It's Tokyo time!

Hop on the bus

2008-01-04T09:09:00.000-08:00

Japan is different. If not, you wouldn't be reading this blog.

Many Japanese consider Japan to be different from the rest of the world. Even those who have never been outside of Japan. They believe that Japan’s soil has unique humidity, Japan’s snow is not suitable for foreign skis, Japan’s gangsters are less dangerous than the odd pickpocket abroad, Japan’s language is the most difficult to learn, abroad is very dangerous, there is no translation for wabi sabi…
Most foreigners wholeheartedly agree on finding Japan different. When they arrive they think their airplane inadvertently landed on a different planet. But then we all know that many things are exactly same as at home. Let’s be honest. And mainly for reasons of political correctness we prefer to use the word different over better and worse. Could something as utterly ordinary as a bus stop be different then?

Apparently it can!

At home in Europe our bus shelters have their supports somewhere in the side walk and their open side towards the street. In Japan bus shelters are positioned 180 degrees opposite.

Differences: the side walk is kept free of obstacles, the sign pole of the bus stop can be read under the shelter, a small fence provides extra safety and the bus can stop with its front door on exactly the right spot. Imagine the fence would be a nice glass panel. It would protect us from a spray of dirty rainwater from the gutter when the bus comes to a halt.

I’d surely prefer the word better over different in this case.

Ride, ride, ride your bike, gently down the stream...

2007-11-29T06:14:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I forget the most daily items deserve attention and should have a posting in this blog.
Today a small monument for the bicycle.

Every city has the super fast express cyclists. You know those tough guys...

And ordinary people of course.

Take care! Drive left but stop right as that car will turn left etcetera....

Parking cars (illegal) prevent cars from actually driving on the left lane.
The remaining space serves very well as a bicycle lane.

Sometimes the left lane is so narrow that the parked cars are pain in the a** for cyclists as well.

So let's take the sidewalk. Absolutely normal here. It is a strange feeling apparantly not to exist here as a cyclist. You are eiteher a pedestrian or a driver and in both cases there is traffic area you may use. Are you a cyclist you are none of them or a bit of both. Cycling is allowed everywhere but nowhere really convenient.

In some places you can find bicycle lanes. Better said, a reserved part of the sidewalk. A truly seperate bicycle lane I haven't seen yet. Differently than in the Netherlands, marking the cycling lane is not done by marking the lane but by painting the remaining pedestrian area. Can be red, white, yellos, or any color. The dark asphalt can be for cyclists but further ahead it might be meant for pedestrians again. Ah, and did you notice the sign indicating two directional cycling? And mind the parked bikes please...

I am lucky not to be the only one who gets confused. The sign says how it should be. Reality is totally the opposite. I am riding the pedestrian area as most people are walking on the bicycle lane...

Maybe that is not so bad after all.

Here the bicycle lane runs directly into the metro DOWN THE STAIRS!

Kyoto is nicer than Tokyo. Also when it comes to pratical jokes with bicycle lanes.

We start with a narrow sidewalk, two directions and an advertising sign.

Aha, "bus stop ahead" it says .

Right! And the bench of the busstop is mounted in the center of the bicycle lane.

Joining the real pedestrians may not be the fastest but at least the safest option.

At zebras a special section for cyclists is available.

Bicycle = djitensha

The making of a bicycle lane at zebras apparantly goes on autopilot...

Building

2007-11-29T06:10:00.000-08:00

Of course every architect's dream is about building. After one hundred postings about all and nothing in Japan it is about time to show how building is done here.
Construction workers wear a very elegant head cover here. A neat clean white towel is worn like a turban. Ideal in hot conditions when sweat has to be wiped off. When the towel is worn loosely over the head the hard hat will fit normaly and the towel will also serve as a sunscreen.

Safety is probably invented here, considering they don't no where to stop with it. As you know all electric cables are hanging from poles along the streets here and of course that is far from convenient while hoisting around with your crane. To prevent crane drivers getting entangled in wires, the cables are wrapped in thick yellow plastic tubes. (click on the image to enlarge).

Also for minor diversions all means are rolled out. As Harold once wrote about man with torches also here a uniformed man is channeling the traffic. To safeguard the safetyman's safety, a 10 meter in front of him a mechanized safety colleague is installed. That one in his turn makes little chance of being run over by all kinds of pilons, fences, lamps, lorries an lights. And for those who missed the point: the sign says 'roadworks ahead'.

To ensure safety for passers-by all building sites are always closed of with neat fencing.
By the way there is no construction possible in Tokyo without demolishing first.

As all fences are always clinically white, things tend to look a bit dull.
Good flower wall paper is most welcome then. Like this ivy version.

Even better is this touchable fake greenery.

And how about this wall paper with silhouette?

Together with a tree that actually grows in these streets.

Construction start with demolishing. And also demolishing sites are shielded off with fences. As you see it reaches really high.

And then of course the real construction work. The skeleton of the building is nearly always made of steel. It is a curious sight to see a brand new structure already rusting a bit.

The teamplay of structure and nets creates nice images.

Then in one go the final façade is mounted. Most times the parts are hoisted in directly from the lorry. There is no space available for storage on the site. De trucks come exactly on time as parking is not allowed either. Any delay in this logisitic chain is a major drama.

After completion the window cleaner may hang about...

Freedom and Speech

2007-11-25T19:31:00.000-08:00

A Japanese client asked me to design a Dutch house for a location in Tokyo. When the first sketches showed a clearly non-Japanese house it became a learning experience. The design could stand out too much in the neighbourhood. Neighbours might start complaining. On the normally suitable Dutch question "So what?" a magnificent reply came:" In Japan we care a lot about other people."

It is tempting to think at such an answer that we westerners are apparently considered anti social barbarians. But that is certainly not the case. The underlying theme is the fear of an other's opinion.

Maybe that is why the Japanese are always so polite and apologize for everything. It takes them no effort to do so. An apology is easily made. Where a westerner cannot overcome his pride, the Japanese steps aside skillfully. It is a deep rooted mechanism. For centuries everything that stood out was squashed. To do something outside the rule of law was punished relentlessly and it was pure survival to make apologies even before anything had happened. The punishing has gone long ago but apprently the habit is still inside.

Openly critisizing is therefore very uncommon amongst Japanese. A meeting Dutch style is gently said not done. The Dutch bring the topics to the meeting to discuss them extensively. It is the purpose to find out snags and resolve them. In a Japanese meeting pointing out a snag might be risky already. Implicitely you might offend somebody. Therefore most issues are dealt with outside the meeting and the meeting is mainly used to formalize everything. It is allowed for superiors to indicate that things are not worked out sufficiently yet. But it is a no no for a minor to openly dispute the input of a superior. There is a risk when a spuerior does not understand something and the minor is trying to explain it again. Then how is communication possible? In private. Between the two many things can be said. Even to a hot shot. Therefore lobbying is the way to manage things.

So "In Japan we care a lot about other people" has a certain taste. To care about others can come from compassion. Or...fear.

P.S. The design of the Dutch house in Tokyo can be seen on http://eiichinouchi.blogspot.com/

Emergency

2007-11-25T19:11:00.000-08:00

There is no need to worry about your safety while in Japan. Maybe in traffic you should and then mainly when you are already inside the ambulance. How is that?

As everything is done very carefully also the ambulance will make the ride to the hospital utterly prudently. Of course a strong siren is aboard which is never switched off. Even not at night in a totaly empty street. Over that the voice of the co-driver can be heard through a loudspeaker calling warnings for -might be- other traffic members. In front of every crossing the ambulance will brake and only when the entire crossing is empty it will cross over in walking pace, loudly giving thanks through the megaphone and apologizing for the derangement caused. From behind the windscreen an appropriate bow is made.

As in every big city Tokyo drivers are used to drive swiftly. And between the cars the ambulances clearly stand out. They drive so carefully that there remains only one thing to fear for: the patient's life.

Playground

2007-11-12T01:37:00.000-08:00

Playful learning sounds like sweetening the bitter. As if playing and learning are so different. Although we mainly play to learn. To try out things. To discover that what we see of the world around us is worth doing again. To practise social skills. To try is showing off works well. To try if being overly self confident is as effective as loyalty. If initiative is as rewarding as discipline.

The world we play in is the world we live in. When we are still young the playground is our entire world. And probably the playground is a miniature of society. Is the play of children in Japan different from the west? There is a story on an expat parent talking with a teacher. The parent is addressed for the behaviour of his child on the schoolyard. The kid happened to run all directions in the yard. When the parent said that all children were doing so, the point became clear. "Japanese children all run the same direction together. You child doesn't".

Near the expat flats of Roppongi Hills.

Hanami　花見

2007-05-01T02:23:00.000-07:00

Cherry blossom. Finally. In Japanese: sakura 桜. The last week of March the trees in Tokyo are in bloom. And again this year, notwithstanding the smooth winter weather, exactly on time.

It is really being lived towards. It starts with stores putting decorations in the window.

De Pachinko does it bigger.

A single tree already starts. The trees bloom for one week. Then blossom falls and green leaves take over. And thus the blossom announces the start of spring. Very clearly. It is worth a party. Hanami　花見 (litteraly: flower watching) is the festival of flower watching. The steerability of nature is limited of course so normally the timing is a surprise. And perhaps it is because of the Law of No Surprises that this is an exciting phenomenon. Though, it is on exactly the same moment every year, so it is a bearable case of surprise

Then again the rules of the game are explained. The idea is to have a nice pick nick under the blossoms. The blue sheets are spread out. Everybody brings food and drinks. And then it is pure joy. The beautiful view and the scent. The whole city smells like it, even down under in the metro!

A few days before commencement of hanami.

First blossom is spotted. Picture taking and sending it to friends. Conveniently with a cell phone that can take and send pictures. Also the big camera’s are rolled out.

A familiar thing is the bento お便と, the lunch box. The man on the right has a beautiful box with partitions with sushi, rice balls, vegetables, omelette etcetera. It is the most common lunch here. And as fish should be eaten fresh, bento is sold daily in the street by vendors. For 500 Yen you will have a good lunch (€3,-).

Another very familiar scene is fumbling a packing with the inevitable pedantic nosy comments by the wife. 

Hanami is utterly Japanese. And as we all know, it is advised to leave a party at the best moment.

How convenient... we are leaving tomorrow to the Netherlands.

Even the workers in the street ( and on the right the odd regulator with torch) participate in Hanami.

And of course the good bye lunch with Eiichi and his students was a very good opportunity for Hanami.

Wedding World 結婚式

2007-04-11T15:42:00.000-07:00

A special report on the Wedding Village in Tokyo.

Wedding Village? That the he.. is that?

In Japan you can choose to marry traditional Japanese or Western style. Some even choose to do both on the same day. A traditional wedding is in a beautiful Japanese kimono in a temple. Western wedding is in a beautiful dress in a hotel or in the Wedding Village. Imagine: you marry in the nice church below with a beautiful stairway for a breathtaking descent.

You walk through idyllic streets with idyllic stores to receive all those congratulations of your family and friends, radiating happiness.

Every now and then you throw a glance in the shops while receiving even more good wishes.

Also our four footed friends are in the party.

You might ask by now why there is nobody there.

No weddings today. Sorry.

This village is specially built for western weddings.

It is all fake. Except for the church it is all décor, like a big film set. The stores are fake. With fake shopwindows. The shops only have a front facade, no backside. Really nothing is real. Also for this dream place the saying goes: dreams are deceiving. Wedding Village is located in an industrial area on Odaiba. At the exit you can, step in your Nissan Micra, wearing your beautiful wedding dress....on the way to the normal and real life of marriage.

Wedding Village was discovered by Harold when we left him out cycling unchecked. ;-)

This wedding report is specially recommended by Rosa (a very faithful blog reader) who gave us a special birthday calender for our apartment in Tokyo. A calender showing Máxima, the Mother Of All Weddings.

