░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ░░░░░░░░▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░░░░░░░ ░░░░░░░▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░░░░░░ ░░░░░░░▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░░░░░░ ░░░░░░░░▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░░░░░░░ ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ ▓▓ ▓▓ ▓▓ ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ ▒▒ ▒▒ ▒▒ ▒▒ ▓▓ ▓▓ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ⟣ ⛩ 日本旅行の記録 ⛩ ⟢ ≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈ ✎ ⛩ 𝐉𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐥𝐨𝐠 ⛩ ✍︎ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ 𓅫𓄿 See also @leaflitter’s “•< karasuguisu trip >•” poetic, sweet & tiny updates! 𓄿𓅫 🗺️ Schedule: 𓆟 May 27-28 Tokyo/Zushi 𓆟 May 29 Tokoname (Aichi) 𓆟 May 30 Mie (Tsubaki Kaikan) 𓆟 May 31–June 1 Ise June 2-3 *Shikoku Island*(changed to Ōsaka due to typhoon) June 4 Kyoto June 5-6 Tenryukyo (Nagano) June 7-8 Tatsuno (Nagano) June 9-10 Togakushi (Nagano) June 11 Enoshima (Kanagawa) June 12-16 Zushi (Kanagawa) ⏖⏖⏖⏖𓆛⏖𓆜⏖𓆝⏖𓆞⏖𓆟⏖⏖⏖ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ 5.31.2026 ⛰️🥾⛩️ - early morning gorgeous ~30min hike up steep stairs to Atago/Jinshu shrine. 🙏 to 🔥 deity and 8 million Kami. 🫘🐌🕸️- natto strands floating in the air while we chow down our big breakfast at the Kaikan. 🎁 - kind kannushi Akimoto-san gifted us some tea & treats 🧎🏻‍♂️‍➡️🧎🏾‍♂️‍➡️- Chohai (morning prayer) in the Haiden: very powerful norito chanting with full room of voices in unison. we both individually discover that sitting in kneeling prayer position on tatami mat after a big hike results in pins-&-needles, feet & legs go completely numb🦵⚡️😅 🎟️🍵 - generous gift of 2 tea ceremony tickets from another kind kannushi-friend ⛩️🚶🏾🚶🏻‍♂️✨ - amazing, exclusive tour from Ochiai-san of the awe-inspiring grounds, buildings, prayer stops, history and customs, concluded with a tea ceremony at the beautiful tea house 🍚 - lunch at the Kaikan: tasty torimeshi 🎁 - becoming absolutely spoiled with yet another gift, this time tsubaki towels from Gon Gugi Shiba 🌱🌾👩🏻‍🌾 - beautiful rice-planting ceremony. purification at main hall, procession with local musicians, rituals, traditional planting, and dance performances to bless the rice fields for a good harvest. Weather agreeable the whole time, not too hot. 🍡🍦- frozen maccha jelly-sicle and bakery treats on the walk back; maccha “stick-style” ice cream at Kaikan. the surrounding area is lush with tea-fields so all the tea is local 📸 - lucky encounter with Guji Yamamoto-san: chats, laughs & a photo together ⛩️ - last-minute Ema writing, hung near Ame no Uzume no Mikoto’s shrine 📸 - fun last photo with Ochiai-san, got photo-bombed by 2 old local troublemakers, characters straight out of a Miyazaki Hayao film 🚙 - ride to Kameyama station, gave gifts to Ochiai-san and for Guji-san. arrived right on time to catch our tiny two-car, one-manned tiny 🚃 - to Iseshi station. beautiful long ride through rice fields and lush mountains 🍙🍗 - dusk check-in to tiny hotel room, conbini dinner courtesy of Family Mart. 