The shop area around the Tsukiji Fish market

The area is very crowded when it is around the end of the year, with people getting some foods for New Year Holiday.

Ginza in the evening

Ad signs in Tokyo

Typical food in winter

Oysters are typical food in winter and very nutritious. They are also called "milk in the sea" because of their richness in nutrition.

By the way, this is the kitchen of my own and I have eaten 20 pieces of fried or grilled oysters only during a day. I know I am crazy about oysters...

Lights at Roppongi Hills part 2

One of my lunch foods

This is a kind of my lunch on weekday. It consists of soba noodle with shungiku, garland chrysanthemum, tempura and boiled rice with full of dried young sardine, shirasu in Japanese, some grated Japanese radish and some drop of soy sauce.

This is delicious, quick (about five minutes for me to eat) reasonable (600 yen, about four Euro, five USD) so this is one of my favorite lunch.

Have a nice weekend!

Lights with a woman

Lights at Roppongi Hills

Instant ramen

December is party seasons for business persons in Japan. The parties are called "Bounen-kai". After drinking, I sometimes want to eat such ramen very much, though I fully know that the dish make me fat...

An ad board in Tokyo

He belongs to Jesus!

Excuse me, but I took this image from TV.

FIFA Toyota Cup, held in Japan, was over today at the winning of AC Milan with Kaka's MVP and I fully enjoyed a series of their incredible and stunning techniques and speed.

By the way, the final was held at Yokohama International Stadium, aka Nissan Stadium, though it is Toyota Cup!

How to pour Japanese cold sake into glass

This overflowing glass is taken in a Japanese restaurant. This doesn't mean that a clerk fail to pour but this is our way! Every time Japanese cold sake, an alcohol made of rice, is poured into glass at restaurants, clerks make it a rule to overflow it. The way means a kind of good service to guests.

Toyota Cup

Tokyo is in the middle of Toyota Cup, a football cup for club teams all over the world. The Cup used to be only for the champion of club teams in Europe and in South America but now is worldwide, though there is, you know, little possibility that the other area's champions win.

Anyway, which is stronger, AC Milan or Boca Juniors??

By the way, in the back of white decorations is a Toyota's car, Prius, the first Hybrid Car. Plus, a man in the TV is, I suppose, Filippo Inzaghi of AC Milan, the scene just after making a goal at the final of UEFA Champions League, AC Milan VS Liverpool.

Waves of lights

White is beautiful...

A street in December

Ads in a town

Ginza in December

Cartier meet Louis Vuitton through BVLGARI

On the surface of the BVLGARI building is reflected logo of Cartier.
These building are located on the opposite side of the buildings in yesterday's photo.

Cartier meets BVLGARI through Chanel

I took this photo at a crossing of Ginza, in Tokyo. On the surface of Chanel's building is reflected the logo of BVLGARI. This area, Ginza, has the most luxury brand shops in Japan.

Newspapers

The theme day of December, 2007: A bridge

This is a photo of Nihonbashi, meaning "Japan bridge", in Tokyo.

The area around the bridge used to be the centre of the commerce in Edo, a former name as Tokyo in Edo era(1604-1867) and now in the area some established shops and department stores, along with many banks, stand side by side.

By the way, this Ukiyoe below expresses the scenery of the same place about 300 years ago. There used to be a fish market near there, removing to Tsukiji later, and people carrying fish with a wooden pole seemed to walk around there. to sell them. Now over the bridge, unfortunately, as the photo shows, is running a express way, covering the center of Tokyo city and there is nothing left of the image of Edo era.


Cited from a book, Tokaido-Gojusantsuzi Fukei Zokuga, Iwanami Shoten, 1918.

The bridge, Nihonbashi, is also known as the starting point of Tokaido, a road connecting Tokyo with Kyoto. After the capital moved to Edo, Tokyo, from Kyoto, this road became the most important road in Japan, with 53 main towns for accommodating travelers along the road. These towns are now familiar by a series of Ukiyoe paintings, Tokaido-gojusantugi, by a painter in Edo era, Hiroshige Utagawa.

Just for informatiion, the following is a list of these 53 towns and I upload the Ukiyoes of these 53 towns, plus Nihonbashi in Tokyo and Sanjo-oohashi in Kyoto, at the other six posts below. Note that these picture are cited from a book, Tokaido-Gojusantsuzi Fukei Zokuga, Iwanami Shoten, 1918.

53 towns between Tokyo(NIhonbashi), with Kyoto(Sanjo-oohashi).
1.Shinagawa(品川) 2.Kawasaki(川崎) 3.Kanagawa(神奈川) 4.Hodogaya(保土ヶ谷) 5.Totsuka(戸塚) 6.Fujisawa(藤沢) 7.Hiratsuka(平塚) 8.Ohiso(大磯) 9.Odawara(小田原) 10.Hakone(箱根) 11.Mishima(三島) 12.Numazu(沼津) 13.Hara(原) 14.Yoshiwara(吉原) 15.Kabahara(蒲原) 16.Yui(由井) 17.Okitsu(奥津) 18.Ejiri(江尻) 19.Fuchu(府中) 20.Maruko(丸子) 21.Okabe(岡部) 22.Fujieda(藤枝) 23.Shimada(島田) 24.Kanaya(金谷) 25.Nissaka(日坂) 26.Kakegawa(掛川) 27.Fukuroi(袋井) 28.MItsuke(見附) 29.Hamamatsu(浜松) 30.Maisaka(舞阪) 31.Arai(荒井) 32.Shirasuka(白須賀) 33.Futagawa(二川) 34.Yoshida(吉田) 35.Goyu(御油) 36.Akasaka(赤坂) 37.Fujikawa(藤川) 38.Okazaki(岡崎) 39.Chiryu(池鯉鮒) 40.Narumi(鳴海) 41.Miya(宮) 42.Kuwana(桑名) 43.Yokkaichi(四日市) 44.Ishiyakushi(石薬師) 45.Shono(庄野) 46.Kameyama(亀山) 47.Seki(関) 48.Sakashita(坂下) 49.Tsuchiyama(土山) 50.Minakuchi(水口) 51.Ishibe(石部) 52.Kusatsu(草津) 53.Ohtsu(大津)

