Lost Tokyo

Blurred Challenge

2012-02-05T03:45:00.000-08:00

This photo is a re-post for the CPB Weekly Photo Challenge, "Blurred".

The original post is located here.

Snowy Morning, or What's outside your window?

2012-02-03T06:41:00.000-08:00

I was working on a project near Akishima, and had the opportunity to stay at the surprising Forest Inn Showakan. It's about an hour from Shinjuku, and can be accessed by train or via the Chuo Highway. The hotel takes full advantage of a forest park and golf course giving guests the feeling of an escape from the city.

While I was staying there, I was lucky enough for it to snow. This first photo was of the view out my window on the sixth floor. It was pretty, but it took me 30-minutes to find an ice scrapper to chip my car our of the snow and ice that accumulated overnight.

This is the view of the woods behind the hotel from the lobby.

Pandas in Ueno

2012-01-28T06:11:00.000-08:00

The pandas are back at Ueno. Ri Ri and Shin Shin arrived at Ueno Zoo in February 2011. Shin Shin was a little shy and kept her back to the crowd. Ri Ri was a little more accommodating, but slept soundly in the January afternoon sun.

A more accommodating and slightly more photogenic panda was on display outside the main entrance to the zoo.

A short distance away from this mail box, you'll find the famous panda yaki.

Kadomatsu and other decorations...

2012-01-22T05:56:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to catch up on some random end of year photos. Things I should have posted and didn't get around too. I'll start with the end of the year and see how much I can catch up on...

This set of photographs is of New Year's decorations in Japan. These are not by any means comprehensive, but just a few of the ones that I saw out and about town.

The first and last photos in this set I am sort of confused by. It seems that the first is some sort of shimakezari, but I am just not sure. It has the paper lightning, and the wreath like rope but, doesn't have the other decorations I have seen on other shimakezari. Hmmm...

The next two photos are of a pair kadomatsu that I spotted outside a large house in the Motoazaubu area of Tokyo. I thought the pair looked like a grand decoration for a private residence.

The last photo is some sort of odd mini kodamatsu. It had many elements of a "traditional" kadomatsu, bamboo, pine branches and a plum sprig. However, it was missing the staw. I don't know enough about Japanese culture to be sure what it means, but it was pretty. I'll have to do more research or perhaps someone more enlightened can share their knowledge.

Deep fried ayu... Delicious!!!

2012-01-20T21:40:00.000-08:00

As a treat, for lunch on Friday I joined a Japanese co-worker for lunch at a restaurant called 飄禄玉 near the Sagami River that serves exceptional trout and ayu (sweetfish).

You are given plenty of daikon (grated Japanese radish) to garnish the fish. I split open my fish and spread liberal amounts of daikon and shoyu (soy sauce).

The restaurant has a great view of the surrounding rice paddies.

The other room has a view is of Japanese garden.

Year of the Dragon (part four)

2012-01-19T12:52:00.000-08:00

Seems that there are lots of dragons hiding in plane sight here in Tokyo. Here are some more random dragons that were spotted at the Gojo Shrine in Ueno Park.

There was a selection of wooden boards or plates called ema, to write your prayers on an leave at the shrine that had dragon designs celebrating the new year.

At ¥2,000 or about $30 USD, the ema do not come cheaply at this shrine. I am used to seeing them cost about ¥500 at most shrines and find this very over priced.

There were also several dragons that formed the boarder of a large signboard on the shrine grounds.

Shinjuku Street Hawkers

2012-01-12T15:51:00.000-08:00

Street hawkers in Tokyo come in two basic types, loud or pretty. Which do you prefer?

This hawker for SoftBank phones is all about attracting attention and making people stop. She even posed for me as I walked by. All in a very silent and beguiling manner.

At Bic Camera, the hawkers follow the more traditional fish monger style of calling out, welcoming customers (Irashaimase!!!) and announcing the daily specials.

First Shrine Visit 2012 at Zōjō-ji

2012-01-07T17:45:00.000-08:00

Although I was at Sensō-ji at midnight for New Years, we did not join the queue to make our first shrine or temple visit of the year there. For hatsumōde, we drove south to Zōjō-ji Temple at the base of Tokyo Tower.

By the time we got there after 1 a.m. the crowd was already thinning, and we were able to join the queue and enter the shrine in about 15-minutes.

