Japan, Kawasaki - A Snowy January

January 2022 and I continue to stay all cooped up in my tiny apartment in my tiny city to avoid the pantomime that I will (without a doubt) experience when travelling overseas during a worldwide pandemic. Why? Because cross-border rules for travellers are changing faster that one can blink one's eyes.

Even so, thanks to the wonders of modern technologies, I am certainly not cut-off from the rest of the world. My many overseas friends, continue to send me photographs of street scenes of daily lives in the cities they live in. Of course, I did likewise, sending them photographs of the street scenes of my city on the rare occasions that I ventured out of my humble abode. This is our unique way of "travelling" to different cities without actually physically travelling.

Just a couple of days ago, a friend living in the Japanese city of Kawasaki sent me photographs of the heavy snow that his city is currently experiencing. Looking at the photographs of snow covered streets made me appreciate that I live in the tropics. I love snow but trying to drive or commute in heavy snow is certainly not something I will enjoy. Especially after the initial euphoria of walking in the snow has worn off and the drive and commute degenerate into a slog.

Photo Credit: Matsumoto Takeshi

Snow-covered public park, Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan (2022)

A lone pedestrian commuting on a snow-covered street, Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan (2022)

Driving in the snow, Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan (2022)

Snow is everywhere, Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan (2022)