Sakura, Cherry Blossoms, in Tokyo 2013

The Japan Meteorological Agency announced that sakura, or cherry blossoms, reached full bloom in the capital on March 22nd. It was around 10 days earlier than usual and the second earliest on record. Under the glorious blossoming trees, people stroll, sing, eat, drink, lie down and get intoxicated by their beauty, hoping to see the fugacious flowers next spring again.

Sakura, Cherry Blossoms, in Tokyo 2013 [iPhone 4S/HD]
- Shot in 1080p full HD with an iPhone 4S on Mar. 26th, 2013

Kotatsu ~Japanese Heating Table~

Kotatsu, a low table with an electric heater underneath, is one of the typical Japanese heating devices. You cover it by a quilt and get your legs into it to get warmed. It is a kind of a heating devices for a very small space. It is a good idea to heat up a small space when you live in a Japanese wooden house. Japanese houses are usually designed to be drafty in order to make the life comfortable during the very humid summer. However, in winter, it is inefficient to heat up the whole house. It takes a lot of energy. Kotatsu is a reasonable solution to the problem. That is why we usually don't have a central heating system at home. (In the northern island Hokkaido, it is very common to have one)

On a cold winter day, once you are in it, I bet you would never like to move out of it. If tea, snacks or winter fruits and remotes were prepared on the table, it would be almost impossible to escape from the enchanted table till the winter ends.

Kotatsu ~Japanese Heating Table~ [iPhone 4S/HD]
- Shot in 1080p full HD with an iPhone 4S