Rape Blossoms by The Railway Tracks
Contributed by yellowlibra, 30/03/2010 at 11:34 The Tobu Kameido line, which I’m greatly indebted to. A one man operation (OMO), double-carriage train that runs in 10-minute intervals. A local line that takes its own time shuttling back and forth between Kameido and Hikifune. A rail service whose vibe, unlike the likes of JR and the subway, evokes an immediate sense of familiarity among its passengers. High-schoolers on their way to and from school; the slightly oversized plushies dangling from their cellphones have a soothing effect on me. Housewives, children in tow, heading home after their grocery runs; salarymen, worn out by sundown. In this train with but two carriages, I get a glimpse of the lives of the people living close to me, just like that. Seeing how the pleasant weather had made a rare appearance today after so long, I walked to the station alongside the railway lines. As my eyes fell on the rail track near the crossing, my thought turned to the rape blossoms that I always admire from the train. I stopped by and looked over the fence. “Oh, yes. They’re blooming alright,” I thought to myself. But you know what? As much as I would love to stare at them forever, I prefer the sudden, brief cheer brought on by a fleeting glance of yellow, as a rape blossom field whizzes by. Rape blossoms disappearing into the distance from the window of a swaying train. That’s my favorite spring-time scenery.
Ino Tadataka
Contribué par chavier, le 31 dec 2009 à 10:35
日本語
English
Savez-vous qui est Ino Tadataka ?
Il était un cartographe japonais qui a parcouru le pays, en produisant la première carte très précise du Japon de la période d’Edo. La carte a été archevée par son équipe en 1821 après son décès en 1818.
Une statue en bronze de Tadataka se dresse au sanctuaire Fukagawa Hachiman. On dit qu’il a habité l’actuel Monzen Nakamachi, et qu’il visitait le sanctuaire chaque fois qu’il partait faire un relevé topographique.
“Le premier point de la triangulation de 3e ordre au Japon qui se conforme au nouveau système géodésique” se trouve au sol à côté de la statue. Pour être honnête, je n’ai aucune idée ce que cela veut dire exactement.
Tadataka avait déjà 50 ans quand il est venu à Edo (l’actuelle Tokyo) en 1794 pour apprendre de son maître, Takahashi Yoshitoki, et avait 56 ans quand il a entrepris son premier relevé en 1800. Enthousiasmant, n’est-ce pas ? C’est jamais trop tard pour commencer quelque chose si on en a envie.
View Larger Map
Nanahari, Le Barbier, La Nuit, et La Musique
Contribué par umibe305, le 22 fev 2010 à 18:29
Je me suis réveillée à 18h50. Le spectacle était à 19h00. J’ai sauté hors du lit, bondi sur mon vélo, et j’ai détalé à Hachobori.
J’ai ouvert la porte coulissante, et je me suis assise sur l’escalier du sous-sol de l’ex-barbier. La porte, celle qui est insonorisée, était lourde et un peu effrayante.
Ayant trop faim, je n’ai même pas eu envie de bière. Entre des voix apaisantes et les jeux de tambour ultra-rapides et précis, la nuit s’est enfuie, et il était déjà 22h30. Il était temps de rentrer pour me coucher. C’était un jour court de 5 heures.
Guerilla Gardening à la Rue
Contribué par East Tokyo Survey, le 22 fev 2010 à 18:30
Pas seulement à l’Est de Tokyo, mais aussi à beaucoup d’endroit où les villes anciennes restent, vous verrez les “jardins de trottoirs” avec un tas de pots de fleurs qui dépassent presque dans la rue.
Dans ces quartiers, les maisons ont été construites pour mieux utiliser les terrains limités, et il n’y a pas de jardin privé, bien sûr. Les pots de fleurs occupent absolument tous les petits espaces d’une façon peu méthodique, et les fleurs sont cultivées complètement au hasard.
Pour en savoir plus sur les jardins-guérilla à Tokyo, lisez la suite.
Les artistes adorent l’Est de Tokyo@PingMag
Contribué par East Tokyo Survey, le 5 sep 2009 à 14:30
Cet article est un des meilleurs sur l’Est de Tokyo. Je regrette que le site soit en “interruption prolongée, voire définitive”. J’espère qu’il reviendra un jour. Vive le PingMag !