Asakusa on New Year's Eve

2012-01-04T03:28:00.000-08:00

This was the scene in Asakusa at Sensō-ji Temple on New Year's eve. This is the Hōzōmon or "Treasure House Gate".

There were many food and souvenir stalls were scattered around the shrine grounds giving the temple grounds a festive atmosphere.

The faint blue LED lights in the distance are from the Tokyo Sky Tree.

One of the many takoyaki vendors located in tents around the shrine.

One of the various New Year's decorations that are sold around the temple. I think these are called kumade. They are used to rake in good luck.

One last look at the crowd in front of the temple. My friend and I decided not to wait in the line that went through the Hōzōmon or "Treasure House Gate", Nakamise-dōri (shopping street), Kaminarimon or "Thunder Gate", spilled out on Kaminarimon Dori and and U-turned back to Kaminarimon. The line moved fast, but we guessed that it would take several hours to get to the temple. We decided to drive to another shrine and get in a shorter line.

Year of the Dragon (part three)

2012-01-01T03:55:00.000-08:00

Did you know that there is a dragon hiding under the Kaminarimon lantern that marks the entrance to Sensoji Temple in Asakusa?

Blind Daruma

2011-12-31T18:32:00.000-08:00

Are you ready to set a New Year's goal? These little red, round guys called daruma might be able to help meet your goals. Japanese fill in one eye when they set their goal and fill in the other when the goal has been completed. At the end of the year many of these are burnt at the temple, when the goals have been met and new ones are to be set.

Get your at the New Year's market at Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan. Set your goal, draw in one eye and get motivated as this little guy stares at you through the year. Happy New Year!

Year of the Dragon - Baked Treats (part two)

2011-12-30T23:53:00.000-08:00

Mont Thabor my favorite place in Azabu Juban for baked treats had these lovely Dragons on sale today. I bought a dark one and a light one to share for breakfast on New Years Day.

I hope that 2012 finds all my readers prosperous, healthy and full of delicious treats.

Year of the Dragon (part one)

2011-12-30T22:03:00.000-08:00

The New Year's banners and decorations are going up in Azabu Juban. There's only a few hours left in 2011 and the year of the ox. The year of the dragon starts tomorrow. Or will the year of the dragon start after Chinese New Year?

Kuniyoshi and the Toyota Prius

2011-12-29T03:19:00.000-08:00

During my stroll through Roppongi Hills I saw this poster for an exhibit of ukiyo-e woodblock prints by Kinoyoshi.

The strange face made up of people is also on wikipedia. The weird connection is that for the last several months I've been seeing a US commercial for Toyota Prius hybrid vehicles advertised with people made up of a bunch of people. I hated the ad, but thought that it was at least original Seems that the advertisers may have gotten their idea from this print which must be over 150-years old. If the Utagawa clan is still around, perhaps they could get royalties from Toyota?

Roppongi Hills Christmas Lights

2011-12-28T06:27:00.000-08:00

Christmas has come and past in Tokyo, and I almost forgot to post photos of the lights at Roppongi Hills. My editing skills are either weak, or I have a problem sharing. Anyway, it's your choice to surf through my site. For this post, I'll keep the text at a minimum.

There's a strange wall of light in the the garden in from of the TV Asahi Building.

This a small but but properly decorated tree in front an Indian restaurant called Diya. The food there is good, but do they decorate the place for Diwali?

This must be the proper place to stand when taking photos...

This is the rose themed tree in the central plaza.

There's a great view of Tokyo Tower and the illuminated tree lined street from the pedestrian bridge.

I liked how the taxi driver's face was illuminated.

The lights added a festive aura to this shopper.

This unusual CFL lit tree was in the lobby of the Grand Hyatt at Roppongi Hills. I thought it was classy and modern with sense of humor. My co-worker thought that it may be inspired by Dan Flavin.

Smoking Crab

2011-12-14T05:43:00.000-08:00

There's a tobacco shop in Azabu Juban near the Shinichinohashi crossing that has an odd feature. There's a crab (or kani) featured on their signboard above the shop that is smoking a cigarette and blowing rings.　I guess that the crab is some sort of mascot for the shop, but I just can't figure out the connection. Am I missing something?

Autumn Colors at Rikugien

2011-12-11T06:44:00.000-08:00

There's a lovely traditional Japanese garden a short walk from Komagome station on the JR Yamanote or the Namboku subway lines. It's called Rikugien and was opened over three hundred years ago. There are good directions and more information available at Tokyo Metropolitan Park Association website.

