Showa Park

I spent this Saturday exploring Showa Park in Tachikawa. It's a sprawling green space filled with sites and activities for all ages. The most impressive park I've seen in Japan so far.

View from Tachikawa Gate

This is something you don't see very often in Japan: a random speedo clad Japanese man tanning openly in a public park.

Spiral pathway as you enter the Children's Forest area.

I love bamboo forests

Rainbow Hammock

Bouncing Dome

Pyramid

Misty Forest

Dragon Dunes

They also have nature trails with gorgeous flowers blooming throughout the seasons.

The Japanese Garden area

These dragonflies were tougher to photograph than the tame ones inside the butterfly garden. I moved really slow to get close. 

Open Field with a 100+ year old Zelkova Tree. Hard to find a bigger open space than this in the Tokyo area.

Random Picture Post: June 2013

These are some random photos that span the last 2 or 3 months. Some you may have caught on Facebook.

This little cutie is my newest niece: Chloe Ann 

I do some teaching at CEC in Tachikawa 

And one from my monthly seniors class. Also in Tachikawa. 

Sushi and a movie in Tokyo with friends 

Park Ball with some single adults in the stake. 

Shooting a TV spot with Derek at Mt. Takao. 

Hara-rikyu Garden

After the markets, I walked through Hara-rikyu Garden. I visited here during the winter in 2006, but nothing was in bloom. A bit greener this time around.

Hinokuchiyama Hill

The 300 Year Old Pine

Tsukiji Market

I made a day trip to check out Tsukiji Market on Saturday. There wasn't a lot to photograph that I haven't already photographed many times before in other markets around the world, so not many pictures below.

There are many pickled items for sale in the outer markets.

Take note that it is NOT raining. The ladies use umbrellas on sunny days as well as rainy ones. I wish I could get away with this too, but I've been told it's frowned upon when men do it.

I ate lunch at Sushi Zanami, one of two kaiten sushi places in the outer markets. It was pretty good.

Tama Zoo: The Good

On the bright side, the Tama Zoo has one of the best insectariums and butterfly gardens I've ever seen. The price of admission is worth it for these two attractions themselves. There were a few decent animal enclosures as well--I've put two examples below.

These little guys seemed to have enough space to roam around and it was landscaped nicely. 

The Japanese otters also had a nice habitat to frolic and play in. 

Giant grasshoppers in front of the insectarium

 

 They have an amazing leaf cutter ant farm comprised of multiple terrariums connected by tubes. I could stare at that thing for hours.

 

Cool beetles

 

This praying mantis mimics the orchid

 

More camouflaged insects

 

I think this is a water scorpion

 

Pupas

 

 Ménage à Hop

 The Butterfly Garden