この自然の肌触りは簡単にはまねできません。伊豆で。
Flakey bark in a wet climate ages with moss. In Izu.
A natural texture unlikely to be replicated
Izu
Simple materials create rustic shrine in the mountains
A shortcut to the hilltop shrine avoided these steep stairs
At the top of the stairs is a simple Shinto shrine in the forest.
近道をして、この丘の上の神社にお参りしました。この急な階段は登りませんでした。伊豆で。
Against the moss wall, the trees cast shadows, and the orange lollipop mirror guides drivers.
苔の壁に、木々が影を落として、オレンジ色のカーブミラーが運転する人に注意しています。伊豆で。
I love this mix of nature and human effort. Against the moss wall, the trees cast shadows, and the orange lollipop mirror guides drivers. In Izu.
Has a UFO landed in this small rural town outside Tokyo?
山中の街のこの街灯は、UFOみたいですね。ビンテージの街灯と悪名高き東電のロゴが一緒で不思議な感じです。
On a quick trip outside of Tokyo, I was struck by this UFO street light that seems vintage 70s. I love how old things in Japan remain in active service. It’s also strange to see the retro light fixture so close to the infamous Tepco logo (the power company responsible for the on-going Fukushima nuclear disaster).
Camphor tree gets mossy in Izu, and stands tall in central Tokyo
最近、クスノキという巨大な木について知りました。中伊豆で見たものは、幹に苔がいっぱい生えていました。東京のオフィス・タワーの前にも、もっと乾燥したクスノキを見つけました。とても素敵だと思います。
I recently noticed this giant evergreen tree called camphor (or kusunoki in Japanese). A single, well cared for tree can easily become a local landmark. The above tree is in a mountaineous area of Izu. Below in front of a glass and metal tower in Shiba, across from Tokyo Tower.
Which hydrangea do you like best? I love all types.
６月の梅雨で、一番きれいな花はアジサイでしょうか。色と種類が多いですが、僕は全部、大好きです。最近、伊豆の小さな田んぼのよこで、アジサイが咲いていたのを見ました。
I love all types of hydrangea. They are always so oversized, and particularly well suited to Japan’s rainy season. I like the elegant ones that bloom more sparingly, and also the giant pom pom types that come in so many different shades. Recently we saw hydrangea planted on the border of small rice fields in Izu.
This small ship that goes to Tokyo city’s outer islands, including Oshima and Ogasawara
さるびあ丸という船は、東京の浜松町から小笠原島に行きます。２５時間もかかる旅行ですが、行きたいです。
I like this night view of the Salvia Maru (さるびあ丸) ship that goes from Tokyo to the distant islands administered by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, including Oshima off the Izu peninsula and Ogaswara, which is a 25 hour trip by boat with no airplane service. This boat looks kind of small for traveling in the Pacific Ocean, doesn’t it? At the Hamamatsucho pier.
Boat and biking on Oshima with Paper Sky
伊豆の大島は東京の品川区だと知っていますか。浜松町から船で８時間かかりました。Paper Sky Bicycle Club のツール・ド・オオシマはとても楽しかったです。黒溶岩の砂漠での日の出も優しい自転車おたくたちもローカル料理もすばらしかった。Paper Sky は素敵な雑誌で、ニーハイメディアという出版社は最近自転車、山のハイキング、料理本のグループを打ち上げました。実際に人を集めるのはすごいと思います。
DId you know that Oshima island, off the coast of Izu, is part of Shinagawa ward? From the pier near Hamamatsucho, it’s an eight hour overnight ride on a slow and rather large boat. I recently went with Paper Sky’s Bicycle Club.
Highlights included watching the sun rise at black lava rock “desert” atop the volcano, fun and fashionable cyclists in their twenties, thirties, and forties, the slow over-night boat ride, two onsens, a small port made from a volcanic crater. We saw the end of the camellia season, the blooming of Oshima cherry trees, and ate ashitaba leaf vegetable. Dai dai cocktails cmobined local citrus with booze.
I am now even more impressed with Paper Sky, which is a travel magazine and also the hub of mountain climbing, food, book, and bicycle clubs. My fellow travelers were an interesting mix of bicycle sellers, magazine editors, serious and hobby cyclists, photographers, and creative types. I was surprised that the rental bikes were all Bruno bikes, which have small tires, great colors, and are excellent for city biking and mid-range touring.
With its real world events and groups, Paper Sky’s publisher, Knee High Media, is clearly thinking about a new type of publishing beyond paper, the web, and smart phones.
Nanohana (Rapeseed) in subway ad for Izu
渋谷駅で、菜の花のディスプレーが伊豆への電車旅行を宣伝しています。
I was delighted to see these nanohana (菜の花, or rapeseed) flowers in a subway display promoting rail trips to Izu, a subtropical peninsula a few hours from Tokyo. Rapeseed can be eaten like brocoli, used to make canola oil, or planted as a winter cover crop to improve soil quality. It is clever to promote rail trips to the countryside by bringing a bit of nature into the subterranean tunnels of heavily trafficked Shibuya station.
Tokyo Green Space 