Nakasendo Walk (27) Unuma(52/69)-Kano(53/69) (off Tokyo): May 3, 2018

The Golden Week holidays started. I resumed my Nakasendo Walk. The starting point was between Ota, the 51th shukuba station from Nihonbashi, and Unuma, the 52th station.

Leaving Kiso River, Nakasendo goes into a hill covered with forest. It is called Unuma-no-mori forest. The walkway continues through the Utoh Pass. It is only 140 meters high. (See also the top photo)

The leaves were fresh green and the air was beautiful there.

There is a park near the peak of the hill. They have a public library in the park. “Library in the forest” is the facility’s name. I found kids enjoying their times in the playrooms.

I moved for Unuma shukuba station. I enjoyed a view of the town from the hill. 

The original buildings of Unuma were completely destroyed by the 1891 Mino–Owari earthquake, but they were later rebuilt.

The monuments of Matsuo Basho, a famous haiku poet in the Edo era, stand along the street.

Unuma locates in the eastern part of Kakamigahara City. There is air base of Self Defence Force in the city.

They also have the factories of defense and aerospace industries there. Kawasaki Heavy Industries is one of such companies.

A rest area was placed in Shin-Kano between Unuma and Kano, the 53th shukuba station. People worshipped frogs in the area as they brought good fortunes. The flog sculptures are placed there.

There spread poor fields in the old days in the area. Bamboo was one of the plants which covered the areas. They still have bamboo fields there.

It was the season of bamboo shoots (See the third photo from the top)

I walked into Gifu City, the capital of Gifu Prefecture. There are houses and fields along Nakasendo here.

I arrived Kano station in the central part of Gufu City. It was about 17 kilometers from Unuma to Gifu. I found tall apartment buildings there.

Azalea Festival @ Nezu Shrine: April 22, 2018

Where is the best place to see azalea blooming in Tokyo? Nezu Shrine in Bunkyo ward is probably one of the places to be answered.

I visited the shrine.

There are about 3000 azalea shrubs in the shrine. They include about 100 kinds of azalea.

The flowers are pink, red, white, orange, yellow, purple and many others.

There were many visitors, including foreign tourists, there.

The azalea garden was first developed about 300 years ago in the Edo era.

The flowers opened earlier this year than usual because of warm spring. What I enjoyed today were late-open flowers. Early-open flowers were already over.

Azalea and fresh green : April 21, 2018

We have warm spring days this year in Tokyo. The temperature sometimes went up to more than 25 degrees.

Leaves grow faster than usual. Some flowers started to open earlier.

I confirmed the circumstances while I was walking in Setagaya ward.

The leaves of tulip trees are growing day by day.

Ume (Japanese apricot) and cherry trees are now coved with fresh green leaves.

We have cherry blossom about a month ago in the end of March (earlier than usual). Now, we have azalea blossom in many part of Tokyo
.

I enjoyed various types of azalea flowers in Hanegi park.

I also found azalea trees in the walking paths.

The season is turning to early summer.

Cherry blossom @Kitazawagawa footpath: March 24, 2018

Tokyo declared full open of its cherry trees today.

It is 10 days earlier than usual.

I walked around some places in Setagaya ward including Kitazawagawa footpath and  Hanegi Park  to enjoy cherry blossom.

There were many people there. People　enjoyed drinkng and eating in the Hanegi park.

The creek of Kitazawagawa footpath was covered with fresh green.

Pussy willow was also open.

They had the Vernal Equinox Day two days ago (on March 21)

It is spring.

Rapeseed flower @ Hama-rikyu Gardens: March 11, 2018

Rapeseed flower is seen as one of the symbols of spring in Japan.

It has been described in various poems and novels. Old painters drew the yellow flower. Songs covered them.

I visited Hama-rikyu Gardens to see the flower.

There spread a yellow field of rapeseed flower in the garden. I saw skyscrapers stood behind it. (See als the top photo)

Many visitors enjoyed the season.

There are ume (Japanese apricot) trees outside of the rapeseed field. fUme flowered remained.

The Gardens were originally built by one of the Tokugawa Shogun families in the 17^th century.

The pond is filled with the sea water. I found many water birds.

The surrounding areas were re-developed in the last 30 years.

Ume Blossom＠Hanegi Park: March 3-10, 2018

Beginning in late January, the ume (Japanese apricot) blossom continues through March in Tokyo.

I made several visits to Hanegi Park in Setagaya Ward.

Many people – men and women, the young and the old, Japanese and foreigners – enjoyed red and white flowers.

Dogs were also enjoying their times.

The sunshine is getting brighter. The season is turning to spring.

Life and economy in India (off off Tokyo): Feb. 16-20, 2018

I visited India for the first time in 20 years. There are so many and big changes during the period. There also remain many things unchanged.

Most roads were ultra crowded in Old Delhi. I saw countless people there.

The roads were full of passengers, cars, three-wheel auto-rickshaws in yellow and green, cycle-rickshaws, bikes and dogs. Cows, horses and elephants sometimes joined. (See also the top and 2nd photos)

People as well as dogs were sleeping everywhere. It was not only at the sides of the roads, but also at the intersections.

Chandoni Chowk is a main commercial street of Old Delhi.

It starts from the Lal Qila (Red Fort) toward the west.

Thousands of shops are open along the street.

I saw the scene of Old Delhi from the top of Jama Masjid's tower.

The towns are massive, crowded, full of histories and gods and noisy.

There are many public toilets in the towns. The government says that improvement of toilet is one of essential challenges for people's better lives. I recognized it was correct.

The main bazar street near the New Delhi railway station was also crowded. (See also the top photo. It was taken here)

The situation in New Delhi, south of Old Delhi, is somewhat different. There are many messy places there, but there are also modern places.

The roads are wider in many places. There are many big buildings.

They have a wide road which connect the Indian gate and the President office. There is no congestion there, I found.

I saw people enjoying their times in the parks in New Delhi. Young couples as well as families enjoyed their holidays in a park in Connaught Place. Many women wore jeans and other modern clothes rather than traditional sari. I felt a rise of middle class from the scene.

I also saw people relaxing on the lawn between the Indian Gate and the presidential office. (See the 3rd photo from the top)

Gurgaon is a city which lies 30 kilometers southwest of Delhi. The city has developed as a new business and residential areas in the last two decades.

There are many big business buildings as well as residential apartments. There also run modern mass rapid transport systems.

Still, animals walk along such modern facilities. I saw camels walking under the MRT with cars and rikishaws.

Delhi's metro is modern and functional. The trains have electrical outlets inside. Many people were charging their smart phone batteries.

The airport line, which connects Indira Gandhi International airport and the city center, was comfortable.

The highways are also rapidly developing. I found big jams in the highways in and around Delhi.

The road was almost empty when I moved between Delhi and Agra on Sunday. The highway is huge.  

Agra, the city of Taji Mahal, lies about 250 km southeast of Delhi and is estimated to have more than 2 million people. There remain more old aspects there than in Delhi.

I found cows living with people even in the center of the city.

I also saw many open-air stalls along dusty roads.

I only visited Delhi and surrounding areas. The situations in other parts are surely to be quite different.

I felt just a little bit of India’s diversity and changes.