😪💤 - zoooooonk. ⏖⏖⏖⏖𓆛⏖𓆜⏖𓆝⏖𓆞⏖𓆟⏖⏖⏖⏖ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ 5.30.2026 🎒🔐- pack up, coin locker stash 🏺🐦‍⬛- beautiful Tokoname pottery route wandering; museum omiyage delights: conger eels and karasu jizō! 🍂⛩️ - Seán takes a mysterious @leaflitter-lined forest path on a whim: it leads us to our first Shinto Shrine, where we temizu & pray 🥖 🐄 - tasty bakery, famous Tokoname bottled milk 🐠🎏 - many special fish: pottery fish, lucky fish swimming in pots, painted fish, tile fish…!! 🍙 - found out that the old house we slept in becomes a musubi take-out restaurant by day: grabbed lunch 🚃 - to Meitetsu-Nagoya station 🥤- mistakenly took an earlier (crowded) train than we needed to, so, found some softer drinks (spiced cola, elderflower) and ate awkwardly in busy Nagoya station 🚃 - to Kasado station. 🫢 - bad idea: ate a natto-egg musubi on the (thankfully, mostly empty) train, much to Seán’s chagrin. sticky, stringy goodness. 🚙 - arrived perfectly on time to meet Ochiai-san (Shinto kannushi) outside the sweet tiny rural station. got acquainted and got a tour of the Kaikan (Shrine guest house), some of the Shrine grounds and history ✨⛩️🧎🏻‍♂️‍➡️🧎🏾‍♂️‍➡️🌊✨- incredibly honoured to have received a private purification ceremony and ritual evening waterfall Misogi— extremely powerful and soul-cleansing!! ♨️ - dipped in the tiny flaming-hot Kaikan onsen 🍱🍚🥓🥬🥢 - devoured large teishoku Kaikan dinner. noticing increasing appetite after busy days! keep saying “how am i not full yet??” 🛌 - zonk! ⏖⏖⏖⏖𓆛⏖𓆜⏖𓆝⏖𓆞⏖𓆟⏖⏖⏖⏖ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ 5.29.2026 >> 強い匂い・うめおばあちゃん・おみやげ・ツバメ・カモメ・やきにくtsuyoi nioi, ume, obachan, omiyage, tsubame, kamome, yakiniku. 🪰- stinky air in Zushi potentially due to bioluminescent plankton on the beach 🥃- local umebōshi and umesu with breakfast @ Misuzu’s 🚃🚃- back to Ōiso 👵🏼- sweet old woman gave directions, walked with us and told us many many things that we could only grasp a bit of. good listening/communication practice! 🐦‍⬛- stopped by Sayaka’s sweetly-curated tea shop across the street from the station. her coworker (overwhelmed by us gaijin, no english) helped by calling Sayaka and we chatted over speaker phone to arrange meeting up. bought some more omiyage and an amazing local artist’s insect art book. tender gift exchange and heart-warming conversations about insects, spiders, crows and shrines. 🪹- barn swallows in Ōiso station, shelves built for them to nest in the open station, cute bird poops all over the walls hehe! 🚃- to Atami. good gull/kamome art around. lunch near station: oyakodon and soba soup 🦶- free hot community footbath outside station! soaked for a bit. 🚅- to Nagoya, listened to & edited bird field recordings so far. 