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Tokyo Times
www.wordpress.tokyotimes.org
19
Notes from a small group of Japanese islands
#69274 in All

A bearded and mercifully modest Japanese transvestite

One of the great joys of living in Tokyo is that despite all the regulation, it is also incredibly random, meaning it’s impossible to predict what’s round the next corner. And it’s even better ...

1 day ago

Tokyo shitamachi life

The bright lights, bustling crowds and big stores are all popular images of Tokyo. Quite accurate ones too. Or at least they are for some parts of the city. But in the capital’s older, shitamachi are...

3 days ago

A(nother) Meiji Shrine wedding

The first time I saw a wedding at Tokyo’s Meiji Shrine, I marvelled at its timelessness, not to mention the elaborate outfits and graceful movements of the procession. A special moment I considered m...

4 days ago

Timeless Tokyo fashion?

Yes, it may well be getting warm. Unfortunately a tad humid too. But it’s clear that as far as this immaculate and wonderfully attired man is concerned, such conditions are by no means an excuse to l...

5 days ago 1 person likes this

Gritty and wonderfully grubby Shinjuku

The cleanliness of Tokyo is often — not to mention quite rightly — commended, but certain parts of the city are gloriously grubby, and perhaps none more than Shinjuku. A place where big n...

25 may 12

A rabbit in the headlights?

Many pedestrians were rather taken aback by the rabbit. And I certainly surprised the young lady. But the supposedly timid animal itself simply carried on regardless.

24 may 12

Tokyo’s dark underbelly: The poor. The drunk. The destitute.

There are many popular images of Tokyo, but extreme poverty generally isn’t one of them. In the east of the capital, however, in an area once known as Sanya, that’s exactly what you see. ...

22 may 12 1 person likes this

Tokyo Sky Tree (X2)

Tomorrow (May 22), the tallest tower in the world, Tokyo Sky Tree, will finally open to the public. Built primarily to relay television and radio broadcasts, it stands at a very impressive 634 metres...

21 may 12

Japanese flower child?

A little girl, ever so briefly lost in the lovely colours of spring.

18 may 12 1 person likes this

Moriyama Daido in Tokyo

The plush interior of the wonderful Daikanyama T-Site may well be a world away from Moriyama Daido’s usual haunt of the decidedly less glamorous, and far more gritty, Shinjuku. But, on Monday night, ...

17 may 12

A lonely Tokyo park scene?

An unusually quiet scene that yet somehow. In some ways. Sums up Tokyo.

16 may 12 1 person likes this

Japanese zombies in a Tokyo park

At the weekend in particular, Tokyo’s Yoyogi Park offers the visitor such a vast array of sights and sounds that it’s hard to be genuinely surprised by anything anymore. An attribute that...

15 may 12 1 person likes this

Fight the power?

Just over a week ago, the last of Japan’s 54 nuclear power plants was shut down; a process that took almost 14 months. Primarily they were taken offline to conduct safety tests, but huge public...

14 may 12

The touching sight of an old parrot and its equally ageing owner

Seeing an old lady looking after a load of goldfish with a parrot on her shoulder is definitely not an everyday sight. Or at least it’s not if you don’t live anywhere near an old lady who...

11 may 12 1 person likes this

Japan’s saddest cowboy?

There are lots of tedious jobs in Tokyo. Perhaps none more so than the holding up of placards promoting the likes of pachinko or new properties. And for this fella, in contrast to his rather jaunty h...

09 may 12

A dog. Wearing glasses. Driving a remote controlled car. In Ginza

Tokyo’s glitzy Ginza district is mostly known for its expensive brands and flagships stores. A place where the rich go to buy, and the rest to browse. At the weekend, however, when the main str...

08 may 12 1 person likes this

No nukes, no more

Over the weekend, Japan’s last operating nuclear plant was shut down, leaving the country without atomic power for the first time since 1970. A move that for a large number of people means job done &...

07 may 12 1 person likes this

Japanese public (and well prepared) sleeping

The ability of many Japanese to sleep practically anywhere, and at anytime, never ceases to amaze me. Standing up. Sitting down. Unceremoniously slumped. No situation seems capable of getting in the ...

04 may 12 1 person likes this

Japanese tattoos in Tokyo

Due to Japan’s rather old-fashioned approach to tattoos, this man won’t be able to spend some time in a spa, or even pop down to his local swimming pool. Thankfully he can, however, still...

03 may 12

A penny farthing rider in Tokyo

For a country renowned for its conformity, Japan throws up a wonderful array of contradictions, meaning one can never be completely sure of what’s round the next corner. Surprises that, despite...

01 may 12 1 person likes this

Underground Asakusa?

Tokyo’s subway system is as clean and efficient as its highly praised cousin above ground. So much so in fact that it results in a rather sterile, characterless environment. One invariably made...

30 apr 12

Japanese girl friends

Happy. Unhurried. And hand in hand in Harajuku.

27 apr 12 1 person likes this

The world’s most wondrous wig(s)?

In a country that places such a great importance on appearance, it’s surprising how many salary men sport truly shocking wigs. Hairpieces that are often so obvious it can only be assumed that the wea...

26 apr 12

Kimonos and conversations

A kind of conversation that’s quite possibly as common as their kimonos are uncommon.

24 apr 12

Tokyo train drunk

It’s not unusual at all to see train travellers in Tokyo either utterly worn out from work, or worse for wear from one too many. This fella, however, was so tired after a tipple or ten that eve...

23 apr 12 1 person likes this

A home of sorts beneath the blossom

The young. The old. The fallen.

20 apr 12

The timelessness of Japanese festivals?

Japanese festivals are interesting for many different reasons, but in these rapidly changing times, their timelessness is possibly the most intriguing.

19 apr 12 1 person likes this

An abandoned and wonderfully decayed Japanese school

After visiting the abandoned but perfectly preserved mountain school last year, it seemed inconceivable that there was a similar haikyo out there that could match it. And in many ways, the incredibly...

17 apr 12 1 person likes this

The season when drinking on the street isn’t seen as antisocial

In fact so long as there are a few bits of cherry blossom still about, drinking on the street is not only socially acceptable, it’s sociable. Plus possibly even more staggering is the fact that it’s ...

15 apr 12

The eternal misery of men?

Thoughtfully provided seats in department stores are more often than not the domain of men. Reluctant shoppers who despite their best efforts get dragged out into the frightening world of ladies fash...

13 apr 12

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