#momiji spring market

[maiji]

I have several exciting events coming up this month!

2024 Spring Canzine

Where: Online!

When: April 13 to 21

Broken Pencil's virtual Canzine features creators from Canada, and around the world. I love these events because you can check out and support work from multiple indie creators, and only have to worry about one shipping fee. I'm always so impressed by the behind-the-scenes coordination that makes this possible! 

All my Now Recharging comics are going to be available at a discount from their usual prices in my online store, because everything will be in CAD instead of USD, and I'm not changing my prices! (Ah, our Canadian dollar.) Also they'll be able to ship to more countries than just Canada and the US!

(Psst, I'm also going to be running a Canzine special for my Lenormand oracle deck and my Genjimonogari art deck during the full festival time period! Stay tuned for more info when Canzine starts!)

You can see the full list of vendors here!

Momiji Spring Market April 2024

Where: 3555 Kingston Road, Scarborough Ontario

When: Saturday April 27 from 11 am to 4pm

Momiji Health Care Society is hosting a Spring Market, full of local artists, crafters, and makers! Momiji events are in a beautiful space, and always have the best food. The venue is a seniors' care centre so please aim to mask for the safety of all! 

More details on April Momiji events on their instagram.

[kameliakiko]

Welcome !!! I want some of your opinions on Yuki and Machi's life after they started dating.

😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘

So many Yuchi requests, I'm so happy 💗 I ended up writing a whole plot, grab some popcorn

After their kiss they spent time together, holding hands and they eat dinner outside

They started to talk a lot on the phone every night and one time Yuki said stuff like ‘nah you hang up’ and Machi hung up 💀

Machi gave Yuki a spare key of her apartment

In the beginning, they didn’t say anything but Yuki ended up telling everyone he loved Machi

Kimi called Machi a homewrecker for ‘stealing’ her man

It became the hottest gossip topic of the school even other schools knew about it

Ayame wanted to organize a party for celebrating their love but they refused

Kakeru asked if they could eat outside with Komaki just for fun, when they arrived to the restaurant Ayame and Mine were waiting for them

The Yuki club stopped their Tohru obsession and replaced her with Machi

Haru scared them off before Machi could throw a fit

Haru told Yuki to protect his girl and to fix things with his fan club

Haru, Momiji and Machi became good friends

Kakeru finally started to hang out with Yuki to the night market and he said he hopes they really loved each other and it’s not for anything other reason such as pity or Yuki hiding his secret princess identity

Yuki was uncomfortable at Shigure’s house because of Kyoru-

So he spent a lot of time at her apartment during his free time

The first time he slept over, he struggled to tell her he was scared of the dark so he ended up crying at 1 am, Machi told him he should have told her and there’s nothing to be embarrassed about, she only have scented candles and he was okay with it

The day after she bought him a night light and she surprised him with it, they cuddled all the evening and Yuki told her about his mother and Akito, not about the curse, just like he did with Kakeru

Tohru officially met Machi and Machi was amazed by her aura and she said ‘I’ll take care of your son’ Awkward silence.

One morning it was snowing for the first time of the year and Yuki offered to skip school so he could keep his promise

He caught a cold and Machi felt bad so she took care of him with Tohru

They spent Christmas at Ayame’s with Kakeru, his mom and Komaki

Ayame offered them a romantic trip to Ritsu’s onsen for the New Year

The trip was awkward at first but Yuki got smooth again so they made out a lot

Then after Yuki gave Machi a spare key of his new apartment, they kissed and they cuddled for hours in her bed

Machi was in a bad mood when Yuki graduated and he understood that so he offered to spend the spring break together in his new apartment and she accepted

Ayame offered them a love kit, you perfectly know what was inside of it

They did their first time during their first night at his apartment, it was awkward and they laughed a lot because it was not how they thought it would be

Yuki told Machi about his curse and Tohru and everything, Machi laughed nervously because she imagined Rat Yuki with tiny legs but she believed him without any problem

She said that’s why he had an old man hair color and he said it was grey silver

Kakeru and Ayame invited themselves over, of course

Yuki made space for Machi’s belongings and she said she would come back every weekend then he dropped her at the train station

