Chofu Wholesale center to Nogawa Park (December 15th)

Lots of the leaves are gone at the Nogawa Park. It looked pretty different from what we saw last weekend.

Today we went to Chofu Wholesale center (Musashino Market) to get some hams for the Christmas. They have more stuff for Chrismas and New Year's day season now. We had Sushi for brunch and then rode our bicycles beside the Nogawa river to Nogawa Park. We saw lots of kinds of birds beside the river today. Even we found some kingfishers, too.

調布卸売センターへクリスマス用にハムを買いにいってきました。お昼はおやじ丼屋で握りずしをいただきました。前回よりも自分好みのネタがそろっていたので大満足でした。野川沿いを野川公園までサイクリングする間に、たくさんの種類の鳥、特にカモの仲間たちを見ることができました。カワセミにも数回、出くわすことができました。


The Sushi set for the brunch.


Larus ridibundus (Black-headed gull, Yurikamome)
In summer, their heads change the colors into black.


Can you tell what this is?


The answer is Alcedo atthis (Common Kingfisher, Kawasemi).
This photo was taken by my friend, Daniel.


Anas acuta (Northern Pintail, Onaga-gamo)


Anas crecca (Common Teal, Kogamo) and Anas platyrhynchos (Mallard, Magamo)


Anas platyrhynchos (Mallard, Magamo) and Anas acuta (Northern Pintail, Onaga-gamo)


We found a couple of chickens too.
何故か鶏のつがいも…いったいどこから来たんでしょう。

Nogawa Park and Tonogayato Gardens (December 8th)

Beside the pond at the Nogawa Park.

Today we rode our bicycles from Nogawa Park to Tonogayato Gardens, which have one of the springs running into the Nogawa river. We didn't plan to stop by the Nogawa Park, but when we passed through the park there were quite a few maple trees with beautifully-colored leaves, so we parked the bicycles and walked around the inside of the plant area.
From the park, we took the road called Hake-no-michi to Tonogayato Gardens near Kokubunji sta. The garden was originally created as part of the grounds for a residence for the Vice-President of the Manchurian Railway, Eguchi Teijo. And then in 1929, it was purchased by the founder of Mitsubishi, Iwasaki Yataro. In 1974, until the garden was purchased by the City of Tokyo, the Iwasaki family used the buildings and grounds as their residence. The garden has lots of nice and big maple trees, so we took many pictures there.

野川公園から「はけの道」をたどりつつ、殿ヶ谷戸庭園までサイクリングに出かけてきました。どちらの公園でも美しく色づいたカエデをみることができました。






Reineckea carnea (Kichijou-sou)
キチジョウソウが花と実の両方を付けていました。何だかいいことがありそう？




Red maple leaves at the Nogawa Park.


Big maple trees in Tonogayato Gardens.
殿ヶ谷戸庭園の見事なカエデの大木たち。


The pine trees got coverd up with dry grass cloths.
松の木には腹巻が…


Green bamboos and yellow maples.




Interesting view on the surface of the pond.
次郎弁天の池に揺れる紅葉。


水面に揺れていたのはこのカエデの紅葉でした。


White carp and the autumn colors on the water.


Is it natural? Or somebody did it?

Jindaiji Area (December 1st)

Chofu Wholesale Center - A small local market at the Jindaiji area in Chofu.
調布卸売センター（武蔵野市場などの名前でも知られる小さな市場。これから年末にかけて品揃えも増えて面白くなる季節です。）

Today we went to bicycle around the Jindaiji area in Chofu. First we visited Chofu Wholesale Center to see if they had any nice hams for Christmas but it was a little too early, so they don't have any yet. It had been a while since we went there last time and the place changed quite a bit. We found a small restaurant built right beside a fish shop and had Sushi for brunch. Then we went to Jindaiji hot spring "Yukari" and soaked in the coffee-colored hot spring. After that we went Jindai Botanical Garden bicycling through Jindaiji temple area. The maple trees there were so pretty. The cold temperatures of last few days must have worked good on turning the leaves' colors into pretty. We enjoyed beautiful colors and then had early supper at the Soba noodle shop "Tama no ya" and came back home.

