ravb-reisgids tokyo

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INDEX

TIME SCHEDULE

SURVEY MAPS

PRACTICAL INFO

GENARAL INFO JAPAN

GENARAL INFO TOKYO

GINNZA - CHUO

YOYOGI HARAJUKU

TOKYO MIDTOWN - ROPPONGI HILLS

ODAIBA

UENO

ASAKUSA

SHINJUKU

OMOTESANDO - SHIBUYA

OPTIONAL PROGRAMME

2

4

8

14

26

34

40

60

70

78

86

98

108

116

126

Ikebukuro

Hachioji Library

Crazy houses

Made in Tokyo

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TIME SCHEDULE

LEESWIJZER

Het programma is door ons opgesteld om zoveel mogelijk van Tokyo te kunnen zien en om zo een zo goed mogelijke indruk te geven van de architectuur en de stedenbouw in Tokyo. De dagdelen in de morgen zijn de verplichte dagdelen, deze dagdelen geven volgens ons de beste weergave van ‘s werelds grootste metropool. Het middagprogramma is niet verplicht, de dagdelen kunnen uitgewisseld met andere dagdelen die op de andere middagen gepland staan of de andere vrije keuze programma-onderdelen. Het algemene programmaoverzicht is wel zo opgebouwd om de reistijden zo kort mogelijk te houden en het maximale uit de 4,5 dag Tokyo te halen.

Pag. 40

Pag. 60

Pag. 70

Pag. 78

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TIME SCHEDULE

LEESWIJZER

Het programma is door ons opgesteld om zoveel mogelijk van Tokyo te kunnen zien en om zo een zo goed mogelijke indruk te geven van de architectuur en de stedenbouw in Tokyo. De dagdelen in de morgen zijn de verplichte dagdelen, deze dagdelen geven volgens ons de beste weergave van ‘s werelds grootste metropool. Het middagprogramma is niet verplicht, de dagdelen kunnen uitgewisseld met andere dagdelen die op de andere middagen gepland staan of de andere vrije keuze programma-onderdelen. Het algemene programmaoverzicht is wel zo opgebouwd om de reistijden zo kort mogelijk te houden en het maximale uit de 4,5 dag Tokyo te halen.

Pag. 86

Pag. 98

Pag. 108

Pag. 116

618 19

OPTIONAL PROGRAMME

Pag. 126

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OPTIONAL PROGRAMME

Geen vastgestelde tijden of afspreekpunten

Pag. 134

Pag. 132

Pag. 136

Ligt op de route of nabij de bezienswaardigheden in de verplichte of optionele dagdelen

718 19

OPTIONAL PROGRAMME

820 21

SURVEY MAPS

tokyo Apartment - Sou Fujimoto

HACHIOJI LIBRARY

Reflection of Mineral by Atelier Tekuto

Lucky Drops by Atelier Tekuto

OD

AIBA

ASAK

USA

UEN

OG

INZA

- C

HU

O

ROPP

ON

GI

OM

OTE

SAN

DO

- S

HIB

UYA

SHIN

JUKU

IKEB

UKU

ROYo

yogi

- H

araj

uku



HACHIOJI LIBRARY

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SURVEY MAPS


HACHIOJI LIBRARY



OD

AIBA

ASAK

USA

UEN

OG

INZA

- C

HU

O

ROPP

ON

GI

OM

OTE

SAN

DO

- S

HIB

UYA

SHIN

JUKU

IKEB

UKU

ROYo

yogi

- H

araj

uku



HACHIOJI LIBRARY

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TOKYOUENO

ASAKUSA

GINZA

ODAIBA

TOKYO MIDTOWN ROPPONGI HILLSOMOTESANDO

SHIBUYA

SHINJUKU

YOYOGI HARAJUKU

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TOKYOUENO

ASAKUSA

GINZA

ODAIBA

TOKYO MIDTOWN ROPPONGI HILLSOMOTESANDO

SHIBUYA

SHINJUKU

YOYOGI HARAJUKU

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Deelnemers & mobiel nummer* zijn afwijkers