Tabemono　食べ物

2007-04-11T14:52:00.000-07:00

A well known image of Japan is that of ‘copying everything’. Indeed, Japanese are masters in copying. They strive to make a copy as perfect as the original. Or even better. In a country where temples and houses frequently are demolished by climate, earthquakes, war and the real estate market, it is a very useful skill.

Something completely different is that as an immigrant you can often not read (or at least not yet) the menus in a restaurant. It is a perfect godsend that the ware offered is exhibited outside the restaurant. Real food (tabemono) has the imperfection of withering. And thus an improved copy is made in Japan. Which doesn’t wither. Really very clever. These models were originally made of wax. Nowadays plastic is used for it. The cakes above look so real that I could catch a lady touching it to check if it really wasn’t real.

Not only cakes, also lunch with bacon and eggs.

All variations of delicious noodle soup.

Vegetables, raw fish, you name it.

drink = nomimono
Even soft drinks with ice cubes and beer with a head. Undistinguishable from the real stuff.

And of course it looks even more real with a sheet of freshness foil over it. Even over the beer!

Bow and Scrape

2007-04-11T14:06:00.000-07:00

Detour at Ebisu
Always apologise and bow. Japan is famous for it. My sister Loes e-mailed me about the weather man in the Dutch television news who told about a mishap of his colleague in Japan. The Japan Meteorologists forcasted the blossoms to appear but it didn’t happen in time. The weather man apologised and (of course) bowed for the spectators.
My sister asked if this was a personal drama for that poor weather man. It took me some time to figure it out. Until I realised that apologizing in Japan is not such a capital crime as for example in the Netherlands.

Koban　交番

2007-04-11T14:05:00.000-07:00

A koban is a police box. A small building with a desk and a chair.
Two or three work here, sometimes only one.

There are many koban in Japan. On every crossing of significance you can find one.
Police is easy to find that way. Policemen do their job from the koban on a bicycle.

Some koban are nicely located.

Others are a bit more 'utilitarian'.

Sometimes they are incorporated in a larger building, leaving only the front door visible.

The idea of the koban is already very old. In Edo period (1600 - 1868) the powers of the shogunate kept a close eye on society. Ubiquitous police was in important instrument in that. It is said that Japanese prudentness and politeness originated then. People were killed for little or no misconduct so apologizing immediately could make the difference between life and death.

But a koban is above all a great opportunity for architects to build something remarkable.

This one is in Shibuya, a lively shopping area. Architect is Edward Suzuki.

In this case your colleagues have to be your friends.

This koban looks to be inspired on origami, the Japanese art of folding paper.

Apparantly there is no such thing as a standard koban. And that is a great asset of the governmental building agency here. It is very tempting to standardise such a small thing. The challenge now is to design an outstanding koban. Or the least outstanding. The latter can be found in the posting below.

Have you seen the invisible policeman?

2007-04-11T14:03:00.000-07:00

Until recently it was only science fiction. The invisible man...
In Ginza it has become reality now. It is an invisible building. Watch the picture above. Do you see a Koban? Far left? No? Far right then? No? Really? Click on the picture for a larger version. Maybe that helps.

Need some help? The koban in close up. You can clearly see the policemen’s bicycles.

From another angle it may be easier. The trick is that the whole koban is built of mirroring glass panels. Therefore you only see fragments of other buildings. And you see people walking where they are not.

Here you see the koban in het center of the picture. Click for a larger version. Do you see the green frog on top? Look that up in the other pictures and you will find out how you were tricked. I think this koban should be mentioned in the architecture guides. Only: how to depict an invisible building?

Spring and Sunny

2007-04-11T14:02:00.000-07:00

Cool!
It’s spring time! The sun is getting stronger.

Raw Reality

2007-04-11T14:01:00.000-07:00

Good bye dinner with Kitty in Yurakucho. By now she will be back, all the way to Geldrop. And she really enjoyed Tokyo, at least that is what she told us ;-). Kitty has been here before in 2000. We travel the three of us for three weeks throughout Japan on Japan Rail Pass.

We are already used to it but it still worth noticing. It is special and delicious to eat: with chopsticks and raw fish. Today decorated with chrysantemum.

The chrysantemum is also the symbol of the Imperial family of Japan. And that’s a special bite! What it tastes like? Well mostly like er… chrysantemum.

Living on the Water

2007-04-08T09:35:00.001-07:00

Shin kawa
Some cities like Venice are known for their special location on the water. Tokyo is not known for it although it is located where many rivers lead to the Bay of Tokyo. Tokyo is high ranked in the Hall of Shame http://www.pps.org/.

What is the attitude of Japan towards rivers?
In a nutshell: it looks like Enemy of the State number 1.

Well, that is how the government deals wit hit. And therefore that is what it is. Contact between people and water is to be avoided at all times. This is where the Law of No Surprises shows clearly. Rivers are lively and agile things that cause changes in the landscape and that is not compatible with the Law of No Surprises. Therefore the grow or decrease of river banks has to be avoided. And concrete is the answer.

Up to high in het mountains banks are concreted over. All to reduce the risk of landslides to a minimum, even in completely uninhabited regions.

A result of this canalising frenzy is the increased flow of the rivers. The water meets less resistance of overgrowth, rocks and meandering and flows much quicker out of the mountains, whereas the risk of flooding in the lower regions of the country (where all the big cities are) increases considerably.

And so a new job is created for the Construction Industry. All kinds of dams have to help slow down the water to an acceptable speed.

Here in Takayama people are able to touch the water.

There is a dam that makes a pond with big gold fish.

Another sollution is to build a wall along the river in the lower cities like Tokyo. An eventual surplus of water cannot flood the city. Imagine what happens if the metro would flood...

Kanda gawa

Meguro gawa

...kawa dewa arimasen...

On some locations the quality of water in residential area is appreciated though. But make no mistake. This is not a river but a pond. With dykes!

Ara gawa
Construction industry has much power in Japan. Like the bureaucracy. Competition is rare. It means that all governmental construction orders are distributed among the Zaibatsu, cartels of huge construction companies like Mitsubishi, Kajima, Takenaka and Shimizu. Companies not in the scene don’t stand a chance and the big contractors can ask exorbitant prices for state orders. It is like what has become known as The Construction Fraud in the Netherlands.

An important motive in this structure is the principle of the Amakudari. 'Gifts form Heaven'. Early retired bureaucrats who work in the industry that is to be monitored by the government. Staff of the Ministry of Finance become bank director, staff of the Ministry of Construction go to the construction industry, retired policemen run the Pachinko parlours etcetera.

It goes without saying that this is tricky stuff when it comes to governmental control. The salaries in the second career are very high compared with the first (government) career. Civil servants therefore are very lenient in their first career as to have it made in the second career.

Sumida gawa

Back to the water. To justify all these civil engineering works Japan depicts an image of rivers being the most dangerous enemy. And it works. The rivers have become the back end of the city.

Shibuya gawa

We already saw that motorways are built on piles over the rivers. In NRC (a Dutch newspaper) of January 6th of this year, a Dutch reporter wrote enthusiastically on Tokyo being built on piles. And that the Expressway runs over those beautiful clean rivers and that the Tokyoites accept that fully...

And it would be worth the effort to ride a bike along the beautiful Nihonbashi (litt. Japan bridge (!)) river. No way we should not follow such a valuable advice. Below you can see the best part of it.

Nihonbashi gawa

Shibuya gawa
The best location to live on the water in our neighbourhood.

Shibuya gawa

The option to come close to the water is unique.

Along the water is a fence. Always. To avoid surprises.

Shibuya gawa
On the steps somebody is enjoying the view.

And this is how you live with the backside(!) of your house to the water, on Sumida river. Where we made the boat trip with Kitty. The neighbours live in the blocks on the other side of the river. Did anybody say: "River" ?

Oh yes, river. There is even a bench and a waste bin to enjoy the view on this bank. The two meter high wall is there to protect us from the water of the river. Directly behind the wall live the homeless. Read more about them in the posting below.

Heaven's Ceiling

2007-04-08T08:01:00.001-07:00

Under the Expressway.
As everywhere in the world, even here are people of nomadic existence.
Often people too muddled to live an ordinary life.

Shirokane
In playgrounds that often are abandoned as result of the ageing of society.

On a bench on Odaiba beach.

Akasaka
In a fully paved park.

Bunkyo ku
On the riverside.

Ueno park
Besides that we mainly see orderly homeless who try to live as good as possible with a minimum of means. A church celebrates a special Mass.

Ueno park
Remarkable are those blue sheets. Each respectable homeless has one.

There are several stories on the backgrounds of these homeless. A popular one among westerners says these people have become jobless and cannot bear the disgrace under the eyes of their family. Although many people serve in lifelong employment in one company, even when they do not perform satisfactory by any standard, Japan does have a labour market.

Another story deals with finance, of course. There are people in desperate deep debts, think only of the addicts who are one of the family in the Pachinko parlours. Loan agents do not hesitate to hire gangsters to collect debts. Yakuza (organised crime) threatens your family, comes banging on your door at night or calls you in the office twenty five times per day. As a result ten thousands of people disappear every year in a process known as Yonige, ”Midnight Run”. They leave their homes, change identity and move to another city, all to hide from the enforcers of Japan’s consumer loans.
Traditionally people must clear all debts by the end of the year, so New Year’s Eve is the premier time for Yonige. The 80.000 who fled in het night of 1996 had nearly doubled by 1999, to 130.000.
So popular is the Midnight Run that it has spawned a new business, Benriyasan (Mr. Convenient), facilitators who help families flee their homes and who take care of their possessions while they are on the run. In 1999, Japanese television featured a new drama, “The Midnight Run Shop” , whose hero devises schemes for people to evade gangster lean enforcers. It’s a Mission Impossible for debtors,...
Source: Alex Kerr, Dogs and Demons, 2001.

Ara river

And it is clear we are not dealing with muddled people here. The improvised dwellings are neat. They sit on a wooden platform and everything is tidied up. The gray shelter even has an overhead door on a rack.

Sumida river

Read more about the homeless in Tokyo on http://unhoused.livejournal.com/22478.html

De Icing

2007-04-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

A little intermezzo this time. Tokyo has a winter without snow for the first time in 130 years. We can cut a corner on that. For winter images we have to dive in the archive.
Some time ago we found a piece of ingenious labour in a city near a ski resort. Above you can see an average ‘sidewalk’ in Japan. A vague mess with white striping. Far left a flubby hose on the sidewalk, connected to a plastic pipe.

Connected to the pipe is a hose to do the odd car cleaning.
In the street is a concrete strip with a metal thingy in every so many feet.

And from every metal thingy runs a trace of mineral deposit on the asphalt.

And all hoses appear to be leaking!

And not a bit. The answer to this riddle: the street is being de-iced here by spraying hot water. Excuse me? Hot water?

Yes, and this is how the system with the metal sprinklers looks. Very chique indeed. And when the street is cleaned, the tap is closed. I hope everybody is mumbling about spilling energy and so, as it is a bit crazy to spoil all that costly hot water. Well done. The environment is in good hands with you.

However, no sweat. We already wrote about the Onsen the Japanese hot springs. The hot water comes directly from the springs here. Almost boiling and on its own power. And the dissolved minerals make it work like anti freeze agent.

Splendid system. And more environmental friendly is not possible.

Kitty in Tokyo　キッテイは東京で

2007-04-08T07:56:00.000-07:00

Frank’s mother is on a visit. All the way from Geldrop!

As there is a time difference of eight hours with the Netherlands, a sturdy jetlag is easy to get. First day bravely stay awake over a good coffee at Starbucks. It is packed again. Teenagers doing their homework.

Look, this really is a fine present.
A Rubik's cube in ball shape. With a world map in Japanese!

At home we rolled out the stretcher. Frank is checking all options. Like is it possible to watch telly when the couch gets crowded? Might do.

On a stroll we find wooden shoes and a frog, reminds us of the Netherlands, often nicknamed Frogland. Wooden shoes have floating capabilities ;-)

But then surprises again. Until what time is this information centre open? Really?

