A Stroll By The River

pretty
beyond the smudged pot smoke
Sumida River
                                          Kobayashi Issa      

Why did I chose this haiku from other haikus on Sumida River? I'm celebrating the arrival of summer and also the mozzies too! ^^

harvest moon
Sumida River thick
with mosquitoes

Early morning view of the river. Taken when I went for my solitary morning jaunt when we were in Asakusa last year.

And these, by Zaini when we took a stroll by the river and ended up in Kinshicho the day before.

Now tell  me it isn't nice to take a long, leisurely walk by the river?

p.s. Zaini doesn't seem to be against a June trip but that trip will have to wait. After all, we are already in mid-June now!

One For The Family Album

Two actually. We didn't bring our camera tripod and we didn't ask anyone take our photos with the Tokyo Sky Tree in the background.

Tokyo Sky Tree officially opens today! WOOT!

Check out Tokyo Sky Tree's website for more info.

But for more fun information plus really awesome photos, with varying stages of the tower's completion during the past years, do check out Rurousha's. Dru has a post up too.

Who won the lottery to go up the tower? ^^

A Tree, From The Street

Just one more week before the official opening of the Tokyo Sky Tree. Do take note that from May 22nd to July 10th will only be available through advance reservation. So, for visitors that would mean visiting after the advance reservation period. Do visit the Sky Tree's website for more info.

And just the the last two week's Tuesday post - here's more Tokyo Sky Tree photos and this time, it's from the streets of Asakusa.

Check out the photos of Tokyo Sky Tree over at my two previous posts :

Tokyo Sky Tree and

A Tree, Seen By The River.

A Tree, Seen By The River

A second post on Tokyo Sky Tree, in celebration of its grand opening on May 22nd, 2012. Not gonna ramble on and on about the tower, as you can read about it my my previous post.

Photos were taken last year, during our trip there in December and all these photos were taken while strolling along the Sumida River.

All photo credit goes to Zaini. Sorry about the dot in the photos. WSYISWG or in this case, here are the photos, blemish and all. At least, one would think twice before nicking these photos! xD

Tokyo Sky Tree

One km east of Asakusa, in “my” (and Rurousha’s too) beloved shitamachi; towers the Tokyo Sky Tree.

Its height of 634 meters tall doubles the height of the “merely” 333-meter tall Tokyo Tower. Tokyo Sky Tree is scheduled to open this month and is the world's tallest free-standing broadcast tower. Note the free standing broadcast tower mentioned. Tower. The tallest building is not this tower. Get over it.

The tower has two observatories: The First Observatory is at 350 meters level and the Second Observatory at 450 meters level, both of which command splendid wraparound views of Tokyo.

The SkyTree can be seen from many places and angles. Among them is a reflection of the tower on the water of the river seen from Jukken Bridge, which is located east side of the tower, as is the tower itself.

OK… so I have no idea whether this shots were taken on the bridge mentioned above, but there were sure plenty of photographers getting their perfect reflection shot when we were there!

To the west, you can see the real tower and a reflection of it in the gold wall of the Asahi Beer building.

This, taken from across the Sumida River. Zaini sure has an artsy eye because we found this same angle shot in a Japanese magazine recently! (If you must know the location: it’s between Shirahige Bridge and Azuma Bridge).

This and other spots around the tower have already been attracting many people who want to see and take photos of the Sky Tree. Travel agencies are conducting various tours to see the tower and, I guess for the very adventurous, you can take a tour by helicopter and see what it looks like from the sky at 600 meters. I suppose the shitamachi will be inundated with visitors from now on, if not before! Good for the neighbourhood’s economy but not good for selfish me who’d rather have the shitamachi all to myself! Heh!

I’m thinking of putting up a weekly Sky Tree post this month; on 1^st, 8^th, 15^th and 22^nd (if I can dig enough photos and ramble enough stories to accompany the photos, that is). What say you?

By the way, it IS opening on May 22^nd right?

Shitamachi Randomness

I promised a Shikoku post (or a series of posts) but if you have been reading this blog long enough, you'd know that I "suffered" from short-term memory loss occassionally and forgot to keep my promise. That Shikoku post(s) will be here. Soon. Sometime soon. I promise. I think. Just come and visit anyway. heh

I figured I'd post up a bit on my beloved "shitamachi" before embarking on a trip to the fourth largest island in Japan. I miss the shitamachi. Wouldn't you?

Amidst concrete and pre-fab buildings, we stumbled upon this shop. I wish I'd taken a proper photo of it but the obachan whom I assumed is the owner was standing in front of it and I was scared I got shooed away with a broom! Obachan can be scary, you know. LOL

One of the shop's neighbours wares. Cheap toys for sale. In bulk. Reminds me of Petaling Street. Who needs big department stores?

Found in the street of Kappabashi, selling what else? Kitchen items. Ceramics shop and a stainless steel pots & pans (among other things) shop. No Cap Buaya/Zebra pots here, ah? kikiki

We wanted to buy a takoyaki mould but decided against it. We flew by AirAsia, remember? Need to pay for all that luggage too! Ain't worth it... yet.

