The end of Obon, and the end of summer break. I already talked about the Japanese tradition of Toro Nagashi when I posted about the version at Ueno Koen (held in July because much of Kanto schedules Obon based on the old lunisolar calendar) so no need to do so […] Read more
Love it, hate it or both, there’s nothing like it. Cramming 600,000 people into a convention center over three days in Tokyo summer weather sounds like a recipe for Hell. And in many ways, it is – even at its best Comiket is an exhausting experience. I much prefer the […] Read more
It’s tough being a man… My knowledge of Japanese culture doesn’t really extend to Otoko wa Tsurai yo, the spectacularly popular series of 48 films starring Atsumi Kiyoshi as the luckless hero, Tora-san. I’d heard of them, but mostly because of my interest in visiting Shibamata, one of the enclaves […] Read more
Come for the cats, stay for the scenery. Given a short window of good (well, sunny – it’s still 33 degrees) weather amidst what’s looking like a stormy final week of summer break, I decided to visit one of the places that’s been on my list ever since I moved […] Read more
Mada nai, yo! Scratching another off the list of anime pilgrimages, I headed out to Chichibu today. In part I was hoping to catch a little break from the heat, but no luck there – despite its mountain setting it felt even hotter in Chichibu than Tokyo for some reason. […] Read more
Godzilla in Roppongi is just about right – Saki, Satoru and Kiromaru ran into just about everything else. Today was my birthday (still is, for another hour) so I dragged my aching back out of the flat and made a little circuit of the city and snapped a few pics. […] Read more
Tamaya! I have gunpowder in my hair. For the second year running I attempted to brave the crowds and see the Sumidagawa Fireworks Festival, Tokyo’s most famous hanabitaikai. Last year I made it to the site and was in a halfway decent viewing spot, my body reverberating with the sound […] Read more
Damn, it’s hot. If it’s 35 degrees with 70% humidity, what else would anyone do but go outside and dance? Here’s a few pic pics and videos from a couple of Obon Odori matsuri – the first in Ebisu (I did) and the second in my village of Kagurazaka (I […] Read more
Summer has truly arrived in Tokyo. Tourou Nagashi is one of the most important rituals in Japanese spiritual life. Chouchin paper lanterns are floated down a river on the last day of Obon, the lights guiding the spirits back to the afterlife. Obon is traditionally observed in August, but by […] Read more
Anything that makes me think of Gingitsune is a good thing. It’s really heating up in Tokyo, but any sunny day in June almost demands to be taken advantage of because they’re so rare. And that’s all the more true when it coincides with the big weekend of the Hie […] Read more