[Sangetsu]

This area is in Chiba, about 90 minutes by train from metro Tokyo. It's mostly an agricultural area, and there are farms pretty much everywhere. It's increasingly becoming suburban, as some people seem to have tired of the crowding and high cost of living in Tokyo.

I've been looking for the site of an old castle which used to exist here. It was dismantled after the Tokugawa shogunate came into power, and was supposed to have stood near the Honzenji temple. As I was posting the pictures, I noticed that there was a marker in the picture of the small shrine, and it indicated that the shrine was built on the site of Tama-jo, or Tama castle. I had been walking on the castle grounds without even realizing it.

Later in his life, Tokugawa Ieyasu used to come to this are to go hawking. The lake by the Honzenji temple is man made, and was enlarged for his enjoyment. I'm still learning more about the history of the area, but what I've found out so far has been pretty interesting.

On a recent walk, I found a cave in the nearby mountains. It's the place I want to explore next. I found it by accident after nearly falling into it. The entrance is well hidden by weeds and tree roots, I'll see if I can get a better look at it soon. I'll probably set the timer on my camera and drop it in on a rope and get some pics of what it looks like inside before I try to go in.

As for Nikon, I've owned lots of Nikon stuff over the years, and have never had a single item break. I won't buy or use anything else.