Reitaku University

Aya, Miyakoda-san, and myself escaped the office on a nice spring day to go take pictures of one of our projects at Reitaku University while the plums were in bloom.

Aya served as our model and is viewing the plum in the entry circle from the 2nd floor student terrace in this picture

The plum in the entry circle from the street 

 View from the 2nd floor terrace

Aya poses on the entry boardwalk that leads into the new lecture hall 

 View through the plum of students crossing the street 

 Miyakoda-san used me as a model sometimes too.  Unfortunately I am not as photogenic as Aya, but you get what you pay for.

 I returned the favor

The campus is very interesting in that they have established a forest on the campus that did not initially exist 

Plum detail 

 A kid plays hide and seek, but is confident enough of his hiding spot to pose for a quick picture

Walking out of the campus in the middle of the forest trail

Plum Blossoms in Tokyo

Aya and I enjoyed a nice spring afternoon to go and enjoy the plum blossoms in a garden near our house

We were about 5 days after the peak bloom, but it was the prime weekend day so there were a lot of other people who joined us in the garden

Aya on the overlook with the plums on the hillside below 

Me on the same overlook

Aya enjoys the plum boardwalk

Kiyosato - March 2012

We went to Kiyosato to enjoy a little winter weather, or be cold in the snowy mountain weather depending on who you asked

 Aya, Miyakoda-san, and I enjoyed a walk through the neighborhood

 I think you have to lie down to make a snow angle...

 The next morning we had some friends waiting for us in the backyard.  We have never seen deer this close to the house, and it was even more amazing to see 3 bucks together the smallest of which was an 8 pointer.

Everyone poses in their ski attire, or in Yoshiko-san and my case our lodge attire

Miyakoda-san prepares for his first run 

And there he goes by 

Aya and Kinoto head off to the snowboard technical course 

There goes the ski patrol...no wait it's Kinoto 

Followed by Aya

Who knew Japan was the home of the Skid training institute?

View up slope and of the mountains in the background.  A great view to enjoy my book and a few beers, since I decided I didn't want to ski in my jeans, with plastic bags over my hands.

Kawagoe

Recently Aya and I took a day trip to Kawagoe, located at the northern edge of Tokyo in Saitama Prefecture.  It is also known as "Koedo" or 'little Edo' (Edo was the original name of Tokyo), and has become a popular tourist destination due to the preservation of much of the city's architecture from the Edo period.

No better way to begin the day than with a beer brewed by Coedo Brewery, the local brewery

Just when I think I have seen everything a dog drives past (to be totally honest he was just waiting to pull into traffic and was checking his mirrors)

An example of a warehouse building dating from the Edo period (17th to 19th centuries)

An example of the traditional stores & warehouses along Kurazukuri Street

Beautiful hand crafted mobiles to celebrate girls day

More shops along Kurazukuri Street

The Bell of Time - the tower was rebuilt in 1894 after the Great Fire of Kawagoe.  The origin tower was built between 1624 & 1644

Enjoying lunch at a restaurant specializing in Duck

A cool little outdoor cafe run from an old VW Bus

Kashiya Yokocho or "Confectionary Row," where traditional sweets are made.  This area reflects the early Showa period of Japan

Another view along Kurazukuri Street

 A traditional warehouse above a storefront on Kurazukuri Street

One last beer with dinner before heading back to Tokyo

In case you need a refresher in mathematics:

fish + liquor = NAGOMI

based on the associative property:

 Nagomi = good times