Return to goldfishy paradise

Back again to the Art Aquarium this year. I've been looking forward to this for weeks!

We went a little earlier this time: afternoon vs. evening makes a big difference in crowds. It was crowded when we got there, not long after the exhibit opened for the day, but we stayed long enough to hit the lull between the parents with children in the afternoon and couples coming in the evening.

This year's installations were as beautiful as last year's:

Ceiling fixture

This year's main attraction was a giant lotus-shaped fish bowl. I spent waaaaay too much time trying to get a good shot of this one from different angles and under different colored lights...but I think I was successful:

We were there for a little over an hour. There's a lot to see in a relatively small space.  And I, of course, could probably have spent all afternoon perched in front of one of those tanks. If I'd had a good seat, that is.

My favorite fish tank shape in the exhibition

A globe full of fish. Can you spot Australia?

Goldfish swim inside a tank with the image of a Japanese screen projected onto it from above

And like last year, they had a few other bits of non-fish-tank-but-goldfish-related items to display, such as a kimono with a goldfish print (look closely- the fish are tiny) and a pretty, pretty goldfish painting.

Before leaving the building, we stopped on the first floor to try some dashi (Japanese broth) at a shop recommended to us by an acquaintance of ours. Cheap dishes, and also a very special oden made specifically to accompany the goldfish exhibit. Oden is a dish that includes several ingredients stewed in dashi. Mine included a boiled egg, daikon, carrot slices, edamame, and baby corn. Can you find the little carrot cut in the shape of a goldfish?

Chilled oden for summer (left) and hot, tomato-flavored dashi (right)

Back out on the street, we decided to take a walk. This week we've had a much-welcome break from the heat, so it was a very pleasant evening to take a stroll through the Nihom-bashi district.

Walking past department stores and tiny shops, we noticed that many of them also had a goldfish motif, whether it was a package of fish-shaped sweets, or even the goldfish lanterns on this traditional dinner cruise boat:

'Tis the season, I suppose. :)

Back in our own neighborhood we decided that our dashi had worn off, so we wrapped up the evening eating gyoza (dumplings) at our favorite local Chinese place.

And now I'm debating whether I'm too full to do a little homework before hitting the sack...

Staycationing, part 4

Made my way over to the river bank to catch the annual Tama River fireworks display tonight.

This week's fireworks totally made up for last Saturday's logistical disasters. I'd planned to go either on my own or with a friend or two, but on Wednesday I was invited to join a big group that had already reserved their spot. Right up front!

I donned my yukata one more time, met up with my friends and then we made our way over toward the river. We enjoyed some food and snacks as we waited for the sun to go down.

Perfect weather and clear skies- the best viewing conditions.

Enjoy the show! (The photos are best towards the end.)

Playing with zoom.  This turned out to be one of my favorites...

In addition to a fantastic evening, this was also the first time I've had a really solid opportunity to practice taking pictures of fireworks with my new camera. I'm still a little green, so I was delighted to find that the camera does a pretty good job even without a lot of expertise. What do you think? Any tips for what to do next time?

Staycationing, part 3

Playing catch-up a little bit.

I spent part of the morning being highway-robbed at the university hospital in order to get a prescription for *yet another* ear infection. I get so many of these that I asked the doctor if there was anything I could do to treat these things at home, or better yet, if there was a more preventative approach I could be taking.

"Um, don't catch a cold."

Thanks.

But at least now I have a huge pile of drugs to show everyone:

Maybe this will last me through the next two or three infections...and at the rate I'm going, that'll just be til the end of the year or so.

But let's talk about something more interesting now.  How about Odaiba?  I spent this past Wednesday there with @LikesBlueBoots, window shopping and luncheoning (it sounds fancier when I say it that way...).

It's also one of the best places to get good photos of a Tokyo skyline panorama.