Roppongi Hills is an enormous project for living and working. In the Roppongi area developers bought all the separate lots and created a large project. The process of purchasing all the land took seventeen years. Today you see skyscrapers for living and working. The surrounding area is public space with shops and greenery.

There is even a Japanese garden.

National Museum in Ueno. It is a beautiful museum with a great collection. Here is one of the highlights.

The Fugaku Sanjûrokkei, also known as Thirty six views on Mount Fuji made by Katsushika Hokusai in 1831. The Big Wave at Kanagawa is one of them. An explanation from Wikipedia:

His best known work is The Big Wave at Kanagawa, in which a few tiny boats try to sail the giant waves. The biggest wave is very impressive and looks like a monster with claws. This wave shows the force of nature and as well the force of the rowing men in the boats. By the way it was not proven in Hokusai’s time that such waves really exist, but nowadays science is convinced of it. Such waves were also seen in Tokyo Bay, were Hokusai most likely located the event.
In the background is mount Fuji but Hokusai probably also depicted it in the upfront wave as it exactly matches the silhouette of mount Fuji from another viewpoint. The Big Wave has inspired many artist since, as well as cartoonists of political prints.
http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katsushika_Hokusai

Outside again and time for a break. A man pops by for a chat in fluent English. Lasted half an hour altogether. Many “Today’s youngsters” and so on. While recently we read that Dutch children are the happiest in the world, ‘family’ is probably the biggest issue Japanese society is struggling with. We see commercials on the television suggesting parents to talk with their kids. The news shows images of classmates in tears when another teenager took his/her own life. The newspaper writes frequently about teenagers killing one or both parents.

This parent is taken care of properly. After this picture was taken she decided it might indeed be better to take of her winter coat... :-)

Tip of our teacher in Japanese: take the waterbus from Asakusa to Odaiba. Great tour of approximately one hour by which you can see Tokyo from the water. And that gives a different view indeed.

Between all that high rise such an antique lantern.

It was a beautiful day.

Imelda's Dream　靴

2007-04-08T07:50:00.000-07:00

This time a special for Pien en Meis!

Tokyo Marathon dictates today’s fashion.

Sneaker time!

Wireless

2007-04-08T07:47:00.000-07:00

My current job is collecting information on the built environment in Tokyo. In what kind of city do people live here? What kind of buildings? What kind of streets?

I cycle the whole city (already 2.000 km done) and I see the most crazy buildings.

And I also take pictures of what is happening between them.

And crazye buildings they certainly have here. This is a hotel and what you see here is the front indeed.

But also buildings that do have windows.

Architecture is not on a high level here. The government pays little attention to it, zoning plans are not very sophisticated and building codes are so strict and rigid that ugliness seems the only option. Not to mention the remaining space: the streets.

I wouldn’t care if anybody would remark on the above pictures that each one shows those ugly power lines. I would even appreciate it if you did. As it is undisputedly ugly all that technical wiring up there in the sky. And it hangs truly throughout Japan.

When you look up on any crossing you will see this.

How can this be? How can a civilised country look like this? Alex Kerr researched it for his book 'Dogs and Demons'. Here is a part of chapter 8.

Japan is the world’s only advanced country that does not bury telephone cables and electric lines. While a handful of neighbourhoods , such as the central Marunouchi business district of Tokyo, have succeeded in laying cables underground, these are mostly expensive showpieces. Even the most advanced new residential districts customarily do not bury cables, as I discovered when I was working on the Sumitomo Trust Bank/Trammell Crow project on Kobe’s Rokko Island in 1987. Kobe City touted the island – brand new landfill in the harbour – as a super modern, futuristic neighbourhood. With telephone poles. In the countryside, a “priority policy” dictates that until every large city has buried every one of its power lines, which the Construction Ministry is encouraging them not to do, no rural area can do the same with support from the central government.

Here, in a nutshell, is Japan’s bureaucratic dynamic at work. The first stage, the starting point after Japan’s defeat in World War II, is the poor people, strong state principle. Central planners considered the extra effort and the expense required to do such things as burying cables luxurious and wasteful, drawing needed resources away from industry.

The second stage, policy freeze, came in the early 1970s. Unaccustomed to burying cables, Japan’s bureaucrats came to believe that the nation shouldn’t, indeed couldn’t, bury them. They cooked up justifications for the policy, such as the added dangers in the event of earthquakes. (In fact, a nation that is likely to have frequent earthquakes should bury lines, as became clear in the Kobe quake of 1995. Toppled poles carrying live wires were one of the biggest dangers, blocking traffic and wreaking havoc with rescue efforts.) Another argument was that Japan had uniquely damp soil, which mad it harder to bury lines there than in other countries. (This belongs to the “Special Snow” school of thought, made famous when trade negotiators in the 1980s asserted that “Japanese snow is unsuitable for skis.”) The inner logic is that Japan’s uniqueness forbids it to bury cables. Since burying cables is not what Japan has done, it is un-Japanese to do so. The third stage is addiction. Making concrete and steel pylons has become a profitable cartelized business; meanwhile, utilities have a free hand to plan power grids without regard for the look of urban or rural neighbourhoods, for the inconvenience posed by poles jutting into narrow roads, or for anything else. And since the power companies have not learned the skill of efficient, safe, and well-designed cable laying and have never had to factor in the costs, today they simply cannot afford them. Meanwhile, the Construction Ministry, driven by the uniquely damp soil” ideology, has mandated protective coverings for underground cable strong enough to survive the apocalypse, making it the most expensive in the world.

[einde citaat/vertaling]

This is the business district Marunouchi. Indeed no lines on poles anymore. Great! In the centre you can see Tokyo station. It shows great resemblance with Amsterdam Central Station the Rijksmuseum and the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam.

In 1868 policies changed to joining the western world. Imitating western architecture was part of it. In the same period railways were introduced. That is why in Europe you can find many grand stations in Victorian style, the fashion of that time. And of course Tokyo station shouldn’t do for less.

This neighbourhood has its own particularities though. It is the direct surrounding of the Imperial Palace. Therefore you can still see Tokyo Station form the palace gardens. And it is probably why here attention is being paid to the appearance of the built environment. Apparently the idea is that this historical area shouldn’t be dominated by high rise (tatame), whereas the tremendous ground prices demand to do so (honne). And thus a probably typical Japanese solution: high rise with a base that looks like a nineteenth century building.

Tokyo South East　東京南東

2007-04-08T07:41:00.000-07:00

(The history of Amsterdam South East shows remarkable similarities with Tokyo South East.)

For walking mortals in Tokyo, the view on the sky can be limited. We already introduced the phenomenon of the Metropolitan Expressway a few months ago. Today we go by metro to Odaiba, the south eastern part of Tokyo.

The track runs above ground here. The ride offers a spectacular view.

The Rainbowbridge connects central Tokyo to the new land of Odaiba.

The centre of Tokyo is near Tokyo Bay, a bay of the Pacific Ocean. During the economic bubble in the seventies and eighties land was on high demand in central. Mountains in Chibas region were demolished and the out coming debris was used to create a landfill in Tokyo Bay, the present Odaiba. It was quite an enterprise compared to the Dutch Flevo polders. For Dutch polders only the surrounding dykes are made. The enclosed water is pumped out and the see floor becomes the new land. Not so in Japan. The whole thing is filled and topped up. And Tokyo bay is quite a bit deeper than the Dutch lake of IJsselmeer. For the construction of Odaiba several cubic kilometers of material were moved.

Near Osaka comparable operations have taken place for the Construction of Kansai International Airport. This airport is on an artificial island in the sea. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansai_International_Airport.

On the other side of the water lies Tokyo midtown.

The land was claimed and big buildilng could start. The metro was built. And then the economic bubble burst. In 1991 the house of cards collapsed and a huge amount of useful land remained bare. The investments done by the government will not return sufficient earnings. Odaiba is about to become a financial disaster.

Meanwhile some places show newly built. Mainly large scale projects. They contrast with the vastness of the empty areas.

In an attempt to vitalise Odaiba an amusement park was created with a ferris wheel. Next to it a complex of fair halls. We had the Design Festa over there, see the archive.

Large scale mass housing next to the metro station. Similarities with Amsterdam South East. The white buildling is fun. The grey thing looks like a shadow but is not.

Ah look, a corporate building at last! Fuji television, a right wing conservative channel, has its head quarters here. It was designed by, the son of Kenzo Tange, the godfather of post war Japanese architecture.

Why such a extremely expensive design in times of economic downfall? It may have to do with the two faces in Japanese society, honne and tatame. Tatame is 'as it ought to be'. All that politeness, proper dressing and the tea ceremony and so on all belong to the Tatame. Honne stands for the real intentions. And those may be very different. One should not decline an invitation (tatame) when for example timing is inconvenient (honne). You can answer with: "The time is a bit...er..." and it is perfectly clear to everybody that you cannot come. No further question. You wrapped the honne in the tatame. In Japan people are very skilled in juggling with the desirable thing and the real thing.

And not only inter human traffic is concerned. It goes with everything. Even in (governmental) finance. Odaiba may be a disaster (honne). Economy is in low tide (honne). We are doing very well and we can afford an overpriced building in Odaiba (tatame). Got it? The World of economics and finance in Japan are very creative with honne and tatame. Banks bring bad debts in separate companies, so called kiting. Thus the bad debts fly from the books of the bank (tatame) while effectively the bank is already bankrupt (honne).

The principle of tatame and honne sits so deep that it could happen that in the international bank traffic a scandal with the US occurred. A Japanese bank got on the wrong side with US financial authorities over such bad debts. Loans to companies in the US lacked cover of sufficient assets. The Japanese were shocked. How could the Americans have so little respect for Japanese culture?

Source: Alex Kerr, Dogs and Demons, the fall of modern Japan. Penguin Books 2002. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Kerr

Back to Tokyo. The metro runs over Rainbow bridge through a kind of cage.

Rainbow bridge is high for sea traffic reasons. In order to land the road and the metro have to go down again. That requires space and therefore the road runs down in a loop making you cross the same bridge on a lower level.

The metro track really looks like a roller coaster.

Cramped construction: Airco-units of the buildings under the tracks.

Stacked sections of the Metropolitan Expressway.

A few people can be seen in this fully built up environment.

An advantage of this metro is that it is unmanned. You can take the drivers seat!

We are being taken over by the high speed train. This is Nozomi 500, the fastest shinkansen nowadays. It is round like the London Underground and totally grey. Like an eel.

Shimbashi station. Doors on the platform edge. The train is not manned, remember? Also metro lines with manned trains have doors on the edge sometimes. To prevent suicide.

End of the ride!

Kowai　怖い

2007-04-08T07:39:00.000-07:00

The first whole sentence in Japanese ever written on this blog was "Kawaii desunè!". It means: "oh, isn’t that cute?". It was on the occassion of the microscopic dogs in fashionable outfit.
So summarising lesson 1 Japanese: 　可愛らしい　kawaii = cute.

Now lesson 2. The new word of today is kowaii. Kowaii sounds a bit like kawaii but means wuite the opposite. Something like scary or creepy or anything but cute.

Last Wednesday in Roppongi, a neighbourhood north of ours. A lot of noise from a loudspeaker. A demonstration again? The police rolled out a road block. Those road blocks can be found on many a street corner because of the many embassies and governmental buildings in the area. I never witnessed one actually working. Untill today.

A black van with a megaphone installation on top. The microphone apparently held by somebody hopping mad. A police man is talking to the man. You can hear only the driver resound loudly through the whole area. He is not let through. Traffic is jamming.

We had heard of black vans of hyper nationalist groups that drive through town with almighty racket. This is one.

Tomorrow is a national holiday. Yes again indeed. This time it is about… er … the founding of Japan or something the like. A long weekend and a field day for nationalists. Today I ran into this van at a station. Much noise, bot not from the van. On the other side of the street, in front of the station flags fly and somebody is shouting in a megaphone.

