The hot new trend of holiday illuminations in Tokyo has spread to the gardens and parks, with more and more lighting up their naturally spectacular autumn leaves and opening for special evening viewing! Here are my current favorites: • SHOWA KINEN PARK near Tachikawa Station There are two areas lit up at night: 1: TheContinueContinue reading “Where To See The Best Autumn Leaves In Tokyo…Lit Up At Night!”
Tag Archives: autumn in Japan
The Most Beautiful Autumn Leaves In Japan
Last fall on this exact day, I was ogling some of the most gorgeous autumn leaves in Japan, and I’ve been WAITING for the season to roll around again, so I can show you! All these places are within shouting distance of Tokyo, but while the leaves are still maddeningly green in the city, they’reContinueContinue reading “The Most Beautiful Autumn Leaves In Japan”
This Year’s Burning October Question: What’s The Peeing Statue Wearing For Halloween?
I had to go check to make sure that the best-dressed nude statue in Tokyo made it through the typhoon safely. And he did! Not only that, he already knows what he’s going to be for Halloween. But…huh? Retro-70s disco witch? As you can see, “witch” costumes in Japan are subject to the same considerable creativeContinueContinue reading “This Year’s Burning October Question: What’s The Peeing Statue Wearing For Halloween?”
Giant Paper Lanterns On Wheels
Usually you’d have to hie yourself all the way up to rural Aomori* to catch a glimpse of these epic glowing floats, but lucky for me, last fall I happened across an outpost of the Nebuta Festival right in my own backyard! For some mysterious reason, six of the outrageously great floats were swanning down the shopping street near NakanobuContinueContinue reading “Giant Paper Lanterns On Wheels”
Gateway To Chrysanthemum Bliss?
Okay, what do you think THIS floral designer got in trouble for drawing in the margins of his schoolbooks…? If I’d come in through this portal, I might never have made it to the annual Shinjuku National Garden chrysanthemum displays, because I’d have died laughing, so it’s a good thing I entered from the otherContinueContinue reading “Gateway To Chrysanthemum Bliss?”
Chrysanthemums Like You’ve Never Seen Before
This year’s living bonsai figures at the Yushima Shrine The fall leaves aren’t winning any awards this year in Tokyo, so thank whatever gods are in charge of making autumn insta-worthy that there are still chrysanthemums! Yes, it’s time once again for your socks to be knocked right off, with… …bonsai chrysanthemums that look likeContinueContinue reading “Chrysanthemums Like You’ve Never Seen Before”
A Feast Of Autumn Leaves
Showa Kinen Park, November 8, 2017 The season has arrived, and in somewhat strange order this year. The ginkgo trees are full-on gold and already carpeting their surroundings with fallen leaves, but most Japanese maples are still just showing a mere tinge of red. Here’s what’s happening right now, and here are the best placesContinueContinue reading “A Feast Of Autumn Leaves”
The Magical Red Forest
If it happens to be raining when you are invited to walk through a magical forest carpeted with five million blooming amaryllis, do not say no. Because this. If you’re in Tokyo at the end of September and would like to see the higanbana in bloom, get thee on the train to Koma Station (it takes aboutContinueContinue reading “The Magical Red Forest”
Where To See The Best Fall Leaves In Tokyo
I hope you’re all rested up from our cherry blossom death march last spring, because it’s time to strap on your camera and a couple of extra batteries to hunt down the best autumn leaves in Tokyo! Here are my picks, from momiji season through ginkgo: Arranged from earliest to latest: SHOWA KINEN PARK There areContinueContinue reading “Where To See The Best Fall Leaves In Tokyo”
Fall Is When The Vending Machines Change Colors In Japan
Blue tags are cold drinks, hot ones are orange Here, you don’t need to go out and commune with nature to know when autumn has arrived – all you have to do is check your corner vending machine to see how many of the cold tea offerings have switched over to hot tea. •
Where To See The Best Chrysanthemums In Tokyo
These eye-popping exhibitions will change your opinion of those humble fall flowers forever! Here’s where to see the best chrysanthemums in Tokyo: • JINDAI BOTANICAL GARDEN It’s worth the trip out to Chofu, just to see the cartload of fox tails But they also have the full complement of pagodas, Elvis pompadours, perfect specimens of manyContinueContinue reading “Where To See The Best Chrysanthemums In Tokyo”
Halloween Costumes I Would Regret
Just because it’s Halloween doesn’t mean you get a free pass in the career-killing costume department. Photos of you wearing any of these are pretty sure to digitally haunt you for the rest of your life. Because all Men Pirates wear plunging v-neck purple vests. And eyeliner. The Scary Doctor, complete with DIY blood. The Splatter Nurse.ContinueContinue reading “Halloween Costumes I Would Regret”
Festival Of 10,000 Lanterns
Every once in a while, Japan so wildly exceeds expectations, it’s hard to put it into words, so I’ll just show you pictures of last night’s Oeshiki Ikegami festival instead. Strong men twirling pikes announcing the names of their temples danced through the streets ahead of their lanterns. Every lantern was different. This one was fantastically decoratedContinueContinue reading “Festival Of 10,000 Lanterns”
Up To My Knees In A Vermilion Sea
As you may have guessed by now, in Japan no flower is safe from being planted together en masse, in order to deliver total sensory overload at the appointed moment. It’s no surprise that cherry blossoms, wisteria and azaleas all vie to attract record crowds as they burst into bloom, but who knew that lesser-known denizens have their ownContinueContinue reading “Up To My Knees In A Vermilion Sea”
Slaves Of Chrysanthemums
Chrysanthemum growers, You are the slaves Of chrysanthemums. I must admit I didn’t fully understand Basho’s haiku until I saw these astonishing examples of chrysanthemum husbandry at the Yushima Tenjin Shrine last weekend… Yes, this is ONE plant! This style always makes me think of the Yoyogi Park rockabillies’ hair! All the specimens have to bloomContinueContinue reading “Slaves Of Chrysanthemums”
The Leaves Are Nice, But It’s All About The Sticky Rice Balls
Yeah, yeah, I know – leaves glowing in autumnal splendor, fall evening clear and crisp, moon shining bright, pond like a mirror, and the photos are sure to wow the folks back home. But let’s go bottom line: it’s really all about the miso dango. I’ve waited ALL YEAR for the Rikugi-en garden in Komagome toContinueContinue reading “The Leaves Are Nice, But It’s All About The Sticky Rice Balls”
Little Blobs of Heaven on a Stick
On the last night that the fall leaves were illuminated at Rikugi-en, we stumbled across the mitarashi dango stand. In a little hut beneath the maple trees, this man and his wife were dishing up skewers of rice cakes, roasted over charcoal and slathered with miso sauce. Sometimes mitarashi dango – the traditional balls madeContinueContinue reading “Little Blobs of Heaven on a Stick”
Only In Japan 