“Les vieux quartiers de beaucoup de grandes villes ont des liens forts avec l’art et les gens qui y habitent. Les plus caractéristiques de ce lien sont Soho de New York, l’East End de Londres ou Mitte de Berlin. Mais qu’est-ce que vous avez su sur la situation plus ou moins similaire à l’Est de Tokyo? Dans les districts Mukoujima et Kyojima de l’arrondissement de Sumida, vous ne trouverez pas beaucoup de gratte-ciels, des grands écrans télé ou des jeunes qui s’habillent comme s’ils venaient juste de sortir des pages d’un magazine de mode. Au contraire, vous rencontrerez les gens réels qui rénovent des maisons pour ouvrir des galeries et des cafés, vivant et créant ainsi des œuvre à leur propre rythme. PingMag vous fait visiter l’Est de Tokyo pour explorer ses charmes !”
Pour en savoir plus, voyez PingMag – Artists Love East side Tokyo
Le Panda, Hanayashiki
Contribué par hermannhermann, le 12 fev 2010 à 01:45
J’aime bien ce panda qui se trouve devant le parc d’attractions d’Hanayashiki. Alors, cela suffit pour aujourd’hui.
Et Kewpie le panda est en vente maintenant !
Pour les lecteurs étrangers:
Hanayashiki, le plus vieux parc d’attractions au Japon, a ouvert ses portes en 1853, en tant que jardin botanique. Il est actuellement célèbre, ou notoire pour certains, pour ses attractions fatigantes inutilement dangereuses, et sa gloire passée. Durant son âge d’or, il retentissait de cris. Il est incontournable si vous visitez Tokyo. Oui, il est encore en vogue, croyez-moi !
Musée Mémorial De Bashō
Contribué par umibe305, le 26 nov 2009 à 16:30
日本語
English
Bashō Matsuo (1644 – 1694) était un poète du haïku japonais qui est probablement le plus connu pour ce haïku au sujet d’une grenouille :
« furu ike ya
kawazu tobikomu
mizu no oto »
Ou traduit en français :
« Paix du vieil étang
Une grenouille plonge
Bruit de l’eau. »
Cette fois-ci, nous allons vous présenter un reportage de notre mini voyage à un petit musée où les souvenirs commémoratifs, l’histoire, et la culture de l’époque de Bashō sont exposés.
Nous nous étions attendus simplement à traverser le pont Kiyosu, prendre à gauche, et trouver le musée de l’autre côté du fleuve après le pont Mannen. Mais en fait, ce n’était pas si direct. Alors, bienvenue au monde de Bashō. C’est le moment de partir en expédition ! Venez vous joindre à nous !
On shitamachi
Contributed by East Tokyo Survey, 20/03/2010 at 14:39
Shitamachi (shita – low/down, machi – city/town) is a word used to call or describe certain areas in Tokyo.
We use the word often in daily life, and we assume that we share some kind of a common understanding about what characterizes shitamachi, don’t we? Take, for instance, the narrow paths between faded traditional houses, local eateries and stores that are proud of their long history, elderly folks and cats wandering around during daytime, just to name a few. The exact meaning and origin of the word, however, is yet a kind of mystery, at least for me.
So at this time, I’d like to give it some thought. What is shitamachi?
As you know, the word “downtown” in English refers to the financial and commercial center of a city and is said to have originated in New York City. The development of the city began from the southern part of Manhattan Island, and even till today, the area still stands as the center of one of the greatest cities in the world. So in Manhattan, going southward, or “downwards” on a map, literally means to go “downtown.”
Shitamachi, on the other hand, despite sounding a lot like downtown when literally translated, originally meant the opposite.
When the word first came into use in the Edo period, the samurai, who were considered a higher class, lived in the area west of Edo castle (present Imperial Palace) located at the end of Musashino terrace. The area was called yamanote (“toward the mountain” in English), which is also a word we still use today. A couple of examples that come to mind are “a lady of yamanote,” which means a girl from a rich family, and of course, the name of Tokyo’s main “mode of transportation,” the Yamanote line.
Shitamachi, contrary to yamanote, originally referred to the area around the Sumida river in eastern Tokyo, where the lower class merchants and craftsmen lived. You can also see how the area is literally lower than the hillside of yamanote area on the map. Actually, certain parts of shitamachi were not even originally land at the beginning of Edo period, but were built artificially by the Tokugawa Shogunate.
During the peaceful days of Edo period, which lasted about three hundred years under the domination of the Tokugawa Shogunate, fashion and culture unique to Edo flourished in shitamachi. It can be said that the citizens of shitamachi were more inventive and had more “joi de vivre” than the stiff and formal samurai. Those who were born in shitamachi were called edokko, children of Edo.
