Yamaga lantern festival

bitterly cold(though the cafe are excellent) these lanterns are everywhere lining the street, bamboo, paper umbrellas, and the cute figures are silkworm cocoons. With hot spring water running in the street.

Yamaga onsen

Picture doesn't tell the story of driving here through teeny, kooky intersections, roads to this quaint little spot, where I was once before in 2011. I remember the way now but it is ridiculous and the GPS totally failed when it put me in the middle of a field!! '100 metres, migi desu'(!!)

beautiful, intense toy collector's home exhibit

...just steps from the shrine.