Spring is coming. Early-blossom varieties of cherry have started to bloom. One day in this week, Webmaster had a walk to citrus groves in the hillside of his home town. Most of the deciduous trees do not bud yet. The season of mandarin oranges, which is the most popular and most produced, has finished already, but some other… Read more →
Webmaster visited Ryuko-ji Temple in which precincts there is a five-story pagoda. Access: Tokyo (local train 0:44) Fujisawa (local train 0:11) Enoshima (walk 0:03) @ This is Niomon Gate, the main entrance to the precincts. A pair of Nio guards the gate. Then, the next Sanmon Gate is on top of stairs. … Read more →
Webmaster visited Hakone-jinja Shrine. The shrine is located at the shore of Lake Ashinoko on Mt. Hakone. Access: Tokyo (shinkansen 0:37) Odawara (bus 1:10) Moto-hakone (walk 0:15) @ Mt. Hakone is an active volcano with huge caldera, and Ashinoko is a caldera lake. This lake has a legend of the dragon with nine heads which had caused… Read more →
6th August is the memorial day of Hiroshima on which the atomic bomb was exploded 75 years ago, at 8:15AM of 6th August 1945. (Wikipedia) Some 350 thousands people lived in Hiroshima City at that time. 80 thousands were killed directly by the explosion, and 140 thousands had died until the end of the year by the acute symptom… Read more →
It’s still in rainy season in the central part of Japan. Rice plants are growing up well. When having a walk after the rain this morning, Webmaster encountered many frogs resting on leaves at the riverside of a stream. Those are amagaeru frogs (Hylinae japonica), the commonest frog in Japan. Well grown individuals become more… Read more →
Now, many Green fruits have started growing bigger! Oranges Grapes Pears Kaki (Persimmons) We can enjoy them in July to October. Please visit countryside of Japan! End. Read more →
5th May is the Children’s Day in Japan. It’s national holiday. A family with children (boys) puts up koinobori – carp-shaped streamers – in their garden this day wishing the boys can be strong and courageous as carp. (Traditionally in Japan, carp is the symbol of vigor and vitality.) Of course, today, we celebrate this day for both boys… Read more →
Webmaster visited the apricot garden in Fuchu City Kyodonomori Museum (Fuchushi-kyodonomori-hakubutsukan) this week. Tokyo (local train 0:50) Bubaigawara (bus 0:06/walk 0:20) Kyodonomori-seimon-mae @ Japanese apricot (Prunus mume) blooms in February, about one month and half earlier than cherry blossom. Therefore, we Japanese consider apricot blossom a notice of that the arrival of spring is not very far. … Read more →
Webmaster went to ride a steam locomotive (SL) in Yokokawa of Gunma Prefecture last weekend. Tokyo (shinkansen 0:55) Takasaki (local train 0:35) Yokokawa @ The steam locomotive stars from Yokokawa Station, which is a small station located at the Eastern foot of Usui Pass. The railroad extended to the other side of the pass until 1997 when Bullet… Read more →
Webmaster visited Otsuka Museum of Art in Tokushima Prefecture last week. https://www.o-museum.or.jp/ This museum is of fine art ceramic reproductions. The museum houses more than one thousand reproductions of treasured Western artworks in actual size, from ancient frescoes to modern paintings. Although all exhibited are reproductions, but those are reproduced (printed on ceramic boards) very detailedly. Moreover, visitors… Read more →