Snow Cone & the Seven Dwarfs

A chance meeting with a passing stranger on Omotesando-dori got Bloompy to turn around to follow him and his entourage of seven. Do not miss minute 5:00, when the youngest of the clan struggled to step over a leash. All dachshunds owners had seen their pups experience this at one point or another.



If you cannot see the video on this site, click HERE to view it on YouTube.

Bathing the Bunnies

Two Dachshunds (Ptolemy and Galla) attempted to bathe Two Bunnies (Furball and Cottontail).



If you have trouble watching it in this Blog, click HERE.

In Memory of the Victims of Hiroshima Bombings

We pause to respect the victims of the 1945 Hiroshima bombing.

To read an article in relation to today's news, please click HERE or HERE.

Picture Credit: Toru Hanai for the IHT

Not Just Your Dogs Drinking from the Toilet Bowl

The Mainichi Shimbun reported from Higashihiroshima (East Hiroshima) that plumbing blunder at the Hiroshima University Higashihiroshima Campus had resulted in students drinking water that was designated for flushing toilets. They traced the problem to 1993, when the gymnasium's renovation was completed. They attributed the problem to incorrect fitting between pipes for high quality drinking water and low grade toilet flushing water. Recently, 80 students got very ill with symptoms including diarrhea and vomiting. It is a surprise that the outbreak had not occurred much earlier.

Read the full news HERE.

The Grass is Always Greener . . .

Some Americans and Europeans prefer to say their vows in Bali, in Phuket, or in Kyoto, so why not the Japanese bride and groom ditching their shrines and temples in favor of the churches in the West? An article by Doreen Carvajal (read it HERE) in the International Herald Tribune talks about the phenomenon of these fantasy weddings in Paris. Especially now that the whole world has seen the weddings of Cruise-Holmes (in a castle in Italy) and Longoria-Parker (in a chateau in France), some would like to realize the same dream of doing it abroad.

Even here in Tokyo, during one of my strolls in Omotesando back roads and small alleys, I ran across a huge church with disproportional front yard. At first I really thought it was a worship church, but upon closer inspection, I realized it was a church solely used for the purpose of wedding ceremonies. These ceremonies came in packages, like any wedding ceremonies, but this one caters to those who want the ultimate western wedding experience.

Not too far from this church, on Omotesando-dori itself, stood L'Anniversaire, a multi-story store that catered exclusively to weddings, with each floor focusing on one aspect of the wedding: jewelries, bridal gowns, make-up, and topped with the ceremonial place.

Photo credit: David Brabyn for the IHT