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More than 100 City Daily Photo blogs participate in this theme day. Do pay them a visit but remember that due to time difference you might not see the proper photo.

Boston (MA), USA - San Diego (CA), USA - Stayton (OR), USA - New York City (NY), USA - Portland (OR), USA - Montego Bay, Jamaica - Inverness (IL), USA - Singapore, Singapore - Stockholm, Sweden - Setúbal, Portugal - Brussels, Belgium - Phoenix (AZ), USA - Seattle (WA), USA - Hyde, UK - Manila, Philippines - Fort Lauderdale (FL), USA - London, England - Austin (TX), USA - Toulouse, France - Weston (FL), USA - Sesimbra, Portugal - Selma (AL), USA - Silver Spring (MD), USA - Saarbrücken, Germany - Cleveland (OH), USA - Crystal Lake (IL), USA - American Fork (UT), USA - Seoul, South Korea - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Norwich (Norfolk), UK - North Bay (ON), Canada - Arradon, France - Paderborn, Germany - Durban, South Africa - Philadelphia (PA), USA - Cypress (TX), USA - Cottage Grove (MN), USA - Prague, Czech Republic - Portland (OR), USA - Greenville (SC), USA - Boston (MA), USA - Port Angeles (WA), USA - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Wichita (Ks), USA - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Petaling Jaya (Selangor), Malaysia - Grenoble, France - New York City (NY), USA - Nottingham, UK - Hobart (Tasmania), Australia - Arlington (VA), USA - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Miami (FL), USA - Cheltenham, UK - Albuquerque (NM), USA - Saratoga Spgs. (NY), USA - Las Vegas (NV), USA - Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina - Nashville (TN), USA - Toruń, Poland - New Orleans (LA), USA - Port Elizabeth, South Africa - Melbourne, Australia - Moscow, Russia - Trujillo, Peru - Château-Gontier, France - Quincy (MA), USA - Melbourne, Australia - Port Vila, Vanuatu - Joplin (MO), USA - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Brookville (OH), USA - Chateaubriant, France - Chandler (AZ), USA - Stavanger, Norway - Baziège, France - Auckland, New Zealand - Wellington, New Zealand - Ocean Township (NJ), USA - Subang Jaya (Selangor), Malaysia - Detroit (MI), USA - Riga, Latvia - Nelson, New Zealand - Budapest, Hungary - Cape Town, South Africa - Sydney, Australia - Dunedin (FL), USA - Sofia, Bulgaria - Radonvilliers, France - Turin, Italy - Montpellier, France - Kansas City (MO), USA - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Haninge, Sweden - Wailea (HI), USA - Lubbock (TX), USA - Rabaul, Papua New Guinea - Terrell (TX), USA - Mexico City, Mexico - Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation - Budapest, Hungary - Montréal (QC), Canada - Sharon (CT), USA - Le Guilvinec, France - Jefferson City (MO), USA - Saigon, Vietnam - London, UK - Crepy-en-Valois, France - Orlando (FL), USA - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Paris, France - Mainz, Germany - Newcastle (NSW), Australia - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Darmstadt, Germany - Naples (FL), USA - Torino, Italy - Saint Louis (MO), USA - Bogor, Indonesia - The Hague, Netherlands - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Anderson (SC), USA - Melbourne (VIC), Australia - West Sacramento (CA), USA - Christchurch, New Zealand

Bonus: Ukiyoe paintings of Tokaido Goju-santsugi(東海道五十三次) 1/6

1.Shinagawa(品川)



2.Kawasaki(川崎)



3.Kanagawa(神奈川)



4.Hodogaya(保土ヶ谷)



5.Totsuka(戸塚)



6.Fujisawa(藤沢)



7.Hiratsuka(平塚)



8.Ohiso(大磯)



9.Odawara(小田原)



10.Hakone(箱根)

Bonus: Ukiyoe paintings of Tokaido Goju-santsugi(東海道五十三次) 2/6

11.Mishima(三島)



12.Numazu(沼津)



13.Hara(原)



14.Yoshiwara(吉原)



15.Kabahara(蒲原)



16.Yui(由井)



17.Okitsu(奥津)



18.Ejiri(江尻)



19.Fuchu(府中)



20.Maruko(丸子)

Bonus: Ukiyoe paintings of Tokaido Goju-santsugi(東海道五十三次) 3/6

21.Okabe(岡部)



22.Fujieda(藤枝)



23.Shimada(島田)



24.Kanaya(金谷)



25.Nissaka(日坂)



26.Kakegawa(掛川)



27.Fukuroi(袋井)



28.MItsuke(見附)



29.Hamamatsu(浜松)



30.Maisaka(舞阪)