Autumn Colors

I've been busy lately, so there hasn't been much time to take photos or post. Anyway, the family did make it out to Hibiya Park last weekend. There was one particular Ginkgo (ｲﾁｮｳ) that caught my eye and some maples that were nice too.

This beautiful Ginkgo was in the Children's playground.

These maples were located in one of the Japanese gardens.

Haneda Airport

I had the chance to take a flight out of Haneda Airport about two weeks ago.  What a difference!  Haneda opened their new international terminal in October 2010 and getting to the airport from central Tokyo is fast.  Getting there from Hamamatsuchō Station on the Tokyo Monorail Haneda Airport Line takes less than 19-minutes!  For me, home to the airport counter for me was less than hour.

There's a great article about the new airport terminal in the Japan Times.

The Haneda Airport barely fits on the stop display on the monorail.

The departure hall is modern and attractive.  The white ceiling looks like the bottom of boat, and gives a cathedral like feeling to the space.

Many of the restaurants are located on the  4th-floor in a Edo themed area called "Edo Koji".  This is the side that's supposed to look like a Kabuki theater.

This other side has a more subdued look.  I imagine that this is what a shopping from the Meiji era would look like.

Finally, on the fifth floor is Tokyo Pop Town.  This floor is a little more on the Kawaii and Kakkoii (cute and cool) side.  In addition to a Hello Kitty Japan store from Sanrio, there's a Gundam guarding the Hakuhinkan TOY PARK.  It's a toy and electronics shop that features this robot and a giant slot car track.

Airport Limited Express / Narita Sky Access Express

The Japanese really seem to pay attention to details.  Recently, I was took the Airport Limited Express and Narita Sky Access Express to Narita airport.  This train runs on the same tracks as the Narita Sky Access. 

Since I was going to the airport to meet someone arriving to join my office, I had plenty of time and took a comfortable train without reserved seating for about ¥1300.  In about 80-minutes from Daimon I arrived at Narita.

Anyway, I noticed that the upholstery on the train was covered with a beautiful sky and 747 airliner design.

"God Make Me Cool" or "Engrish is Fun"

Sometimes, English phrases are appropriated (or misappropriated) for their coolness.  Perhaps this is something that is thought of as cool or "kakoii" for those who are Japanese. However, for native English speakers these signs provide endless hours of chuckles and what were they thinking moments. 

Although, the phrase on this sign is not incorrect, it would not normally used as part of an advertisement in most places (especially in the US where they have a heightened sense of political correctness and sensitivity to all things religious).  This shot was of shop window for "Love Run" located near Hiroo station. 

More Kabocha Pan

We had a picnic at the park Saturday and my wife brought some delicious Kabocha Pan.  It was decorated with a jack-o-lantern design and had a sweet pumpkin filling.

Isn't it scary?

Delicious Kabocha Milk Pan

Mont Thabor is my favorite bakery in Japan.  It's hard for me to resit stopping in for a treat when I'm walking through Azabu Juban.

They just have the right mix of Japanese and European style bread and pastries.  I'm especially fond of their Hokkaido Milk Pan and any of their pastries with Kabocha (Japanese Squash / Pumpkin).  This year they introduced Kabocha Milk Pan.

Yummy delicious!!!  Hopefully, this will be a permanent addition to their menu, but I'm afraid to ask.  This treat may be seasonal and could disappear with autumn... Boo hoo!

Where did you go this summer?

I spent a few weeks away Down Under in late June and escaped Tokyo's summer and had a wonderful winter holiday in Australia.

Although this blog is mostly about Tokyo, it's my blog, and I'll post what I like! Anyway, I hope that someone enjoys these photos.

At the time I took this photo, I was't sure what this thing in the Bennelong area of the Royal Botanical Gardens was.  From this angle it sure looked like a bird cage. 

I should have taken a photo of the plaque but I after doing some research I discovered that this is sculpture is the "Folly for Mrs Macquarie" by Fiona Margaret Hall.

