With approximately 150 hotels and ryokans, Isawa Onsen is the biggest hot spring resort in Yamanashi, the prefecture to Tokyo's west. It is also home to seven temples to the Seven Gods of Fortune, which we (Cissy, Jing, Ted, Kanshi, and myself) visited today. We walked the whole way (much to the amazement of Japanese travelers, who did this pilgrimage by car), thus walked the whole day (it took about six hours), but it was well worth the effort, as I could add seven stamps to my collection, all of them with the coveted January 1st date. The first stamp is especially great: The priest at the Ebisu Temple was in such a good mood that he augmented his calligraphy with a smiley. I was also given mandarin oranges, beans, candy, tea, and a ball pen.

After that was onsen, of course, and the hotel we went to even had a free New Year show (a performance by four Chinese acrobats).