In Japan, if you want donuts, you go to Mister Donut (or Krispy Kreme). It’s the most popular donut shop in Japan. They’re everywhere! I find that they’re not as sweet as North American donuts, but they’re still good. And right now, until September 30th, they have a half off sale! I haven’t bought any, though. When they have sales, the lineups are usually quite long.
This is a pretty short line, but I’ve seen it a lot busier here.
That’s right, everyone. I’ve done it. I’ve gone and made a website/blog dedicated to me! No, actually, it’s a website dedicated to my writing. It’s important to keep all that information in one place, so I made the website today. It doesn’t have much yet, but it outlines the books and short stories I plan to publish independently in the future. So, please go on over and check it out!
Any comments or questions? Please leave them here.
Filed under Blog Announcements, Writing
I live in a medium sized city, Fujisawa. It’s actually a very busy city, as it has an incredibly popular beach and sightseeing spot, Enoshima. The central business district of Fujisawa has the third largest number of corporate offices in Kanagawa. However, there are areas that are more rural. I live near a rural area with a lot of farms and trees. But in my neighbourhood, which is fairly urban, it’s possible to find small and large vegetable gardens next to apartment buildings. This picture is an example of such a vegetable garden.
This vegetable garden is quite large, with apartment buildings on two sides.
Filed under Fujisawa, Japan, Kanagawa, Picture of the Week
Mt. Fuji is the symbol of Japan. It is so recognizable, and is an example of a nearly perfectly shaped stratovolcano. At 3776 metres tall, it is the tallest mountain in Japan. I’ve been to the top and peered down into the summit crater. Very exhilarating! Today, I took this picture shortly after sunset, and you can see the peaceful cone of the volcano on the left. Or is it peaceful? It seems that recent measurements have shown that the pressure in the magma chamber is 16 times the minimum amount for an eruption. But it doesn’t mean that an eruption will happen soon. Other factors are involved for an eruption. So for now, enjoy the view!
Mt. Fuji is always an amazing sight to see and photograph. When it’s clear, I’m lucky to be able to see it from work, on the train, and at the park near my apartment. The Tanzawa Mountains are in the foreground.
Sometimes taking a different route home can provide a wonderful reward. In fact, when my wife and I went home after shopping, we discovered 3 things: a cheap, but very good cake shop, a Chinese restaurant that has some very good food, and a shrine I never knew existed. They were all within steps of the main road that we’ve often used. This shrine surprised me because of how brightly coloured it was. It’s very small, and it seems to be connected to a family that owns several large houses in the neighbourhood. I previously posted a picture of the guardian fox of this shrine, which is an Inari shrine. Exploring sure does provide some wonderful surprises.
The entrance to the shrine. Inari shrines are known for their red torii (gates).
The name of the shrine (can anyone read this?).
Red gate, white and red shrine with a green roof. Very bright!
The shrine itself.
The guardian fox I previously posted.
A close-up of the roof corner’s details.
The main doors of the shrine.
We’ll be doing more exploring as the weather gets a bit cooler. It’s still hot these days, but October and after should be great for taking pictures.
One image people have of Japan and Asia is bicycles, lots of them. It is true that there are a lot of bicycles in Japan. However, it’s nothing like the pictures you may see of other Asian countries. Here, a popular kind of bicycle is called the Mamachari. It’s a rather ugly, old-fashioned bicycle that is used more for transportation than for fun. It’s heavy looking, and it has noisy brakes. They look like they’ve come straight out of the 1970s. But everyone uses them. This picture was taken outside a bicycle store, and as you can see, lots of unattractive bicycles.
Racks filled with bicycles in front of a store.
Filed under Fujisawa, Japan, Kanagawa, Picture of the Week
