What Took You So Long?

Fall finally arrived in Ota this past week....I was beginning to think it was going to be summer forever.  I documented it whilst biking to the post office.  And for those of you who care about such (I myself am a disgracefully lazy photographer) these were all taken with my 55-200mm VR lens--a lovely going away present from my former co-workers. :)

limes, anyone?

if I were taller, you could see more mountains

still not harvested

Don't Judge a Book By It's Cover....

....or a Japanese eating establishment by it's facade.  On my trip to the mall the other day, my fellow expat wife also recommended one of the little mall vendors.  I had noticed it before but had written it off because it's somewhat "rustic" appearance signaled to me that it was probably the kind of place that sold scaly and/or tentacle-y things.  Come to find out, I was sort of right.  It's a "taiyaki" vendor.  Taiyaki are very traditional dessert cakes that are shaped like fish, made of a waffle-ish batter and have sweet fillings.  According to my research, the fillings vary from shop to shop and can be a little gimmicky.

I didn't get one that day, but I went by later in the week and picked out a couple to try.  One that I had hoped was double-chocolate turned out to be filled with a sweet red bean paste that is popular here.  I had a pretty good idea that it wasn't chocolate based on the limited conversation I was able to have with the girl behind the counter but I got it anyway just to try.  I'm not a fan of it (it tastes exactly like "sweet red bean paste" sounds) but the other one I got was filled with a custard that was pretty tasty.

no, I don't know what the shop is called....I can
sound out some of it but it means nothing to me

I had always kept on walking to the yummy
smoothie shop next door

I think they are definitely best when hot and fresh

the top one is the chocolate/bean, bottom is vanilla custard

How Much Is That Doggie in the Window?

A week or two ago I met up with another one of the expat wives at Starbucks.  Afterwards she introduced me to one of her favorite pastimes....puppy-watching.  I knew there was a pet store in the mall but I'd never  been by it (the mall is massive) and I didn't realize that there were actual dogs and cats for sale.  Turns out puppy-watching is a popular pastime in Aeon.  That's not too surprising considering how much Japanese people love their pets.  Same as in the US for the most part, but judging by the year-round availability of a variety of costumes, dressing one's pet up is a little more popular here.  I have also seen two or three dogs being pushed around the Tokyo subway in dog strollers, which was a little startling.

Side note: It's hard for me to see puppies for sale in cages and I know I have some even more soft-hearted readers but at least they look healthy and well-cared for and seem to be rotated out into large play areas regularly.  They are also kept together as you can see below so they can play.  I was also surprised to see people petting them freely (the cage tops are open) so they get lots of attention.

dachshunds, for which I have a particular
weakness, are very popular here

puppy pile (by the way, these are some expensive puppies....that's
 at least $700-$800 worth of dog there)

I was not the only one who was enjoying the puppies

a photo I took a long time ago of all the pet clothes in Cainz

can't forget the kitties