手賀沼 Teganuma Marsh

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Teganuma Marsh is such a relief from suburban Tokyo, and opens into wide open spaces, views of Fuji and Tsukuba Mountains, and wooded hillsides. Today’s bicycle ride took me around the north shore of the marsh to the 安孫子鳥の博物館 Abiko Bird Museum. Teganuma Marsh has a great variety of birds, both resident and migratory, and the [...]

Tone River Jam Pictures

Yesterday’s Tone River Jam had a good turn out and some great bands despite being typhooned on. The light was flat, and wasn’t conducive to photography.
There were lots of vendors, including tasty Thai food and some drink stands and  Kashiwa City’s PokaPoka and Pokaraiyo.  Amongst the tents was a little booth where the vendor displayed her photos and took mercy on [...]

The Fabled 500 Yen Lunch

On summer holiday, it’s too hot to cook in the middle of the day. It’s so hot that I’m the one that’s cooked! So, at lunch I get out for something tasty and cheap. Kashiwa has two inexpensive and good places with friendly service on the east side of the station on Howdy Street (yes, it’s [...]

布施弁天堂 Fuse Benten Hall

In October, 布施弁財天　Fuse Benzaiten and the 東海寺 Tokaiji in Kashiwa City are celebrating the founding of the temple complex 1200 years ago. The gate is a rebuild, but supposedly the sutra repository in the east corner of the temple complex is original.
The temple claims that Kukai, the great Buddhist scholar-poet founded the temple in the year 807. The [...]

A Dark Knight in Nagareyama

The skies here are beautiful in Kanto, but it’s hot and sticky most days. Perfect weather for sitting in a dark, airconditioned movie theater. 
Last night, we got out to see The Dark Knight 流山おおたかの森S.C. Nagareyama Ootaka no Mori shopping center. This is the tongue-twisting station name you hear on the Tobu Noda Line two stops north of [...]

Tone River Jam 2008

Tone River Jam

Next weekend, local community folks are putting on a party, The Tone River Jam, at the Tonegawa Yuyu Park. This free event features Metal Guinee, an African-influenced group that leads drum workshops in the area, the Allman/CCR influenced The Brother Woods,  the hard and loud KamomeKamome, and mysterious Hoshi.
I want one of those cool t-shirts!

Hot summer fireworks, cool blues

Blues Wagon at Nardis

Saturday night, Toride City held its big fireworks display on the banks of the Tone River, which could be seen even at the edge of Teganuma Marsh. If you missed it, there are more fireworks festivals in Tokyo.  The last and biggest of the season is the Tsuchiura All Japan Fireworks  on [...]