We were fortunate enough to run into a Japanese wedding party yesterday. The lady in white and the man in the gray hakama in the middle of the picture are of course the bride and groom. They are posing in front of the temple entrance. I was surprised to see so many people dressed in... Continue Reading →
I’m in geek heaven – World Cosplay Summit
Every once in a while I need to get in touch with my inner geek. It usually lies dormant, but from time to time it wants to get out. So when we heard about the World Cosplay Summit in Nagoya in July 2011, my inner geek and I decided we were going to spend some... Continue Reading →
The other Japanese toilet
When people think of Japanese toilets - as I'm sure many of us often do - they think of the high-technology toilet with all the buttons, that looks more like a space-ship than an actual toilet. Standard functions include two sprays of water (one for boys and one for girls), a blow dryer and preheated... Continue Reading →
Forces of nature
Today typhoon nr. 15, a.k.a. Roke, passed through Japan. It's the first typhoon since we've been here that passed directly over Nagoya and Toyota-City, and the first one that really had me worried. Yesterday on the news we watched images of Nagoya being flooded. And that was before the typhoon even arrived. The flooding was... Continue Reading →
Dancing in the streets at Oiden festival
Every last Saturday of July, Toyota City has its annual festival called Oiden. It is followed by the Toyota City Fireworks Display on Sunday. They close off one of the main streets of Toyota City and set up a stage and some food stands. Thousands of people flock to the Toyota City Center to see... Continue Reading →
Singing their hearts out
Near the Toyota City station, there is a covered walkway. It has some greenery and benches and overall it's a nice area. In the evening all the commuters walk along this walkway on their way home. Sometimes amateur singers use this location to showcase their talents. In most cases this is for the enjoyment of... Continue Reading →