Tokaido Walk (31)Minakuchi-Kusatsu (off Tokyo)：May 3, 2015

It is the second day of my Tokaido Walk this time. It was from Minakuchi, the 50^th shukuba Station, through Ishibe to Kusatsu. They are in Shiga Prefecture.

The atmosphere of Old Tokaido remain in many parts in the area.

Minakuchi is in Koka City. Koka is known as a name of famous Ninja school (Another famous one is Iga). Minakuchi, Tsuchiyama, Koka and other two towns merged into Koka City in 2004. 

Minakuchi Castle was built in the early Edo era. The town developed around shukuba station and the castle. The castle was destroyed in the Meiji period, but was renovated in the post war era.

I walked out of the shukuba district and found Tokaido ran straight to the west. Wide rice fields spread along the road. Pine trees were planted at the roadside. Now, the road is paved and power poles stand along the road, but the combination of long straight road and wide rice fields remain from the Edo period. 

There are many signboards of boys and girls and Ninja at the sides of the road to get attention of the drivers(2nd from the top).

I moved into Konan City, crossed the Yasu River, walked another 5 kilometers and arrived at Ishibe, the 51^st shukuba station. 




I found a big solar power generation plant along the street (top photo). I also saw other plants along Tokaido in Shiga Prefecture.

It became more urbanized as I moved forward. There are houses, agricultural fields and industrial plants along the road. The Meishin Highway, which links Osaka and Nagoya, runs near Ishibe.

I passed Ritto City before arriving in Kusatsu City. I saw Mt. Mikami or Omi Fuji over the wheat field. 

The Kusatsu River used to flow in the central part of Kusatsu CIty. It was a ceiling river (raised-bed river). It is now dried up as new artificial river was made, but the tunnels remain.

I arrived at Kusatsu shukuba, the 52nd station.

Tokaido Walk (30) Sakanoshita-Minakuchi (off Tokyo): May 2, 2015

I resumed my Tokaido walk after a year's interval. Today’s walk was from Sakanoshita in Mie Prefecture through the Suzuka Pass to Minakuchi in Shiga Prefecture.

Sakanoshita is the 48^th shukuba station from Nihonbashi, Tokyo. It locates quite near from the Suzuka Pass. It was a big shukuba station with about 160 inns in the Edo era, but it is now a small village with tens of houses and no hotels.

I found tea fields there.

There were high ways through the mountains. I also found steel towers to bring electricity on the mountains over the village.

I walked up the mountain road.

I saw cans, plastic sacs and other garbage wasted under the highway. It was shameful.

With about 30 minutes walk, I arrived at the Suzuka Pass. It is 357 meter high and is the border between Mie and Shiga Prefectures. A beautiful tea field spread in the area (top picture).

I walked down the slope. There are farmers' houses along the road. I found the fences around the rice and other farm crop fields. The purpose is to prevent monkeys and other animals from coming into the place, according to a farmer.

I found a solar panel generation system introduced at the side of the road. 

The New Hanshin Highway was built in this ten years.

I walked nearly 10 kilometers before arriving at Tsuchiyama, the 49^th shukuba station. 

Tsuchiyama preserves the old atmosphere of the town. Many housed are reconstructed in traditional style. The sukuba station town continues about 2.5 kilometers.

The tea fields are in the shukuba station. 

I found the old name of the house (e.g. Hotel Torii) displayed in the board. This type of board sign were found in many places along Tokaido in Shiga Prefecture.

I had another 10 kilometer walk and arrived at Minakuchi, the 50^th station.

Sakura-ebi shrimp drying @ Fuji River (off Tokyo): April 25, 2015

Sakura-ebi, a small shrimp of three to five centimeter, is a seasonal delicacy in Japan. It lives only in Suruga Bay in Shizuoka Prefecture and fishermen are allowed to take it a few weeks in spring and autumn respectively. The Yui port in Yui region in Shizuoka City boasts the biggest catch landing.

Some of the landed shrimps are eaten fresh. Others are frozen or dried to sell.

I visited the river field of Fuji River, where the shrimp were dried in the sun. It is, of course, possible to dry the shrimp in the machines. However, it tastes better when it is dried naturally.

The shrimp turns pink as it loses the water inside. It looks like a pink carpet when I saw it from a distance.

