A trip into town 07

 This store sells traditional Japanese sweets, the kind that goes particularly well with green tea. I do not think that we have ever bought any, but we do stop here sometimes. On the second floor there is a restaurant that caters to middle aged women. By that I mean that the decor is very artsy, lots of paintings on the walls and quiet music. Also the menu goes for small quantities of good quality rather than large quantities at whatever qualities. The prices are very reasonable and the food is good.

 Tucked in a corner is a small Shinto shrine. I had to wait until a woman, who obviously did not want her picture taken finished and left before I could take this picture. I have no idea what the name of the shrine is. There does not seem to be a sign, however, it might be written on the house like structure above the fence. That is a traditional Japanese signboard. The roof protects the cut wood or the back from the elements and also keeps the rain off the things that are posted there.

 This is something that is becoming very rare in Japan - a telephone booth with a green phone. Telephones are color coded in Japan, so that you know at a glance how it functions. This one will accept prepaid cards and coins.

This is on the corner at the end of the arcade. It used to be a coffee shop that turned into a drinking place after 6 p.m. They also had a pretty good menu so it was possible to eat there, too. We used to use it as a meeting place back in the days when I went out drinking with my friends. It closed last year and remained empty, but I have noticed that they are working on the inside and there are rumors that it is going to reopen in some form, maybe a coffee shop again but it is not at all clear. The coffee shop rumor seems unlikely since there is a Mr Donut shop almost next door.