And so – in what seemed like the blink of an eye – both October and November are behind us, with the end of the year closing in. For any of you reading in Western countries, you are no doubt feeling the cold and experiencing the start of winter. Here in Japan, it is still very much autumn and the leaves have just turned. This will continue into the middle of December, and it’s only really towards the end of the month that we will start to feel the icy cold.
Over the years, this blog has evolved to become a snapshot of my daily life in Tokyo. In the past, I would have written an entire blog post about a particular ramen restaurant. Nowadays, that ramen restaurant may be lucky to get a photo – let alone a write-up. I think it’s because I don’t want to focus on the ultra-specifics of my life here. Instead, I simply want to portray a general ambiance or feeling of what it’s like to live in Tokyo long term. I still get a warm feeling from walking about and seeing the things I see, and so I hope I succeed in some small part in sharing this feeling with you.
The pictures I post on this blog are things my wife and I just see while walking about on our regular rambles. We don’t go far out of our way to visit certain places, or do anything special. In that sense, I feel this blog is a natural representation of what living in Tokyo can be like if you have the same personalities as us. You may notice that there aren’t many nighttime shots at all. That’s because we prefer to get up early in the morning and be back home by late afternoon. We lead a quiet life, which is totally achievable even in the biggest city in the world. That is the beauty of Tokyo. In can be as crazy, or quiet, as you want it to be. And so, this is our version of the city we love.
Before the leaves turned… 
And after. 
The yellow gingko leaves falling and leaving a carpet wherever they land. 
Autumn hues. 
Each leaf silhouetted against the sky. 
Just as the sun came up. The lanterns were still lit, and birdsong filled the air. 
Striking reds… 
Striking a pose. 
Reds may have been prominent, but Tokyo’s piercing blue sky was never far away. 
A delivery driver stopping for a drink at the convenience store. 
We hopped on the train and headed down to Kawasaki one Saturday afternoon. 
Standing in the shadows of pagodas… 
And standing in the shadow of… um… yes, that’s what you think it is. This was at a random shrine dedicated to fertility. 
Old-school vibes in a mom-and-pop restaurant. Construction workers eating, and the TV turned up loud. 
Nice everyday scenes, bicycles gliding by. 
We eat a lot of breaded pork here in Japan, but it’s actually pretty rare to see it in ‘chop’ form. This place served huge slabs, with sauces on the side (onion, garlic and chili) 
Jerk chicken, eaten outside on a table in an alleyway. 
Chirashizushi, also known as scattered sushi. The rice underneath was lightly vinegered, and the green wasabi nice and strong. 
One of Mrs IKIMASHO’s home cooked meals. Clockwise from top left: sweet potato wrapped in pork; eggplant; spinach; miso soup; rice with brown hijiki seaweed; fruits 
Mrs IKIMASHO’s mum lived in Mexico for 14 years so she cooked up chilaquiles – a traditional Mexican breakfast dish consisting of corn tortillas cut into quarters and lightly fried. 
Didn’t buy these little guys but couldn’t resist a pic 
Morning cycles when the weather was good… 
Sheltering under covered arcades when it rained… 
Making the most of the afternoon sun… 
And walking past cute restaurants in the evening. 
Walking about Tokyo you’ll often see women in traditional dress… 
Even queueing in the supermarket. 
This little one was also dressed to impress. I officially love Westies! 
I hope you guys are all doing great.
IKIMASHO! 
Thanks for another year of great posts & photos. I hope you have a good Christmas & enjoy the festive lights around Tokyo, such as the Roppongi Hills Winter Illumination, etc. Looking forward to more of your posts & wishing you well in the New Year.
Thank you, Tony! I’m sorry i haven’t been blogging as much on the main blog here… a busy year with life and work but I am so glad you have been enjoying what I do put up! Have a wonderful Christmas season.
Looks great man. Love to you both. Hopefully see you some time soon
Me too, dude. Love/miss you x
thanks for all the great photos enjoyed reading the blogs
wishing you a great christmas and and a happy new year
shane and georgie
Hi guys, so great to hear from you. I hope you are doing great and have a lovely Christmas – and can see my folks at some point! x