Shin and Mei-Shun enjoyed on Saturday 宵々山=yoi-yoi-yama, floats exhibition held two nights before 山鉾巡行=yama-hoko-junko, march of these portable shrines of Kyoto Gi-On Festival. Here is their favorite 舟鉾=Fune-Hoko, ship-shaped one. It reminds them of their first Gi-On experience more than 20 years ago, when they met Mei-Shun’s father by chance on the way to Kyoto.
They chose this name for the lovely Amazonian manatee at 熱川バナナワニ園. Meaning in Portuguese “together”, they express thankfulness to him staying with us so far and hereafter. It reminds Mei-Shun of a dog kept by the landlady of the residence Shin and she lived just after marriage. From 4th floor balcony, she often called him Jun-jun who never looked up to find her.
Upper pair of shoes following below walked in Tunisia raining. Such a rare experience is only for them. Quite likened by Mei-Shun, they have worked hard debilitating themselves under sultry/frigid conditions, far away from normal obsolescence. Darlings, it was in 2010 spring that she asked Shin to purchase you on Internet. Seven years with you gave much to her. Farewell and thanks a million, take good rest.
Not meaning those who live there with the nationality, Mei-Shun visited her favorite dian-xin restaurant in Shinbashi today. She and Shin enjoyed a lunch course including appetizer, soup, shrimp dish, beef one, steamed rice ball, fried rice and dessert. She would not like to mention that place, in order to keep it quiet. This is therefore especially for you kind followers.
One of Mei-Shun’s favorite shops there is 陶柿園. They sell a lot of tableware including these chopsticks rests. Could you see cute fishes swimming in clear glass water? Real sight of them is available in a garden of 5-floor building where various restaurants serve you. Actually, it is not so easy to find such places along narrow, winding lanes. Why don’t you therefore enjoy no-map promenade?
乙戸沼 Park also features irises right now. They have a lot of banners stand along flower field. On the other hand, 小石川後楽園 simply hangs a poster on the front gate. A wide pond with lotuses floating on surface helps commodious sight of the former while the latter is served by a unique looks of Tokyo Dome roof. Oh, we can see the moon in daylight between artificial and natural whites in the sky.
Dumplings rather than flowers? Not for Mei-Shun and Professor S. They met at 飯田橋 Station at noon, strolled toward an Italian restaurant to enjoy good salads, pizzas and pastas. After lunch, they planned to walk down 神楽坂 slope to reach 小石川後楽園 yet shared an taxi under severe sunlight. Pretty irises and hydrangeas were at the beginning of blossom. This nicely cared garden made them almost forget time.
Mei-Shun met Shin at one of their favorite restaurants in Shinagawa for lunch after hair treatment. Served dishes did not feature seasonal ingredients like 初鰹=hatsu-gatsuo, year’s first bonito while desserts were changed from normal 善哉=zenzai, sweetened red bean soup with rice cake to 餡蜜=anmitsu, agar jelly with fruits, syrup and red bean paste.
When Shin and Mei-Shun arrived at 飛鳥寺, a pheasant guy began to declare his territory. They beat a big bell once respectively to greet him under the gaze of guardian little frog, entered the room to see handsome 飛鳥大仏. Oh, welcome to our car, dear ladybug. We heard that you have a miraculous system in wings, folded precisely and jump-open to fly. It would be applied to astronautics.
六臂如意輪観音 sits elegantly in a dedicated building called 観音堂 of 橘寺. He/She has a gorgeous 光背=kohai, decorative metal structure set behind Buddhism statues to express light coming from sacred bodies, fully shown to public eyes when Mei-Shun and Shin visited him/her years ago. However, it was covered with square fabric this time, made him/her look much smaller. Or he/she might feel like playing hide-and-seek.
