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
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
It’s deja vu all over again… I covered Sanja Matsuri pretty extensively last year, so I won’t dig too deep this time around (I actually have photos on the Picasa page from a vacation a few years ago as well). Just a few pics and a couple of videos from […] Read more
The discoveries just never stop. Today was my last big sakura excursion (unless I decide to head up to the mountains next weekend along with half of Tokyo) so I wanted to try somewhere I hadn’t been before. Koganei Park, about half an hour West on the Chuo Line, seemed […] Read more
There’s old, and then there’s old. I’ve been meaning to check out Kashima Jingu for quite some time. I bypassed it when I had my Seishun-18 Kippu last year in favor of Izu, and I’ve always kind of regretted it. Kashima Jingu is regarded as the most important Shrine in […] Read more