30 minutes away from Ikebukuro station, Kawagoe city boasts an area known as 'Little Edo', a section of buildings, shops and warehouses preserved in the style of the Edo period (1603-1868). Despite its proximity to me all these years, I'd never been there until today, though I had heard about it a few times.
Rainy weather isn't ideal for taking photographs, but seeing as how that's all Tokyo has offered me for the past week or so, I decided to take some black and white shots in an effort to capture the dull greyness I've been seeing recently when I step outside.

I'll be honest, 'Little Edo' wasn't what I expected. The English version of the promotional website says:
"...Take a stroll through the town in a kimono and you'll feel as if you've traveled back in time to ancient Edo. You'll be able to see the traditional and pure Japan in Kawagoe which you can't see in Tokyo..."
However it was pretty hard for me to feel any 'ancient' Japanese traditions with a constant flow of noisy traffic going by.
Not only that, there was no way for me to get any really nice shots of the buildings without standing in the middle of the road or including cars in the pictures.
Seeing how there is really only one main 'traditional' street, it would make a lot more sense if traffic was diverted and the street was for pedestrians only.

Patience, and walking up and down the main street about 6 times in total (maybe 10 minutes one way), gave me a few brief chances to shoot scenes with no cars in them. It was either that, or shoot 'above' the traffic, as in the picture below.

One of the most famous landmarks is the 'Bell of Time' a clock tower that is supposedly 350 years old.

The whole time I kept thinking to myself how great these buildings looked in comparison with Japan's modern architectural style, and how the newer buildings in the area stuck out like sore thumbs. With the exception of some of Tokyo's super moden buildings such as the ones in the Marunouchi and Shinagawa districts, most structures in Tokyo today look like they were modelled after cardboard boxes.

Having a nice pedestrian walk to admire them from though would've helped a lot to make my experience here actually enjoyable, even in the rain.

As it was though, the narrow sidewalks, cars, noise, and pollution all conspired to make my visit stressful and generally unsatisfying. My overall verdict? Well the buildings themselves are nice to look at, but if you're looking for a pleasant way to spend a weekend afternoon, you might want to give Kawagoe a pass.

The Commute                                                            (Entered Feb. 27, 2010)
My first painting of 2010, and maybe the most detailed one I've ever done. My goal for this year is to focus less on quantity, and more on detail, something which a lot of my previous paintings lacked.

I don't know what it is about sheep that's a bit frightening, maybe it's that their eyes have a slightly dead look about them? And maybe it's just me. Gotta love 'em though, this is my second painting using sheep, and I wanted to use them again in an even more surrealistic way, something both slightly disturbing and comical.

Lots of symbolism here, and those that know me well will probably be able to figure some of it out.

Date: 2010
Technique: Oil on canvas
Size: M20 (72.5×50 cm)
Price: 40,000 yen

Queen Chateau Soapland Haikyo                               (Entered Feb. 23, 2010)
Surrounded by other adult-themed entertainment venues, it's hard to imagine what would've caused the Queen Chateau Soapland to fall by the wayside, certainly not a lack of customers or bankruptcy, as there were other soaplands in operation right across the street from it.

In the past I've always haikyoed with at least one other person, but this marked my first solo haikyo experience. I guess I would've preferred to have company except that every other haikyoer I know has already been here. Still, the solo aspect of it wasn't too different, as even when I go with other people we always end up spliting up and doing our own thing. The main differences were that I had to make my own map and get there by myself, plus the fact that there was nobody to talk with on the 4+ hours spent on the train getting to and from Ibaraki.

To those of you unfamiliar with Japan and the term soapland, it's basically a place where men (although there is a small percentage catering to women) can be bathed by a young woman. I'll leave the finer details of what else goes on here to your imaginations.

Finding the Queen Chateau was relatively easy, and although entry into the building was simple too, it was made more difficult by the fact that pimps and customers of the nearby open soaplands and massage parlours were right there on the street watching. I arrived around 3:00 in the afternoon, a relatively quiet time, so I made my way inside during a brief lull in car and pedestrian traffic. However I left around 5:00pm when business was just starting to pick up, so getting out was that much harder, though I managed to leave again without being spotted.

