worldstallestpygmy: February 2012

Todoroki ravine

A short walk from Todoroki station, down a short flight of steps and you find yourself in the completely different world of the Todoroki ravine. The ravine is a 1 kilometre long canyon about 10 metres below the surrounding ground level ultimately ending at the Tama river.

The ravine is a little escape from Tokyo and surrounded by some amazing architecture. According one webpage I read the water in the ravine is suitable for drinking (after boiling) – I don’t know if I’d be that brave.

The Todoroki temple sits at the top of a steep flight of stairs on the left hand side of the ravine as you head downstream from the station with several small temples scattered through the main temple grounds with a waterfall diverted through some stylised dragon’s heads in the ravine.

7:55 PM | Category: Living in Japan, Out and about, outdoors | 0 comments

Winter at the Imperial Palace Garden

On one of those perfectly still winter days I visited the Imperial Palace gardens for a little walk through the huge stone walls. The water reflecting the garden and sun made for some amazing pictures.

3:22 PM | Category: Living in Japan, Out and about | 0 comments

Kuhonbutsu temple

Located 45 minutes from home is the Kuhonbutsu temple complex. Still in the middle of the Tokyo sprawl I stumbled across this temple completely by accident and was blow away by how quite the whole area was. It is probably one of the most serene, spiritualif you like, temples I have been to in Japan. No crowds and beautiful buildings with many of the temple building containing statues of Buddha.

The temple was built in the mid 1600’s by a Buddhist group on land that formally made up part of a castle.

After passing through a massive gate there is a tranquil little water spot to sit back and contemplate life.

Further around there are budda foot prints (according to the sign representations of Budda footprints were used prior to people making Budda statues because they were easier to make.

5:54 PM | Category: Buildings, Living in Japan, Out and about, Temples | 0 comments

Valentine’s day 2012

A bit more subdued than in other years there is still a smattering of valentines merchandise to be found. My favourite was this display out the front of a 100 yen store in Sendagi. Nothing says I love you more than a $1.20 stuffed toy from the 100 yen shop.

8:26 AM | Category: Living in Japan | 0 comments

Hello Kitty world (Sanrio Puroland)

Hello Kitty world or Sanrio puroland is located in the suburbs of Tokyo and after spending an hour in the car driving to Hello Kitty world and paying Disneyish prices to enter there was nothing to say but disappointed. Located in a single 3 story building there does not appear to have been a cent spent on this place since it opened almost 20 years ago. Apart from a log ride around the inside of the building (memorable, if for no other reason, than for some characters laying on each others laps spanking each other) there is little to do except shop, watch a parade and take in one of 4 stage shows.

We sat in on a 40 minute Hello Kitty interpretation of the Wizard of Oz some of which can be viewed on youtube (www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMPmPqgvtsU). In this story Oz was a sunglass salesman dressed (and very loosely modelled on, I’m assuming) as Elvis who memorably performs pelvic thrusts over the audience of 4 and 5 year olds. The whole show finishes with 10 minutes of dancing routines that, apart from the same actors in different costumes, had nothing to do with the Wizard of Oz – truly bizarre.

And then there’s the food, how much, for that?

In short unless you really really really love hello kitty I wouldn’t be taking the time to travel to hello kitty world.

6:59 AM | Category: Entertainment, Out and about | 0 comments

Rocking Kawaguchi

On the weekend I head to Kawaguchi (near the base of Mount Fuji) for a bit of a walk and to get away from Tokyo for a little while. The recent snow made for a wonderful sight in the mountains and the early morning reflections of Mount Fuji on Lake Kawaguchi were spectacular.

Driving across the bridge over the lake the car was jolted by a largish earthquake that had me feeling like the wheel had fallen off the car and looking to make sure I wasn’t going to drive into the lake. Shortly after arriving at the car park the car was again swayed by an earthquake and when I finally made it to the lake shore the boats started rattling in their cradles as another shake struck causing the lake bed to send bubbles up disturbing the surface of the lake. All very intense.