Japan - Sun Umbrella

I forget the name of it, but there was a town with a (distant) view of Fuji that was famous for its seven springs.  A pretty little tourist town surrounded, as you can see here, by tall hills and beautiful vistas.  This and the next several postings were captured in this place.

The reason this photo was chosen was because of the umbrella, purpose-built for shade instead of protection from the rain.  Never had seen one of these.

People ask us what was our favorite place or thing to do while in Japan.  For me it was something that, ironically, could not be photographed.  In this little town there was a guy with a monkey that wore a uniform and did the most amazing tricks.  At about four and a half feet standing it wasn't small either, but not a chimp.  He did somersaults, hand stands and high jumps.  He would follow his owner's instructions to do human-like things that almost gave you the creeps.  And, during intervals of the show - which took place under an awning next to the street - he would stand very close, facing the audience of a few dozen who'd gathered to watch the spectacle.  As he was standing there, he would survey the crowd, looking directly into the eyes of the spectators.  My gosh, how intelligent those eyes were!  Makes you think about what a spectral thing life is, species-wise.  But alas, no photography was allowed (for good reason), so it'll have to remain committed to memory.