Archive

Uncategorized

よくこの道を自転車で行きます。突然に道の終わりに富士山が見えて、驚いた。もっと注意深く観察しなければなりません。

I bike down this road so often, and suddenly I am surprised to see Mount Fuji at the very end. How come I am seeing it here for the first time? Maybe it’s the red of the sky against the traffic and brake lights.

Itsukaichi Kaido is one of the main Edo roads connecting Tokyo with western Japan. Near the city, it connects Koenji with Kichijoji while veering across and away from the Chuo train line. It also crosses the Zenpukuji river, which is a lovely greenway far from the train stations and mostly enjoyed by the neighbors.

最近、のんべい横丁に初めて行きました。たぶん電車のそばなので、このきれいな路地は生き残っています。東京の過去を想像させます。

Between the new Miyashita park and Shibuya station, I came across this lovely alley called Nonbei Yokocho, full of tiny bars. Maybe because it’s next to the train tracks, a marginal urban space, this collection of old houses built before or just after the war have survived. I love the weeping willows, the lanterns, and the reminder of Shibuya’s earlier incarnations.

かっこいい多肉植物はリサイクルしたビンの中で育っています。道路の前で、こんなにきれいなものは、世界でも、東京だけで見れます。

I love these succulents hanging on a Shibuya railing. The cans seem recycled, and I love how weathered they look. That these gorgeous plants are facing the street is yet another only-in-Tokyo street beauty.


ピンク色のセネッティは長持ちします。冬に陽気な花です。

I was very skeptical of this plant when I purchased it at the end of last year. It’s amazingly long lasting. I bought it at Shimachu, and it’s produced by Suntory, the beverage maker and garden supply company. I think it’s very cheerful, especially for winter.

Arriving at Gardex, the International Garden Expo Tokyo, was a bit of a shock. First, I could not believe how far it was from Tokyo. Past Disney. Past IKEA. Past Costco. Gardex occupied a portion of one of the five mega-halls. The first impression was overwhelming: a hum of electricity and a burst of fluorescent lighting animating a trade show as removed from nature as possible.

The first booth we passed promoted a pesticide company. Spray bottles seemed to float above colorful flowers, a salesperson spoke with much animation into a wireless mic, and lighted towers offered multiples of each product. The photo mural and garish colors seem to contradict the “natural safety” message.

Click below to read and see more about industrial gardening, a cool vertical garden product, and global business.

Read More

Tokyo city view from 10th floor in Nakano

Last month, I posted a video with the sound of summer cicadas, of which there are four types. Several weeks later, the cicadas have been replaced by crickets, called suzu mushi (鈴虫), or little bell.

In a city that appears from up high to be covered in concrete for as far as the eye can see, it is amazing to be able to hear so many insects and experience the passing of the seasons. Click below to hear the sound of cicadas reaching a 10th floor apartment near central Tokyo.

Shiroibara, white rose cabaret, Ginza, photo by weblog244

Leaving Ginza Farm, I spotted a famous Ginza institution, the Shiroi Bara or White Rose cafe in an ancient brick building. Between Ginza Farm and the undulating de Beers building on Kazutou Street, just off Chuo Street, the White Rose dates from 1931, the early rise of Ginza, and is associated with the writers Nagai Kafū and Kikuchi Kan and the 2-26 coup attempt in 1936. Given how little history is preserved in Tokyo, it is amazing that this cabaret remains in business full of retro charm.

White Roses poster

(Note: Top photo by weblog244, shared on Flickr through Creative Commons)

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 843 other followers