japan
Jalala Cat Café in Akihabara
Last week, I went to the Jalala Cat Café in Akihabara. It is one of many places in Japan where you can pay to spend time with cats, petting them, playing with them or even feeding them. This particular cat café has about a dozen cats of different breeds, all roaming around freely or napping. Very relaxing!
The Great Buddha of Mount Nokogiri
Last week, I went on a day trip to Mount Nokogiri (Nogiriyama). It is a small mountain (329m) on the south of the Boso Pensinsula in Chiba Prefecture. It hosts the Buddhist Nihon-ji temple, famous for its 31m stone-carved Daibutsu (Great Buddha), as well as a 100-foot Kannon relief image and 1500 hand-carved arhat sculptures. There are also observatories with a great view of the surrounding mountains and Tokyo Bay (although the heat made the scenery a bit hazy).
Tsukiji Honganji Bon Dance Festival
Mid-summer is the season for obon, the traditional Japanese festival of the dead. It is the occasion of festivals featuring taiko drumming and group dancing. The dancing takes place in a circle, with predefined moves depending on the songs. Here are some photos of the Tsukiji Honganji Bon Dance Festival held at the Tsukiji Honganji Temple in Tokyo.
Kamakura & Enoshima
Last week, I went on a day trip to Kamakura and Enoshima, in the Kanagawa prefecture, not far from Tokyo.
Tsukemen at Kikanbou in Kanda
Yesterday, I went to the Kikanbou tsukemen restaurant in Kanda. Kikanbou’s specialty is the so-called kara-shibi miso ramen and tsukemen: It is possible to choose from 5 different levels of spice in the soup, for both kara (the regular heat) and shibi (numbing pepper, that delays the sensation of heat). The photo above and below has the 4th level for each spice. It is pretty hot!
Yokohama
Last Saturday, I went to Yokohama, a port city 30min south of central Tokyo.
Above, the Landmark Tower, the 3rd tallest building in Japan.