🚃- to Tokoname, pottery town. 🏠- navigated to cute attic tatami room. 🦇- 10+ bats flying around us at sundown, mixed with swallows: day & night bug-eating shifts meet! 🍖- adorable family-run izakaya; yakiniku dinner, made it through the offals and thoroughly enjoyed the rest. a 6-yr-old gave us a recommendation of the rice & egg soup, which was indeed delicious. ⏖⏖⏖⏖𓆛⏖𓆜⏖𓆝⏖𓆞⏖𓆟⏖⏖⏖⏖ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ 5.28.2026 >> incredible, magical day of hiking, bird-listening, cute cafes, soothing live music and new friends. 🥾- morning hike up and down a lush, tropical forest mountain in Zushi. Discovered 2 ancient topographic burial mounds at the top: awe-inspiring. Many many Uguisu and other birds, sonic bliss #1 of the day. 🫚- Cinema Amigo marketplace treats and chats; Beach Muffin lunch with Misuzu-obasan, such a sweet vibe in a 140-yr old house; Enjoyed a natural ginger cola. 🚃+🚃- to Oiso! gorgeous, misty walk to hidden gem venue/cafe, navigated by Seán’s instinct and crow-guides. 🎶🍵🌿- Architectural genius, ambient musical wizardry by our “Good Ojisan” Miyauchi Yuri who we finally got to meet and hear live— sonic bliss #2 of the day! 😊✨- Made 3 new friends: Yuri-san 🎶🎹🎸; Takaya-san, impromptu helpful translator and conversation partner; and Sayaka-san, skilled, kind & tender tea-drink concoctor. 🥢- Dinner at recommended chicken restaurant near train; mis-aimed meander back to station 🚃- back to Zushi. 🧺- laundry & zonk! ⏖⏖⏖⏖𓆛⏖𓆜⏖𓆝⏖𓆞⏖𓆟⏖⏖⏖⏖ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ 5.27.2026 >> still in the air; read part of ‘The Tao of Pooh’. 🛬- Narita airport. 🌽- first vending machine bev: drinkable corn pottage in a tin bottle— was super hungry ∴ it tasted amazing. 🚃&🚃- to Zushi, counted as many karasu (crows) as we could see. 🧭- attempted to navigate with memory alone to 日本のおばさん Misuzu-san’s apartment; got a bit lost nearby but she happened to be walking by right as we were making our third wrong turn :) 😪💤 mega-zonk! ⏖⏖⏖⏖𓆛⏖𓆜⏖𓆝⏖𓆞⏖𓆟⏖⏖⏖⏖ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ⟣⟣time travel through sky⟢⟢ ⏖⏖⏖⏖𓆛⏖𓆜⏖𓆝⏖𓆞⏖𓆟⏖⏖⏖⏖ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ 5.26.2026 >> ride from kind brother to YVR; ZIP AIR 🛫; moomin game & playdate on flight; ate Japanese baby food to tide over hunger; first attempt at hand-drawn pixel art on paper. ⏖⏖⏖⏖𓆛⏖𓆜⏖𓆝⏖𓆞⏖𓆟⏖⏖⏖⏖ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ 5.25.2026 >> getting ready to head to Vancouver, tomorrow morn flight to Japan! 🌰- Turkish uber driver shared his home-roasted hazelnuts with us, they were delicious; maybe even worth missing the bus for! 🎆🪩🎇🎶- incredible, epic live folk/electronic music performance for a proper cap-off of @leaflitter‘s bird day. ⏖⏖⏖⏖𓆛⏖𓆜⏖𓆝⏖𓆞⏖𓆟⏖⏖⏖⏖ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ 5.21. 