PHOTO: Japanese Girl with Umbrella in Tokyo’s Hama-rikyu Gardens

Japan’s weather ranges from brutally cold winters to sweltering summer sun and monsoon rains. This Japanese girl with umbrella in Tokyo’s Hama-rikyu Gardens already knows how to use her umbrella against sun and rain. While the practice of carrying umbrellas makes for precious photos, Japanese tend to be much shorter than me. As a result, the spokes of their open umbrellas can became lethal weapons. More than once, I narrowly averted being gouged in the eye by a metal umbrella spike. Fortunately, this was not the case with this adorable little girl, who seemed pleased, if a little shy, about posing for a photo.