Just to prove that it’s not all cherries in Japan here are some yellow green plant things. Summer is on the way!
Images
Ema
You’ll see these a lot in Japanese shrines – wishing plaques. They’re little bits of wood you can buy with a picture and some words, and you can write a message on the back and hang it up. It’s interesting to see all the different … Continue reading Ema
Orange Torii
The Fushimi Inari-taisha is another of those amazing Japanese sights. It’s a shrine on the side of a mountain in Kyoto with over 5,000 bright orange torii gates leading all the way to the top. It can get very crowded, but the torii gates do … Continue reading Orange Torii
Tokyo Invader
Tokyo is remarkably clean for its size, but it’s not without a few rough edges. Here is an invader (see also here, here, and here), found on a street leading from Shibuya to Harajuka.
The Big Big Japanese Cherry Blossom Post
In a break from my usual terse posts I thought I’d tackle a big subject here in Japan: cherry blossom season. The Japanese are very serious about their cherry blossom. Blossom forecasts appear regularly on TV throughout the day (along with helpful tips about not … Continue reading The Big Big Japanese Cherry Blossom Post
Neko Neko Neko
Ever wanted to be silently judged by thousands of small white waving cats? Then Gotokuji Temple is the place for you! From what the internet tells me it’s maybe the home of maneki neko the cat, or maybe not. The temple itself told me lots … Continue reading Neko Neko Neko
Kinkaku-ji
This temple in Kyoto is almost surreally beautiful. A perfect golden building next to a perfectly pruned lake with ideally situated trees and rocks. I can imagine someone had a dream one day and made the landscape look just like it. It probably looks good in … Continue reading Kinkaku-ji
Shinkansen
These trains are amazing (in my best ‘I’ve made a blog post about a train’ voice). They slide into the station (Tokyo Station, in this instance) and an army of cleaners board, frantically clean, and then switch all the seats round. Some other people with … Continue reading Shinkansen
Mr Umbrella Head
I have no explanation for the apparent magical event happening here. I do know it was in Yoyogi Park during a heavy burst of rain, but I can’t remember why this guy was rushing about with an umbrella attached to his head, or how it was attached. I’d … Continue reading Mr Umbrella Head
Not Odawaru Castle
Driving from Tokyo to Hakone you pass through the small town of Odawaru, which has a nice big castle. Sadly it was partially surrounded by scaffolding so instead this is a photo of one of the nearby buildings. I was also a little too early for … Continue reading Not Odawaru Castle
A Life In London 