September 2020 Trip – Touring Kyoto and “Sanbi”
On September 19, 2020, in the midst of the raging Corona pandemic my wife and I set out on a trip my wife had made reservations for a few months earlier. After ...
Mastering Season Words – Haiku, a form of Japanese short poetry
I have just become a member of a Haiku society. I have long had a smouldering interest in haiku, but while I could read and understand some, there were others I...
A Yukata Stroll around Kawagoe
Kawagoe City in Saitama Prefecture is also called “Koedo” or “little Edo” from its resemblance to Edo as Tokyo was known as before the Meiji period. The streets...
On a sunny Autumn day – 1
On a sunny Autumn day, I made an impromptu visit to Gotokuji (豪徳寺) which is said to be the Birthplace of Manekineko (beckoning cat). During the Edo era, there w...
On a sunny Autumn day – 2
While I stared out the window on the train, I was quietly pondering that I never had time to visit Gotokuji even though I’ve been blessed by the Manekineko more...