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Park Hyatt Shinjuku

Mar 07, 2023

The three towers of the Park Hyatt Hotel in West Shinjuku will forever recall scenes from the film Lost in Translation for me. In turn that film contains much that initially drew me to Tokyo. This is my favourite view of the Hotel. It would be nice to stay there one day and look down on Yoyogi Park and all the other places.

Metro Walkway

Mar 01, 2023

There are a lot of walkways in the bright and clean underground passages of Tokyo, but this one, with it’s fairly steep rise, is a little different. You certainly need to lean into the slope as it curves up.

Under Marunouchi Plaza

Nov 14, 2021

There is a huge amount of pedestrian space underneath Tokyo, and often it can be pretty sparsely populated. This is from under Marunouchi Plaza near Tokyo Station taken early evening just before Christmas. These places provide access without consideration of traffic, and I think much of their reason for being were the number of pedestrian accidents. They also protect you from the elements whether that is rain, cold or heat, and are always well lit and very, very clean.…

Ningyocho Nights

Oct 04, 2021

This Chinese restaurant on a busy road looks and smells so inviting on a cool evening at the turn of the year. The whole road was lined with New Year lanterns at the time.

Lucky Shutters

Sep 13, 2021

The shutters drawn down over this tradional Japanese sweet shop depict the Seven Gods of Fortune that are said to bestow longevity, fortune, popularity, sincerity, kindness, dignity, and magnanimity.

Crossings

Aug 01, 2021

One of my favourite sounds in Tokyo is the sound of a level crossing. Just adjacent to Araiyakushi Mae station in the early morning people are making their way to work and school across the tracks. Many have just alighted from the departing ever-punctual train. The trains in Tokyo really are a wonder. We had just finished a three train journey across Tokyo during a Friday morning rush hour, and despite the sheer number of people, it never felt overcrowded or uncomfortable

Utility Pole

Jun 17, 2021

Utility poles, with their spectacular nests of cables, are everywhere in Tokyo. They line the edges and paths of the city distributing power and communications to tens of millions of addresses. Some people find them ugly. More don’t even notice them, and on occasion the Government expresses its embarrassment at them. Personally I like them. It’s like looking up at vapour trails. It makes me wonder about the locations and people they connect.…

Cute Door

Apr 15, 2021

I am not enamoured of all things kawaii, but there is something intriguing about a door like this. One has to wonder what lies behind. Perhaps I have been watching too many Ghibli movies. This door was beside the Sumikko Gurashi store along 1st Avenue in the underground shopping mall of Tokyo Station on the Yaesu side.

Ningyocho Night Bars

Mar 14, 2021

There is something wonderful about the bright neon lights and other signs that beckon you into darkened doorways on streets all around Tokyo. They often appear intimidating, especially for those without any Japanses language skills, but I have never had a bad experience and always found both the staff and clientel to be welcoming and friendly. This is a short stretch of a small street in Ningyocho.

Sunny Minato

Feb 14, 2021

It is interesting to see how many of the buildings around Tokyo Tower are not as tall as you might expect. Here, looking closer along Sakurada-dori south through Minato City towards Takanawa, the apartment and business buildings seem to rise as they get further away. It may not be deliberate, but it does have the happy consequence of making for many wonderful views from the Tower. It was a lovely sunny day when I took this, making me want to join the pedestrians down on the sunlit pavement.…