My Japan Adventure18829
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| I have some photos from yesterday. First, I don't think it would be right to go to Shibuya and not visit Hachiko. He was a very good boy.  I actually spent much of my day in nearby Shinjuku, however. Tokyo is a pretty safe environment, but it is not without its dangers.  I had some sushi at a restaurant under the shadow of Gojira. I just picked and chose a few that sounded good to me. The rest of my family doesn't really go for sushi, so it's best for me to get it when I'm flying solo.  I really wanted to go to Shinjuku to visit Disk Union, a record/CD chain here in Japan. Shinjuku has their largest selection of stores, including the 7-floor store that I visited. That's kind of misleading, though, because each floor is very small. Nonetheless, they pack in tons and tons of records and CDs that you wouldn't necessarily expect to see. I bought a few. Here's the map posted outside the entrance.  I did some random wandering and, as long as I was in the area, I decided to find a small cafe called Nope that is operated by my Japanese sister-in-law's friend. The walls and various other surfaces of the cafe are adorned with American pop-culture toys and figures, largely from the '80s. There is a lot to take in. I ordered a shake and introduced myself. It's a cool little place.  Then before heading back to Shibuya, I sought and found this amazing 3-D animated cat billboard. It's a delight.  Sometimes the cat wears a policeman's hat.  I didn't really have anything planned for the evening, but I needed to head back to my hostel and recharge some electronics. Then I went to look at the Shibuya Blue Cave Illuminations, where trees along the street and in Yoyogi Park are decorated in blue lights for the holidays.  I got there just in time for the food trucks to shut down and not allow me to order. After several failed attempts to find a restaurant that would serve me (it seems many close at 9:00 PM, or else they're jam-packed), I settled on a freakin' McDonald's. I rarely eat McD's at home, but in Japan they do have a "shrimp filet-o" that I like (at least sometimes--they can be inconsistent). Then I browsed at a large 24-hour Don Quijote shop and marveled at the nighttime bustle of the streets of Shibuya as I made my way back to my hostel. Today I'm switching hotels and finding some other things to do. Better get to it. |
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| Post 276 • IP flag post | ||
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On my way to KyΕto now. Planning on a relatively lazy day that involves as few stairs as possible.   Of course, I'm still dragging around my massive Shinbutsu, but we can't have it all.  |
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 It gets old smelling it everytime I go outside my door.
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Quote:Originally Posted by Byrdibyrd Now there's an expression I haven't heard in a while.... Well enjoy the rest of the day. Check back tomorrow. |
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| Post 278 • IP flag post | ||
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That yummy thing with the smile is a delicious chicken & mushroom savoury pie. Believe me, I wiped that smile off it's face as soon as I put my phone away. π€€ |
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| Post 279 • IP flag post | ||
 I have a problem with fattening women up.
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| Not sure about anywhere else but all the dunkin donuts by me no longer carry French cruellers. Apparently there is some kind of ongoing shortage. This has been months since I've noticed and Apparently started at pandemic perhaps a year or more ago.... | ||
| Post 280 • IP flag post | ||
 Masculinity takes a holiday.
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| Post 281 • IP flag post | ||
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Quote:Originally Posted by Bronte I got the doughnuts at Mister Donut. Always has yummy doughnuts.  π€€ |
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| Post 282 • IP flag post | ||
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Priestess at Imamiya-jinja Shrine.  I listened to a koto concert there today. |
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| Post 283 • IP flag post | ||
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Quote:Originally Posted by Byrdibyrd Well, this is convenient. I was at Imamiya-jinja Shrine and in preparation for an event, a groundskeeper was raking a tiny patch of gravel!  |
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| Post 284 • IP flag post | ||
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Sunset from my train in KyΕto. |
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| Post 285 • IP flag post | ||
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I went to see some Zen gardens today, some of which are usually closed to the public. One thing to keep in mind when visiting these gardens is to pay attention to bondage rock. Bondage rock(s) mark where you are not permitted to go. You do not step past a bondage rock. They are used in place of the more familiar signs because a sign would disturb the atmosphere of a Zen garden, whereas bondage rock blends in.  |
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| Post 286 • IP flag post | ||
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One plate of yummy pork cutlet curry, thank you very much. π€€ π€€ π€€ |
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| Post 287 • IP flag post | ||
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| Today I went back to KyΕto. I still had a couple of annoying Shinbutsu stops to deal with, but I also wanted to check out Daitoku-ji Temple. Daitoku-ji is a very important Zen temple and is known for a number of sub-temples - many of which are closed to the public - that have spectacular Zen gardens. In the spring and fall, a few of Daitoku-ji's sub-temples may open for a short time and allow people in to see the gardens. That has been going on this year, and today was the last day for some of them. I bussed out to Daitoku-ji, and my first stop was the Ryugen-in sub-temple. Ryugen-in opens more often than some of the others, but that doesn't make its gardens any less excellent. It has both traditional Zen dry rock gardens and moss gardens.     Next was the Obai-in sub-temple, which is rarely opened. Its gardens are larger and more dramatic, but unfortunately photography is verboten. I was able to get one shot of the garden at the entryway before I walked far enough to see the 'no photos' sign.  After I left the Obai-in, I passed Daitoku-ji's old main temple gate. This gate was the cause of A Lot of drama. Daitoku-ji is one of the places where the great tea master, Sen-no-Rikyu, practiced and perfected his art. Rikyu was a friend and confidante of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and the art of the tea ceremony flourished and became popularised. However, Hideyoshi was known for his occasional flashes of temper, and that spelled disaster for Sen-no-Rikyu. At some point, a rumour spread that Rikyu had placed an effigy of himself in the highest point of the gate to Daitoku-ji Temple, and the purpose of it was so he could 'look down' upon Hideyoshi as he passed by. Whether there was ever any truth to the rumour is unknown, and if the whole thing was a falsehood designed to bring about the downfall of Rikyu, that is also unknown. In any case, Rikyu was ordered to commit seppuku - suicide by ritual self-disembowelment. Some legends say Rikyu committed seppuku beneath this gate, but that is highly unlikely. He most likely did it at his residence in Hideyoshi's Jurakudai Palace.  