A lady in her prime, traveling solo…

Tag Archive for ‘Tokyo’

Japan: Tokyo National Museum

The Tokyo National Museum in Ueno Park is housed in an impressive building from the early 1930’s featuring elements of what is called the “emperor’s crown style” – a mix of Western Art Deco and Eastern sweeping forms.  Two stories of well displayed and lit materials, with plenty of opportunities for resting, this museum was [...]

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Japan: Tokyo’s Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden

It was a perfect early Spring day:  sunshine and temperatures of about 10 degrees.  Time to stroll through one of Tokyo’s largest city center parks. The early narcissus were in full bloom under the still barren cherry tree branches, attracting avid photographers. Also out were early Ume (plum) blossoms, which attracted some cute green finches. [...]

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Japan: Tokyo Bird Carver’s Club

Ornithologists are a breed apart.  And ornithologists who are also wood carvers surely form a distinct sub-category.  In Tokyo, the “Bird Carver’s Club” exhibited its masterpieces at the Shinjuku-gyoen Garden.  And masterworks they were: from the right proportions to the distinctive details of each species, each piece was astonishingly life-like.  The hours of study, contemplation [...]

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Japan: Tokyo’s “cat cafes”

By now it is a known fact that pets can help to combat stress symptoms. So it is a logical conclusion to combine two pleasurable activities in order to achieve a positive result: have a tea or coffee break and pet a cat to feel relaxed.  The Japanese solution:  visit a “Cat Cafe”. What can [...]

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