I really like this angle of the opera house with the sails and the clouds in the corners and just blue sky in the center.

This is another of the many shots that I took of the Sydney Opera House.

This is the beach at Miami across the street from the apartment we rented.  It's one of the best beaches that I have ever visited.

This photo is of the chapel where I married my wife in 2003.  It was a beautiful day and we had a great celebration.

Baseball bat hashi

Walking through Hiroo, I spotted a store that sells Hashi, chopsticks.  Out on prominent display in the front of the shop were hashi inspired by baseball bats.

In addition to the chopsticks, this shop sells utensils with handles that also look like bats...

Anyway, I'm not sure which ones would I rather have, these or the Shinkansen hashi?

Mikoshi jyutai (traffic jam).

There was a traffic jam on side street near our Tokyo apartment on Sunday.  There must have been at least three (maybe four portable shrines (mikoshi) bouncing down the street on the backs of revelers.  We couldn't even drive up our street.  I had to circle around to park.

Mikoshi Decorations

These colored paper decorations were on a children's mikoshi that I spotted in Hiroo.  I'd never seen decorations like this before.  The heads of the people in yukata look like donguri (acorns).

In the suburbs...

I went out with some friends several weeks ago for a Sayanora party. I usually don't go and I don't usually take my camera, but I did. Anyway, on the way back I stopped to take a photo of this motorcycle (Suzuki Tempter) parked in front of this yakiniku shop. 

Here's a close-up of the Tempter.

Can you believe someone lives here?

I've been driving by this house a couple times a month since I returned to Tokyo in 2007.  It's located near Meiji Dori in Hiroo. It's amazing that it doesn't blow down in a strong wind. Considering Tokyo can be such a modern city, this house disguised as a shack seems very out of place. 

Usually, such eyesores get quickly trampled, disposed of or recycled by progress.  Very few older structures ever seem to survive, get restored and protected.  It seems so arbitrary, but I guess in such a large city there are always a few buildings that slip through the cracks....  It makes me wonder if the property taxes for this house are worth more than the actual house.

If you were wondering, I am absolutely sure that someone does live here. While I was taking this photo, I saw someone walking around inside, and I'm sure it wasn't a ghost...

Shinjuku Skyscrapers

I was in Shinjuku with an elementary & high school friend that I haven't seen in 25-years... Can you believe it, 25-years?

Anyway, she came to Japan for a conference in Osaka and we decided to meet up in Tokyo. We went to an izakaya called Yuian in the Sumitomo Building in a Shinjuku skyscraper. Along the way we walked by Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower. It's a really fabulous building. Too bad we couldn't see it from the izakaya.

This was the view from the izakaya.

Shinkansen Hashi?

I visited the 2010 Great Train Expo Summer Family Festival last weekend at the Grand Prince Hotel New Takanawa. It was lots of fun of for the kids. There was a little too much merchandise for sale and not enough train displays for my liking especially since tickets were about ¥1,300 for adults. However, one of the more interesting things for sale wee Shinkansen Hashi (Chopsticks).

Mori Art Museum

In June didn't make any posts, however, that doesn't mean that I didn't take any photos.

Here's an interesting shot of the Mori Art Museum in Roppongi Hills.

Summer in Japan...

I returned from my vacation in Australia and was greeted by Tokyo's summer heat.  There were plenty of people out enjoying the city and the park despite the stifling weather.

This couple looked comfortable on their way towards Ginza wearing their yukata.

Others in Hibiya Park were sweating and dancing the merengue to the Latin music in celebration of Colombian Independence Day.

Tokyo Taxi Lights

The devil is in the details, and in Tokyo there are details everywhere. Perhaps, if I had it to do over again, I may have pursued a degree in industrial design.

I'm fascinated by all the little things that make Tokyo and many other cities unique.  Just when it seems that all cities are becoming more homogeneous filled with McDonald's, Starbucks, and other franchises from the east and west, you start to notice the little unique and quirky things that make each city, especially Tokyo unique, (i.e., hand-hole covers, vending machines, etc.).