These days, the word shitamachi is often used to refer to places where the atmosphere of the olden days remains, regardless of the location. For example, Kagurazaka and Bunkyo, both located to the west of the Imperial Palace, are sometimes referred to as shitamachi. On the other hand, we don’t usually consider Toyosu or Sunamachi shitamachi, even though they are both located in the east, because Toyosu and Sunamachi are areas filled with modern housing complexes.
The usage of words changes with time, just like how “downtown” now refers to the center of many cities other than New York. So it is not very easy to say where shitamachi begins and ends nowadays, as shitamachi is more about culture than geography. Shitamachi joucho, or “shitamachiness,” is fragmented and scattered throughout the city.
And I love the old shitamachi as much as the drastically changing aspects of the city. I believe the fun and attractiveness of Tokyo lies in its rather disorganized formation. So, why not go out and try to find your own city’s shitamachi!
Kameido Daikon, Fukuwake-festival in Katori-shrine
Contributed by yellowlibra, 03/08/2010 at 01:25
I took a trip to Katori Shrine in Kameido.
Two of the Seven Lucky Gods* of Kameido, Ebisu and Daikoku, were at the shrine. They were, literally, a picture of bliss and prosperity.
* The Seven Lucky Gods are deities of good fortune in Japanese folklore that have origins in Indian mythology.
The words in calligraphy say, “Welcome to the home of the God of Sports, Katori Shrine. The katsumamori (an amulet for success) that was much talked about on TV is now on sale. Conquer sports, conquer illness, conquer yourself.” For some reason, the words “conquer yourself” jumped out at me.
Today was Fukuwake Matsuri (Spreading Happiness Festival). Local women hyped up the event with Japanese drums.
This woman with the tenugui twisted into a headband was once featured in Chi-sampo, a local cultural TV program.
She runs a miso store called Miso-no-Marujo just round the corner, and is affectionately nicknamed “Ms. Meddlesome” by the locals. Her compassionate nature prompts her to play “Aunt Agony” to the people in her neighborhood, and to extend a helping hand to those in need. She did not wear the headband specifically for the festival; it is part of her daily attire.
She can throw the paddle, which is used for scooping miso paste onto the weighing scale, back into the miso barrel from a distance. She picked up this scale because she found it a hassle to go back to the barrel just to return the paddle.
I had the Fukuwake Misoshiru (Spread-The-Happiness miso soup), which was the main purpose of my trip.
One of the ingredients was the local vegetable Kameido daikon (Japanese radish), which was crunchy and strong in flavor. Savoring the warm miso soup on the chilly temple grounds amidst a steady drizzle was a sublime experience.
Cultivation of Kameido daikon is said to have begun in the Edo period. Apparently, the people favored the vegetable because both its leaves and roots, when lightly pickled, tasted good. The area surrounding Katori Shrine, once the cultivation center for the vegetable, had since been turned into housing land; the cultivation center is now in Edogawa and Katsushika wards. The district Residents’ Committee and Retailers Association have joined hands to start a movement to bring back Kameido daikon. Daikon fields can now be found on the grounds of elementary schools around the Kameido district. A revival of the local vegetable! I would like to support this movement with all my heart!
View Larger Map
Fukagawa Tokyo Modankan
Contributed by East Tokyo Survey, 21/11/2009 at 20:55
Fukagawa Tokyo Modankan, a gallery and tourist information center of Koto-ku, opened in October this year.
The building was, apparently, originally a municipal-run public eating house called Fukagawa Shokudo, built as part of the restoration plan for the Great Kanto Earthquake; it served food at cheap prices. Its life as a restaurant ended when air raids damaged the building during World War II. The authorities had considered demolishing it at one time, but it now stands as designated national cultural heritage.
As you can see in the picture, it is a lovely building with distinctive circular windows.
A countertop with an induction cooker in the building reminded me that this used to be a eating house. The interior was orderly in a bureaucratic kind of way. Not particularly exciting. Oh, except for the stairway to the second floor and the stained-glass like decoration at the windows.
On the first floor were comparisons of Edo period and present-day maps, and some nice photos of seasonal events in the neighborhood; on the second floor were exhibits about the history of the eating house and the historical buildings in the area.
The volunteer at the center was kind enough to explain everything in detail for me, so I felt that I had to ask some questions to show that I was genuinely interested.
“Is this small island Tsukuda-jima?” was all I could manage.
“I don’t know,” she replied, “because it’s in another ward.”
Well, not only was she kind, she was very honest too. It seemed like her area of expertise was shrines and temples. I got a very detailed explanation on the likes of Hachiman Shrine and Nanawatari Shrine.
Guided tours are also available and you can enjoy a one-hour excursion in Monzen-Nakacho on Saturdays, Sundays and National holidays.
View Larger Map
