We started each morning with a walk in the neighborhood so Steven and Cindy could take pictures. The previous day started this way as did this one.
One of the secrets of Tokyo's transportation is the bicycles. They were everywhere on the sidewalks and the pedestrians simply made room for them. It helped that the cyclers kept a polite pace slightly faster than the pedestrians rather than dashing around.
Nimi is a very large restaurant supply store, actually series of stores on Kappabashi dori a street where you can get everything you need to stock a restaurant from kitchen supplies to signs to plastic food models even antiques to make the place look rustic and old. Check out the coffee cup shaped fire escapes.
Japan has a relatively low rate of unemployment. One reason may be large numbers of small businesses like this barbershop are found in every neighborhood, often with the family home upstairs. Makes for an easy commute for the owners.
Steven often spent time photographing temples and various things near them. This image taken at Tokyo Honganji is an example of a major temple in close proximity to a very active neighborhood. The large apartment complex in the background is where the earlier photo of bikes was taken.
After our morning walk we headed to Nakano Station to meet Steve Bennett. As we got there early we headed to the arcade for some food. We each had various noodle dishes, the food was cheap, tasty and the staff friendly.
After we hooked up with Steve he showed us his old haunts from when he was a kid. This stationary store owner remembered him as soon as he walked into the door. I picked up a nice compass to help navigate, it was useful after dark.
This old poster of Space Battleship Yamato has been over the door of the stationers for 30 years, some of the tape must be from about as long. The colors are faded but the crew looks as young and brave as when this anime was a new show on Japanese TV.
Small Inari shrines like this one were common in many areas. This one is next to a parking complex in Steve's old neighborhood. Shortly before this photo was taken a man was praying at this shrine. Such prayers were a common sight everywhere we went.
This is part of Arai Yakushi temple. During the fire bombings in 1945 Steve's grandmother took refuge here with his mother. They survived in this island of greenery while the entire neighborhood burned, except for the temple and their house. When Steve was a child he often visited this temple with his mother.
Three suspicious fellows. From the right: Steven Bennett, Senno Knife and me.
Looks like I had success today, I'll try to get another batch of images up tomorrow.
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