Today is flag day in the USA. In my town the streets are lined with flags. It’s an impressive sight. Next week I’ll be in Denmark, and they are quite fond of their flag as well.

Today’s photo doesn’t have Japan’s flag in it, but it does have several of the flags and banners that were carried during the Shingen Festival in Kofu last year. The main flag in this photo, as impressive as it looks to a foreigner who can’t read Japanese, is actually an advertisement for the Yamanashi Branch of NEC (日本電気株式会社). The flag holder, rather than being a real samurai, is merely an NEC employee.

Posted on June 14th, 2011 under Japan. Tags: flag, kofu. Comments: 1

夜明け前桜の下はばかばかり

Here is another of the sakura haiku along the Kanda River in Tokyo. This one reads yoakemae, sakuranoshitawa, baka bakari and means, “Before the dawn, beneath the cherry blossoms, nothing but idiots.” There are a couple of funny things about this one.

Without experiencing a nighttime hanami (flower viewing party) it is difficult to grasp just how crazy these parties can become. Nearly everyone is beyond intoxicated. Hence the “idiots” reference. The other thing about this haiku is the play on words. “Baka” means “idiot” and “bakari” means “only” or “nothing but”. Saying them back to back has a ring of “super idiot” since it starts out “bakabaka”. “Bakabakashii” is actually the adjective form of “baka”.

Anyway, seeing this sign brought a smile to my face. I’m guessing the author (あゆぞう which may have a meaning of its own that I’m not aware of) lives nearby and has to put up with the nightly noise that goes on for more than a week during cherry blossom viewing season.

Posted on June 13th, 2011 under Japan. Tags: kandagawa, sakura, signs, 桜. Comments Off on More Sakura Haiku

You can do more on Odaiba than check out the night views. You can also play じゃんけんぽん on the beach as Ryan and Ellie demonstrate in today’s photo.

Posted on June 12th, 2011 under Japan. Tags: ellie, odaiba, ryan. Comments Off on Jan-Ken-Pon (じゃんけんぽん or Rock Paper Scissors) on Odaiba (お台場)

Japan has some amazing pine trees, and this is one of the better ones. The seed for this Karasaki Matsu (Pine Tree) is said to have come from the famous pine tree depicted in the ukiyo-e pictured below (Night Rain at Karasaki) by Hiroshige. The statue to the left is Yamato Takeru and is the oldest bronze statue in Japan, dating back to 1880.

Posted on June 11th, 2011 under Japan. Tags: hiroshige, kanazawa, pine, ukiyo-e. Comments: 2

The entry gate to Anahachimangu (穴八幡宮), near Waseda University in Tokyo, had been restored only a few weeks before when I went strolling one evening and took this photo.

They perform yabusame (流鏑馬 or mounted archery) at this shrine in October. We missed it. I guess that’s yet another reason why I need to go back. 😉

Posted on June 10th, 2011 under Japan. Tags: night photography. Comments: 1