there is a street market near ueno park, not unlike a japanese version of camden market in london (well, technically, north of london).
this is in a shop down the street from one blaring flo-rida's "low" (isn't that about 9 mos old now?).
oddly, no jesus pieces. i wonder who japan's jacob the jeweler is.
so, ancient japanese cultures worshiped phalluses - literally, they had little statues in the shape of phalluses that they worshiped. (unlike contemporary patriarchy, which worhsips metaphorical phalluses in every which way it can...)
this is the newest building in the ueno museum complex. ironically, the newer the building, the older the artifacts inside...
the inside of this museum building was by far the most aesthetically pleasing thing i saw all day. it was a big void that hummed with the electric and hvac systems...so peaceful. it was a happy place for me.
this is part of the ueno museum complex, and an interesting take on "international style" modernism.
no guns and ammunition here, but they did catch one of the very, very few homeless panhandlers. he interacted with some members of our party, and he seemed, to me, to be quite obviously mentally retarded.
ueno is like the smithsonian and grant park wrapped into one.
this is a detail from the entrance to a shinto temple in ueno. one rings the door-gong to enter.
ueno was the first part of tokyo settled by the samurai government after it moved from kyoto...this temple is basically a knockoff of a temple in kyoto.
this is a detail from the entrance to a shinto temple in ueno. one rings the door-gong to enter.
ueno was the first part of tokyo settled by the samurai government after it moved from kyoto...this temple is basically a knockoff of a temple in kyoto.
apparently a gajillion lights are strung up on poles throughout the memorial park for summer festivities.
today we went to the yashukuni war memorial - sort of like the japanese equivalent of arlington nat'l cemetery, but with 5000% more crazy right-wing-nationalist connotations.
honestly, i did not sign up to go to wwii vintage sites. i.want.robots!
honestly, i did not sign up to go to wwii vintage sites. i.want.robots!
while i didn't burn any incense at the great buddha, which is where this photo is from, i did burn some at the first temple. it is supposed to bring health and intelligence.
pretty self-explanatory.
more interesting is the fact that a japanese pensionner sereneded a few members of our party with an engrish version of the star-spangled banner.
more interesting is the fact that a japanese pensionner sereneded a few members of our party with an engrish version of the star-spangled banner.
tsurugaokas are shinto symbols. this one is made of pvc. finally something interesting!
and, can i just add:
(1) there was just a camera ad on tv that had, as its background music, some elevator-version of "the battle hymn of the republic"
(2) there is an ad for i think a cell phone company that features a monkey - yes, a monkey - dressed up in a suit at what is some sort of political rally, with "change" signs in the back. i think we get the reference.
(3) monkeys as obama, the battle hymn of the republic - i know that kudzu comes from here, but for reals, are they gonna start waving the confederate flag next? or maybe an ad with lawn jockeys?
and, can i just add:
(1) there was just a camera ad on tv that had, as its background music, some elevator-version of "the battle hymn of the republic"
(2) there is an ad for i think a cell phone company that features a monkey - yes, a monkey - dressed up in a suit at what is some sort of political rally, with "change" signs in the back. i think we get the reference.
(3) monkeys as obama, the battle hymn of the republic - i know that kudzu comes from here, but for reals, are they gonna start waving the confederate flag next? or maybe an ad with lawn jockeys?
honestly, i did not fly 13 hours to learn about history. i want robots, gothic lolitas, and, uh, contemporary japan. ok, maybe 1980, maybe i wouldn't mind learing about 1980. i mean, in akihabra there were dudes building soccer-playing robots.
so, imagine how elated i was to *finally* find a robot today! it appears to be either a siesmograph or some sort of humidity monitor like they have in art museums.
so, imagine how elated i was to *finally* find a robot today! it appears to be either a siesmograph or some sort of humidity monitor like they have in art museums.
apparently much of kencho-ji was destroyed during the war, and then rebuilt in what is quite evidently a contemporary (i.e., clean, minimalist, paging mies way) fashion. i liked this temple site better than kecho-ji.
pretty self-explanatory. this is the entrance, where important documents are usually kept on the second floor.
what was most interesting about kencho-ji was teh ice cream stand. i had some blue sweet potato ice cream, that tasted *just* like mashed sweet potatoes with butter and brown sugar, except cold (the dairy and the mashed texture made the potatoes and ice cream surprisingly similar). others had black sesamie ice cream.
what was most interesting about kencho-ji was teh ice cream stand. i had some blue sweet potato ice cream, that tasted *just* like mashed sweet potatoes with butter and brown sugar, except cold (the dairy and the mashed texture made the potatoes and ice cream surprisingly similar). others had black sesamie ice cream.
some more triangles, this time at kencho-ji, the oldest buddhist temple in japan.
note the triangles at the top of the roof of the building in the distance. they are also carved in the endpoints of the roof tiles.
note the triangles at the top of the roof of the building in the distance. they are also carved in the endpoints of the roof tiles.