The family went for a stroll through the park on a beautiful lazy Saturday afternoon. There were plenty of protests from my son and daughter who thought that this was not a proper park since there was no playground equipment . They are 7 and 5 years old, respectively, so it is a valid point but my wife and I did not yield to their protests and we were able to make one circuit of the park and I was able to take a few photos.

There's a signboard at the entrance with enough information and to navigate and appreciate the history of the park.

The maples were putting on quite a display of vibrant autumn reds, oranges and yellows.

The reflections in the stream circling the park were beautiful.

No Concept

2011-12-08T12:52:00.000-08:00

The shop was closed, but if you didn't need a concept you could find it here. What does it all mean?

Meiji Jingu Gaien Ichou Namiki Matsuri

2011-12-06T02:57:00.000-08:00

The family was at the Meiji Jingu Gaien Ichou Namiki Matsuri or Ginkgo Street Festival this past weekend. I wish we could have stayed longer, but I wasn't in the best physical condition. I am recovering from a lingering bout of pneumonia.

The street leading up to Meiji Jingu Gaien is lined by two rows of ginkgo trees on each side. This is often referred to as Icho Namiki. This year's trees didn't seem to be as full of leaves as last year. Perhaps the trees were trimmed back a little too aggressively in the spring or perhaps the weather was not as favorable in the spring and summer.

Each side of the street has a very festive pedestrian lane.

The flow of pedestrian traffic was often impeded by those stopping to take photos or just stopping to enjoy the golden leaves.

Sometimes I feel out of place

2011-11-18T07:52:00.000-08:00

Hmm.... Perhaps "Lost Tokyo" should have a gallery exhibit at "Tokio Out of Place"? It seems like we may be on the same wavelength.

Sample capsule

2011-11-16T12:20:00.000-08:00

On Roppongi Dori in front of Roppongi Hills is a restored example of the Metabolism Movement. This sample is from the Nakagin Capsule Tower (completed in 1972) designed by architect Kisho Kurokawa. According to the information posted on the side of this specimen, one of these capsules could be built for the cost of a compact car.

If you are interested in learning more, the Mori Art Museum at Roppongi Hills is holding an exhibit, METABOLISM: The City of the Future, until 15 January 2012.

There are efforts in progress to tear this unique structure down, so if I am in Shimbashi I'll make an extra effort to visit. You can still see it on Google Street View...

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Young Clock Tower at Night

2011-11-14T04:23:00.000-08:00

I was in Ginza several nights ago and passed the Young Clock Tower by Tarō Okamoto. It looks a lot more interesting in the evening than during the day.

Tokyo fashion escapes me...

2011-11-06T12:47:00.000-08:00

Even after living in Japan for almost 10-years, I'm often confused and a amused at fashion choices. I guess since I am now in middle age, I would be confused by younger peoples fashion choices practically anywhere.

Case in point, this gentleman strolling in Asakusa. He obviously spent time putting together his look. The similar colorful sakura embroidery suggest that the the jeans and shirt are from the same designer. He's also holding a man's purse which seems out of place. Oh well, I'm no critic, but I know what I like and would wear. The English phrase appears to be pointless, but at least the grammar is correct.

Big Taiyaki at Tokyo Taiyaki

2011-11-05T03:41:00.000-07:00

There's a more modern, sort of fast food but good taiyaki place in Roppongi Hills. It's called Tokyo Taiyaki. I have visited it several times before with my son and daughter, but this time they were featuring kabocha filling.

Early Autumn at Showa Kinen Park

2011-10-23T03:00:00.000-07:00

The kids were out for fall break this past week. Since their school holiday schedule does not follow the Japanese school holidays, we headed out to Showa Kinen Park (国営昭和記念公園 and in wikipedia) in the west Tokyo suburbs about an hour west of central Tokyo. It used to be part of the nearby Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) at Tachikawa Air Base and was established in 1983 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Emperor Showa's reign. It's a very large park for Tokyo at 163.0 hectare.

This park is full of interesting natural wonders and features a variety of large flower beds. This month, cosmos are featured.

Here are some more cosmos taken in camera with an impressionistic style in mind. The post processing was limited to adjust levels, balancing colors and contrast. The blur is from fill flash freezing the image and my hand swinging the camera towards the flowers.

Some of the more interesting play structures include bouncing domes or sea of clouds (雲の海）, rainbow hammocks, and a playground full of sea monsters.