Let's Sakura!

 

Since we're always at work until after sun down, we decided to get out early today and finally take a look at the blossoms on the trees. It was over cast, but there's something striking about sakura blossoms in the shade. They really pop against the trees, which are turned black by the weak light.

The trunk serves as a great background for the actual blossoms. 

Its 20 degrees outside, but all my pictures evoke a strange coldness. It's almost like looking at pictures of trees in the snow.

They don't look nearly as pretty as when they are in the sun. Hopefully we can get some good pictures on saturday!

Simeon's instict for striking up conversations with passing japanese led us to a lovely patch of road with a whole bunch of Sakura trees. Not really any worth while pictures of sakura, but I did record this video of an anecdote of Simeons on the theme of cheap steak.

It's still a bit early for us to be going out for some 花見　(cherry blossom viewing) as the trees arent quite in full bloom, but I'm begininng to see why the Japanese make such a big deal out of the thing.

As I've been told by the staff at the hospital, spring is a wonderful time in Japan. It's the beginning of the new year in school and at work, the trees come to life, and the weather becomes comfortable. It's short lived however, as soon the blossoms fade, the heat becomes intolerable, and work and school become routine again.

Nagoya

Arrived in Nagoya, the home of Toyota, that imperial relic sword, Miso-Katsu and now James, Simeon and me.

James and I survey the area outside of our balconies in the early afternoon sun.

The always sets just as we leave work, so this is the best I can do of the hospital grounds on a weekday.

A nice little trail I found winding around the local shrine. 

The intriguing little staircase I pass everytime I walk to the subway. Flanked by the ubiquitous vending machine(自販機 - jihanki) and its less common cousin, the tabbaco vending machine. (tobako jihanki?)

Havent bothered to get a scenic photo of the hopital or work, but heres a wacky one of the front sign. 

Japanese Subways, why are you so cool!?

Tokyo (Harajuku and Meiji-jingu)

Meiji Shrine! What a beautiful day to take a trip over to this beautiful place. As soon as you pass through the first 40 foot gate, you begin to lose track of the fact that you are in the middle of one of the most densely populated cities on the planet. 

Olivia graciously poses for a picture of her hair glowing in the sun, while I some how manage to catch Simeon looking on cynically. No more of that Simeon, you're in Japan now!

Its hard to capture the feeling of this moment with a photograph. Looking down the path into the murky  forest, a strange wind blows past, and you feel like you've been transported into the past.

 

GAP Harajuku. I can see already why the Japanese are so avant garde with their fashion.

Its hard to capture Harajuku with just a couple of photos. Try a mix between Kensington Market, P-mall, and the back streets of a Japanese venice.  Its also super croweded, but  Sarah and Chloe lead us in fearlessly.

I will say that the japanese are a very well dressed people, and their fashion sense is pleasantly avant garde. Still, some things in Harajuku might be better left in Harajuku. 

First bowl of (good) Ramen in Japan. And Chloe wanted to get a bowl of rice.

This kind of thing would probably cost 9 or 10 bucks in Toronto, but I think I paid around 500 yen for this bowl.

The ubiquitous vending machine, a guiding beacon in the night.

Crowded Tokyo Station in the late morning sun.

The "Shinkansen Boys" just before we board our Shinkansen for our placements. Godspeed Matthew. 10 hours the Hiroshima. Damn. 

Tokyo (Asakusa and Akihabara)

 

First day in Tokyo and this is the view from out hostel. You see all these sci-fi movies with their citiescapes stretching to the horizon, and you pass is off as fantasy but it's not. It's Tokyo in Real life.

最初の東京いる日、　ホステルから見ている東京だ。　サイエンスフィクションの映画の町のビルでいっぱい風景を見るときに幻想だと思うが、本当に東京だ。

Even with James' Binoculars, I simply couldn't find the horizon.  When you start to think that there are 20 more cities this size or bigger in China alone... I know that when I come back to Toronto the houses and the streets are all going to seem big, but the city is going to feel tiny. 

The gents wandering the back streets around Iidabashi Station.

飯田橋駅のとなりさまよいて男は

Japan railways: Fine and always on time.

JR: 素的な　いつも間に合います

Senso-ji glows red in the setting sun.

A boy prays for good luck, maybe on his entrance exams, amid the noise of the crowd and the setting sun.

The temple doors close at 6, so everyone lines up to pray.

First Glimpse of Akihabara! Awesome!

アキバの最初の一瞥！すごいねえ

My Movie Digest from our day.

秋葉原の店だ。Writing everywhere, the Japanese don't seem to like negative space in their stores. I dont know if it's because I can't read most of it, but every Japanese store I've been into assaults my senses with colour and text. Its a strange juxtaposition against the peacefulness of the temples we've been to so far.

The gents checking out a computer shop  or something. 

パソコン店を見ているイギリス人だ。

Tokyo at night: Breathtaking.

夕方の東京。すごい

It makes me wish I was living in Tokyo so I'd have an endless city to explore.

En route - 途中

The sun rises as we prepare to leave for LA.
ロサンゼルス市に向かって出しながら、 太陽が差し上ます。



The sky is so blue up at 30000 feet.
３００００フェートにわ　空がちょう青いねえ。



I wasn't expecting to see such an unusual vending machine so early in my journey.
そんな変な自動販売機を見つけることが期待しなかった。

Olivia and I found a convinient place to rest, and take pictures of our new ride.
オリビアと私はあの新しい飛行機の写真を取るために便利な所を見つけた。

最後の日本料理はシンガポア航空会社にもらった。一番美味しかった飛行機食品だった。
Our first japanese meal courtesy of Singapore Airlines. It was hands down, the best plane food i've ever eaten.