Eco-Products show @ Tokyo Big Sight: Dec. 13, 2014

Eco-Products show is one of the biggest environment-related exhibitions in Japan. I visited the show held in Tokyo Big Sight in the Tokyo Bay area today.

There were about 700 exhibitors (companies, local governments and NGOs etc.). Tens of thousands of visitors were there.

Various eco-friendly products as well as advanced technologies were displayed. They included:

wooden products, 

toilets with high efficient water consumption, 

results of research activities in the universities,

services and products by NPOs and NGOs

a place to play with aqua creatures.

Mascots of companies and local communities were moving through the site (the top photo). 

Local cities and communities held their exhibitions. One of the examples was presented by Toyooka City in Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan. They aim to develop a community where people and storks can live together. Storks cannot survive if the rice fields are polluted with agrichemicals (the 2nd photo from the top).

There were many children – this differentiates Eco-Products show from other events. The kids enjoyed looking the exhibitions, listening the explanations and playing with exhibition products.

It is reported that more than 160 thousands people attended the event in three days.

Imperial Palace Open Day: Dec. 6, 2014

The main part of Imperial Palace, where the Emperor and the Imperial family live, is usually closed to the public. It opened the door to citizens for the first time in the autumn color season. The decision was made following the Emperor’s words.

I visited the palace. It was a nice day. The sky was blue and the wind was comfortably cold.

Thousands people were making lines in front of the palace when I arrived there. 

It took about an hour before entering the palace through the “Samashita” Gate. Policemen and women controlled the visitors well.

We walked slowly through the Inui Street in the palace. There were tens of maple trees along the street. The leaves were glowing red and orange. There were other trees with red and yellow leaves, too.

There lied a moat at the side of the street. I walked about 20 minutes and arrived at the Inui Gate.

The palace was open from Dec. 3rd to 7th. About 79 thousands people visited the place today, according to the news reports.

I moved to the East Gardens of the Palace, which is always open to the public.

There were various autumn color scenes in the gardens.

Some trees were on the ruins of buildings.