I just like the bus hence the shot of it here.

Errr... an arch?

Ready for dinner, anyone?

Drink & be merry! The stall wasn't that deserted... we were there a tad too early to have the place brimming with after office hours patrons.

Let me loose at a trendy street in Japan and I'll be ill at ease.

Put me in a crowded street and I'll have a massive headache.

But let me wander around the shitamachi that Rurousha loves so much too (psst.... I'm so jealous that she gets to enjoy the shitamachi every day) and I'll be a happy camper.

Cheezu!

Just a cheesy post... and being cheesy posing with cutouts all over Japan.

 

 

 

Say cheese!

Reflections

of the Tokyo Sky Tree while we were meandering around; walking from Asakusa to Kinshicho one fine day last year. You can truly view Tokyo Sky Tree from everywhere and at all angles in Asakusa!

Tokyo Sky Tree stands almost twice as tall as Tokyo Tower, a measly 333 metres in height compared to Sky Tree's 634 metres.

Tokyo Sky Tree will replace Tokyo Tower's role of the signal broadcasting tower. The increase of high-rise buildings makes it essential to have a tower that is taller and in 2006, broadcasting firms agreed that a tower that is more than 600 metres high is needed. Constructed one such tower they did and now - Tokyo Sky Tree dominates the landscape. :)

The Tokyo Sky Tree was capped at 634 metres because the Japanese syllables for 6 (mu), 3 (sa) and 4 (shi) spell out Musashi which was the old name of the district the tower stands. The Musashi district was once ranged from modern day Tokyo to Saitama and parts of north-eastern Kanagawa.

Walk around the neighbouring area where the Sky Tree stands and you will be spoiled for choice for Sky Trees inspired goods and food with the Sky Tree theme. 

By the time we return to Japan for our 9th trip (8th for Raimie) in 2014, it will be 2 years after the Sky Tree opens its door to the public. I hope it'll be easier to get in compared to the first few months; from May 22nd - July 10th. 

Can I say I will be so jealous to the folks over in Tokyo who will be among the first to enjoy the view from the Sky Tree? By the way, Rurousha - you are putting your name in the lottery? Be "kiasu" and make sure you are amongst the first few! ;)

I'll be pacing myself with my Sky Tree photos so the next post on the Sky Tree will be on the special day - on May 22nd!

A View Of A Concrete Tree

I have been somewhat remiss about celebrating the completion of Tokyo Sky Tree on Feb 29th. It was two months later than scheduled but Japan was hit by tsunami and earthquakes last year, if you remember.

Move over Canton Tower. Tokyo Sky Tree now officially towers above you at 634 metres (2,080 feet) tall. However, it  is "only" the second tallest structure in the world, beaten by the mighty Dubai's Burj Khalifa that looms at 830metres.

3 years (the construction of the Sky Tree started in July 2008), 580,000 workers and 65billion Yen later - Tokyo Sky Tree now sets to greet visitors on May 22nd.

For visitors - any thoughts of just strolling by on the day and going up to either one of the two observatory at 350metres and 450metres; admission to the observatory is only allowed with prior reservation made until July 10th in anticipation of eager rush to view it. 

Anyway, enough about dry facts and on with photos! Wooo!!!!

Tokyo Sky Tree viewed in 2010

Tokyo Sky Tree viewed in 2011

This is a "rush" post in order to placate a certain impatient individual and also to "kipas-kipas" or butter her up so that she'll post more on obscure shrines in her blog.

By the way, this is the first of (maybe) a few posts on Tokyo Sky Trees since I have like a bazillion photos of them stashed away. Be patient with me. Ooommmmmm....

And how does the Sky Tree looks like now that it's finished?  Either I go visit Japan and Tokyo again this year or I demand someone to post the latest photo of the Sky Tree in their blog. What say you? ;)

White Beard/Moustache Bridge

Shirahigebashi or Shirahige bridge. A few comments from those in Japan piqued my interest about this bridge and I started snooping around (more like just googling about it. heh) and am fascinated by what I read.

The steel bridge; constructed in 1928 and completed in 1931, is featured in The Sixteen Great Bridges of Tokyo postcard series.

It is also one of the recommended spot to view Sumida summertime fireworks.

And someday, I must visit Shirahige-jinja. I believe that's where the origin of the name of this bridge was derived from? Yes? No?

Founded in 951, Shirahige-jinja was rebuilt countless of times and the last wooden structure that stood there was built in 1864 only to be burned down in 1989 (wow! that recent?) by political activists who were against the succession of Emperor Akihito.

Now... why is Shirahige-jinja called Shirahige-jinja? Rurousha darling - any idea? Seeing that you've visited Shirahige-jinja last year. ^^

Anyway, there is a lovely ukiyo-e (woodblock print) titled Snow at Shirahige by Kawase Hasui in 1920, as one of Twelve Scenes of Tokyo series but it is a decade before the steel bridge was completed. It was of a view towards the Imado ferry from the foot of Shirahige Bridge.

I wonder what/how the bridge looked like in 1920 or the wooden bridge that was built with the money of the people of the area prior to the steel bridge?