Ichigaya fishing center

Conveniently located next to the Ichigaya station, in Shinjuku, Tokyo; the Ichigaya Fishing center provides quick fix to fishing fans too busy to go to their favorite fishing spot.


Several fishing pools loaded with carps, that in the clear water have no place to hide. Fishing god and bait are available for rent or you can use your own equipment.



The catch is weighed and you are given discount points, redeemable on your next visit. Your catch is transferred to a recovery pool to be later returned to the fishing pools.

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Hydrangea at Hasedera

Hydrangeas are in season in Japan, one famous place to appreciate the hydrangeas is the gardens at Hasedera in Kamakura, Kanagawa prefecture.




Hasedera temple is a famous Buddhist temple, with beautifully manteined gardens. The temple is a popular destination for worshipers, getting specially crowded on Hydrangeas season.




There were large queues to enter the garden and the garden itself was too busy to fully appreciate the hydrangeas.






After all the blooming Hydrangeas with view to the temple and the Sagami bay made the wait and queueing worthwile.

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Rainy season is here

Japan’s rainy season has arrived, bringing daily rain, a 30 º C plus heat, and an incredible high humidity. Any photo shooting outing it is an excruciating experience. This is not my favorite season here.


The weather has been more generous today with a gentle breeze and a 25 º C temperature; unfortunately, we will be back to 30 º C plus tomorrow. The rainy season is expected to last until the middle of July.

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Aviation Park in Tokorozawa

Tokorozawa aviation memorial park in the Saitama prefecture in Tokorozawa city, with 50 HA is the largest in the prefecture. The park it is also known as the birthplace of Japanese aviation as the first Japanese aircraft dedicated airport was established here in 1911.




The U.S. forces seized the airfield after the war, until 1967 when it returned to Japanese goverment. Designeted as a prefectural park in 1974, and opening to public four years later in 1978.


There is also the magnificent Tokorozawa aviation museum, with a display of airplanes, helicopters, engines and flight simulators; unfortunately, by the time I get there it was alredy close, so I could not get in.



In the outdoors exhibitions, a C46A cargo plane and an YS11 plane are in exposición.






Additionally a Japanese garden is in the center of the park, with a pond and a teahouse.

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Japanese war soldiers’ shrine Yasukuni Jinja

Yasukuni Jinja in Chiyoda ward in Tokyo is the Shrine dedicated to the soldiers who died on the Japanese wars.



The Shrine originally one of the main State Shinto shrines, until the separation between the church and the state in 1946.





There is a great controversy with the shrine as it has enshrined WWII criminals. As an outcome, when prime ministers visit the shrine, many countries condemn the visit.




In the premises there is also the Yushukan war museum, many war relics are housed there, included a zero fighter plane.


Next to the main shrine or hoden there is the motomiya or original shrine.


Behind the honden there is the Shinchi teien or sacred pond garden, with a small waterfall.

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