2018 – 12: Foliage and Holiday Influences

Halloween is a relatively new import to Japan — some 30 years ago — and Shibuya is the center of activity with shoulder-to-should mobs.  This is Greg as Eyeless Jack.

Perhaps this is Johnny Depp… I’m really not certain.

Tokyo is quite colorful during foliage season.

The bright yellow ginko trees are found throughout the city.

Some trees turn earlier than others.

This Buddha has a colorful backdrop.

The red maples light up Gotokuji, known as the “cat temple.”

Legend holds that a visiting feudal lord met a cat that beckoned him to come into the temple. A thunderstorm soon struck and the lord was thankful to the cat for having shelter.

Over time, people began to offer maneki neko figurines to the temple as a sign of gratitude when their own wishes came true.

The top of Mt. Takao is filled with leaf-peepers in November.

I can assure you this tree is featured widely throughout social media.

The red maples are beautiful.

It was a log-jam as the crowd slowly moved down the mountain.

The signage along the way is unique, for example, be careful of Tengu (Shinto-Buddhist mountain gods)…

… and watch out for incoming flying squirrels.

American influences can be found throughout Japan…

including this 56 Chevy…

and Lady Liberty.

So many American influences have reached Japan, however, Thanksgiving is NOT one of them.

But yet Black Friday is a new concept in Japan as excess American commercialism continues to be exported around the world.

Candy Show Time is a top attraction in Japan.

The pliable candy is rolled into long strips…

to form the message…

which is then surrounded by colorful layers…

and stretched real thin…

then chopped into little bits of bite-sized candy.

 Here is the end result.  Amazing!

Although Christmas is NOT a national holiday in Japan, the lights and decorations are plentiful.

with huge displays throughout the city.

Baccarat has an annual display.

 Hotel lobbies are spectacular…

creating a winter wonderland.

 Even this jumbo-size transformer gets into the holiday spirit.

Omatesando is beautiful at night.

Roppongi mid-town always goes all out.

Cherry trees dominate during spring time, and transform into the Christmas spirit in December.

Tokyo Dome, home to the Tokyo Giants baseball team, is surrounded by the holiday spirit.

Here is a ground-level view…

with a colorful tunnel of lights.

The Shiodome display always draws a big crowd each year…

which is rather unimpressive during the daytime.

Dozens of tripods were trained on the Rainbow bridge, but no one was taking pictures.

I returned during the evening to see why — a huge fireworks display over Tokyo Bay.

This hand-held photo was taken with an iPhone (no tripod required).

Citizen Watch celebrated 100 years…

 with this amazing display utilizing thousands of watch foundation plates..

Here’s a close up.  Photos cannot do justice to this exhibition.

During my travels, I noticed this pink Porsche.

And here’s the owner dressed in orange… down to the shoes (she volunteered that it’s Prada).

Tokyo brings international flavor to the holidays with traditional German Weihnachten markets.

This ‘Christmas pyramid’ is imported from Dresden (it’s 14 meters, or 46 feet tall).

December 14, 1702 is a famous date in Japanese history, known for the the 47 ronin (samurai) who avenged the death of their master.   These monks chanted prayers at the burial grounds on the 316th anniversary of their mission.

Thousands came to pay their respects to the 47 ronin who represent loyalty, sacrifice, persistence, and honor — qualities that people should preserve in their daily lives.

This next story transpired within a matter of hours.  Very late on Saturday, December 15th, I learned — by chance — about SantaCon… where Santa suits are required.

So I dashed off to the 100 yen store and purchased a 4-piece Santa suit for 400 JPY ($3.63).

In the nick of time, I caught up with the group as it moved from one bar to the next.

I called this guy “the real Santa.”  The facial hair is authentic.  I’m certain he paid more than 400 yen for his suit.

Thanks to clever marketing from KFC some 40 years ago, nearly everyone in Japan thinks that Americans eat KFC for Christmas.

This photo was sent to me from a food court KFC on Christmas day where the queue was continuous.  Keep in mind that December 25 is NOT a holiday in Japan — it’s just another day at the office.

Happy holidays!  I hope you had a great year  Please enjoy the bonus photos below.

After 35 years at Penn State University, my brother John celebrated his retirement with his first-ever trip to Asia (this photo from Kyoto).

The skies were clear in Kamakura for this postcard view of Mt. Fuji.

We welcomed cousins Marcia, Gary, Chris and May in November and enjoyed hearing about their adventures touring Japan.

All the best for a wonderful 2019.

ts