16:18 Nerima City

Shakuji Park

No filters What a sky Iitabashi, Tokyo

Storefront

Kabukicho Benzaiten autumn festival At: 35°41'40.0"N 139°42'08.6"E

7:16 Shinjuku

Mt. Fuji in the distance

TokyoScope News: #Japan’s legendary actress #MeikoKaji reflects on 60 years in cinema, saying her killer roles made men too scared to approach her. “That is why I am still single.” Full story: www.tokyoscope.blog/p/meiko-kaji...

Organization

Graceful fisher

This Jizō statue stood on the banks of Lake Ashi in Hakone for 150 years when Felice Beato took this photo in the 1860s. Within a decade, the lakeside statue would be vandalized, sold, and removed in the aftermath of the Buddhist persecution during the early Meiji era. 🧵 🗃️ 📜 #Japan

Birds of a different feather at Shinobazu Pond in Ueno 35°42'40.8"N 139°46'10.4"E

Saw one or two Series C ¥1000 notes in the ’90s, already rare then (in circulation 1963–1986, now fetching high prices on eBay). C featured Japan's first prime minister, Ito Hirobumi, who Natsume Soseki mocked in his novel I Am a Cat. Soseki replaced him on the Series D note (1984–2007).

Spotted a striated heron (ササゴイ) along the Shirako River in Tokyo this morning. My first! May be becoming something of an ornithophile 🦉

My dog’s look when I say let’s go for a walk and there’s a typhoon 👀

At Shinobazu Pond, Ueno 35°42'36.3"N 139°46'19.9"E

Koenji Awa Odori festival

Just crossed paths with a crab about the size of my foot. Never seen this before in Tokyo. Mitten crab (mokuzukani)?

At Fukagawa Fudodo for today’s festival, Tokyo (35.67254° N, 139.79806° E)

I worked in the middle one in the 90s, Nishi-Shinjuku

The neighborhood’s dancing at the shrine tonight. Yoko Oginome’s ‘Dancing Hero’ (1985) blasting.

Summer night

Woke at 4:30 to the ミーンミンミンミンミンミー (miiin, minminminminmiiiiiiiiii) of cicadas. Rainy season’s over.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘠𝘢𝘬𝘶𝘻𝘢 (1974) starring Robert Mitchum and Ken Takakura. Takakura walks through Koma Geki Mae, now Cine City Square, in Kabukicho, Shinjuku 🎥 The place has changed (Toyoko kids, tourists, and touts) but some things appear the same.

(1/4) Hideko Takamine eating long noodles in Mikio Naruse’s 𝘓𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨, filmed in July 1952 🎥

Land for sale with oddities

At the side of the road at 35.74155° N, 139.70668° E

You could 🍳 on those tracks! 😎 in Daizawa, Tokyo at 35.66060° N, 139.67284° E

Started a Starter Pack of accounts with information about Japan, will add to it later

Fishing

I have yet to find a more tranquil spot in this city at: 35.701193,139.576258

Not sure what the ⭕️ here means. Small shrine near Kichijoji at: 35.699468,139.595769

Rainy season

But why the fish? 🐠 🐟

Spotted a night heron this morning. Have only seen one of these in Tokyo before. At: 35.73773° N, 139.59812° E

Bird Boats 🐦 at: 35.69953° N, 139.57734° E

Green and blue at Shinjuku Gyoen

(1/3) Watched The Emperor's Naked Army Marches On, a 1987 doc by Kazuo Hara. Follows Kenzo Okuzaki, veteran of Japan’s WWII New Guinea campaign, who confronts former officers to uncover the truth behind two soldiers’ executions, perhaps for cannibalism of either "white meat" or "dark meat"...

At Tokyo Tower

Muscovy duck at Hinokicho Pond, Roppongi At: 35.66672° N, 139.73273° E

Found Tokyo’s best popcorn machine. Joined the tourists other night in Shinjuku where the Robo Restaurant used to be. Kitsch, camp, staff Filipino, Nigerian (lovely, accommodating to slightly nefarious needs), with Colombian archaeologist who also loved Bourdain, an eye feast not to be forgot……

Found the Saigo Takamori statue in Ueno today, catching rays. First time to see it after a long time. Watched There Was A Father (1942), Ozu’s film and thought of the orphans that’d gather there and smoke and wait for dead or missing parents. But a lovely day today though

Pack of Akita at Family Mart

Grey heron (アオサギ, Aosagi) in Hikarigaoka Park Ornamental Pond, part of the bird sanctuary in Hikarigaoka Park, Tokyo At: 35°45'53.1"N 139°37'45.2"E

Snakes are out 𓆙 The aodaisho (Japanese rat snake, or blue general) weave through my fence, always heading in the same direction 𓆙 Some days four or five of them, from half a meter to two meters long (up to 6.6 feet), plus another, colorful species, though rarely 𓆙

Paws on blossoms, Tanuki out for morning stroll