Sumo ＆ autumn festival @ Setagaya Hachiman Shrine: Sept. 13, 2014

Autumn festival season has started. We hear the sound of Japanese flute and dram in many towns in the weekend at this season, as some of shrines or temples in the regions have festivals. The autumn festival originally began to thank god the harvest of the year.

I visited Setagaya Hachiman Shrine. The festival here is unique as it has special sumo plays.

The sumo wrestlers are from Tokyo University of Agriculture. They are top-level student sumo wrestlers and some of them may become professional wrestlers. Some members were from Mongolia.

Sumo ring was properly arranged. There were hundreds of audiences surrounding the ring.

There were various kinds of matches – singles match, group tournament, kinds of knockout competitions etc. Heavy sounds spread when wrestlers’ big bodies crash.

It was so interesting and I dove into watching the plays for about two hours.

Not everyone was in sumo site. There were many visitors walking in the shrine.

Open-air stalls were open. Kids were enjoying  tasting sweets and playing the gold fish-catching games.

Red spider lily @ Setagaya Castle ruin: Sept. 6, 2014

We had unusual weather this summer in Japan. Concentrated heavy rain attacked several areas and gave serious damages. More than 70 people were killed in the disaster in late August in Hiroshima city.

Dengue (breakbone) fever news is running around Tokyo right now. Tens of infected patients have been found since last week, and disease-bearing mosquitos have been found in some parks in central Tokyo.

Now, I am a bit hesitant to walk in the park. Instead, I walked along the street in Setagaya ward.

Red Spider lilies were already open in the Setagaya-joshi Park, which is built on the ruin of Setagaya Castle of medieval period.　It is only a week later after I enjoyed watching sunflowers in Roka Park in the same area on August 31.

The season is turning from hot and unusual-weather summer to autumn. I hope that we have normal fall season.

Fireworks @Tamagawa River: Aug.23, 2014

Fireworks are traditional summer events in Japan. There are hundreds of firework shows held in the Greater Tokyo area every year.

I visited to see fireworks at Tamagawa River today. I watched the show in Nobotiro area, about five kilometers away from the launching places (Futago-Tamagawa district).

Thousands of people as well as dogs were gathering. They sat on the riverbank and enjoyed the event. Some of them were in traditional yukata costume and opened their food boxes.

Thousands of fireworks were launched. There were in various colors -- red, yellow orange, blue, green and white. All were beautiful.

Buildings of the cities sometimes showed their figures under the fireworks when they burst.

The wind was comfortable. The autumn insects were making noises in the grass in the river field.

Baltic states: Life and business (off off Tokyo): August 2-8, 2014

More than 20 years have passed after Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia became independent from the Soviet Union.

The societies and the lives of the people there have dramatically changed.

Estonia is known as "e-country" or one of most advanced nations in the world in the use of IT. I visited e-Estonia showroom, where the history, the current situation and the future policy on IT were displayed and well explained.

Lithuania and Latvia follow. I saw many free WiFi spots in the towns, including a place in front of Riga's cathedral (picture).

Some taxis offered free WiFi services.

“Eco” is another trend. Systems to use (share) public bicycles are introduced in Vilnius and Riga. The photo is taken in Vilnius.

Integration of society and economy goes on. 

Crossing the borders is their daily activities. 

I saw people and tourists waiting the buses at Riga Bus terminal for Tallinn (Estonia), Vilnius (Lithuania), Berlin (Germany), Minsk (Belarus), Moscow (Russia) and many other foreign cities (even in the Russia-west tension over Ukraine).






Of course, many people spend ordinary life.

People enjoyed beer in the open-air bars along the streets. They enjoyed summer's day in the park and other places, including Riga's canal side (left) and Tallinn's small open space on the shops (photo second from the top).

The huge market in Riga was crowded with local shoppers. The market was made using the materials taken from the mooting facility of Zeppelin, the famous airship developed in the early 20th century. 

People were selling ice creams, souvenirs and drawing pictures in the old towns as usual. The photo was taken in Vilnius. 


In countryside, they were making hay rolls for winter seasons (top photo). 

Some are changing rapidly and some are slowly.

Baltic states: History & Culture (off off Tokyo): Aug.2-8, 2014

I came to Baltic states, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, in summer vacation. I was expecting cool days before arriving here, but the weather was unexpectedly hot. 

