Nigh

Tokyo Tower, closing out the year.

A view of the Kachidoki river, with the bridge to the left. Tokyo Tower, northwest of the bridge, is just out of the frame.

Second Life

(In Tsukishima.)

Radishes and a carrot thrive on a smaller scale.

Mush, Mush!

A man giving his minuscule dog a workout by having him pull a stroller as his baby sits in it.

Since this actually wasn't physically possible for the dog, the man would push the stroller full force, letting it coast while the dog trotted, blissfully unaware of his own limitations.

Just Add Water

Chamomile tea from Greece, poured into a kyusu (a small teapot used for Japanese tea).

Bikes and Ethereality

(Near Jiyugaoka station.)

Roll and Roar

At IKEA Funabashi, a slot-machine like toy for the kids to play with while their parents shop. Such amusements were set up on every floor, but are they even necessary? The entire store is one huge doll's house for kids and adults to play make-believe in.

For the Birds

(In front of a house in Tsukishima.)

A mikan orange half poked through a tree branch, in hopes of attracting the shrike birds that have flown down to Japan for the winter.

Made Up of All That's Nice

A new kind of Christmas tree, on display at Tokyo International Forum. Teddy bears and pink + Japanese women= just market this thing already.

How Much Can You Hate a Cat?

(In Tsukishima.)

Lining up water bottles to keep away cats is a common tactic; using umbrellas, less so. (This was not taken after a rainy day.)

Round the corner from where the photo of the bike was taken. Clearly, the water bottles' effectiveness does not extend beyond a three-foot radius.

This is also the only instance that I have ever seen cacti growing wild in Japan.

Dandelion Clock Lamp

At IKEA Funbashi, a lamp clearly inspired by dandelions, or more specifically, a dandelion clock.

The dandelion fluff are made out of paper. I fear for their flammability.

Fish Eye Lens

Believing that an approaching human figure meant it was meal time, the goldfish closed in, perfectly filling the frame. All but the slightly dopey-looking pop-eyed goldfish, which swam in the other direction. Bless him.

(Someone's house in Tsukishima.)

Cotton Bud, Take a Bow

Smelt or Capelin?

Shishamo (smelt) in a Shizuoka supermarket, suffering the indignity of having a wooden stick shoved through their mouths. But perhaps the greater insult lies in the naming: they are only nominally smelt; most shishamo sold in supermarkets are actually capelin.

Making a Break for It

A Photo Op with Santa and Ultraman

(A photo shop on Waseda-dori.)

One of these days, the Ultraman statue is going to be worth more than the photo shop it belongs to.

Notice the Godzilla on the bottom left of the photo.

Skeletons in Your Closet, Fish in Your Garage

(Someone's house in Yoyogi.)

Large, seemingly expensive, seemingly rare-looking fish kept in a huge tank behind a garage door that is very rarely opened. Something about the setup screams unlawful activity.

A Huff and a Puff

The Hermès store in Ginza. Three cheers for their steady output of deliciously strange window installations.

Cute from Every Side

Miffy hiragana biscuits.

The cutout hiragana chart on the inside of the box. Thoroughly adorable, but the idea of Miffy using a saw (nokogiri) for の (no) is misguided, to say the least.

Recycling/Decorating

(A restaurant in Tomigaya.)

Though the empty bottles lined up in the side window are a perpetual feature, depending on the day, the wine bottles on the barrel and under the front window of this restaurant are nowhere to be seen. Could that be recycling day?