History Walk

This is part of the wall surrounding the construction site of the Ever Sky Tower, one of the Kotesashi Towers (there are two being built).

I don't know about construction sites in other countries, but here in Japan the construction company usually decorates the outer side of the wall. Some draw trees or flowers and sometimes they show old pictures of the area and have information about the history of the area.

Around the Ever Sky Tower, there are pictures and dates of events related to Kotesashi Station. It was fun seeing old pictures and leaning about how the station came about.

(1970 - Kotesashi Station Opens)

(1977 - The 2000 Type Train is Introduced on the Seibu Line)

(1976 - Construction of Kotesashi Heights Starts)

Scarlet Star

I am feeling very merry lately! And really, who wouldn't, with so many pretty poinsettias around?

For a country that only celebrates Christmas commercially, we are really into it. All the flower shops are full of Christmas related flowers and plants, poinsettias being the most popular. It really livens the place up!

Flower Power

It's wet, dreary, and very very cold outside. And typical me, I've caught a cold. ugh.

Hope this miniature sunflower I found growing on the side of the road will brighten your day. Keep nice and warm, everyone!

PS: Very sorry I haven't been by to comment...I will be back once I get rid of this bug.

Kotesashi Rikkyo

 

This Kotesashi Rikkyo crosses over the Seibu Ikebukuro Line, right next to Kotesashi Station. It's a very long bridge and some ot  the space underneath is used as a bicycle parking space.

There are also stairs that lead up to the bridge above, which has a sidewalk for pedestrians, too. You wouldn't be able to tell from above but the bridge is very green!

Click below for more lovely photos of bridges around the world!

Sunday Bridges hosted by Louis

The Last Of Them

This is the cherry blossom of the Weeping Cherry Tree, which we call 'Shidare-zakura.' They were in full bloom last weekend.

There are 119 Shidare-zakura trees stand alongside Sunagawabori, which I learned is actually the city sewer. Hmmm. But there are beautiful Shidare-zakura on both sides for over 500 meters.

The Only French I Know

Taking a break from cherry blossoms...this is the McDonald's french fry I got the other day. Usually a size M french fry is 250yen. But recently they've started this 'Any Size for 150yen' campaign!

This tempts me to go for a size L french fry...although my hips are screaming at me not to. Because why get a size M when you can get an L for the same price? Although now that I think about it, 150yen is pretty cheap for even a size S.

So how much are the McDonald's french fries in your city?

I remember snickering over the Big Mac Index when I first started working...but now I'm tempted to make a French Fry Index.


Also, for a limited time only, you can get the new 'Teri-tama' hamburger! The pink posters for the Teri-tama hamburger are everywhere right now. It uses the ever popular Teriyaki sauce on the burger and the 'tama' stands for the egg sandwiched in between.

I'd definitely give it a try if I weren't vegetarian. If you're ever in Japan, you may want to try it!

Off The Track

There is a D51 steam locomotive on display at Kotesashi Park.

This D51-118 steam locomotive was put together in the city of Kobe on July 30, 1938. It was then transported to Hokkaido prefecture and ran in various districts for 38 years until it retired in 1976. It ran a total of 2,419,862 kilometers, which is about 60 laps around the earth.

A very hardworking locomotive, don't you think?

Down the Street

Okay. So I couldn't pull myself completely away from cherry trees. But this is the street that I was walking along taking pictures the other day.

There's a river that runs alongside the street and there are Shidare-zakura (Weeping Cherry Trees) growing all the way down the street.


See other reflections from around the world at Weekend Reflections hosted by James.

The Potomac Cherry

I spotted this beautiful cherry tree in a bicycle parking space, next to the Seiyu in Kotesashi, the other day.

Upon closer look, I learned that this cherry tree is actually one of the descendants of the cherry trees that were given to the United States in 1912 (Thank you Al for the info!). Probably why they're called 'Potomac Cherry Tree.'

Although I have no idea how it ended up growing in the middle of a bicycle parking space, it certainly does brighten up the whole area.

I never really knew it took so long for the cherry trees given by Japan to be planted in Washington DC. It's a very interesting story and you can read about it here.