🌸 Hodogaya & Sumida 保土ヶ谷, 墨田

Nigel
Apr 6
4 min read

7th April 2025 年4月7日

There is an expression here (in Germany)....."mir fällt die Decke auf den Kopf " (lit. The roof is falling on my head )......😣....in other words, I need to get out of my little town - now 💨 So.....................

off we go........Two stops to Dreiech-Buchschlag station then a bus to the airport.....

I've found a new route to go east. First go to Copenhagen and then get on an SAS flight. I'd never used SAS before, but was impressed. The aircraft was new and the crew were a friendly bunch with a very Danish sense of humour......

The food was excellent. However, I had to ask my fellow passenger what an upcycled banana was....... (apparently, instead of throwing away brown bananas, the Danes put them in cakes- an excellent idea).

We "lost" a night, and caught up with the dawn somewhere over China......

...avoiding Russian airspace on the way....

Japan was rather cold and damp on arrival, but that at least meant that the cherry blossoms and camelias were somehow more intense in colour than usual.

My home base is always with the Kanakura family in Hodogaya Ward, just outside Yokohama. After I had complimented my host on the new tatami mats in the guest room, I wandered into town to do some shopping and get a simple meal. The local department store did the trick....some tasty mackerel in dark sauce...very yummy and as usual far too cheap for the quality....

In the local Aeon department store...

It seems you never have to go far in Japan before you meet some little surprise or other. I smiled to myself when I came scross this little car in a parking lot....

Quite apart from it being a shining collector's item, the Mini is ideal for Japanese cities....and what a nice colour......

I have never seen any tourists in Hodogaya, except for the students who stay at Misako- san's house. The Katabira river separates the area in two, and has a nice promenade running down one side. There are no crowds here, so you can enjoy the cherry blossoms in peace.....

...whilst of course taking advantage of the numerous eating places en route. Like this Ramen shop, for example........uncomplicated and good.....cabbage and bean sprouts in a yummy soup.....

.......free water is a given, aswell as lots of sauces to pep up your Ramen if you feel the need....

The street is a classic Japanese side street with lots on offer....(not only food...er.....)....

Nice to see my feline friends again......

So what's new in Hodogaya? Well, more houses are being ingeniously squeezed onto the hillside....

.....although odd relics of post-war housing still exist.....

...and house renovation firms are busy......

And whether it is a kindergarten play session, a baseball practice or old folk playing a sort of croquet, there is always something happenening in the local park.....

Apropos baseball (野球 yakyu)........in a local sports shop......

The well known courier service Kuroneko (note the black cat logo) is also busy.....🐈‍⬛

But there is peace to be found up the hill at the local Buddhist temple......

Koeisan Hossho Temple

Around town.......

......Greetings from the Yokohama City Fire Dept.

It's hard to describe, but everybody seems uplifted by the appearance of the cherry blossoms..........

Later in the week, when I had recovered from my jet-lag jisaboke 時差ぼけ, I meet up with a friend in Tokyo. First we went up to a 32nd floor to a view point next to the Tokyo Skytree. Here you can look down on the Sumida district and further......

A short walk brings us to the Sakura Bridge Bashi ( featured in the film Perfect Days )

...and a stroll down the banks of the River Sumida, where people are enjoying themselves. It is a very Japanese scene. There is no loud music or commercials; but picknicking, walking, talking and eating......a nice vibe.....Hanami 花見