Andrew's Photos and Updates from Japan!
Back home, I heard it has been pretty cold already this year. So far, we haven’t had too much to complain about in Tokyo. It has gotten colder, but we still have flowers blooming.
No matter how cold it is, spring is coming…
The other day, I needed to run a few errands in Shinjuku, but I wasn’t in a big hurry. Hard to believe, but I had never taken the time to explore this area of Ogikubo, even though it is close to where I live. Because it was January 2nd, a lot of the shops were closed, so I’ll have to go back again. But it was very interesting. I love exploring new areas, and these small neighborhoods and back roads in Tokyo have a lot of surprises to offer. From small, family restaurants, to statues, to cat shrines, you never know what is around the next corner. Plus, Tokyo is very safe, so you never have to worry about walking around, even at night. I want to spend more time this year exploring–and taking pictures! 
One of the first things I noticed as I walked down Kyokai Dori was this soba shop.
The sign ????means “soba.” Soba is a kind of buckwheat noodles. These shops are ubiquitous in Tokyo, which is good, because they are delicious, satisfying, and very nutritious. You can enjoy a hot bowl of soba in winter, or cold noodles in summer.
During New Year’s, many homes and businesses display special decorations. Relying on homonyms and puns, these words take advantage of the limited number of sounds in Japanese in their good luck charms. For example, the concept of ??, musubi, or tying, is very important in Shinto. The word literally means “to wrap; bind” or simply, “knot,” and in Shinto it symbolizes the creative power of life. But even onigiri, or rice balls, which is a very common food, can be called musubi. This helps make Japanese a very rich and interesting language (though frustratingly complicated at times!) Many people observe the New Year holiday by displaying ornate rope decorations like this one. The knot (musubi), has a deeper meaning…
You never know what you will find when you take the time to explore a new area of your neighborhood. I spent so much time last year, unable to do much recreational walking. This year, plan to make up for lost time. I love walking, because it helps clear my mind and it invigorates my body and spirit. How about you?
Wikipedia article: Soba
Britannica Online: musubi
My Ogikubo Pictures on Flickr