Tokyo Stock Exchange 2009.10.27

Tokyo Stock Exchange once was the largest stock exchange in the world in its trade volume and the total capitalization of its listed companies. Now it is the second largest in capitalization after NYSE.

The TSE headquarters building is in Kabuto-cho, Chuo Ward. The area is the center of stock trading in Japan. There are many offices of secutities companies here.

The original exchange was built in the Meiji era (19th century). Current building was built in 1988. Traditional stock trading floor was turned to an information service floor (TSE Arrows) in 2000.

Some parts are open to the public. Tourists, including foreigners, were enjoying watching the floors.

Rakugo @ Zushi 2009.10.25 (off Tokyo)

I visited Zushi City in Kanagawa Prefecture. Along with neighboring Kamakura, they are known as sophisticated residential areas. They are rich in green and keep high standard of cultural activities.

I did not have enough time to walk around the city today. I just visited a private house where the owners held a private Rakugo concert. It is not common in Japan that such an event is held in a private house. Nabors including children came to the house and really enjoyed the performances. (An example of local community activities in Japan)

Rakugo is one of Japan’s traditional talk art.

Two young Rakugo players (Rakugo-ka), Hayashiya Hiroki and Sanyutei Utataro, played their arts. I had big laughs and really enjoyed them.

Sumida River Walk (3) 2009.10.24

I took the 3rd part of Sumida River Walk.

It was from Senju-Machiya area in Arakawa Ward (14-15 kilometers from the mouth of the river) to Toshima in Kita Ward (20 kilometers from the mouth).

There used to be riverside footpaths around Machiya area. But they are now blocked. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government plans to redevelop the riversides.

I had to walk the narrow paths through the houses along the river. They were messy.

The Sumida River and the Arakawa River run parallel at Arakawa-Adachi wards border. It is like isthmus. The "isthmus" is about 150 meters wide and 2 kilometers long. I enjoyed the walk (upward the river) looking the Sumida River in the left hand and the Arakawa River in the right. The view was conderful.

There stand factories, warehouses and oil tanks together with apartment houses along the river(s) here.

Highways and railways run over the river at Toshima, Kita Ward.

Sumida River Walk (2) 2009.10.12

I took the 2nd part of Sumida River Walk. It was from Asakusa (7-8 km from the river mouth) to Senju (14-15 km from the mouth).

Asahi Brewery’s headquarters stands at the riverside at Asakusa. The design is impressive and controversial. The riverside is always crowded with shoppers, tourists and the passengers of waterbuses.

The northern part of Taito Ward, north of Asakusa, used to be a district where many chiep rooming houses stood and thousands of day labors kived. The district was called Sanya. The Sumida River was the east border of Sanya district.

The district has been redeveloped after the 1970s. Many modern apartment houses have been built and small rooming houses have been converted into clean traveller's inns (sometimes for foreign tourists). Still, there remain old buildings.

The riverside is generally clean. People were enjoying walking and fishing. However, I saw blue plastic houses, too. The water flew slowly.

The Sumida River makes a big turn at Minami-Senju, Arakawa Ward.

The part was developed as an industrial area in the early 20th century. It has turned to a modern residential area after the 1970s. The riverside has become a beautiful park.

Famous Haiki poet Matsu Basho took off a boat and started his walking travel at Senju to Tohoku district in 1689. He travelled Tohoku, Hokuriku, and Kansai districts and died in Ogaki, Gifu Prefecture dring the travel. The essay of the travel is known as "Oku-no-Hosomichi", one of the masterpieces of Japanese literature. A picture of the departure scene is drawn on the riverside wall near Senju-Ohashi Bridge.

Komaba 2009.10.11

There are universities, research institutes and cultural facilities in Komaba, a few kilometers from Shibuya.

The Meiji government established the nation’s first public school for elite students in 1886. Then, Komaba has become one of Tokyo's cultural centers. The school turned into a part of the University of Tokyo after the World War 2.

The campus is mainly used for the education of freshmen and sophomores of the university now. Ginkgo trees make lines along the streets in the campus. The tree is used in the logo of the university.

It was a ginkgo nut season. It smelled.

Komabano Park has been developed in the site of former Tokyo University of Education. Modern agriculture (on western technologies) started here in the Meiji era. They still have a small rice field in the park.

It was just before the harvest season and I saw the flock of sparrows eating the rice. Scarecrows did not work.

University of Tokyo also have the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology. Scientists study most-advanced researches in huge modern buildings. There are many foreign students and researchers working here, too. The bording houses for foreigners are also in the site.

Komaba (not Komabano) Park is developed in the former private house of Marquess Maeda. Both western and Japanese houses remain.

There are two important museums near the park: The Museum of Modern Japanese Literature and Folk Craft Museum (Mingeikan).

Takenotsuka 2009.10.10

It is not honorable, but Takenotsuka has become famous as a symbol of Japan’s new poverty problem. Many Japanese magazines printed special reports focusing on Takenotsuka.

The town is in Adachi Ward, northeast part of Tokyo. It is quite to Saitama Prefecture.

I left the train of Tobu Isezaki Line at Takenotsuka station. I didn’t find neither homeless people nor drunk men. The town was safe. It looked like other towns in Tokyo.


Then, I felt something different. It was the view of the buildings. There are many old low public apartment houses in front of the station. (Usually, We find commercial buildings in fromt of the stations). Most buildings are 5 to 10 stories and look more than 50 years old.

