I recently returned to Tokyo from an extended Golden Week vacation. I left it as the city was trying to shed its cold weather and came back to see that some foreigners had donned shorts and light shirts, which could only mean that the warmer weather had arrived (one cannot really tell by the way most businessmen dress as they always wear the same dark suits, whiter shirts and dark ties, but that all will change soon, and I will explain Continue reading
The white and pink blossoms that only a week ago provided a sight for the tired wintery eyes have been swept away by the wind and rain that came to Tokyo this week. With the temperature dropping to mimic a winter weather, it would be nice to escape to the mountains of Hakone and soak in the hot springs…
It feels as if there were many weddings and birthday parties taking place these last few days for there were so much confetti strewn across the city. In fact, Tokyo (and all over Japan) is experiencing what the French call elegantly “La Fleuraison de Cerises”, better known here as the Cherry Blossoms. In private gardens and public parks, canopies of the Continue reading
The most recent Japanese holiday celebrated the Autumnal Equinox, a time when the sun appeared to cross the celestial equator. In the Northern Hemisphere, this phenomenon ushered in the Fall Season. And so it really began: the unbearable heat and humidity of the summer days slowly gave way to the cooler and dryer fall weather. In the past week, since September 27, it has rained almost everyday. A typhoon was supposed to be working its way to the city, but the only evidence I saw was the gusty wind. If there was a rainstorm, it Continue reading
Finally the humidity in Tokyo subsided, giving way to the Fall weather. Since my return from Indonesia, I have not been savagely attacked by the darned mosquitoes, although I had stocked up on the repellants. It is quite pleasant to ride the bike in the evening.
Another thing that has been missing from my neighborhood here is the sound of the cicadas. In the summer, like clockwork, the cicadas will make their noise from dawn until Continue reading
After a windy and drizzly Tuesday, Tokyo awoke to yet another gloomy day. With neither rain nor wind, the foliage in my garden stood still as if a willing model for a life painting. The two pots of lavender plants bought a couple of days ago now flank a low metal bowl that is filled with water, two fallen camellias, and a floating candle.
Oh, wait, the sun just came out.
Ah, too late; it has already disappeared again. Some Tokyoites said that the weather would go up and down three times before it finally settled into spring, but that stubborn rollercoaster of a weather has not yet decided if it wanted to remain in winter or to leap into spring.
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