ROEPNAAM ACHTERNAAM MOBIELStudenten1 Joeri Bellaard 06536022632 Anouar Habibi 06482286963*** Tea Hadzizulfic 06180776964 Bob Willem van Hooft 06814889905 Franca Houg 06465507196 Ashwin Karis 06225953487 Job Kerklaan 06467166068 Saskia Kok 06146402049 Nicky van der Kooij 062925863710 Casper van Leeuwen 64248554211 Barend Mense 063412870412 Saskia Moerenhout 061288861813 Chris van Nimwegen 061109041714 Katarzyna Nowak 063965590215 Bram van Ooijen 065250242516 Linda van Os 064778673717 Thom Pegman 063850655718 Amber Peters 063392976519*** Bernard van de Pol 063095211320 Jeffrey Reule 06391294 9521 Freek van Riet 063946131222 Dylan van Wel 065146733623 Jasper van der Ven 061082055124 Jurian Voets 062449601425** Ben Wegdam 0648528094Stafleden26*** Jan Duursma 061489216327* Chris van Langen 065370802928 Alenka Milward 064146647029 Margit Schuster 061993798730 Hans Tomassen 062180089931 Wouter Veldhuis 0629074709Alumni & externen32 Martin Aarts 061037245533 Frank Geuze 062454574734 Hans van der Heijden 062040 320235** Susanne Komossa 0621 877 93736 Hugo de Kok 065340905437 Christiaan Koopman 062955176238 Esther van Liempd 062418895539 Arnold van Ouwerkerk 065156581540 Aart van der Padt 065154260941 Berg van den Miranda 063219801642 Rolf Reichardt 064744878543 Yana Vlasova 0625147685

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Vluchten, treinreis, reisdocumenten, bagagevoorschriften, contactpersoon noodgevallen

Vluchten

Vertrek vrijdag 8 mei 2015 (Emirates)

Vanaf 12u30 mogelijkheid om in te checken. Om 13u30 verzamelen bij incheckbalie. Om 14u00 gezamenlijk door de douane.

Iedereen komt op eigen gelegenheid naar Schiphol waar we uiterlijk om 13u30 verzamelenbij de incheckbalie van Emirates Amsterdam - Dubai, vertrekhal 3.Als je wilt kun je al vanaf 12u30 inchecken. Het e-ticket ontvang je voor vertrek.

Gelieve je melden bij Alenka/ Hans/ Jan zodat we weten dat je aanwezig bent en je de reisgids kunnen overhandigen. Ben je vertraagd? Breng Alenka Milward (06-41466470) zo spoedig mogelijk op de hoogte!

8 mei EK 148 Amsterdam - Dubai v.15u30 - a. 23u59

9 mei EK 318 Dubai - Tokyo – Narita v. 02u50 - a. 17u35Terminal 2

NB: overstaptijd: 2.51 uur

Op de luchthaven in Tokyo zullen we gezamenlijk metrokaarten aanschaffen. We vervolgen onze reis per metro naar het hostel.

Terug zondag 17 mei 2015 (Emirates)

16 mei EK 317 Osaka - Dubai v. 23u40 - a. 05u10

17 mei EK 147 Dubai - Amsterdam v. 8u20 - a. 13u15Iedereen gaat op eigen gelegenheid weer naar huis

Afwijkers* afwijker heen- en terugvlucht: Chris** afwijker heenvlucht: Susanne*** afwijkers terugvlucht (verlengers): Ben, Tea, Jan en Jurian (Japan), Bernard (Dubai)

Totaal personen heenvlucht: 41, terugvlucht: 37

Herbevestigen vluchtenIs niet nodig, ook niet voor degenen die afwijken

Treinreis

Donderdag 14 mei 9u30

Shinkansen trein Tokyo - Osaka vertrek 9u30 vanaf JR Station Tokyo - Aankomst 12u09 JR Station Shin-Osaka

let op: de bagage wordt separaat vervoerd, de trein heeft nml geen bagageruimte. Bagage

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wordt per truck bij het hostel afgeleverd diezelfde dag. Bij aankomst gaan we niet rechtstreeks door naar het hostel, maar checken later pas in. Zorg dus dat je al je spullen voor die dag bij je draagt.

