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

Between the Rihga Royal Hotel Tokyo (リーガロイヤルホテル東京) and Waseda University there exists a park or garden called Okuma Teien (大隈庭園). I took this shot in the rain from near the hotel looking back toward the Okuma Auditorium (大隈講堂).

Posted on May 21st, 2011 under Japan. Tags: waseda university. Comments: 1

Last night I went to the annual SOU International Show. Takumi, from Waseda University, performed a traditional Japanese fan dance. He wanted to perform a ping pong demonstration but couldn’t find anyone who could return any of the balls he hit.

Posted on April 22nd, 2011 under Japan, Oregon. Tags: people, waseda university. Comments Off on Japanese fan dance

Cherry trees are all the rage in Japan in spring and maples are famous in the fall, but not to be overlooked are the ginkgos (銀杏). They can be found in numbers in several parts of Tokyo including Harajuku, Ueno, and the Waseda University campus (pictured above).

The building featured in this photo is the Okuma Memorial Hall (大隈講堂). Famous speakers at the auditorium therein have included Bill Clinton, Nelson Mandela, Albert Einstein, Robert Kennedy, Bill Gates, Henry Kissinger, and yours truly.

Posted on November 11th, 2010 under Japan. Tags: autumn, waseda university. Comments: 1

For much of the year, Mt. Fuji is difficult or impossible to see from Tokyo. Maybe once or twice a month at sunrise or dusk is the best you can do. But November is a good month for seeing Mt. Fuji from many tall buildings in Tokyo. You won’t see it every day, but there are a fair number of chances. I took this photo from the Waseda University campus in Shinjuku Ku. (Here is the same scene without the zoom.)

The building blocking part of the view is 住友中野坂上ビル (Sumitomo Nakano Sakaue Biru) located in Nakano. I’ve been to the top of tall buildings in Nakano too, but never on a day when Mt. Fuji was visible. The top few floors of this building in Nakano are residences. I wouldn’t mind living there and taking a peak out the window every few hours to see if Fuji San can be seen (or more likely not).

Posted on November 6th, 2010 under Japan. Tags: buildings, mt. fuji, nakano, waseda university. Comments Off on Mt. Fuji from central Tokyo