And life is carrying on as normal here in Tokyo...between the aftershocks!! Here are some pics from Charlottes football (soccer) tournament at the weekend! The team have worked so hard this season and it was great to see them finish second in the league. Under the leadership of a great team captain...number 13! As she can kick the ball she has to take all the corners and penalty kicks....aswell as being the main weapon in defence! See how happy they all are at the end of the game :)

Mmmm...a nice relaxing half term break and managed to visit Zao Onsen village in Yamagata, about 3 hrs north of Tokyo on the bullet train.

Picturesque ski resort and Hot Spring town, in contrast to the thick snow, hot steaming sulphurous streams and rivers bubble up from the ground and run through the village. Makes you wonder just how close you are to the hot rock!!

This is said to be one of the oldest and best onsen towns in the area. Discovered in  110AD by a warrior, wounded by an arrow, who bathed in a stream and was soon completely healed. It is called both “The Princess Hot Spring” and “The Fountain of Beauty” due to its reputation for healing both skin conditions and gastrointestinal disorders. 

So I took full advantage of the many public bath houses and open air baths to bathe in around the town. I managed to get a picture inside one of the public baths, the hot spring is bubbling up from the ground below the wooden slats which are yellowed with sulphur. Just strip off, rinse off with a bucket of water, climb in and relax!

Time to check in to the hotel, love the view from the window and love the Japanese winter table...although concerned about how much of a fire hazard it may be. OK, a heater is fixed below the table top...then the table is covered with a duvet.....very cosy to sit with your legs under in the evenings though.

And dinner in the hotel....wow....amazing. I counted the dishes at the end of each meal...17 dishes each...not sure what some of the dishes were...but thats always the case!! The only thing I could not swallow was the raw prawn...I can eat almost any type of sashimi but that!!

Off out again to see the famous Zao snow monsters at night. These cover the top of the mountain and are formed gradually over the winter by a build up of snow and ice on the trees. I don't think it is quite captured on camera but they really do look like life forms and at night as you move with the shadows they look like they are moving too....quite spooky!! Especially the ones with little prehistoric monsters protruding from their heads!! Ahhh...its minus 10 degrees....lets get back to the hotel and enjoy that bottle of yamagata wine!

After a good sleep...a breakfast of similar size to last nights dinner and an onsen of course, time to hit the piste for Neil...and more pottering for me :)

Only in Japan would you find both of these at the top of a mountain. A giant Buddha...burried up to his neck in snow and a girl in high heels clambering between snow monsters!

Mmmm...time for lunch I think...at an apparently famous hand made Soba (buckwheat noodle) shop...which was of course oishikatta!....absolutely delicious!

Now...all I've missed out is a visit to a shrine...mmmm...I don't think I am attempting those treacherous steps!! Think I'll give that a miss!The same shot looks prettier at night though...hope you enjoy the pics! xx