Year of the Dragon (part five)

I was walking passed the toy shop in Azabu-Juban and spotted a several new nanoblocks sets. There were actually two different dragons, but I was only able to take a photo of this one.

Whimsical Art in Shiodome

Outside the Nippon Television Tower in Shiodome on the pedestrian walkway about 15-ft above street level are several unusual works of art.

One is a set of multicolored sculptures of the human form. The colors and poses give these pieces a fun and whimsical feeling. Too bad, I couldn't find a plaque with the artist's name(s) anywhere.

The other piece is much larger and reminds me of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli, especially the film Howl's Moving Castle.  A little research when I returned home confirmed my instincts.... The clock is know as the Nittere-Ohdokei (or NTV Grand Clock). According to several websites, this huge mechanical clock was designed by Miyazaki Hayao and sculpted by Shachimaru Kunio. It weighs about 28 tons and took 5 years to design and build. The best part for kids of all ages is that it can perform 32 mechanical tricks!

Chased

Last week, the family went to Shiga Kogen in the Japan Alps near Nagano for a ski holiday.  We had a great time, the slopes, lodge, instructors and other tour guests were great.  The lodge owner's daughter took a liking to me and chased me around at every opportunity.  This was her last opportunity, and she caught me and gave me a hug.

Blurred Challenge

This photo is a re-post for the CPB Weekly Photo Challenge, "Blurred". 

The original post is located here.

Snowy Morning, or What's outside your window?

I was working on a project near Akishima, and had the opportunity to stay at the surprising Forest Inn Showakan. It's about an hour from Shinjuku, and can be accessed by train or via the Chuo Highway. The hotel takes full advantage of a forest park and golf course giving guests the feeling of an escape from the city.

While I was staying there, I was lucky enough for it to snow. This first photo was of the view out my window on the sixth floor. It was pretty, but it took me 30-minutes to find an ice scrapper to chip my car our of the snow and ice that accumulated overnight.

This is the view of the woods behind the hotel from the lobby.