Christmas Boot

Some Christmas stockings are sold in Japan. These Christmas boots are more common. They are filled with candy and cookies. They are usually packaged with an animation character on them. I saw one with rhinoceros beetles on it. I'll try to get a picture of it. These boots are given as gifts to children.

We bought this one for our friend who is in the hospital over the holidays. It is really small. It has a character on it called Shinkansen, the name of the Japanese trains that go really fast. Our friend came to Tokyo on a shinkansen.

P.S. The beetle boots were sold out when I went back.

Omiage from Okinawa

Papa went to Okinawa on a business trip. He brought back healthy salt (left) and healthy tea (right). People in Okinawa have long lives. Many people think there are healthy things to eat and drink there. They take them home as gifts.

This is candy. Maybe it is not so healthy, but it's good. It's made from a small citrus fruit called shikwasa (she-kwa-sa). It tastes like a combination of lemon and orange. This flavor of Hi-chew candy is not found in Tokyo, so if Papa goes to Okinawa he brings it back as our omiage or souvenir.

For Aunt Ruby

Yuzu in the Bath

For the winter solstice, yuzu is put in the bath. You just take them out of the mesh bag, wash them, and toss them in. The whole yuzu float around as you take a bath. Yuzu is very fragrant. No squeezing or peeling is necessary.

It is sold at the grocery store in the fruit and vegetable section. I found this net of yuzu and a paper of explanation at our grocery store. It is the first time I have seen a paper like this. It mentions that yuzu was believed to get rid of bad energy. Yuzu is supposed to be good for the skin, too. The paper also mentions eating kobocha on this day, too. We eat it throughout the year, but it is a custom to eat it on the winter solstice. I'll post about kobocha later.

By the way, I put a mikan in the picture to show you the size of the yuzu. They are both smaller than an orange.

Konnyaku Chips

Big Sister bought this as a snack. It's a dried cube of konnyaku.

The package says it is a dietary fiber, healthy and low calorie. The package says it is a chip. She said it was good. She left one for me to photograph.

Family on a Bike

Distances are great here. It takes 20 minutes on foot to get to our station. Some people have a longer walk. This mother chooses to ride a bike with her two children.

City Cabbage

Ornamental cabbage in someone's garden. These are for decoration. If you click on the picture you can see a pump next to the house.

This is a field of cabbage in our neighborhood. It is near the train station. Some of these will be sold at a vegetable stand. Most will be sold to shops.

School Payment Envelop

Little Brother brought his money envelop home. We had to pay for the recent school trip. They went to a newspaper company and to a museum last week. I think this is interesting.

At the beginning of the school year we had to punch a hole in the corner of the envelop. Then we threaded a rubber band with a paper clip on it through the hole. The clip secures the envelop so the money doesn't fall out on its way to school.

The month and date are put in the small box on the left that has a slash. Then a description is written in the next box. Then the amount. When the teacher receives the envelop and money, she uses her name stamp to stamp the last box on the right. She keeps record of the students' payments in her record book. She keeps the envelops. She sends them home a few days before a payment is due.

Tokyo Station

Tokyo station is the old red brick building down the street. It is one of the busiest stations in Tokyo. There is now a lot of construction around it.

Golden gingko leaves.

Near the Palace

These pictures were taken from the car. There are still gingko trees with leaves on them. There are many leaves on the ground, too. I love how the city leaves them blowing around on the ground for all of us to enjoy. Click on the label below to see more pictures of trees.

There are wide open spaces in some parts of the city.

This is a closer look at the buildings in the picture above. Two big buildings are being built. That is a big red crane on top of that building in the back. The building in the front on the right is under construction. If you click on the picture, you can see cranes on the top of it, too.

Toranomon Tokyo

This is the flag in front of the American Embassy in Tokyo. I took this picture as we passed by in the car. The flag looked like it was waving at us.

Another scene from the car. More gingko trees.