Reisdocumenten

Neem de volgende documenten mee (in je handbagage):

Paspoort: je dient in het bezit te zijn van een paspoort geldig minimaal geldig tot en met terugkomstdatum. (Volgens www.cibtvisas.nl is alleen een geldig paspoort noodzakelijk, geen restrictie van 3 maanden zoals vaak wel het geval is bij intercontinentale bestemmingen).

Visum: Voor Japan is geen visum nodig voor een verblijf tot 90 dagen voor de nationaliteiten die wij aan boord hebben.

E-ticket: deze krijg je vooraf per mail toegestuurd zodat je zelf kunt inchecken. De reizigers in de groepsreservering kunnen niet online inchecken, zij moeten op Schiphol inchecken. Alleen de afwijkers met individuele reserveringen kunnen online inchecken

Vaccinaties: Voor Japan zijn geen vaccinaties verplicht of aanbevolen.

Reisverzekering: deze kun je afsluiten tot één dag voor vertrek. Als je een doorlopende reisverzekering hebt, check of deze buiten Europa geldig is.

Overige waardedocumenten en pasjes zoals bankpas, creditcard, reisverzekeringspas en bewaar een scan van je paspoort in je mail. Denk ook aan activeren van bankpasjes voor pinnen in het buitenland!

Eventuele medicijnen voor tijdens de reis

Bagagevoorschriften

Voor de heen- en terugvlucht gelden de volgende bagagebepalingen:

NB: Emirates heeft werelds meest genereuze bagagevoorschriften!

- 1 stuks bagage x max 30 kg voor in het ruim- maximaal toegestande afmeting van dat stuk bagage is 300cm (som van l+b+h)

Daarnaast mag je 1 stuks handbage meenemen:- maximaal 7 kg- maximaal toegestane afmeting is 55 cm x 38 cm x 20 cm (l x b x h)nb: eventuele wielen, handvaten en zijvakken moeten binnen deze afmeting vallen.- Duty free aankopen zoals drank, sigaretten en parfum zijn toegestaan, mits geseald.

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- we adviseren je om vloeistoffen zoveel mogelijk in je ruimbagage te vervoeren tijdens de vlucht.- vloeistoffen en gels verpakt in 100 ml, verpakt in doorzichtig en hersluitbaar plastic zakje.

Meer informatie over check-in bagage:

Meer informatie over de bagagevoorschriften:http://www.emirates.com/english/plan_book/essential_information/baggages/baggages.aspx

Contactpersoon RAvB organisatie (voor noodgevallen) zet deze nummers in je telefoon!

De volgende stafleden zijn contactpersoon bij noodgevallen en tevens aanspreekpunt tijdens de reis!

Alenka Milward: + 31 6 - 41466470Hans Tomassen: + 31 6 - 21800899Jan Duursma: + 31 6 - 14892163Chris van Langen: + 31 6 – 53708029

Nederlandse ambassade TokyoNederlandse Ambassade in Japan:6-3 Shiba-Koen 3-chome,Minato-Ku, 105-0011 Tokyo 00-81 3 54010411 00-81 3 54010420

ReisbureauVoor de boeking van de vluchten, treinreis en accommodatie hebben we samengewerkt met het reisbureau Mosae Group Travel (Robert Meij). Hij is al jaren een trouwe partner bij de organisatie van onze studiereizen. T +31 (0) 43 3112061, E [email protected]

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Accommodatie & kamerindeling

HosteladressenWe verblijven zowel in Tokyo als in Osaka in hostels op basis van logies (geen ontbijt). In Tokyo verblijven we in kamers met meerdere bedden. In Osaka in dorms. Toiletten en badkamers worden gedeeld.