We enjoyed some Indian curry for lunch and then made our way through some of the shopping centers. This time, I stumbled upon some curiosities that I hadn't seen on previous visits. For instance, I now know exactly where to go if I need a wig selection in pretty much any color available:

I also had to do the touristy thing and take pictures of some of the landmarks on the island, including Tokyo's very own Statue of Liberty, Fuji Television, and the giant Gundam, but also the lesser-known "Flame of Liberty":

  

A quick stop at my favorite outlet was a bit disappointing, but I did come away with a much sought-after set of acrylic chopsticks. Now if only I had dinner guests...

My friend was incredibly patient with me while I took detours for photos, but in spite of the overcast skies I think I got some nice ones.

Tomorrow: fireworks!

Staycationing, part 2

Well, yesterday I did a lot. Don't have many pictures to show for it though, unfortunately.

I went to a ballet performance at my church and then headed over to watch the Tokyo Bay Fireworks display, but I just didn't have any luck sitting in places where I had a good view. Gave up pretty early on my hopes of getting good photos at both events. :)

Took only one picture of the ballet.  I had to stand up to get this one, and there were still plenty of heads in the way...

After the ballet finished I made my way over towards the bay, proud of myself for getting there early enough that I could get a decent spot to sit. Go right ahead and have a seat here, they said. I took a seat among a huge crowd of people.

But what they didn't say was that for most of us the fireworks would be obscured by a building. As soon as things got started I discovered that I could either get up and move, or resign myself to just listening to the booms.

While searching for another place to watch from, I snuck in a few very quick shots of the fireworks exploding over Tokyo Bay...but had to do it in a hurry because there were police officers and security guards everywhere telling us to move on whenever we stopped walking.

A few of the lucky ones who found seats in a place where the fireworks were visible...

Snapped this one as a police officer was yelling at me to keep moving...
Needless to say this was pretty much the best I could do for the night

I never found a place to sit.  Ended up standing to watch what little I could see over the top of a tree and through some railings, then decided to head back to the train station about 30 minutes before the end.  At least I didn't have to squeeze onto a crowded train on the way home, right?

At the end of the day, I decided to console myself over my failed efforts at fun by indulging in a watermelon granita. Worth. It.

But that was yesterday.  (Technically the day before yesterday, since it's already after midnight.) Today was a whole lot more fun, and I've got a whole lot more pictures to show for it.

It was the annual local neighborhood summer festival, and in the six summers I've lived in this neighborhood, this is the most I've ever experienced of it. My friend Chi-chan came over and we each got gussied up in our own yukata (light cotton kimono) before heading out to the festival, just in time to watch a group of participants carry the mikoshi (portable shrine which in Shinto religion functions as a vehicle for a god) through our main shopping street.

Participants carrying the mikoshi

As you can probably tell, they really pack the people in for these things.

Once we'd seen a bit, and after we'd picked up two of Chi-chan's friends, we walked over to the local shrine to get something to eat from the yatai (food stalls) set up for the occasion.

Chi-chan (right) and a friend

Kana-chan (another friend) adding syrup to her shaved ice

Food stalls, with the shrine in the background

We stayed there for a while, mostly because it was HOT today and we could stand in the shade and enjoy the breeze here. I enjoyed some jaga-batta (steamed potatoes with butter), my personal favorite at festivals. We took turns taking strolls around the shrine grounds.

Grillin' up some ika (squid)

In case you need a quick disguise

Heading back towards the shopping street, we watched a second round of neighborhood folks carry mikoshi. We followed the group as they wound their way through the streets...and all the way back to the shrine again.

Everybody was hot and sweaty by this point. I don't know how the celebrants survived the weight of the mikoshi and the constant shouting in addition to the heat and humidity...

Tatami mats ready and waiting with well-earned refreshments for the when the participants finish carrying the mikoshi

We decided to wrap things up and head to a local bar. But first, I had to have my own shaved ice.

I chose mango and lemon flavors. Best 200 yen I spent all day.

Enjoying some snacks and cold drinks.
I dressed myself this time! It took a couple rounds of practice, though...

And now, for the grand finale...I'm going to attempt to upload a video. There's just no other way to give a better sense of the festival atmosphere.

And now, bed time. :)