Blogs from Miyagi, Japan, Asia - page 5

It is that time of the year in Japan, Hanami, or flower viewing. All over Japan the beautiful sakura, or cherry blossoms, start to bloom and the Japanese celebrate with afternoons in the park, drinking, and karaoke. The cherry blossoms only last about a couple of weeks and traditionally they were viewed to remind us how fleeting our lives really are. The blossoms are short in beauty but last longer in memory. The Japanese national weather center has an equation so they know when the blossoms will bloom. This way companies can plan flower viewing parties where everybody from work gets together and drinks their stress away. While remembering how fleeting their lives are. Many parks put out blue tarps for people to claim and enjoy a lazy afternoon with family or friends. The blossoms started ... read more

This week was the start of the Sendai Pageant of Starlight; which is a beautiful light display in the trees along Jozenji-dori. Lucky for me it is a quick walk to get to all the action. I was going out for dinner the other night when I found all the trees shinning with bright lights. It is absolutely gorgeous and a must see for anybody in the area. It's a small affair but there area some venders set up with food. My co and I walked down it and then headed for some Italian food. Sendai has a bunch of Italian places. It was ridiculously cold here last night. Though the walk was cold it was a lot of fun to see all the lights. A very nice way o end the day. I have been ... read more

The famous haiku poet, Basho once penned this famous haiku in his breathless wonder of Matsushima: Matsushima ah! A-ah, Matsushima, ah! Matsushima, ah! Matsuhima is considered one of the 3 views of Japan and it very famous for its over 200 pine tree covered islands that dot the Matushima Bay. My two visitors and I decided to make a day of it and get out of Sendai for Labor-Thanks Day. Matsushima is 400 yen and 20 minutes outside of Sendai via the Tohoku Main, or a little longer on the Senseki Line. Matsushima Station is a little walk from the attractions but its really a lot quicker and you can take a walk around the town before be hit with massive tour buses and tour guides waving flags. My friends and I started out our extended ... read more

Today has got to be one of the most interesting days I have had in a while. I decided to head out of historical japan and jump into some pop-culture and it was one of the smartest ideas I have ever had. It has lead to one of the best meetings I have ever had. Yesterday it rained all day, so last night I checked the weather forecast and saw that it was going to be a beautiful day and kept with my semi-plans of heading to Ishinomaki for the day. I've read a lot of my LP and Ishinomaki was way out of the traditional box that most of Tohoku is under. Its claims to fame are that Bashou and his assistant Sora stopped here and that a Manga Museum that is dedicated to Shotaro ... read more

I decided that today was going to be my Sendai Tourist Day, or one of them anyway. I have to say that I really enjoyed myself for the morning and most of the afternoon. I did most of the city on foot and the hike up to Sendai-jo was worth it. Even if there really isn't a castle there to walk around in. The day started out beautiful, in the low 70's I think and only just recently became cloudy and overcast. I left the apartment around 10:15 this morning and set out with my trusty guide (LP for those who care) and headed up to Sendai-jo by foot. I figured that it would be a better way for me to see the city I live in and also, I didn't really want to sit in ... read more