TOKYO Sakura Hostel Asakusa (station Asakusa)

2-24-2 AsakusaTaito, Tokyo 111-0032+81 3-3847-8111

Gratis wifi: in het gehele hostelCafe-bar aanwezig (tegen betaling ontbijt en snacks)

OSAKA Shin-Osaka Youth hostel (JR-station Shin-Osaka Shinkansen)

〒533-0033Osaka-shi Higashiyodogawa-kuHigashinakajima 1-13-13Koko plaza 10F+81 6-6370-5427

Gratis wifi: in de openbare ruimtenLounge, keuken met magnetron en koelkast + simpele snackbar

Souzen tempel ligt op 10 minuten lopen van het hostel

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Kamerindeling is alleen van toepassing voor Tokyo, in Osaka slapen we in dorms.

TOKYO

1 x 6 persoons vrouwen 1 x 8 persoons mannen1 Margit Schuster 1 Joeri Bellaard2 Alenka Milward 2 Bob Willem van Hooft3 Yana Vlasova 3 Anouar Habibi4 Susanne Komossa 4 Dylan van Wel5 Linda van Os 5 Job Kerklaan6 Esther van Liempd 6 Bernard van de Pol

7 Ashwin Karis8 Casper van Leeuwen

1x 6 persoons vrouwen 1 x 6 persoons mannen1 Tea Hadzizulfic 1 Ben Wegdam2 Franca Houg 2 Jurian Voets3 Saskia Kok 3 Chris van Nimwegen4 Saskia Moerenhout 4 Barend Mense5 Kasia Nowak 5 Bram van Ooijen6 Amber Peters 6 Casper van der Ven

1x 6 persoons mannen 1 x 6 persoons mannen + 1 vrouw1 Nicky van der Kooij 1 Frank Geuze2 Freek van Riet 2 Wouter Veldhuis3 Hugo de Kok 3 Arnold van ouwerkerk4 Christiaan Koopman 4 Arno van der padt5 Thom Pegman 5 Miranda v/d Berg6 Jeffrey Reule 6 Rolf Reichardt

1x 4 persoons mannen1 Martin Aarts 1 single Hans van der Heijden2 Chris van Langen3 Jan Duursma4 Hans Tomassen

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Algemene informatie - geldzaken, communicatie, tijdverschil enz.

GeldTijdens de reis heb je nog eigen kosten aan eten, drinken, entreebewijzen en openbaar vervoer.

De munteenheid in Japan is de Yen, koers ong € 1,-- = Yen 134,76.

NB: Vergeet niet je pinpas te activeren voor gebruik in het buitenland!

Contant geldBankbiljetten zijn ongeveer allemaal even groot en verschillen van kleur en zijn onderverdeeld in waarde: 10.000, 5.000 en 1.000. Daarnaast zijn er een aantal muntsoorten van 500 – 1.

De Japanse economie is voornamelijk gericht op contant geld. We adviseren je dan ook om altijd contant geld op zak te hebben, bijvoorbeeld ¥ 2.000,- (is heel normaal in Japan).

Pinnen/ creditcard/ transactiekostenPinautomaten bij banken zijn vaak alleen overdag beschikbaar en niet alle pinautomaten accepteren buitenlandse kaarten. ATM automaten in buurtsupermarkten accepteren alleen Japanse bankpassen. Bij postkantoren en bij de Citibank kun je meestal wel geld pinnen met een buitenlandse bankpas.

Met een creditcard kun je bijna overal betalen en geld uit de muur halen. Houd er rekening mee dat er per transactie kosten in rekening gebracht worden voor opnemen en betalen. Dus liever in één keer een wat groter bedrag pinnen dan allemaal kleine beetjes.

Met je gewone pinpas kun je wel bij elke 7-11 betalen, voor de eerste levensbehoefte zoals drinken, broodjes en snacks.

