More crowds in Japan

My cousin, Miho, e-mailed me this photo. She said it was at a temple, Taki-Fudou near her house. They went there on New Year's Day.

The smoke is from incense, which is in a huge cauldron. You can buy a huge bunch of incense, light it and put it in the cauldron.

You can stand by the cauldron and waft the smoke, using your hands, on the part of your body that ails you.

As you can see, the weather was much like it was here. No one is really bundled up. When my mother and I were in Tokyo for New Year's in 1997, it was freezing.

Using Skype, we spoke to a bunch of our relatives. They will be visiting us next year. And I can't wait!