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Sunday, March 30, 2025

2025 Tokyo Highlights: Returning Home

Images taken from a plane: pre-sunrise sky in an airplane window; Tokyo runway lights; ceiling of my airplane cabin

I took some photos to celebrate my trip home on a very long Sunday. I had a full Sunday in Tokyo, with my flight leaving at nearly 10pm, but crossed the date line on the way home, and arrived at Sunday mid-afternoon in San Francisco.

I'm still not fully healthy (and long flights don't help!), and will manage my return to work as carefully as I can.

2025 Tokyo Highlights: Camellias and More

Five views: four camellias and another blooming shrub

There were signs of spring beyond the cherry blossoms! Great camellias abounded. Plus whatever this gorgeous white flowering shrub is (spotted in the Imperial Palace East Gardens).

2025 Tokyo Highlights: Hie Shrine

Three Views of the Hie Shrine: main shrine, entry gate, and door detail

This was my first visit to the Hie Shrine. I had already bought all the charms that exist (at Meiji Jingu), so I didn't shop here, but enjoyed this shrine complex atop a hill, surrounded by highrises.

2025 Tokyo Highlights: Food

Seven images of food, primarily ramens and curries

I lost my appetite during this trip, and came back with looser jeans, so that's something. Eating in Tokyo is hard for me as a vegetarian with gluten intolerance: most Tokyo restaurants are filled with deep fried meats and breaded everything. But I did well for myself on the one meal out I enjoyed daily.

2025 Tokyo Highlights: MOT

Four views with the Museum of Contemporary Art's 2024 Annual Show

The sound show at MOT was sold out, but I enjoyed this contemporary MOT Annual 2024 "on the imagined terrain" show very much. Artists include Yuki Shimizu, Satoshi Kawata, Ryohei Usui, and Asami Shoji.

2025 Tokyo Highlights: Senso-ji

Five views from the Sensoji temple complex

I spent much of my time at quiet shrines and temples with relatively few people at them. Visiting Senso-ji was... not like that. MOB SCENE more than anything. But I can see why it is popular - look at the size of those lanterns!

2025 Tokyo Highlights: Hilma af Klimt (!)

Hilma af Klimt was an amazing, ahead-of-her-time painter from Sweden, and the touring show happened to be at the National Museum of Modern Art! I enjoyed it (and the gift shop - too much).

2025 Tokyo Highlights: Meiji Jingu

Three Views of Meiji Jingu: main shrine, door detail, and Torii gate

This was my first visit to Meiji Jingu, and the park and grounds are lovely.

2025 Tokyo Highlights: Sakura

Three images of cherry blossoms: a white tree covered with clumps of flowers, a close up of pink blossoms, and looking up at a pink tree in full bloom

This was my fourth visit to Japan, but my first time during cherry blossom season. The famous viewing spots weren't yet in bloom when I visited, but I found flowering trees in my long walks around town. The trees that attracted me drew CROWDS.

2025 Tokyo Highlights: Bold Architecture

Tokyo has wild combinations of old, new, charming, and anti-charming. I enjoyed bold buildings during this trip, and three are included here: a Palantir/WeWork building with an elaborate glass facade; a government building; and a ventilation structure for the underground trains. All interesting in different ways!

2025 Tokyo Highlights: Nezu Shrine

Five images of the Nezu Shrine, including full main building view, detail of arch over entry, perimeter door, and Inari shrine with pond

I was out sick, and then it was time for my vacation... and the long flight to Tokyo made me MUCH SICKER. I recovered (mostly), and went out to see Tokyo a little every day, so I'll post my greatest hits here.

These are scenes from the Nezu Shrine, which has many Important Cultural Properties within the complex. The Inari Shrine on the hill beside, plus its koi pond (lower right) are also charming. I'd love to visit during the Azealea festival, to see the large azalea garden in bloom.

Sunday, March 9, 2025

Botanical Garden at Camellia Time

Collage 1: Top: Peach colored vireya rhododendron; red camellia
Middle: pink camellia detail, white camellia with red stripe; magnolia detail
Bottom row: red camellia, pink camellia

The camellias in my neighborhood have been blooming, and I finally got out to the San Francisco Botanical Garden (formerly known as the Arboretum, which it still also is!) to appreciate them. While I was there, I was able to appreciate other plants as well!

Collage 2: Top: Agave (probably), red camellia, magnolia (tulip style)
Center: white camellia
Bottom: pink furry protea, euphorbia, two enormous tulips in pale and medium pink