My last post on Waseda University was so popular, and one person who responded wanted more, that today I will offer a part two.

This first photo, above, is the view from my Friday night class in Building 11. Waseda University is in Shinjuku-Ku but is far enough away from downtown Shinjuku that you can see the high-rise buildings rather nicely.

The second picture is the view out my office window in Building 6. Even though this part of the building is covered in ivy, Waseda University is not part of the Ivy League. 😉

Finally, for today anyway, here is a shot of the university on the approach from Waseda Station on the Tozai Subway Metro Line. The Okuma Bell Tower can be seen in the background. Some sort of festival is going on pretty much non-stop. On Friday, November 6, the Athletic Festival will be held. Later this month, it appears there is going to be a Photo Journalism Festival.

Posted on November 4th, 2009 under Japan. Tags: night photography, nishi-waseda, shinjuku, signs, Tokyo, waseda university. Comments: 5

After a break of “just” 21 years I finally had the chance to see sumo in person again earlier this month. I was extremely excited, especially after watching it on NHK the prior evenings. I went on the sixth day of the fifteen-day tournament, arriving at 8 a.m. to be sure I could get a ticket. As it turned out, I probably didn’t need to arrive so early as there were many empty seats. Should you ever attend, do get there at 8 (or earlier) to purchase the cheap (2,100 yen) tickets on a weekend or you may not get in. I went on a Friday, early in the tournament, so those may be the main reasons it wasn’t crowded.

The above sumo wrestler (力士 or rikishi) is 将司昂親 (Masatsukasa Koshin). He was 5-0 going into day six. His spectacular salt toss (most 力士 don’t throw nearly as much) was supposed to purify the ring. On this evening it did not work well for him, and he fell to 5-1.

The day started out as a beautiful, mostly blue-sky day. The banners/flags of the sumo stars out front looked wonderful, and until about 8:30 a.m. a drummer (who was more than a bit off beat) worked the drum up in this tower. I was enchanted and ready for action. Unfortunately, it wasn’t easy to continue this high for 10 straight hours until the top wrestlers performed.

The flag on the far left is that of 白鵬翔 (Hakuho Sho), the most recent tournament winner. He is Mongolian and one of only two current 横綱 (Yokozuna, the top rank in sumo). On this night Hakuho lost his first bout of the current tournament to a guy who had zero wins and five losses in the first five days. It was shocking to say the least. Spectators picked up their seat cushions and hurled them in Hakuho’s direction, an incredible sight.

I was alone, or I could have had pictures taken with many of the sumo dudes, but I did take this one, self portrait four hours into the day.

Posted on September 29th, 2009 under Japan. Tags: flag, japan pictures, people, signs, sumo. Comments: 3

This is the view each day as my kids walk home down Waseda Doori toward our apartment halfway between Takadanobaba Station (高田馬場駅 – just behind me when I took this picture) and Waseda University.

Posted on August 23rd, 2009 under Japan. Tags: buildings, japan pictures, night photography, people, signs, takadanobaba. Comments: 2

This work of art also doubles as a play structure for kids. Think of a McDonald’s play structure in the states that has been fused with a giant beehive from another futuristic planet. This work is entitled しゃぼん玉のお城 or “The Soap Bubble Castle” in English.

The sign says そとがわにのぼらないでください which, as you might guess, means “please don’t climb on the outside.” The placement of the signs, on the piece itself, is unfortunate. The signs sort of defeat the purpose of the art portion of the structure by breaking up the natural lines and symmetry.

Kids are free to explore the inside, just like at McDonald’s.

Posted on July 29th, 2009 under Japan. Tags: hakone, kids, signs. Comments: 1

Shopping centers in Japan frequently have a similar look and feel to them. Some are called ginza, some are out of doors, but a common look is the one above–sort of a covered arcade of sorts.

This one is one of the largest, if not the largest, for this variety in Japan. You head down one of these lanes off of Kawaramachi Dori (河原町通) or Shijo Dori (四条通) in Kyoto and when you get to the end you can turn the corner to head down another mega-long street loaded with nothing but more shops and more shoppers.

Posted on June 30th, 2009 under Japan. Tags: japan pictures, kyoto, signs. Comments: 2