japan
Peony Festival at Ueno Toshogu Shrine
A peony festival is currently taking place at the peony garden of the Toshogu Shrine in Ueno, until mid-May.
Octopus cracker in Enoshima
Takosenbei (たこせんべい), with real bits of octopus. I bought it freshly made from a stand near the Samuel Cocking Garden on Enoshima. There are also packaged biscuits for sale at most souvenir shops on the island.
Wisteria Festival at Kameido Tenjin Shrine
A wisteria festival (藤まつり; fuji matsuri) is currently taking place at the Kameido Tenjin shrine (亀戸天神), in eastern Tokyo, and will last until early May. I was there a couple of days ago: Purple wisteria flowers were dangling from trellises surrounding the pond, which was crawling with turtles.
Yanagimori Shrine near Akibahara
Yanagimori Shrine is a shinto shrine located across the Kanda River from Akibahara. It is dedicated to the tanuki (Japanese racoon dog), often pictured with enormous testicles.
Walk along the Tama River
After Todoroki Valley, I continued walking south until I reached the Tama River (多摩川). It is the same river that passes through Okutama and Ome. I then followed it until Tamagawadai Park, famous for its hydrangea (which bloom in early summer).
Todoroki Valley / Todoroki Fudo Temple
Todoroki Valley is a park in Setagaya City, Tokyo. It features a pedestrian path in a forested ravine along a river. The Todoroki Fudo Temple is at the southern end of the park.
Gotoku-ji Temple in Setagaya
Gotoku-ji is a buddhist temple in Setagaya City, Tokyo. Its claim to fame is that this is supposedly where the maneki neko dolls (beckoning cat) were first used, as an offering by worshipers to show their gratitude when their wishes became true.
Bunkyo Azalea Festival at Nezu Shrine
The Bunkyo Azalea Festival is currently taking place at Nezu Shrine. Its garden contains more than 3,000 azalea plants.