Observations
Observation: Where Are The Bugs?!
One thing we noticed, was that there was a surprising lack of insects about, especially for the first part of July. Normally, I would have expected to be assaulted by mosquitoes, flies, various types of bees or wasps (yellow jackets!) or to see at least a cockroach or two scurrying around on the street.
Especially when [...]
Beware of Hawks!
One thing that struck me odd about Enoshima island, was the obvious lack of something you’d usually find anywhere (at least in the US) by the ocean coast.
Seagulls. There just weren’t any. Then we spotted this sign:
“Beware of Hawks!!”
食べ物をねらって、後ろから飛びかかってきます。
するどいツメで、けがをすることがあります。
ご注意下さい。
Translation (more or less)
“They’ll aim for your food, fly from behind and come to take it.”
“Their sharp [...]
Museum Piece
Shot this picture in the upstairs rest area of the Tokyo National Museum, the one facing the back of the property (you know!)…
I found it funny that a more-or-less “ancient” piece of technology would find itself in use in (ironically enough) a museum of antiquities. It was still plugged in, so I assumed it was [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