I for one, love the little lights that go on top of the Taxis in Japan. There are all sorts of designs. I've only got one to share right now.

There's a great article about at the following link - http://pingmag.jp/2008/03/13/taxi-lights/

Children's playgrounds - Kodomo no Kuni (Children's Land)

I don't post pictures of my kids on my blog, and I don't intend to blog about my family.  However, we did visit Kodomo no Kuni (こどもの国　in Japanese）this weekend and I had to share photos of the playgrounds and will be soon sharing photos of the beautiful natural scenery in this park.

This is one of the more interesting play structures at the park. It's some sort of hexagonal climbing frame. All the kids had a blast playing on it.

Here's a shot of it from another angle.

This is what it looks like from the inside. Sort of a weird modular building. Perhaps this is what the inside of a beehive looks like.

A vending machine for everything...

In Japan, it seems that there is a vending machine for everything.  Here's some of the more unusual ones that I have seen....

Here's a Cup Noodle vending machine located near the 100-yen park (a.k.a.  にこにこパーク) in Meiji Jingu Gaien.

Here's a beer and alcohol vending machine.  I haven't used one, but I believe that you need to insert an identification card to get you beverage.

This is the Japanese version of the Red Box DVD rental machines that are popping up in the US.

Haikyo in the Azabu area?

Abandoned ruins in Japan are known as Haikyo.  I especially like the photographs of them in Michael John Grist's blog.  He's gone to the extremes to find these abandoned deteriorating buildings.

The ones that I photographed in this post are of the haikyo that I have come across during my walks around my Tokyo neighborhood.  Most are not really that deteriorated.  They appear abandoned or seldom used.  There are padlocks on the doorways and boarded up windows.  Several appear to have suffered some vandalism.  However, I haven't entered any these buildings, so I can't give much insight.

Here's one I spotted in Minami-Azaubu.  It appears to be some sort of machine shop.  There's a large milling machine in the front, perhaps it's a lathe.  I didn't really take a close look.

Here are two more right next to each other in Minami-Azabu.  These are very close to the posh Moto-Azaubu area.  It looks like there is enough area to park a car in front of the second one.  Usually the property owner would block off access to parking, but perhaps he lives nearby and uses it to park his car?

Finally, here's one I spotted in Shirogane.

Ginkgo

There are stunning Ginkgo trees all over Tokyo.  Ginkgo leaves are especially beautiful in early spring and autumn.  This particular tree is located near Hiro-o Byoin-mae.

No more Sakura Photos...

This is the last post I will make tonight... I promise.

Anyway, here's a Sakura photo that I took several weeks ago that I overlooked.   I didn't really think to much of it.  It's a standard shot, the blossoms are not quite perfect, and the photo is a little on the high key side, with the colors starting to look a little washed out. 
Anyway, I won't get the chance to take more until next year...

I don't like Shibuya...Really, I don't like Shibuya...

The area around Shibuya station is a little too crowded for my liking.  But then again, the very reasons that I don't like it... it's frenetic, chaotic and crowded.. are the very reasons that make it interesting.  It's a beautiful, chaotic, symphony of people, lights and buildings.  A whole orchestra sounding off simultaneously to attract your attention.

Here's the entrance to JR's Shibuya Station.

Not many people look down here, but there's some nice Hachiko hand-hole covers located near the Hachiko's statue.

Here is the famous statue of Hachiko near Shibuya Station.

Here's another view of Hachiko's statue and his admirers.

One more of Hachiko.

Here's the ubiquitous shot of Shibuya Crossing and it's favorite scramble.

Another look at the scramble... The vehicular traffic stops and thousands of people cross every few minutes.

More Spring Trees

The variety of beautiful trees in Tokyo's small parks is amazing...

Here are some tall tree's near Tokyo Tower. They could be Japanese Cedar but they are probably some other variety of pine tree.

These are some sort of Cypress trees in Shinjuku Gyoen.  Check out all the cypress knees shooting out of the ground.