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Apr 09, 2007
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I went on a Sunday when most of the shops were closed. Blessing in disguise because I got to see the ukiyoe art on their shutter doors.Apr 09, 2007
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The ukiyoe art are all related to Shinagawa.Apr 09, 2007
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A convenience store and condominium now at the location of Dozo Sagami, a secret meeting place of Ito Hirobumi and other Imperial loyalists seeking to oust the Tokugawa government during the Bakumatsu period. 土蔵相模跡Apr 09, 2007
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Near the entrance to the Tokaido Road is this tourist info booth. Free pamphlets (English included) and maps of Shinagawa-juku.Apr 09, 2007
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Entrance to the Tokaido Road at Shinagawa. Short walk from Shinagawa Station.Apr 09, 2007
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Shinagawa-juku along the old Tokaido Road looks like this today. In the old days, it looked like this.Apr 09, 2007
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High-rise modern hotels have long replaced the old inns at Shinagawa-juku, the Tokaido Road's first post town during the Edo Period.Apr 09, 2007
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Way to the old Tokaido Road at Shinagawa. It was around here where Godzilla first set foot on Japan, in the first Godzilla movie.Apr 09, 2007
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JR Shinagawa Station, Takanawa Entrance on the west side. 品川駅 高輪口Apr 09, 2007
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Near Shinagawa Station is this poor little shrine called, Takayama Inari Shrine, encroached on all sides by urban development. 高山稲荷神社Apr 09, 2007
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Inside Tokyo Toden streetcar.Apr 06, 2007
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Tokyo Toden streetcar tracks near Arakawa 2-chome Station.Apr 06, 2007
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Tokyo Toden streetcar at Arakawa 2-chome Station.Apr 06, 2007
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Tokyo Toden streetcar pass by cherry trees near Arakawa 2-chome Station.Apr 06, 2007
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Apr 06, 2007
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There's even a train crossing gate.Apr 06, 2007
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Apr 06, 2007
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Apr 06, 2007
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The man at the corner makes sure the kids obey the traffic rules.Apr 06, 2007
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Over 160 bicycles for free rental.Apr 06, 2007
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Kids enjoy riding around the park.Apr 06, 2007
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Special section for younger kids.Apr 06, 2007
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Bicycling road for kids renting bicycles, go-karts, etc., for free.Apr 06, 2007
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Cherry blossoms and tennis courts.Apr 06, 2007
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Free bicycles, unicycles, go-karts for rent.Apr 06, 2007
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Apr 06, 2007
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Flowering Crabapple and ornamental peaches ハナカイドウとハナモモApr 06, 2007
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Cherry treesApr 06, 2007
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Flowering Crabapple and ornamental peaches ハナカイドウとハナモモApr 06, 2007
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Water purification plant is adjacent to the park.Apr 06, 2007
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Flowering crab apple (Hanakaido in Japanese) 花海棠Apr 06, 2007
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Flowering crab apple (Hanakaido in Japanese) 花海棠Apr 06, 2007
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Flowering crab apple (Hanakaido in Japanese). This is early April. 花海棠Apr 06, 2007
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Flowering crab apple (Hanakaido in Japanese) 花海棠Apr 06, 2007
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Another nude sculpture.Apr 06, 2007
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Duck pondApr 06, 2007
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DucksApr 06, 2007
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At least 2 swans were in the pond along with koi fish.Apr 06, 2007
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Sculpture at the park entrance. Sculptures of women must always be nude, it seems.Apr 06, 2007
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Map of park. There are two areas connected by a short path.Apr 06, 2007
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Cherry trees along the streetcar tracks.Apr 06, 2007
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Cherry trees along the park's perimeter.Apr 06, 2007
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Slope to Arakawa Shizen Koen Park from the Arakawa 2-chome streetcar station on the Tokyo Toden Arakawa Line.Apr 06, 2007
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Inside the gyoza restaurant are placards written by past customers boasting the number of gyoza they ate (or couldn't finish).Apr 06, 2007
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My lunch. Ball-shaped gyoza. The skin is slightly crunchy.Apr 06, 2007
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Apr 06, 2007
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Tokyo Toden streetcar, Koshin-zuka Station.Apr 06, 2007
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The famous red underwear. Supposed to keep you warmer. For men and women.Apr 06, 2007
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Apr 06, 2007
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Jizo statueApr 06, 2007
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Umbrella shopApr 06, 2007
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They used to have a tawashi brush to wash the statue, but that wore out the statue. So the replacement statue is now washed/rubbed with a towel instead.Apr 06, 2007