I'll be honest, as far as the haikyo I've been to go, the Queen Chateau was definitely subpar. It's fairly large with 6 floors, but after the first floor there is nothing different or interesting about it, all the rooms are basically the same.

Floors 2 to 6 are mirror copies of each other, each floor having 3 rooms, and each one being equipped with a bathtub, bed and usually a chair. After looking around the first few rooms, I got bored and only gave all the other ones cursory glances.

Obviously the below shot was set up, but not by me. I found these shoes posed like this, most likely from the most recent haikyoer, and couldn't resist taking my own shot.

So why did the Queen Chateau close then? A clue perhaps was in the lowest levels. There were a bunch of cramped rooms in the back, filled with narrow bunk beds and one tiny kitchen. There were no windows in the bedrooms and living down there in the mustiness must have been god awful. It isn't too hard to imagine that the girls that worked there were probably illegal immigrants, forced to work to pay off debts or what have you. Prostitution is of course illegal in Japan, and soaplands manage to live in some grey area by not explicitly advertising the obvious details of what goes on inside. My guess is that they were stepping too far and too blatantly over the line and ended up getting closed down by the authorities. Good riddance.

Cake Lighter Than Air                                                 (Entered Feb. 20, 2010)
Japanese cake, so delicious, so exquisite looking, so finely crafted... and so light it will blow away in a gentle breeze.
Excuse me all cake shops and cake makers in Japan, where does one go if one is craving a large, heavy slab of North American style cake with frosting so sweet that one piece will rot your guts out? Nowhere you say? Pity....
Don't get me wrong, Japanese cake is awesome and I thoroughly enjoy eating a piece or three now and again, but there are some things that need saying. Two words off the top of my head: Whipped cream. Enough with it already! I just put up with it these days but I remember the crushing disappointment of years ago when I'd buy a piece of cake because I thought it was covered in a layer of icing, only to find out that it was once again, whipped cream. Hey I love whipped cream as much as the next guy, but sometimes I need a bit more substance than just milk surrounded by air bubbles. Next? Well as anyone who's lived in Japan for a period of time will know, cake here is small. A couple bites and you're done, and that's even when you try to take small bites. And get ready to learn how to pace yourself because at 600 yen each, ordering two pieces is pretty much out of the question.
Unless you go to a 'cake buffet' that is. I took Kumi to one in Ginza for Valentine's day last week, something I'd always wanted to try but for some reason never got around to doing until now. Sure it was great, but it only helped to emphasize the whole issue, which has basically been bothering me for the past 10 years. I ate the eight pieces pictured below plus three more after, and while delicious, they were mainly a collection of whipped cream, mousse and airy cake. There was no icing to be found anywhere, and all of the cakes, with the sole exception of that chocolate piece in the middle, were practically floating away.

Below, is a 'real' cake (this particular one can be had at any Loblaws, at least in Ottawa)! Notice how you can't eat even a small bite without eating a lot of icing sugar? Then there are those roses which are about 3 inches thick and made of pure butter frosting and food colouring. One piece and you'll have gotten your recommended allowance of sugar... for your whole lifetime. Can such a cake be found in Japan? Fat chance.

Although I'd be happy to be proven wrong. If anyone can direct me to a place where I can get cake like this here in tokyo (and don't tell me to make my own, I've tried that before and basically failed) you will be my hero.

Winter Hike in Nikko National Park                             (Entered Feb. 14, 2010)
Nikko is perhaps THE most popular weekend or daytrip destination for Tokyoites, with only Hakone and Kamakura being able to rival it in popularity. The main draw of Nikko is Toshogu Shrine, a beautifully constructed complex where people go to bathe in the presence of one of the greatest daimyo in history, Tokugawa Ieyasu, who is entombed there. Traditional Japanese architecture surrounded by nature definitely makes an impressive visual combination, but this wasn't my reason for going. I went to Nikko with the express purpose of getting away from it all, something I find I have to do more and more when living in the megalopolis of Tokyo. While the crowds descended on Toshogu Shrine, I headed directly to the outskirts, the area around lake Chuzenji and Yunoko, for some winter hiking.

This is my third time visiting Nikko, but pictures and documentation of the two previous times are minimal, and embarrasing at best. One of my goals in going again was to do it some photographic justice.
My first stop was Kegon Falls, (the above picture of Toshogu Shrine was taken at the end of my trip) a heavily touristed spot in its own right, and the place where people with extra time go after seeing Toshogu. I hung around for a few minutes at the falls, but viewing conditions were pretty hazy, and I had yet to get the hang of taking photographs in snowy conditions.

