Spring has sprung

first blooms, originally uploaded by ninapod.

I saw a funny TV news clip the other day that epitomizes pointless Japanese officials officiating things.

Site is some park in Tokyo where the sakura have begun blooming. A government official arrives with an enormous camera, takes a few photos of a blooming sakura and announces to the news camera: 「桜が咲き始めました。以上です。」

I pass by a gazillion sakura on my way to work and this is probably the closest I will get to hanami this year. For those who will be in Tokyo next week, the river just north of Tennoz Isle station is great.

Yuigahama

Yuigahama, originally uploaded by ninapod.

Chico the Plott Hound and I made it to the beach after a 2.5 hour trek on the 裏大仏 trail.

I♥Kamakura.

Chico

Chico
Originally uploaded by ninapod

Chico was a big hit among Kamakura-ites.

Here he is doing his best Che pose.

Snowshoeing in Gunma

Snoeshowing in Gunma
Originally uploaded by ninapod

Last Sunday for a day trip with the Tokyo Gaijins. Snowshoe up, slide on your booty down the mountain!
My abs hurt for a week afterward. (Congratulations to V, who found out she was carrying twins the next day (no connection with the snowshoeing))
Finished off with a soak in Takaragawa onsen and a 5-hour bus ride back to Shinjuku.
Fresh air and exercise wipes out all the stress from the workweek.


Editor's note: Gunma snowshoeing was in March; Yunishigawa early January; Naeba late December.

Yunishigawa snow

Yunishigawa snow, originally uploaded by ninapod.

栃木に行ってきました。
A few hours away from warm, urban Tokyo is snowy, inaka Yunishigawa in Tochigi, an hour away from the more popular Kinugawa. I went on a very quiet Friday in early January just as a blizzard passed through. Rotenburo is that much better with falling snow silencing everything around you.

Fuji from Enoshima

Fuji from Enoshima
Originally uploaded by ninapod

From Enoshima, packed with hatsumode-ing families and friends on New Years, Fuji at sunset.

Kent, Rebecca

Kent, Rebecca
Originally uploaded by ninapod

The snow was icy and scarce in Naeba but it was a fun siblingx2 ski weekend anyway.

From the Dragondola

From the dragon gondola
Originally uploaded by ninapod

The Dragondola took us to much better snow in Kagura. From the ropeway we spotted monkey tracks, wooden black bears and a beautiful jade-green lake.

apres ski @ Hotel Cho

apres ski @naeba
Originally uploaded by ninapod

Kent and Ai brought lots of goodies (sparkling, wine, cheese) to share for apres-ski at our room in Hotel Cho.

pioneer square ducks

pioneer square ducks
Originally uploaded by ninapod

Even the wooden ducks in Pioneer Square had their rain gear on.

seattle from west seattle

seattle from west seattle, originally uploaded by ninapod.

Seattle was not very different from four years ago. Everyone still wore goretex, every day was cloudy with a chance of rain, and the best city views were from Alki Beach.