So. Cal visit

I spent last week in Southern California.

Here are some photos I took there.

A bird rests on a fountain at Fashion Island, Newport Beach.

A roof ornament at Lucille's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que, Tustin.

Anime cosplay people get ready for a parade in downtown Los Angeles.

Little Tokyo Village in Los Angeles.

The Union Station, Los Angeles.

IN-N-OUT Burger on Sepulveda Boulevard, close from LAX.

Changing Kichijoji

A lot is happening in Kichijoji.

Osaka-based Kintetsu Department Store that opened in 1974 closed in 2001 and for a while became Otsuka Furniture and Mitsukoshi. But it is Yodobashi Camera since 2007.
This year in March, Isetan and LonLon closed - they will re-open this fall as H&M and Atre Kichijoji.

The entrance of former LonLon Shopping Center by the central exit of Kichijoji Station.

Atre is partially open, but the grand renewal open is scheduled on 21 Sept. 2010.
Yuzawaya is also closed - and relocated in Marui for the renovation of the station building.
One of the entrance to the construction site for Atre Kichijoji. This one is below Inokashira Line overpass.
For Sun Road Shopping Area, it is business as usual.

Lake Toya

I had a trip to Lake Toya, Hokkaido last Mon-Tues.

This summer, the weather has been very hot in many places of Japan. I was very happy to find that it was nice and cool there.

Lake Toya, seen from Windsor Hotel Toya.

Here's the hotel. This was the site for the G8 Summit meeting in 2008.

Mount Yotei is sometimes called "Ezo Fuji" for its shape ("Ezo" is an old name for Hokkaido).

Cows lazed around a pasture close from the hotel.