A Not-So-Good Festival and a Great One

Went to the Konnyaku-enma festival in Korakuen but it was kinda dead. seriously, like me and one other dude who was just there to take photos. konnyaku is this japanese food that's kinda rubbery and tasteless (that's not right -- it takes on the flavors of whatever you're cooking it with. it's actually quite good).


Here's a photo:

It snowed in Tokyo yesterday! the first snow in 2 years. my crocous bulbs started rebudding but i think they have frozen over again . . . . . . .



I got up super early to go to another festival this morning in Kameido. It was major rush hour (just before 8ish in the morning) and i saw ikebukuro station with all it's hustling bustling glory:


I milled around in Kameido for over an hour (grabbed some breaky) cuz i couldn't find the damn shrine. visited 3 of them before finding the right one! It was at Kemeido Tenjin Shrine which is a fair walk from the station. It was the Usokae Shinji festival (this time there were heaps of people). Usokae Shinji is Bullfinch Exchange festival. they carve bullfinches of all sizes out of wood and if you had a crap year last year, you exchange the one from last year for a new one this year which is supposed to change your luck. i got a couple of me and my friends:



The shrine:

Early plum blossoms:


My schwag:




Here's a cart full of tiny people watching the puppies get fed at the pet store. So cute!