Voorbeeld RabobankGeld opnemen in vreemde valuta: Dan betaalt u koersopslag. Dat betekent dat de wisselkoers wordt verhoogd met 1%. Bij het Rabo DirectPakket en het Rabo BasisPakket betaalt u bij opnames met uw pinpas in vreemde valuta naast de koersopslag € 2 administratiekosten per opname. Buitenlandse banken kunnen daarnaast kosten rekenen voor het gebruik van de geldautomaat. U krijgt hierover een bericht tijdens de geldopname.

Geld betalen in vreemde valuta: Wilt u met uw Rabo WereldPas betalen in vreemde valuta? Dan betaalt u koersopslag. Dat betekent dat de wisselkoers wordt verhoogd met 1%. Als u bij een betaling in het buitenland wordt gevraagd of u in euro’s of in vreemde valuta wilt afrekenen, dan kunt u vaak beter kiezen voor betalen in vreemde valuta. Als u voor euro’s kiest, bent u meestal duurder uit.

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Bellen, sms’en en internetten

Het landnummer voor Japan is + 81

Alle steden beschikken over een goed telefoonnetwerk. Japan heeft een 3G-netwerk (1700/2100), niet geschikt is voor gsm-toestellen zonder 3G-mogelijkheden. Je kunt er vanuit gaan dat alle Nederlandse providers een contract hebben met de providers daar. Voor elke provider gelden andere tarieven voor bellen, sms’en en internetten in het buitenland. Kijk bij je eigen provider wat de tarieven zijn.

Tips: bijvoorbeeld T-Mobile heeft een dienst Surf & Travel. Voor x dagen of een maand

koop je een bundel voor x bedrag op internet, sms’en en bellen tegen vast tarief. Zo kun je de kosten in het gareel houden.

Wireless Wifi in Japan: wifi-kastje aanschaffen die je op kunt halen bij Narita airport en weer af kunt geven bij Osaka airport, bij deze aanbieder: http://www.telecomsquare.co.jp/inbound/en/De ‘City type’ zou moeten volstaan aangezien we hoofdzakelijk in steden verblijven. Deze kost zo’n € 10 per dag. Je kunt zo’n kastje vooraf reserveren. Let op: doe dit 1 week voor vertrek ivm met betaling die op tijd binnen moet zijn.Voor diegene die lowbudget willen reizen: je kunt eventueel met meerdere personen van hetzelfde kastje gebruik maken!

NB: er zijn ook andere (goedkopere) aanbieders, maar deze kreeg ik getipt van een vriend die er onlangs is geweest en hier goede ervaringen mee had. Vanuit ‘betrouwbaarheid’ adviseer ik dus deze.

Nuttige tips voor op reis om kosten te besparen: Zet automatische updates van apps uit zet dataroaming (bij instellingen) uit zodat je toestel geen verbinding kan maken met

het internet (van buitenlandse providers). Download gewenste apps voor vertrek, zoals metrokaarten die automatisch inladen Beveilig je toestel met een toegangscode ivm met verlies of diefstal Maak gebruik van gratis Wifi. Op veel openbare plekken zoals restaurants, hotels,

bibliotheken, koffieshops wordt (gratis) wifi aangeboden. Let op: er kunnen kosten in rekening worden gebracht door de aanbieder.

plaats +31 voor telefoonnummers om te kunnen bellen met Nederland

TijdverschilIn de zomer is het in Japan 7 uur later dan in Nederland. In de winter is dat 8 uur. Japen kent geen zomer- en wintertijd.

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TaalJapans, het merendeel van de Japanners spreekt geen Engels.

?

mers vindt u ook stopcontacten voor 100 volt. Zo niet, Nationale feestdagen

Tijdens ons verblijf in Japan zijn er geen nationale feestdagen waarop banken, postkantoren en winkels geheel of gedeeltelijk gesloten zullen zijn.

