TWO WEEKS OF OCTOBER/NOVEMBER SPENT VISITING 27 OR SO PEOPLE  AND  IN 7 PLACES ON 17 TRAIN RIDES.
IN 1963-64 WHILE STUDYING IN TOKYO, I LIVED WITH THE ITOH FAMILY. A DAUGHTER, MASUMI, NOW LIVES IN ITO CITY, SHIZUOKA, WITH HER HUSBAND, HIROSHI TAKAGI.
 SINCE THE '60's I HAVE VISITED MANY TIMES; IN 1970 I CAME BY MOTORCYCLE FROM HIROSHIMA. 
SHIRO'S ("WHITEY") LIGHTNING PAWS GO FOR THE "CAT TEASER".
NOW, AS IN 1964, I ENJOYED FOLLOWING ALONG ON EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES, SUCH AS...
...SHOPPING FOR OCTOPUS IN A SUPERMARKET,...
...OR GOING UP A SMALL VOLCANO, TO PEER INTO THE CRATER, ....
...AND TO PRAY TO (OR PHOTOGRAPH) THE BUDDHAS, WHO ARE KEEPING THE MOUNTAIN DORMANT.
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ITO IS FAMOUS FOR ITS HOT SPRINGS, WHICH ARE EVERYWHERE, SUCH AS ON ROOF TOPS.
THE TOWN STILL HAS PEDESTRIAN SCALE COMMERCIAL STREETS, SO TYPICAL OF HOT SPRINGS TOWNS.
ALONG WITH SOME AGING COFFEE SHOPS, WITH...
...DISAPPEARING SQUAT TOILETS (HELLO TOTO WASHLETS!), AND ...
...THE VERY TRADITIONAL, "MORNING SET".