Hanami, shinjuku and translations

I was in Shinjuku gyoen yesterday.  It has always been an alcohol free zone, but this year it's being enforced rigorously with bag searches....There has been complaint about it the Japanese media as they usually turn a blind eye to it.   The English and Japanese alchohol restriction signs at the park didn't exactly match.  It reminded me of Dad's story of being in a German youth hostel in the 1960s where a translated sign in English stated "Guests must get up before 8", the German original was "Guests must not get up before 5"....

  



Bag searches underway.

 



The bottom line in Japanese reads that  alcohol is available at the restaurants
in the garden. It's not translated.
"Beer, sake, spirirs .... and more.... " are prohibited in English.
It seems like Japanese don't need to have it spelled out what alcohol actually is...
Somehow it seems improbable that a foreigner would stand there
arguing that the sign doesn't say "Bundy" so it must be OK...



The resurrection of Manners Posters.

Today out and about in Tokyo I had reason to recall this poster - the first of the 2011 subway manners posters.  This is a cat, being a cat, being oblivious in its self indulgence.

 

A similar reminder to people not to be thoughtless in the amount of room they take up.

This  man below however is a totally different kettle of fish. He is not a self indulgent cat, or a newspaper absorbed salaryman rather he is the proverbial dog in the manger - a "wanna-be" bull terrier, but actually a totally pathetic, small minded, lame individual. 

He very intentionally edged along and spread his legs as wide as he could so Hiro couldn't sit next to me, and refused to budge.

This is the face of someone who knows
they have been a jerk. 

 I shifted to the other side to try and take his photo with the ipad.  He is actively averting his gaze.  Note he is taking up three spaces, and note  he is one man.  I looked at him and laughed, and smiled and chuckled and wondered 

The subway posters are designed to raise awareness, working on the assumption that people would be thoughtful if they remembered to be aware; I don't think any manners sign would help him.

before the blossoms

I cycled in to Ueno on Monday. The cherry blossoms were just about to come out.

Camellia in Yanaka

Shinobazu Pond

If my memory is right, Oshima Sakura -
a different species from most of the sakura in Tokyo.

Shugetsu sakura

Super organised around Ueno Park -
Recycling - burnable, non burnable, pet bottles & cans, bottles, vinyl plastic,
styrofoam and cardboard / paper.

Along the lake

Blossoms at the park entrance

Thanks to the sponsors

Plum blossoms in Ueno Park

Blossoms just starting to appear, lights all up in preparation
for hanami.

A year round reminder of hanami.

For an up to date look at the flowers and how much they change in a week, take a look at Rurousha's blog http://rurousha.blogspot.jp/

Celebrating Blossoms

The plums are fading

Blossoms in Ueno

No stigma on wearing blossoms,
even for burly guys.... though I can't
see Hiro in one some how...