Tranquil time out

A fairly early flowering. Well, at least it is based on the belief of somebody who knows bugger all about botany.

And it’s plum, presumably.

With Tokyo’s appearance constantly changing, as buildings are unceremoniously ripped down and others rebuilt, the clichéd cry — at least in my native northern Britain — of, ‘it was all fields round here when I were a lad’, is really rather apt.

However, at least as far as this pensioner is concerned, it’s possibly quite the opposite, as the place wasn’t a field but a factory, and one that was ferociously bombed into a fiery inferno.

Which, it has to be said, is a considerable contrast to contemplate.

For all the negative qualities of continuing to coat the country in absolutely colossal amounts concrete, on a cold and crisp winter’s day, its heat retaining attributes at least make the riverbank the perfect place to briefly park one’s behind.

Although as this unrelenting approach has rendered the views less than resplendent, reading material is recommended — required even.

At this time of year, relaxing around a roaring open fire whilst roasting chestnuts may well be considered traditional, if a little trite.

Yet despite the absence of nuts, and indeed Nat King Cole, convening instead around a comfortingly old kettle isn’t necessarily too bad a trade.

Plus it keeps the cliché encouragingly complete.

Despite fulfilling my duties as a foreigner with a website earlier in the year by posting obligatory pictures of blossoms, such a nature-themed nod it seems wasn’t nearly enough to satisfy some; as, according to Japan’s newly formed and fearsome, Seasonal Highlights on the Internet and Television Enforcer (or SHITE for short), I have noticeably neglected to feature any of the country’s famed fall foliage.

So, without further ado, here is this year’s semi-colourful selection. Although to be fair to the solemn soles of SHITE, the choice of a considerably clichéd capture wasn’t compulsory, I just couldn’t come up with anything less commonplace.

(click image for an even more colossal cliché)