Blue Horizons

Aug 11, 2020

Looking south over Sumida and Koto wards from the Skytree on an almost cloudless April morning over countless homes and businesses all the way to the Tokyo Gate Bridge and Haneda Airport and the highrise cluster of Chuo City. It looks vast, and yet is still only a small slice of the whole of Tokyo. Below, in the long thin Sumida River Park where I had just walked, are chaperoned tribes of colourfully hatted kindergarten classes playing, and old men quietly fishing in a fragment of an old canal.…

Borderlands

Jul 30, 2020

I am fascinated by the borderlands where nature begins to take back the works of man. In this photograph taken in Minamisenju at the south end of Arakawa City, nature seems to have approached from the right and is washing against the shores of human activity on the left.

Tokyo Ramshackle

Jul 15, 2020

Whilst much of Tokyo is new and shiny, there are still countless little, old, and rundown buildings to be seen whenever you step off the main business and tourist areas. Each one is brimming with character and a history one can only guess at. I particularly like ones like this one, at the northern edge of Minowa, that appears to be being propped up by the more modern and robust buildings either side.…

Urban Eels

Jul 01, 2020

It might just be me, but these Shinkansen, seen in Tokyo Station from a viewpoint on the Post Office viewing deck, look like giant futuristic eels lurking in an urban coral reef.

Royal Park Hotel

Jun 16, 2020

The Royal Park Hotel in Nihonbashi Kakigara-cho, close to Suitengumae metro station, has an impressive red brick appeal and a fascinating tower rising along the outside corner of the L shaped building. The circular windows in the rooms afford 270 degree views over the north and east and an envieable view of Tokyo Tower. Well worth a stay if you can afford it.

Roads upon roads upon roads upon roads

Jun 05, 2020

The complexity of the transport infrastructure is not often appreciated from ground level, but at some places you can look up and see a glimpse of it. Like here at Hakozaki Junction where four layers of roads can be seen.

Towers of Glass

May 23, 2020

Tokyo has many stunning towers of glass, and this one, the newish Kitte building on the south side of Marunouchi Plaza, is one of my favourites. Here looking especially beautiful against a clear blue winter sky. The viewing platform from where this photograph was taken is the perfect location for looking out over the plaza and Tokyo Station too.

Industry and Smokestacks

May 13, 2020

It is easy to forget that Tokyo has industial areas when you stay within the approximate confines of the Yamanote line. But just an hour south east of Tokyo central are scenes like these in Ukishimacho in Kawasaki ward. In this case visible from my flight into Haneda airport.

Marunouchi Plaza

Apr 29, 2020

Marunouchi Plaza is one of my favourite public spaces in Tokyo. There is an endless variety of contrasting architectures to look at and explore, not to mention some very fine vantage points for viewing the surrounding area. From the new post office building (where this photograph was taken from) to the wonderful Tokyo Station and even looking down Gyoko-dori towards the Imperial Palace there is so much to see and explore from this space.…

Roof Tiles and Rain Chains

Apr 29, 2020

I love Japanese roof tiles. Their texture, shape, glaze and colours are a major contributor to the appeal of temples and other traditional Japanese buildings. Another fascinating element of such buildings are the rain chains, or kusari-doi, that so much more elegantly deal with off-roof water flow than the usual drainpipe. This photograph is of part of the Jyokan-ji temple near Minowa Station. It lies right on the boundary of the Arakawa and Tatio wards which is a fascinating area to explore