Stop and Shoot

The road said STOP so I stopped...to take a photo!

I Saw the Sign

I don't know how many times I sang along with that Ace of Base song with my best friends in grade school, but I heard it again at a tennis tournament the other day and have not been able to get the song out of my head!

Anyways, this is a sign on a corner of a road that leads to Shimo Yamaguchi Station on the left and the community woods to the right. It also leads to Arahata Fuji, a miniature mountain of sorts, which I'll post about tomorrow!

...I saw the sign and it opened up my eyes, I saw the sign...

Seibuen Station

A view of the rails below from a bridge that crosses over from Seibuen Station to the residential area behind the trees.

Seibuen Station is the last station on the Seibuen Line. Actually, it is one of two stations on the Seibuen Line. I'm not sure if you can actually call that a "line" but it's been called that since 1952. That's a pretty long time for someone not to contradict this, so I'm guessing the length doesn't matter.


To tell you the truth, this station is not technically in Tokorozawa. The border is right next to the station so it's really in the neighboring Higashi Murayama-shi. But I wanted to use it so I've added this old sign below that says "Seibuen Station (left), Seibu Yuenchi Station (right)."


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

Sunday Bridges

Fade Away

Going back to the bridge from last sunday again, this is the speed limit sign on the road that crosses the bridge.

The sign was originally red and blue...but I guess this sign's been in the sun too long. The faded pastel color looks good against the sky though!

Happy 3rd Anniversary to Sky Watch Friday!!!
Take a look at different skies all around the world here.

Measure the Bridge

This is Tokorozawa Rikkyo, a bridge that crosses over the Seibu Ikebukuro Line railroad.

There used to be a railroad crossing right around the same place until this bridge was built in the early 70s. Many cars use this bridge that leads on to the Tokorozawa Rikkyo North intersection.

I'm not too sure what that sign on the bridge means...maybe that the bridge is 2.2 meters high? Does that sound right?


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

Sunday Bridges

Old Sign

Sougetsu-sou (蒼月荘) is the name of the apartment you can see in the back. The apartment is pretty old, built in 1989, but I like the handwritten sign!

There were pretty purple flowers growing around the sign. Brightens the place up a bit, don't you think?

Code

This is a QR Code. It is on this Somei Yoshino Cherry Tree sign. This code can be read by most cellphones in Japan. When you read this code, it leads to a website about this type of cherry tree!

I've seen these codes around the city a couple of times. It's a great way to learn about things and places around the city through your cellphone.

The Tada's

Although I do not know any of the Tada family, I'm pretty sure they are very nice and artistic people.

I'm thinking Mr. Tada probably has a moustache...and always wears shiny shoes. And Mrs. Tada...well, she probably has a fashionable wardrobe and adores her garden. Oh and the Tada children (if they have any) would definately be taking lessons. Maybe horseback riding...piano...or oil painting?

Where did I get all this, you ask?

From this lovely creative sign on their property wall, of course.

Urban Legend

A pedestrian sign on the side of the road. It's said that there was a certain photo behind the making of this sign.

A cameraman was taking a walk around a park. There he saw a child with her father also taking a walk. The cheerful father smiling down at the sweet child. They were holding hands and playing a word game while walking.

The cameraman, quite taken with the way they look, grabbed his camera and took a photo. Suddenly, the father, who realized they were being photographed, gave the cameraman a piercing look. The cameraman, noticing the father's sudden alarm, apologized to the father, explaining that he wanted to take a natural photo of the father and child, and promised to send it once it was developed.

The father hearing this, smiled and thanked the cameraman, but stated that sending the photo was not necessary. Taking his child's hand, they quickly walked away.

At that time, the government wanted to establish a new pedestrian sign and was accepting ideas from the general public. The cameraman, on hearing this, remembered the photo he took at the park and came up with a design from the photo. To his surprise, his idea was accepted it became the new pedestrian sign!

A few months later, the cameraman was reading the newspaper. Without a thought, he turned to the local news section and saw a familiar face. Racking through his brain, he remembered that it was the father from the park.

