Carpenter’s plane used to shave a candied hazelnut block for ice cream desserts…

…like this “ice cream burrito,” complete with hazelnut shavings.

In Taiwan, like other tropical climates, avocados grow as big as pineapples. For reference, those are good-sized pineapples.

The tofu lady at the night market.

The high mountains of northern and eastern Taiwan produce some of the world’s most highly prized teas.

Women picking tea on an all-organic farm in central Taiwan.

Varieties of fermented oolong (black) tea on display at an organic tea farm.

High-mountain tea varieties on display at an organic tea farm.

Mr. Gao, the fourth-generation proprietor of a tea farm in the mountains above Taipei. He and his sister offer elaborate tea ceremonies and a riverside retreat that’s a popular hipster escape on weekends.

High-mountain “oriental beauty” tea, smooth as honey.

”Besobaru” or Yakyū (field ball) on an early Sunday morning in Tokyo. These are high school teams, I think, with lots of devoted parents on hand. Each upcoming batter bowed to the shinpan (ump), who called “booru!” and “sutoraiku!” Here, a batter lays down a “banto.”

The visiting team in the dagguauto.

Teammate, in English: He is the Japanese Babe Ruth!

Me: Not Suzuki?

Teammate: No! Babe Ruth!

Japanese ballplayers, Kinshicho, Tokyo.

Fortunes for sale, Akasuka district

A school band assembles across from the Imperial Palace on the day of the new emperor’s coronation. These kids clowned around for about one second before standing at attention for hours in the hot sun. They also played very well.

A French tourist at Tokyo’s Sensō-ji temple. Canon cameras are still the most popular brand at tourist spots, but they’re far outnumbered by iPhones.

Tokyo’s Sensō-ji temple at dusk.