Tokyo Skytree and Asakusa: Oct. 18, 2013

We had a business meeting inviting our partners from about 15 countries. We had an excursion to Tokyo Skytree and Asakusa district for better communication and deeper mutual understanding.

Tokyo Skytree is only one year + old (it opened in May, 2012), but it has already become one of the most famous Tokyo’s landmarks.　It attracted more than 6.5 million visitors in one year. 

It is 634 meter high and is the highest tower in the world.

The tower was crowded as expected. It took less than one minute by a high-speed elevator to move from the ground floor to observation deck at 350 meter high. Hundreds of Japanese, Asians, Europeans, Americans etc. were there.

Panoramic view of Tokyo was under us. I saw millions of offices, houses and factories spread in the large Kanto plain. 30 million people live there.

Asakusa, which is about 1.5 km from Tokyo Skytree, is a popular visiting place for foreign tourists. Sensoji Temple (Buddhism) is the center of the area. Visitors made a line in front of the main building. The incense floated here and there.

Combination of the temple’s buildings and Tokyo Skytree was impressive.

There also locates Asakusa Shrine (Japanese Shinto) in the same site. There are shopping street from the temple to the nearest subway station. Hundreds of small shops sell traditional crafts, sweets and other gifts.

They held a special dragon-dance event in the temple. Visitors really enjoyed Asakusa.

ANA plane maintenance facility @ Haneda: Oct. 18, 2013

We had a meeting with our partners from about 15 countries and we visited ANA’s plane maintenance facility in Haneda (Tokyo International Airport).

Several airplanes including Boeing 787, the latest model, and B 777 were under maintenance process.

The facility is popular among plane lovers. It also attracts many schools as a good place for an educational trip. (Competition to make a reservation is very tough).

There were several groups in guided tours in the facility. Most of participants had high-class single-lens reflex cameras.

The facility has 18 huge gates. The planes in landing and taking-off process were well observed from the facility.

2020 Olympic sites @ Bay area: Sept.28, 2013

Tokyo will host the Olympic Games in 2020. It will be the 2^nd time to host the Games (after 1964).

The opening and closing ceremonies, together with track and field competitions, will be held at the National Olympic Stadium in Shinjuku ward as in 1964. Other games will be held in the new facilities to be built or renovated mainly in the Tokyo Bay area.

Today, I walked “2020 Olympic sites” in the Bay area.

I first visited Yumenoshima in Koto ward. It is an artificial island built in the 1950s and 60s. Enormous volume of garbage was carried here from many places in Tokyo and piled up to make lands. The place was infamously called Gominoshima (Garbage island), not Yumenoshima (Dream island).

Today, garbage has turned into soil. There is a large park spread in the area and various facilities are built in it.

Large Halloween pumpkins were placed in the garden of a tropical plant dome and children were playing with them.

I also visited an exhibition site of Daigo Fukuryu Maru (Lucky Dragon 5), a tune boat which was exposed to and contaminated by nuclear fallout from US nuke test in 1954.

Basketball, badminton, archery, equestrian games will be held here in Yumenoshima area.

I moved westwards to Tatsumi, where swimming will be held. Water polo will be also played in the area.

Highways run around the area. There are tall apartments, office buildings and factories in the area. Construction works were underway.

I continued walking through Shinonome to Ariake. Volleyball, gymnastics, cycling and tennis will be played here in Ariake. Ariake Coliseum, which currently has 10,000 seats, and other facilities around it will be used for tennis games in 2020.

It was crowded today as the final match of Toray Pan Pacific Open was held today.

I moved westwards and arrived at Odaiba, where Triathlon and beach volley will be played.

Nearly half of the games will be played in the area I walked today.

Moon Festival: Sept. 19, 2013

It is fine to enjoy moon in autumn night.

A moon in the “Moon Festival” day is more than that.

Japan and other Asian countries (e.g. China) have moon festivals on August 15^th in traditional calendar, which is a day around the autumnal equinox day (late September). It was September 19^th in 2013.

We fortunately had full moon today. It was first time in 6 years to have full moon in the monn festival day.

I had a walk of about an hour in the night. People were enjoying the moon sitting in the benches in the walking trails and small community parks.

The moonlight was impressive. The sounds of autumn insects were comfortable.

New Kabuki Theater @Ginza: Sept.8, 2013

New Kabuki Theater opened in April this year. I visited there for the first time.

The new theater has 29-story modern building in the backyards, but it keeps traditional tiled-roof building in the front part. It is 4 stories high.

Advanced technologies are used in the stage sets. Spectators’ seats are more spacious.

Classic dramas are often played at Kabuki Theater. Today, I watched a newly-written play titled “Onmyoji”, a mysterious story in the Heian era (794-1192). Many young Kabuki players joined the project.

Shops and other facilities are renovated. The basement floor was developed as a cultural and shopping center of Kabuki.

