Gotokuji Temple (Cat Temple) in early autumn: Oct 30, 2025

 

I walked in and around Gotokuji Temple in Setagaya City. I often visit the temple, but it had been a while since I had spent time strolling through the temple grounds.

 

As autumn approached in Tokyo, the leaves began to change color within the temple grounds. The trees surrounding the three-story pagoda were also gradually changing color. (See the 2nd photo)

 

Gotokuji Temple is now a popular tourist spot for foreign visitors. Today, there were far more foreign visitors than Japanese.

 

Gotokuji Temple is famous for its lucky cats, and some foreign tourists call it the “Cat Temple.” In one corner of the temple, there is a site to return lucky cat dolls purchased in the past. Thousands of lucky cats were places, and tourists were taking photos. (see also the top photo)

 

The shopping district near the temple was lined with many lucky cat-related shops. They sold lucky cat-shaped sweets and T-shirts with lucky cat illustrations.

 

A lucky cat statue stood in front of Odakyu Gotokuji Station.

London： Aug. 29-Sept.1, 2025

 

I visited London as my last stop of my European trip this time. I've been there many times, but I discover something new each time I visit there. This time, I was impressed with the city's recent developments, revitalization, and continued expansion of bicycle and electric vehicle use.

On August 31st, many people were enjoying a holiday afternoon in Primrose Hills in north London. Looking south from the top of the hill, I saw a row of skyscrapers. The view was completely different from when I lived in London a decade or so ago.

In the City, the financial district in the east of the city, the number of skyscrapers has begun to increase since the 2010s. In 2020, the 278-meter-tall 22 Bishopsgate building was constructed. The building known as The Gherkin (180 meters, completed in 2003), once a prominent symbol of the City, is now not easy to find among the skyscrapers developed later.

 

I looked upstream (south) along the Thames from Westminster Bridge and found the skyscrapers of Vauxhall and other areas.

 

Redevelopment is are underway in many towns in London. The barracks in St. John's Wood have been closed, and construction works to develop parks, public facilities, and housing were in progress.

 

Projects such as hotel renovations are ongoing in Bloomsbury.

I saw many stylish shops on the Brick Lane, where many Bangladeshi immigrants live.

 

Stations such as Liverpool Street Station, King's Cross Station, and Westminster Underground Station have been renovated and are now clean.

Redevelopment over the past decade reflects London's prosperity. Meanwhile, there are many news reports of regional decline in the UK. I also thought of the issues that are invisible from here, such as the disparity between London and other areas.

 

When I visited London last year for the first time in about five years, I was struck by the increase in bicycle use. This trend appears to be accelerating.

I saw numerous rental bike parking lots in various locations, including near the Bank of England in the City.

On Westminster Bridge, electric garbage collection vehicles and bicycles were traveling side by side.

 

The EU flag was rarely seen in London. The distinction between the UK and EU member states (Germany, France, and Belgium) was clear. The Financial Times building held a EU flag and was one of the few exceptions.

Many analyses suggest that Brexit has brought negative effects for the UK economy. More British believe that Brexit was a failure, according to recent opinion poll.

 

However, with the increasing trend toward cashless shopping, I, as a tourist, rarely felt the division between the EU and the UK due to currency. The exhibits at the Bank of England's Currency Museum, which I visited, also emphasized the advancement of digitalization and a cashless society.

Edinburgh: Aug 30, 2025

 

I visited Edinburgh for the first time in about 30 years. While walking through this historic town, I felt a variety of emotions, including Scottish culture, its relationship with other parts of the UK (such as England) as well as with Europe, and the impact of changes in the global situation.

 

I first visited Edinburgh Castle, which locates in the center of the city. It stands on a huge rock. Since the construction in the 6th century, it has served as the residence of Scottish kings and has been the site of many historical events. (See also the top photo)

 

Edinburgh holds an international festival every August, and a military parade called the Military Tattoo is held in the square in front of the castle. This year's event had just finished on the day of my visit, and work was underway to remove the audience seats.

 

I walked down the hill a little southward from the castle and arrives at a square called Grassmarket. It is home to elegant restaurants and shops, but it was used as an execution site in the past. When I looked up the castle from this point, I reconfirmed that the castle stood on a huge rock.

I walked the Royal Mile, which extends about 1.6 kilometers east from Edinburgh Castle.

The Royal Mile is lined with historic churches, monuments, museums, souvenir shops, restaurants, and more.

