Red shrine

Walking up the path to the beautifully vivid red shrine

 

Tea

A teapot and cups for Japanese tea

Which way to go

So many choices (the path on the left is even more divided into two)

Garbage and recycling

Assigned dates for what to through away. Burnable, unburnable, recyclables (papers, glass, cans) and plastic bottles.

Scent

This place is filled with sweetly gorgeous scent of orange osmanthus

Long

A very long branch that needs some support

 

Road signs

A sign to "stop" (mandatory for cars). A sign asking bicycle riders to get off for the safety reason.

Watch out for

A sign on a road reminding cars and bikes to be careful for the little ones (kindergartners) walking. There are similar signs for elementary school students, too.

Safety door

Some train stations (actually many) have doors between the platform and the rail, in order to avoid people or things to fall in. Very helpful for many safety reasons. It must be hard to stop the train at the right position to match the doors. 

Maybe the latest?

A vending machine in a train station. It was my first time seeing this type (the latest one?). So neat. 

Towel

Imabari towel, towels made in Imabari area in Japan is known for its high quality. Imabari towel has become like a brand. I haven't been to Towel Museum Ichihiro (their 10th anniversary was a few years ago, by the way), but use Imabari towels. 

Advertisement

An flyer of "Hokkaido (a place, big island, up in northern Japan) Fair" organized by a supermarket store. Households receive flyers with newspapers that they subscribe.

Pizza

Pizza may not be as popular as that in the US, but it is popular in Tokyo. I had some slices for my lunch today. There are many types and styles of pizza restaurants, American like, Italian, and even Japanese, cheap to luxury. For your reference, check out an menu example from Pizza Hut for the delivery (where I've gotten pizza from for today's lunch). There are more menu available but it seems only shown in Japanese, unfortunately. 
Pizza Hut (official website):  http://pizzahut.jp/pcdocs/menu_eng.pdf
             menu in Japanese:  https://pizzahut.jp/pc/pizza_menu/

Tokyo 2020

Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic is on its way. 6 more years to go and various activities have already begun (check out the website).

The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (official website) : http://tokyo2020.jp/en/

Three kinds of letters

Japanese language has three kinds of letters, Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji. 48 letters for each Hiragana and the similar for Katakana, and tons for Kanji.

Hiragana writes: あいうえお　かきくけこ　さしすせそ　たちつてと　なにぬねの　はひふへほ　まみむめも　やゆよ　らりるれろ　わゐゑを　ん
We put two little lines on the right for some letters to show another sound, for example がぎぐげご. We also put a little circle for the similar reason, for example ぱぴぷぺぽ. Some letters can be written smaller to show other tone, normally with the combination with the letter prior, such as　さぁ　りぃ.

Japanese normally learn Hiragana first, then Katakana and Kanji.

Silk flowers

Beautiful flowers made of silk. Hard to believe that they are not alive.

Dyeing

Dyed a white cotton cloth in the kitchen, using the brown dark liquid that we get from boiling chestnut. That brown dark liquid actually dye the cloth in a purple red to cherry-blossom-like-pink (I know it's hard to see by the picture). Some beauty from the nature. 

Bamboo grass

Very green grass along a wall. I remember myself making many things out of grass, most of time a ship, when I was a child.

Sea horse

Grabbing a sea horse to get into this building.

Bamboo and flower

Unique display of bamboo and some flowers, in a department store.

University

Inside of a public university's campus, in Tokyo. It's still summer break period, so not many students around.

Shrine

So quiet and sacred atmosphere

Vending machine

Anytime, cold or hot, and many of them in Tokyo.

Magazine

Women's magazines in a bookstore

Train

It's coming!

Green

Green between the houses, over a street

Sign

A stop sign on a street. No cars allowed during the time.

