夏の空

It was a blisteringly hot summer in Japan this year - loved it - and there were some correspondingly amazing skies.

田舎 - 栃木

Camping at the Nakagawa in Tochigi. We pitched our tents in a clearing next to the river, the cool water a beautiful antidote to the summer heat. There was some beautiful wild and not so wildlife, and when the hiking had finished, fire and food. And who needs a cooler when you have the river!

田舎 - 千葉

Yoro Keikoku in Chiba Prefecture. Its location is close to nowhere, but the inconvenience of getting there is totally outdone by the absolute quiet and beauty of the place, and by the fact that the train that gets you there takes you back to the 1950s at the same time. A very much recommended day trip!

桜、花見、The Season for Sakura and Hanami

Every year around late March/early April the Cherry Blossom trees bloom. They are everywhere in Japan, and huge numbers of people head to the parks, paths and riverbanks to admire what can often be absolutely stunning views. The hanami season also leads to much high spirited, often very drunken revelry. Huge groups of people stake out the best spots with huge blue sheets, and party under the trees until the early hours. The season is brief, but this cold year it has lasted a little longer, as it took the blossom a long while to get into its stride. There is a beautiful tree outside my apartment still in full bloom. The pictures below were taken in Ichigaya, Yasukuni and Chidorigafuchi in Tokyo., and are sandwiched by more Abiko sky and lake shots.

Around Abiko

The pictures below were taken on a wandering weekend, first through Tokyo, the next day round Teganuma, my local lake. There's a colony of cats who live between a fish pond and a chicken farm (who says cats are not smart!) They seem to live a pretty contented life. Incidentally, I just found out that Abiko translated into English means "my grandson". So I live in my grandson. How nice.

Harbinger of Spring?

This early blooming cherry (or is it ume, or is it...) blossom tree caught my eye on one of the few sunny days this winter. Hugging the wall of a dilapidated, long since closed eatery, it seems to be somehow celebrating the past, albeit briefly.

On a less wistful note, I seem to have gathered a small band of followers. Many thanks for your interest. I will try and justify that by posting more regularly. Hopefully the crappy weather of late will improve and allow me to get out and about a little more often...

What is it about planes...

The sun, quite literally, sets on Northwest. I never ever thought I'd be nostalgic about this airline, but I am. I am.

台湾 Taiwan

I have been lucky enough to visit Taiwan twice in the last few months. It's a fantastic place, so close to Japan and yet quite different, in character and landscape. It seems to be less ordered than Japan, yet somehow more laid back with a quirky sense of looking at life. Delicious food of ALL types, literally, and... tea. Tea. I am not known for drinking tea, but spent 3 wonderful hours on the terrace at a tea shop on the mountain at Jofun as the clouds misted and tendriled around us, finally forcing us inside in a burst of wind rain and clattering awnings. Hi Chen!

Nagoya 10Km Run!

In November 2009 I did a very foolish thing. I agreed to take part in a 10km run in Nagoya. The run itself was absolute agony, but sheer doggedness (and a toilet pit stop in 7-11 at 5kms) got me through. Did the 10kms in 67 minutes. Drank about 8 steins of lager afterward in about 15 minutes. I know which was easier! On the way to Nagoya I passed Mt. Fuji, close. It really is a rather large mountain. I climbed it a long time ago, and am tempted by it again. The Japanese have a saying that if you don't climb Mt. Fuji once in your life, you are stupid, but if you climb Mt. Fuji more than once, you are equally as stupid (thank you Mr. Deno). I feel the first stirrings of stupidity...

Sights and Sounds of Abiko (just imagine the sounds...)

Dinner, dinner, ohmyohmyohmy dinner!

東京から我孫子へ

And decamp to the suburbs I did, in July 2009. After 6 years in central Tokyo, the desire for a newer, bigger and cheaper place closer to the great outdoors led to a move to Abiko in Chiba prefecture, very close to Matsudo, where my Japanese adventure began all those years ago. Needless to say, Abiko also has great skies!