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Tokyo This place was actually in Kanda. We met our friend Bonnie there for drinks and dinner.
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| Reference Map | Girls's lunch, Roppongi | Mitsukoshi | |
| Caligraphy and art exhibit | Lunch at the National Museum | Shinji Ohmaki Exhibit "Interface of Bein | |
| Kanda Myojin Shrine | Dinner with Bonnie | Ueno | |
| Ameyoko | Yanaka | Sushi with Koichi | |
| Bruce's early mornings at Otemachi | |||
| Tokyo | |||
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The object this time - Kagoshima and Amami Oshima, remote reaches of the archipelago.
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The four of us high schoo friends always get together when I go to Japan.
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Mitsukoshi Department store was near where we had to exchange currency. This permanent sculpture in its atrium is well known. The Chrismas decorations were charming.
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We went to Nitten (The Japan Fine Arts Exhibitin) to see that state of art in Japan. There were four parts, calligraphy, painting, sculpture and crafts. The calligraphy exhibit was amazing in its different styles of writing, both Japanese and Chinese. A bit evern overwhelming.
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We had lunch before we started looking at exhibits.
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_23nov17-bw_1530.jpg The building is magnificent. This applies to every detail.  |
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Itsuko recommended this special exhibit.
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_23nov17-aqu_1502.jpg The light inside moves up and down casting different shadows of the motif.  |
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_23nov17-aqu_1521.jpg A huge sheet of material is blown by air and the changing light makes it mesmorizing.  |
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We had time before meeting Bonnie so we went to Kanda Myojin Shrine. Well known for its Kanda Festival, the shrine was built in Edo period to protect Edo. The buildings were burnt in the 1923 Kanto earthquake and rebuilt in 1934 in reenforced concrete. It survived the Tokyo bombing of 1945.
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_23nov18-aqu_1555.jpg A wedding ceremony was held during our visit.  |
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_23nov18-aqu_1556a.jpg Bride and groom  |
_23nov18-aqu_1558.jpg The couple enters the main shrine.  |
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_23nov18-bw_1630.jpg Kanda Myojin Hall where some event was taking place.  |
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The decore of this place called Genki was amazing with an interesting couple running the place. The food was good, too. The research was Bonnie's. She comes up with such places.
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Ueno Park.
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_23nov19-aqu_1444.jpg Willow and lotus at the Shinobazunoike Pond.  |
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_23nov19-aqu_1441.jpg There was some international dance performance event taking place. the dancers just finished belly dancing when we got there.  |
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Ameyoko shopping area runs from Ueno station and Okachimachi station along the JR line. After most of Tokyo was burnt during the WWII, some people set up black market around here. The name originates from the stands selling sweets (ame) to the sellers selling US army surplus goods after the war. It is a popular spot for tourists now and for the Japanese to come shop for New Year goods at the end of the year.
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We had a little time before meeting Koichi, so we walked from Ueno Park, through the Yanaka cemetary to Nippori station. Yanaka cemetary was created during Meiji period as a public cemetary when most of the cemetary belonged to temples. Many famous people are buried here, including the last shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu. When Tokyo was bombed and burning many people took refuge here.
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_23nov19-aqu_1535.jpg "Arty" young people. The Tokyo College of Fine Arts" is adjacent.  |
_23nov19-aqu_1544.jpg Tokugawa Yoshinobu (the last shogun) grave.  |
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_23nov19-aqu_1607.jpg Yanaka Ginza.  |
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Dinner with Koichi family at a sushi place, Akabee, near Koichi's place. Koichi and Shizuko, their daughter Akiko and her husband Nobu, and their two sons Hiroto and Sota were there. Akiko's oldest son Yohei was out on a date.
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_23nov19-bw_1816.jpg Full glass of sake  |
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Bruce awakens a couple hours before Noriko. On Sunday morning no nearby coffee place opens before 8:00. The Starbucks at Oazo at Otemachi opens at 7:00. It's very quiet at that hour on Sunday. And on level -1 is the Downtown Bakery which makes the best scones in Tokyo.
Apparently young Japanese girls are still in the thrall of "Frozen." | ||
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