One hour train from Tokyo Shibuya by the Shonan Shinjuku line: Oomiya, Saitama and their peaceful pace. Red shrines, old trees, bamboos, onsen and good food waiting for you!

Take a breath!

Oomiya shrine

Oh my pretty bamboos

Hot red umeshu

Grilled beef and vegetables, tofu, salad, miso soup

Two sesame ice-cream

I though that the hanabi season was behind us, but I was wrong. Even in October, fire flowers can light up the Tokyo bay over the rainbow bridge.

"pop"

"shebam"

"paw"

"blop"

"wizzzz"

Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high,
There's a land that I heard of
Once in a lullaby.

Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue,
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true.

Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far
Behind me.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me.

Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly.
Birds fly over the rainbow.
Why then, oh why can't I?

If happy little bluebirds fly
Beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can't I?

... but the party don't stop, no, oh-oh-oho!

My friends never stop partying. This time, it was on a boat and we have sailed on Tokyo Bay until Haneda airport. A wonderful blow of fresh wind, while it was still so warm in Tokyo.

It's a pretty cool kitchen & bar close to Meguro, with a unique design and surprisingly surprising food - have you ever tried a cabbage ceasar salad ? Interesting... But the main interest is definitely the decoration. Well done Mr. Yusaku Kaneshiro...

Summer happens only once in the year! Tokyo has no beach, but you just need to take a train and you're set.

Two-hours ride from Tokyo by local train : Atami Beach

Not the best beach landscape ever, but there are wonderful fireworks at night on the waterfront ! Easy access from Shinjuku by Odakyu-line util Odawara, then Tokaido-line to Atami.

(credit photo: C. Mathon)

Credits : The Japan Times

African Excellencies and Japanese Officials

(The Ambassador of Mali is the first one in pale blue dress on the left, with a white hat.)

The stand of Mali

May 25 is African Liberation Day. On this day, many African countries celebrate the hard-fought achievement of their freedom from European colonial powers.

Last year, Africa Day Reception was cancelled in the aftermath of the earthquake, so yesterday was the first time for me to participate to this unique All-Africa-Involved event in Tokyo. All African countries of Japan were represented at the gorgeous Angola Embassy, in Setagaya-ku, in order to welcome our Japanese partners : officials from the Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs, diplomats, Agencis staff (like JICA), major investors and many international organizations.

Africa Day Reception is the best opportunity for the African countries to promote a prestigious and consistent image of Africa towards Japan. Each stand was presenting general information and traditionnal arcraft; then, inside, popular dishes from all the countries were offered. Music, dance, beautiful dresses... and warm smiles all around !

In duty

The stand of the Republic of Mali. Nice work !

Because of the Alphabetic order, we are always neighbours with Mauritania, Malawi & Madagascar

Madagascar spices

Atmosphere !

All the "Japanese Africa" in one room...

High-level diplomatic shake-hands

For the occasion, I was wearing a Malian dress ! Beautiful fabric from Mali

The Malian team ! Kadidiatou, Soumba, Aminata & me

Japan + Africa = food, food, food... Food !!

Yummyyyyyyy

The impressive offcial cake of the evening... (wanna eat Madagascar, can I ?)

And now you're so full you can't stand anymore : let's dance ! Yes, yes

God bless Africa !

Kuromitsu & macha ice-cream... French crepe !!

Restaurant Le Bretagne - Kagurazaka

Last Monday, I went to see a sumo fight for the first time at Ryogoku. As many Westerners, I had always been a bit disturbed by the aesthetics of this wrestling sport - naked, huge bodies and inscrutable faces. But it was the perfect opportunity to try to understand more about it, and so I did.

A rikishi (wrestler - in Japanese, "professional of strengh") on the ring... The clash is coming !

First, the place : Ryogoku Kokugikan, in the Eastern area of Tokyo. At the entrance, colourful banners welcome the visitors. Inside, the atmosphere is lively - people drink and eat, shout the name of their favorite rikishi and loudly comment the fights.

The dohyo (figting ring)

The dohyo iri (wrestlers presentation)

Even the cleaning of the dohyo looks like a choregraphy

For your information, us women are not allowed to walk on the dohyo, even when nobody's around. And even nowadays. We are such impure creatures. Jeeeeez.

Sumo champion showing-off

The gyoji (referee)

The rikishi throw salt on the ring before fighting, to purify it.

This world-wide famous gesture is for chasing away the bad spirits

Fists on the ground to accept the fight

The tachi-ai (clash) - trust me, they are surprisingly fast !!

The sumo fight is all about make you opponent walk/touch/fly the area outside the ring. This is why the wrestlers have to be so heavy. Still, there is no weight categories like in boxing, so the two rekishi's weight can be 100 kilos different ! Ouch, my spinal column... They say that 150 kilos may be the best for a wrestler : heavy enough not to fly too much, but offering a minimum of flexibility.

The rikishi have to follow a very strict physical discipline to maintain their body in the right shape - a bit like classical dancers in Europe. They wake up at 5am, train themselves all day long and eat carefully - mostly boiled vegetable and meat (nabe). Being a sumo fighter requires a permanent body and mind controle. 

This rikishi is Bulgarian-born. More and more foreigners (especially Mongols) try to make a career in sumo, so the Japanese Sumo Association had to restrain the number of non-Japanese to one new member per year. Not so bad. Among the Japanese, the number of candidates is decreasing. A rikishi life doesn't make people dream anymore...

What do the sumo rikishi fight for ? To please the gods. For sun, for rain, for harvest and for long life.

Thank you for your heavy prayers, guys !