Genkokuji (玄国寺)
Right next to Suwa Jinja, southeast of the Takadanobaba Station, is Genkokuji. I stopped by there on my way home from a recent bike ride. It was actually beginning to rain when I took the above picture so I didn’t stay for too long.
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Hakone hike
Hike #21 in Day Walks Near Tokyo is called Myojo Peak (明星ヶ岳). Rainy season had just begun and after several days of rain there was a break in the action so I headed to Hakone. The day was incredibly hot and humid. I haven’t sweat so much in a single outing, ever. I brought twice my usual amount of water but could have used much more. More on the hike in a later entry.
Today’s pic is from near the start, just a little way past Miyaginobashi (宮城野橋) bus stop. Those are green tea fields in the foreground and Sounzan (早雲山) and Hakoneyama (箱根山) in the background.
Craig Brazell of the Hanshin Tigers
Craig Brazell (クレイグ・ブラゼル) of the Hanshin Tigers put on quite a display in batting practice a few weeks back. He ripped every pitch he saw, most for home runs. He hit the scoreboard and also hit one completely out of the stadium which drew applause even from the home fans.
Then, in the real game, he hit another one completely out of the park, pictured above. Not only that but it was to the opposite field. The guy is having an incredible season. As of this writing, he is on pace to hit over .300 with over 50 home runs.
There aren’t very many Americans playing professional baseball in Japan. Most of the foreign players (only a few are allowed per team) are from other parts of the world. Here are two Americans though, Brazell and Terrmel Sledge. Sledge just singled and Brazell plays first for the Tigers. He came over for a chat. He probably said something like, “Only a single? How did you like my home run that flew out of the stadium?” Sledge hit two dingers himself later in the day.
A peek inside Ana Hachiman Gu (穴八幡宮)
Just a look at a bit of the interior of the Ana Hachimangu Shrine. This photo may look doctored, but it is not. The lighting was really poor so I opened the shutter for a while and that gives the somewhat unnatural appearance.
Zenpukuji Park
Another shot from Zenpukuji Koen. I imagine these Japanese maples would look quite nice in the fall too.
Shinjuku ramen
The streets on the west side of the Shinjuku Station come alive at night with office-less businesses. One is pictured above, a portable ramen shop (屋台). I was taking Ryan, on this evening, to catch a night bus. I was expecting there to be an office for the bus company at the address given, but there wasn’t. Instead, there were just some people on the street who check you in and then tell you which bus to get on.