Last week we took a very short bike ride to Yakuoin (薬王院) to see the blooming tree peonies (ボタン). We were not alone as it was a holiday–Showa no Hi (昭和の日). Even with the crowds, the scene was very nice. Not only were many of the peonies at their peak, but a late blooming sakura was snowing its petals on us.

Yakuoin is between Takadanobaba and Shimo Ochiai Stations on the north side of Shin Mejiro Doori. For more details see A Flower Lover’s Guide to Tokyo.

The jizo had a nice view from the top of the stairs.

See if you can spot the “living statue” in the above photo.

I’ll give you a hint; it’s in the upper left and says ニャンニャン in Japanese.

Posted on May 3rd, 2010 under Japan. Tags: buddhist, flower lovers guide to tokyo, jizo, takadanobaba. Comments: 1

The only things you can count on in Japan are surprises. Ellie had her 12th birthday party a couple Saturdays ago at Yoyogi Park. It wasn’t a surprise party. Ellie invited 8 friends (from 6 different countries), and the party went off as planned.

Near the end a Japanese guy came up to the group and asked me if I spoke Japanese. He explained that he runs a website, n-a-u.jp, which is sort of like itunes, and would like to know if the girls would be willing to have their photos on the website for free t-shirts. Of course the aspiring models were willing.

Posted on May 2nd, 2010 under Japan. Tags: ellie, harajuku, people. Comments: 1

Outrage

丹下眞也

阿部洋介

橋本直樹

安井義博

A DVD of this fantastic show will be available soon.

Setlist セトリ:
Rise
You Care? I Don’t Care
Reign
Until You Are Dead
Fists Full of Sand
Shells Rain Down
Landshark
Shine On
Tor
Terrorizer

Break

Megalomania
You Suck
The Day of Rage
Death Trap
Just Believe in Me
Call of the Hunter
Slowly But Surely
Madness
Deadbeat
Midnight Carnival
Live Until You Die
Fangs
Step on it

Encore:
Blind to Reality
Under Control of Law

Encore:
My Final Day

Posted on May 1st, 2010 under Japan. Tags: metal, outrage. Comments: 1

As mentioned last time Japan is not standing still. Guidebooks tend to credit Japan’s new buildings on fires and wars, but that really isn’t the truth as far as the modern landscape is concerned. Otherwise, most buildings in Tokyo would have been built around 1950. Actually, most have been rebuilt once and sometimes several times since 1950. I’m not talking about a remodel. Functioning buildings are torn down and constructed from scratch on a regular basis.

There aren’t many old buildings where I am from on the west coast of the U.S., but that isn’t because the structures have all been rebuilt. Other places I’ve visited (Denmark, Italy, France) have many buildings more than a few decades old and some are much older. Not so in Japan, even with its long history. Outside of Tokyo isn’t an exception as the places that claim a history of hundreds of years have usually been rebuilt, frequently many times.

Here are a few examples I have recently noticed.

Ginza’s Kabuki Theater closed last week. It will be gutted and a new Kabuki Theater will be built in its place. The old Kabukiza was ancient by Tokyo standards at about 60 years. I’m sad it will no longer exist, but it was very dated. There was no leg room in the seats for anyone over about 5′ 8″. Handicap access was non-existent. Modern amenities were completely missing. The rebuilding of this place actually makes sense. Once the new Kabukiza is opened in 2013, the old one will be forgotten.

This was the sign in front of Kabukiza about 190 days ago.

Next up is the Grand Prince Hotel Akasaka. With less than 30 years of life under its belt, this hotel will be demolished in March of 2011. A 40-story, luxury hotel has less than a 30-year life these days? Is construction cheap or something? I don’t think so. I don’t understand why such buildings are “refreshed” in Tokyo on such a regular basis.

Finally, I was walking down Meiji Doori the other day and came upon a huge construction site on the corner of Omotesando where the GAP was a few weeks before. The building seemed pretty nice to me, but now it is gone. Another will soon fill its place. The building was only 10-years old! 10-year old buildings being razed for another to be built in its place seems more than a bit strange.

Such is life in Japan’s building merry-go-round.

Posted on May 1st, 2010 under Japan. Tags: buildings, Tokyo. Comments: 1

As previously mentioned, I wanted to see Kofu’s shopping district I was so familiar with in the late 1980s. I was hoping it hadn’t changed.

While the streets are still there, most of the buildings have been rebuilt in the past 22 years; several were even being renovated or reconstructed the day I was there. The businesses have nearly all changed.

The top picture is of Kofu’s covered shopping arcade (甲府銀座). I only recognized a couple of the shops. The roof has been replaced. I think it used to be green. Some businesses had signs boasting how long they had been there like “Established 1996” or “Serving you since 1991.” To me they were almost all brand new. I still felt nostalgic. I continue to wear a hanten (袢纏) around the house back in the states in the winter that I purchased on this street.

Exiting the west part of Kofu’s Ginza puts one on Orion Street (オリオン通り). The ancient memory that sticks out the most for me on Orion Street was getting sick one day, running into a business on this street, and using my first Japanese squatter. They were common back then. I haven’t used one yet this go around (which has now passed the 8 month point) in Japan (although I had to use them every day in China last month).

Orion Street hasn’t remained the same either. The above sign notes that Orion Street is lit for the 21st Century so I’m guessing it received a major makeover in 1999.

Finally, there was good old Heiwa Doori (平和通り). I couldn’t get a good feel for it as the sidewalks were so packed with people ready for the Takeda Shingen Festival Parade to begin. I did notice that my favorite Mister Donut shop is now a Starbucks. Ugh.

Posted on April 30th, 2010 under Japan. Tags: kofu, signs. Comments: 1