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.
On this trip I took the cable car behind the town up to the mountain and was rewarded with great views of Lake Kawaguchi and Mount Fuji.
Driving out of Kawaguchi, stopped at traffic lights, there was this statue on the side of the road. Don’t ask me what it was for…
Winter finally arrived with most areas north of where we are living being covered in snow it was only a matter of time before some arrived in Tokyo. The freezing level was forecast to drop from around 800 metres to below sea level.
The snow started just after dark and got heavy around bed time.
It must have rained sometime during the night because when I went out for a ride in the morning the ground was covered in snow that had frozen into sheets of ice, the trees were covered in ice and I decided that the black ice wasn’t going to suit my riding style (that is, staying upright) so I went for a walk instead just as the sun started to come up.
8:52 PM |
Category:
Living in Japan
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The most obvious sign at the entrance to Ueno zoo used to notify visitors that the zoo didn't have panda’s in residence following the death of the last giant panda in 2008. In spite of this there were still posters, stuffed toys, models and statues of pandas throughout the zoo.
In 2011 things changed with the arrival of 2 pandas, just in time to experience the earthquake of 11 March. The 2 pandas were named following a public poll and given the names Rili and Shinshin. The panda display was delayed as a result of damage to the enclosure but the zoo has had the pandas on display for a number of months now and, judging by the infrastructure put in place to control the crowds, they have been very popular. On the day we visited we arrived early and when combine with the wet weather the crowds had not started to assemble.
On this visit it was also the one time that we got to see the tiger (rather than seeing him hidden away), a playful new addition to the gorilla family and a homeless gorilla.
What will I remember most about Christmas 2011 in Japan? It’s going into any venue in central Tokyo (shop’s, arcades, restaurants, in some cases streets) and being guaranteed to hear one George Michael song (and only one) within 10 minutes (over and over again – well at least that’s how it felt).
Last Christmas, I gave you my heart
But the very next day, You gave it away
This year, to save me from tears
I'll give it to someone special
Last Christmas, I gave you my heart
But the very next day, You gave it away
This year, to save me from tears
I'll give it to someone special
3:58 PM |
Category:
Christmas,
Living in Japan
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Last Christmas post for 2011.
Thinking that Ginza would have the best Christmas lights in Tokyo I decided that I would leave a visit to the Ginza area until last. I think that the Roppongi Christmas lights win though the Swarovski, Giorgio Armani and Hermes shops made a great effort. There were also well lit angels all around the streets.
8:26 AM |
Category:
Christmas
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On Saturday night I went out to look at some Christmas lights in Toyosu. When I arrived the sun was just setting over Tokyo. There was no way anything I saw was going to compete with the show put on by nature.
