New Shot of Shibuya Intersection

Many people know what Shibuya Intersection is like.
Many tourists enjoy taking photos there, in the middle of the intersection or from the second floor of the Starbucks.


Shibuya Intersection (from the station side on the ground)



Shibuya Intersection (from the second floor of Starbucks)

The most amzing thing that I have ever had is that I happend to see a bride and groom taking a photo in the middle.

Some have had a chance to see MarioKarts passing through the intersection.








A shot that has never been taken before

On top of that, there has appeared a new spot where you can take a distintive shot of the intersection.
Take a look at the following  photo taken from right above it. 

So please come again to Shibuya if you'd like to have anything exciting much more than the regular scenes. You have to pay 5 dollars for the admission.




Colored Leaves Lighted Up in Tokyo

Local people admire colored leaves lighted up at this time of the year.
There is an special event held in a Japanese garden called Rikugi-en, where hundreds of trees are lighted up in the evening.

a scene of a Japanese garden lighted up

Red leaves (right) show up in the darkness, in the contrast with an evergreen pine tree (left).
The conical framework of the pine tree is set in November as a preparation for winter, suportting its branches so as not to break due to snow weight.



an island in the pond

Their reflection on the water in the pond gives you different scenes that you don't have in the daytime.

The event lasts until Dec. 2.
 

Two statues in Tokyo Water Front

Maybe you don't know that Tokyo has the Statue of Liberty. 

It stands on the seashore in the innermost area of Tokyo Bay and just at the outlet of Sumida River, welcoming people who visit the water front.



The Statue of Liberty in Tokyo

It is in the middle of a reclaimed area called Odaiba, which is  a large resort town consisting of several shopping malls, exhibition halls, amusement buildings, a large Ferris wheel  and high-end condominiums, as well as office buildings in a trendy style.

Computer-operated trains, running on the elevated railroad,  connect them to downtown, giving passengers a good view of the water front.












a view from the water front

a view of Tokyo Bay



The Statue of GunDam

On the side opposite to the Statue of Liberty, there is the Statue of GunDam, a well-known hero character of animation movie originating in Japan. 

This is much larger than the statue of liberty. Moreover it moves the arms and the legs, appealing its mission to protect the earth.


The two statues represent the contrast between traditional and contemporary asptects of Tokyo.


Do More for Less in Geisha show in Tokyo

Many tourists would like to see what geisha is like, but don't dare join the entertaiment.
Because it would be so expensive and punctillious in manners.  It also seems to be hard to make a reservation at a high-end Japanese restaurant.



Geisha Dance

Don't worry about any concerns on it. You'll have a good chance to see their dance performances and join some plays with them only if you come to Tokyo on Saturday evening with around 50 bucks in the pocket.

Two authentic geisha girls, accompanied by a Shamisen guitar player, show up just in front of you at a Japanese style of room downtown Tokyo.




Geisha in close-up

The show last for  90 minutes.
A cup of tea and some pieces of sweets are served, but no meal for dinner.

Nevertheless, you'll fully have a feeling of the traditional entertaiment that has been performed since the 17th century.

 

Miyajima in Hiroshima

Miyajima is so unique among 80 thousand Shinto structures over the country.
It has a Torii gateway on the seashore, and the gateway soaks in the water when the tide comes in. 
In those days the nobility took a boat,  passed through it and stepped on the floor of the sanctuary.



a view of The Grand Torii Gateway from the sea

Now, you'll take a boat on the opposite side of the strait. The boat takes a detour so as to give you a view of the red gateway from the sea.  Unfortunately it arrives at a small port near the shrine without passing through the gate.


The Grand Torii Gateway on the ebb

The shrine, called Itsukushima Shrine, was restored by a local lord, who were in the first generation Samurai class in the 12th century. He indroduced aristocratic elegance into the structure: there is a main large hall in the middle, and on either side is a smaller sacred house connected to the main one with corridors. This is known as a form of crane with open wings.


Sea Road to the shrine

a drum shape of bridge

a side view of the shrine

You'll have a feeling of aristorats' tastefulness in the 12th century.




  
 

Please Keep Hiroshma in Your Mind

I'd like to recommend you to visit Hiroshima. You would understand something important for people in the world even if you are here to enjoy nature, culture and treasure of Japan. 



The Cenotaph of A-bomb Victims

More than seventy years have passed since then.
The survivors, who knows what tragegy happened, are  getting too old to keep talking about the reality. The number of them is also getting smaller and smaller.