Four men. The leader on a podium. Uniform and symbols don’t need further explanation I guess.

My presence had a deranging effect on these marchers. The second man grabbed his mobile phone with camera as an answer to my photo camera. Apparantly in an effort to intimidate me, but then mine is bigger by all means...

Also the boss was distracted. The volume of his shouting decreased considerably once he spotted me.

What is driving these people? They are nationalists. One could ask what is still to be gained for nationalists on an island but still: they are nationalists. An old issue are the Kuril islands, a chain of small islands between Japan and Russia claimed and disputed by both countries. A second issue is America. And that is what this Adolf adherent is very mad of. Ever since the events culminating in the attack on Pearl Harbor and even after the defeat in 1945 America remains a target. The third nuisance is the foreign world in general. Compaining about too many foreign movies on television, kids alledgedly speaking poor Japanese nowadays and so on.

Japan has a varying relation with the outside world. For centuries periods of total seclusion and periods of intensive trade with other countries followed each other. In the Edo period 1600 to 1868 Japan was closed. Only the Dutch were allowed to enter on a tiny island in Nagasaki for trading. The Portuguese were expelled, all others were refused access. The reason: the Dutch were the only not imposing Chrisitanity. In 1868 the Meiji period began. Under thread of American warships Japan opened for trading with other countries. I wise decision as the risk of being colonised was very real. The outside world did not know that Japan’s military force was very limited. From 1868 Japan worked very hard to catch up with western nations and even pretended tob e able to become a colonial power. Thus came the invasion of Manchuria, Korea and the expansion into south east Asia.

Back to Tokyo of today. Four men in front of the station. A spectator asked me if was able to understand Japanese. I tried ‘yes’. The man said something like these nationalists are quite excentric and he apologised for this spectacle.

Exercise for today’s lesson in Japanese: Which caption fits with this picture?

Kawai desunè?
Kowai desunè?

After Office Hours　カラオケ

2007-04-08T07:37:00.000-07:00

Come and have a look on how Frank spends his time with colleagues after work…

....with 25 in a room for only 20....

....drink some courage and then...

...inevitable of course: a weblog on karaoke!!!!

Karaoke is the favourite time spending of many a Japanese, all ranks....

....quickly looking up a next song.....

....type in on the remote control...and with the same remote control pitch can be adjusted or a thundering applause can be played…it is super!

...in the mood...

....and some are taking it really serious…some can really sing, with the pitch and echo set properly with the remote...

...also the foreigners have to fall victim...

...karaoke fraternizes...

...and yes, also Frank may try!!!

...completely with background vocals.....

...Frank goes loose...the audience joins in....

...het dak gaat er af!!!!!!!!!

Water!　水

2007-04-08T07:34:00.000-07:00

For eventualities on earthquakes we have a stock of water at home. So it could happen that I bought a four litre bottle of water in September. For daily use we have two litre bottles. Tap water is clean but has a stiff chloride taste. Always bleached teeth though.

Recently the last two litre bottle was empty when we were about to settle for dinner. Frank did the cooking. Then why not open that four litre bottle. Otherwise it might run out of date. Poured in. The first drink was exceptionally delicious. Tasted like vodka! Vodka is Russian for ‘small water’ but that is a different story. Something strange. “Are you sure it is not a cleansing agent?” Frank asked.

So what happened? It was not water in the bottle but sake. Especially for kitchen use. 25%. What to do? Let’s drink something else than water at dinner then.

And what to do with a stock of four litre sake of a relative quality? The association with vodka brought the answer. Mixed with orange juice it tastes very well and it doesn’t pitch in as the vodka variety does. Invention!

One question remains: imagine after a real earthquake we had to rely on this ‘water’ stock?...?

The Law of No Surprises

2007-04-08T07:30:00.000-07:00

Sometimes satisfaction is growing thin. Even demonstrations can bes een. In Japanese society surprises are not too popular and therefore everything is carefully arranged. Demonstrations are not an exception to that. The picture shows five police men on ten protesters and five spectators.

Sunday afternoon. Along a by the way empty main street it is mainly blue uniforms. A megaphone blares unintelligible but uproaring sounds.

A demonstration is set up. Many riot police, spectators and banners. But where are those demonstrators? And why all those riot police? Does a squatters movement exist here? Or hooliganism?

Ah, there they are! Those with the white helmets are the protesters. The others are the public.

Maken o mistake on the man on the left side of the flag. The mask... he has caught a cold.

It is a small Group. Sad thing for the organisers. The banners on the left mark the head of the procession (!). There are more spectators and riot police than protesters. Maybe nobody dares. And those who dare prefer to remain anonymous under a white helmet and beheind a veil. Where will this lead?

Without doubt the contribution of the police to this parade is showing off better. Such a float with flashing lights and megaphone and above all the balcony with four (!) riot policemen in best bib and tucker. They’ll surely get away with the first prize! div>

In the second (blinded) van a lady was hopping mad behind the microphone. Frankly speaking her screaming was not really benefiting the case.

And the spectators had not really warmed to it.

Time for a close-up. Demonstrators walk packed. Shoulder to shoulder, man on man. Police form an outer layer with arms length intervals.

Demonstrators are so closely packed that waling is possible only by marching (picture below). A second line of police on one meter outside the group protects the parade from the proximity of other traffic.

The whole procession.

And this is how the parade moves on. The blaring echoes under the Metropolitan Expressway. The demonstration was a success as lots of shouting was heard. The police are satisfied as no surprises occurred. The street was empty and is empty again. And it remained very calm in town for a long time.

Pachinko　パチンコ

2007-04-04T05:48:00.002-07:00

Flying a spacecraft is not an easy job. It requires extensive mission control stations with fantastic equipment. Large halls packed with humming machines and silent people. Japan is a space traveling nation so it seems. Ground stations in every city.

Pachinko

In immense rows people handle the buttons and switches.
Captain is watching. He is hesitating to leave.

Pachinko

Pachinko

The strange thing is: the amazing noise. The machines make noise like pinball machines. De machines maken geluiden alsof het flipperkasten zijn. Game sound everywhere. Deafening. How can people work focussed in these conditions?

And what are those baskets with steel marbles? 1000 Yen per basket...what is this? Eight baskets that is er ...over 50 euro....

This is spacecraft Pachinko. It takes you to the other world. Thousands of marbles roll through the Galton board. The integrated video screens mesmerise the brains. A tiny handle create a last illusion of grip on existence. The ubiquitous noise makes escaping impossible. The earthy world is hard to imagine.

Welcome in Japan's gambling addiction industry. Pachinko is a one handle bandit. There may be reasons to escape form daily Japanese life. Some trip in the Pachinko. Pity we can not inclulde sound in the weblog yet. It is almost essential in imagining the sedation. Only once outside again you realise what is going on here..

Gambling addicts are being milked here. Gambling for money is prohibited in Japan. Therefore the little handle with apparent influence. It makes it look like a game of skills. The only things to be won are pieces of strange trash. That is not illegal, is it. As little illegal as the small shop around the corner that buys the same strange trash at a fixed rate.

As wit hall addicting stuff: never touch it. Frankly speaking: we were anly there watching.

Courtnesy to Harold and Carla for these pictures from ‘.

Sumo　相撲

2007-04-04T05:42:00.000-07:00

Sumo
Sumo is an amazing sport. As in sports we mostly think of worked out muscled people. Not so for sumo. Two colossal men fly at each other…

Sumo wrestlers
A few great sumo tournaments are held each year. On the day a big party is held around the special sumo stadium. You will find sumo wrestlers in the street and in the station. The tournament takes a few days and starts with the lower ranked. Ranking depends on the number of tournaments and bouts played and the number of victories

Sumo wrestler
The hair knot is very special. The wrestler wears it as long as he works on his career. From a certain moment in his career he is allowed to wear it. When he retires, sometime in his thirties, the knot is cut off in a ritual by other wrestlers form the same stable. It is a very emotional ritual and many a wrestler ends his career in tears.

Sumo is by all means a big happening. Wrestlers are held in high regard. Their status is comparable with mega pop stars. With the accompanying hysteric girls. The image of the heavy men is world famous and often depicted in Japanese art.

On the other hand sumo wrestlers are probably the only big Japanese you will find. Let’s say that only once a month we see a fat person in the streets. The next day we would still talk about it. Obesity is an unknown phenomenon here. Anorexia nevertheless...

The ring has a diameter of five meter. Rules are easy. The first one stepping outside the ring or touching the ground with anything else than a foot is out. Points can be earned as well but we don’t know how. It is still early in the tournament and the (more expensive) seats near the ring are not all taken yet.

Before they fly at each other there is a whole ritual of stepping, stamping, engaging and intimidating and so on. This takes a mere 90% of the time and is an integral part of the game. We as westerners don not always understand this very well and think it is boring. Watching Eurosport Channel you will find that they often cut this part. That is a pity as it is both exciting and beautiful.

In the ring you can see a referee. Around the ring sit judges, assistants and other wrestlers

The art is that the wrestlers fly at each other at exactly the same time. They call it ma. It requires ultimate focus. An uneven start results in stiff penalties, even money fines. And of course it is very Zen again. Zen is about the moment of now and nothing else.

The sumo stadium is everything but small. The seats directly around the ring are the most wanted. The ring is made of a platform of loam with a ring of twined rice stalks. Above the ring is a roof that shows similarity with the roof of a Shinto shrine. The ring is sacred ground. For that reason it is not allowed to take pictures in the corridors that run diagonally through the hall.

We had seats in the higher balconies of the hall, on ordinary seats. The seats below are basically a pillow of 90 x 90 cm (3 x 3 feet) that is half a tatami, a standard in Japan.

The actual physical engagement takes mostly only a few seconds.

A bout taking more than a minute is very exceptional and results in a frenzied crowd.

The one nearest to the edge is not always to become the loser. If he manages to get out of the way the other may loose his balance and be forced to make a step. Outside of the ring... and then you are out. Therefore it is exciting to the final moment. For those familiar with T'ai Chi: it is pure Push Hands.

Later in the tournament: the higher ranks of sumo wrestlers enter. They wear beautiful aprons, hand made and very precious. It is a great honour to be on this level.

The highest ranking wears a white belt made by the cooperating wrestlers from the same stable. For every tournament a new belt is twined.

The hall is filled by now. A day out for everybody. Food and drinks are brought as a tournament can take several days.

Todays last bout. Tomorrow the finals. We will have to watch it on television as all tickets are sold out.

And again somebody was out....

FawRty ToweLs

2007-04-04T05:41:00.000-07:00

Yo, on holiday. By train, ten hours traveling of which a considerable chunk by shinkansen.
Here you can see four of Frank’s best friends.

Even under the shinkansen platform there is a whole World.

It really makes a difference, the high speed train. It makes the countryside accessible for the toughened city dweller. How could we know it is winter already …? The land appears tob e bold and dry. On leaving Tokyo it was still 12 degrees.

After the shinkansen on with the slow train. To Hokkaido, the northern large island of Japan. In the distance we see the construction of the new shinkansen track to Hokkaido. The tunnel between Hokkaido and Honshu is ready. The Seikantunnel is the longest tunnel in the world. Nowadays it is used by slow trains only. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seikan_Tunnel

Change trains in Oshamambe. Real winter. Although we are much more southerly than the Netherlands it is much colder here. The air that makls the weather here comes from Siberia. That does it...

When you go and stretch your legs as an architect, quite some things meet the eyes. The colours.

A blown off roof? No. A expressive local colleague then?

Hurrah, the hotel. Just like their website.

As everywhere in Japan: take off your shoes and slip in slippers.

Although the hotel is operational for two years now, it looks like being in the start up. It is very clean. And it is packed with vacuum cleaners.

The washing machine is operational.

Hotel room in Japanese style. Sleeping on futons on the floor.

Oh, and er… how to call this? A minor item...?

Massage chairs are very popular throughout Japan. Such a chair does the job fully automatically. The foot thingy does your calves. Oh and there is a vacuum cleaner again!