Hiking @ Canadian Rockies (off off Tokyo): August 18-23, 2013

It was fantastic to hike in the Canadian Rockies.

I had few walks during my stay in here. The hikings include: 

** A hiking from Lake Louise to Lake Agnes

I left Lake Louise, which is 1536 meter high, and walked into a trail through the woods of needle-leaf trees (such as fir trees). I met many animals and birds including squirrels and wood peckers.

The trail became steeper as I moved up. The trees disappeared and rocky fields spread around me when I came to 2000 meter high from the sea level.

I arrived at a small lake called "Mirror Lake" after about two hours walk.

With another 30 minutes walk, I arrived at Lake Angus, which is 2135 meter high. The lake was surrounded by mountains. The water as well as the air was clean. 

There were many pika or whistling hares in the area. Their high-pitched voices were impressive. 




**A hiking from Lake Louise to Plain of Six Glaciers

The hiking started from Lake Louise. I walked about 20 minutes along a flat lakeside walkway. There were many tourists walking there. Some of them were with their dogs.

I moved into a mountain trail. The trail went through the woods, grass-covered plain, and rocky steep place. People went up the mountain not only by foot, but also on a horse. 

Walkers and riders often crossed each other in the pass. There were many sign boards which showed the ways for walkers and for riders. 


As I went up, Victoria Glaciers, Lefroy Glaciers and other glaciers came near. It was impressive.

There was a tea house at about 2000 meter-high place. Combination of white glaciers, gray rocks, and green fields
was impressive.







** A hiking along Bow River, Banff

I had a walk along Bow River in Banff. It was easy. The trail as well as the wood was well kept up.

Animals @ Canadian Rockies (off off Tokyo): August 18-23, 2013

I saw many animals during my stay in the Canadian Rockies.

I visited Mt. Whitehorn near Lake Louise. It is a famous sky resort in the winter and a nice sightseeing spot in the summer season. I moved up to the top area by a gondola.

Grizzlies frequent here. I unfortunately miss it (miss the opportunity to see it from mu gondola, not to meet in the trail while walking ^^;). Instead, I met other animals and birds.

A elk deer appeared from a wood and ate grasses in the field.

There were many alpine plants. Flowers were beautiful. 
.

There were stuffed animals and other exhibitions in the interpretation center there. They include coyote, grizzly, cougar, wolf, deer and many birds.

I met many pika or whistling hares in the mountains when I was walking there. Their high-pitched sounds were impressive.

Squirrels were everywhere. I saw in the mountains while hiking and in the towns.

People were with their animals in Banff. Small and big dogs were found everywhere. A family played a performance with their pig. 

People and life @ Canadian Rockies (off off Tokyo): August 18-23, 2013

There were many tourists from all over the world in the Canadian Rockies.

Lake Louise was always crowded with visitors. They enjoyed beautiful scenes of the mountains, glaciers and the lake. Some enjoyed walking along the lakeside pass (sometimes with their dogs). Others played canoe in the lake.

Good viewpoints were always crowded with tourist. At Lake Louise mountain resort area, tourists enjoyed the scenes of mountains and animals. (picture top).

Columbia Icefield is a one of famous tourist spots in the Canadian Rockies. Many visiters were on the glacier. It was cold. The glacier is about 300 meter deep (unbelievable!), but it is getting smaller because of global climate change.

People enjoyed outdoor activities. At the northern side of Lake Louise, young people played rock climbing. 

Riding was also popular. Many people climbed up the mountain on the horse.

Banff streets were crowed with tourist who enjoyed (real) shopping and window shopping.

Beautiful nature @ Canadian Rockies(off off Tokyo): August 18-23, 2013

I came to the Canadian Rockies. Walking in the great nature was a big fun. Beautiful scenes of mountains lakes are also fantastic.

I stayed in Lake Louise as well as Banff. 

Lake Louise was emerald green. The lake, mountains, glaciers and blue sky composed a beautiful picture (see top picture). 

There are hundreds of mountains in the area. Most of them are 2000-4000 meter high. Some mountains were covered with plant in the lower parts and showed bare rocks in the upper patrs . The forest limit is about 2200 meter here. 

Shapes were different by the mountain. It was interesting.

I had a bus tour between Banff and Columbia Icefield on "Icefields Parkways", which runs through the Rockies.

Payto Lake is also a famous glacier-fed lake. The water is emerald green. I saw the beautiful scene from Bow Summit.  

Bow Lake was also beautiful. It is the origin of Bow River

The river flows through Banff and down to the Atlantic Ocean. (see the picture 3rd from the top).

Tokyo's Hot summer: August 15, 2013

Tokyo had historically hot summer this year.

Temperature sometimes reached 37 degrees. Heavy rain with thunders suddenly started in some areas, which caused blackout and suspensions of train operations.

It was hard to walk long in daytime this month. I only had short walks in the weekends. Many women carry parasols. Business persons were sweat. Everyone looked being fed up with the heat.