Hikone Castle video
Hikone Castle in Hikone, Shiga Prefecture (next to Kyoto) is one of four Japanese castles designated as a National Treasure. I tried to make the video as short as possible,…
Giant kite festival
My video of the Higashi-Omi Giant Kite Festival (東近江大凧まつり Higashi-Omi Odako Matsuri) held on Sunday, May 26, 2013 in Shiga Prefecture next to Kyoto. Another one of my ongoing video…
Takehana Festival, Gifu
Saw the annual Takehana Festival with seven tall ornate floats being hauled around central Hashima in Gifu Prefecture on May 3, 2013. Each float puts on a performance of karakuri…
Odawara Castle cherry blossoms
Revisited Odawara Castle’s cherry blossoms in April 2013. Unfortunately, no blue skies when I went, but the flowers were impressive. Click on image to see more photos.
Tokyo Marathon 2013
The 7th Tokyo Marathon was held on Feb. 24, 2013. As usual, many runners wore costumes. These photos were taken at the finish line at Tokyo Big Sight. More Tokyo…
Yae no Sakura, NHK Taiga Drama 2013
This year’s year-long, weekly NHK Taiga Drama TV series will start airing tonight on Jan. 6. Titled “Yae no Sakura,” it’s about a woman warrior named Yae Niijima (1845-1932) from…
Tokyo Skytree opens
Congratulations to Tokyo Skytree and people in Sumida and Taito Wards for today’s official opening of Japan/Tokyo’s mega tourist attraction of the century. It’s going to be very difficult to…
Annular solar eclipse above Tokyo
We in Tokyo were very fortunate to have fleeting breaks in the clouds during the annular eclipse this morning at around 7:34 am. It was a very cloudy sky when…
Adachi Ward’s Japan-US Cherry Blossom Centennial
On April 22, 2012, Adachi Ward in Tokyo marked the centennial of its cherry tree gift to the US. The ceremony was held at Toshi Nogyo Park along the Arakawa…
Japanese stamps for the centennial of the Washington, DC cherry blossoms
The Japan Post Office has issued commemorative stamps for the centennial of the Washington, DC cherry blossoms. The sheet of ten 80-yen stamps is selling for 800 yen at all…