I was out taking pictures one day and happened upon this rather large festival. Its called the Asakusa Sanja Festival. I don't know much about it but apparently the main event is a parade where up to a hundred portable shrines are carried atop peoples shoulders. Most of them being men, wearing traditional cloth thongs! They seemed to be rather enthusiastic as well, singing songs and shouting different grunts. Heres a few photos that I snapped.

Golden Vacation

At the begging of May, Japan has what is called Golden week. Basically there are a bunch of holidays in a row so most companies give there workers the whole week off. Because of this, everywhere you go is super crowded. I even heard that Seatle, San Francisco and New York feel the impact during that week of Japanese tourists.
Still, I wanted to get away for a few days. A co-worker off mine sent me a link about this place called Aizu-Wakamatsu. On this link it said how its a great place to visit but for what ever reason, its not a popular Golden Week destination. Perfect!
So Naoko and I went there for three days and two nights. We stayed at a modern Japanese Inn(pictured above) with a natural Hot springs or Onsen as it is called here. It was great. The stay at the hotel included breakfast and dinner each day, and they were able to make vegan meals for me. And those meals where huge! We ate like kings and then soak are tired bodies in the Onsen. Because of my tattoos, we decided to reserve private sessions at night in the Onsen. (They don't usually allow people with tattoos in!)
During the days, we explored the town and its many historical sights including a huge castle, a museum, a crazy spiraling temple, and more. We even toured some sake breweries. Its also the birth place of Hideyo Noguchi, a famous bacteriologist who is also pictured on the 1000 yen bill. Overall it was a wonderful trip and great to escape the business of Tokyo for a few days. I highly recommend this place, especially during Golden Week.

Disney Land Madness

Naoko and I went to Tokyo Disney Land recently, making it my third time to visit there. And it looks like I'll be going again soon, I won two free tickets from an arcade amusement game! Here is a few pics of me looking like an idiot. ha ha.

Sakura

Although I have a better camera now, I didn't get too many shots of the Sakura(Cherry Blossums) this year. There's a place near the Imperial Palace that is pretty famous for it Sakura viewing. You can take a nice long stroll underneath a plethora of Sakura trees. And at night they light the trees up with different colored lights. Pretty cool.

Jitensha

I finally got a bike! In case you can't tell from the picture, its very small. Thats why the seat is so high up. haha. But it works great for cruising around town on the weekends. On the downside, I've had the bike for about a week and I've already gotten a puncture in the back tire and a parking ticket. Hopefully I won't have too many other problems.

View from above

Went to an art gallery in Roppongi last weekend. Its located on the 5oth something floor of a building called Mori tower. Its kind of a trendy place with lots of shops and restaurants and stuff. Took a few photos of the view. Although the weather wasn't the greatest that day.

Life is a beach

A few weeks ago, I went to a place called Chigasaki. My girlfriend lives there. Its about an hour south of Tokyo by train. Its a nice place, it doesn't have that crowded feel that Tokyo does. And best of all, it has a beach! It is still too cold to really enjoy it but it was nice to check it out. The town reminded me a bit of North Carolina.

While there, we just happened to see this motorcycle gang passing by. They are called the Bosozoku. One of Japan's many subcultures. One of the modifications they do to their bikes is to remove the muffler. You can hear them coming from a long way away, and when they pass you, your clothes practically vibrate. Quite an experience.

Photography...

Apa-to

My new apartment. If you can believe it, my kitchen and my bathroom are even smaller than the last one. But I think my living space is a bit bigger. I have a loft which is totally cool. Here are a few pics. Keep in mind its hard to take pictures in such a small space. ha ha.

The Return

Well it looks like I just couldn't stay away. I returned to Tokyo on January 22nd. I've signed a one year contract with the same company as before. It feels great to be back. Everything has such a familiar feel to it.

Things have been a bit hectic since I've got here. Renewing my visa, finding an apartment, finding furniture to put in the apartment. But I'm starting to get settle in now. On top of all of that, work has been steady as usual. I am working with many of the same people as I did before. There are also a lot of new faces as well. Seems like it will be a great group of people and a fun time once again.

One thing was definitely different from the last time I was here. Its snowing in Tokyo! It was a bit surprising to see Tokyo covered in snow fall. But not surprising was the fact that the people here were more prepared for it than most Coloradans are. Almost every car had chains on the tires and many people wore stylish rubber boots.
So my Japanese adventure continues...