It was raining – no, pouring – all weekend because of an approaching typhoon. Sunday night the storm was so heavy that I couldn’t sleep, and at some point in the middle of the night I even got up and cleared my balcony to prevent anything from being blown away.
Next door to my apartment, there is this garage for garbage trucks. And just this Saturday, they had their open day again, with games for the kids, allowing them to sit in a garbage truck, stalls for food, etc. There was even a brass band, which played a medley of Queen songs some time in the morning. From what I could see from my balcony, it seemed pretty empty. I felt so sorry for them, putting in all this effort, and then they are washed away by the typhoon.
The big event on Sunday – Jidai Matsuri, a favourite of mine – was cancelled altogether. It was a wise decision, and even though it had cleared a bit by Monday, the auxiliary date, it would not have been much fun for anyone. Even the Manga museum closed early on Sunday.
By now, things are back to normal again. The temperature has dropped even further though, and I now have put out my gloves and woolen scarf and hat in case I have to go somewhere on my bicycle in the evening. Also, tonight is the first night this autumn where I am using my space heater. My fears for a long and cold winter are probably justified…
On a somewhat lighter note, it seems that Japan has been taken over by Halloween altogether. There will be a Halloween-themed cosplay parade next weekend for example, and of course, Halloween costumes and trinkets are for sale everywhere. Even serious Japanese businesses are jumping on the bandwagon. Today, I passed by a very old Japanese sweets shop that mainly sell traditional sweets with red bean paste, and waffles with simple sugar cream inside. Said waffles are now having a cute design – Halloween inspired, of course.