Aztec Car Shop








Apres avoir achete mon bento du jour, je repartais du コンビニ du coin le long de la riviere, histoire de changer de route. Ca doit me faire 5m en plus. Distance qui doit couvrir la difference entre deux routes paralleles.
Content de cette initiative je fus car j'ai pu tomber par hasard sur ce garage, a priori specialise dans les coccinelles et autres voitures a la mécanique simple mais authentique. Il etait aussi amusant de voir la couleur de cette VW desossee qui etait parfaitement accordee aux tonalites automnales, epoque ou j'ai pris ces photos.

album photo

Aztec - Custom body work and painting
Phone 0462-47-9359

Aina Green Area




A park, not a park... That is the question. Yes we can call it a park but there is nothing around. The park itself is clean and cute. There might be few Sakura there, I will check someday. A playground is facing the park entrance and looking at the popularity of the place, you might have enough space for your やきゅう (baseball) play. I think it is a good opportunity for the fresh musicians that want to practice without disturbing their neighborhood.

We can reach Aina Park from Morinosatoaoyama, right after the tunnel heading to Aina/Moridai/Iiyama.

Sakura




The spring is arriving in Japan. You know that when the Sakura trees are full of flowers. Actually many places in Atsugi and around have plenty of Sakura bu there in Morinosato, we are still waiting. Few trees are blooming but most of them are just showing their first flowers. Too sad.
Down in Ono district, on my way to work I can see those naked Sakura and waiting for the amazing show.

Le printemps arrive au japon et se traduit principalement par la floraison des sakura. A ce que je peu entendre a droite et a gauche, plusieurs sites a Atsugi ont deja leurs Sakura fleuris. Pas ici a morinosato. Plus bas, a Ono, sur mon trajet matinal, je vois encore les minuscules fleurs de la range de Sakura.

Machida Tenmangu Flea Market


For people who likes old stuff, antiques and japanish goods, I recommend you the Machida Tenmangu Flea Market. It is held by professionals every 1st day of the month (except january). It is a bit far from Morinosato, but I used to live 50m from there and before going to work, I always stopped by... but I almost never bought anything. Except some Tea ceremony items and Kimonos (2 for 1000Y). A lot of foreigners are going there and it is a good way to bring back home some original Japanese souvenirs, much better than this Oriental Bazaar in Omotesando. Don't be affraid to ask for a discount, they make a lot of business with gaijin like us!

At the current time, I do not know any flea market in the Astugi area. I will search and keep you posted.

10~15min walk from Machida Station on Odakyu Line West Exit
Take the long street parallel to the JR Yokohama Line in front of Marui, Lumine, Tokyu Twins and Mina department stores

Bousai no Oka Park


Bousai no oka koen est la Rolls du parc. Vous qui avez des enfants, vous serez presque a les envier. J'aurai aimer profiter de tel parc durant ma jeunesse, contrairement aux eternels tape-culs ou trains en bois qui puent l'urine.


Comme tout parc a la japonaise, il y a de grandes etendues gazonnees pour poser ses fesses et pique-niquer, jouer au yakyuu (baseball en japonais) ou se laisser tenter par quelques dribles a la Thierry Henry. Si vous preferez l'ombre d'un sous-bois, vous y trouverez quelques tables. Vos marmots pourront ensuite se defouler sur les jeux tels que de longs toboggans a roulettes ou le tres populaire trampoline gonflable. Pour les plus grands un petit terrain de basket/futsal et un skate park. Non, c'est vraiment la grande classe. Un cafe au sommet du parc peut accueillir les plus frileux (ou les allergiques a la chaleur humide de l'ete).


C'est aussi une zone d'evacuation pour les catastrophes de grande ampleur. On reconnait par-ci par-la les quelques installations qui doivent subvenir aux besoins des sinistres : rangees de robinets, heliport, projecteurs, haut-parleurs ou plaques (type bouches d'egouts) alignees qui servent surement d'evacuation a des toilettes de fortune.

Trois ou quatre parkings sont dedies au site. Je vais direct au plus eloigne car la popularite du parc fait que les places les plus proches sont prises jusqu'a la fermeture, vers 17h, a moins que vous soyez japonais dans l'ame et que vous etes toujours partout une heure a l'avance !



Bousai no Oka Koen is an amazing park. If you have kids and you want them to evacuate all their energy, it is the place to be. I would have loved to play in such place when I was young. Anyway, I play with my kids there.


Like every japanese park, you can find a huge playground to picnic, play Yakyuu or try your latest play in soccer. If you prefer the calm and cool atmosphere of a little hood, you can find few tables. Then your little boys and girls can enjoy the finest games that japanese park architects could ever imagine. Did I tell you it is all free ! Even teens or older can express their basketball skills on the street park or some Tony Hawk moves on the skate park. That is just awsome. A coffee shop is on the top of the hill for the ones how prefer the air conditionning.

3~4 parking lots are available but I always go directly to farest. The closest ones are always full until the end, around 5pm. Maybe you are more japanese than me and you always arrive anywhere one hour earlier!