Japan, January–February 2006
Remnants of Tokyo’s snow • When I was in Tokyo for two days most of the snow (about which I'd heard much prior to my arrival in Japan) had already melted; however in some shady places, such as at the edge of this path in Shinjuku Chūō Kōen park there remained a few traces of the snow.
Takayama roofs • Many roofs in the town had a heavy layer of snow covering them—I didn’t wonder that elsewhere in the country this season roofs have caved in. Some people were actively shovelling snow from their roofs while I was there. This was nothing compared to what I would see the following day on the roofs of the preserved traditional houses at Hida Folk Village.
Takayama roofs • Many roofs in the town had a heavy layer of snow covering them—I didn’t wonder that elsewhere in the country this season roofs have caved in. Some people were actively shovelling snow from their roofs while I was there. This was nothing compared to what I would see the following day on the roofs of the preserved traditional houses at Hida Folk Village.
Hida Folk Village • A collection of antique traditional Japanese houses and farm-buildings have been transferred to this ‘village’, on a mountain just over a mile from Takayama.
The large flat area covered in snow is in warmer times a lake: it had frozen over and been covered with snow.
Powdered rice, a product of the sake-making process • From what I gathered from our tour guide, the rice is cooked and fermented and then the solid remnants are turned into this powder, which can be used for making soup. I may be entirely wrong about that, but I'm pretty sure that the white powder in these large sacks was powdered rice.
The Imperial Palace, Kyoto • The entrance to the ‘main’ hall of the Imperial Palace. We weren’t even allowed to go into the courtyard in front of the hall. The Chinese consider nine to be a ‘lucky’ number—there are eighteen steps leading up to the hall to provide a double dosage of luck!
The attack of the low-flying deer • Evidently this sign-post was taken out by the thing that it warns against: low-flying deer. People looked at me strangely when I took this photograph, as if to say, “Why does he want a photo of that?’ I’ll tell you why, dear reader: in order to make that rather weak joke.
Deer • One of the many semi-wild deer which roam throughout Nara park. Some of the deer were very people-tolerant, while others were less so. The Rough Guide to Japan (3rd ed., London, 2005) says this of them:
The large grassy area is kept trim by more than a thousand semi-wild deer. They were originally regarded as divine messengers of one of Kasuga-jinja’s Shinto gods, and anyone who killed a deer was liable to be dispatched shortly after. During World War II the numbers dwindled to just seventy beasts, but now they’re back with a vengeance—which makes picnicking impossible and presents something of a hazard to young children.
