Saturday, June 30, 2007

An emailing girl, in Harajuku, Tokyo

An emailing girl, in Harajuku, Tokyo
A young girl is emailing or watching website by cell phone during walking and it is rather ordinary scenery in Japan.

Friday, June 29, 2007

Yoyogi Gymnasium in Tokyo

Yoyogi Gymnasium in Tokyo
This is Yoyogi Gymnasium and was built for Tokyo Olympic in 1964. This was designed by Kenzo Tange and is one of his outstanding works. I like this work best among his great works and the organic and beautiful curve of this architecture slightly reminds me of the works of Santiago Calatrava. By the way, Tange had been a major architect for a long time in Japan and called 'the Emperor' in Japanese architecture industry because he is one of pioneers in Japanese architecture and his influence had been so big. He taught Arata Isozaki, Kisho Kurokawa, Fumihiko Maki and Yoshio Taniguchi in his laboratory of Tokyo Uni when they were student.

Thursday, June 28, 2007

The currency of the city


Many billboards fill the wall of the buildings and flood the street. The walls seem to make a lot of money and be one of the currencies of the city.

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Hey, Taxi!

Hey, Taxi!
An array of taxis is very usual scenery in Tokyo after evening. We usually use it after the last train or drink a little. The fee starts from about 5 or 6 USD.

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

A modern public toilette at Harajuku, Tokyo

A modern public toilette at Harajuku, Tokyo
This is a public toilette for free, just close to Omote-sando Hills, Harajuku. There are many public toilettes in Tokyo but I have not seen such a clean one in Tokyo.

A news

I just would like to let you know that I was interviewd by a web site, the travel cooler

Here is my interview.

I think that thanks to Eric and other members, kindly allowing me to join in your wonderful community, I was interviewed.

Thank you again!

Monday, June 25, 2007

Hello Kitty!


This shop, located at Harajuku, is "Hello Kitty" and sells many Kitty goods. "Kitty chan" has been popular especially among young woman for a long time.

Sunday, June 24, 2007

She is watching you, at Omotesando, Tokyo

She is watching you, at Omotesando, Tokyo
She seems to be watching you as if she would like to make you watch her. This is what the ad is for, isn't it?

Have a nice weekend!

Saturday, June 23, 2007

A building with trunk-shaped facade designed by Toyo Ito

A building with trunk-shaped facade designed by Toyo Ito, in Omotesando, Tokyo
This building is designed by Ito Toyo and along a fashionable street of Omote sando, in Tokyo. The facade looks like the shade of trees and the design matches the surrounding trees along the street.

Friday, June 22, 2007

Plastic model

Plastic model, Tokyo
This photo was took in a toy store and many boxes, printed Japanese cartoon characters on them, are piled up on the shelf.

These are called 'pura model' in Japanese and it means 'plastic model'. The models usually range from Japanese cartoon characters to cars, air planes, choppers, castles.

Many small plastic non-colored parts are inside these box. We enjoy coloring the parts and put together the parts. Coloring and assembling are so delicate and elaborate that the work might be suited to Japanese, some European friend said.

By the way, these characters on the photo is from the cartoon, Gundam, one of most popular cartoon among boys in Japan.

Thursday, June 21, 2007

A small truck for collecting old papers to recycle

A small truck for collecting old papers to recycle, Tokyo
On the loading space of a small truck are piled up many bundles of old newspaper. These are collected to recycle them.

By the way, most of us don't buy newspaper at shops, like Kiosk or news stand, but shops of newspaper company deliver them to each house every morning. So old and waste newspapers are piling up everyday in our houses. The delivers collect the old paper about once a month in the house and change them into a roll of toilet paper. The collected paper will recycle and be used at some newspaper again in the near future.

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Soft cream

Soft cream
Soft cream
It is rather hot for the middle of June in Tokyo and such days go well with soft ice creams. I don't know whether or not this kind of ice cream is sold only in Japan. Do you happen to eat this ice cream in your country??

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Modern masks


These plastic masks are sold at shops along the streets to the temple or shrine when some festivals are hold. They are only for kids and most of them are from Japanese cartoon. The masks remind me of old good memory of childhood in summer.

Here is the article about old mask

Monday, June 18, 2007

So many buildings, so many textures

Tokyo, Shiodome

Sunday, June 17, 2007

Sunny day

Sunny day
It was very hot and sunny yesterday though it is in the middle of the rainy season. Since it was sunny, many women used their parasol and opened them to keep the sun ray off their face. They used the parasols because Japanese women prefer white skin.

Have a nice weekend:-))

Saturday, June 16, 2007

Cola War in Tokyo

Cola War in Tokyo
Cola War in Tokyo
I don't know which cola was launched out first and, by coincidence,the zero-calorie colas are both in black....

