Nagoya, Nagakute, Seto (off Tokyo): May 28th, 2010

I visited Nagakute Town and Seto City near Nagoya City in Aichi Prefecture.

Nagakute is a town with a population of about 50 thousands. It locates in the eastern suburb of Nagoya.

A famous battle named "the battle of Komaki Nagakute"was held here in the late 16th century.

The town is also famous as it co-hosted “the 2005 World Exposition, Aichi, Japan” with Seto City and Toyota City.

I took “Linimo” or magnetic levitation train from Fujigaoka, Nagoya's eastern border to Expo Memorial park Station in Nagakute Town. Two nagnetic levitation train system are under commercial operation in the world and Linimo is one of them (the other one is in Shanghai). The line is 8.9 kilometers long.

The train is lifted by 8 millimeters by magnetic power and runs smoothly along the rail. It accelerates and slows down quicker than ordinary trains. It can turn small corners and makes less noises when it runs. It was so confortable.

The town has Toyota Automobile Museum. About 120 classic cars were displayed. They drove a 18th century-style automobile for us. It was a replica of one of the oldest engine cars. So exciting.

The 2005 Expo site was converted into a park and business and cultural facilities. One of them is a market named “Agurinmura”. They sell local vegetables and other agricultural products. I bought fresh bamboo and miso paste. They were cheap.

The western part of the town is residential area. People commute from the area to Nagoya to work and study. There remain fields and woods in the eastern part ot the town.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the ruler of Japan in the late 16th century, and Tokugawa Ieyasu, who became the ruler after Hideyoshi’s death and opened Edo Shogunate Government in the early 17th century, had a battle in Nagakute in 1584. The battle field has turned into a park. Local people showed us “Bonote” or symbolized marshal art performances, in the park.

Many cities and towns produce porcelains in Japan, but Seto is probably the most famous name among them. Seto-mono (the products of Seto) often means porcelain in Japan.

The history of the city's porcelain production is more than 1000 years.

They can find good clay in many places in the city, which is the reason behind the development of the industry.

I visited a craft center (factory). The master showed us how he made his products. He tactically touched the clay on a turning plate and produced cups, dishes and other porcelains. It was amazing. He said that he made nearly 500 products a day when necessary.

I bought some dishes at the shop of the center.

There are many porcelain shops in the city.

Before visiting Nagakute and Seto, I watched Nagoya Castle. It was originally built in the 17th century.

Kanda River Walk (1): May 22, 2010

Kanda River is not big, but it has been important culturally and historically for Tokyo people. The river runs through central Tokyo and it has been picked up in many novels, songs and movies.

The river is about 25 kilometers long. I took a walk along the river in the upper part (from Inokashira Park to Shimotakaido) today.

The river flows from a pond in Inokashira Park in Mitaka City, west Tokyo.

The park was crowded with people (the young and the old, parents and children, Japanese and non Japanese, men and women). The pond was full of duck boats. (The pond is especially popular among the couples).

The river flows throug a nemaless small park next to Inokashira Park. Some children were playing in the water while others were catching fish.

I walked down the river several hundreds meters from the pond and found that the banks were covered with concrete walls. Most parts of the river (except first several hundred meters) are protected by concrete banks. It is so artificial. The river flows three to five meters below the ground level.

There spread residential areas along the river. The areas are popular among salaried-employees and their families (sarari man kazoku) to live. The riverside walkways are well arranged. We also find sports grounds, schools and small parks along the river. The Inokashira Line runs along it.

Thousands of irises are planted in the river between Kugayama and Takaido. The yellow flowers are fully open in May. It was so beautiful.

Cherry trees and dogwood trees are planted in the banks.

We can find carp almost everyehrer in the river. Water birds are also found.

The river is artificial (again). The river itself is not beautiful. But nature stays in. Peple enjoy walking along the river.

