Large bamboo doll at the entrance to the 
Echizen Bamboo Doll Village

We all pose with a giant bamboo samurai!

From left: me, Brandon, Jose, Christina, Tom, Laura

In the car park at Copa.

The fluff-epidemic seems to be sweeping Japan.  It is not at 

all uncommon to find cars decked out like this.  

Kind of scary, isn't it?!

(I have actually seen worse than this.  It was following me and  being driven by a 

cutesy-cutesy Japanese girl.  I was seriously concerned that she couldn't see me for 

lack of space between all the cuddly toys and fluff)

A photo machine.  Takes great group photos, which you can edit

afterwards.  It prints small photos out onto stickers...all the rage

with the younger (and not so young) generation.

(if I get a scanner, I'll post our attempt!)

Jose and Tom prepare to battle it out on the taiko game