Tokyo's Christmas under Covid-19 pandemic: Dec. 23-24, 2020

Japan is now in the 3rd wave of Covid-19 pandemic.

More than 3000 cases are reported every day after mid-December. Nearly 1000 cased are reported in Tokyo.

Restaurants are asked to close a few hours earlier than usual. People are asked not to make unnecessary visits and to refrain from join gatherings.

The scenes of Christmas season are quite different from ones seen in ordinary years.

The Shinjuku Station, the busiest railway terminal in Japan, was not so crowded.

I found various Christmas trees – big and small and; natural and artificial ones – in many commercial facilities in the area. There were few people around such Christmas trees. (See also the 3rd photo)

I also found and entrance of restaurants were decorated with Christmas plants. 

Many shops, including Kyodo’s Daiso, sold Christmas goods. (See also the 2nd photo)

The shops also made decorations with Christmas trees. (Se also the top photo)

The decreases of visitors were smaller in the facilities in residential areas than in the business center areas like Shinjuku and Shibuya.

We will have the new year in about a week. The new year decorations were sold while Christmas decorations are displayed in the shop.

 

 

 

 

Leaf fall and autumn color: Nov. 19, 2020

Autumn deepens.

The leaves have started to fall from some trees. The colors of the leaves have started to change in other trees.

I walked Hanegi Park in Setagaya City (Ward) and surrounding areas to enjoy the season. 

The ground was covered with fallen leaves in the park. People as well as dogs were walking comfortably. (See also the top photo)

The gingko trees have already changed their colors. (See also the 2nd photo)

The garden of the Setagaya Shrine was covered with fallen gingko leaves.

The sumo ring in the shrine was also covered with fallen leaves.

People were walking on the leaves in the walking paths nearby.

The scenes of the world have changed quite a lot by the coronavirus this year. Still, the seasons change as usual.

Lucky cats @ Gotokuji Temple: Nov. 1, 2020

I am always trying to send good luck messages in my blog (and in my other communications to my friends). 

This feeling is especially strong this year as the coronavirus pandemic continues around the world.

I visited Gotokuji Temple, or Cat Temple in western Tokyo to take photos of the fortune cat. The cat is believed to invite good fortune. The legend was originated in the Edo period.

People get lucky cat dolls every year. The old dolled are placed in the temple after new ones are purchased.

There are thousands of lucky cat dolls in the temple.

I found many visitors there. Foreigners probably from India and Russia were included. They are likely to have been staying in Japan for months. (See also the top photo and 2nd photo)

New metallic cat statue was built recently in the temple. (Se also the 3rd photo)

The season is turning to late autumn.

I hope new signs of recovery from the pandemic, such as developments of the vaccine, will appear as soon as possible.

Halloween @Shibuya: Oct. 31, 2020

 

 

Many young people gather at Shibuya on the Halloween day every year. The famous scramble is crowded with thousands of people in the Halloween costumes. It is seen as one of important cultural event in Tokyo.

 The situation is different this year. People were asked not to gather as the CVID-19 pandemic continued.

 

I visited the area in the afternoon. I found many visitors there, but it was less crowded than before.

 

Only a few people were in the Halloween costumes. (See also the top photo)

Some costumed persons were moving ahead to the scramble.

 

There were many signs to ask people self-restraint of their behavior -- not to join the event. Slogans of  “no annoying behavior” and “no infection” were displayed in many  places. (See also the 2nd photo from the top)

 

I found hundreds of policemen at the scramble. (See also the 3rd photo)

 

I also saw many cameramen there.

 

The situation did not change much in the evening, according to news reports. More people gathered in the evening than in the daytime, but the number was far smaller than the one recorded in the previous years.

 

While asking self-restraint of behaviors, the government is eager to promote domestic travels. It started the “Go To campaign” in summer, which provides financial supports for the travelers.

 I watched the notices and advertisements of the campaign in the travel agents and tourist offices.

The situation of the COVID-19 infection in Japan is not so bad as the situations in the U.S. and Europe.

Still, the infection risk remains high and the government has to chase two contradictory targets – infection prevention and reopening of the economy – at the same time. The scenes to chase two rabbits are observed everywhere.

 

Mid-autumn moon: Oct. 1, 2020

A bright full-moon rose in Tokyo’s sky today. 

It is mid-autumn moon.

People enjoyed the occasion with sweet rice dumplings, or dango, in the past.

Recently, it was common for young people in Tokyo to have drinking parties instead.

Few people do it this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

 

I had a night walk to enjoy the moon.

It shined above the city.

Red spider lily was open at the season.

 

 

Save Iwate's exhibition, new products: Sept 19. 2020

Nearly ten years have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake.

 

As people continued to struggle to recover the quake-hit economies, the COVID-19 pandemic brought them other blows this year. They are now making new efforts.to keep the economies running.

 

I visited an antenna shop of Iwate Prefecture. 

It locates quite near from the Kabuki-za Theater in Ginza. They sell various products – foods, drinks, clothes and art crafts -- of the region.

 

An exhibition of Save Iwate, a NPO engaged in various activities for the recovery of the region, was held.

 

They produce various products using the region’s natural resources and the human network of local people. The products include foods and sweets made from Japanese walnuts, handicrafts made by the victims of the quake. (See also the 2nd photo)

Baskets and cases made by walnut and other plants were also sold. They have some popularity in Iwate. (see also the top photo)

 

Save Iwate has also supported traditional performing arts. The arts contributed to united the local communities after the disaster.

 

Save Iwate displayed new sweets made from walnuts in the exhibition.

Health masks were also sold. They started to make masks after the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

The influence of COVID-19 is not small, but they are trying to overcome the difficulty with new ideas.

 

Hot summer days in Tokyo: Aug. 1-21, 2020

 

Tokyo, as well as many other cities in Japan. has had a hot summer this year.

 

The temperature went up to 37.3 degrees on Aug. 11 in Tokyo according to

Japan Meteorological Agency. It went up over 35 degrees in 9 days, over 34 degrees in 15 days, and over 30 degrees in all 21 days in the first 21 days in August.

 

The temperature reached 41.1 degrees in Hamamatsu City in Shizuoka Prefecture on Aug. 17.

 

We see fewer people than usual as people avoid going outside in the daytime. I found few people walking in front of the Tokyo Station on Aug. 11. (See also the 2nd photo from the top)

 

It was cool inside the station, but heat wave and strong sunshine were waiting outside.

 

Devices to provide water splay are installed in many places, including in the promenade of Marunouchi near the Tokyo station. (See the 4th photo from the top)

 

Many people use parasols to protect themselves from UV.

 

This is a scene in Shibuya’s famous scramble taken on Aug. 21. (See also the top photo)

 

Even it is so hot, people ware mask to avoid Covid-19 infection. This is a point quite different from previous years.

 

I found many nature scenes of the summer.

 

The moats of the Imperial Palace was covered with water grasses on Aug. 7. (See also the 3rd photo)

 

The cicadas sing loudly in many places.