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Taisho-Roman Street Kawagoe

Taisho-Roman Street Kawagoe 2019

You can enjoy the retro atmosphere with Machiyazukuri (old merchant-house architecture) and western signs of the Taisho period at Taisho-Roman Street in Kawagoe, Japan. There are some merchant houses that date back to the Edo Period in the early 20th century and also many new merchants like cafes, sweet shops, and restaurants. The streets of Taisho-Roman Street are made of granite stone pathways. Kawagoe is also called Little Edo because of many 1603-1868 buildings and they are used in Japanese television dramas and movies. Rail access to Kawagoe: Tobu Tojo Line (From Ikebukuro to Kawagoe) Express 31 minutes, 450 yen. Seibu Shinjuku Line (Seibu Shinjuku to Kawagoe) Limited Express 43 minutes,890 yen. JR Kawagoe Line　(Shinjuku to Kawagoe) Local　60 minutes, 760 yen.

https://www.koedo.or.jp/foreign/english/

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Cat Mural

Painted by Roan Victor, a painter, muralist, educator, & cat lover

This photograph was taken in front of the Dancing Cat, an open and cage-free environment of formally homeless adult cats that hopefully find a new home with families. The Dancing Cat is a non-profit organization cat adaption lounge based in downtown San Jose. It’s purpose is to find homes for at-risk adult cats from the San José Animal Care Center in a cage-less environment where they can socialize with people and other cats and eventually find a new home. When visiting you only need to pay $10 for one hour to socialize with the cats. The Dancing Cat is mostly run by volunteers and generous donations in the community.

https://www.thedancingcat.org/

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Asukayama Park Tokyo

Asukayama Park in Kita-ku Tokyo

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Asukayama Park is a public park near Oji station in Kita-ku in Northern Tokyo. It is known for Cherry Blossom viewing during the beginning of Springtime with over 600 Japanese cherry trees. It’s history started during the 18th century, when, shogun Yoshimune Tokugawa (1684-1751) built the premises for Edo’s (Tokyo) population. It was one of first public parks in Tokyo. In addition, one can watch the JR Keihin-Tohoku and the Tohoku Shinkansen pass by from the pedestrian crosswalk near the South exit of the Oji Station. To access Asukuyama Park get off at either 1. Oji Station: JR Keihin-Tohoku Line or Tokyo Metro Namboku Line 2. Asukayama Station: Toden Arakawa Line 3. Oji-Ekimae Station: Toden Arakawa Line.

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Turkey Vulture

Turkey Vulture photograph taken on the Alviso Slough Trail at the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Alviso (San Jose) August 2021.

Turkey Vultures are fairly large birds with long, broad wings. Their colors are dark brown with a featherless red head and pale bill. They are graceful but unsteady soarers and fly low to the ground and have a great sense of smell. Turkey Vultures are scavengers and can be seen at roadsides, farm fields, countryside, and landfills. They help clean the environment by eating flesh off dead animals before they decay. Researchers have noted that turkey vultures can travel 200 miles a day. Their life span is up to 24 years old and they live in Southern, Canada, North America, and South America.

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Kochi Castle

Kochi Castle in Kochi on the Island of Shikoku in Japan. In the 1990’s I brought my photography students for a home stay in Kochi.

In 1588 Kochi Castle was completed by lord Chosokabe Motochika but later in 1600 lord Yamanouchi Kazutoyo took control over the castle. Kochi Prefecture was then called Tosa province back then. The castle was completed in 1611 after 10 years of construction. Much of the original fortress burned down in 1727 and it was reconstructed between 1729 and 1753 in the original style. The castle has retained its original stonework structure and is not a replica like other castles in Japan. It is also the only castle in Japan to retain both its original main keep and its palace. Kochi Castle is located in the city of Kochi on the island of Shikoku in Japan.

https://kochipark.jp/kochijyo/

https://visitkochijapan.com/en

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Summer Design


Alviso Slough Trail taken at the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Alviso July 2021

Today’s weather

 

 

Tides and currents

 

 

Nature’s paintbrush