The snow is really fantastic here. They say the best in the world and we may not deny it. It is truly terrific!

Sometimes it is bit annoying. That unashamed politeness. In the daily routine of the politeness contest it happens every now and than that nobody dares to go first. Therefore quite some lift chairs go uphill empty. Leaving us waiting down there…

We heave only a few pictures of snowboarding and skiing.
Such a big camera is limiting the true vacationing...

The trump of the hotel: Jay, the cook. Wow, could he cook. This salad was for another guest. The absolute top on Jay's menu: fried oysters. Onforgetable.

Ayami, the wife of the boss (Clayton from Canada who was too busy being chaotic and stressed) together with Jay. Ayami is the business talent and a truly marvellous hostess. She drove us on our departure day “by the way” to the railway station at 6.15 am. And on saying good bye we even got two breakfast boxes.

Daybreak in the local train.

In Oshamambe (sounds as if it is in Africa, like most city names in Hokkaido) more snow than last week.

Station hall. Often very homelike. Probably because of the many leaflets and cute stuff.

In the train we found this lad with a Rubik's Cube. Rubik’s Cube was a craze in the eighties. 300 million were sold. It seems to be a one time. A revival never occurred. This boy therefore is a special. Even worse: his sister too thinks it is a funny puzzle.

The proof: he knows how to do it! Who knows this might be the new beginning?

The home like station hall. Left side, back is a Udon Soba booth. Delicious noodle soup is offered there. You can smell it throughout the hall.

Snow cleaning squad on the platform.

Noon in the Seikantunnel.
Is there any other way of taking a picture of a tunnel?

Back on Honshu. Blue roofs.

Approaching Tokyo. Fuji in de the background.

In Tokyo the hard city life slaps the face: did we think in Europe the Bolivian pan flute band was well over its top, do they pop up here!

Holiday

2007-04-04T05:40:00.000-07:00

The snow ploughs are ready. We can choose form white and black.
;-) We will go on wintersports. In Japan. In Hokkaido.

Frank prepared his snowboard skillfully. Thanks to Carla for bringing it to Tokyo.

Brand new wax layer. That will be low flying!

A few inches of snow at the lodge.

Later 4 meter snow.

Taken from their website. Must be fun....

Link to the region
http://www.princehotels.co.jp/ski/niseko_e/

Link to weather and snowconditions
http://www.snowjapan.com/e/resorts/resortdetail.php?resid=121

Link to the lodge
http://www.bdlodge.com/

The Making Of

2007-04-04T05:39:00.000-07:00

Harajuku
" Better pictures than lectures” is one of the tools in editing this weblog. The camera is where it all starts. A digital mirror reflex camera is, in combination with good software, more than half of the job. Then it comes to choosing the right viewpoint and that can cause some backache. See the picture above. They are so small over here…

Thuis
With a proper zoomlens it can be done. And a macro setting for the tiny parts.

Shirokane Takanawa
That macrolens proved its value though with those miniscule doggies over here. ;-)
How to capture such a tiny dog? Just say to the owner: "Kawaii desu nè.." that is Japanese for: "oh, how cute..." instant friendship follows. On asking for permission to take a picture: “oh well of course sir!”

Shirokane Takanawa

Shibuya
My most precious partner is my bicycle. (Not to mention Frank of course). I still praise the day decided to bring it to Tokyo. Cycling is not a really swell in Tokyo as there are no bicycle lanes. Car traffic leaves little room and on the sidewalk you find pedestrians not expecting your presence. It requires advanced riding skills. The great advantage is that on a bike you really experience the city. From the metro you cannot see a thing, walking is too far. We don’t have a car and a car cannot stop anywhere. Bicycle, bicycle, bicycle!

And for the months to come I have the perfect job. I am working on a book on living in Tokyo and for that I have to cruise the whole city and take pictures. And for that, the bicycle is perfect.

Akihabara　秋葉原

2007-03-27T05:34:00.000-08:00

Marunouchi
"Who did you say, Acky Habbema?"
"No, Akihabara. "
"What th h... is Akihabara?"
Akihabara is a part of Tokyo also known as Electric City. Today for a shorty.
We want to buy the ‘you know’ super sonic toilet seat for our home in Amsterdam.

Marunouchi
On the way we come through Hibiya. Many ministries sit here, right in front of the Imperial Palace. In the park the ginko trees are in fall colours finally. Half December... The temperature in Tokyo is some six degrees (!) higher than in the surrounding countryside. This is the so called heat island effect. Wind is blocked by the many high rise buildings keeping the heat in the city. In summer it is a considerable problem. Autumn colours are far behind the rest of Japan.
The beauty of ginko is in fall is it’s golden colour. The leaves turn yellow and then fall. No brown therefore.

Marunouchi

Marunouchi
The lanterns gave Frank a very good idea:
come again later today after sunset.

Akihabara
Akihabara. It is packed with electronics stores.
In fact there are no other products than those using electricity.

Akihabara
And in the weekend it is incredibily crowded.

Photo shoot. This model drew (already before publishing) much spectators.
And look very moody of course, that’s the way to do it.

Akihabara
The heart of Akihabara is a railway station where two lines cross, one of them the Yamanote line. The Yamanote line is the ring line in Tokyo. The tracks run on a considerable height though the neighbourhood. Under the railways bridges you will find shops. Trains seemingly run over the roofs of the shops.

Akihabara
And of course also the low end shops are there.
Here you buy USB sticks, memory cards, key boards et cetera for a song.

Akihabara
And we are not talking a few shops here.

Akihabara
Streets packed with them. The whole façade is used for advertising.

Akihabara
As Akihabara, or electronics to be more precise, are loved by tourists, duty-free shops are here too.

Akihabara
Also stores that sell equipment for use in Europe are found here. In Japan the wall sockets only give 100 volt... and dvd-players also can not be used indiscriminately in every corner of the globe. "And video... do you live in a PAL-country or a NTSC-country?" Be alert then. And a product with indications in English might be a bit more handy as well.

Akihabara
For the real cracks only. On the right a thoroughfare to a maze of small shops. Looks mostly like a souk or bazaar in an Arabic country. The corridors are some three feet wide with shops of only twenty square feet big on each side. Nerds paradise!

Akihabara
As is the case with most places in Tokyo, it gets better without the daylight. Twilight can be seen here in winter around three thirty already. It is an advantage in Akihabara as electronics often deal with things with little lights. When you pass such a store you can easily feel the radiation.

Akihabara

Crepes in Japan
Time for a snack. Crepes!
Models of food are shown in the shop window. An excellent way of attracting customers. Many restaurants in Japan have models of their dishes outside. The models are made of wax or plastics.

Akihabara
Between all those stores with dvd and videos a shop with the more racy stuff may not be lacking. “Also for export” it says on the signs. You bet. Japanese moral law is very strict and does not allow private parts to be depicted. What remains you can safely export. Nobody in the world could be offended by it. At the entrance it says “over 18 only” though.

Marunouchi
On the way home Frank’s idea proves to be a very good one.

Marunouchi

Thanks to Maarten for the opening phrase. :-)

Harajuku　原宿

2007-03-27T05:10:00.000-08:00

We hope we have nuanced the image of the Japanese man in his stiff black suit a bit by now. In case we failed sit back now please. And fasten seat belts…

When you want to freak out you can go to Harajuku. Nothing is too crazy there. At Harajuku station you will find lockers of course and the story goes that people keep their hobby there. They come to the station, change cloths and go out.

On the bridge to Yoyogi park you find Young ladies in all sorts of outfit. This way you can wear your wedding dress more times than that only one day.

(More pictures in the posting on Yoyogi.)

What we learned in our study on what makes a public space attractive: Provide something toe at. Food attracts people and people attract more people.

Imagine you would love to be a real rocker...

Come with your friends to Harajuku.

Bring music, amplifier and generator. And swing!

And many young pop bands. Very many young pop bands. And well equipped. With amplifiers and generators.

And now under the digital looking glass: no messing with carbon pencils to enhance the eyebrows anymore. The odd black tape is miraculous.

You could run slalom trough the bands.

Balls of wool on knitting needles. Music to it and continuous moving. It looked like a dance.

Bleaching is even found here. The natural black is a very strong colour and bleaching normally doesn’t bring you further than rust brown. This boy has a very skilled hairdresser.

Isn’t it fun? Mouth piano with a whopper amplifier to it.

It all happens along the rim of Yoyogi park. In the past it was found all over the park but that is history now. In the heart of Yoyogi park sits the Meiji shrine and that shrine is a bit to important not to be kept in a serene silence. Crazy things can still be found in Yoyogi park but they never make noise.

Yoyogi　代々木公園

2007-03-27T05:07:00.002-08:00

A Sunday afternoon in the park. Yoyogi is very popular. Long shadows cast by the low winter sun.
On the left is Carla. She made some of the pictures in this posting.

Activities of Harajuku stretch into the park. A group hobbying Kiss style.

A true ‘Kissy’ can not wear glasses of course.

It really is enjoyable to be able to walk between trees again.
Oh and then the dithering with those doggies. Most pictures in the posting It’s a dog’s life were taken here.

Picknick. On a plaid, take off your shoes, like home.

Gate with bicycle wheels.

Clarinet.

Back to the start at Harajuku. Surprises in abundance.

Rocking and rolling on.

Groupies at work. And open your eyes for the details now please:

The bays in the hairline are shaven!
And tomorrow a normal day in the office?

The dress parties and all that comes with it goes to the photo album.

The Sunday afternoon comes to an end. Back to Harajuku station.

Kimono 着物

2007-03-27T05:02:00.000-08:00

Kimono are on top of the list when it comes to souvenirs. That is why Pien, the daughter of Loes and Ben goes to school in full Japanese dress nowadays in Utrecht (the Netherlands).

Meis, Pien’s sister, even has a class mate of Japanese origin. Playing together they have the best dress party one can imagine.

Fast Food

2007-03-26T00:55:00.001-08:00

In big city life you do not always have your kitchen at hand and always eating in a restaurant might be too expensive all together. And as a big city never sleeps you will find shops that never close, the convenience stores. They sell meals that are suitable for lunch or dinner. Japanese food often is a collection of smaller dishes. Rice, vegetables, shrimps, chicken, minced meat, omelette and even a spoon of spaghetti. Anyway delicious, more convenient than take-away-Chinese and much better than throw-away-pizza.
It can be eaten cold, although hot is tastier. On the microwave at home we even have a special button conveny. But as in a big city you also don’t have your microwave on you all the time, the convenience store always offers you to use the company microwave. So it is fair to say it is a convenience store.

Early morning

2007-03-26T00:54:00.000-08:00

Tokyo on a Saturday morning, six thirty. It is clearly not the rush hour when we drive to Odaiba. Temple University will present her self with a booth on the Design Festa. It was inevitable that a architecture student should design the booth. Because of the exams right after the weekend zest for the job was slack, but my chance to finally do some knocking together the bigger. It was a case of design and build though so it became a matter of too early rising on that Saturday morning.

Tony (by the van) is a contractor and the president of the 'student government'. Max (foreground) is an architecture student from Philadelphia. He makes beautiful things that can not always become buildings. I think he could become an artist and a very good one. The three of us will build the booth.

Budget was limited so we used scaffolding and crates for the basic structure.

Building up. It appeared we were in the corner where the ceiling is much lower than in the other parts of the enormous hall.

Right when we intended to have a booth with much height. It proved practical to have the architect in the building team. No moaning needed.

Two white cloths will serve as projection screen. The two bands of brown craft paper keep out the light of the lamps and make a nice background.

We finish right in time when at ten thirty the crew with the computers arrives. It was very good thinking of Tony to start really early.

The whole team together. The lower screen is half open so you can see a second projection on the higher screen. We had two beamers plus two most ordinary hand miroors from the 100 Yen shop. The projections showed all kinds of work by students in a continuous slideshow.

Franklly speaking I think Temple University did not fit in this event too well. Or more hands-on should happen. Maybe they will participate in an other event next year. In the posting below you can see what more was present at the Design Festa.

