Nagoya

The cherry blossom/sakura season is in full bloom in our bit of Japan at the moment. 

It was raining yesterday, but Lindsey, Austin and I went out anyway, to a sakura street along the river to admire the flowering cherry trees. If it had merely been drizzling, we would have walked along the street. 

It was not drizzling. We stayed in the car and admired them from the warmth and dryness.

If yesterday had been a better day, there would have been people everywhere, having picnics and parties and the stalls would have been bustling. Although we were perhaps a bit early for the stalls. They were only just starting to open. 

Perhaps  it was a blessing that it was raining. There were very few other people around.

Then we went to the supermarket :-D

In the afternoon we went into Nagoya on the train. 

We were heading out to Noritake Gardens, so we could go to the china shop. In the four or five years since I was last at Noritake, they have built a shopping mall next door. They have also built an underground walkway most of the way. It looks like this:

(The cat gets everywhere!)

We didn't go to Noritake last time we were here. I didn't really need to go this time, but it was interesting to see what a difference the shopping mall has made. The footfall seems to be considerably bigger. And they've expanded their "character" range to include Doraemon and Moomins, in addition to the Totoro merchandise.

The Totoro shop at the station is still there. So is the big electrical store

The Cat Bus in the Totoro shop
2019 and 2023

We met Kaori's father and brother for dinner

In the lift, admiring the view

And so home:

I walked almost 18,000 steps. No wonder my feet were complaining!