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The shopping street is quite long, going all the way to Nishi-Sugamo on the Mita subway line.Apr 06, 2007
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People relax in front of the temple.Apr 06, 2007
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People in line for the Arai (Washable) Kannon statue. Anybody can line up and scrub the statue. No charge.Apr 06, 2007
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Arai Kannon statue. Wash the part of the body to cure the corresponding part of your own body. 洗い観音Apr 06, 2007
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Grounds of Koganji temple as seen from the Hondo hall.Apr 06, 2007
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Jizo statueApr 06, 2007
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Koganji temple Hondo hall. This is a Zen temple belonging to the Soto-shu school. The temple was founded in 1596 and moved to Sugamo in 1891.Apr 06, 2007
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People line up to wash the famous Kannon statue. The line gets longer on weekends.Apr 06, 2007
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Inside Koganji temple Hondo. The temple houses the Togenuki Jizo statue which is not visible to the public.Apr 06, 2007
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Koganji temple. The temple's popular name is "Togenuki Jizo-son." It sells magic paper called osugata which supposed to remove a thorn or splinter from your skin. Affix it to the thorn and it will be extracted. とげぬき地蔵尊Apr 06, 2007
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Kōgan-ji Temple (高岩寺)Apr 06, 2007
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Togenuki means thorn-extracting. Koganji temple incense burnerApr 06, 2007
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Sugamo Jizo-dori shopping street 巣鴨地蔵通り商店街Apr 06, 2007
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Gate to Koganji temple, a famous spot along the shopping street.Apr 06, 2007
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Nakasendo road marker.Apr 06, 2007
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Hat shopApr 06, 2007
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Most of the clothing items are price low, around 1,000 yen which might be affordable by people living on social security.Apr 06, 2007
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The clothing shops are geared for elderly women. Sugamo is the fashion capital for elderly women. 「おばあちゃんの原宿」Apr 06, 2007
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Apr 06, 2007
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Sugamo Jizo-dori shopping street 巣鴨地蔵通り商店街「おばあちゃんの原宿」Apr 06, 2007
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Entrance to Sugamo Jizo-dori shopping street 巣鴨地蔵通り商店街Apr 06, 2007
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Cherry blossoms near JR Sugamo StationApr 06, 2007
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Main road in front of JR Sugamo StationApr 06, 2007
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JR Sugamo Station on the Yamanote Line. 巣鴨駅Apr 06, 2007
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In front of JR Sugamo StationApr 06, 2007
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Apr 06, 2007
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HillApr 06, 2007
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The little park has a side of an old building on the ground, serving as a stage.Apr 06, 2007
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Small hillApr 06, 2007
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Paper lantern written with "Itabashi-ku."Apr 06, 2007
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Petals and tree roots.Apr 06, 2007
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Petals on the groundApr 06, 2007
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PetalsApr 06, 2007
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Apr 06, 2007
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Little parkApr 06, 2007
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Apr 06, 2007
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Haiku poems solicited from the public are also displayed along the riverside.Apr 06, 2007
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Stone lanternApr 06, 2007
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Apr 06, 2007
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Pleasant walking path.Apr 06, 2007
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A few bridges cross the river.Apr 06, 2007
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Apr 06, 2007
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Shakujii River sprinkled with fallen petals.Apr 06, 2007
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Apr 06, 2007
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River wallApr 06, 2007
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Cherry tree shadowApr 06, 2007
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There are cherries on both sides of the river and a walking path on both sides.Apr 06, 2007
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Apr 06, 2007
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Entrance to one walking path with a poem monument.Apr 06, 2007
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Cherry blossoms along the Shakujii River, near Shin-Itabashi Station on the Mita subway line.Apr 06, 2007
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Horrendous crowd gathers to watch the fireworks, the festival's climax. The festival ends at 10 pm when the procession returns to the shrine.Apr 06, 2007
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The boat carrying the portable shrine housing the spirit of Sugawara Michizane. 御鳳輦奉安船Apr 06, 2007
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Portable shrine 船渡御 玉御神輿奉安Apr 06, 2007
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船渡御Apr 06, 2007
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玉御神輿奉安Apr 06, 2007
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Apr 06, 2007
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This is the most important boat in the procession. It holds a ceremony called the Senjo-sai (船上祭) in the middle of the river to celebrate Sugawara Michizane's birthday. 御鳳輦奉安船Apr 06, 2007
