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This is a Torii path leading to the inner shrine "Fushimi Inari Taisha", located in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Japan. Merchants and manufacturers worship Inari for wealth, they will donated torii and so on each of these columns, you can see the donor's name, company name and date.

I've been travelling with my Canon 5D Mark II with 3 lens frequently in the past few years, and I realized how useful and convenient it is to have a second camera in the pocket as backup. Fujifilm X100 is the ideal camera for me as I really like the 35mm range, and also it cannot change lens! This saves me time from being greedy and bring even more lens with me on the move... Sometimes we just have to learn: Less is More!

A torii is a traditional Japanese gate usually found at the entrance of a shrine. There are many different architectural designs but often in similar appearance and color. Here is one I visited near Kyoto, the Fushimi Inari Taisha.

If you visit Japan, very often you can find food and beverages in excellent packaging or decorations. Equally often that you will also find food that are simple and raw, but yet delicious. Just like this soba I had in simple salty soup base with virtually nothing else, it was yummy enough to make me memorize it for the whole trip.

These are one thousand colorful origami paper cranes attached by strings. An ancient Japanese legend promises that anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish by a crane. In Japan, it is commonly said that folding 1000 paper origami cranes makes a person's wish come true. I saw this at the Fushimi Inari Taisha.

It's now the first day in 2012, let me take these cranes and wish everyone good luck and good health in this new year!