People have to continue considering and speaking the consequence that was caused by the fact that the overwhelmingly-powerful bomb actually exploded 600 metes over the city.




The Cenotaph Inscription in Engish version

A boy, who joined my tour, asked me why it did not explode on the ground so as many explosive bombs do.

I answered that it had enormous amount of energy, such as heat and radioactive rays, so that it was more effective in damaging many soldiers and others under the focus of explosion. I added that it was supposed to have been designd in a different way.

The A-bomb Dome, a ruined building on the hypocenter









A Stunning View of Tokyo Tower

Many people have a beautiful view of Tokyo Tower wherever they are in Tokyo.
This, however, must be the most stunning one among its beautiful shots.




Tokyo Tower

Some people know the spot where the picture was taken.

It is in the private garden of a high-end traditional restaurant near the tower.

Maybe you haven't seen such an astonishingly- overwhelming scene of it.

It looks like it shows an aloof attidude after giving the role to the new one, Tokyo Sky Tree, which is two times higher than it.

 

Mysterious Noh Performances

Noh is a traditional form of masked drama that has been performed since the 14th century.
Contemporary drama tends to focus on realism, but Noh is different and is atracting
in a completely different way.

 

Noh Stage (center) and Walkway (left)

Most Noh performances are presented indoors, but the stages all retain pillars and a roof that reflect the original covered outdoor stages where plays were performed.

Every indoor Noh stage also has a bridge-like walkway with railings, which is used as the metaphorical pathway between this world and the other world.

In some plays, the protagonist is a ghost, who appears on the stage through the pathway.
He expresses his unresolved feelings to his former foe.



Noh Actor

Many plays have just two characters. Musical accompaniment is provided only by a flautist, several drummers and a chorus.



Mask of Ghost

Noh actors move in a very distinctive way; wearing white socks, they use short sliding steps.

Noh acting is all about achieving maximum effect with a mask and minimal stylized movement.








Unchanged for centuries, Noh continues to give us a glimpse of the medieval sense of values and beauty as well as Buddhist overtones.



Tuna Auction at Toyosu Wholesale Markets

The wholesale part of Tsukiji Fish Markets moved to Toyosu on the 11th of October.
The 13th, Saturday, was the first day that visitors were allowed to look around inside the new buildings.

On the 15th, the first Monday since it opened, I visited there to see what the new markets were like.




Auction Area in Toyosu (in the middle)

Leaving home in the vicinity of Tokyo at 5:20 am, I arrived at the building at 6:30 am.
It is so good to be able to enter the area for tuna auction at 6:30 a.m. whereas visitors had to come to the gate of Tsuskiji Markets at around 2:30 a.m. to get entry tickets for the auction area.

The auction floor is on the first one, but we are led to the second one where we can look down the auction area through the glass windows.

There are number of frozen tuna on the floor. Smaller ones are in the middle and larger ones on the right side. Some viehcles carry several pieces of tuna.

Our room is silent. I cannot hear voices of wholesalers, which does not give us the feeling of being at a live auction. Hence it was less exciting than the experience in the former site in Tsukiji.





Auction Area in Toyosu (on the right side)

Viehcles carrying tuna

Fantastic World of Digital Art Museum in Tokyo

Digital Art Museum, which opened in March, 2018, is completely different from other museums.  

Flower Corridor

Stepping in through the black curtain, you are standing on a dark corridor.  You have to walk slowly, take about  20 steps forward, turn at the corner and then find yourself in front of the walls filled with colorful flowers, numerous petals of which are flying on the wall. Some of them are scattering at random while others are composing new flowers. Yes, the scenes are really fantastic, which does not exist on the earth.


There are several rooms in the museum. No route sign, however, can be seen. You are supposed to find your way to reach each of the rooms on your own.

After enjoying some displays on the first floor, you'll walk up several flights of stairs to the second floor, called Forest of Athletes.

This floor is a field of animals. Whales are swimming on the boundary wall.  Lizards are crawling  on the floor. Even flowers are growing quickly here and there.

 

Digital Aquarium

At the far end of the floor is Digital Aquarium.

Pick up a sheet of white papar on the shelves at the entrance.  It has a drawing of creature in the sea, such as sharks, jelly fish and squids. 
Color it with crayon and hand it over to the staff.

My squid named Teru starts swimming in the blue sea on the wall. It is amazing that it moves as an actural squid do. It looks as if it were alive although a squid in those colors does not exit in the sea.

So do jelly fish and sharks.

You'll find yourself enjoying watching others' creatures moving up and down as well as yours.