Tama River

  • New Roads

    Kangaeroo won’t be doing much riding along the Tama River for a while. For the next few weeks, it will be back in the homeland again. Riding will be a bit of a challenge while there. But also a bit exciting! Oz is far stricter on policing road rules than Japan. It will be interesting to see whether Kangaeroo can adapt to the differences. Kangaeroo grew up in the Dandenong Ranges, which are apparently a cycling Mecca for Melburnians, though it wasn’t the case back in the day (at least to the author’s knowledge). For the time being, though, it’s ta-ta to the Tama! And what a way to say…

  • Tripping on the Tama River

    Kangaeroo cycles pretty much daily. Due to a number of time constraints, nearly all the rides are along or near the Tama River. This river is one of the main waterways in Tokyo and has been supplying the city with water for centuries. River-side cycling is on bike tracks and really isn’t demanding (except for the requirement to be constantly wary of pedestrians). But it’s still great fun. Being able to wake up, get on the bike and shake off the cobwebs and let life rip is a blessing for this old man. And Kangaeroo is even luckier by being able to ride the absolutely gorgeous La Cangura, who heads…

  • Enough Of The Cold, Already!

    May weather is generally the best of the year in Tokyo, by Kangaeroo’s reckoning, and though it looks like it’s gonna shape that way, it would be nice to say “bye” to the cold until at least the late autumn. The first weekday of May greeted early risers with a delightful sunrise over the Tama River. Rain started falling around midday the previous day, rendering riding as a bit too tough., The rain persisted overnight and into the early hours of the morning. The forecast was for the weather to clear and become sunny by the end of the day. Roads were still wet and slippery, though, so care was…

  • Bloomin’ Marvelous!

    For all sorts of reasons, Kangaeroo hasn’t had much of chance to get out and about and cop a look at the cherry blossoms in bloom in Tokyo in 2022. Nonetheless, that hasn’t meant being completely deprived of a sight that possibly makes the Japanese capital the most beautiful city in the world for a week or so every spring. Various restrictions have limited viewing to the area of the Tama river and its tributaries, but even then it has made for some wonderful sights, as this gallery shows.

  • Beautifully Breaks the Tama River Morning

    Mornings can be hard to get up for, particularly in the cold and dark of winter. Yet, some things make it worth waking early for. Waking, then moving, can be a great way to start the day. It can get the body working and warmed up before the mind takes over, or even put the mind in a decent space. In Kangaeroo’s case, it’s handy. The mind is rarely friendly. Winter 2021-2 has not been particularly constructive. Moved to a home last year, renovations kept it dark….for three months. Work is not going well. Laid off three times in 2021. Not feasible to retire. Bike breakdowns, and no replacement parts…

  • Rustic Relaxation

    A weeklong festival of cycling drew to a close with series of unexpected bonuses: forecast rain failed to eventuate; an area usually only viewed while frenetically racing along on the jalopy turned out to be filled with delights; and Kangaeroo came to the realization that 100 kilometers is not an impossible distance to cover every day provided time and speed are not needed to be accounted for. The day was spent with a group of mates, riding through the hills of outer suburban Tokyo, stopping frequently to eat, drink or soak in the scenery. We each went our separate ways to return home and the idyllic day came to an…

  • Tiptoeing through the Tulips

    Today was something of a landmark occasion: Kangaeroo made his first century ride on a recumbent bike. Owning and riding a recumbent has been a long-held dream for this blogger. And the dream finally became a reality earlier this year. But the dream turned into a bit of a nightmare as Kangaeroo discovered how difficult it is to ride these bikes. It took over a month of steady practice to learn how to ride. Even then, a sense of unease persists. Early plans to name the bike Lay Down Sally gave way to Death Machine. If nothing else, the recumbent brings back the thrill of being close to death on…

  • Tumultuous Times

    So much for reverting to daily updates after years of mostly recessed Kangaeroo.com. It has been a week of topsy-turvy turmoil, though, so it’s a little understandable that a long-neglected blog once more fell by the wayside. Or was put aside at least. Monday kicked off the week with a huge change: a house purchase! Once assumed to be unthinkable, it was actually doable. Kangaeroo was granted a loan that will probably not be completed while remaining on this mortal coil. Tuesday saw the timely commission of a large job bringing in enough cash to cover the cost of moving house. Wednesday was the final day of Kangaeroo’s time at…

  • Riding Along the River

    Summer is not always the most pleasant season in Tokyo as it’s stinking hot, humid and frequently raining. Sometimes, though, nature turns on the charm and you get some delightful goodies. This week’s sunrises have been precisely that. Blessed (?) by a series of bicycle mechanical failures, Kangaeroo.com got a day to take it nice and slowly along the banks of the Tama River forming the boundary between Tokyo and Kanagawa Prefecture, resulting in these delightful pictures.