Asakusa, Ginza and Odaiba After Church

After spending our 2nd Sunday in Japan at the 8:30 AM -Worship at Tokyo Union Church (TUC), we were toured by our children Jonna

and Dominic, and a family friend Sofery Bonquin in 3 wonderful tourists' spots in Tokyo, namely :

1. Asakusa, this is another Buddhist and Shinto Temple where local and foreign tourists troop for both religious and leisure purposes.

2. Ginza, this is a commercial cum recreation street, where one can walk freely without vehicle traffic. Also a rendezvous for promenaders and barkadas.

3. Odaiba, a reclamation area turned haven for

commercial and recreational activities. Photos posted here speak for themselves.

Enjoy viewing. Celebrate life! (Josh Blogs)

In Kimono After the Traditional Tea Ceremony

Moshi, moshi. . . Our family here in Japan posed for picture taking today after participating in a traditional tea ceremony "sado" celebrating the New Year. (January 8, 2011)

Taste of Chinese @ Japan

Having worked with Chinese colleagues for the last 6 years at the Philippine-Sino Center for Agricultural Technology (PhilSCAT), and having visited China annually since 2001, it seems that I am in China again for spending our day in the Chinatown at Yokohama.

Posted here are attractive scenes (taken by daughter Jonna) that we passed through from a train station near our house to our destination in the Chinatown. A brief stop at the famous Yamashita Park near the port of Yokohama Bay. Hope you will enjoy the gallery. (JSF Blogs)

Minimally Processed Agri-Products@Vinawalk Mall (Still in Japan)

This afternoon, we went to a nearby mall to buy some food items for our kitchen. My attention was caught by how Japanese handle agricultural products like fruits, vegetables, flowers and sea-products. They were packaged neatly and presentably, so attractive to the consuming public. Processing is likewise generally different from us Filipinos. Japanese food vendors were more into "minimal processing", although ready-to-eat food products are also a common sight. Minimal processing is really the general practice, so that consumers have some share in the preparation of final food-product, and that the end-product is freshly cooked.

Japanese are very conscious of the quality of food products. They are so discriminating in terms of the content (analysis), expiration date and nutritive value, typical of people in advanced economy. Ask what's the general stance of Japanese on GMO products, I think they are "positive" on this modern-technology agri-products, as some genetically modified agri-products can be seen in the market like that cubic watermelon.

Posted here are some pictures taken from the "turo-turo" and wet-market sections- counterpart of our typical market. Can you compare them? (JSF Blogs)