Design Festa

2007-03-26T00:53:00.000-08:00

Although this weekend should be spent on studying for the exams, we went to the Design Festa, together with Maarten. Three exams on Monday: architecture Japanese writing and Japanese oral. And then the early rising of this morning for the build up of the booth.......

Design Festa was held for the 25th time. All kinds of artists and performers flock to it.

An art fair on flea market scale. Fun.

Giant spider as a hairdo.

Puppet theatre. Drew lots of attention.

Blindfolded listening to naughty stories while being flogged by the nanny...

Artificial moustache art.

And er… er...

Birth aroma...

Musicians could participate too. What this lad was bringing to our ears was not pleasing everybody that much. Not to say that it was ordinary horrible screaming.

Pulling out all the stops. Creativity in abundance.

What really stood out was the amount of creativity. Amidst the hectic life of the big city in which everything seemed focussed on working, it was a pleasure to find an event of a totally different kind. Art from the kitchen table. Small with enormous effort and above all very inspiring. My hands got itchy.

Compatible with Jean Paul Gaultier!

Sideboard lamp of concrete.

Body paint. Boys with blue lamp fingered gloves.

Once outside we were thirsty by now. Maarten met his first unequalled vending machine with hot coffee in cans. Maarten probably will speak Japanese fluently very soon. As no one else he managed to say “Frank” in Japanese. Unfortunately he travelled on to Europe on Sunday. In only one day we dragged him through almost all Tokyo. At the end of the day we were totally worn out. Except for Maarten. Come again!

Rest

2007-03-26T00:25:00.000-08:00

The only certainty in life, death, makes no exceptions. Also in Japan people die. Next to our appartment (the brown block, fifth floor) is a grave yard. Though, grave yard is probably not the appropriate word. The deceased are cremated and the urn with their bones and ashes is put in a columbarium.

Each family has a columbarium. Sometimes a share of the ashes are put in the columbarium of the deceased's company's columbarium. A columbarium of Japanese natural stone is often weathered beautifully (see on the left in the picture). Local natural stone is quite soft and porous by its volcanic origin. More and more families buy a columbarium of (imported) Chinese granite nowadays (shown on the right).

Columbaria are taken care of by the family and are cleaned with water. Fresh flowers and drinks are offered (can from a coffee vending machine). Incense is burnt. Smoke has cleansing and perserving qualities.

Columbaria are managed by temples. Older religions like Shinto had no death cult, which was a bit awkward. Buddhism brought relief. Buddhism considers life on earth as a part of a longer chain and has mourning rituals.

The maintenance of a columbarium is a beautiful way of dealing with death. The weatherd colubarium reminds us of our own temporaryness. The striving to the perfect can be seen as a fear of death. Japan traditionally admires the fragile and appreciates sign of aging and decay. In that respect the shiny inert granite is a bit of a pity.

After you die the priest will give you a sacred name. That name is written on a wooden stick. The sticks in the columbarium indicate who rest there. Worn sticks are replaced with new ones by the familiy and the priest. Strong family ties are shown by a well maintained place.

Stating the obvious

2007-03-26T00:24:00.000-08:00

In Omotesando, the well known fashion street, fellow student Jared Walck spotted this sign.
"Oh come on now...," he said, "that's common sense".

More of Jared's pictures can be found at:
http://community.webshots.com/user/farkthatshark87

National Holiday

2007-03-26T00:13:00.000-08:00

Thursday was a national holiday. We forgot what for.
Anyway, we had a day off and Eiichi came over to our place with a delicious chestnut cake.

At Tokyo Dome ( you know, the baseball stadium where Madonna's concerts was) you will find the most crazy roller coaster in the world. We had to go there of course. The tracks runs right through a ferris wheel! The whole thing is next, between, on, in and through the buildings. For the real thrill seekers: This is the place to be!

The first loop runs through a whole in the facade. The second loop tumbles over the roof edge, along the facade, over the street and back to zero.

Saturday night recovering. Frank made a delicious meal, as always.

Most important in good food: variation ...

... and very tasty!

A day in daily life

2007-03-25T04:53:00.000-08:00

Newspaper (the Japan Times) reporting on the next elections in Holland.

Sunday morning. Frank's eyes just opened. Recovering from the adventures with Loes and Carla and enjoying their good care. Thanks to the girls we have trays now. To date we used pieces of cardboard but that of course is not very gentlemen-like. Also beautiful ball shape decorations (see desk lamp). The chocolate sprinkles came with Harold.

Sunday afternoon autumn festival in Temple university. All clubs show themselves and make something to eat. Here are my friends of the Kyudo club (archery). They make okonomiyaki in small portions, called harayaki.

Japanese homework. Speaking and listening excercise online.

Frank is cooking delicious, as always. In the doorway to the bedroom you can see our new noren, a mini curtain a gift from Harold with a fine origami crane motif. Noren may sound Ikea but is very Japanese. Nearly every restaurant, every shop and every home has a noren. In the hot summer every ventilation is welcome though privacy is appreciated at the same time. That is why the noren was invented. It has nothing to do with angry ghosts, unless you consider the neighbours' eyes as such...

Tea ceremony

2007-03-25T04:21:00.000-08:00

On sunday we visit a tea ceremony with Loes and Carla. In Happo-en, a park around the corner.

Tea ceremony is performed in a tea hut. One of the most important historic buildings in Japan is a tea hut of approximately five square meter. The traditional architecture style is called tea style.

Tea ceremony is a special happening. Performance requires years of practising and is a remarkable hobby. This lady does tea ceremony for twenty years now. Every move is a little miracle.

The tea is bitter and smooth. It is served with a delicious sweet to express the taste of the tea even better.

We spoke a mix of Japanese and English.

The tokonoma is the most important part of the room. The kaligraphy and ikebana contribute to the atmosphere and connect to the season and the day of today.

Sitting on folded legs is not easy. Longer than ten minutes is a real top performance. Moving askew may give some relief. Good new for the taller people: it is easier for us as we are folded on 'normal' chairs also. Our calf muscles are longer as a result. Ladies on high heels are no match. Beauty is painful :-)

Important in a nice house is a the view. By means of shoji (rice paper sliding doors) the view is cropped. Thus you watch a sort of living painting. In bad eather firmer panels are installed.

Living like a dog

2007-03-24T23:59:00.000-08:00

Fashion section in the dog shop, with Chanel:

Woof!

Mount Fuji

2007-03-24T23:27:00.000-08:00

Fuji, or Fuji-san (mount Fuji) as theJapanese say, is the most famous mountain of Japan. Well, it is a vulcano to be more exact. In fine weather you can see Fuji from downtown Tokyo and then it seems to be very close. Without doubt it is a sacred mountain.

In a long weekend the Fuji is a popular destination.

The highest bus stop.

Harold is, to his own saying, not very adventurous but always chooses the wrong friends. That is why only recently he was on the rim of mount Stromboli in the dark...
Todays adventure: coffee, in a can, hot.

The air is excetionaly clear and clean for our Tokyo standards.
Breathing is fun here!

Gladly Harold loves hiking, remember Stromboli, but he would have loved cycling even more. It would be a good option as Harold is a amateur cyclist and knows how to appreciate a good climb. The path here is that wide as in summer visitors truely come in hurds.

Quite some talking was required to keep track with a group of three. Because: the track to the top actually went down many times. Do we go on or should we return? It is a challenge to vacation with three project managers.

While mist flies over the slopes many things can be seen in the valley.

Soil on a vulcano is stilled lava. Lava has a cumbly structure and as the slopes are steep, erosion is continuous. Tree stand straight up for limited time. They tip over and grow further, upwards. After time nicely bent trees are the result.

Rare: pine in autumn colours!

Lava debris rolls down that quick that parts of the track a protected by concrete structures. When the slope is steeper than 35 degrees the lot starts rolling. Rain as well flushes down much of it.

Long ago this boy was an amateur geologist. He collected fossils in Zuid Limburg and de Achterhoek. Today is a field day.

By times it is an extraterrestrial landsape with bizar shapes.
But Frank is there, no worry.

An odd living tree.

Fuji-san is approximately 3700 meter high. We were at 2400 meter. On an accesible track climbing 400 meter per hour is feasible. Climbing to the top is possible, early rising provided. Let's say that in our case the path the top was closed for the winter season.

Next year then? It is said: "You are wise to climb mount Fuji, you are a fool to do it twice".

Sticks and torches

2007-03-24T23:08:00.000-08:00

A very quiet crossing in a residential area in Tokyo. Except for a tourist with an odd sock, nothing noticable to see.

Though there is. As soon as traffic occurs a man in safety top, with helmet and stick come to action. He is herre in this street as there is the righthand car is parked there for construction activities in the house. As explained before, parking in the street is prohibited. If parking in the streeet is inevitable a man with a stick is essential.

Thus the car is directed safely around the corner.

On larger projects more man are available. Here we see two in light blue shirt, one in safety top. Although the job is not very challenging the men stay very alert and they don't mind to offer their services to those participating in traffic not directly related to the reason of their presence at all.

When things become really hazardous, the sticks are replaced with flags. Here a new wire is mounted to the poles.

Not only in temporary situations men (always men) with sticks are present. Though in Japans traffic decent driving seems normal, many a zebra has man available. Also parking exits often have one emplyed to provide safe merging with the traffic.

This zebra down town has traffic lights. And two specialst man with flags for the kids.

At night the sticks are lit. This man guards his colleagues sticks for the time.

When the firebrigade goes out, the men join of course. Two version we see, black or light brown.

When on certain locations initiatives are not necessary also in Japan this version is chosen. For the remaining: safety first.

Long weekend out

2007-03-24T22:59:00.000-08:00

Long weekend again. Cueing for the shinkansen.

Shinkansen, the bullet train, is very spacious. Five seats wide and lots of leg room.

The vilaage of Takayama, the Yoshiyama Ryokan. It is much colder here than in Tokyo. Below 20 C in the day ;-)

In the hall of the Ryokan (Japanese style inn) you change your shoes for slippers.

Harold watching televisione. On the news the first item is the autumn colours and where to find them in the country.

Washing basin in the corridor.

The arrival of autumn is celebrated with processions and sake offering to the temple.

The best icecream by far: made of green tea.

Sunday night, back to the big city by shinkansen.

Autumn leaves

2007-03-24T22:28:00.000-08:00

Fashion in Architecture

2007-03-24T22:23:00.000-08:00

A few decades ago the fasion industry and architects joined hands in Omotesando. A large street has gradually transformed into a kind of Champs Elysee. All important fashion brands have their best building here.

Like most parts of Tokyo this street is at its best at night. It is dark early, even in summer.

Dior is like a silk dress.

The top: Prada, designed by architects Herzog & De Meuron.

Typhoon

2007-03-24T22:06:00.000-08:00

A typhoon is what is also known as a hurricane. Typhoons are quite common here. This season fifteen already. A typhoon starts on the Pacific Ocean and sometimes lands on Japan. It can cause great havoc. A hurricane like Katrina is a typhoon.

In a large area around the typhoon it rains and not in a few tiny drops. Heighdays for umbrella sellers. The wind takes them, creating more turnover.

But why all these pictures of umbrellas? Well, it is indicative for another phenomenon: the Japanese sense for property. Nicking is almost non existing here. So when somebody leaves an umbrella, it will stay there for ages. In typhoon times you will find umbrellas everywhere.

At the coffee vending machine: forgotten to take it. Will probably remain here for days.

Don't questions about management here. Everything is taken care of. Umbrella stands in every room.

Those of transparant plastic are cheapest and most common. Hard to find your own again though.

As nothing is nicked, it is inevitable to bring umbrellas to the lost and found section. There are incredible stories about enormous umbrella stocks at the customer services in department stores.

To avoid leaving your umbrella behind unintentionally, you can take it into the shop. At the entrance you can get a fine cover to prevent dripping. A giant condom indeed.

