On the first day of school there is always a little bit of excitement in the air. In Japan it is even a bit more exciting as it comes when the weather is getting better and the cherry blossoms are blooming (beginning of April). To get your heart beating even a little more, Waseda University in Tokyo lines the walkways to campus with these W banners. I took this nameless, shortcut road into campus (from the Takadanobaba direction) hundreds of times last year. I ate at several of the little, mom-and-pop restaurants and bento shops along the way. Just the thought of this little path brings a smile to my face.

Posted on June 2nd, 2011 under Japan. Tags: signs, waseda university. Comments Off on W is for Waseda

At first glance, this scene may look like a moat surrounding a Japanese castle with the cherry blossoms in bloom. Actually, this is the Kanda River with one of Chinzanso’s restaurants in the background (Mokushundo–木春堂–to be exact). While I walked the grounds many times, I never did eat at one of the restaurants on the property. The environment was top notch, no doubt, but I just couldn’t hand over several times more cash at these establishments than what similar meals would cost a short walk away.

Posted on June 1st, 2011 under Japan. Tags: cherry blossoms, chinzanso, kandagawa, sakura, 桜. Comments Off on Japanese Castle Moat?

One day I decided to explore an area of Tokyo I hadn’t previously covered. I saw a big cemetery in Sugamo (巣鴨) on the map so I headed out on my bike in that direction. Along the way I happened upon a very crowded shopping district so I locked up my bike and took a stroll down Jizo Dori (巣鴨地蔵通商店街 to be exact). Apparently this street was a main thoroughfare (Nakasendo Highway) during the Edo Period, linking Tokyo (Edo at the time) to Kyoto.

There were a number of shops, like the one above, called Maruji (マルジ) advertising akapantsu (赤パンツ). Aka means red and pantsu, contrary to the sound, doesn’t mean pants. It means underpants. So the store sells red underwear. Hmmmmm….

Why would a store specialize in red underwear and be so popular that they have to open up numerous branches on the same street? Japanese grandmas think red panties bring good luck.

Posted on May 31st, 2011 under Japan. Tags: Tokyo. Comments Off on Harajuku for Grannies (おばあちゃんの原宿)

Sagami Bay is the body of water south of Kamakura. I took today’s photo from Enoshima. You can’t really see Kamakura in this picture. The land on the other side of the bay from this angle is probably the city of Zushi.

On a different day, at night actually, I took a photo from a nearby location (looking in a slightly more northerly direction) of fireworks being launched from Kamakura.

Posted on May 30th, 2011 under Japan. Tags: enoshima. Comments Off on Sagami Bay (相模湾)

This guy did his thing just outside Arakawa Amusement Park (あらかわ遊園) in Tokyo. The kids seemed to love him, as did some of the parents. He reminded me of a manga character.

Posted on May 28th, 2011 under Japan. Tags: people. Comments: 1