She came back the day after because she missed him

They started surprising at each other’s apartment until they started to become busy with part-time jobs and exams

Yuki noticed that Machi was thinner and she said she didn’t have any appetite

Every time Yuki came back to Tokyo he would clean Machi’s condo and cook a good amount of her favorite food to put in her fridge

He also gave Machi his old notes so she could stop worrying about writing and start to study without being so stressed

Yuki introduced Machi to his mother and she was low-key happy to see she was a Kuragi even if she started to act like a tsundere, she said it was good that Yuki was happy in his life without embarrassing her like Ayame and she asked to meet Machi’s parents

So this dinner was extremely awkward and the Kuragis were happy to see that Machi was with a Sohma and they started to mock Machi about how she was a complicated child and how they hope she was not a burden to Yuki, Machi started to feel anxious

Prince Yuki took her hand and they just left without saying anything, Yuki told Machi he was as angry as her but arguing would make things worse, they should be unbothered and live their life to the fullest

then they kissed

[yukisohmasmokesweed]

Hi Sophie. I admire u u are sooo awesome. For my ask, how do you headcanon how the zodiacs would smell like + tohru, kakeru machi? I hope this is not too much! :D

awww ur so sweet tysm!!! i feel like these answers will probably end up being a little unconventional but i will try, i normally dont think about stuff like this but this is a cute prompt!

tohru - whatever body wash is on sale that week but prefers fruity. im picking a side and saying strawberry is her go-to

yuki - old spice because he thinks it’s classy and manly. its not, he smells like a teenage boy

kyo - you know those straight boys in ur school who always reek of axe? yeah. also he sweats a lot and is self conscious about it so he always has some in his bag, which means all of his stuff also smells like axe

haru - musk because haru actually is classy and cares about his General Image

momiji - has a debilitating lush addiction and buys their sweetest smelling products. has vanilla, lemon, and lavender scented products in rotation

rin - rin....does not seem like she has the best personal hygiene but when she does bother to shower she uses like coconut or coffee scented stuff, def goes for a more mellow scent

shigure - no matter what shigure does he always smells like cigarettes. its his own fault because he smokes inside in his day clothes. he also has never shopped for himself so he uses whatever plain jane soap tohru brings him, so like irish spring or something. steals hatori’s cologne when he has to socialize with normal people

ayame - has an extensive cologne collection and all in like rly eclectic scents, like creed. sometimes he smells like ~the lush countryside of ireland~ or ~lemon, bargamot, verbena, and orangewood~ or ~blackcurrant, jasmine blossoms, and oak moss~ just depends on his mood!

hatori - hatori works very hard to NOT reek of cigarettes. he seems like a classy dude, he uses sandalwood soap and he also wears like. ralph lauren cologne 

kureno - michael kors extreme blue yes i went into my 21 yr old brothers room to find this because i needed an extremely boring, run of the mill scent and my golf bro stock market loving asshole of a brother delivered 

akito - ginger and mandarin soap, classy + gender neutral 

ritsu - chamomile/earl grey/more subtle tea-scented body spray

kagura - she has a rotation of floral scented victoria’s secret body sprays, ie jasmine & passionfruit, orchid & mimosa, cherry blossom & peach etc

hiro - has recently started using axe but like WAAAAAY too much you can smell him a mile away

kisa - no-tear baby shampoo

kakeru - would go for a more woody, musky cologne but puts too much on and smells like an abercrombie & fitch

machi - dove bar soap and whatever deodorant is directly in front of her at the store. doesn’t think about it that much

[kicksaddictny]

Adidas Creates New Possibilities For Women In Sport

According to Adidas

Powered by the attitude of Impossible Is Nothing, the brand accelerates its mission to create real, lasting change for women in sport.

This season sees the launch of major new women-focused innovations, alongside enhanced support for established and emerging athletes, and new grassroots programs.

Latest chapter of adidas’ Impossible Is Nothing campaign spotlights a global collective of inspiring women who are breaking down barriers in sport and beyond.

As a major year of sport commences, adidas continues its Impossible Is Nothing story with the announcement of its biggest ever commitment to women. Driven by the belief that sport has the power to change lives, the brand will support those who are breaking down barriers and driving gender equity, on and off the field of play.

Vicky Free, Head of Global Marketing at adidas, speaks on the brand’s focus: “This spring, we continue to use our brand attitude – Impossible is Nothing – to unite a strong, diverse and powerful community of women athletes who are changing the game. We see their power, we celebrate the possibilities they see, we share the optimism with which they seize opportunities. This is our call to action to all the women out there to keep making the impossible possible every day. adidas can only continue to be their ally, committed to serving them through innovation in our products, partnerships and across all dimensions of sport.”

The commitment, launched alongside the latest chapter in the brand’s Impossible Is Nothing campaign, sees three key focuses:

Products: 2022 sees major investment in women-focused product innovation to recognize and meet the specific needs of women in sport. In December, the brand introduced Ultraboost 22, built to address differences between male and female instep height, heel anatomy and gait cycle trends; and will continue to launch innovations across the year – starting with a completely new approach to sports bras.

People: adidas is a proud, long-term partner of some of the best athletes, teams, and creators in the world. This season, the brand will celebrate and elevate them around the most significant moments in sports culture, from tennis grand slams, to basketball tournaments, to winter sports, as well as expand its sponsorship of major leagues and tournaments – including the UEFA Women's Champions League and Women's Euro 2022.

Programs: The launch and extension of long-lasting grassroots programs will focus on encouraging, and keeping, women and girls in sport. These include the launch of the new Breaking Barriers Academy in Europe, to help drive systemic change by providing gender equity learning resources to all sporting clubs, coaches and athletes; continued partnerships with the Black Women's Player Collective and Common Goal; and supporting the next generation of WNBA stars through the adidas Legacy program.

As part of this commitment to visibility, this season’s Impossible Is Nothing campaign shares the stories of women who have made their impossible possible, with the aim of inspiring others to do the same. The I’mPossible film series will launch on February 14 at  adidas.com/impossibleisnothing and feature volleyball player, Tifanny Abreu; basketball player, Asma Elbadawi; model, Ellie Goldstein; actor, HoYeon; runner, Fatima Ibrahimi; skateboarder, Momiji Nishiya and yoga teacher, Jessamyn Stanley.

Follow updates across the season at @adidas on Instagram, Twitter and Tik Tok.

[newstfionline]

Anyone for sushi KitKat?

By Jonathan Kaiman, Los Angeles Times, Dec 12, 2017

Two years ago, KitKat’s marketing manager in Japan won an internal corporate award. His prize: a golden trophy shaped like one of the iconic chocolate bars.

Today, the manager, Ryoji Maki, doesn’t remember why he won the award. But he’s immensely proud of what it inspired.

“That’s how I came up with creating a gold leaf-covered KitKat,” he said. Before long, the chocolate wafer bars were on sale in Tokyo for about $18. “They were like an edible golden trophy.”

Maki’s creation joined a long, and ever growing, list of distinctive, fun or just plain weird KitKats found only in Japan. The country is a KitKat-lover’s paradise, with so many unique varieties--an estimated 300--that some travelers visit Japan just to try them.

Many flavors are alien to the American palate, and they go far beyond Japanese staples--such as sake, wasabi and green tea--and into uncharted territory: “French salt,” “college tater” and “Muscat of Alexandria.”

The 40-year-old Maki, like a Japanese Willy Wonka, has developed several varieties, such as Iwaizumi Yogurt. “It may seem as if we just want to develop weird flavors for Japanese consumers,” he said. “But the concept is really to diversify.”

The candy with the European pedigree went on to conquer Japan thanks to constant invention--blueberry cheesecake, cherry blossom and melon--and a linguistic coincidence that makes KitKats here a harbinger of good luck.

KitKat’s history dates to the United Kingdom in 1935, when the York-based confectionery company Rowntree introduced the bar--originally called “Rowntree’s Chocolate Crisp”--as the perfect complement to a working man’s cup of tea. In 1937, the snack was renamed “Kit Kat Chocolate Crisp.”

In the 1950s, the bar arrived in Canada, South Africa, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand; in 1973, it finally made it to Japan. (The Swiss food and beverage giant Nestle acquired Rowntree in 1988. Eventually, Kit Kat became KitKat, and it is now sold in more than 100 countries. It is licensed by Hershey’s in the United States.)

Yet the story of how Japan made the snacking staple entirely its own begins in 1990, in Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost main island, known for its skiing, hot springs and beer. KitKat’s marketing team believed the island’s souvenir shops--in fact, souvenir shops nationwide--could stand to diversify their snack offerings.

“Wherever you went, you could only find rice cakes,” said Takuya Hiramatsu, a spokesman for Nestle Japan. “But people got kind of bored with traditional rice cakes.”

The company introduced a strawberry-flavored KitKat exclusively in Hokkaido--and after it took off, tried more limited-edition varieties. The more they introduced, the more popular the bars became. The KitKat makers leveraged local products into exotic flavors.

In time, exotic and strange KitKats began appearing all over, including on Honshu, the nation’s largest island. There, in Shizuoka prefecture, the candy-makers offered Tamaruya-Honten brand wasabi KitKats; in the Kanto region, adzuki bean sandwich KitKats; in Hiroshima, KitKats flavored like momiji manju, a locally produced pastry made of rice and buckwheat.

“I lived in Hiroshima when I was young,” Maki said. “So I knew people in Hiroshima love momiji manju so much--that it’s a soul food. I wanted to develop a business with that.”

The snacks live up to their packaging in bold, bright colors. Citrus flavors have a sharp, acidic twang; “matcha green tea” has bitter overtones; “Shinshu apple” tastes a bit like cider. The wasabi variety tames the heat in favor of flavor.

Nestle gives several reasons for KitKat’s success in Japan. Giving sweets as gifts is a national custom, and the country has deep pride in its local culinary traditions and industries.

Not least, the chocolate bar’s English name is a cognate--it sounds like kitto kattsu, which means “you will surely win,” a sort of good luck blessing. Nestle leveraged the association into huge sales. In 2009, the company created “KitKat Mail,” a partnership with Japan’s postal service that allowed students to send KitKats as good luck charms before the country’s high-pressure January university entrance examination. Some KitKat wrappers contain blank spaces for students to scribble in heartwarming messages.

In March 2011, after an earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster devastated a swath of Japan’s Pacific coast, people sent KitKats to the region, appending the message: kitto fukkyu kanau, or, “you’ll surely recover.”

Nestle says KitKat sales in Japan have risen 50% between 2010 and 2016, and this August the company opened its first new manufacturing plant in Japan in 26 years to keep up with local demand. The company develops 20 new flavors every year, and replaces flavors on convenience store shelves every two months. “That’s how the cycle has been ever since strawberry,” Maki said.

This year, a new KitKat specialty store in Tokyo’s ritzy Ginza district--called Chocolatory--established the chocolate bar as a premium brand. Chocolatory has sold “orange cocktail noir” and “Sakura green tea,” containing cherry leaf extract.

The store, which also sold Maki’s gold leaf bars, once offered a limited-edition that was distinctively Japanese--sushi KitKats. No tuna, no mackerel. Just fun-sized bars with KitKats (pumpkin pudding, Hokkaido melon, raspberry) laid on puffed rice and wrapped in seaweed.

[heckyeahlolitafashion]

Hi, everyone! As promised, here’s the roundup of questions and comments you all sent in. Thank you very much for celebrating HYLF’s anniversabirthday and making it a very fun one!

Anonymous said to heckyeahlolitafashion:           have you ever tasted sand I don't like sand... It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere. @calimorea​ said to heckyeahlolitafashion:           Hello! Thank you for your dedication to the blog! What would you say is the safest site to buy from? Hmm. Well I guess the “safest” would be brand shops like Baby, AP, Meta, etc. I’ve never heard of anyone running into troubles buying straight from the brands. Taobao brands area also pretty reliable, since the site rates shops using user feedback. (Infanta used as an example. The crowns are a good thing.)

Similarly Lace Market has a feedback system that lets a buyer know whether a seller is trustworthy. (User picked off the front page at random.)

Anonymous said to heckyeahlolitafashion:          hey im a mean anon just kidding!!! i love you Haha hello mean anon, thank you!

@mrs-cheese said to heckyeahlolitafashion:           I really love your blog, have been following you for quite a while now. Thanks for running it <3

Thank you for supporting it! @tomanynames​ said to heckyeahlolitafashion:           Happy birthday!! I really love your blog as it helps me keep up to date on what's going on with new brand stuff; what's your fav accessory?

Thank you! My favourite kind of accessory is probably boater hats. They go great with sweet, classic, country, sailor, really tons of styles, and they give off a spring/summer vibe while still being practical. And of course they’re completely adorable! (Pictured: Alice and the Pirates' Rose Lace Boater Hat)

Anonymous said to heckyeahlolitafashion:           happy birthday! and for a question, what made you decide to run a Lolita blog? and what's your fave style of Lolita?

Thank you! Honestly my motivation was pretty simple. I kept seeing lolita fashion posts I wanted to reblog, but my main is pretty much personal and fandom stuff, so I didn’t want it to be overrun with pretty clothes. I decided to make a sideblog to which I could post and reblog lolita to my heart’s content, and four years later I’m pretty much doing the same thing! As for my favourite style, the boater hats may have tipped you off, but I really like country lolita! I love gingham and twintails and straw handbags, plus the whole look just says “spring is here!” Canadian winters can be pretty rough, and seeing gingham pop up in brand shops is like the lolita equivalent of the first robin of spring.

@naminesfriend​ said to heckyeahlolitafashion:           Do you trust dresslily for shopping? Have you ever purchased from there before?

Heck no. When you’re not sure if a shop is reliable, try googling “is [shop name] reliable? In the case of Dresslily, this brings up a Facebook group called “People Scammed By Dress Lily“ and a BBB rating of 1.2. If it sounds like it’s too good to be true, chances are, it is! Stay safe, friends.

Anonymous said to heckyeahlolitafashion:           Hey!! I've been really nervous to start wearing lolita fashion since I'm plus size and more masculine aligned but this blog has motivated me to start to try and sew my own clothing!! I've been really excited since I have some really nice frilly ideas that might look really nice!! I just really wanted to thank you (and the lolita fashion community) for motivating me to be more confident in myself!!! I hope you have a lovely day! 💖💖💖

That’s great, I’m so happy for you! I love when lolita fashion can help people find confidence and look the way they want to look. Lots of luck in your fashionable ventures!

Anonymous said to heckyeahlolitafashion:           What's your personal favorite type/style of lolita fashion? Do you have a favorite brand or favorite line?

Like I mentioned, my favourite style is country, but I also love sailor lolita! Sailor collars are adorable, plus I love how it celebrates the inherent cuteness of sailor uniforms, without getting skeezy like sexy schoolgirl costumes... I hate those, let schoolgirls live. I also love seeing how brands find a new way to approach the substyle every year, with stripes or chiffon or whatever else they can think of. (Pictured: Angelic Pretty's Fairy Marine OP 2014 rerelease)

As for favourite brands, I don’t know if it counts, but I have fond memories of looking through Baby’s shop when I was in high school and didn’t know much about lolita but knew those dresses were beautiful. I loved (and still love) looking at all the details -- the prints, the buttons, the lace... it’s probably what made me fall in love with lolita fashion in the first place! Plus I have to give them props for creating my dream dress!  (Pictured: Baby, the Stars Shine Bright's Paris Window Print JSK II)

Anonymous said to heckyeahlolitafashion:           Not really a question but my sister and I expressed our love of Lolita fashion and she basically said if we ever try to wear it we will be Hurt by guys and slut shamed us saying "only sluts would ever want to wear such cutesy babydoll clothes because even innocent clothes are fetishized and we should know better than that" and it just made me really sad bc we love Lolita and she seems to find something sexual about the most innocent of things :(

This breaks my heart because there is an unfortunate kernel of true in it: No matter what girls and women wear, there will always be someone who assumes we do it for male attention. The only advice I can offer is to hold your head high and feel secure in the knowledge that they are wrong, and quite possibly projecting their own insecurities onto you, which is their problem, not yours. That can be a scary first step, so you may want to start out by wearing lolita to places where it won’t stand out so much, such as meetups and conventions. If you and your sister wear lolita together, it can be an opportunity for you to give each other confidence. If you end up deciding that it’s more trouble than it’s worth, that’s okay too; don’t let anyone shame you for choosing your battles. But I hope that you and your sister can find the confidence to embrace your love of lolita fashion and dress how you want. Good luck! (Pictured: Momiji from Cat Street)

[supershadsy]

let’s catch up with ep. 6!

perhaps i’ve been preventing this just because Spring Is Coming but…let’s get to it

right these are the rice balls!! it’s school festifal time!

KYO!!! IS THIASE AHSGDIKJ

OH GOD

RIGHT WHY DID THEY

DO WE KNOW WHY THEY PUT YUKI IN A DRESS

i’m sure we’ll find out

besides Marketing purposes but i forget how like…they convinced him

POOR YUKI!!!

ALLT HES MART PHONES ARE OUT

GHIOSADKGJASDG

JESUS

modern marvel trans yuki

he’s dying

uwah!

compurexu

TOHRU

YOU’RE ALLOWED

TO THINK HE’S CUTE

HELLO!!!!

IT’S HIM

MOMIJI

HATOOOOORIIIIII!!!!

TOHRU IS A SWEET EGG

hatori is so to the point

jasidgklasgdjaoisdghjka

OH MY GO D YUKI

WHY DID YOU PUT IT LIKE THAT

right hatori is a doctor

he’s got asthma

huhhhhhhhh

ghhhghgggmgmg

good thing momiji is momiji

relax

i’m not gonna erase tohru-kun

oisHGKLSDGOHKJSL

POOR YUKI

baka

the prince and carrots

fwiends

SIT HERE AND BE GOOD

GENKI GENKI

briefly they met

he’s so blunt

G-GLOMP

IS THAT REALLY

TRANSLATION TEAM IS THAT REALLY THE WORD YOU WANT TO GO WITH

I’VE BEEN SHOT BACK TO 2006

hold it romeo

YOU JUST LIKE HER KYO

NOW HE’S FREE

now he’s bunny

he’s just bunny!

YUKI

FUCK I FORGOTHEIOGKASD

HTIS PASRT

I LAVOEIHJVOEIHVOKSDAHDSGL

I LOVE IT

PERFECT PERFECT

AT GREAT SACRIFICE

I Can’t Believe This

hatori has to deal with so much

PUNCH

YUKI IS READY TO THROW DOWN

nani

Do It

iosHDGJKL

GOT EM

this is the worst

yuki…doesn’t like this

poor thing

ahhhhHHH

i loOooooOoove hgmmmm!!!!!

TORUHu

when mom said i was cute it meant i love you

i want to die

mmmmmm

uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

uuUUUUUUUuuuuuu

cute

much

cuter

these things are why i thought FOR SURE that yuki/tohru would be endgame

i love to die

no!! hatori is a good man but a sad man

it’s not his fault he has to do akito’s dirty work

oi

i like how hana is dressed as a witch, but they don’t really bring it up in this version

i JUST LIVE IWTH IM

THAT’S ALL

WE’RE NOT DOATING

HGSJDMGSG

eh

WE HAVE TO PERSONALLY CONFIRM THAT TOHRU-CHAN IS SAFE

OH MY GOD

HTEY’RE JUST

TAKING CHARGE

she’s like “god please”

this music

shigure is never fazed

Wave Girl

THAT’S RIGHT EVERYONE GETS A HEART ATTACK HTIS EPISODE

DURING THIS VISIT

right htis is the first time we see that he’s a novelist

yeah she didn’t know because he lives like a bum

I WORTHEIOGKSDG

SHE’S STILL IMPRESSED

TRASH NOVELS AND HIGH LITERATURE

ONE IN HTE SAME?!??!

you young people, i forget how old shigure is

uo has pretty nails!