2026 >> three-week journey around Japan with @leaflitter starting in five days ~ planning to log intermittently here on the spesh fish! ⏖⏖𓆜⏖𓆝⏖𓆞⏖⏖ ░░░░ ░░░░░░ ░░▓▓▓▓░░ ░░░▓▓▓▓░░░ onigiri ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ ▓▓ ▓▓ ▓▓ ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ ▓▓ ▓▓ ▓▓ ▓▓ ▒▒ ▒▒ shinto torii ⏖⏖⏖⏖𓆛⏖𓆜⏖𓆝⏖𓆞⏖𓆟⏖⏖⏖⏖ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ∻ ▓▒ ▒░▒ ▒░▒ ▒░▒ ░ ▒░▒ ▒░▒ ▒░▒ ▒▓ ▒ ▒ ░ hello! ░ ░ ░ ▒ i'm wingy scruffhead. ▒ ░ _ ░ ▒ ⎛⦿⩥ ▒ ░ __⎛⎠_⎠__ ░ ░ ⎝="=__="=⎠ ░ ▒ ⎛⎛⎛⎠⎝⎛⎞⎛⎞⎞ ▒ ░ ⎠⎛‹●›‹●›⎞⎝ ░ ▒ ⎠⎠|❍ ⋅⋅ ❍|⎝⎝ ▒ ░ \ ⏝ / ░ ░ | ︺ | ░ ▒ ...⨼ ⦦... ▒ ░ ⎛:::⎝︿︿︿⎠::::⎞ ░ ▒ ▒ ░ some things i often am: ░ ░ ░ ▒ ⟿ bird-musician ♫ ▒ ░ ⤑ habitual doodler ✎ ░ ▒ ⤳ creative prob-solver ✂︎ ▒ ░ ↝ lichen-looker ⚘ ░ ░ ↣ food-&-tea savourer ☕︎ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓▒ ▒░▒ ▒░▒ ▒░▒ ░ ▒░▒ ▒░▒ ▒░▒ ▒▓ ✐✐✎✎✐✐✎✎✐✐✎✎✐✐✎✎✐✐✎✎✐✐✎✎✐✐✎✎✐✐✎✎ ✎✎✐✐✎✎✐✐✎✎✐✐✎✎✐✐✎✎✐✐✎✎✐✐✎✎✐✐✎✎✐✐ ✐✐✎✎ ✎✎✐✐ ✎✎✐✐ ᙏᗅiᒫbox ⚘ 𝔐𝔞𝔦𝔩𝔟𝔬𝔵 ✐✐✎✎ ✐✐✎✎ ✎✎✐✐ ✎✎✐✐ ▓▓▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▓▓ ✐✐✎✎ ✐✐✎✎ ▓░░▓▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▓░░▒ ✎✎✐✐ ✎✎✐✐ ▓░░░░▓▒▒▒▒▓░░░░▒ ✐✐✎✎ ✐✐✎✎ ▓░░░░░▓▒▒▓░░░░░▒ ✎✎✐✐ ✎✎✐✐ ▓░░░░░░▓▓░░░░░░▒ ✐✐✎✎ ✐✐✎✎ ▓▓▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▓▓ ✎✎✐✐ ✎✎✐✐ ✐✐✎✎ ✐✐✎✎✐✐✎✎✐✐✎✎✐✐✎✎✐✐✎✎✐✐✎✎✐✐✎✎✐✐✎✎ ✎✎✐✐✎✎✐✐✎✎✐✐✎✎✐✐✎✎✐✐✎✎✐✐✎✎✐✐✎✎✐✐ ▒▒▒ ▒▒▒ ▒▒ ▒▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒ ▒▒▒ ▒▒ ▒▒ ▒▒ #feac84 from jeffy: "in response to your request for bird stories - the other day I saw two crows standing in a gravel lot, and one looked like it was pulling a worm out of the ground. But on a closer look, its beak wasn't touching the gravel; it was more like an exaggerated pantomime of the motion. Beak opens, head lowers, beak closes, head lifts, repeat. The other crow was standing a foot to the right, watching. I wondered if maybe it was a parent teaching a new skill. That's their secret to know :)" #014169 from jakewelch: "I have an American Robin mother in the tree outside my window who's built her nest. We're anxiously awaiting for her little blue eggs to appear. A month or so ago, we saw a Red Tailed Hawk in Prospect Park standing on the ground in some brush. We watched for a while and realized it had something under it's talons. Suddenly it took flight with a squirrel hanging below. It was quite the sight!" ▒▒▒▒▒ ▒▒ ▒▒ ▒▒▒▒▒▒ ▒▒ ▒▒ ▒ ▒▒ ▒ ▒▒ ▒▒▒▒▒ ▒▒▒▒▒ ▒▒ ▒▒ 5.11.2026 oh my goodness, @jeffy i just noticed your crow observation-- what a neat and ౾~mysterious~౾ thing to behold! i've watched a field of crows after the rain pulling up worms, but not to eat-- they were seemingly just playing a game! they'd pull a worm up, then jump straight upwards as if startled, and then pick up the worm, fling it aside, search for the next one, and repeat. 