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Apr 06, 2007
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Apr 06, 2007
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Boat cornerApr 06, 2007
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船渡御Apr 06, 2007
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Tugboats pull these huge barges.Apr 06, 2007
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To ride these boats, you have to be a member of a shrine parish or supporting group.Apr 06, 2007
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Ningyo-bune 人形船Apr 06, 2007
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船渡御Apr 06, 2007
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The fire, fueled by LP gas, is on a corporate-sponsored boat, used for illumination. 大篝Apr 06, 2007
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Most of the boats carry parishioners who eat bento on the boats while sometimes looking at photographers shooting them from a bridge overhead.Apr 06, 2007
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The Boat Procession started at 7 pm on Okawa River. These boats are called Dondoko. どんどこ船 大川 船渡御Apr 06, 2007
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The boats are numerous. About 100 of them go up and down the river.Apr 06, 2007
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Apr 06, 2007
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The boats are large barges.Apr 06, 2007
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By 6 pm, shrine parishioners started boarding boats near Tenjin-bashi Bridge, the starting point of the Boat Procession. These are supporter's boats.Apr 06, 2007
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Okawa River 大川Apr 06, 2007
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Crowded walking path along Okawa River. Most people view the festival from the riverside.Apr 06, 2007
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A large crane is used to carry the portable shrines onto the boats.Apr 06, 2007
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The Boat Procession (Funa-togyo) is the Tenjin Matsuri festival's main event.Apr 06, 2007
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Crowd near Tenjin-bashi Bridge.Apr 06, 2007
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Apr 06, 2007
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These boats will carry portable shrines.Apr 06, 2007
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Portable shrine housing the spirit of Sugawara Michizane. This is the most important thing in the procession. 御鳳輦Apr 06, 2007
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Mother and twins in yukataApr 06, 2007
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御羽車Apr 06, 2007
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Shrine priestApr 06, 2007
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Portable shrine 御羽車Apr 06, 2007
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牛曳童児Apr 06, 2007
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Apr 06, 2007
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Chigo childApr 06, 2007
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Hanagasa umbrella dancers 花傘Apr 06, 2007
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Hanagasa umbrella dancers, Tenjin Matsuri, Osaka 花傘Apr 06, 2007
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Apr 06, 2007
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Lion danceApr 06, 2007
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花傘Apr 06, 2007
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Hanagasa dancers 花傘Apr 06, 2007
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Danjiri float 地車Apr 06, 2007
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Shishimai lion danceApr 06, 2007
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Danjiri float 地車Apr 06, 2007
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Apr 06, 2007
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Apr 06, 2007
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About 3,000 people are in the procession which follows a 4 km route from the shrine to a boat landing near Tenjin-bashi Bridge on the Okawa River. 陸渡御Apr 06, 2007
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Sarutahiko on horseback 猿田彦Apr 06, 2007
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Taiko drummers at the shrine's Otorii gate. 催太鼓Apr 06, 2007
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The Land Procession is one of the festival's two main events. It starts with a group of taiko drummers.Apr 06, 2007
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Crowd at Osaka Tenmangu Shrine, the organizer of the Tenjin Festival and starting point of the festival's Land Procession called "Riku-togyo." 大阪天満宮One of Japan's Big Three Festivals (besides Kyoto's Gion Matsuri and Tokyo's Kanda Matsuri) is also Osaka's biggest summer festival held on July 24-25. These photos were taken on July 25, 2004. The festival has a procession starting from Tenmangu Shrine in the afternoon and a water procession on the river in the evening. Apr 06, 2007
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Spectators wait near Tenmangu Shrine's torii for the Land Procession (Riku-togyo) to start at 4 pm on July 25, the festival's 2nd day. The shrine is near Minami-morimachi Station on the Tanimachi subway line. 陸渡御Apr 06, 2007
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Apr 02, 2007
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Apr 02, 2007
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No hanami picnics allowed either.Apr 02, 2007
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Apr 02, 2007
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They should close the roads to cars during the sakura season. Then more people would come.Apr 02, 2007
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"Meguro-gawa Sakura Matsuri"Apr 02, 2007
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Apr 02, 2007
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The flowers are very nice, but viewing them is annoying due to the vehicular traffic.Apr 02, 2007
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There is a road on both sides of the river along which you can see the flowers. However, both narrow roads also have cars whizzing by. Watch out or else get bumped by a car.Apr 02, 2007
