Monday Manhole Cover 3 Atami

Sunday Kimono 22 - Rental Kimono in Kawagoe

Kawagoe is known as Little Edo. It has many old buildings  - kurakuzkuri - warehouses with clay walls and steep tiled roofs.  Its a popular place to rent kimonos and explore the streets and eat local treats.  Sweet potato was popular when I visited last month, both in ice cream and as thin slices as fried chips.

Sunday Kimono 16- Some no Komichi

Last Sunday I visited the Nakai neighbourhood for the Some no Komichi festival
which highlights the art of art dyeing and screen printing in the Nakai area of Shinjuku where traditionally kimono cloth was draped across the river to dry.  The 50-60m lengths of fabric draped over the river on a sunny Sunday were spectacular and I loved the kimonos these two ladies were wearing as they wandered the streets and stopped on the bridges to admire the colourful spectacle.

After the rugby

My friend Marie shared this photo with me. She attended the Rugby World Cup semi finals last weekend.  Marie was amazed by the amount of Heineken consumed.  I was amazed by the neat packing of the boxes for rubbish collection.  How neat and tidy is that!!! Wouldn't see that at the G!

Hanko

I have a hanko - a personal stamp with my name spelt in Kanji, that I can use to sign documents and generally say " Mary was Here".

Sunday Kimono - 1

Sunday seems to be the day to wear kimonos.  The textures and designs and fabric are divine.  I stalk kimono wearing ladies on the streets.  Here are some photos!

Coffee in a Can

Coffee in a can in a vending machine - its a thing.I have been drinking coffee in a can occasionally - it can be black or milky, strong or extra strong - but with my level of Japanese its all guess work and taste and try.I think the aluminium cans are recycled, so it may be better than drinking soft drinks in PET bottles.

Plum Blossom Festival - Part 2

The plum blossom festival was an all age event!

Plum Blossom

The Setagaya Plum Blossom Festival is being held for a few weeks in a park near where I live. So on Saturday I cycled over to see the blossoms and take part in the festivities - food and performances and florists/nurseries selling flowers, plants and bonsai. There were plum themed foods - but I had a roasted cob of corn!  (The plum pickles are sour)

The pink and white blossoms on over 600 trees were at different stages of flowering, but beautiful.

Dolls

Kokeshi are wooden dolls with no arms or legs.  They have a long tradition and have become collectors items.  They usually have floral patterns and smiling faces, although the one on the right doesn't look too happy.

The Japanese Love their dogs

There are more pets in Japan than children. So pets are treated as children.  I could not but stop and stare at these daschunds.   Very cute dogs and a cute pram, but !!!

A colleague was a dog extravaganza in a nearby park on the weekend, where you could buy every conceivable thing for dogs. She bought a 'sweater' for "Mischa"  (cute but slightly rat like pet dog) and said these prams cost over $800 US !!!!!!

Another Yellow Obi

The bow at the back of the kimono is called an obi and there are many different styles of knots or musabi.  Another yellow one that caught my eye at the Sakurashinmachi street festival.

Something else I didn't try

No idea what these are?  I think it might be a sweet taco?  Meringue making in the background, indicates that it could be sweet.  However the scarily bright garnishes were often putting.  Will try another time.

Something else I have yet to eat - Grass Jelly

I didn't try the grasshoppers at Loi Krathong or this. Grass jelly - the black jelly in the cups is a Thai dessert treat.  It is made by boiling stalks and leaves of a particular grass and is called Chao Kuai and considered a treat.  It is often served with Carnation Milk and I have seen advertisements for green and pink grass jelly - I think they add color to the milk.

Friday Loi Krathong Flowers

Last Friday night I was in Chiang Mai for the Loi Krathong parade.  The women in the parade had gorgeous hair styles featuring stunning flowers.

Lanterns

Lanterns filled the night sky in Chiang Mai on Friday night as Loi Krathong also coincides with the Yi Peng lantern festival.  Thais believe lighting the khom loy lanterns will bring good luck.
There are so many lanterns that the flight schedule at the airport was changed with over 100  flights over the weekend canceled  in order to avoid accidents.
Too many photos, too many editing decisions so its three photos today not just one.

Making Krathongs

The banks of the Ping River near Thapae Road were crowded with stalls selling and making Krathongs for the festival.
The boy on the left is making bread Krathongs and the photo on the right shows the stalls for flower krathogs, using a base of banana palm trunk.
The river was a mass of floating krathongs - but dark light meant blurry photos.

Glamourous men at Loi Krathong

Turbans, flowers, bling - the attire for a well dressed fellow leading a loi krathong float in the parade on Friday night.

Loy Krathong photos - yesterday's didn't upload