A couple of Japanese macaques hung out with the crowds for a bit before decending down the hills to escape the paparazzi.

And I wasn't long in heading off either in search of solitude.
According to the little map that I picked up, there are numerous hiking trails covering Nikko National Park, but you wouldn't know it in the winter. The trails are covered in snow drifts of various depths, and if it wasn't for the fact that other people had left footprints, I probably wouldn't have tried to hike them.

Even with the snow packed down a bit by past hikers, slogging through it wasn't easy. Depending on the snow's depth I would sometimes start potholling (a leg suddenly falling through the snow right up to my butt) which fills your boots and pants with snow and is extremely draining when it happens over and over. No complaints though, the clean air and beautiful scenery around Lake Chuzenji (above and below photos) more than made up for it, plus living in Tokyo for years has made me miss both snow and (real) winter, it was great to finally be out in it again. It was cold yes, but the effort of hiking through deep snow is a sure way to stay warm.

I had booked a hotel for a night in Yumoto Onsen, about 8 hours away on foot from Kegon Falls, and since I only started my hike around noon I knew I wouldn't be able to make it the whole way before dark. So around 4:30 I veered off to the main road and took a bus the rest of the way, intending to hike the remaining half of the trail tomorrow.
It snowed off and on most of the day, and the skies were generally grey and hazy, not ideal photography conditions, but luckily the sun came out for a brief period around 3:30 so I could get the below shot.

With the setting sun, temperatures dropped quickly. I hadn't intended to go outside again after getting to my hotel, but changed my mind when I looked out and saw the skies had cleared up. The shot below was taken with a 45 second (approximate, used the bulb setting) exposure. I tried longer exposures of more than a minute but surprisingly, the earth spins enough in one minute to give the stars a drawn out look. Even in this shot the stars look a bit 'long'. After about an hour of wandering around the town with camera and tripod in hand, shooting here and there, I went back inside to get some sleep.

It was snowing again the next morning, but I resolved to hike the remaining half of the trail that I missed the first day.
Unlike Lake Chuzenji, Lake Yunoko (below) was completely frozen over except for this small, duck filled section here.

The trails around the west side of Lake Yunoko were completely covered by massive drifts, and if it wasn't for the fact that they were already marked out by skiiers and snowshoers who had left earlier than me, I would've left them alone. There were points where you had to cross over narrow sections only a few footsteps wide, with nothing to support you but snow, and only a few twigs to hold on to. I wondered to myself who would be unlucky enough to have it all give way under them to slide a very ungraceful, 20 or so treefilled meters down to the lakeside. Me perhaps? Thankfully no. I did pothole badly a couple of times, but only a couple. I'd learned by now how to avoid doing it by taking shorter, more careful steps. Showshoes would've been a help, true, but I ended up getting by fine without them.

At one point the trail went right out onto the lake. I followed a bit gingerly, hoping the people before me knew what they were doing. It goes without saying that potholling here would've been a very bad thing. I made it across though, and managed to stay dry.
On the far shore (below picture) you might be able to make out a small building (a boathouse). My hotel, and starting point, is just to its left, hidden in the trees.

It was a Saturday, so I didn't have the peace and tranquility of yesterday's hike. Twice I passed huge groups of hikers, one time a group of almost 20 hikers passed me on the narrow trail while I waited patiently for them to go by, konnichiwas flying around like crazy. Another time I passed a different group of maybe 15, all sitting around cooking with their camp stoves, smoking (of course), and making a racket that would've done Shinjuku proud. Though generally (and luckily) crowds were the exception, not the rule, and 90% of my day was just me and the occasional bird. Sometimes it was so silent that I stopped just to marvel at what nothing sounds like. A rare treat.

The main viewing point of the whole hike for most people is Senjogahara moor (above picture), a flat expanse of wetlands similar to the nearby, Oze National Park, which I visited in autumn. Of course there's not much to see in winter except snow and some shrubs, but still beautiful all the same. Maybe it has to do partly with the fact that it's so unusual to see any flat part of Japan that is still in its natural state.
After about 4 hours I reached the same spot where I ended up at yesterday, and since it was getting late in the afternoon, I caught the bus heading to Nikko station in order to have enough daylight to look around Toshogu Shrine for a while.