Tokyu Hands

Tokyu Hands sell many interesting and unique products in addition to typical or popular goods. The staff knows about products well, so if you wish to buy something but can't find suitable one, maybe the staff can give you some idea if you consult with them.
Tokyu Hands (official website): http://www.tokyu-hands.co.jp/foreign.html

Apartment rent

Yes, Tokyo's apartment rental fee is expensive especially when comparing with other cities both in the world as well as in Japan. However, it's a lot cheaper than New York, at least. The fee depends on where you live in Tokyo, of course. The nearer the station, the higher the fee tends to be. Many people or majority of women, prefer to live in apartments that have auto lock system (you need to have a key or know the pass code to get into the apartment building) for security reasons. People normally rent apartments via brokers. Initially, when you make contract, you usually need to pay for 1 or 2 months of rent fee, Reikin (key money equivalent to 1 to 2 months rent fee, Shiki-kin (deposit equivalent to 1 to 2 months rent), and broker fee that is normally equivalent to 1 month rent fee. Usually, the contract term is 2 years, and when you want to renew, you sometimes need to pay for renewal fee in addition to monthly rent, which could be equivalent to 1 month fee. Therefore, you normally need to have amount of at least 4 to 7 months rent fee, when you make a contract. Not a small amount of money. It won't be as much as what is in NY, though, again. The most popular amount of range for 20s and early 30s would be, I assume, 75thousand to 120thousand yen (about 750 to 1200 dollars), monthly.

Hiyoko

Hiyoko (baby chick) is also used as a name of sweet. With its 100 years of history, Hiyoko is probably one of the most known sweet among Japanese. You can check the cute appearance at the company's website. I ate them all without taking pictures...
Hiyoko Honpo Yoshinodo (official website): http://www.hiyoko.co.jp/en/

Orange colored bouquet

Another gorgeous bouquet

 

Earnest Fenollosa

One of the reasons why Museum of Fine Arts, Boston has very fine collection of Japanese Art is because of Earnest Fenollosa (1853 - 1908), a Harvard grad who taught in an university in Japan back in Meiji Era. Not only he bought pieces, he contributed in protecting as well as introducing Japanese arts to the US..
I had the privilege of visiting a house in Salem, Massachusetts in the US., where he spent his childhood.

Kimoto

Kimoto, traditional Japanese outfit, could be a canvas for beautiful picture made with colors. This Uchikake, a kind of Kimoto, that is thicker than other types, often functioning as a gown. Many of Uchikake were made for newly wedded wives to wear at the wedding ceremonies. This is one of them, which was displayed in Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the US. The museum has very fine collection of Japanese arts (picture taken was allowed).
Collection of Japanese Paintings, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (official website):
http://www.mfa.org/node/9464

Water bottle

People can drink tap water in Japan. I grew up drinking tap water, but more people seem to be buying water bottles to drink nowadays. It's convenient for bringing around, too. There are many different brands, and they may taste differently (?). This is just one brand by a Japanese company, Suntory, that also make popular beer.
Suntory Holdings Ltd. (official website): http://www.suntory.com/?ke=hd
 

Beautiful house

A house with fully bloomed flowers.

 

Google

Japanese version of Google website. Not much different from the English version.

Yahoo

Japanese version of yahoo. The layout is different from other language versions, such as the English one.

Puzzle like

There are quite a few of such street in Japan, but it probably is not easy to map out each stone.

Ig Nobel

Ig Nobel Prize is given to those studies that make people laugh and also to think. The Prize is run by a science humor magazine and its annual award ceremony is held at Harvard University, in the US. Many Japanese scholar were given the awards and this year was no exception. A study on slippery banana, done by a scholar of Japanese university and his team, won the prize. Way to go and Congratulations!

Lily

A group of beautiful lilies, found in Kyoto.

Who is he?

I found this man on top of a roof in Kyoto. I'm assuming that he is a guardian protecting the house from evils.

 

A clock

Strong man holding Tiffany clock, in Marunouchi area in Tokyo.

The National Art Center, Tokyo

One of several national art museums in Tokyo. The museum often has wonderful exhibitions. The building itself is an art, too. It's location, in Roppongi, is great to have meal and do shopping beforehand or afterward, too. 
The National Art Center, Tokyo (official website): http://www.nact.jp/english/index.html

Chanel lipstick

Most of luxury department stores in Tokyo has Chanel boutique. Makes us feel good, when we use Chanel products. Strong power of the brand, I think.