Seasonal Delicacies

The seasons are very important in most Japanese people's minds. Winter is the perfect time to produce a chocolate and strawberry mochi rice ice cream combination called "Yukimi Daifuku" or the Snow Viewing Mochi Rice Ball". Absolutely sensational! I can't wait to see what variety they come up with for spring!

You know what they mean!

The second last line actually says "I love yu", the kanji means "hot spring". The last line says "Kishida Onsen"

Anyone for octopus?

Japan is the land of famous things. There are famous views, famous trees, famous temples, famous mountains, and so on, and each locality has its famous products, which are packaged up for tourists to take home as souvenirs for their friends. In Izu Peninsula, seafood is the famous product, and you can buy a pack of dried octopus to chew in the train on the way home.

Pachinko!

Pachinko parlours are places where people play slot machines and various games. They are loud and smoky. This is an ad outside a parlour in Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture, for a pachinko game. The funny thing is that the character on his forehead means meat, which makes him a meat-head, I guess. 

Putting a lid on it in Izu peninsula

A fire hydrant lid in Ito City, Shizuoka Province

Putting a lid on it

Toyono town sewerage access cover - one for the dandy lions?

Can you believe it?

Don't throw it away! Littering is punishable under the law (Kawanishi City)