The title of the article read 'Child Abductor-Murderer Caught!' and the small photo in the corner of the victim, was the child from the park.


What do you think? It's an urban legend, so whether you believe it or not, is up to you!

Saitama Broncos

Tokorozawa Civic Gymnasium is home to the Saitama Broncos, one of the pro basketball teams in the Bj League.

Basektball is not very popular in Japan. Baseball and soccer are much more known. But the number of fans following the Bj League is definately on the rise.

There were a couple of young fans dancing along with the cheerleaders during halftime.

Wanna Join?

Found this very old looking poster the other day. Don't you just love the animation of the pitcher in the middle? So retro. It says 'Recruiting for Little League!'

I have to wonder how long they've been recruiting...

Warning!

It seems there are warning signs all over Tokorozawa. Including my apartment.

This sign says 'Do not rush in! Do not stand still!.'

So I'm guessing I should walk towards this automatic door at a relatively even speed and continue on without hesitating?

Time Flies

Can you believe January is almost over?

It went by way too fast. I was walking to work the other day and noticed this Ume (pronounced Oo-meh) tree. Some of the small buds had already started to bloom! I love these plum blossoms, especially the dark pink ones.

Before you know it, it'll be cherry blossom season again!

Tokorozawa Library

This is the sign at the entrance of the Tokorozawa Library. It says 'Tokorozawa Library' (surprise, surprise!) in Kanji.

It was actually closed when I went by the other day. Darn. So I'm heading there again this week. But I did take a photo of this sign because I liked bricks behind it.

Don't you love libraries? The quietness, the smell of books, and the excitement of finding a story that you've never read before. Can't wait!

Groovy Dog

I found this really cool dog sitting inside 'Taro no Ie,' a specialty store for dogs.

I don't have a dog, but if I did, I'd definitely come here. They had different types of dog food and all these cute doggie outfits! Made me wish I had a fluffy miniature poodle so I actually have a reason to come here.

Mr. Flexible

I really have no idea what he's doing, but he sure is flexible.

This is a billboard for Komatsuya, a local clothing shop. I walk by this place a lot but I never noticed it until the other day. I wonder what the shop was working to sell with this billboard. Maybe they were trying to show off his jeans...any ideas?

Good Work

Under the POST sign on someone's mailbox are the words "Gokuro sama," which pretty much translates to "thank you for the good work"!

Isn't that nice?

Who Gets Your Vote?

These are the posters for the candidates of our district for the national parliamentary election.

Everyone is wondering if the Democratic Party will finally oust the Liberal Democratic Party, who have governed Japan almost continuously since 1955.

I took this photo the day after these were posted, and already someone has starting drawing on the candidates faces. They're probably going to get even more artistic in time. Which ever party ends up winning, somethings never change.

Retro Posters

Another couple of shots of the old movie posters along the Sakazuki Yokocho.

The one on the top is 'Yogiri yo Konya mo Arigato,' which I've never seen before. But I do know the guy on the poster, Yujiro Ishihawa. He was a very famous actor and his brother is actually the Governor of Tokyo Metropolis. But that's all I know.

The one bellow is 'Nihon Ichi no Otoko no Naka no Otoko.' Don't know any one here.

But I like these retro posters. Maybe I'll go borrow one of these movies sometime.

Sakazuki Yokocho

This is the entrance to the Sakazuki Yokocho. 'Sakazuki' usually refers to a cup used for sake or wine and 'Yokocho' is a road that is perpendicular to the main road.

Sakazuki Yokocho has a very 'Showa' feel to it. The Showa Period in Japan was from 1926 to 1989, so things during that time are now considered retro. Or what my parents call 'the-good-ole-days!'

You can see the poster of an old movie up on the wall near the entrance. It's a popular movie called 'Otoko wa Tsurai yo' which roughly translates to 'Men have it hard.' The main character, Tora-san, is loved by a lot of people here in Japan.

There are about 20 shops along the Sakazuki Yokocho. Most are izakayas or bars at night. But during the afternoon the shops also serve lunch.