I next went to the KΕrin-in sub-temple, which was also open for a few weeks, and fortunately they allowed photography. The gardens there were exceptionally pretty. I was lucky that so many of my photos are actually decent.         The ZuihΕ-in sub-temple was next, and it has an exceptionally dramatic Zen garden designed to represent a dragon swimming in the ocean.    The last one I went to in Daitoku-ji was the JukΕ-in sub-temple. I particularly wanted to see this one because I have never seen it open to the public before. This was a very rare event. Sadly, this was another one that forbade photography, and they were serious enough to actually confiscate everyone's bags on the way in. There were a couple of the tea rooms that Sen-no-Rikyu designed/built himself, and many beautiful paintings on the sliding doors. As I left, I was able to get one shot of the garden at the entryway.  I left Daitoku-ji and walked a few blocks to Imamiya-jinja, one of my Shinbutsu stops. I had actually been to Imamiya-jinja once before, a long time ago, but I didn't remember it properly. The reason I went in was because I was desperate to answer The Call of Nature, and all I could remember afterwards was how awful the facilities smelled. Now I feel bad. It's actually a lovely shrine. It was busy when I got there because they were preparing for an event. While I was there, a priest performed a blessing and a koto player started to play. There was a group of drummers getting their gear ready, too. I wish I could have stayed, but I had to leave if I wanted to get to Hirano-jinja (my last Shinbutsu stop for this trip) before it closed.   Got back on a bus and went to Hirano-jinja. Had there been anything there worthy of a photograph, I'm sure I would have taken one. However... What a shame I left Imamiya-jinja. I'm sure Hirano-jinja is a lovely shrine, and it did have a very nice stand of cherry trees that must look beautiful in the spring, but this isn't springtime and the trees were just twigs. Oh, well. Time to head back to Osaka. At least the huge Shinbutsu goshuin-chΕ can go back in my luggage now. Tomorrow will be interesting because I'll be going someplace I've never been before: Kanazawa! Will I be able to find the castle? Will the famous garden have anything to offer other than twigs? Will I freeze my butt off because it's pretty freakin' cold on the Sea of Japan side of Japan right now? I guess I'll find out! |
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| Post 288 • IP flag post | ||
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| I'm on my early train to Kanazawa now. This will be a real adventure since I've never been to Kanazawa before. This is also largely a completely new train route, too, and I'm hoping for some pretty views from the train. |
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| Post 289 • IP flag post | ||
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I just put together a big post and my phone ate it!  It's gone! Noooooo!!!  |
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| Post 290 • IP flag post | ||
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Will I have misty mountains like these when I get to Kanazawa? I can only hope. |
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| Post 291 • IP flag post | ||
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I have a problem with fattening women up.
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Quote:Originally Posted by Byrdibyrd Can't give that a thumbs up or down. All I know is it sucks to re type everything |
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| Post 292 • IP flag post | ||
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Byrdibyrd private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by Bronte You ain't wrong. I think I'll wait until I'm back in my hotel so I don't have to contend with this train. |
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| Post 293 • IP flag post | ||
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The city of Kanazawa requests that people refrain from depositing piranhas in their itty-bitty stream.  |
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| Post 294 • IP flag post | ||
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| Is that a joke? Who carries around piranhas? |
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| Post 295 • IP flag post | ||
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Had a real 'circle of life' moment at Kenrokuen Garden.   RIP, little fishie.  |
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| Post 296 • IP flag post | ||
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Still have some colour at the ruins of Kanazawa-jΕ Castle. |
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| Post 297 • IP flag post | ||
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Maybe the cutest public art I've ever seen. π₯° π₯Ί |
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| Post 298 • IP flag post | ||
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Byrdibyrd private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by Bronte It's more literally 'do not bring in live creatures,' but the piranha symbol is so obvious. |
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| Post 299 • IP flag post | ||
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Uuuh... |
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| Post 300 • IP flag post | ||
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| @Byrdibyrd The blue bird there makes me wonder if someone is trying create some kind of abominable mongrel of graffiti and tweeting. | ||
| Post 301 • IP flag post | ||
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Quote:Originally Posted by CatCovers What that tweety bird is doing there is a mystery to me. The phrase can be de-mystified to a degree. 'Horumon' in Japanese basically means cow giblets. It sounds so much like 'hormone' when someone says it that the spelling has been adopted for the word when it gets written out in Roman letters. I'm serious. They're actually popular. You can go to a hormone place and order lungs or other organs. Where I found that bit of... wall art, there was a hormone place nearby. I suspect the oddly happy birdy was somehow thrilled over cow innards. Personally, I would have thought the birdy would need to be a vulture in order to be pleased with cow guts, but what do I know? |
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My yummy street food getting cooked up! Smells great    |
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| What is it? | ||
| Post 304 • IP flag post | ||
 " . "
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| @Bronte since @Byrdibyrd is likely eating, Iβll guess based on photos that itβs a pancake or okonomiyaki. Looks a lot like Korean seafood pancakes I sometimes make. |
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