500 and something individual Buddha statues, and some old warehouses

Today was a bank holiday: Ocean Day. Apparently, the key activity for today is going to the beach. You see, July is usually bloody hot and sunny, so one presumes what evolved was a national, mid-summer beach day. Sort of like an institutionalised sickie.

Turned out cloudy in the end, however, so we took off toward Kawagoe, home of old-style warehouses and 500 individual statues of Buddha. The warehouses line a lovely street that evokes Tokyo of old, hence Kawagoe's nickname, Little Edo (Tokyo used to be called Edo, you see). But it was the 500 Buddhas - actually 538 - that sold the place.

The go-hyaku Rakan, as they are known, were carved between 1782 and 1825. They whisper to each other:

Fall asleep - or crouch in desperation:

Pick their noses:

Look smug with their kookie specs on:

They, er, pull open their chests to expose their hearts:

Sleep some more:

And 500 and something other things.

Good times. Kawagoe is a half hour train from Ikebukuro, and these guys live at the Kita-in temple. Those warehouses I mentioned earlier look like this.

Mmm, big roofs. Kawagoe is doable in an afternoon. Try the many purple sweet potato ('murasaki imo') flavoured snacks sold on "Confectionary alley", and particularly seek out the same tuber's purple ice cream, also to be found in Kamakura, which is right tasty.

by tom

Toyshop beer

Mums! Does your child dislike drinking their milk? Are they bored of juice? Think coke's too full of sugar and e-numbers?

Why not give them BEER?

That's right, beer. Or at least, I think it is. I found these bottles in Kiddy Land, a giant toy shop in Harajuku. The labels say 'kodomo biru' which means 'children's beer'. Or possibly 'beer made from children'. Could be either, really.

Chloë