Harold's Holiday

2007-03-24T21:57:00.000-08:00

Harold has come over to spend his autumn holiday. Today the first gaze day.

Bentley immitation. For experts.

Harold is a structural designer. First thing in the morning: have the Metropolitan Expressway checked so it will not topple in an earthquake. Result: will probably stand.

On the occassion of autumn: decorations in the streets.

Foreigner area. Pizza restaurant. A bit further a French pattiserie.

The most important steel structure of Tokyo.

Together with bus loads of school kids we'll go up. Taking the elevator to 150 meter.

Many small lots with buildings, so called "pencil buildings".

Glass floor. Steel wires for the odd sissy ;-)

Christmas decorations (already now?)

Where are their cars?

2007-03-24T21:21:00.000-08:00

Loes posted a good question recently. Where do they park all those cars?
Major part of the sollution: they don't exist. Sorry...? Yes, truely they are not there. In Tokyo over 85% of people go to work by public transport. And that really makes a difference.
The cars that do drive around here are mainly taxis and those park as little as possible as turnover is in driving, not parking.

But let's be honest, there is just no room to park. Streets are too narrow. Therefore parking is stricly prohibited throughout Tokyo. "Park on you own property if you want to" is the apparent message. Are you buying a car? Then it is up to you to create a parking space. Public space is not available for private things.

And when somebody is naughty: things clodge immediately.

It is a marvel: a city freed of parked can.

Throughout Tokyo a parking ban is enforced. Strictly. The smaller fines do € 200,-.

The streets are not always very wide and most buildings are only half a meter away from the lot's edge. Little space promotes creative sollutions.

Cars are squeezed away.

Stacking does help.

As real estate is expensive, it pays off to build ingenious structures. This picture shows a system to park your car over the manouvring space of the other car's bays. Thus the number of parked cars is increased by 100%. If you want your car from the rack, it is lowered down for you.

These apparant ordinary parking bays are in double use. The second car is underground. If that is your car, simply push the button and the whole bay will rise up with the second car on top untill your car is on street level.

In large buildings you often find an entrance like this. Behind the grey door is a fair like machine in which you park your car. A 'paternoster'. The machine has many bays in a closed chain, hoisting the cars like a ferris wheel. Maybe you have seen filing cabinets with the same system. The round turn table in the floor serves to turn retrieved cars around for the customer, no need to drive backwards into the street.

In Kyoto I saw such a machine in the wild.

Confessions

2007-03-24T20:53:00.000-08:00

Madonna's Confession Tour.

Leslie, Frank & Sytse went to the Madonna concert in Tokyo Dome

You'd be short on eyes for all the video screens....

The often debated Madonna on the cross... as an introduction to all the injustice in the world... 'Live to tell' followed by a flood of images of African aids orphans, wars, violence, Bush & Rice in one breath with Hitler and Saddam Hussein, topped up with an impressive dance act by a woman in burka in a huge cage...

The Jewish - Palestinian issue often occurs in her concerts...

We had the impression the microphone was not always operating.
When it was, we heared a slightly out of tune voice singing with the tape......

On her T-shirt: Japanese do it better!

An act that reminded Frank on Nina Hagen was a highlight...

In the end even the Japanese audience went out of its mind...

Clear to everybody ; John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever

For the cracks: outfit is ABBA World Tour late seventies.

One more time. the last concert in Japan and the last of the Confession tour.

After the concert the exodus of the audience went really smooth. It was neatly announced (in Japanese) which section had to go first and everybody (who understood Japanese) did what was asked.

Fieldtrip to Kyoto

2007-03-24T20:22:00.000-08:00

Saturday morning october 7th, 2006. Tokyo Station.

Super fast Shinkansen Nozomi to Kyoto. Two and a half hour traveling.

In Japanese traditional architecture the transition of interior to exterior is really diffuse.

Paths require attention when walking on them. On arriving somewhere the image will be a surprise when you look up again. That's why paths are made that way. They clean your perception so you will watch with a fresh view to the next beautiful thing.

Japanese breakfast in the Ryokan, a Japanese style inn. One of the students is having her birthday today.

Professor dr. Geeta Mehta and her student assistent Hiro. Geeta Mehta is fromIndia, studied at Columbia University in New York and currently lives in Tokyo. She works in Tokyo, India and the US and has published beautiful books on Japanese homes and interior design.

Some student apparantly had a hard night.

As for the long weekend many people were out. The dear were not that cautious as we are used to.

This temple (the largest wooden structure in the world) is the home of the biggest Boeddha in the world.

Professor lost her voice. We had to read the travel guide aloud.

One of the guards is watching a model with disgust? Poor architect.

Gates of temples have considerable thresholds. Also here the purpose is to draw your attention to your feet making you look up again with a fresh view to a surprising new image.

No worry, nothing wrong with the settings of our screen. Colours are really bright here.

For wishes and messages.

Rowing with the neighbours

2007-03-24T20:11:00.000-08:00

North-Korean militairy on guard while South-Korean are chatting at Panmunjom borderpost.
(Photo AFP) via http://www.nrc.nl/

The alledged nuclear test by North-Korea last monday really is a big issue here. Relations between Japan and North-Korea are not the best for a long time already and the presence of nuclear arms is not improving the situation. Japan has a unique history when it comes to nuclear bombs. A debate is rising on changing the constitution to allow Japan to possess nuclear weapons in future. Imagine...

Uncommon in the most common

2007-03-24T20:01:00.000-08:00

Everything looks to be thought of. Even convenience in the smallest room. Toilet seating can be warmed, with adjustable temperature.

On the side you will find a dashboard. And there is more than temperature only. Instead of using toilet paper, you can choose automatic cleaning. With warm water. Temperature adjustable of course as is the heftyness of the waterflow. Special option for ladies available too.
It has to be said: cleaner is not possible.
Some seats even offer a warm air blower and ionic deodorisation.

Studying is hard labour

2007-03-24T19:43:00.000-08:00

It is time to talk a stereotype about Japanese and their famous labour ethics. They work all day. That is true in the sense that they spend a lot of time in the office. It occurs that nobody dares to go home before the boss has left. It makes days very long. In the office of Takenaka Netherlands the highest Japanese manager once explicitly permitted his compatriot employers to leave the office earlier than himself. If not they would stay in the office every day untill after 9 pm. No risk of boredom though. There were newspapers and cabinets full of Japanese novels. And taking a nap during the day wasn't much of a problem either. Or falling asleep during a dinner, it happened. Or making a soft landing in Neverland while in a meeting... The student in the picture is a talent. The library is a great place for it, so quiet. But even in the canteen, always bustling with noisy people it apparantly is possible.
And sorry to say, it is Japanese students only.

Naughty boy

2007-03-23T08:19:00.001-08:00

Frankly speaking, there was no sign stating it was prohibited...
Bicycle parking is quite an enterprise. Luckily this was only a warning and not a ticket. Ticketing is possible here as bicycles are registered here. (See an earlier posting).

But then, where to leave it? "Comme l'habitude locale" is always a safe method.

But then all djitensha (bicycles) are parked exactly where it is clearly prohibited!

Tokyo Metropolitan Expressway

2007-03-23T07:53:00.000-08:00

In Tokyo, for example here in Shimbashi, I see some shops. Nothing unusual.
Not outstanding but maybe remarkable is the large grey band on the facade.

Cycling to the university I see this. An ordinary street.
At the end of the street on a certain level a white facade or so with a green striping.

Then a bridge somewhere. In the background you can see the Shinkansen.
The high speed train built on the occassion of the 1964 Olympics.

And then something very out of the ordinary: a bridge appears to be connected to the roof of the shops...

May we introduce to you: the Tokyo Metropolitan Expressway!

On the occassion of those same Olympics in 1964, a network of highways was constructed through Tokyo. Because of the dense built up area and the formidable real estate prices the highway is built on pilars over the existing world. Without doubt this is the biggest structure in Tokyo. For that reason every architectural guide spends a chapter on it. And we are not an exception.

The planning of such a collosal structure is not easy. Bends need a certain radius and where could you find a strip of land that moves with a certain elegance through the urban area? An easy solution is to follow the rivers in the area. They exactly match the criteria for a good route.

This 'planning method' is popular throughout Asia.

It is being said that Tokyoites live with their backs to the water. Nevertheless some people want to live on the water. And as you can see it offers interesting combinations.

The Metropolitan Expressway is stacked sometimes, as to sheer along the buildings.

Sometimes something is done with colours and design like here in Roppongi.

Near a node in the Expressway network you can see four levels curling. In the centre on groundlevel you can see a koban. A police box. The translation of 'box' is very appropriate considering the actual size of the tiny police post. Koban are found on every major crossing. Sometimes they are almost invisible. Police does not use blue lights but red. On a koban you will always find a red lamp burning. So take care when you are looking around here at night in need with an abundance of hormons...

And this is where we ride our bikes.

Oktoberfest in Tokyo

2007-03-23T07:49:00.000-08:00

As faithful customers of the München Oktoberfest we could not stay away from the Japanese version of the festival...

Mit orginal Deutsche Speizen, advertised on the large video screen in the background.
But then...

Bratwurst on the tenpanyaki

And Sauerkraut in a rice cooker.

Rosa, Marloes, Hannie, Teko, Ber, Etienne PROSIT

It remained restless for quite some time this night in Tokyo.

Keep smiling

2007-03-23T07:43:00.000-08:00

Believe it or not. We found this is advertisement making everybody happy. Both the user and the audience. It is a..., yeah what is it called...., a smile trainer :-) It is adjustable to train for an ever wider smile. The ultimate goal probably is from ear to ear, which is very handy for the dentist by the way. Also for men, the light blue variety. Take care though not to get too big of a mouth. That's for trade unionists only ;-)

Onsen

2007-03-23T07:36:00.000-08:00

The automated world is turned upside down over here. The hard disk of the notebook crashed, taking the picture files of the last few weeks with it. Making new pictures is the only way out.
In Japan many thing are managed excelently and so is the timing of national holidays. We have a long weekend every month. Last weekend we went to an Onsen. A Japanese public bath. In the mountains. And it was wonderful. Leslie was with us as was cousin Ward from Brussels.

Never The Same Colour

2007-03-23T07:27:00.000-08:00

Europe's television system is called PAL. In Japan it is NTSC, which according to Ton means as much as the title of this posting. Have your say...

Television is colourful anyway. A popular thing is the panel. The panel talks very small talk.

And yes indeed, the two men in the upper row are in gendercrossing dress.

Another channel shows royalty watchers discussing developments at the neighbours.

File images in the back ground: coming home from the Netherlands.

Also available here: Extreme Make Over. A bit downsized to a dress party.

Always bow politely!

Ton is the first friend posting a comment on this weblog. We see more comments now and it really is fun to receive them. Go ahead, give comments and read others.

A vage transition

2007-03-23T06:57:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorites in Tokyo. In traditional Japanese style, shojin style, the transition from interior to exterior is not that brisk as in western architecture. If only we think of what is under the overhanging big roof. The interior with the well known tatami matting, the rice paper sliding doors (Shoji), the veranda, half height curtains, sliding storm panels, a pebble bed to collect the rain.

The new building show these themes again. The border between inside and outside is hard to point out. The vague transition is visually vague as well. The frosted glass panels blur the image or the facade. Only the trees proof that the picture is focussed correctly.

And behind that facade is a very ordinary building after all.

Blob

2007-03-23T06:53:00.000-08:00

Since the introduction of the computer all shapes are possible in architecture. Also very sculptural forms like those in nature and organisms. In the Netherlands this architecture is very hot now. It is called Neo-expressionism. Tokyo is a huge collection of buildings and every style is somewhere represented.

The big surprise is this door. To what side does it open?

Power dressing

2007-03-23T06:29:00.000-08:00

Fashion is more important in Japan than in the Netherlands. Professor Geeta Mehta explained it clearly. In the US ladies walk the street on sneakers to the office and change there to their high heels. In Japan it is the opposite. The ladies rush on extremely inconvenient high heels through the corridors of the metro and stroll through the office on cosy slippers.