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The lights are not as good covering the flowers. Pretty uneven lighting.Apr 02, 2007
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Apr 02, 2007
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"Naka-Meguro Sakura Matsuri"Apr 02, 2007
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The cherry blossoms form a roof over the river.Apr 02, 2007
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The cherries are lit up at night from April 1-9 with lanterns and floodlights.Apr 02, 2007
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Cherry blossoms line the Meguro-gawa River from Naka-Meguro Station (Hibiya Line) to Ikejiri Ohashi Station (Toyoko Den'en Toshi Line).Apr 02, 2007
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Power voltage stationApr 02, 2007
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Apr 02, 2007
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Taketomi Port boat for IshigakiApr 02, 2007
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Kondoi beachApr 02, 2007
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Hoshi Sunahama or Star Sand BeachApr 02, 2007
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Apr 02, 2007
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Taketomi Primary SchoolApr 02, 2007
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Be aware that these parasols are not free.Apr 02, 2007
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Apr 02, 2007
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Kondoi beachApr 02, 2007
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White coral road, one of Taketomi's trademarks.Apr 02, 2007
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White coral roadApr 02, 2007
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Kondoi Picnic SiteApr 02, 2007
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On Taketomi, residential homes are toward the middle of the island, not along the beaches. The middle part of the island is built on hard rock called chert. Freshwater wells can be dug along this rock to provide water. View from lookout tower.Apr 02, 2007
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Lookout towerApr 02, 2007
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View from lookout towerApr 02, 2007
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Outside the middle part of Taketomi, the ground is on limestone where water seeps through. Difficult to have rice paddies or wells on limestone.Apr 02, 2007
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Boat for Taketomi at Ishigaki Port.Apr 02, 2007
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Okinawan house and rock wall, TaketomiApr 02, 2007
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Okinawan house, Taketomi. Taketomi is a National Important Traditional Townscape Preservation District (重要伝統的建造物群保存地区).Apr 02, 2007
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On Taketomi, the best way to get around.Apr 02, 2007
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View from the top.Apr 02, 2007
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Skis left outside as their owners have lunch. It's nice that no one steals your skis.Apr 02, 2007
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The line gets very long during the morning, so I usually go later in the day and ski until night when it is much less crowded. I catch the last shinkansen back to Tokyo.Apr 02, 2007
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From Tokyo, Gala Yuzawa is the most convenient place to ski. The Joetsu shinkansen can take you there in little over an hour and the train station has the ski gondola. An easy day trip.Apr 02, 2007
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It's not a large or long run, but better than nothing.Apr 02, 2007
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The quality of the snow is not as good as in Hokkaido, but better than nothing.Apr 02, 2007
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Sotobori Park on the other side of the moat. 外濠公園Apr 02, 2007
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Apr 02, 2007
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Canal CafeApr 02, 2007
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Photographers who love trains and cherries flock here.Apr 02, 2007
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Chuo Line passes through. 中央線Apr 02, 2007
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Sobu Line passes through.Apr 02, 2007
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The moat is parallel to the Chuo Line. View from Shin-Mitsuke Bridge. 新見附橋Apr 02, 2007
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Sobu Line passes through.Apr 02, 2007
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How it looks from the end of the moat.Apr 02, 2007
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Apr 02, 2007
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How it looks from the end of the moat.Apr 02, 2007
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The end of the moat is also a good viewpoint.Apr 02, 2007
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Rowboats and low-hanging cherries.Apr 02, 2007
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The end of the moat is also a good viewpoint.Apr 02, 2007
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Apr 02, 2007
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Apr 02, 2007
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Cherry trees along the Sotobori Moat. Formerly a moat of Edo Castle, this canal stretching from Iidabashi Station to Ichigaya Station along the Chuo Line.Apr 02, 2007
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Empty rowboats too.Apr 02, 2007
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People in a long line waiting to enter Canal Cafe to either dine or rent a rowboat.Apr 02, 2007
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The cherry blossoms lining Sotobori Moat also look stunning from the road, Sotobori-dori in front of Kagurazaka.Apr 02, 2007
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Canal Cafe is right below the cherries. But notice empty tables despite the long line.Apr 02, 2007
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