We are having warm and beautiful autumn days. Sightseeing spots in Tokyo and the vicinities are stuffed with people especially on weekends. Today, I went to Medical Herb Garden in Hanno, Saitama prefecture. [Crimson colored maple leaves we…

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Japan has limited the number of people coming into the country. Now, the restriction has become a little relaxed and soon the overseas tourists are coming back. The infection has subsided a little in Japan …

The rainy season is beginning and Japanese irises are blooming. Japanese irises include three types: Hanashobu (Iris ensata), Kakitsubata (Iris laevigata) and Ayame (Iris sanguinea). Here, I refer to the first one, Hanashobu. The plant, Ha…

Spring has come and cherry blossoms are blooming again! Once a flower comes out, the cherries will bloom in a week! The Japanese eat cherry flowers. That does not mean we pick it out and nibble it while taking a walk under cherry trees. As…

In Japan, many people go traveling to see autumn colored leaves with face masks on. In Tokyo, we can enjoy yellow-colored ginko trees at any and everywhere, along the street or in the parks. The other day I went to the university which my …

Last month I went to Asakusa to buy a tenugui I wrote in my previous blog. Asakusa is a popular sightseeing spot in Tokyo and famous for this giant lantern. Kaminari-mon gate is the symbol of Asakusa. Before the pandemic this town attracte…

In this season, festivals used to be held here and there in Japan, such as in schools, communities, and Shinto shrines. However, because of the pandemic some of them are canceled or some are simplified. A shrine close to my house used to h…

It used to be said that houses in Japan are made of woods and paper. For the national stadium of Tokyo 2020 olympics, woods from every prefectures in Japan are used. Now, the half of them are made of concrete, while my house consists mainl…

Soon after the cherry blossom season comes to an end, azalea season begins. It seems that azaleas adapt to the Japan’s climate and can be seen magenta flowers here and there, along the main road, in the park and so on. Yet, azalea flowers …

The infection curve (graph for daily COVID-19 cases) of Japan consists of a number of low peaks. Now, we are at the beginning of the forth upslope. Under such a critical situation, the cherry trees are in full bloom. It is irresistible for…

A decade has passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake. A powerful earthquake measuring 9.0-9.1 on the Richter scale hit mainly the Tohoku (North-east) region at 14:46, followed by massive tsunamis, resulting in 15,899 of death and 6,15…

Last week I went to Yushima Tenmangu shrine to see plum flowers. I have visited there several times at this season. However, I only remember the coldness and hot foods sold at the stalls in the shrine precincts. Animal-shaped candies are s…

Tsukiji Hongwanji Temple is the symbol of the town. This building was built in 1934. My grandfather worked at Tokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market at Tsukiji. The market consisted of two areas: inside and outside market. The inside …

The town of Nihonbashi has been the commercial centre in Japan since Edo era (1603-1868) and there used to be large fish market where my ancestors worked. Now, in this town there are Bank of Japan, a stock exchange, famous department store…

The other day I went to Shinjuku-Gyoen park in the central Tokyo. Actually I went to a bank in Shinjuku. When I went outside, the beautiful blue sky was like asking me “why don’t you take a walk!” I go to the park every spring to see cherr…

Go To Travel campaign is underway in Japan. It is government-subsidized campaign to boost traveling industry and recover Japanese economy. But the procedure is troublesome to get subsidized. So I decided to carry out my own Go To Japan cam…

There is a shinto shrine with a large forest close to my house. It is Meiji-jingu shrine. When I was a little child my parents often took me there on Sundays. To tell the truth, I didn’t enjoyed this outing because it had no equipments lik…