Tokyo

an old sign at an old train station.

Autumn

You dont get to see Fuji-san much during the summer months and not at all when the typhoons roll through, but last night at sunset just as the last of the storms were done with Tokyo and heading East, for the last few minutes before dark you could just see something breaking out from under the cloud cover...

...then this morning you knew winter was on the way.

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I took this shot a couple of weeks after the original post on Nov 19. 

...winter falls quickly in these parts.

Cao Maru

One of four different "round-face" Cao-marus. For stocking fillers click here.

Sheep

Shonan

Had to rent a van to move some stuff yesterday so hit the coast straight after in an optimistic attempt to get some waves. No such luck, even the longboarders were having trouble. 

 Great spot when it's firing though and the haze lifts.

 Just West of here would have been where Hokusai got the inspiration for his Great Wave Off Kanagawa, nicely updated by my mate Sqz.

These  black kites are awesome but worse than seagulls if you're eating out in the open. You usually see them in packs and they'll dive for anything.

Next time...

a voice...

... of reason



on the way to work

Kyūshū in Tokyo

Lining 'em up at the Kyūshū Festa.

26:00

I saw a sign in a fishing shop once that said, The Gods do not deduct from man's allotted time on earth, those hours spent fishing. 

Handy if you’re a fisherman, but doesn't help me much. Maybe the Gods could also cut a deal for those who spend their hours in bars till 26:00.

Any bar that doesn’t reset back to 00:00 at midnight might be on to something.

If there are places where 23:59 just steams on to 26:00, then maybe those two extra hours are also ... not deducted.

So if you stayed out till closing time every night, for every year of late-night drinking, you should earn about a month back. 

Even better, find somewhere to kick on till 29:00, save 5 hours a night, and get 10 weeks back every year.

     sorted!!!

Hokkaido Festa

Monsters of the shallows from the Far North!

Autumn rays

Awesome Ikameshi: boiled squid marinated in sweet soy-sauce, stuffed with rice.

                        Ikura (salmon roe)                     Lamb kebabs, steaks and sausages

Can't fill up on food though... where's the beer tent?

Mott's

Mott's Bar Gen in Kabukicho: 100 different shōchū's and open till 7am. When I lived in Kabukicho I came here 6 nights a week and had less time off than most of the staff. 

I learned all about Imo Shōchū and met loads of great people but time marches on, the original four staff all left, most of the locals slowly changed, new staff came, new staff sadly go... but the 100 shochus are still there, just waiting for me to pop back in from time to time and taste the new arrivals.

Worshipping at the altar.