The day before taking a trip to Seattle I was at the library. As I was checking out I noticed three books on the display shelf that said something like, “Staff Recommendations.” One was a book I had previously read and enjoyed so I took the recommendations seriously. Blackberries In The Dream House was one of the other recommended books. I picked it up, noticed it was set in Japan, and checked it out.

Normally I bring two books on a trip with me, just in case I have lots of reading time or in case one is a dud. To be sure this one wasn’t a dud, and because I wanted to travel light, I looked at the Amazon.com reviews. Glowing reviews galore, I took only one book and looked forward to diving into Blackberries In The Dream House.

Just a few paragraphs into the book on the plane and I realized I was in trouble. The author was obviously not Japanese but was pretending to be one in the story. In addition, the author felt the need to pour syrup over everything said. Metaphor overkill is an understatement. I found I couldn’t believe anything said or get into the story or the characters.

If you like fiction that emphasizes fictitiousness or paintings loaded with color but no real substance then perhaps you will like this book. Personally, I can’t understand why anyone would recommend or gush on about this book–especially if they have the slightest clue about Japan.

I’m guessing the author visited Kyoto once, was captivated by the place, and then thought she could write like someone who lived there more than a hundred years ago. And those heaping praises on Diane Frank, the author, maybe have a romanticized vision of Kyoto in their head, even though they have never been there, that they think Frank has somehow captured.

Sorry to be so negative in my review, but maybe I will save someone from packing only this book on a trip and making the same mistake I did.

Posted on January 18th, 2011 under Japan. Tags: book review. Comments: 2

A fall photo? Actually, no. I took this picture in May. As part of the bike ride, mentioned previously, in which I somewhat followed the street car line from Waseda to Oji (Ouji or Ooji) in Kita Ku, I parked my bike for a while in Oji (王子) and followed a walk in a guide book. The book led me to a temple called Kongouji (金剛寺). The nickname for the temple is Momijidera or Japanese Maple Temple and you can see why.

The trees were amazing. Some looked to be in their fall splendor even in May, but I think that is how they look all late-spring and summer long.

An old man who lived in the neighborhood stopped me and we chatted for a while. He told me a lot about the temple and the neighborhood. I wish I had written it down then as I forget most of it now. I do remember feeling like it was a wonderful conversation at the time.

Posted on January 17th, 2011 under Japan. Tags: buddhist, japanese maple, temples, water walks in the suburbs of tokyo, 紅葉. Comments Off on Momijidera (紅葉寺)

When a nio isn’t providing a temple with quite enough protection, it’s time to call for some feline assistance.

This ungyo (吽形) guardian can be found at Saifukuji (最福寺, a.k.a. Enoshima Daishi or 江ノ島大師) on Enoshima. I’m not sure if you will find the cat here or not, although you are almost sure to see some wandering the island.

Posted on January 16th, 2011 under Japan. Tags: buddhist, cat. Comments: 3

I have spent the past few days in Seattle. I’ll post some photos on my other blog over the next week or two if you are interested.

The photo above is of the Japanese Garden on the edge of Washington Park. I couldn’t actually go in the Japanese Garden as it is closed in December and January, but I took a walk around it and took this photo through a fence at a distance. The sky was gray and this isn’t the best time of year for such a place, but I bet it is beautiful in spring and fall.

Posted on January 15th, 2011 under Japan, Other. Tags: garden, lanterns, seattle. Comments: 2

When the nights are cold in Japan you can sometimes hear the call “ya ki i mo” (やきいも) after dark. Heading out into the cold darkness you will discover someone like this man selling baked sweet potatoes out of a cart or the back of a mini-truck. I spotted this guy next to the Kanda River.

It appears from his license plate that he came all the way in from Hachioji to sell them two for 500 yen.

Posted on January 11th, 2011 under Japan. Tags: food, kandagawa, night photography, people, signs. Comments: 1