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kakigori (かき氷) on the table and Summer Koshien (夏の甲子園) on the TV
Two things can get you through Japan’s hot and humid August–the annual high school baseball tournament and shaved ice. I enjoyed both at the top of the Shosenkyo Ropeway near Kofu.
Mudeungsan butterfly
I suppose today’s photo could have been taken anywhere, but it wasn’t. Today’s pic was taken on Mount Mudeung in Gwangju so it qualifies for Korean Tuesday.
Frequently when I go hiking I like to take along just my camera with a prime 24mm lens mounted on it. The size is smaller and weight is less than any other DSLR lens option I have. However, photos like today’s would be missed if I always opted for this lighter combination. Today’s photo is my second best hiking option, my 24-120mm f/4 lens which allows for a lot more zoom and subject isolation like this.
Tetsu tsukemen storefront Roppongi Station (Tokyo, Japan)
As I exited the Roppongi Station turnstyle I seemed to remember from seeing “Jiro Dreams of Sushi” a couple years ago that his shop was in the underground maze between stations. I had some time to kill so instead of immediately exiting I took a route I hadn’t before. (Turns out I was confused and the original shop is in the Ginza Station, not Roppongi, and his son’s shop is in Roppongi but not in the station.)
I was also hungry so when I saw Tetsu I decided it was a good time to eat as I vaguely remembered seeing it on Ramen Adventures as a top choice.
哲 つけめん
Tetsu looked delicious, and the first couple bites were OK, but I grew tired of it quickly. By the end I decided it wasn’t one of my better ramen or tsukemen experiences. Perhaps the one in Sendagi (千駄木), reviewed by Ramen Adventures, is better.
Golden Hall (金堂) of Ninnaji (Kyoto, Japan)
sign giving a little history of Ninna-ji’s Main Hall (a national treasure) in Japanese, Chinese, English, and Korean
A Japanese couple walks the paths near Honmaru on the Nijo Castle (Kyoto) grounds in summer yukata
Taking shelter @ 高野山
I got off at the wrong bus stop (Okunoin-mae or 奥の院前) on Koyasan. Turns out that was a good thing as 30 seconds later the skies went crazy, and I would have been stuck in a 20-minute downpour with nothing but the trees to take cover under had I gotten off at Ichinohashiguchi (一の橋口).
The thunder I heard, just after taking this photo, was like nothing I have ever heard before. The sound seemed to originate from just a few feet away rather than the normal, somewhat distant sound.