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(Nagoya, Japan)
Ever gone to a different bar every night of the month without leaving the building? No? Well, in Japan you can. This building in Nagoya has 38 different drinking establishments within its walls. Parts of Tokyo have building after building that look like this. Anyway, each bar is unique, with its own theme and clientele. I was heading to (Hard & Heavy) Scum, a metal bar in the basement (B1). Fun place.
Nijo Castle (Kyoto, Japan)
Nijojo doesn’t look much like Japan’s other castles. Besides being a somewhat rare flatland castle, there aren’t three or more levels like most of the castles in Japan.
福岡 鯉
Kyuji Fujikawa of the 2014 Chicago Cubs (Coors Field, Denver, Colorado)
While visiting Coors Field for the first time last year, I wondered why more than half of the photo pit was filled with Japanese photographers. I wasn’t aware of any Japanese players on either team, but that probably has more to do with my lack of interest in the National League than anything else. When Kyuji (literally “baseball child”) came trotting in from the bullpen, the photographers went crazy.
After an excellent career in Japan (196 saves and a 1.77 ERA), Kyuji hasn’t done much in MLB. He had a 5.04 ERA in two seasons with the Cubs (although he pitched in only 25 innings total–I bet the Cubs wish they hadn’t wasted $9.5M on him). He is on the DL for the Texas Rangers this year. Texas will pay him $1.1 million this season.
@judaspriest @loud_park
…this happened. Actually, the album came out 35 years ago today (4/14/80). This photo happened almost six years ago when Judas Priest played the entire British Steel album at Loud Park 2009 in Japan.
Izakaya in Kofu (甲府)
After walking to the top of Shosenkyo (and back down) on the hottest day of the year, I took a bus to downtown Kofu where my long bike ride back to Kaminoyu (甲府温泉) awaited me. With the temperature well over 100 degrees and the humidity at extreme levels (some people died from the heat on this day), I decided to kill time until the sun went down before getting on a bike.
I ducked into Ajimi for some gyoza and a thirst quencher. The proprietor spoke Japanese well, but she had a bit of an accent so I asked where she was from. She is from China–super nice lady and a great cook. Haruna is her name.
Anyway, her customers were lots of fun to talk with. I didn’t intend to stay long, but the other patrons kept buying me food and drinks. Oddly, the guy I was sitting next to knew my boss from way back when I was a Japanese tour guide in San Francisco more than 20 years ago. Small world.
Check this place out if you ever find yourself in Kofu. Here is a map: