Yes, I know all these photos are from the Tokyo area, which is a long way from Sendai, but they portray peaceful scenes that reflect Japan before this latest disaster. I can’t take credit for these five shots, as they were taken by a friend of mine who has been to Japan more recently than have I.Â
In the third photo, notice the little strips of paper attached to the wires in front of what look like little mail boxes. These are o-mikuji, or fortunes. The price is 100 yen. You deposit your coin, take a fortune from a drawer, and if it is good and not a curse, you can take it, or you can tie it there to increase the fortune. If it is bad, you can tie it there to make it “wait.” Nowadays, I understand this self-serve system has been partially replaced by vending machines.
Sometime soon I hope to digitize some of the many negatives I have from the more than one year I spent in northern Japan and share those with you. That was more than two decades ago. For now, enjoy these photos, dozo.
