More Azabu Juban Banners

I really enjoy the banners that change with the seasons and holidays in Azabu Juban. Often when I am walking though this part of Tokyo, I take a photo of the current banner. The artists or artists tasked with producing these are very talented. Here a few from earlier this year.

The first is for hinamatsuri or girls day, and the second is for setsubun.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 85mm f/1.4 AI-S @ f2.0, ISO 400, 1/25 sec.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 85mm f/5.6 AI-S @ f2.0, ISO 100, 1/250 sec.

Year of the Dragon (part one)

The New Year's banners and decorations are going up in Azabu Juban.  There's only a few hours left in 2011 and the year of the ox.  The year of the dragon starts tomorrow.  Or will the year of the dragon start after Chinese New Year?

Banners in the Juban

The banners on the posts in Azabu Juban frequently change with the seasons. They all feature a little girl and a cat who are usually dressed up to go with the theme of the banner. The first in this post one was taken in 2010 and the banner commemorates setsubun.

The new year banner features the seven lucky gods.

In late February and early March the banners featured a stylized hina doll set.

The final one for this post doesn't seem to feature a holiday or season. It was taken the day after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake.

Hina Matsuri

Hina Matsuri (Girls' Day) is around the corner.  This holiday is extra special in my family.  My daughter Lucy was lucky to be born on this day.  Some of the shops in our Tokyo neighborhood have had window displays featuring the dolls that a family would display during this holiday.

 

I spotted this display in January at the Wako department store in Hiroo Garden.

  

This display was in a antique ceramic shop in Azabu Juban.

This display was in a clothing store window.

Here's a banner celebrating Hina Matsuri in Azabu Juban. Just wondering why is the boy doll is depicted as a cat (shouldn't this be the Emperor).