A delivery motorcycle. And even more gingko trees.

There is a little wooden cart on the street. It looks like a food vendor. The vendor probably opens in the evening when there is a rush of people.

Japanese Fast Food

I was shopping and getting too tired to cook dinner, so I bought these in the basement of a department store. These are takoyaki, octopus puffs. That's bonito flakes sprinkled on top. We were given a sauce to put on them. See the post "Fish Flakes". Vendors also sell takoyaki on the street.

This is one kind of okowa. The saleswoman dished it into this plastic box and wrapped a piece of paper around it. This okawa is rice with bamboo, mushrooms, carrots, burdock and konnyaku. Oh, I forgot to take a picture of the konnyaku, but I've included a link here. It's the little dark squares in the picture above. Actually the squares are gray with flecks of black.

Drying Daikon

I was walking along. I saw this rack of daikon drying, so I started walking toward it. A woman met me smiling. I realized I was walking up a private lane. I asked for a picture. She said it was okay but she wanted to see it!

I had the wrong lens on the camera, but I felt I had to take it fast. She was busy, and I didn't want to waste her time. So here are the pictures. She approved of them. I would have liked more background in them. The house in the background is not her house. It's not her laundry.

Hachiko at Christmas

This is the famous statue of Hachiko outside Shibuya station in Tokyo. You may have read an article or book about him. There is a picture book in English named Hachiko. Pamela S. Turner wrote it. There is also a book for older readers by Leslea Newman called Hachiko Waits. I have not read them yet. It is difficult to find English books here. I read about the authors. They both did a lot of research about Hachiko, so I am sure they are good books.

This is the name plate on the statue. It says "Loyal Dog, Hachiko". "Chuu ken Hachiko". Hachiko waited at this station for his master every day even after his master had died.

Today there were red carnations on Hachiko's statue.

This is a utility cover on the ground. It is to the right of the statue. There is probably a water or gas pipe here. It is too small to be a manhole cover.

There are many cherry (sakura) blossom designs on the ground around the plaza where the statue stands.

These Christmas trees were to the left of the statue. They are near the intersection.

The entrance and exit was named after Hachiko. Many people come here to see the statue. Many people who meet their friends wait for them near the statue. It is a waiting and meeting place.

The sign is in English, Japanese, and Korean. Note the long mark over the "o" in English. Korean is the script under the English word "Entrance".

Live Christmas Trees

Many flower shops have a real live Christmas tree as a decoration. There are many live Christmas trees outside other shops and buildings, too. This one is outside the Tokyo Women's Center in Shibuya.

This one is outside a cake shop.

This one is outside a church. It just has lights on it.

The Disney Store, a Mac Ad, and a Bear in Shibuya

This is the Disney Store in Shibuya, Tokyo. I didn't go in.

Have you seen this ad in your country? I didn't go in here, either.

Santa Bear was eating honey. His arm went up and down. He was sitting outside a dress shop.

House Roof

I have wanted to take a picture of a new style roof. I saw this big crow sitting on this roof, so I snapped the picture. The bird flew off. It turned out okay, don't you think?

This roof is a good example of the new style. Shingles were used. Do you know what those things sticking up are? They are pieces of metal to hold snow on the roof. Snow slides off the roof anyway.

Here is an example of an old style roof. These tiles look like they are made out of cement. See, there's another part of the roof that is made out of corrugated tin.

See how the tiles fit together?

See the blue part? That is the roof of a new addition to this house. They added a room later and used a new kind of tile. The newer tiles are lightweight. Most new houses now have shingles. I haven't seen any traditional style Japanese houses being built in our neighborhood. I'll add a picture of a house with tiles later.

Details of a Neighborhood Restaurant

This is the lock to the front door.

Detail of the front door.

The edge of the roof.

This is a common symbol. Houses sometimes had the family's crest here.

A detail of the front wall.

The metal light on the wall. The name of the shop is in kanji .