𓄿 𓅀 𓄿 i have endless questions for the crows... most recently i've been watching them scraping up what i thought were chestnut blossoms (but maybe it's those flat tree-seeds that have been everywhere lately--which tree are they from?), anyway they're scraping them off of the road, side-beak style, with a seemingly full crop, ready to feed babies. strange that they seem to prefer eating the car-smooshed ones instead of fresh, but now that i think about it, maybe it's 'cause it's easier to access the seed after being run over...? i watched one doing this for 5 mins yesterday, being side-eyed by crow but continued about its mysterious business. crows, pls explain. 5.10.2026 @jakewelch thanks for the great bird observations! good catch, red-tail! any eggs yet in the robin's nest? ✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎ 𓅰 𓅬 𓅭 𓅮 𓅷 𓅯 𓅭 𓅬 𓅰 ✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎ 𝓳𝔬𝔲𝔯𝔫𝔞𝓵 𝔃𝔬𝔫𝔢 ✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎ 𓆜 𓆝 𓆞 𓆟 𓆜 𓆝 𓆞 𓆟 𓆜 𓆝 ✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎✍︎ 4.5.2026 #92917a birds i saw 𖥶 and/or heard ♪ today: #fca060 ♪𖥶 american robin #916152 ♪𖥶 bewick’s wren #b54e3c ♪𖥶 house finch #3d211f ♪𖥶 juvenile towhee #d3b224 ♪𖥶 golden-crowned kinglet #d7207d ♪𖥶 anna’s hummingbird #aa9fa2 ♪𖥶 bushtit #120f22 ♪𖥶 american crow #eadbd3 ♪𖥶 glaucous winged gull #181716 ♪ common raven #806151 ♪ dark-eyed junco #2c2c2d ♪ european starling #4e9cbe ♪ peacock #d99c4e ♪ rufous hummingbird #bd9a33 ♪ golden-crowned sparrow ★ today’s highlight ★ bushtits! i watched a pair building their soft, sock-like nest only about 15 paces from our front door!! eeee my heart melted with love for them ♥︎ 🧦🐦 ♥︎ i hope they have many wee ones that learn to eat and grow and chirp in their cozy, mossy sock. 🥚🥚🥚🥚🥚🥚 ⩻ question of the day ⩼ i wonder if bushtit bbs just poop in their nest, or do they make fecal sacs like cavity nesters, since they have an enclosed nest? hmm! i must learn more...* *answer: indeed, bushtit nestlings are in the fecal-sac crew! so tidy. if only human babies could evolve to have such an ingenious system..! other creatures: black-tailed deer european wall lizard house fly bee-fly (bombilius major!) american sand-wasp? leggy ▓▒░░▒░░▒░░▒░░▒▒░▒▒░▒▒░▒▒░░▒░░▒░░▒░░▒▒░▒▒░▒▒░▒▒░░▒░░▒░░▒░░▒▒░▒▒░▒▒░▒▒░░▒░░▒░░▒░░▒▓ ☞ ⤞why am i here?⤝ ☜ while inspecting a pile of @leaflitter, a little leggy-fish-bird skittered out and invited me to join their special fish party. how could i refuse? here are a couple of my special new leggy fish-like friends (and others): ︿︿⌠ ৲ o°˚ ⩘ ⫸⊂{⊂{⦿≺ -{hi!} ⫸{(⦿3 >●}}< ⦦⊂{⊂/ °˚o ˇ ` ⎩ ⎩ ৲৲ ° ∝ ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡ ⫸{((⦿3 ″ ° ❍ ∝ ৲৲৲৲_⩘ ∝ o ⫸⊂{⊂{⊂{⦿≺ -{i spesh?} ৲৲ ° ˘⎩˙⎩˘ }{{●≺ ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡ ″ 𓆑𓆑𓆑𓆑𓆑𓆑𓆑𓆑𓆑𓆑 𓆉 notable update logs 𓆉 𓆑𓆑𓆑𓆑𓆑𓆑𓆑𓆑𓆑𓆑 2.22.2026 >> became a special fish! 3.08.2026 >> added s'more ascii spesh fish 3.10.2026 >> added some "lists" for the first time 3.24.2026 >> playing around with these ░▒▓ things 3.25.2026 >> testing new mailbox-zone 4.05.2026 >> creating a journal-zone 5.01.2026 >> prompt: anyone have a good bird story they recently experienced or heard? 5.21.2026 >> created Japan trip log zone