So we just got our first accumulated snow here in Chicago, though by accumulated, I mean stuck to the ground. There was only a thin layer, but ’twas snow, never-the-less. Is it me, or was autumn shorter than usual? 

In Tokyo, it looks like things are a bit more – get ready for a Japanese word – GENKI/元気! 

Genki/げんき/元気 a Japanese word that is similar to the English expression “well,” “fine,” or “good.” To dissect the word, 元, (hiragana: げん, romaji:”gen”) means “origin” and 気, (hiragana:”き”, romaji: “ki”) means “spirit.” So origin and spirit combined, makes a person 元気! So, the next time someone asks you how you’re feeling, be cool and say, “hai! genki!”

So things are definitely more genki, at least for my tastes, in Tokyo right now. This is pretty typical for weather in Tokyo this time of year, I think. Here’s a photo to exemplify the weather. Kyoto is almost directly west of Tokyo on the 35 Degree North Longitudinal line, about where Memphis, TN is in the U.S. I took this photo in Eastern Kyoto at the famous Fushimi-Inari temple last year in early December (you can click on it to see the full-size photo)

Such is the beauty of color~