Himeji Castle, the most magnificent original surviving castle in Japan.
I have had the good fortune to visit it three times since 1985, when my sister and I first saw it.
These shots taken the evening of April 9.
Category Archives: Japan
Hello Kitty Bullet Train
You have not fully experienced Japan until you have ridden the Hello Kitty shinkansen 
.
April 9, heading to Himeji from Tokyo.
Japanese Snow Monkeys
While driving a remote mountain road in Japan’s northern Aomori Prefecture in early April we ran across this group of snow monkeys. I’ll throw in a heron for good measure. . .
Scrumptious Lunch at Scallops Restaurant in Aomori
Lunch at a roadside scallops and locally grown veggies place in Aomori Prefecture, Japan, a few weeks ago.
Scallops ramen, and an assorted everything scallops basket.
Japan has amazing food. Pride in quality ingredients, great cooking, and wonderful presentation.
Aomori Snow Road
A few weeks ago while in Japan we borrowed Yumi’s parents’ car and drove out to the mountains to check out the snow road. I think this was April 6. It did not fail to impress .
Walking Family Dogs in Rice Fields in Aomori, Japan
Walking the family dogs in the rice fields in Aomori Prefecture in northern Japan a couple of weeks ago.
Jun, the little female, was new to the family and a bit uncertain about going for long walks far from her new home, but quickly warmed to the activity.
She got a tad freaked out a couple of times, and needed some reassurance, and Eito, the older dog, wondered why the heck she was getting special treatment.
Walking rain, sleet, snow, or sunshine!
Rewarded with a rainbow
We saw a few of these raptors soaring over the fields and forests. Got this shot at max zoom with my pocket Canon SX730HS.
Arriving in Tokyo in Early April
Welcome to Japan – We Have the Coolest Toilets in the World!
Arriving at Narita Airport near Tokyo a few weeks ago .
I will be posting several shots of several high-tech throne controllers from various hotels.
Japanese development of cool toilets continues to amaze — and occasionally baffle.
When I first got to Japan in the mid-80s, many toilets were still squat type, which took some getting used to .
A snap of Tokyo Skytree captured from the window of the Narita Express airport train heading in to Tokyo a couple of weeks ago.
The Tohoku Shinkansen (bullet train), pulling in to Tokyo Station. This was my ride up to Yumi’s parents’ place in Aomori Prefecture in northern Japan.
You can see a restored dome from Tokyo Station in the background. They’ve done a magnificent job over the last decade or two restoring the station to nearer its original exterior appearance.
Air Travel Piling Up this Year, Guilty Feelings, Too
We’ve kept our air travel down for many years, as it’s one of the most carbon-intensive ways to move around our suffering planet.
But we’ve got several trips lined up this year, and while I’m excited, I’m also feeling guilty.
We haven’t visited Yumi’s parents in Japan for many years, so that’s on the agenda.
We have a friend in the UK who will be travelling later in the year and who says we’re welcome to use her apartment. Wow.
And there’s a bunch of us in-laws hitting our sixties this year, so there’s another travel-intensive gathering planned. . .
And we have not one, but two, family weddings this year in eastern Canada, which shall require travel from here on the west coast.
I have an aunt who often laments the days of family all living in one village, within steps of each other.
Yup.
Yeah, there are carbon offsets. And yeah, we are probably one of the most enviro-friendly families around.
But still . . . We’re gonna have a huge carbon smack this year. Sigh. . .
Nikkei Matsuri 2018
Yumi and I enjoyed the 2018 Nikkei Matsuri (summer festival) just up the hill from our place at the Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre in south Burnaby, BC, today. It’s on for another day tomorrow!
Powell Street Festival 2018
We had a super time at the Powell Street Festival that celebrates Japanese art, culture, and food, at Oppenheimer Park in Vancouver, where Japantown used to be before the WWII-related internment forced Japanese out of their homes, schools, and businesses.
I took nearly 700 photographs, and here’s a sample until I get around to making a Flickr album.
