Autumn (Tokyo Studio)
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November 30th, 2008shousetsu7of15Another beautiful winter day in Tokyo with a precipation probablity forecast of 10%, 10%, 0%, 0% (in 6 hours increment starting at 0:00). We took advantage of the weather, got up (reasonably) early, made a sushi pinic lunch and headed out into the sun. We dropped by Kitanomaru first before going to Yoyogi Park. A trip to Yoyogi Park on a Sunday always promises adventures. Narratives just unfold around you and a day like today brings everyone out.
The Autumn colour is, of course, in full view and much appreciated. The ichou (ginko) trees are a magnificent yellow; the momiji (maples) are in various grades from green, yellow, orange, red to pale pink; the sakura (cherry) trees are bright orange with some remaning touches of green. Piles of chruchy dried leaves are thick on the ground. Every now and then, gusts of wind would blow through the park creating showers of leaves. It is simply a joy.
Everyone is, once again, enjoying various sports and activities in the park. Dog owners are especially pleased with the dog run facilities, where ‘dogs and owner [can] enjoy nature’. But there are rules that need to be contend with (I especially like no. 10 which I think would be helpful in most situations):
1. Owners cannot eat foods neither smoke inside dogrun.
2. One person can only bring one dog. Please keep an eye on your dog.
3. Under five years old babies (human) cannot go inside. Under 12 years old children have to be accompanied by their parents.
4. Dogs which has biting habit cannot go inside. Dogs in heat (one month), or ill cannot go in.
5. You cannot use balls neither toys inside the dogrun. Please don’t feed the dog inside the dogrun.
6. If there is any accidents, owners have to settle by themselves.
7. Owners have to bring back the dung.
8. Trainers for the dogs cannot do any commercial business inside the dogrun.
9. Please use the car park if you park the car.
10. Please don’t give any trouble to others.
11. ‘Yoyogi Park Dogrun Supporters Club’ is running activities. If you are interested to participate in this club, please register at Yoyogi Park Adminstrative Office.
12. Please cooperate with members of ‘Yoyogi Park Dogrun Supporters Club’ inside the dogrun.
Also there are preconditions, one of which is ‘please have rabies shot before using Yoyogi Dogurn’. (Dogs, owners, or both?)
December 1st, 2008 at 10:53 am
hello Jo,
alas I am a latecomer reader to your wonderful almanac! The threads of seasons, gardens, weather and inner-city animals are a pleasure. Looking forward to some retrospective reading, especially for it’s ‘first-person-ness’… here in sydney I’ve been more curious than usual about japan and learning (as usual) via library books that float my way – the amazing ‘Womansword : what Japanese words say about women’ by Kittredge Cherry, Masanobu Fukuoka’s ‘One Straw Revolution’ and a few on Shinto too. All so intriguing.
smooth sailing home,
lisa
December 1st, 2008 at 12:00 pm
6. If there is any accidents, owners have to settle by themselves.
This one seems particularly old fashioned. Yikes! Taking the law into your own hands inside the “dogrun” – an autonomous anarchic territory in its own right, could be dicey…
December 2nd, 2008 at 11:10 pm
Hi Liza, thanks for having a read – I hope you find time to dig through the almanac. I would like to hear more about your interests in Japan. There are lots of interesting things about women and the Japanese language – specifically, the creation and usage of Hiragana. Shinto is also a very fanscinating aspects that is so ingrained in and unique to the culture. I have become a bit of a wikipedia addict since I have here – tag-hopping trying to find out more!
December 2nd, 2008 at 11:13 pm
Lucas, sometimes I feel that the same can be said about the urban environment here in general. I am forever dodging pedestrians texting on their mobiles or crazy cyclists (who seemingly are not obliged to follow any road rules whatsoever). Amazingly, nothing happens.