tohru is a saint

kyo is blushing a little

RICH MAN POOR MAN

HEHEHEHEHEHE

THEY’RE FIGHTING

YUKI IS BLUSHING

sinister huh

i think i’ve forgotten why shigure is known as a shitbag

oH THE HAT

AAAAA

little tohru…

even as a kid kyo was not well socialized

NO

BABY

poor tohru is tired

aaaaaaa…

HANA

THAT’S

HM!!! WAVE GIRL IS ONTO SOMETHING

KYO IS

MMGMMGSGDMSGDGHSGDM

MMMMMmmmmmmm

tohru…is good…

what a sweet sweet girl

AAAAAA IL OVE THIS SHOT

LET’S STAY TOGETHER ALWAYS

I’M GETTING CHILLS

DAISUKE DESU

she loves her friends…

eh?

sohma boys get the uo-chan and hana-chan seal of approval

god i loooove when they sleep together

it’s cute

don’t drink milk from teh carton

osIGDJKLDSG

EEEEEHHH

O-O00OHAUYO

i’d do all sorts of things to you

“things”

thank god they do

Take Care Of Her Or Else

NO SHE’S CRYING

it exactly was like giving away the bride you’re both gonna marry her

hehehheeehe

ring ring ring

hi hatori

“don’t hang out with hatori alone” the next day he IMMEDIATELY calls her to hang out with her alone

owowowwuuUW

good

h

this will be fine and good!!!

i’m sure!!!!

haha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[twosecondstreet]

If there’s one thing the Japanese are really into, it’s the seasons. Each season has its own array of activities, foods, and natural wonders for you to behold. It’s widely known that in Spring you have the cherry blossoms. In the Fall, you have leaf peeping, or leaf hunting. Having grown up in the perpetual summer that is Florida, I never really experienced the changing of seasons (other than wet to slightly less wet). Knowing this, I resolved to take a hike and enjoy some traditional Japanese autumn viewing.

Koyo and Momiji

Koyo and Momiji both share the same kanji and mean the same thing: the changing of leaf colors. There are a ton of beautiful trees that change colors here in Japan. I went out in Saitama to Okutama to check out some nice leaves. Okutama is a beautiful gem about two hours from where I live: It has great nature and even a lovely craft beer bar near the station. We hiked up to Shirotaebashi Bridge and Hikawa Gorge. There are apparently limestone caves further up the way but we didn’t learn about this until the end of our day. Another time, perhaps! Protip: If you take the bus, expect it to be jam-packed. It’s always full!

  Leaves and clear water

View near Shirotaebashi Bridge

Gnarly root on the trail

Hikawa Gorge, right next to town

Bottom of Hikawa Gorge

Momijigari: Leaf Hunting

Branching off of Koyo and Momiji is Momijigari, or leaf hunting. or leaf peeping. This is a new concept to me, but an intriguing one: It follows in the tradition of admiring nature and the passage of time, which is something I can get down with. I wondered about how long this had been going on, if it was an ancient Japanese tradition or just a nice modern marketing strategy to encourage travel.

  Red and Orange leaves

Red, Orange, and Yellow leaves

Hunt successful!

Well, it turns out that it’s been around for quite some time! Back in college, I read The Tale of Genji, which was written back in the Heian period (around 1000 CE), and it is rife with talk of autumn leaves. I also learned from the railway company JR East of all places that there is even mention of hunting autumn colors as far back as the 8th century CE. It seems that I am participating in a centuries-old tradition!

Many thanks to my wife, 2blueeyes, for pointing out momijigari to me!

If you come to Japan in the fall, be sure to check out this autumn color tracking map (there are many others available online as well). It’s been super useful for me and my own pursuit of momijigari, so hopefully it will help you as well!

Fall Colors and Leaf Hunting in Japan If there's one thing the Japanese are really into, it's the seasons. Each season has its own array of activities, foods, and natural wonders for you to behold.

[maiji]

I'll be vending this coming Saturday April 27, 2024 at the Momiji Spring Market!  

More info:

Momiji instagram post

Momiji Health Care Society site

I previously posted about my experience with another event here. The venue is gorgeous building that's part of a Japanese-Canadian seniors' residence, so please take care to mask for everyone's safety and health!