Sakura, Sakura

Walkabout - Gokusho

   I went to Gokusho (御供所) to see the cherry blossoms yesterday. This old neighborhood located in Fukuoka City's Hakata Ward has some of Japan's oldest temples including the nation's first zen temple (Shofukuji 聖福寺). 

   Pagoda at Tôchôji (東長寺)

   Tôchôji (東長寺)

   Tôchôji (東長寺)

   Jôtenji (承天寺) Completed in 1242, this temple is said to be where udon, soba, manju and yokan originated.

   Jôtenji (承天寺)

   For more on the Gokusho neighborhood and its temples visit yokanavi.

Ume

   Although we're in for another cold spell, the Japanese plum blossoms (梅の花, ume no hana) are now in full bloom here in Fukuoka, reminding us that spring is coming. Bundle up and go have a look!

   The city really should force the Lion's Club to tear this eyesore down. What were they thinking?

Winter Wonderland

   I can confidently say without having to look at the news that Fukuoka is enjoying (yes, enjoying) its heaviest snowfall in eighteen years. None of the weather sites had predicted it. None had said that it would not only snow heavily all day Saturday, but would continue snowing throughout the night. Their proclivity to err on caution meant that when I woke up this morning, I was happily surprised to find a Winter Wonderland outside my bedroom window. (Nothing brings out the little boy in me quite like ground covered with several inches of new snow.)

   I’m tempted to hop on a train and ride out to the southern part of the prefecture to see how much snow they got, but unfortunately I’ve got things to do. Ho-hum.

Bemused

   A friend noted the other day that I hadn’t posted anything in quite a while.

   It’s true.

   I was hoping to post something daily once the spring break started and I would be getting paid for essentially not showing up for work. (If someone working at a Japanese university tells you he’s busy, be vewy, vewy suspicious.) The thing is, the Muses, Thalia and Calliope, have been very kind to me since I returned from my holidays in the States: I am off to a promising start on two novels (one of which I alluded to in an earlier post, and another you can read here).

   I try to hammer out a chapter or so of each every morning, which usually leaves me with little time or energy for writing anything else. Not that I don’t want to, mind you.

   I have also been asked to put together a series of presentations on e-publishing. (Bit like the blind leading the blind, I’m afraid.)

   Anyways, your patience is requested.

Dazaifu in Winter 2