Things Japanese XXV: Bunnies, Tokyo Style

If you’d be looking for the world’s most fashionable pet rabbit, Tokyo’s hip Roppongi district would not be a bad starting place. This specimen I spotted nibbling on the greenery at Roppongi Hills. We already know that Tokyo dogs are dressed in style, so why would Tokyo’s fierce fashion stop short of our other four-legged friends? No good reason at all for that, really!
Deciphering the label on the bunny’s dress, I was actually able to dig up the website of tortue et lapin. So, yes, rabbit clothing is totally a thing in Japan!

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Tokyo’s Towers – old and new

Tokyo Skytree – seen from the roof of the Asakusa Matsuya department store

Tokyo’s most striking landmark is undoubtedly the Skytree – completed in 2012 and standing 634m tall – overlooking the Megapolis from its outskirts. Its older and much shorter cousin, Tokyo Tower (built in 1958 and 333m tall) on the other hand, dominates the city center. While the Skytree has a sleek modern shape and looks almost fake, the Tokyo Tower has a more classical shape reminiscent of the Eiffel Tower, shining in “international orange” and white.

Tokyo Tower, seen from the park of Roppongi Hills

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Asakusa Yabusame

On the third Saturday in April, traditional Japanese archery demonstrations are held in Asakusa. The road along the Sumida river in the Sumida River Park is roped off, benches for paid seats are put up and in the center of the road, a track is prepared with sand for the horses to run on. Three targets are placed along the road.

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Finally: Up the Sky Tree

I’ve finally been able to gratify what could be termed an almost 3-year long obsession – after all, I could watch Tokyo’s new landmark grow into the sky from my balcony. Since I did not want to leave things to chance, I reserved my ticket online (only possible with Japanese credit card). We chose an 8pm time slot thinking that a night view of Tokyo would be particularly impressive.

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Autumn in Tokyo (Picture Book)

We’re back in Tokyo, and this is the reason why it’s a good idea to come in this season: autumn leaves! It’s not quite at the level of the cherry bloom, but the run to parks and gardens (armed with heavy photographic equipment) is considerable.

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Panda Mania

Even before the giant pandas Li Li and Shin Shin arrived at Ueno Zoo last year, the zoo’s surroundings went into a panda craze from which they have not yet recovered. What could suit the Japanese better than the giant panda, the epitome of cuteness in the animal realm? One could almost say that looking at all the panda themed things is more fun than seeing the pandas themselves, at least when all they do is sleep like during our visit.

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Yushima and Okachimachi

During our last visit in Tokyo, we lived in a part of town that even though not far from our old hunting grounds, was new to us: Yushima (湯島). Just across the border from our old Taito-ku, it is located in Bunkyo-ku, not far from the main Hongo campus of the University of Tokyo.
The main attraction of Yushima itself is the Yushima Tenjin (湯島天神), a large shrine compound with several buildings and a garden.

Yushima Tenjin

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Sky Tree is Open Now!

Finally, the Tokyo Sky Tree is open to the public! Until July 11, however, tickets are only available through a lottery. For us, it means in any case that it will have to wait until our next visit. We’ve watched the Sky Tree grow from its humble beginnings to impressive heights and into its final form right in front of our door step. While its outside aspect has not changed in the meantime, it does display a number of lighting patterns at special occasions. Here are two of them, seen during the cherry blossom festival at the Sumida river.

Even though the ticket price of 3000 Y is not exactly cheap, we’re sure to go up, for the view of Tokyo and to finally see it from top!

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A Different Face of Tokyo: Yanaka

Yanaka (谷中) is located roughly between Nippori and Ueno, in Tokyo’s old downtown district of Taito. It is a place unlike any other I know in Tokyo, a place where time seems to have stood still since the days of “old Japan”. We had fallen upon this place by pure chance a year ago, but unfortunately my camera had run out of battery just then. So we returned there this year, camera in hand.

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The Garden of Denbou-In – Asakusa’s Secret

For years I have been peeping through the fence to get a look at the garden of Denbou-In, adjacent to the big temple complex of Sensou-ji in Asakusa. Now, finally, I’ve been able to enter. This spring, until May 7, the garden is extraordinarily open to the public. Unfortunately, I’ve missed the bloom of its amazing Shidarezakura trees (weeping cherry trees), but the garden is beautiful in every season.

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