There are shops in the ground floor of the apartment houses. They are, however, old. Later, I found newly developed shopping streets behind the apartment houses.

There are many (more than usual) jewel shops. Shops for foreigners (thy sell international telephone cards, tickets etc.) are also notable.

The magazines report that the average income of Adachi Ward is lower than other wards. The proportion of families supported by public (public livelihood support) is higher at Adachi than other wards. They also report that many poor people live in the public houses.

I thought many things in Takenotsuka.

Ikebukuro 2009.10.4

Ikebukuro is the biggest shopping area of North Tokyo. Trains from the northern part of Tokyo and Saitama Prefecture arrive here.

There are messy streets and modern facilities. Sunshine City, one of the biggest commercial complexes in Tokyo, represents modern Ikebukuro. It includes 60 floor tall main building, hotel building and other facilities. In addition to stores and restaurants, it has exhibition halls, an in-house amusement park, an aquarium, theaters etc.

Mola mola (fish) and small anteaters as well as penguins are popular at the aquarium.

I walked from Ikebukuro to Shinjuku through Zoshigaya, where one of the famous public cemeteries lies. Soseki Natsume, Japan’ｓ most important figure in modern literature, and Patrick Lafcadio Hearn, Famous for Kaidan Stories, sleep here. The cemetery is green rich.

Baji Koen Park (Equestrian Park) 2009.10.3

Baji-Koen Park or the Equestrian Park is the only public park where we can see many horses along with hippodrome and horse training fields.

It was originally developed as a training center of equestrians in 1940 targeting the planned Tokyo Olympic Games. (The 1940 Olympic Games were canceled because of the 2nd World War. Tokyo hosted the Games in 1964) It is now run by Japan Racing Association.

They hold various horse shows and competitions throughout the year.

However, ordinary residents around the park enjoy the nature in the park. The cherry blossom in the early spring is especially famous.

There is a Food and Agriculture Museum just in front of the park entrance. It is run by the Tokyo University of Agriculture. The exhibition includes: the collection of Japanese sake (rice wine) brands, materials related to breeding, and samples of vegetables. It’s free.

Tokyo Marathon Walk (2) 2009.9.27

I write the second half of the course in this post.

The half point is near Ginza, one of the busiest and sophisticated commercial area in Tokyo. The Cross of Ginza 4 Cho-me is used in many cinemas, TV programs and photos. The main street is vehicle free in the weekend. Couples and families enjoy walking and drinking.

I moved northeastwards through Kayaba-cho (where securities houses have their offices), Nihonbashi area (where old craft shops and merchants open their offices), Kuramae (Sumida River area) to Asakusa. These areas remain the Edo-period atmosphere. I made a turn at Asakusa and moved back to Ginza.

I walked through Kabuki-za theater, Tsukiji-Honganji Temple, a Hindu style Buddhist Temple, to the Tokyo Bay area. Many islands in this area were artificially built in the past 300 years. The town names in the srea include Tsukishima, Harumi, Toyosu, and Ariake.

Yurikamome monorail train runs in this area. There are nationwide famous tennis court, (Ariake Coliseum) national cancer hospital and other modern institutes. The goal is Tokyo Big Sight, a huge exhibition center.

Tokyo Marathon Walk (1) 2009.9.27

Many cities including Tokyo have marathon races. If you walk the marathon course, you will surely know the city better. So, I walked the Tokyo marathon course. (I didn’t do it in one day. I used several days.)

The course is found in the map (English version available).
http://www.tokyo42195.org/2009/map_en.html

The course starts just in front of a huge Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building at western Shinjuku. There were few people in the street (as it was weekend). I took a kilometer walk and came to Shinjuku station area, one of the most busy and messy area in Tokyo. There are many Korean and Chinese shops along the road as many non-Japanese Asians lives here.

About 4 kilometer walk took me to Yotsuya and I met with the outer moat of Edo Castle (now the Imperial Palace). The JR (railway)’s Chuo Line runs along the moat. There is a artificial fishing pond in the moat at Iidabashi.

I turned to the south direction and reached to the inner mort of the Imperial Palace. I walked forward watching the palace in the right side and tall office buildings in the left side. Swans swam in the mort. It was about 10 kilometers from the starting point when I passed the famous Nijubashi gate of the palace.

I walked southward through the Hibiya Park, Zojoji Temple of Shiba, the Tokyo Tower, and arrived at Shinagawa, south Tokyo’s business center. Then, I made a turn to the north and walked the same roads to the opposite directions to Hibiya. (About 20km from the start point)

Both modern offices and historic monuments stand around this area. The historic monuments include: the meeting place of Saigo takamori and Katsu Kaishi, which agreed the peaceful surrender of Tokugawa Government to the Emperor’s force at the end of the Edo Period: Sengakuji Temple which is famous for a self sacrifice revenge story of 47 soldiers in the Edo period, Old defense gate of the Edo city etc.

Tamagawa River Walk (3) 2009.9.23

 

I took the 3rd part of Tamagawa River walk. It was from Noborito to (about 22 kilometers from the sea) to Fuchu/Inagi border (about 32 km from the sea).

It was a beautiful autumn day. The fields were covered with Japanese pampas grass and other autumn grasses. The read flowers of Japanese cluster-amaryllis were often found. The flower is used in the Buddhism ceremony in the autumn equinoctial week.

There are many houses, factories and other institutes along the river in this area. But more nature remains than the lower area. Birds stayed in a row on the electric power cable over the river.