I considered just heading home after my hike, but I felt bad not paying at least lip service to Nikko's number 1 attraction. In the end I was glad I did. Toshogu shrine was packed of course, but it was somewhat of a relief after days of snow and bare trees, to be able to photograph something that actually had colour.

I walked around the complex for a bit, but decided not to pay the exorbitant 1300 yen to enter the shrine proper. I remember from previous visits that what you can see from the outside of the shrine is just as nice, if not better than what you can see on the inside.
And with that, I walked the rest of the way to Nikko Station, had a quick lunch, then hopped on a train home. All in all a very relaxing time away from the madness of Tokyo. I'm not sure how the crowds would be on the hiking trails in the summer or fall, perhaps someone out there knows? However if you miss winter and need to get away, but only have a short time to escape, Nikko may be the closest you'll get to perfect.

Tokyo Tower vs. Tokyo Sky Tree                                (Entered Feb. 07, 2010)
First, apologies for the long delay! Finally having some free time, I decided to get out and have a look (and take some photos of course) at how the construction of the new Tokyo Tower (named the 'Tokyo Sky Tree') is coming along, then head to the original Tokyo Tower so I could compare the two. A bit premature perhaps as the Tokyo Sky Tree is only half finished, but even so, it's not that hard to visualize what it'll be like upon completion.

Overall it's an impressive bit of architecture, and will no doubt be even more so when it's done, but there are still a few things that need to be said. Ok so the name. Who is responsible for the horrible moniker 'Tokyo Sky Tree'? I did some research and apparently this is the name that the general population chose in a vote. The names they had to choose from? Tokyo Edo Tower, Tokyo Sky Tree, Mirai Tree, Yume Miyagura, Rising East Tower and Rising Tower. Wow... I guess given the names they had to choose from, choosing Tokyo Sky Tree is just making the best out of a bad situtation, although 'Edo Tower', not 'Tokyo Edo Tower' doesn't sound too bad.

Another small problem in my mind is the shape. Unlike the original Tokyo Tower which has a square base, the base of the Tokyo Sky Tree is triangular. Then as it rises, the shape gradually becomes circular. Very cool and space age looking in theory yes, but when taking pictures of it I noticed that due to this shape, the tower tends to look slightly crooked unless you're looking at it face on.

It's hard to believe, but even unfinished the Tokyo Sky Tree is already almost as tall as the original Tokyo Tower. When it's completed it'll stand at almost double its height, at 634 meters compared with Tokyo Tower's 332.5 meters.

So why even build a new tower? Apparently the old Tokyo Tower is no longer high enough to broadcast a complete digital signal when there are so many new and taller buildings around it.

The old Tokyo Tower is right next to Shiba park and Zojo-ji temple which make great viewing areas, and the red colour definitely gives it character.

It's nice to finally have the means to take some decent pictures of Tokyo Tower now that I own a dSLR camera and a wide enough lens. Before, when I shot with my old digicam's narrow field of view, I could never get right up to the tower and get the whole thing into a picture.

Tokyo Tower definitely looks great from the outside, but give going up to the observation deck a miss. I've been up twice, and both times I was severely underwhelmed. You can get a better and higher view for free in many of Tokyo's skyscrapers, or you can pay 800 yen to go up to the observatory (1600 yen if you want to go up to the second observatory) to get a ho-hum view and be surrounded by shops selling very tacky merchandise, your choice.

Maybe it's all the construction around the Tokyo Sky Tree, maybe it's the fact that the area it's being built in (Oshiage) isn't much to look at itself, maybe it's the boring white colour, but except for height, the Tokyo Sky Tree hasn't got much on Tokyo Tower, at least so far. No doubt it'll look much better in 2012 (the completion date) when they get rid of all the construction mess and Oshiage reinvents itself from an ugly little suburb to something hopefully along the lines of Roppongi Hills. Any chance of giving it a coat of paint though?

