Neighbourhood Flower Watch

Walking to work today I spied this lovely tree, or bush, or is it a hedgey shrub?
I snapped these pics with the ubiquitous instagram.
(I'm a bit tentative with instagram, not quite sure of it yet, but gosh it is handy)





After some internet searching I've decided it's a japonica, also known as a flowering quince.
If anybody out there can confirm or deny this I would be most pleased.
I think my squashy, murky garden could benefit from one.

Osaka sniff

Stopping to smell the plastic subway flowers.
Stopping to smell real flowers that looked like wild little flames. I want my garden aflame with these!

home

We are back!
The trip was magnificent.
The exhibition was well received, many friends were hugged, songs were karaoked and the season was most definitely summer.

I don't have many good photos of the exhibition at the moment, but as soon as I get my hands on them I'll put them up. In the meantime here's a bunch of happy Tokyo times in our friend Shoko's house.

Hydrangeas - ajisai - were everywhere, and lined the local train tracks.

There were small animal parades all over the house.

 

Shoko made us a delicious, multi-plated dinner.
All the vegetables came from her parents' garden near Sendai.

 

 

Animal parade!

 

Breakfast with a polar bear speaker.

Thank you Shoko and Shinya for having us!!!!!