inside the tree

The sky was becoming dark, and the fog was coming with light rain. So, we all missed orange and water blue in the twilight in the evening. At five o'clock, instead, the lights of myriad buildings around here came on, and these were just like numerous fireflies glowing in the sea of Tokyo city.
 
Inside the tower newly built a year ago, the interior was so chic that we all came to think that even the staff, the middle age woman, trying to clean up the floor of cafe area with a small vacuum chicly. Why we thought so? 'cause each staff wore a slightly loose uniform designed by a famous designer who someone said learnt his basic-style around Scandinavian countries.

Countless people kept coming to the tower just like rain falling endlessly tonight.
This tower was named "sky tree", and I was walking at the downtown area of Tokyo, while it was still drizzling.

a field of spa

The pic shows the center of Kusatsu-spa area. The steam goes up to the cloudy sky, and beneath the sky, there are several lines of rectangles on the bare bedrock. This place is called "yubatake", which means "a field of spa". In case you don't have any images about a relationship between a field and spa, at first, you try to image a field of a corn, potato or whatever. Instead of vegetables, this place seems to grow a hot-spring. So, inside rectangles, which seem to be box connected with each other, there are plenty of hot water sprang from the rock. The steam comes from there.
The main function of this field is that it can adjust the heat of the hot spring while the hot water running through it, and moreover, it produces "yunohana", which means "a flower of hot spring". This flower is, in fact, a deposit or sediment of a spa that contains plenty of hot-spring-ingredient.
Here is Kusatsu, Japan

enjoying an outside spa

Kusatsu spa has been well known by its long history. One of its famous episodes is that the first "samurai-syougun" in this country, I mean, the ruler in 1190's, came here and took the baths for his health.

I took this pic from a path going to a huge outside spa-pool, named "saino-kawara" (real meaning of this Japanese name is "west-riverbed"). Believe or not, in this country, the rule number one is that people must be naked when enjoying in a spa, even in an outside spa, moreover, even in an outside-mixed-bathing-spa (though I never try this mixed one). Of course, high walls surround almost all spa-pool enough high to hide from outsiders' eyes.

You know, the feeling when enjoying an outside spa with being naked?

Of course, it's so good to be relaxed.

Here is Kusatsu, Japan

monkey entertainer

As I said in the previous blog, the tallest building in Yokohama, or in Tokyo area, is named "landmark tower" that is the left over the Ferris wheel in the pic. Interestingly, the upper parts of the tower, maybe, its 60 to 70th floor, is used as a hotel, Yokohama Royal Park Hotel. Its very top, of course, is a 360 view-observation floor named "sky garden". In order to go up to its top floor, I pay almost US$10, or 1,200 JPN. Its panorama view is so great. I can see the entire sightseeing spots of Yokohama city, including a bay bridge, Chinese town, and Yokohama ballpark. But the most impressive thing I see in the top is not the view, but a monkey that plays a brief-show for visitors with its monkey entertainer. After the show, the monkey gathers money from us with a small basket.

Here is Yokohama, Japan.

http://www.yokohama-landmark.jp/

tel booth in a mountain area

Yokohama is a relatively new city in Japan, 'cause it had a full-dress development for the first time in about 150 years ago, when Americans came across the Pacific Ocean. Until then, the city was just a small village and almost all the villagers seemed to be engaged in fishery.
Walking around the city, I hardly find any clues of its village era, but often see modern buildings represented as redeveloped business area, or huge tankers and ships anchored to piers typified one of biggest international harbors. But in case of looking for heritages related to the beginning of its post-village era, around the mountain area, I easily find several architectures called " Yo-kan", which means "western-style mansion". Yo-kans are actually heritages that originally were made for Americans or other Westerners coming to Japan as merchants, diplomats or technicians, I guess.
But I don't know whether the telephone booth in the pic is really the heritage that is the same as Yo-kan. The classic style is so nice and I guess the tel itself in the booth may be a real one.
By the way, this mountain area is just now regarded as a residential area for wealthy people.
Here is Yokohama, Japan.

classic city, modern city

In an Inter City train from Wien to Salzburg, an elderly man I met said that he used to be in Yokohama, and had a pretty good job related to harbor works. He was not a Japanese, but an Austrian born and bred. He laughed loudly and proudly said how much money he earned there.

So, this is maybe a reason why whenever walking around Yokohama city, I always recollect the elderly man, the compartment, and even Salzburg city as the designation at that time. It's quite strange 'cause, for me, I mean, in term of my personal viewpoint, both cities have few similarities with each other. Of course, In spite of its new town area near the train station, my strong impression of Salzburg city is such a beautiful and classic old town. On the other hand, Yokohama city may be represented by Minato-Mirai area, which has been redeveloped as a conglomerate of modern buildings with a huge Ferris wheel. The pic is a night view from the tallest building there that is named "landmark tower".

Here is Yokohama, Japan

from the mountain

The sky was in a haze, but so bright.

The sight I got from the mountain, yougai-san, was just like the pic. Simply normal.

But what's normal?

Over there, the edges of the mountain range made the space fanned out just like a triangle. The rice fields were reaped and now waiting for the next season.

It took almost an hour and half walk for me to reach this site from the Kofu-station located maybe in that haze.

The yougai mountain is not so famous, but has a certain historical prestige because of the fact that it was used as an artificial fort by the samurai in 400 years ago.

I just needed at least an another half hour walk to reach the yougai-spa from here.

Here was Kofu, Japan.

sleeping cat

The sky is so blue high.
The sleeping cat is considered as a master (or housekeeper) of the temple where the "edo sho-gun" sleeps.
Amazingly, she/he is about 400 years old, still sleeping.
The artist, "hidari-jingoro", gave her/him a life to sleep, and behind her/him, we can find sparrows enjoying her/his sleeping.
So, imagine what a peaceful moment it is.
The people made lots of legends related to the artist hidari-jingoro, in some famous sites in Japan, say, Kyoto. So, some people say this legendary artist may be a symbolic name of a group of professional engravers.
The truth is unknown.
But we know it, the cat is sleeping peacefully.
Here is Nikko, Japan
http://www.toshogu-koyoen.com/toshogu/