Kanazawa                                                                 (Entered Jan. 25, 2010)
Upon polling a bunch of Japanese people (my students) about the best time to go to Kanazawa, the almost unanimous answer was 'in the winter'. The main draw apparently is the famous Kenrokuen park, which apparently looks fabulous covered in snow. I'd been wanting to go to Kanazawa for years now. Why? Mainly because it's one of the few places left in Japan that I haven't yet been, plus everyone I've talked to that's been there has good things to say about it.
Located on the 'Sea of Japan' side of the country, Kanazawa doesn't seem that far from Tokyo when you look at a map, but logistically speaking, it is. It's not a stop (yet) on the famous Shinkansen (Bullet Train), so to get there you need to transfer to a more local train at Echigo Yuzawa (a ski resort in Niigata) which isn't exactly on the way....
You can also fly there if you've got money to burn.

We arrived at Kanazawa station after a 4 hour journey, quickly checked into our hotel, and without delay headed to Kenrokuen, supposedly one of the top three parks in all of Japan. The other two are Kairakuen in Ibaraki (which I went to last March) and Korakuen in Okayama, (which I went to many years before this site's creation). Kenrokuen, Kairakuen and Korakuen. If you're wondering what's up with all the Ks, I have no idea.

Although the weather forecast called for snow on both Saturday and Sunday, all we got was a bit of hail followed by intermitent rain. Snow on the ground then maybe? Unseasonably warm temperatures insured that most of the snow had already melted away. Actually this was a major disappointment for me. I'd saved Kanazawa specifically for the winter so I could see a snow covered Kenrokuen. After 10 years of living in a snowless Tokyo I find myself missing the white stuff, (which is strange because I remember hating in when living in Ottawa). It was especially galling to remember that when we passed through Etchigo Yuzawa station, there was about 3 feet of snow covering everything. We should've just gotten off there and gone skiiing in hindsight.

Even without snow however, Kenrokuen was still quite beautiful, and miles ahead of Kairakuen (whose inclusion in the top three parks of Japan remains a mystery to me). I can only imagine how much more amazing Kenrokuen would be minus the tours, the tour guides shouting into megaphones, and the general crowds milling around.

I found some time to practice, outside of a workshop, with my new sb600 (above and below shots). Still honing my technique though.

Kanazawa may be best known for Kenrokuen, but there are other interesting sights you shouldn't miss, not the least is Higashi Chaya, an area of traditional teahouses, shops, restaurants and geisha that has basically been left unchanged for hundreds of years. Kumi and I went in the evening when the shops were all closed and only a few restaurants still remained open, so we had the place almost to ourselves.

According to Kumi the restaurants here are extremely high class, and you can't even enter one of them, much less eat there, without being very highly connected and, (it goes without saying) very wealthy.

Kanazawa station was a monstrosity, towering above the skyline, and obviously designed by an architect with lots of time, and an endless supply of money on his/her hands. If you can get past that though you can't help but be impressed.

'Welcome to Kanazawa' spelled out with mini fountains. The sign changed every few seconds with various other messages, plus it showed the time. A neat gimmick. Our hotel is directly behind us.

Kumi and I also paid a visit to Kanazawa castle, another tourist destination, although fairly disappointing as far as castles go. Once you get inside there's construction going on everywhere, making for a generally ugly scene. Entry to the grounds is free however, so one can't really complain.

We headed back to Higashi Chaya in the daytime and went to a small cafe, and checked out some of the shops.

Kanazawa is located right next to the Sea of Japan, so it goes without saying that the fish is fresh, and since this isn't Tokyo, cheap. For lunch we went to a famous sushi restaurant and had a big bowl of crab (kani), sea urchin (uni) and salmon roe (ikura) on rice. Those are pretty much the top three most expensive kinds of seafood (with the exception of high grade fatty tuna). In Tokyo I'm sure you'd be paying about 4000 yen for something like this, but in Kanazawa? 2000 yen. And it was amazing.

Kanazawa might not have lived up to the super high expectations I had for it (I had dreams of it being a snow covered, photographic paradise, without crowds), but it was still a fun trip, with lots to see and do. If you're the kind of person who loves traditional Japan, such as the one that can still be found in parts of Kyoto, Kanazawa will suit you just fine, being kind of a smaller, cheaper, and more compact version of said city. And if you can wait until 2014, you won't have to put up with the long ride and heading in the wrong direction for hours, the Shinkansen will take you there directly.

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