Cats and a green man in Kamakura

The two cats above were sitting and lying around in the summer heat in Kamakura.

A street crossing not too far from Kamakura station.

The Sendai Jozenji Street Jazz Festival

The Sendai Jazz festival which is held every year in September has come and gone again. This year, 2008, saw a large crowd in the main areas where multiple bands played at the same time.

In Sendai the Jazz festival is held primarily on Jozenji street and in other areas around the city centre. You can walk around the city and view various bands at the little stage locations, and if you have one of the schedule papers which are handed out you can plan who you want to see and where you want to go. It is impossible to see every band play as there are many bands playing at the same time which can be far apart on other sides of the city centre.

The Sendai Jozenji Jazz Festival not only has Jazz but also Rock, Blues and other music such as RnB, and Gospel. Many people come from all over Japan and the amount of foreigners in the city is surprisingly high.

Enjoy the photos...

The coming Autumn in Japan

Summer is now over in Japan. Autumn and the beautiful colourful leaves will in the coming months come out. I'll post more later in the coming months. The following photo is from 2006 and shows green and yellow trees in the same street on opposite sides.

More on Kamakura Japan

These are more photos of the Kamakura area.

Tha sky train is interesting and feels like you are flying in a train. It can be taken to Enshima near Kamakura after a train ride from Tokyo or you can go to Kamakura JR station by train direct.

At Enoshima you can view the area from a viewing platform and also see the various shrines. There is a lively village like atmosphere and some historic British house ruins in the gardens.

From Enoshima take the Enoden train to the Great Buddha and other shrines and temples. In summer it is hot though.

Daibutsu - The Great Buddha in Kamakura

The Great Buddha in Kamakura is a great site and worth visiting. There are many tourists visiting the Great Buddha in Kamakura, but it helps add to the atmosphere and provides a bit of excitement to go with the awe. It is a short walk from the station which is serviced by a historical type of train called the Enoden. Take a JR city train from Tokyo to Kamakura and change there to take the historical train.

Abukuma station and River - Miyagi Prefecture

The Abukuma river in Miyagi Japan is a nice area to visit for a drive or a train ride. It is scenic and is near the terraced rice fields posted in the previous post. It seems to be a nice place to go riding on a mountain bike as there are many small roads one could explore.

The railway station is interesting and not very busy, and there is a small restaurant there also. You can take trains from Sendai and from Fukushima.

Terraced rice paddies near the Abukuma river - Miyagi

In Japan terraced rice paddies are not too easy to find but they do exist. Knowing where to go is important to saving time and enjoying the view they can give especially on a clear day.
The photos were taken near Marumori in Miyagi prefecture not far from the Fukushima border and quite close to the Abukuma river. You can get near there by train and a good long walk or by car.

Sendai Tananbata Festival

Sendai in Miyagi prefecture Japan has a big festival in August every year where they hang big decorations up in two arcades around the city. A lot of effort goes into the decorations and some people spend a good part of the year making them. The Sendai Tanabata festival is a three day festival which started on the 6th of August this year.

Photos copyright to roger at Onsen Feel Japan.