Sunny Smile

Remember the curry shop I posted about the other day?

Well, they have these drawings outside their restaurant that are bright and sunny. They make me smile...just like the sun in the drawing below!

Knock Knock

I used to giggle over the corniest knock-knock jokes when I was a kid. And for some reason, this door that has obviously not been used in the longest time, reminded me of them.

Wonder how long it's been since someone knocked on this door?

Also wondering what your favorite knock-knock joke is? Here's mine:

Knock knock!
Who's there?
Little old lady?
Little old lady who?
Wow! I didn't know you could yodel!
(heeheehee!)

Story of Isetan

This is Shinjuku Isetan, one of the biggest department stores we have in Shinjuku. It was chosen as the most popular department store among working women last year in Tokyo. It's always crowded with shoppers, especially on the weekends!

Shinjuku Isetan was first built in 1933. Then in 1935, they bought out their neighboring department store and it was rebuilt the following year (photo below) and not much of the building has changed since then.

Right after the war, Shinjuku Isetan was actually occupied by the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers and used as one of its bases for about 8 years, possibly because Shinjuku was located between the General Headquarters near Tokyo Station and Yokota Army Base in Fussa (which is now Yokota Air Base). It reopened as a department store after the San Francisco Peace Treaty was officially signed by Japan and the Allied Powers in 1951.

I don't go in here often, but I like to sometimes just stop and admire the building and imagine all that it has seen.

Hope you all have a wonderful Friday!

Enjoy looking at more beautiful skies all around the world here.

Curry, Hawai'i and Manga

One of my favorite curry restaurants in Shinjuku, Mo-yan Curry Shop (もうやんカレー).

They are famous for their 1,000yen all-you-can-eat curry during lunch hours, which I've never been to since I can barely finish a regular plate, but it's very popular. I had their Cheese Curry and it was delicious. You can choose how much rice you want and how spicy you want your curry when you order.

I love this little curry shop not only because they have good curry but for some odd reason the restaurant has a Hawai'ian theme. They play all my favorite Hawai'ian songs and if you look closely in the first photo, you'll even see they have the Merrie Monarch Hula Competition, which is the biggest hula competition in Hawai'i, playing on the TV (and I really love hula!).

They also have rows of manga, which are Japanese comic books, on the shelves for people to read while eating their curry. Isn't this place interesting?

Red Love

Happy Valentine's Day!

On the River

A lot of houses are built right along the river here.

Some of you may remember the Some No Komichi event I posted about last year (here). They will once again have the dyed cloth hanging all along the river next weekend (Feb. 17 (fri)-19 (sun)) to promote the culture of dyeing goods, which was one of Shinjuku's largest industries in the Showa period. So if you're in the area, come to Shinjuku next week!

And for those of you who are too lazy to get on a plane and fly over here...no worries, I'll have photos for you! haha.

Happy weekend everyone!

See other wonderful reflections from around the world

at Weekend Reflections hosted by James.

Sweet and Yellow

I couldn't resist posting another photo of the lovely Winter Sweet blooms...the yellow color just brightens up my day!

Hope you are all having a wonderful Friday today!

Enjoy looking at more beautiful skies all around the world here.

On the Edge

I was walking along the river, which are more like canals here in Shinjuku, when I spotted these little pots of plants decorating the fence.

The plants were so random, cactus and smaller plants like herbs. Someone must have gone through a lot of trouble to place these here. I'm guessing the people who live along the river.

The rosy plant in the top photo was my favorite.

Take a Seat

A bench for two at Nakai Station on the Seibu Shinjuku Line.

It was a really sunny day and it felt really great sitting on this bench, which is usually occupied by people waiting for the next train, like I was this day.

We Gather Together

Nabe is a popular Japanese dish, especially during the cold weather.

Nabe (pronounced Nah-beh) is actually the name of the pot that the dish is being cooked in. But it is also used to describe this type of dish.

The type of nabe in the photo is called Mizu-taki (水炊き), which stews mostly chicken and vegetables in the pot and when done, we take it and dip it in a little bowl we each have filled with a type of sauce, and eat. Yum!

Not only are these nabe dishes quite healthy but people in Japan believe that eating from the same dish brings us closer together, too!

Yellow Blooms

Another sign that spring is near.

Flowers are starting to bloom around Shinjuku. This is a flower we call Robai, or Winter Sweet in English. They usually bloom in January or February.

And they also have a fabulous scent that had me sticking my nose in the bloom and drinking it all in!

Everywhere I Go

It seems ever since moving to Tokyo, where snow is not a regular occurrence, I find I have this need to make snowmen/women, no matter how small, every time I see snow.

Is this just me? I never had this need growing up in Michigan, a midwest state in the US, where we were bombarded by piles of snow each year. Nor did I have this problem when I lived in Sapporo, which is in the most northern prefecture of Japan, where snow is piled so high that it's still around in May. So it must be one of those symptoms you get when you are deprived of something.

Well, it's actually getting warmer lately, although it's hard to tell with all the wind. But I don't think I'll be making anymore snowmen/women in Shinjuku. I'm ready for spring!

Hope you're all having a wonderful Friday!

Enjoy looking at more beautiful skies all around the world here.

Reaching Up

The trees look as if they are reaching for the sun.

Even in the winter, there's something about the air inside a park that is so refreshing. And with coffee in your hand to keep you warm, it's the perfect way to spend the afternoon outside.

Hope you are all enjoying a wonderful week!