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.

 

 

 

 

Postponed Tokyo Olympic Games: July 24, 2020

 It was originally planned that Tokyo Olympic Games start Friday, July 24, 2020.

The schedule was postponed about a year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Olympic Games are not a major topic for many people for now.

 Many people in Tokyo spent quiet days today. People stayed in their homes or had minimum necessary visits to secure daily necessities. Many people worked at home. Trains were vacant. Roads were less crowded.

It was late March that IOC decided to postpone the Games. The Japanese government as well as the Tokyo Metropolitan government stress that they do not change the plan to host the Games in July 2021.

Japanese people have cold eyes. Majority think that the Games will not be held or the Games should be cancelled, according to opinion polls.

The flags, posters and signs have not been renewed.

The flags of “Tokyo 2020”, not “Tokyo 2021” flap in many shopping and residential areas. (See also the 2nd photo from the top)

 

Taxis have Tokyo Olympic Games logos in their bodies.

 

The Tokyo 2020 sign stands in Ginza’s main street. (The photo was taken in March 2020)

 

The Japan National Stadium, the planned main stadium of the Games, opened November 2019. (The left photo was taken in Oct. 2019. The top photo was taken from Shinjuku's skyscraper this week)

It was used for some sports events from December 2019 to March 2020. Now, it is not usually used.

The Baji Park (Equestrian Park) plans to host equestrian games. (See the third photo)  

I do not know the situation in July 2021. I just post the photos in July 2020 for record.

 

 

 

 

 

Shinjuku under the corona outbreak: July 20, 2020

 

About six months have passed since the outbreak of the coronavirus in Japan in late January.

The numbers of the confirmed cases as well as victims are relatively low, like some other Asian countries, if we compare the numbers with ones in the U.S. and European countries. The confirmed cases as of July 20 are 25276 while the number of victims is about 1000 (The numbers are about 3.8 million and 140 thousand, respectively, in the U.S.)

Still, the infection is increasing again especially in Tokyo. The daily report of new infection reached 200 in April, decreased to 2-30 level in late May, increased again in the beginning of July and reached 293 on July 17.

Wearing masks and keeping social distances have become common among people.

Shinjuku is one of the busiest shopping areas in Japan.

It is reported that more than total 3.5 million people used Shinjuku Station (JR, Odakyu, Keio and subway) every day before the corona outbreak. It became almost empty in April, when the country declared emergency and asked people not to go out.

The station was not empty today. However, there were not many people. (See also the top, second and 4th photos)

 

The bus terminal near the railroad station was almost empty.

 

I found few people walking in the Shinjuku Street, one of the main streets in the area.

 

Many corona infection cases are found among the guests as well as the hosts and hostess of drinking bars, cabaret clubs (Japanese style hostess bar) and Karaoke bars.

 

There are many such places in Shinjuku’s Kabukicho area. (See also the 3rd photo)

 

I carefully walked the streets in the area in the daytime. I found many Karaoke bars and other bars, restaurants were open. Still there were few people walking in the streets.

 

 

 

Hydrangea’s season: June 15-21, 2020

 

Tokyo is now in the rainy season.

 The season’s flowers change as time goes. It was Japanese apricot (Ume) in March; cherry in April; azalea in May; and hydrangea in June.

 We can find various kinds of hydrangea flowers in the towns.

 

Many hydrangea flowers are planted at the sides of the Setagaya Line. 

The train cars are in various designs.

 

The hydrangea flowers are fully open in the walkways, including the Karasuyama-gawa walkway.

 

They have many kinds of hydrangea flowers in the Roka Park in western Tokyo.

Some have white flowers.

 

Others are blue.

 

It is said that there are about 2000 kinds of hydrangea flowers in the world. The shapes of the flowers as well as the colors are different.

 

 

Dog park reopens: @Roka Park June 17, 2020

The restrictions on activities have been gradually eased in Tokyo. 

The dog park in the Roka koshun-en Park reopened in June. It was closed in the late March.

Dogs run in the field happily.

 

The owners of the dogs talked each other.

 

Tokyo Metropolitan government took initiative in requesting people self-restraint of their activities in the late March. The dog park was closed then.

The Japanese government followed the actions of Tokyo and other local government when it declared emergency on April 7.

The declaration was lifted in all prefectures on May 25.

 

The ratio of the Covid-19 infection as well as death is far lower than the ratios in the U.S. and European countries. The ration stays at the similar level with major Asian countries. (The reason of the difference between Asia and U.S. and Europe is not answered)

 

The lives and activities in Tokyo is gradually reopening, but the “New reality” must be different from old reality. We are not free from the risk of the 2nd wave of the infection.