All About the Kamakura Great Buddha | 鎌倉大仏

Over at muza-chan.net there is a pair of articles explaining more details about the Great Buddha of Kamakura. Seeing as it was one of the “main attractions” on our (mis)adventure into Kamakura I thought I’d link it here…
The first article, “A Spiritual Look at the Kamakura Daibutsu” explains a bit about the religious significance [...]

School Field Trip?

My wife couldn’t resist snapping this photo of a gaggle of kindergarten-age schoolgirls looking like they’re on a field trip.  かわいい！

If memory serves this was on the platform at the strangely Swiss-themed Gora station, part of the “Hakone Loop”, which you can read all about on Day 8 of the Journal….

Planning: Japan Through Google Earth

OK, so, like me you’ve finally decided that its about damn time you pull the trigger and make this trip happen.  Where do you start?
You start scouring the internet, pick up a few guidebooks, read other people’s trip accounts (like this one) but its difficult to really decide what you’re going to go see, and [...]

Don’t Feed the Monkeys!

On Mt. Takao, you’ll see these signs every so often along the trails…
What’s it say? (You can probably guess the top part)
サルや野生動物にエサを与えないで下さい
ゴミは待ち帰りましょう
この看板は、高尾山を訪れる人たちに安心して自然を樂しんでもらうため、八王子市追い払い駆除隊。(社)
八王子青年会議所。高尾山を活動の拠点とする八王子森林パトロール隊。ボランチィアが協力し設置したものです。
八王子市農林課
(whew)
Please don’t feed the wild monkeys.
Let’s take  our trash with us.
This sign is to give peace of mind and enjoyment to Takao-san’s visitors, from the Hachioji _____ Organization (Company).  (The missing part doesn’t make [...]

Japanese Cars

If, like me, you grew up in America, you’re used to one thing: Big Frickin Cars(tm), and an endless sea of hulking pickup trucks and SUVs.
The situation is quite the opposite in Japan, as pretty much everything on four wheels is considerably smaller.  Take for example this VW Minibus replica spotted in Enoshima…
OK, so Volkswagen [...]

Hydrangeas, aka Ajisai (紫陽花)

It doesn’t take long as you walk around, well, pretty much anywhere in Japan in July, to notice the many, many bushes filled with blue or purple flowers. These gorgeous plants are Hydrangeas, if you didn’t know. And yes, they are everywhere.
Native to Asia, there are lots of different varieties, but the type [...]

Konbini Food | コンビニの食べ物

Much like here in “the States”, you can run down to the local convenience store, or “konbini” (コンビニ) in Japan, and grab some food.  Now, I’m not going to go off on the “OMG Japan’s konbini food >> everything” tangent.  I’ve had some pretty damn good food from the local QT before.  OK, maybe not [...]

What is This Called?

OK, calling on all you experts out there…  Does this display have a particular name in Japanese?  And what is the significance?
This large “gift basket” looking thing was in the lobby of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building (as of early July anyway.)  I see the maneki neko, the target with the arrow, the small “twin [...]

Video: Shinobazu Pond

Here’s a clip of video I shot from the shore of Shinobazu pond in Ueno park.  The tents at the beginning was a flea market getting set up.  In the background you can see the shrine in the center of the pond, and then the koi swimming peacefully therein.
Ueno Park was one of my favorite [...]

Rail Planning With Hyperdia

You’re planning your Japan vacation, but you just don’t know how you’re going to get (as an example) from your hotel in Tokyo to Kamakura.  Not to fear!  The kind people at Hitachi have partnered with JR and JTB to bring you Hyperdia.  This handy web-based tool will help you plan your rail travel around [...]