The new year started with a flurry of snow… 
Despite only falling for a day, it got progressively heavier and covered the suburbs in a blanket of white. 
It was cold… 
But looked pretty! 
Thankfully, the remainder of January and February was basically clear blue skies – the only snow visible being on top of Mount Fuji, seen here from the train platform. You can see Fuji from many random places in Tokyo. Sometimes it just appears, and it’s a nice surprise. 
The best hobbies are those that don’t cost a thing – simply wandering about, discovering scenes like this. The cutest camera shop you ever will see. 
💙💛💙💛💙💛💙💛💙💛💙💛 
A cute dry cleaners 
And a cute restaurant selling things like tonkatsu, breaded pork cutlet. 
A Chinese restaurant giving absolutely no glimpse of what it’s like inside. The only way to find out is take the plunge and open the door! You may have seen these curtains (noren) in some photos – basically the curtain is hung outside to show that the store is open. 
Warm vibes inside the train car… 
And nice colours on a ridiculously lavish dessert Mrs IKIMASHO had with her friend 
A warm latte on a cold day. Nice art on the coffee 🙂 
Hardy winter trees, silhouetted against a blue winter sky. 
And repotting some of our own to make sure they stay healthy. The trials and tribulations of doing this kind of thing in a Tokyo apartment with no garden. 
Cheap eats on a Friday night. Fried chicken, gyoza, noodles, that kind of thing. 
Mrs IKIMASHO’s parents sent her this photo from up north in Miyagi. Basically, they live by the coast in the middle of nowhere and this was a present from one of the locals. Unlike in Tokyo where a visiting guest may bring a box of cookies to say thank you for something, this friend brought them a squid in a plastic bag! 
A dog in a bag on a train. I don’t bat an eyelid at things like this anymore but I guess it might be weird in Ireland! 
Suburban backstreets by day… 
And as night approaches. 
It was Valentines Day so Mrs IKIMASHO got me some fancy chocolate 
And I got her some flowers 
Towards the very end of February, we took a day trip out to Kamakura. It felt like I was emerging from hibernation and that warmer weather was on its way. 
Kamakura is always nice to explore 
Engakuji, one of the leading Zen temples in Eastern Japan 
Japanese scenes from yesteryear 
Out in nature, and not a sound but the birds 
The grounds of Engakuji in Kamakura 
A nice lunch of sashimi and tempura before heading back to Tokyo 
Spring is on its way 🌸
IKIMASHO! 