I walked around the cities in a sweat. Nevertheless, the walking was excellent.

Each capital of three countries – Vilnius, Riga, and Tallinn - has old town of medieval age in the center of the city. I walked along the cobbled streets.

Vilnius was a green rich. The old town was surrounded with woods.

Riga stands along the Dawgava River. It is now the largest city in the Baltic nations.

Tallinn's old town keeps the walls as well as many buildings (photo 2nd from the top).

The structures of the old towns are similar. 

They have market places in the center. City hall buildings guild houses and churches stand at the side of the market place. 









Both market places in Riga (above) and Tallinn (below) were beautiful. 













The cities are not only decorated with medieval history, but also with modern history.

Former prison of the Soviet regime in Vilnius is now a “Genocide museum”. The names of the victims are carved in the wall of the building.







There were many cells in the basement of the museum.

The barricade used in 1991 in the independence movement is reserved in the Parliament place in Vilnius.

A small flag of Ukraine was put on the barricade.

I visited “Sugihara Memorial” in Kaunas, Lithuania. The diplomat issued in 1940 transit visas for about 2000 Jewish families (who were under threat from Nazi) against the order of Japanese Empire government, and eventually saved 6000 lives.

The scene of the hill of crosses near Siauliai, northern Lithuania, was overwhelming (top picture). It has been a symbol of consolation for victims, pray, and resistance.

There are many Jugendstil or art neuveau buildings in Riga. 

Various carvings of human faces, animals and other interesting objects are on the walls.

I also found interesting sculptures in Riga. A sculpture of cat was on the roof of a house.

The object of the Musicians of Bremen was in front of St. Peter Church in the central old town. 

Belgium Beer Weekend @ Yokohama: July 6, 2014

I am a Belgium beer lover largely because I once lived there.

Today, I visited Belgium Beer Weekend held in Yokohama.

The event is held in several cities, including Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Sendai and Sapporo.　It is the second time that Yokohama hosts the event.

It was a nice day (although it is rainy season now. Good Luck!). Thousands of people were in the event site in Yamashita Park.

Families, group of friends, young people, old people and dogs were on the ground. Others were enjoying beer and Belgium foods at the tables.

Yamashita Park is at the side of the Yokohama Port. People enjoyed portside walks.

Various kinds of Belgium Beer were served. Concerts and other performances by Belgium artists were played.

A special beer glass was designed for the event. 

Belgium Beer is getting more and more popular in Japan. The “Weekend” is now an annual event in major cities. I sometimes visit it. (Please see "Belgium Beer Weekend @ Roppongi Hills": Sept. 9, 2011 )

Yokohama China Town is the largest and most famous china towns in Japan. It locates next to Yamashita Park. There are more than 200 Chinese restaurants in the area.

Some are nationwide famous high-end restaurants while others are casual take-out shops. There are new opens and closures of the restaurants every year. I can find something new whenever I visit there.

The streets were crowded with visitors as usual.

Second-hand bookstores in Kanda: June 19, 2014

Walking around second-hand bookstores in Kanda area is one of my funs. I was there again to visit a new shop.

“Book café 20^th Century” is the shop. It is a combination of a second-hand bookstore and a coffee shop. Arts, sports, novels and many other books are sold there. Visitors can comfortably enjoy coffee and reading books.

The shop is not the only example of the “new waves” taking place in the area. New services and businesses emerge almost every week there.

The change of Kanda’s second-hand bookstore district was reported in this blog on Nov. 3^rd, 2013, too. (Second-hand Book Fair @ Kanda)

I am sure that the change will be accelerated in the net revolution. Watching the changes is interesting and I will probably report my visit　again in the future.

Toranomon Hills: June 14, 2014

New Landmark of Tokyo opened three days ago (June 11). It is Toranomon Hills, a huge commercial-residential complex building built in Toranomon area, a few blocks west from Kasumigasaki government-office area.

The building is 52-story high. Andaz Tokyo Hotel occupies the upper floors whereas apartments are in the upper-middle floors and offices are in the lower-middle floors. Shops and restaurants are in the lower floors.

A cat-like character “Toranomon”, not Doraemon, welcomed me when I entered the building. There were many visitors there. 

People were relaxing in the garden around the building.

Children were running around in the playground and I found Tokyo Tower behind them.

Motorways run under the building. It is the first such building in Tokyo.　(the top picture)