Thai Festival @ Yoyogi Park: May 16, 2010

The politics in Thailand is in turmoil now. The government's security forces and the demonstrators face each other in Bangkok.

Here in Tokyo, the 11th Thai Festival was held on May 15 and 16 at Yoyogi Park.

The festival was originally planned to introduce the culture, the social life and the people of Thailand to Japanese. Later, the festival has become more and more popular among Tokyo people as an occasion to enjoy Thai food (Some people say it should be called "Thai Food Festival", not Thai Festival).

Thousands of people gathered in the festival site. There were many Asian people along with Japanese and Westerners. They were making long queues in front of many stalls.

Thai musics were played there. They were not only traditional musics but also T (Thai) Pops.

The rose flowers were full open in Yoyogi Park.

Families, couples and many other people were on the grass. They were enjoying their times in the early-summer afternoon. The sky was blue and the sunlight was bright.

I find something new every time I visit the park. Today, I met across an open-air rakugo (Japanese talk performance) play.

Sanja Festival@ Asakusa:May 15, 2010

Tokyo’s seasons are colored with festivals. Sanja Festival （Sanja Matsuri) of Asakusa Shrine, along with Kanda Festival and Sanno Festival, is one of 3 major festivals.

Sanja Festival is also seen as the start of Tokyo’s summer.

They held the festival from 14 to 16 of May this year.

People take out the mikoshi (portable shrines) from Asakusa Shrine (miyadashi), carry the mikoshi on their shoulders and walk around the towns outside the shrine, then take the mikoshi back again to the shrine (miyairi).

Local people wear special costumes (called happi) for the festival. Special paper lanterns were prepared.

Thousands of tourists gathered to see the festival.

People see the Shint gods and the Buddhism gods as asme gods (in different shape) in the middle age in Japan. With this concept, Asakusa Shrine and Sensoji Temple, which stands in the same garen, were managed together until the Edo era. They became separate in the Meiji era.

The Tokyo Sky Tree Tower is under construction in Oshiage, Sumida ward, near Asakusa. The tower will be 634 meters high when it is completed in early 2012. Tokyo Tower is only 333 meters.

Visitors were taking pictures with the tower in their back.

Nogawa Walk(1)(2): May 8 and 9, 2010

Nogawa is a 20 km-long river which runs through the western part of Tokyo and flows into the Tamagawa River.

I had walks along the river -- the upper part on May 8th and the lower part on May 9th.

The river fields in the upper part were covered with yellow rapeseed and white radish flowers.

Many people were enjoying their walks. Family members were in the bush and watching flowewrs and (probably) water creatures. Boys and girls were playing in the river.

I saw ducks, herons and other water birds. Carp and other fishes were also found.

The lower part is more artificial. Some part of the banks are covered with concrete. Some parts are under construction. There spread upper-class residential areas along the river.

Traditional Japanese farmer houses are displayed in a park named Jidayubori Koen Minkaen. The farmer houses are covered with straws and were originally built in the Edo era.

The river was polluted seriously until the 1970s. Few birds and fish were found then. It has turned clean after the 1970 -- and we can enjoy walkings now.

Seijo: May 8-9, 2010

Seijo in Setagaya ward is considered as one of the best residential areas in Tokyo.

I walked around the area on the way to visit Nogawa to for my riverside walks.

The station building (Seijo Gakuenmae, Odakyu line) was a modern commercial complex. It has shops, cultural facilities and restaurants. The roof of the building is a garden.

There are many large houses around the station. I visited a gallery in a private house.

The district keeps several nature preservation areas. Bamboo, Pine trees and many other trees are planted there. Some natural reserves are open to the public and some are closed.

I found an artificial farm field near the station. The field is on the concrete roof which cover the apace where the railways are laid and the trains run (see the pictuture. It is on the railways). The farm field are rent (by blocks) by the residents in this area to enjoy cultivating vegetables in the weekends.

