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This elderly lady, well protected from the heat and humidity
that is a hallmark of Japan's summer, especially here down south,
taking a botanical walk along the banks of the Tafuse River in Saga.
Many species of plants grow wild along the riverbank, making the
summer here very green.
The humid weather, and a burst of rain from the typhoon,
seem to have caused the lotus plants to have another shot
at flowering this summer. There are a few flower heads
on the plants in the pond at Kono Park, and some
beautiful new leaves are showing their perfect
surfaces. I love the blue green color of new lotus
leaves.
This piece of real estate is in a prime location, or at least those of
us from Western countries would think so. It sits right beside
a very pretty river in Saga, but it hasn't been occupied for
some time, and doesn't look like being developed any
time soon.
There are many, many small shrines in Japan, like this on
located along the walking path beside the river that I often
stroll along in the forlorn hope of losing weight.
This one has been there for many years, but has recently
been rebuilt. Sometimes they are just a little larger
than a letterbox, and range in size up to about the
size of this one. They are usually very simple, and
provide a place for locals to make a quick prayer.
The grass grows very quickly in the summertime here, so if you
throw your old bicycle down on a grassy spot, it will soon be
hidden from view.
This is very much against the law here, and you have to pay
a recycling fee to dispose of your bike. Which is why
folks abandon them in this way.
This man is taking advantage of the cool stream that runs swiftly through
this park to cool his tired feet. Children wade in here on the weekends,too.
This park is one of the most useful, and one of my favourite,
spots in Saga.
Took my new camera for a first walk yesterday, at the same time
this lady was taking her dog for it's daily walk.
Pretty easy to get this shot in most Japanese parks around
late afternoon, as most owners excercise their dogs
regularly, and are usually proud enough of them to be
delighted at having them photographed. Although
this dog didn't seem too pleased.
No, not Old England, but old Mojiko. Einstein was deemed to have
stayed here, and his room is still preserved as was, and is open
for viewing as part of the exhibition here. There is also a nice
cafe-restaurant on the premises.
The building is listed as a building of significant cultural heritage
in Japan, as are several other old Mojiko buildings.
This small shrine sits in the grounds of a much larger
shrine, overlooking the Kanmon straits that run between
Shimonoseki and Mojiko, on Honshu and Kyushu respectively.
These blowfish sculptures adorn the side of a fugu, or blowfish restaurant in Shimonoseki. Located
at the very bottom of Honshu, Shimonoseki is regarded as the prime spot to eat fugu, and most of
the restaurants here are either devoted to it, or have dishes on offer of fugu in one form or another.
Fugu is regarded by western folk like me as being very dangerous to eat, as it is poisonous. It is
often stated that you need a special license to prepare it, but I'm beginning to think that idea, and
the stories of it's extreme dangers, are a thing of urban mythology. It would mean that every
second person in Shimonoseki would need a license, and also, I didn't
notice any more
funeral parlors here than in other parts of Japan.
