Mar 31 2008
Hanami
When you can’t be in Hong Kong where you should be, what do you do?
Get dragged by the S.O. to an antique market of course. Which except for the lack of drunken female company is not really so bad.
This market is actually a street sale in Tennocho which is a “suburb” of Yokohama. A lot of people live there in apartments and such and the area is full of shops and parks-which means at this time of year there are a lot of Sakura to go see.
Hanami is a Japanese word that comes from the Kanji of “flower” and “look”. And it means literally looking at flowers, although in the popular nomenclature it means looking at Sakura. Which are glorious this time of year. So too is just walking around experiencing the wonder that is Japan:
That is the Landmark Tower out in the distance.
Let’s go for a long walk, shall we?
Speaking of what makes Japan cool, it is the ability to go down one little street and see dozens of different things in one block:
We of course had to head direct from the train station to the shrine where the central market for the day was. Marvel at that sentence-a country where the train can take you just about anywhere:
More of a flea market, but with some neat things to see.
Like war art:
Believe this is a painting of the Sino-Japanese war of 1899.
And you get to watch the S.O. throw herself into looking at Obi’s (That’s the wrap worn around a Kimono).
Notice the determination on that face. Too bad she can’t apply that same level of concentration to other equally important activities!
Of course when finished here-there was plenty more to browse back on the street:
And then there is the Sakura!
From here we walked the 4 miles to Yokohama station. So we could see more of this:
As well as the spring trees:
I don’t remember what they call these but they stick around longer than the Cherry Blossoms do. Plus more shrines along the way:
Ask me again , why I am crying myself to sleep every night, having to think hard about leaving all of this.( Even if I resolve to come back to it…).
For this:
Excuse me-I have to go drink my brains out now……………….
Sphere: Related Content
You know, it’s spring time here, too.
Problem is, there is still lots of snow on the ground…:(
Nice pics…
Thank you so much for the photographs. The flowering tree in question may be a Flowering Almond, but that’s only a guess. No matter……what a beautiful way to celebrate Spring.
Yep, I want PCS orders to Japan. It’s settled.
I like I like!!!! Don’t think I could do the 4 mile trek just to look at cherry blossoms, but that’s my laziness for you. I miss the cherry blossoms that we used to get in our old house before the move – front and back yard.
[...] not yet.First step to summertime is always my favourite spring. Unlike Skippy’s Hanami @ Japan, its not as nice here but close enough – well, probably as close as I will ever get to a [...]