Ume blossom @ Hanegi Park: Feb. 16, 2013

We have a cold winter this year. The temperature often went down sub-zero in Tokyo in January. Snow stayed more than a week in mid-January in the city.

It was still cold today, but the light is brighter than a week ago.


I visited Hanegi Park @ Umegaoka. Ume (Japanese plum) blossom had just started.

The sky was so blue.　Spring is around the corner.

Tortoise walk@ Nodai Museum: Jan. 26, 2013

It was a cold day. I had a walk to Food and Agriculture Museum of Tokyo University of Agriculture (Nodai Museum). The museum has aquarium (a garden) and there are various plants and animals from Africa, Asia, Australia and the Americas.

Various monkeys in the cages often made sounds to ask foods. Chameleon and other lizards were staying silently just under heating lights and getting warm.


Today’s surprise was an exercise of a tortoise. The tortoise was nearly a meter long. It usually stays in a small cage, but sometimes has walks in the plaxce.


It attracted visitors including a baby. Most people stayed more than 10 minutes around the tortoise.

An open air market was held in front of the museum. Organic foods attracted local visitors.

Shichi-fukujin @Yanaka:Jan. 13, 2013

Following yesterday, I made another Shichi-fukujin visit. It was in Yanaka area.


Information on Shichi-fukujin is on Jan. 12, 2013 post. Yanaka Shichi-fukujin is the oldest in Tokyo.

I started my walk from JR Tabata station. People attached red papers onto the statues guardian gods in Togakuji Temple. It is believed to be helpful to heal sick of the people. The temple enshrines FUkurokuji, one of shichi-fukujin.

I walked through Nishi-Nippori and Nippori area.

I visited Seiunji Temple (enshrines Ebisu), Shushoin Temple (enshrines Hotei), Tennoji Temple (enshrines Bishamon-ten) and Choanji Temple (enshrines Jurojin).

Pictures of Hotei were drawn on the walls of Shushoin Temple.

There is a slope called Fujimi-zaka near Nippori station. The slope is the last place in Tokyo where we can see whole scope of Mr. Fuji. The opportunity will be lost shortly as a new apartment is planned to be constructed.

I also walked in Yanaka cemetery, one of Tokyo’s largest cemeteries. I found Tokyo Sky Tree behind tomb stones.

I moved to Ueno area and visited Gokokuin Temple (snshrines Daikokuten) and Benten-do (enshrines Benzaiten).

Shichi-fukujin @ Yamanote (Shinjuku) area: Jan.12-13, 2013

Visiting Shichi-fukujin (Seven Gods of Fortune) is traditional Japanese custom at New Year season. Seven Gods include:


- Bishamon-ten (Vaiśravaṇa)：Indian origin. Guard the world with three other gods.
- Daikoku-ten (Mahakala): Indian origin. Save poor.
- Benzai-ten (Saraswati): Indian origin. Goddess of water and agriculture
- Fukurokuju: Chinese origin. God of wisdom and longevity
- Jurōjin: Chinese origin. God of longevity
- Hotei (Budai): Chinese monk. Re hold a bag of fortune.
- Ebisu: Japanese old god. Calls prosperity

Some gods are placed at shrines while others are places at temples. Buddhism and Japanese traditional Shinto religion were fused (syncretized) in some aspects in the middle age. The syncretism composes one of features of Japanese culture.

There are groups of Shichi-fukujin in various areas in Tokyo. They include Yamanote Shichi-fukujin (Shinjuku area), Yamaka Shichi-fukujin, Nihonbashi Shichi-ifukujin, Asakusa SHichi-fukujin, Meguro (Yamanote) Shichi-fukujin (and more).

Today, I walked Yamanote SHichi-fukujin in Shinjuku Area.

The picture from above shows:

- Bishamon-ten @ Zenkokuji Templs in Kagurazaka
- Hotei @ Taisoji Temple in Shinjuku
- Ebisu @ Inarikiou Shrine in Shinjuku
- Fukurokuju @ Eifukuji Temple in Shinjuku
- Benzai-ten @ Itsukushima Shrine in Shinjuku
- Jurojin @ Hozenji Temple in Shinjuku

- Daikoku-ten @ Keiouji Temple in Ichigaya Yanagicho

New Year’s visit to shrines: Jan.1-6, 2013

I spent my New Year days to visit several shrines. There were findings in every shrine.