You can see Mt. Fuji over the shrimp when you are lucky. Today, I was not.

At Yui port, tens of fishing boats were tied up. There was an open-air restaurant of Sakura-ebi, and tens of people were making a line.

I had Sakura-ebi lunch. It tasted good.

Godzilla @ Shinjuku; April 18, 2015

It was about a week ago when Godzilla appeared in Shinjuku. I went there to see it today.

The Godzilla head is placed at about 50 meter high on a building of Toho, a cinema company that produces Godzilla movies. As Godzilla’s height is estimated about 50 meters, it is “real”.

It was at the center of Shinjuku Kabukicho. Toho’s old “Koma” theater was closed in 2008 and a new cinema-shopping complex was built. The operation started on April 16.

Huge Hotel Gracery with more than 1000 rooms was also built and will open in a few days. The Godzilla head will be seen close from some rooms.

There are many visitors, including foreign tourists, in the area. Many of them enjoyed taking pictures of Godzilla.

Kabukicho is one of the busiest and most controversial amusement spots in Tokyo. 

Shops with variety of economical goods and interesting souvenir attracts foreign visitors. 

It is also true that sex shop and other morally questionable industries prevail. Crimes and troubles are often reported.

The situation is better than years ago, when the conflicts of mobsters were often reported. Japan, not China, was the economic giant Asia at the time and Kabukicho was said to be the biggest entertainment area in Asia.

Policemen were walking around the area and the announcements, which call for the attention of visitors not to listen to the soft words of pullers-in, were made.

Spring flowers and fresh green @ Baji Park; April 12, 2015

The season of most popular cherry (somei yoshino with light pink flowers) is already over. Now, we have other spring flowers.

I visited Baji Park in Setagaya today to enjoy the spring afternoon. The blossom of yaezakira, a cherry with stronger pink flowers, was its peak. Many families were reluxing.

I saw a group of Asian people enjoying a picnic under cherry trees. The event is more and more internationalized.

Tulip, pansy and other spring flowers were also open.

Fresh green was growing on the trees. The day is becoming brighter.

Cherry Carpet @ Gotokuji Temple: April 5, 2015

The cherry blossom days are finishing. The flower started to fall silently.

I visited Gotokuji Temple in Setagaya Ward and found the ground covered with pink cherry flowers.

Flesh-green leaves appeared in many trees.

The season is turning from early spring to mid-spring.

High-school baseball @ Koshien (off Tokyo): March 29, 2015

I went to Koshien baseball stadium in Nishinomiya, near Osaka, to see a high-school baseball game and shout out for my old school. 

It was a quarterfinal game of the Spring National Baseball Tournament (official name is “The National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament”, which nobody knows) or “Senbatsu” tournament.

It was my first visit to the stadium in 41 years. The last visit was to see the Summer National Tournament. 

I found that the facilities as well as the mood of the stadium had changed a lot.

It was rainy. We watched the game in rain coats or with umbrellas. The game stopped when the rain was heavy. Ground keepers worked hard to restart the game.

There were part-time students selling beer. The sales was … terrible.

The fortune was not upon us. However, my juniors played a good game. I hope today’s game would become a good step towards summer tournament.

I had a good time. Thanks, my high school juniors.

Hanami@ walking paths, parks: March 28, 2015

Cherry blossom started a few days ago in Tokyo. I visited walking paths and parks in Setagaya Ward, western Tokyo, to enjoy the flowers.

There are hundreds of cherry trees along Kitazawagawa walking path. Many families and groups were enjoying foods, drinks and talks under the trees.

The butterflies flied and the birds sang.

The Hanegi Park was also crowded with families and other people.

Spring ＠Roka Park: March 22, 2015

We had the Spring Equinox Day this weekend. I visited Roka Park in western Tokyo to find spring scenes.

Many flowers were open. They included (early blossom) cherry, field mustard (or rapeseed), saxifrage, magnolia, violet, pansy and dandelion.

The combination of white, yellow, pink and green (saxifrage, field mustard, cherry and leaves) was impressive. (The top photo)

Japanese nightingale　(warbler)　began to sing.

People enjoyed the spring day. Some were enjoying picnic while others were jogging.  The dog-run field were crowded with various dogs and their owners.