I took this in front of Takadanobaba Station yesterday. I had some time to kill after I had finished grading the tests at my high school, so I got off here and had dinner before i went to teach my night class. In the midst of so many people, this desolate umbrella really caught my attention.
Shinjuku. It embodies so much of what makes Tokyo convenient, fun, and modern. It is also overcrowded and noisy.
I could post 1000 pictures of Shinjuku, but I wouldn’t be able to accurately portray the contrasts. World class dining and shopping, pachinko parlors, bars, and more places to waste money than you could throw a stick at!
I had to teach at my music college in Saitama Prefecture again. And the trains were extremely late (there were some really strong winds in some areas, which caused delays). While I was in Shinjuku waiting for my train, I managed to take a few pictures. I also helped a couple from Denmark find the right train. I told them I had worked briefly at The Northwest Danish Foundation, and the man mentioned the name of a Danish person he knew in Seattle. I wasn’t sure if I had met him, but his name sounded familiar.
After a day at my high school, I needed a break. After all, I had a few hours to kill before my night class (but not enough to make it worth going home, yuk, yuk…)
So I decided to go to a coffeeshop in Takadanobaba, where I sometimes teach a private student. Now, as some of you know, I am a green tea junkie. Not only do I love green tea, but I love green tea cakes, cookies, and ice cream. There are many kinds of green tea (that would be a good idea for a future post). But the main kind used for sweets is called, 「抹茶」or “matcha” (the “a’s” are like “Mama”). Matcha has a naturally sweet taste, so it is well-suited for desserts.
Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. Many Americans think green tea is bitter and gross. Every time I go back and try what usually passes for green tea, I know why. Most of the tea is not so good to begin with, and people brew it too hot, which ruins it (green tea is very delicate. If you boil it, it will become bitter and lose its flavor.) There is a huge variety of green tea in Japan, and the level of connoisseurship may even rival wine. Green tea can at times be: strong, mild, sweet, or bitter. They take it very seriously!
Anyway, as I was walking into the coffeeshop, I saw a sign advertising several seasonal green tea drinks. Since it was rather warm, I chose the “Frozen Matcha” 「フローゼン抹茶」As you can see, it is quite a work of art. On top of the green tea/milk smoothie, they put 「小豆」(”azuki,” or sweet beans), whip cream, a wafer and matcha syrup. Wow. The only way I can describe it is, [和風！」(”wa hu”), which means “distinctly Japanese”…but also sounds like “Woo Hoo!” 
Ok, sorry…I was being a bit silly there. But it was good. I like the 「抹茶クリームフラッパチーノ」(”Green Tea Frappacino”) that was first developed for Japanese Starbucks, but is now available in the US (YAY!)…but it is a lot sweeter than this one. This one is much less sweet, so it might appeal to many Japanese, who are usually prefer less sugar…It definitely gave me the energy to tackle my night class. How about you? Did you treat yourself to anything fun today???
These pictures I took in Ichigaya, on the way to a company class, really made me think about how my priorities and values have changed. When I was younger, I loved sports cars–especially Ferraris. I always dreamed of racing down the Autobahn in a Testarossa or a Lamborghini. But I have changed. I still think they are beautiful cars. I still think they would be fun to drive (if I learned how!). But I would never own one.
(more…)
I have no idea. I saw it yesterday while I was walking around between classes. Maybe it is an owl…? Anyway, I thought it was interesting.
What do you think? Any guesses?
I had a couple hours to kill between classes, so I walked around Yotsuya Station and took some pictures. Nothing special…just to amuse myself. I will post more tomorrow, but here is one for tonight. This is an Okinawan restaurant, which I didn’t realize until just now when I was looking at the picture on my computer! 
The pictures and words beckon customers to descend the steps and enter the restaurant…to enjoy fresh seafood and delicious Okinawan food.
I have only had Okinawan food a couple times. One of the main things I remember is goya (苦瓜), a very bitter melon that is often served in Okinawan restaurants! It is ok, but not my favorite…definitely an acquired taste. But it is one reason that Okinawan food is nutritious and delicious!
Check out this Wikipedia article on Goya for more info!
I took while I was waiting for a Sobu Local Train to Mitaka. This is looking South, from Platform 4. I almost always take the Chuo Express Trains on Platforms 1 and 2, because they are faster, but since Mitaka is just a couple stops away, I took the local.
I shot this with my Canon Ixy 800IS, in “Vivid” mode.
I haven’t taken many pictures of flowers, but here is one I did take last Saturday in front of Kawagoe Station.
You know the drill. You can click on it if you want to see a bigger version.
If you made it through the long post I wrote yesterday, you know I had to make a special trip to my college in Saitama Prefecture to get my computer. (If you haven’t read it yet, you can scroll down to the next article below this one). Here is a picture I took with my Nikon D70s:
This lantern says, “Yakitori,” which can be written as 「焼き鳥」or 「やきとり」. “Yaki” 「焼き」means “cooked/baked” and “tori” 「鳥」means “poultry/chicken” So basically, it is a style of bbq on skewers, like a kabab.
The restaurant wasn’t open yet, but I thought this was a pretty cool lantern in front of the shop. I took this on the way back to the station, after I had gotten my computer back.
As always, you can click on the picture to view it at its home on flickr.
I really like this…Let’s call it today’s photo!
This is, of course, a Japanese billboard for Spiderman 3, which will be hitting theaters soon. I took this at Shinjuku Station, on Platform #14, which is the Sobu Line. I’ve mentioned the Sobu Line before. I ride many trains, but the main one is the Chuo Line (中央線). As I mentioned in the previous post, There is a rapid line, called the Chuo Line, and a local one, called the Sobu (or Chuo-Sobu Line). If you’d like to learn more about the Sobu Line, check out this Wikipedia Article.
