Summer days
Day in day out
Design of color
Waning Days of Summer
Edogawa River Shibamata
Edogawa River is a large river that flows between Tokyo and Chiba. Many people enjoy the riverbank near Shibamata which features long bike or walking trails, baseball and athletic fields, nature, and vast park-lands. In the summer the popular Edogawa Fireworks Festival is held in nearby Shinozaki Park. Shibamata is also the hometown of fictional character Tora-san. There have been 48 Tora-san movies and he has been called Japan’s most beloved loser.
http://www.katsushika-kanko.com/tora/
https://www.japanistry.com/event/edogawa-fireworks-festival/
Nature is Art
Nature is art
Art is nature
So confusing
Laundromat Mural
The laundromat mural was painted in 2017 by local San Jose artist Samuel Rodriguez. It is a mural of Sam’s daughter and it is located at Kiem Service Laundromat at 349 East Empire Street in San Jose Japantown. The mural was coordinated by Juan Carlos Araujo and Jennifer Ahn of Empire Seven Studios (E7S). Sam is a self taught artist in San Jose through graffiti art but later he developed a ‘Topographical Portraiture’ and ‘Type Faces’ style and showcases his style in community activities and work. He displays his work at many public art spaces, museums, companies, galleries and in editorial publications.
https://www.empiresevenstudios.com/
Marunouchi Line Tokyo
The Marunouchi Line is a subway line in Tokyo. It’s route is between Ogikubo Station in Suginami-ku in west Tokyo then running eastbound through Shinjuku, after that it runs through Tokyo Station eastbound, it finishes at Ikebukuro Station near the Yamanote Line. The Marunouchi Line was built after the war and was completed in 1954 and was named after the Marunouchi district near Tokyo Station. It is the one the most busiest and crowded of the subway lines in Tokyo and runs both below and above ground. The subway has a unique third-rail electric system and it’s cars are only 18m per car. Recently in early 2019 the new red colored 2000 series trains came into service with lower power consumption and wheelchair and stroller access.
https://www.tokyometro.jp/lang_en/station/line_marunouchi/index.html
Dance of Peace San Jose
The banner Defund, Demilitarize (Black Lives Matter) was created and raised up by Khalilah Ramirez and her group The Dance of Peace in San Jose on June 9th 2020 in front of San Jose City Hall. Khalilah Ramirez is the creator of performance art called The Dance of Peace and its purpose is to effect inner light, joy, and peacefulness in people. She is an artist, educator, and author based in San Jose and works with groups such as Silicon Valley De-bug, Sangham Arts, and San Jose State University. Khalilah Ramirez and her members Calia Kammer, and Sharat Lin danced in front of San Jose City Hall for their performance. Sharat Lin said the banner’s purpose was for “Peace and love for the community, instead of police brutality and killings” as it relates to the recent George Floyd killing and protests.
http://www.thedanceofpeace.org/
@danceofpeace
Matsukenpan
Picture of Mayumi and Matsuken (background)
Matsukenpan is a relatively new family run bakery in Soka City, Japan located in Saitama Prefecture. The owners are Matsuken and Mayumi who are husband and wife. Their menu includes: 1. Bread of different types 2. Croissants 3. Koppapan (sandwich). Mayumi was quoted in saying “I’m working hard to become a Matsukenpan loved by everyone.” The address of Matsukenpan is: 2-12-7 Takasago, Soka City, Saitama Kobayashi Building 1F near the Soka train station.
Redwood Tree
A coast redwood tree in San Jose 2020
The coast redwood is one of the tallest living species on Earth with some measuring 375 feet tall
The oldest redwood tree is a least 2,200 year old
The coast redwood is native to North America and their range is from southern Oregon to Monterey in California
Studies have shown that redwoods capture more carbon dioxide (CO2) from cars, airplanes, and power plants than any other tree
Redwoods are resistant to insects, fire, and rot
Yanaka & Nezu
Photograph taken in October 2019
Yanaka and Nezu located in Bunkyo ward in Tokyo is a community where you can see a slower paced life with charm. It’s also less commercialized with the prevalence of family or smaller owned businesses. It is characterized by back alleys, stores, pubs, and well maintained homes. This area survived the firebombing in World War II so you find many older buildings and temples.
Springtime
Coronavirus or not
Spring always happens
