A Rainy Day at the Nakayama Temple 中山寺 in Takarazuka, Japan

On our trip to Japan last week, we visited the Nakayama Buddhist temple in Takarazuka, which has twelve different mini-temples dedicated to each of the Chinese zodiac signs. It is watched over by a serene tabby cat.

“Hell’s Cooking” — A Volcanic Hot Springs Restaurant in Beppu (地獄蒸し)

This was one of our favorite places we visited on our recent trip to Japan: a restaurant on the top of a steep hill in the sleepy town of Beppu, on the southern island of Kyushu. Beppu is known for its volcanic hot springs. At this restaurant, you cook your own food in a special “oven” that is heated by steam coming directly from geothermally heated springs.

Here is Janna, lowering a basket of food into the center of the Earth:

And here are some shots of the food we cooked. It couldn’t be simpler, or more delicious.