I am still wondering what is the best way to serve my German and my English speaking audience. I used to make a bilingual post, but somehow I feel now it rather puts of lots of people. Now I try out coming up with separate posts, but I still don't know whether that works better. Any idea or recommendation anybody?

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One thing you cannot say about Japan is that it is a dry place. The amount of rainfall here in the Far East beats the petty rain in in Central Europe by far, and especially at this time of year, the umbrella is an essential piece of everyone's equipment. The name rainy season didn't come from nowhere and has a special resonance, especially on the east coast and in the south. Yes, it rains and not only for a short time, but sometimes for days on end.

But this does not have to keep you from making your own explorations, because sometimes something new just can't wait and has to be visited and inspected now and immediately and checked off the list.

Some years ago I was in Nikko, a small town 140 kilometers north of Tokyo, where you can find the mausoeum of the first Tokugawa shogun. A very popular destination, and on my first trip here we were lucky to enjoy two days of almost continuous rain. But as people said, "only the tough ones survive", and since we were already there, we still had a look around and could admire a lot of umbrellas.

Of course, this special colourfulness added a very special touch to the rather dignified surroundings, but as soon as we could fade out the umbrellas a little, it was easy to guess why this place attracts so many people. Situated in the mountains and surrounded by tall cedars, this temple and shrine ensemble has a splendid appeal, and if you are lucky enough to have a little time to yourself, you will soon succumb to Nikkos charm.

I'm sure I'll make it back to Nikko soon and this time the weather fairy will surely be kind to me and welcome me with bright sunshine. And then we'll see what else Nikko has to offer, because I'm sure there's still a lot to discover.

So everybody stay tuned and check out my blog again. I will serve you some more interesting photos next time soon.

Love and Respect