Horse Show @ Baji Park: May 5, 2010

A Horse Show was held at Baji Park (Equestrian Park), Stagaya ward, in the Golden Week holidays (May 3-5). I visited there today.

They held various competitions including show jumping. Top-class riders both from Japan and foreign countries (some of them were Olympic players) attended the competitions. Most horses were born abroad. They showed us marvelous performances.

A pony race was also held.

Many people -- both adults and children -- attended the event. They watched the competitions, touched the horses and enjoyed their lunch boxes. They looked happy.

The event was organized by JRA (Japan Racing Association) to make horses and horse related activities more popular in Japan.

The number of the people who can enjoy riding is limited in Japan. Horses often give the image of horce race --> gamble. Such situation is bihind JRA's efforts.

Four family mambers of flying carp were swimming in the blue sky. May 5th is Children's Day (national holiday) and people celebrate the day with flying carp and helmet decoration (kabuto).

The arena in the park was used for show junmping competitions in the Olympic Games held in Tokyo in 1964.

Oyama: May4, 2010

Climbing a mountain in Tokyo?

The most popular mountain in great Tokyo area may be Mt. Takao (599m) in Hachioji City, west Tokyo. It takes only an hour from central Tokyo to the mountain.

Another popular mountain may be Mr. Oyama in Kanagawa Prefecture. I climbed it in one of Golden-Week holidays.

Oyama is 1252 meters high and belongs to the Tanzawa Mountains. The mountain has been seen a holy place by people for thousands of years. A shrine was built at the top of the mountain more than 1000 years ago (the name is Oyama-Afuri Shrine).

I took a bus from Isehara station of Odakyu line to the foot of the mountain. Then, I took a cable car which took me to 670 meters-high point.

There were several shrine buildings there(all belong to Oyama-Afuri Shrine).

The mountain ways to the peak were rocky and steep. It took an hour and half to go up from the cable-car station to the top. The difference of altitude was nearly 600 meters.

It was hard to climb it, but the scene from the peak was so wonderful.

Visiting Oyama became popular in the Edo era. People visited here not only to worship the holy place but also to enjoy travelling. Many hotels, restaurants and souvenir shops developed at the entrance to the mountain.

Tofu dish and boar meet dish are among the most famous foods here. I tasted them. It was so delicious.

Takeshiba Pier, Kyu Shiba Rikyu: May 3, 2010

It is the third day of the Golden Week holidays. The weather is good and it is hot. The sunshine is brignt. It is almost summer!

I visited Hamamatsucho and Takeshiba in the Tokyo Bay area. The sea was blue.

Takeshiba is a terminal of passenger lines. Ships leave for and arrive from the Izu islands (Oshima island, Miyakejima island, the Ogasawara islands). The Tokyo Bay cruising ships also leave and arrive here.

There is a terrace along the port. I sat in a chair and felt the breeze from the sea.

Kyu Shiba Rikyu Garden is a traditional Japanese-style garden. It was formerly a villa of a powerful family in the Edo era. The garden was originally a part of Tokyo Bay and the pond had salt water. Now, it is several hundreds meters from the sea (because of landfill) and the pond has fresh water.

They had azalea, wisteria and iris flowers today. I enjoyed the flowers.

I happened to find a Pokemon shop near JR Hamamatsucho Station. There were so many kids and their parents. Children looked so happy and were making screams of joy.

Shizuoka: May 2, 2010

Shizuoka City locates about 160 km west from Tokyo.

The city was called Sunpu before the Edo era.

Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Edo Shogunate Government (1603-1868), moved here from Edo (Tokyo) after he passed the Shogun position to his son Hidetada (the 2nd Edo Shogun).

He lived in Sunpu Castle and ruled the country from Sunpu.

The castle turned to a public park in the 20th century.

The stone walls and the moats still remain. Some buildings were rebuilt after the 1980s.

There were willow trees around the moats. Azalea and other trees had flowers. The green was fresh and beautiful.