 

St. Giles' Cathedral is a famous church of Church of Scotland. It played an important role in the Protestant Reformation in Edinburgh.

A statue of Adam Smith stands in front of the church.

 

Bagpipe organ players stood at various points along the street, playing Scottish music. Many tourists gathered to listen.

 

Old telephone booths remain along the street, forming part of the scenery.

 

At the eastern end of the Royal Mile is Holyrood Palace, where the British monarch stays when visiting Scotland.

 

There is the Scottish Parliament in this area. Scotland's position within the UK has been changing throughout history. England and Scotland became a personal union under the same king in 1603, and became one country (Great Britain) in 1707 through the Act of Union. However, there have been persistent movements for independence in Scotland. (See also the 2nd photo)

A referendum on Scottish independence was held in 2014 and rejected, but about 45% of voters supported independence. In the 2016 referendum on the UK's departure from the EU, withdrawal was supported by a narrow margin nationally, but a significant majority in Scotland (62%) supported remaining in the EU. The movement for independence continues to this day.

In front of the Scottish Parliament, EU and Ukrainian flags were flying alongside British and Scottish flags. The scene reminded me of the challenges which Scotland faces: its relationship with the UK and EU, and its support for Ukraine.

There is a hill called Carlton Hill to the north of Holyrood Palace. The view of Edinburgh Castle and the city was impressive.

 

The New Town spreads in the north, across the railway tracks from the Royal Mile. It was developed after the 18th century. I found histrical buildings as well as new shops and public offices.

Paris： Aug 26-29, 2025

 

 

It visited Paris for the first time in a year and three months. Once again, I was impressed various developments in the city: numerous tourists from around the world, a rich culture, accelerating shifts to bicycles and electric vehicles, the impact of a rapidly changing world, and the unchanging lifestyles of its people.

 

Central Paris was overflowing with tourists. Even with a reservation, I had to wait in line at the entrance to the Louvre Museum.

There was a huge crowd in front of the Mona Lisa. (See also the top photo)

The number of visitors had definitely increased since my last visit in 2019.

 

The exhibits were, of course, amazing. There were so many masterpieces including the Venus de Milo, the Winged Victory of Samothrace, and Delacroix's the Liberty Leading the People. 

I was strongly impressed and almost lost track of time.

 

Many tourists also flocked to Notre Dame Cathedral, which was destroyed by fire in 2019 and reopened at the end of 2024. (See also the 2nd photo)

 

I also found many tourists shopping on the Champs-Élysées. I was reminded of Paris's ability to attract so many tourists.

 

Just like my last visit lasy year, I was impressed with the growing use of bicycles. On the Rue de Rivoli, which runs north of the Seine River, two of the three lanes are bicycle-only, leaving only one lane for cars. 

Bicycle lanes have been installed in various areas, such as the Champs-Élysées and the Gare du Nord area. The number of share bicycle has also increased.

 

Electric vehicles are becoming more popular. More than half of the tourist buses I saw were electric, and they were labeled as 100% electric.

 

With the inauguration of President Trump's second term in the U.S., environmental protection efforts are facing headwinds. However, irreversible changes are also underway in European countries, such as the spread of bicycles, the shift to electric vehicles, and the expanded use of renewable energy. I thought about this while walking around Paris.

During my stay, I did not encounter any protests related to the Ukraine war or the Middle East situation. However, at the gate in front of the National Assembly, I saw a poster calling for a release of two French nationals restrained by Iran. Iran claims the two are Israeli spies.

 

Most kiosks along the Champs-Élysées displayed an advertisement for a magazine feature on how to stop Russian President Putin's actions.

 

Perhaps due to the impact of last year's Paris Olympics, renovations seemed to be underway throughout the city. The Gare du Nord station has been more clean than before, and transportation signs are now easier to read.

 

This time, I also visited several places in the northern part of the city. Tourists and locals gathered on Montmartre Hill, home to the Sacré-Coeur Basilica. 

Painters were showing off their skills in Place du Théâtre.

 

People were enjoying the evening along the

Canal Saint-Martin near Gare de l'Est.

 

Along Boulevard Magenta near Gare du Nord, suits and other clothing stores lined the streets, creating a distinctive landscape.

 

Saint-Denis, in the northern suburbs, is famous for its basilica and stadium (Stade de France). At the same time, it is known with huge immigrant population and with many riots in the past. While visiting the basilica, I reflected on France's immigration issues (and politics).