Yesterday I pretty much just pottered. Quite early I set out to check how to get to and from the hotel I'll be staying in when I go back to Tokyo on Thursday to make sure I have no problems getting to the Imperial Palace on Friday morning. It was a very pleasant part of town but it took me ages to find a place to have a coffee which I desperately needed because I'd had no breakfast. That's my cup being roasted in the picture.
I overheard a guy telling some young fellas that the area was becoming quite hipstery. I think it won't qualify till more coffee spots are open on Sunday mornings than hairdressers. They were up and about doing business before 10am.
One main street was full of figures tied to lamp-posts and other bits of street furniture. They all had labels as though they were entries in a competition or something but I couldn't work it out with my limited language skills. Although only a few had a Halloween feel to them I suspect it may be that. The American version of that ancient festival has swept Japan even more I think than here. They like cutesy and kitchy.
 |
| Green haired witch perhaps |
 |
| Halloween you see |
 |
| Who knows who? |
 |
| What's Hockney got to do with it? |
There was a fine park, a couple of rivers, great bridges - just that shortage of coffee bars.
Later in the day I went to Shinjuku. One of its claims to fame is the number of camera shops it has. I thought I might as well see if I could get any help with my problem. I couldn't but I had a pleasant time wandering around.
Maybe the other side of the delicacy, elegance and precision that I was on about when descibing the tea ceremony.
There's a lovely park though and although the moon wasn't out it was thronged with people enjoying that Sunday feeling.
The hotel I'd been staying in in Nihonbashi was more or less across the road from the main branch of Mitsukoshi, Japan's oldest department store which is celebrating its 350th anniversary. I popped in on my way back there.
No comments:
Post a Comment