travel

National Stadium

by

The National Stadium is the main Olympic stadium for the Tokyo Olympics.  It was rebuilt and finished in 2020.  The biggest challenge was to keep the height of the stadium low since it is located next to the Meiji Shrine that enshrines the spirit of the Meiji Emperor.  Although it can hold up to 68,000 people, its height is only 47 meters, whereas the Montreal Olympic Stadium that holds 66,000 is 165 meters high.  This National stadium is also designed to survive massive earthquakes so that it will become a shelter if one occurs.

The design emphasizes the warmth of earth, and trees from all 47 prefectures in Japan were used for its eaves.

Tokyo 2020 Olympics

by

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics are being held for 17 days from July 23rd through August 8th, 2021.  The starting date was pushed back a year due to COVID-19, and until the very last minute people were still wondering if it would really be held at all.  Although the games have started as scheduled, there is no live audience.  But even under these conditions, athletes must be happy to have the chance to perform and compete.  頑張ってください！

箱根 – Hakone

by

Since I mentioned “Hakone” in my previous post, let me introduce it more completely.  Hakone is a well-known resort area located about 30 miles from Mt. Fuji.  It is popular for its hot springs and for having nice views of Mt. Fuji.  This photo shows Mt. Fuji, and was taken from Hakone.  It also shows the system of scenic ropeways that is normally available from Hakone although this is currently out of service due to the Coronavirus outbreak.  During the Edo period Hakone was one of the government checkpoints.

From Hotel Green Plaza Hakone

京都の川床 – Kyoto Riverbed

by

Kyoto is well-known for its riverbed restaurants.  These are restaurants that build zashiki or a tatami-covered platforms on the river and serve food and drinks.  This service normally runs from May until September. However, Kyoto gets very hot in the summer, so there is no service at lunch time between June and August due to the danger that food might spoil in the heat.

Rainy Day in Tokyo

by

Tourists typically prefer to visit Japan during the dry and sunny days, but I still enjoy cloudy skies, and the look and sound of rain on the glistening streets and buildings.  This is a photo of Tokyo Tower in the rain.

梅雨 – Rainy Season

by

Last year the rainy season ended at the end of June in Tokyo.  That was the earliest ever according to the Japan Weather Association which has been keeping records since 1951.  This year they are predicting that the rainy season will last until the mid/end of July. Usually the rainy season in Tokyo area starts near the end of May or the beginning of June and ends around the beginning to middle of July.  The rain often brings out the beauty of scenery in Japan especially at the traditional showplaces.

鈴木秀総 – Hidenobu Suzuki

by

This is a rainy season photo by Suzuki Hidenobu of a pond known as Monet’s pond in Gifu, Japan.  Hidenobu is a well-known photographer not only in Japan but also in Europe and the U.S.  He received a gold award at the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts (SNBA) exhibition that was held at the Louvre Museum in 2016.  His photos were displayed at the SNBA exhibitions in 2016 and 2017 and at Art Expo New York in 2018. He has received several awards from the National Geographic Society in 2014~2018.  More of his photos are here.

Minion Yellow Christmas

by

Even though most Japanese people are not Christian, Christmas is very popular in Japan.  There are lots of special Christmas events all over Japan. Minion Yellow Christmas is the 2018 Christmas event at Universal Studio in Osaka, Japan.  It runs until 1/6/19.

Sumida River Fireworks

by

The biggest firework event in Tokyo is held annually near the Sumida River (隅田川花火大会).  The total number of the fireworks for this event is 20000 shells and the show lasts about 90 minutes.  The original firework event was held in 1733, and since 1978 it has been held every year.

Asagaya Tanabata Festival

by

A neighborhood in Tokyo called Asagaya holds its annual festival (阿佐谷七夕まつり) for Tanabata (click for more details) in August about one month after the day of Tanabata because the date of the festival is based on the lunar calendar.  It was first held in 1954 and since then Asagaya has become well known for its spectacular Tanabata festival. They built glass roof in 1962 for the festival because when it rains, the dye from Tanabata decorations can stain visitors’ clothing.