I visited Meiji Shrine on Jan. 6. The shrine is one of most popular shrines in Japan and attracts millions of people every year.

There were thousands of visitors making long lines in front of the main building. “Haru no Umi” (The sea in spring), was played in the shrine and was making New Year’s atmosphere.

People were writing their hopes in the fortune tablets.

They put sacred paper fortunes they had bought on the wires. New Year’s fortune goods were sold.

Open air markets offered various foods. Blood donation was asked in front of the shrine.

I was in Sengen Shrine in Shizuoka city on January 1st.

I visited Yoyogi Hachiman Shrine on Jan. 2nd. The calligraphy works written by school children were displayed.

I also stopped at a mosque near the shrine.

Old fortune goods are collected at the shrine and are burnt. The custom is called “Otakiage”. Big shrines prepare special boxes for collection.


The situation at small shrines is different. There was a fire to burn such goods at a small shrine (Rokusho Shrine) near my house on Jan. 3rd.


Visitors looked happy in every shrine. It was probably because fortune people usually make new year’s visit to shrines.

New Year's Eve @ Meiji Shrine: Dec. 31, 2012

Today is New Year’s Eve. I walked around the city and found people were preparing for New Year’s events.

Meiji Shrine attracts more than millions of visitors every year. Huge wooden box was places in front of the main building. New year's tablets were put in the entrance gate of the main building.

Green trees were put around the shrine gates.

People enjoy special foods (Osechi ryori) in the New Year days. Stores were crowded with shoppers, some of them seek Osechi.

Campaign Sunday @Shibuya, Shinjuku : Dec. 9, 2012

Japan will have a general election (lower house election) on Dec. 16th. Official campaign started on Dec. 4th and today is the middle of the term.

I found campaigners at any major railway terminals in Tokyo. I visited Shibuya as well as Shinjuku.

Japan’s politics is in confusion and the expectation for coming election is low.

It was enthusiastic 3 years ago (in 2009) as first full-scale power shift was expected in the last election. (And power shift from Liberal Democratic Party to Democratic Party of Japan happened). But the politics by DPJ had been disappointing, which lead to deepened disillusion for politics.

There are 12 parties (with seats in the Diet) which had candidate for the election. The difference in policies is vague. Most parties appeal “east to say” but “hard to do” policies.

Some candidates appealed from the campaign cars while others speak standing on the ground.

It was not only political parties but also NGOs had campaign in and around the stations. An anti-nuclear group was appealing their messages at Shinjuku Station.

Maple @ Gotokuji Temple: Dec. 2, 2012

The season is turning from late autumn to winter. Today’s temperature was between 4-8 degrees in Tokyo.

The autumn color was in its peak at Gotokuji Temple, western Tokyo. There were many maple trees in the temple. Some were red while some were yellow.

They also have evergreen trees. The combination of red, yellow and green was impressive.

Visitors were enjoying the colors.

Koshu Kaido Walk (4) Fuchu-Hino: Nov. 24, 2012

I walked Koshu Kaido from Fuchu to Hino, the 5th shukuba station from Nihonbashi. It was a nice autumn day.

I visited a historical tomb in Kumano Shrine along Koshu Kaido in Fuchu. It was built in the 7th century and is about 30 meter square in the first layer and hemisphere part on it.

I moved into Kunitachi City and visited Yaho Tenmangu Shrine along the street. Chickens were walking on the fallen leaves.

I walked through Tachikawa City and crossed Tamagawa River. There was no bridge in the Edo era and people crossed the river by boats. The monument of crossing point showed the history.

I moved into Hino City. Honjin or the main guest house still remains. It was the only main guest house of Edo era’s shukuba reserved in Tokyo.

The garden from a room was impressive. A tourist in the Edo ear might have seen same scene.

Chofu, Fuchu and Hino were home towns of Shinsengumi, a famous soldier group which fought for Tokugawa government against ant-Tokugawa group (which eventually achieved the Meiji Revolution) at the end of Tokugawa period (1850-60s). They lost the battle and main members were killed in the battlefield or executed later. Various historical monuments of Shinsengumi remain in the area.