Friday, June 15, 2007

A cigarette vending machine in front of a pharmacy

Thursday, June 14, 2007

The rainy season

The rainy season, Tokyo
The weather forecast says that the rainy season, Tsuyu(梅雨) in Japanese, starts to cover over Tokyo today. The season usually last about for a mouth and it doesn't rain all during the season. But it rains very frequently. I don't dislike the rain so much, but don't like the rainy season in June so much. The humidity, together with the hotness, makes the air sticky.

On the other hand, the discomfort weather make chilled beer very delicious! (Japanese prefer chilled beer partly because of the humidity weather.)

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Many kinds of medias for digital cameras


Many kinds of medias for digital cameras
This is a part of automatic vending machine that can develop images in the media of digital photo into photographs. Inserting some media and money into the machine are needed to get the film developed.

Anyway, I pause to realize that digital cameras are many kinds of media: memory stick for Sony, xD-PictureCard for Fuji, SD Memory Card for Cannon, Panasonic...

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

An izakaya, Japanese pub, under a railway, in Shinbashi, Tokyo

An izakaya, Japanese pub, under a railway, in Shinbashi, Tokyo

Monday, June 11, 2007

Escalator 3

Escalator 3

Sunday, June 10, 2007

City lights 4

City lights 4, Tokyo

Saturday, June 09, 2007

Mikimono building, designed by Ito Toyo, in Ginza

Mikimono building, designed by Ito Toyo, in Ginza

Friday, June 08, 2007

The old meet the new, Shiodome, Tokyo

The old meet the new, Shiodome, Tokyo

Thursday, June 07, 2007

Cup Noodle

Cup Noodle
Many kinds of instant noodles are sold at supermarkets and convenience stores in Japan. Now more than 5,000,000,000 are sold in Japan in a year and, in other words, each person eat them more than 50 in a year.

Pot noodles are said to be one of great inventions in 20th century and have dramatically changed the young's meals in Japan. Just pouring boiled water into them and waiting for three minutes will make them eatable. The containers are both utensils for eating and for cooking.
The waiting time, 3 minutes, seems best, neither short nor long. The minutes are quite good "seasoning" for hungry young people.

Wednesday, June 06, 2007

Facades of buildings, in Ginza, Tokyo

Facades of buildings, in Ginza, Tokyo

Tuesday, June 05, 2007

City lights 3

City lights 3, Tokyo

Monday, June 04, 2007

Regent's Park in London


I came back from London just now and it had been perfectly sunny in London during my staying.

Excuse me because this photo is not taken in Kyoto but in London. I would like to share the beauty of rose in the Regent's Park and so I uploaded this photo in this blog.

Sunday, June 03, 2007

Must-items for busy business persons


We usually take these drinks to make us cheer up to work hard. The label says that they contains a lot of energy ingredients. It costs 150 yen to 1000 yen.

Saturday, June 02, 2007

Wooden chairs and floor, at Mid-town in Roppongi

Wooden chairs and floor, at Mid-town in Roppongi

Friday, June 01, 2007

Theme Day for the month of 1, June: A view from my bedroom



Many other city daily photo blogs participate in this theme day today, why don't you pay them a visit? Remember, due to time difference they might not all be ready when you visit them.

PS. I cannot reply to your comments because I am now in the beautiful country of roses. I'll be back in Tokyo and read them on 5th June.

Seattle (WA), USA - Manila, Philippines - Albuquerque (NM), USA - Singapore, Singapore - Toruń, Poland - Baton Rouge (LA), USA - Seoul, Korea - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Vantaa, Finland - Madison (WI), USA - Saarbrücken, Germany - Cleveland (OH), USA - Chicago (IL), USA - Cottage Grove (MN), USA - Omaha (NE), USA - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Melbourne, Australia - Stockholm, Sweden - Grenoble, France - Lubbock (TX), USA - Boston (MA), USA - Arradon, France - Hyde, UK - Joplin (MO), USA - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Kansas City (MO), USA - Naples (FL), USA - Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina - Manila, Philippines - Sydney, Australia - Stavanger, Norway - Bucaramanga (Santander), Colombia - London, UK - Chandler (AZ), USA - Nelson, New Zealand - Singapore, Singapore - Hamburg, Germany - Sydney, Australia - Tenerife, Spain - Moscow, Russia - Lyon, France - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Villigen, Switzerland - Anderson (SC), USA - Oslo, Norway - Evry, France - Hayle, UK - Mumbai, India - Kitakami, Japan - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Los Angeles (CA), USA - Cypress (TX), USA - La Antigua, Guatemala - Paderborn, Germany - San Diego (CA), USA - Ampang (Selangor), Malaysia - Madrid, Spain - Lyon, France - Selma (AL), USA - Shanghai, China - Baziège, France - Cologne (NRW), Germany - North Bay (ON), Canada - Rotterdam, Netherlands - Stayton (OR), USA - Sharon (CT), USA - Austin (TX), USA - Hong Kong, China - Trier, Germany - Joensuu, Finland - Paris, France - Greenville (SC), USA - Wailea (HI), USA - Budapest, Hungary - Cork, Ireland - Bastia, France