crane? DSCN0175 Riding a carp in the old town of Takayama DSCN0178 Takayama has preserved several neighborhoods DSCN0179 and maintained traditional Japanese construction
DSCN0180 The result is beautiful and clean! DSCN0182 This ball signifies a sake brewery DSCN0184 This neighborhood harbored many very old floats DSCN0183 for which there appears to be an annual festival
DSCN0185 Pocket park along the river DSCN0186 Fall colors DSCN0187 Toto must have funny connotations for Mary-Jo. DSCN0188 Temple grounds
DSCN0189 Temple stele DSCN0190 Temple itself DSCN0191 Drinking fountain in front of temple DSCN0193 Entrance to a hilltop park where once was a castle
DSCN0194 Hiking trail up to the hilltop DSCN0195 Temple and foliage DSCN0196 MIxed forest DSCN0197 turning colors
DSCN0198 like in New England DSCN0199 which is not surprising DSCN0200 Where the castle was DSCN0201 What they think the castle looked like circa 1550
DSCN0202 One can comtemplate DSCN0203 and consider the old trees DSCN0205 Fiery Japanese maple DSCN0206 Maple foliage
DSCN0207 Maple leaves DSCN0208 Canopies of color DSCN0209 canopies DSCN0210 that I couldn't leave
DSCN0211 Streetside potted plants DSCN0212 Vibrant DSCN0213 As clean and orderly as Switzerland DSCN0214 Gardens behind walls
DSCN0217 Along the river in the middle of town DSCN0220 a morning market DSCN0221 WE left Takayama and drove up into the hills to a research station DSCN0222 and then up to a research site
KIMG0828-1 where Hiroyuki Muraoka explained his research KIMG0831 I am glad I wore this hard hat KIMG0835 as I whacked my head many times on the scaffolding DSCN0224 which surrounded a single oak tree
DSCN0225 and allowed experiments such as this warming experiment DSCN0226 The open-topped warming chamber up on the third floor! DSCN0227 From the top we see a Midd Snow Bowl-like local ski area and many instruments DSCN0232 Instruments that cost as much as the whole scaffolding
DSCN0228 Looking down into the tree top DSCN0230 Mountains into the distance DSCN0231 Birch forest and eddy covariance tower DSCN0233 Lunch time in the break room
DSCN0234 Prof. Muraoka and 7-11 sandwiches, which were surprisingly good! DSCN0237 We drove around the southern part of the Japanese Alps, Mt. Norikura, 3000+m DSCN0243 and crossed the ridge just north of this volcano, Mt. Ontake DSCN0244 which stands by itself
DSCN0239 We looked across to another range, Mt. Komagatake DSCN0241 The road we followed DSCN0246 At the foot of the range DSCN0247 It seemed like San Bernardino
DSCN0248 We followed more cars and crossed beneath this range in a tunnel DSCN0249 to emerge with yet another range in front of us DSCN0254 Minden, Nevada? Mt. Notori in the distance. DSCN0273 An hour or two later from the freeway we catch sight of Mt. Fuji in the evening light
DSCN0262 It is breath-taking DSCN0274 in its singularity