building

Pink, white and blue

Mar 30, 2020

This office block in Sumida City caught my eye, the very man made colour framed by the pink, white and blue of nature. It overlooks the Sumida River Park, a very pleasant long thin park whose pathways mark the boundary between many of the eastern and western districts of Sumida ward.

Cans

Mar 06, 2020

There is something tidy and considerate about the Japanese people. It is something I became aware of on my first visit and something that I feel has improved the way I behave. In this scene you can see that even on the edges of the big city the ubiquitous vending machines are used to a much greater extent than the provided bins can cope with. And yet the discarded tins are arranged as neatly as can be managed, awaiting collection and recycling.…

Rust

Feb 22, 2020

Rust is a universal sign of decay, and it may suprise some that you do not have to travel far in Tokyo to see it. Here, in northern Tokyo, two well rusted bicycles stand guard outside an apparantly abandoned store like the guardian sentinals outside a shrine. You can see rust stains on the road suggesting the bikes have been in situ for quite some time, giving the impression the road is rarely travelled.…

Tokyo Station

Jan 25, 2020

Tokyo Station is an immense building with an amazing history. Here is the south side of the station, and the central dome. It sits astride a massively complex transit system nexus and a vast underground shopping mall. With trains and metros, taxis, busses and coaches it truely is a location where journeys begin, end and transition.

Count the buildings

Jan 10, 2020

The variety in size, design, colour, texture and function of buildings in Tokyo never ceases to amaze and fascinate me. Looking east from the superb vantage point of the Skytree out over Kyojima and Yahiro, I wonder how many buildings there are in this one small area of the city. I wonder if any two are the same. The windows are like stars in the sky or grains of sand on a beach - uncountable.…

Towards Marunouchi

Nov 25, 2019

Around the Imperial Palace there is open space that allows you to step back a little from the tall, close set forest of concrete, metal and glass. This is a view up Gyoko Dori towards Tokyo Station and Marunouchi. The people lucky enough to work at or near one of those myriad windows must surely have a splendid view of the Palace grounds behind me.

Mukojima district

Oct 14, 2019

Mukojima is a shitamachi district, meaning that it is comprised lowrise buildings in a somewhat less affluent area. The nearby Skytree looks over it now, and is a great place to view the district from, especially on a brilliant sunny day like this was. Remember you can right click on the image to access it full size - something I especially recommend for photographs like this one.

Tracks and Skytree

Aug 27, 2019

The Skytree watches over vast tracts of Tokyo, much of which still has an older, smaller, more patinated atmosphere. Areas around train tracks especially have that feel. Looking across the Tobu-Kameido Line here in Oshiage is one such place. Though only taken a year or so back the red building opposite is now gone, soon to replaced with who knows what. That is another constant in Tokyo: Change.

Government

Jul 16, 2019

There are few words less interesting to me than the title of this post. However, having been based in West Shinjuku on my first stay in Tokyo I soon warmed to the magnificent Metropolitan Government Building there. It looks majestic during the day and stunning at night. Combined with the twin viewing platforms at the top of each tower, a very nice cafe, excellent restaurant and a useful tourist information centre, it is one place I enjoy returning to.…

Jōkan-ji Door

Apr 25, 2019

Around the back of the Jōkan-ji temple is a door behind which are stored the remains of a great many women whose sad story is well worth looking into.