Cloths shows exactly your position in society. Almost all men working in an office, not part of the high ranking, the salary men, wear a black suit, (most of the times) white shirt and a tie. It is a kind of a uniform. Like labour men wearing a dim green overall, or securityman in blue with a fluorescent jacket and helmet.

Are you walking the streets in shorts and on thongs it is very clear that you are spending your free time. Students do wear the odd T-shirt but for the others T-shirts are underwear. It is highly appreciated when you state your position in society by dressing appropriately. It creates clarity and rest and prevents painful misunderstandings. And that is very important in Japan.
Unfortunately foreigners are not so keen on these dress codes. But that is not a real problem, you are not Japanese anyway. Your position in Japanese society is nondescript anyway. We are foreigners here and that's what we are.
Architects don't wear ties in the Netherlands. If you do, you are not considered very trustworthy. In Takenaka's office in Europe all Japanese architects did wear a tie of course. Then confusion rose when I worked with the Japanese architects in Slovakia for a Korean client. I was the only architect without a tie in the meeting. As long as you are dressed very properly it is not a problem. Foreigners get quite some slack. The Slovak coworkers really had trouble in wearing a tie decently. That is terrible too. On the other hand the Slovak staff were not participating in client meetings.
So what to wear? I feel comfortable in pants, shirt and proper shoes. And be honest: it is more comfortable for everybody when you are not walking in underwear outside your home.

Biscuit with mousies (september 7th 2006)

2007-03-23T05:43:00.000-08:00

(On the occassion of the birth of the new imperial prince, the Dutch traditionaly celebrate a newborn with biscuits covered with pink and white sugar sprinkles "mousies")
Of course we ran directly to the neighbours to congratulate. A television crew was just leaving so who knows the emperor might appreciate a little chat over a cup of fine green tea. Anyway a nice incentive to show to you something special in the heart of Tokyo.
The emperor is considered the child of the Sun Godess and represents the godly and spiritual power. Besides the imperial power we find the managing power of politics, bureaucracy and industry. In Shogun times the military were in charge. The Shogun was the generalissimo and had more power than the emperor. The actual power is most of the times somewhere between the powers as mentioned.
Today the industry and the bureaucracy mainly are in charge. The power of democracy (politics) is limited, in the nineties Japan wore out 12 prime ministers in 10 years. According to my professor Japan is de facto a socialist country with excellent management. Hilarious moments when president Bush made a remark on the war in Iraq stating "by bombing a country a nutritious soil for growing democracy is created, see the example of Japan".
The emperor's power is actually very limited but the idea 'godly' is confusing for many people. I checked with my professor. The emperor had limited powers indeed, also during WWII. Nevertheless it might be the case that Japan just doesn't want the emperor to be held responsible. The imperial family still has a very high status. Recently books are published telling that emperor Hirohito did know what was going on and failed to use his powers to change the course of events. Saying that having such a debate in Japan is very exceptional is an understatement.
Exceptional though is that in this survey of powers one group is missing: the people. Prime minister Koizumi tried to incorporate the people in the balance of powers. Koizumi is resigning.

All buildings in the view of the imperial palace are kept clean of advertising. Beautiful.

And this is Tokyo in optima forma. Beautiful spots with lush greenery and quietness, but also bustling streets with skyscrapers. Seamless next to each other. This theme is found thoughout Japan, in everything. Super high rise neighboring traditional wooden houses. Ultra modern with a profound respect to nature. An almost hysterical dealing with electronic gadgets next to the ambition to experience nothingness (Zen). Being impressed by fragility. Thriving for the perfect, while in art the beauty of the imperfect is key. Japan is ... and also ...

Piece of Architecture

2007-03-23T01:19:00.000-08:00

Architecture is something to be seen and to be lived. In the meantime the counter of our image stock is rapidly running towards 2000 so selection is inevitable. We will show the city in the coming postings by picturing a topic. For example very modern buildings. Or buildings that once were modern. Old buildings. Western antique. The emperial palaces view. Today a very western approach in such a review: the pattern of the streets.

The street pattern of Tokyo is comparable with Paris. A fine maze of small streets through which run a number of wide avenues. Contrasts can be stunning. Once you ride along skyscrapers, turn right and you find yourself amidst tiny houses.

Maybe the most common kind of street in Japan. Narrow. Houses are positioned half a meter form the border of the lot. Just enough space for some plants. Then the public road, a kerb, a concrete gutter. Tarmac to the other side of the street. Two clear lines mark the car designated area.

You can find the cadastral data right in the street here. Corners of lots are marked.
Here you see a lot in property bordering the public road:

The dark edge is private. The concrete in the kerbing shows an arrow to the upperleft indicating the exact border. The kerbing apparently is public property.

Hier en daar bevinden zich kleine ‘ongelukjes’ in het stratenpatroon. Een grote straat doorsnijdt het fijne netwerk zodanig dat van de oorspronkelijke kavel alleen een driehoekig puntje overblijft. In Amsterdam vindt je dat soort puntvormige kavels ook. Daar waar de Jordaan de Prinsengracht ontmoet staan veel huizen met een rare scheve plattegrond.

Gebouwen met een scherpe punt werden niet erg op prijsgesteld in oostelijk Azië. Vandaar dat je van die ronde toestanden tegenkomt.

Een leuke en vrolijke is deze. Een beetje ontdeugend en zo.

Dit is mijn favoriet. Ja, er zit een scherpe punt aan, dat is opmerkelijk, maar die ronde openingen verzachten dat wel goed en de punt wijst niet naar een aangrenzend gebouw. Niemand wordt dus gekliefd door deze schijnbare bijl. Het is echt een mooi gebouw. Hier ontstaat die rare vorm van de kavel doordat de straat die langs de rivier loopt ineens de rivier over moet. Een raar puntje bleef toen over.

"Maar waarom is een stratenpatroon nou een westers vertrekpunt, mijnheer de architect?".
In Japan worden huizen niet geadresseerd met de straat waaraan ze liggen. Er zijn een hoop straten zonder naam. Die hebben ze niet nodig. Hoe doet de postbode dat dan...
Elke wijk heeft een naam. Wij wonen in Shirokane (dat ligt in Minato-ku, een stadsdeel van Tokyo). Door de wijk lopen een aantal grote straten, die de wijk opdelen in buurten die een nummer hebben. De kleine straten delen de buurten op in blokken. Die blokken hebben ook een nummer. Binnen het blok heeft elk huis zijn eigen nummer, op chronologische volgorde van uitgifte van de kavel. Dus wat door elkaar. Ons adres is daarom Shirokane 2-3-23.
De Japanse opzet gaat dus uit van de gebouwde omgeving, de westerse gaat uit van de publieke ruimte.
De echt eigenwijze lezer zal nu opmerken dat het Nederlandse postcode systeem precies zo werkt als de Japanse adressering: het postcodenummer is de wijk, de eerste letter is de buurt, de tweede letter is het blok. Het huisnummer doet de rest.
Tijdens de Amerikaanse bezetting na 1945 werden adressen met straatnamen ingevoerd. Toen de Amerikanen vertrokken mochten ze dat systeem weer mee naar huis nemen...

Dutch breakfast

2007-03-23T01:10:00.000-08:00

It is saturday morning again. A sandwich with chocolate sprinkles at last. Typical 'Dutch' breakfast with croissants, pain chocolat and café au lait. But I don't see any coffee in this picture... Oh yes there is: in the brown carton. You can buy coffee here like chocolate milk in the Netherlands. Cold, with milk and a touch of sugar and above all: tasty.

The question is: where to buy the tasty bread?

First, cross the little streety (far right is our appartment).

Et voila. With tray and tweezers in Boulangerie Maison Kayser.

Take a different route back.

Sweety darling, isn't this where we are supposed to turn left...?

What's hot?

2007-03-23T00:34:00.000-08:00

It is warm here, we knew that. Heat has several appearances such as warm air which you can cool down with an air conditioner. We do that when ventilating is not sufficient. Heat can also be radiation. Everything radiates heat. So it may happen that your laptop is getting so hot that you get hot yourself. Airco on is the only option or... kitchen gloves.

The whole ktichen measures two sqaure meter. You will find the refrigerator, a freezer, microwave, water boiler, rice cooker, induction stove, ventilation, sink, garbagebin, cabinets and a cook!

Shopping

2007-03-23T00:09:00.000-08:00

Instead of fish and chips you will find a sushi shop here.

The supermarket. Not that luxurious as the Gaijinshop nextdoor where the wealthy expats go. But here they at least have fresh vegatables. The University, of which the foreign students population is mainly American advised to eat Japanese food while living in Japan. Do not try to have your daily hamburger or pizza and diet-coke as you might bankrupt yourself.

The 100 Yen shop sells everything for... 100 Yen! That is 68 cents now, 1 Euro is 147 Yen. And that brings us to the very Duth subject: Japan is very expensive isn't it? In daily life it is not that hard. Of course if you insist on daily eating cabbage and sausages, sauerkraut, milk, liters of yoghourt, to little fish, sandwiches with peanut butter and chocolat sprinkles... it will be expensive. But as soon as you accomodate and adapt, everything turns to normal again. A Japanese who visited Amsterdam remarked: "it was so expensive over there...".

Every salesman knows that you sell more from a shop filled with abundance, even in the more prestigeous streets:

Minato-ku happens to be the area with most embassies. Therefore many foreigners come shopping here. The shops offer many western goods, mainly imported. Many ready to eat microwave meals. Halves of cucumbers. Melons in parts. Sweet sweets. It's not cheap, but that is where the expats get their "hardship allowances" for.

Sigarets, tea, coffee (both cold) in the street 24/7 (!)
There are also beer vending machines, which close on a decent time when it is not too late yet...

Scouting

2007-03-23T00:02:00.000-08:00

Friday 25 august 2006. Introduction day and tour.
Explanations on computer usage, library and coffee machines.

Nice altar at the administration...

The unversity is tucked away in the big street, the high building to be precise...

Tokyo is being bullied by earthquakes for ages. In average every 60 year and the last big one was in 1923, so we get instructions for 'just in case'.
Meetingpoint in case of earthquake: the giant golf ball next door.

Konnichiwa, housekeeping selvice!

2007-03-22T23:50:00.000-08:00

Big advantage of such a serviced apartment. They also do bedding and towels. Sure, while preparing dinner we find that they also took the kitchen towels without leaving clean ones. And to arrange new ones leads inevitably to hilaric conversations and happenings.
For whom did not see it yet: "Lost in translation" is a beautiful movie which shows perfectly what it is to live as a foreigner in Japan. Watch it again and everytime you start laughing you will hear us say: "...but this is serious stuff you know?..." Frankly speaking "Lost in translation" helps us to survive here. Little anoyances make us laugh and that really works.

Elevator is talking to you.
The Japanese printer in the server room prints only first and last pages.
The ATM is talking to you.
The ricecooker has too many buttons and options. It's gonna be a late dinner tonight.
De flashing ambulance calls: "Thank you very much indeed" after passing.
The ticket vending machine in the metro, indeed... is talking to you.

Police chasing Gaijin

2007-03-22T23:43:00.000-08:00

By a lack of real crooks to chase, Tokyo police tend to question ownerships rights of foreigners (gaijin) riding a bicycle. (indeed, like we do in the Netherlands with Morrocan youngsters on ladies bikes ;-). During the introduction at the american university I was strongly recommended to have my bicycle registered to avoid trouble. There are many students who, stripped of their bicycle, ended in jail.

Registration at the bicycle shop.

Party time

2007-03-22T23:41:00.000-08:00

It is really a great party to meet again. Frank has put on decorations and we drink lemonde.

Warm welcome

2007-03-22T23:37:00.000-08:00

Frank came all the way to Narita to welcome me!
He sends my bicycle to our apartment in Tokyo.

It is warm here (30<) and most of all: humid.
When we open the box we see condensation on the cold bicycle.