10-31-2010
Privacy hedges are nothing new and can be found anywhere. I love how they aren't always green, or even really hedges. The bamboo fence training the plants serves not only the functional purpose but looks quite nice.
10-30-2010
The idea of Halloween in Japan is skewed towards the cute and spooky is usually left behind. Once in a while there's something that resembles Halloween as Americans know it. For some reason it usually happens in shopping centers. Lots of kids were playing with the buttons in the tree's mouth so it took a while to get this photo.
10-29-2010
Once in a while a shop or a home has a classy touch like this fall wreath. Usually decorations are cute, gaudy things. It's a nice change of pace when I happen upon these little surprises.
10-28-2010
No idea what these berries are, but I've seen them outside of Japan also. Strangely, this is the only place I've seen them in Japan so far.
10-27-2010
This tree is so close to a street, it's amazing it's still there. Back home it would've been dug up as a hazard to the structural integrity of the road. In Japan the history is more important than modern engineering.
10-26-2010
It seems that there is always a crop locally in season. There's always something being planted or otherwise filling the fields. Coming from a place that gets plenty of snow, this is something I will never get used to seeing.
10-25-2010
This was a random beautiful gate and yard I found while walking around. The fact that it was in the middle of a very typical Japanese neighborhood boggled my mind.
10-24-2010
After taking the group Trick-or-Treating, a student gave me the largest chestnut I've ever seen. I hope it tastes as good as it looks.
EDIT: It was indeed excellent. Apparently they go bad quickly though, so if you have some eat them quickly!
10-23-2010
Japanese potlucks always seem to be full of food like this. It begs the question how people are so thin...?
Labels:
food and drink,
japan,
nikon d40,
october,
tokyo
10-22-2010
I was taking photos of the brilliantly-colored morning glories, and this ant decided to come out of the base of the flower and pose for me.
10-21-2010
Knitted a hat as a Christmas gift for a friend's daughter. She doesn't look at this blog so this won't spoil the surprise. Box Piggy is modeling it for the photo, but the scarf isn't done yet.
10-18-2010
A shop front that I like a lot. The products aren't really anything I care about, but at the least the shop looks nice.
10-17-2010
Candy is delicious, and this is the first bulk candy shop (that sells actual candy) I've seen in Japan. Notice the candy is sorted by color...
10-16-2010
Plushies are popular in Japan, no doubt about it. This giant dancing Capybara plushie is the latest of many advertisements found in front of a particular game center on Sunshine Street in Ikebukuro.
10-15-2010
Hybrid cars are trendy, but do they actually work? Whether they work or not, this is the first hybrid car I've seen in Japan. In fact, it's the first taxi not in the classic boxy shape I've seen here.
10-14-2010
7 Eleven is part of the same company as Ito Yokado, and apparently they aren't allowed to just list the convenience store on the window...? Anyway, it looks weird to see the extra bits on the logo.
10-12-2010
Since I got pretty sick I thought it would be good to make hot soup. The ingredients: water, white dashi, sliced pork, chopped veggies, white miso paste and a raw egg whipped into the hot soup just before serving.
Labels:
food and drink,
japan,
nikon d40,
october,
tokyo
10-11-2010
Food in Japan often has multiple small courses that are shared between people. Despite not having Moo Cow to share with I decided my lunch today would include a few courses. Here is a tofu sampler I whipped up. Sure, it's not just tofu, but every part has some tofu mixed into it, including the meat patty.
Labels:
food and drink,
japan,
nikon d40,
october,
tokyo
10-10-2010
Happy Binary Day (10-10-10). Did you know the value of today's date in binary is 42? It's a special day.
And to celebrate, I went to the Aldgate in Shibuya. It has very dim lighting and dark wood, apparently just like England. They serve classic pub fare such as Toad-in-the-Hole as well as some slightly less traditional fusions like Jacket Potatoes with Tuna & Mayonnaise. They have a board next to the bar where you can see the listing of imported specials. This time I tried Budvar, the Czech beer that inspired Budweiser. I can tell you it is far better than the messed up American approximation.
In any case, the Aldgate is a nice hideaway from Tokyo, particularly if you're British.
Labels:
buildings,
food and drink,
japan,
nikon d40,
tokyo
10-3-2010
At the Pink Cow in Shibuya there are some good homemade dishes you can get. They aren't cheap but the portions are typically pretty large, making it an ideal place to share food with friends. This is the amusingly named guac and cow chips.
Labels:
food and drink,
japan,
nikon d40,
october,
tokyo
10-1-2010
I've never heard of these flower pineapple plants, but apparently they are native to Okinawa and can be used to grow full-sized pineapples. Seems dubious if you ask me, but Moo Cow swears it's true.
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