During an October visit to Okayama, a friend stumbled upon an amazing firefly habitat inNishigawa park, a small canal with a lovely walking path cutting through the center of the city. Although now hatching below water, as the sign above shows, it was amazing to see how a city creats an urban habitat for fireflies. [...]
Posts Tagged ‘summer’
11 Oct
Removal of green curtain in Suginami
Last week, on October 7, I took a friend by the Suginami Ward office to see their giant green curtain. Unfortunately, the workers were in the final stages of removing it: sweeping up, saving the net for next year, cleaning the planter boxes (which last winter they filled with pansies), collecting the information signs.
It seemed [...]
30 Sep
2016 Olympics Decision on Friday
On Friday the Olympics committee will announce in Denmark which world city will host the 2016 summer games. It is exciting that Tokyo used sustainable urbanism as a core feature of its bid: re-using existing facilities, keeping the games within a small urban radius, and showcasing their best-in-the-world city transit system.
Still, it will be hard [...]
29 Sep
Okinawa morning glory
On our balcony, this Okinawa morning glory is just now flowering. All but one of the four Japanese morning glories have died back. The Okinawa morning glory is a vivid “crystal blue,” whereas the Japanese ones are variegated. The Okinawa flowers and leaves are larger, growth vigorous, and best of all the tag claims it [...]
20 Sep
Fall crickets in Tokyo
Last month, I posted a video with the sound of summer cicadas, of which there are four types. Several weeks later, the cicadas have been replaced by crickets, called suzu mushi (鈴虫), or little bell.
In a city that appears from up high to be covered in concrete for as far as the eye can see, [...]
23 Aug
Shinjuku Gyoen and Summer Cicadas
Summer in Shinjuku Gyoen is a wonderful escape from the crowded, hot city. The shadows seem extra dark, and the sound of the cicadas (semi, or 蝉) was loud. Click the short video below to hear the sounds of the cicadas on August 15, 2009. You can hear three of the four types of cicadas that [...]
21 Aug
Sunflowers
On a small street that connects my apartment to the station, I have noticed these tall sunflowers suddenly appear. They are growing in the tiny public space between a residential concrete block wall and the narrow street. The sunflowers occupy less space than the red JP mail box they stand over. Juxtaposed with the traffic [...]
18 Aug
U Goto Florist
U Goto Florist in Roppongi is one of Tokyo’s oldest and most luxurious flower shops. The tray above is a stunning summer arrangement of bamboo fireflies, cactus candles and sand. Founded in 1892 and owned by the third generation of the same family, U Goto prides itself on being Western-style and employs three European flower [...]
15 Aug
Obon Season
This week is Japan’s Obon festival, a Japanese Buddhist custom of honoring ancestors’ spirits. Mid-August is a time when many Japanese take vacation, some to visit their home towns and others simply to get away or take a rest. Obon is a 500 year tradition that includes offerings in home altars, special dances and lantern [...]
14 Aug
Skylight waterfall
This skylight waterfall in Roppongi’s Midtown provides a cool feeling on a hot summer day, and disguises the massive scale of the office tower above.
7 Aug
Omatsuri in Tsukishima
Last weekend Tsukishima held a lively omasturi (festival) in the summer heat and humidity. The dog above is wearing a traditional happi, a short cotton jacket with a design showing group affiliation. Old and new Japan seemed to come together as this dog’s owner participated in this ancient ritual with his “chosen” family of two [...]
3 Aug
Summer flowers: commercial street and residence
Summer flowers are a wonderful distraction almost everywhere in Tokyo. Above a residential street inJiyūgaoka. Below a flowering tree on a commercial street in Shinjuku. I don’t know the names of either plant. Does anyone know?
1 Aug
Balcony green curtain
Inspired by the Suginami Ward Office’s giant green curtain, we have started a green curtain for our south-facing balcony using bitter melon and morning glory. Above you can see the first vegetable taking shape. Below a wine-colored morning glory; other colors include white, blue and white, pink and white, and “crystal blue” from Okinawa.
With twine, [...]
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