the triangle symbol was all over both temple sites we visited today, used as an architectural/ornamental feature on roof tiles, etc. i have no idea what it means, but it seems very art deco.
the swirl at the top with the offering is apparently a family crest.
the swirl at the top with the offering is apparently a family crest.
seriously, this is a beautifully designed sewer-cover. *this* is the part of the city that interests me...everyday urban design. modern ameneties. steel.
so, i'm not one who's into "natural beauty" and "historical sites". i want gritty, post-industrial ubran landscapes, crazy subcultures, and, you know, a modern city.
so, i decided i'd photograph some of the more interesting anachronisms of the temple sights: lightposts, electric boxes, etc.
here are some of my favorite modern objects, flurescente tube lighting. it's like a dan flavin buddha...
so, i decided i'd photograph some of the more interesting anachronisms of the temple sights: lightposts, electric boxes, etc.
here are some of my favorite modern objects, flurescente tube lighting. it's like a dan flavin buddha...
today we went to kamakura, a site that is very historic and full of buddhist and shinto temples.
this is the buddha at engaku-ji, the second most important buddhist temple in japan.
this is the buddha at engaku-ji, the second most important buddhist temple in japan.
...this one's for you, alex peters.
this is on the roof of the gihbli anime museum, which, honestly, isn't 10% as cool as akihabra.
this is on the roof of the gihbli anime museum, which, honestly, isn't 10% as cool as akihabra.
Our seminar is being held on the campus of ICE, an American Christian school in west suburban Tokyo (but suburban in the sense that Brooklyn is a 'suburb' of Manhattan).
The campus is tres belle, very verdant and full of great modernist architecture. I hope to get more pictures as the week progresses.
Notice the cats in the distance. I have not seen any small critters, to their credit.
The campus is tres belle, very verdant and full of great modernist architecture. I hope to get more pictures as the week progresses.
Notice the cats in the distance. I have not seen any small critters, to their credit.
we went to a maid cafe today in akihabra. the premise is that otaku pay to be cared for by maids. some of the group had a problem with this, but honeslty, at least this is one instance where feminized care work, which is almost universally "unpaid" work "outside" the "real" economy, is actually recongized as productive wage labor that is an essential part of the "real" money economy. ...you know, along the lines that a full-time stay-at-home housewife produces work that is worth about $134,000 a year...
we went to a maid cafe today in akihabra. the premise is that otaku pay to be cared for by maids. some of the group had a problem with this, but honeslty, at least this is one instance where feminized care work, which is almost universally "unpaid" work "outside" the "real" economy, is actually recongized as productive wage labor that is an essential part of the "real" money economy. ...you know, along the lines that a full-time stay-at-home housewife produces work that is worth about $134,000 a year...
we went to a maid cafe today in akihabra. the premise is that otaku pay to be cared for by maids. some of the group had a problem with this, but honeslty, at least this is one instance where feminized care work, which is almost universally "unpaid" work "outside" the "real" economy, is actually recongized as productive wage labor that is an essential part of the "real" money economy. ...you know, along the lines that a full-time stay-at-home housewife produces work that is worth about $134,000 a year...
the first is a picture of the sega building, one among many branded retail centers devoted to otaku culture.
the first is a picture of the sega building, one among many branded retail centers devoted to otaku culture.
the first is a picture of the sega building, one among many branded retail centers devoted to otaku culture.
today we went on a tour of akihabra. now, after the otaku murders last month, the city has put the "walking paradise" (i.e., parade of cosplaying otaku) on hiatus until at least september. that said, it was still a.total.sausage.party. the only women i saw were either maids, clerks, or girlfriends.
in the otaku skyscraper, there is a huge figurine store where they have several different sizes of optimus prime, and a decent (but smalish) megatron. i am totally going back for optimus - it's only like 20 bucks for the 6" figure.
now, the space invader artist also apparently has some artwork up around tokyo...i need to locate and photograph some of that.
in the otaku skyscraper, there is a huge figurine store where they have several different sizes of optimus prime, and a decent (but smalish) megatron. i am totally going back for optimus - it's only like 20 bucks for the 6" figure.
now, the space invader artist also apparently has some artwork up around tokyo...i need to locate and photograph some of that.
today we went on a tour of akihabra. now, after the otaku murders last month, the city has put the "walking paradise" (i.e., parade of cosplaying otaku) on hiatus until at least september. that said, it was still a.total.sausage.party. the only women i saw were either maids, clerks, or girlfriends.
in the otaku skyscraper, there is a huge figurine store where they have several different sizes of optimus prime, and a decent (but smalish) megatron. i am totally going back for optimus - it's only like 20 bucks for the 6" figure.
now, the space invader artist also apparently has some artwork up around tokyo...i need to locate and photograph some of that.
in the otaku skyscraper, there is a huge figurine store where they have several different sizes of optimus prime, and a decent (but smalish) megatron. i am totally going back for optimus - it's only like 20 bucks for the 6" figure.
now, the space invader artist also apparently has some artwork up around tokyo...i need to locate and photograph some of that.
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