今日は深大寺周辺を散策してきました。まずは調布卸売センターへクリスマス用のおいしいハムを探しに。残念ながらちょっと気が早すぎたようで、アンデス食品さんではまだハムを用意されていないようでした。と、すぐ近くに気になる食堂を発見。ブランチに握りずしをいただきました。その後、深大寺温泉ゆかりでつるつるしたコーヒー色の温泉につかり、深大寺の門前通りを散策。鬼太郎茶屋のソフトクリームは、梨ミルクの季節から完熟苺にメニューが変わっていました。ここ最近の冷え込みのおかげで、このあたりの紅葉も一気に進んだらしく、至る所で真っ赤なモミジを見ることができました。神代植物公園のカエデ園でもたくさんの中高年カメラマンがシャッターを切っていました。帰りがけに、玉乃屋さんで早めの夕食をとり日が暮れる前に帰途に着きました。


The entrance of the restaurant in the market.
おもわず気になってしまう入り口のドアを開けると、そこにはカウンター式の小さな食堂が。


Sushi for brunch.
日替わりのおやじ丼。今日は握りずしでした。店内の窓からは隣接する魚屋さんが見えます。これで６５０円というのもお値打ちでは…


The main avenue in front of the Jindaiji temple.
深大寺門前の通りも見事な紅葉で彩られていました。


At the maple garden in Jindai Botanical Garden.
神代植物公園内のカエデ園。思わずたくさん写真を撮ってしまいました。


The yellow maple leaves looks pretty, too.
黄色く色づいたカエデも素敵です。






公園内の至る所が秋色に染まっています。


This view is the one we meant to come to see today.
今日の一番のお目当て。ラクウショウの煉瓦色の紅葉は何ともいえない不思議な色合いです。


Jindaiji Beer.
そばと一緒にいただいた深大寺ビール。ホッピーの会社が作っています。


We had Soba noodles with Nameko mushrooms and Duck meat.
なめこおろし蕎麦に鴨南蛮蕎麦をいただきました。

Mt. Takao (November19th)

Momiji-dai near the summit of Mt. Takao.
The colorful leaves were bright through the sun shine.
もみじ台にて。美しい影絵のような光景。

Today I went to Mt. Takao. There were quite a few people visiting there even on Monday. At the summit you can see lots of red and yellow maple trees.

久々に高尾山へ出かけてきました。月曜にもかかわらず多くの人で賑わっていました。紅葉もかなり進んでいて、頂上のカエデ類は見事に色づいています。今朝もかなり寒かったのでひょっとしたらと期待していたのですが、さすがにシモバシラはまだ霜を花を咲かせてはいないようでした。


Tripterospermum japonicum (Tsuru Rindou)
ツルリンドウの液果。




Mt. Fuji from Momiji-dai.
もみじ台からの富士の眺め。


Red maple leaves at the summit of Mt. Takao.
高尾山頂の紅葉。






I went down the mountain using the chair lift.
初めてリフトを使って下山しました。


I had lunch at the Soba noodle restaurant, Sakae-jaya. They make noodles by themselves.
栄茶屋さんの手打ちそばをお昼にいただきました。


十割そば。きちんとおいしいお蕎麦がいただけて大満足でした。

Mukashi Michi, Okutama (November 17th)

Autumn colors at the Okutama Lake area.

Today we went to see the autumn colors at the Okutama area. We took the bus from Okutama sta. to Okutamako bus stop, then walked down the old trail called Mukashi-michi to Sakaibashi bus stop. Then we took the bus back to the station and went to the hot spring.




Ampelopsis brevipedunculata (Nobudou)
ノブドウの色鮮やかな実。


As soon as we started the old trail, we found some persimmons eaten by somebody on the road...
むかし道を歩き始めるや否や、何者かに食い散らされた柿のみが路上に…


It was a wild monkey which ate the persimmons!
犯人はおサルさんでした。


Okutama Lake is actually a dam built to save the water for people living in Tokyo.












The view from Sakaibashi bridge.
境橋から。