KlimaatJapan heeft net als Nederland. Wij gaan in het voorjaar tijdens de kersenbloesem (mrt-mei). De temperatuur ligt overdag tussen de 20 en 25 graden. Gemiddeldaantal regendagen per maand 16. Toch wordt geadviseerd om zonnebrand mee te nemen want de UV-stralen zijn verraderlijk sterk.

Japan behoort absoluut niet tot de zonnigste plekken ter wereld. Het gemiddeld aantal uren zonneschijn ligt voor de meeste plekken onder de tweeduizend uur per jaar. Voor de meeste gebieden in Japan geldt dat de winters veel zonniger zijn dan de zomers. Gedurende de zomermaanden is er aan de hemel vaak een wolkendek te zien. Sommige steden hebben in de zomermaanden slechts 4 tot 5 uur zonneschijn per dag (gemiddeld), terwijl het aantal daglichturen de 13 en 15 per dag licht in diezelfde periode.

Bovenstaande kan als gemiddelde worden gezien voor heel Japan worden gezien, als zijn er uiteraard wel verschillen per stad, regio, gebied.

Veiligheid Echter, dat neemt natuurlijk niet weg om goed op je spullen te letten en deze op een veilige plek bij je te dragen of in een kluisje in het hostel op te bergen.

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Gezondheid en medicijnenGeen bijzonderheden.Gebruik je medicijnen? Zorg dan voor een Latijnse en Engelse vertaling van de bijsluiter. Hiermee voorkom je veel potentiële problemen.

Souveniers meenemenWat mag je meenemen uit Japan? Vooral gezond verstand gebruiken! Zie http://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/wijs-op-reis/bagage-en-souvenirs-wat-mag-wel-en-niet-mee

Discussie op Twitter over het meenemen van een Katana, zo’n lang zwaard :)

Herman Mulder @Herman_M 5 Jan 2014

@Douane Mag een katana nog meegenomen worden uit Japan? (geldt dit alleen voor decoratieve?) Op jullie website lijkt iets anders te staan.

Douane @Douane 6 Jan 2014

@Herman_M Dat mag. Een katana valt in categorie 4 (§5.3) van de wapenwet en mag veilig verpakt mee in het ruim: http://bit.ly/1b4alO0 .

To smoke or not to smoke?De informatie op internet is niet eenduidig. Volgens dit artikel (2013) mag je bijna overal wel binnen roken, zoals in restaurants, bars en clubs. Maar is roken op straat verboden! Een beetje een omgekeerde wereld waar het buiten niet toegestaan is om te roken, maar binnen wel. Er zit wel ‘logica’ achter. Zo wordt geredeneerd dat de buitenlucht publiek domein is en je daarom anderen niet lastig mag vallen. Een restaurant daarentegen, is het eigendom van een persoon en die persoon mag daarom bepalen wat er binnen zijn establisement gebeurd en kan daarom beslissen om de zaak volledig niet roken in te richten (een zeldzaamheid), half roken/niet roken of roken overal toestaan.

Verder is het een kwestie van gezond verstand en kijken hoe en waar de “locals” roken. https://tokiotours.wordpress.com/tag/roken/

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Elektriciteit en voltageIn Tokyo is het voltage 100 Volt met 50 Hz. In West-Japan (Osaka) is het 60 Hz. In de meeste hotels kunt je je accu’s en batterijen opladen met een speciale tweepolige platte stekker voor nodig, een zgn. 'wereldstekker'.

Eten en drinkenVeel restaurantjes die Europese gerechten serveren of Aziatische gerechten (niet Japans) zijn vaak prijzig. Goedkopere mogelijkheden zijn de traditionele Japanse restaurantjes waar je heerlijk en voor een goede prijs kunt eten.

Ook zijn er in Japan vele koffiezaken te vinden van Doutor. Een Japanse variant van Starbucks. Hier kun je voor ¥180 (€1,60) al een goede koffie krijgen en voor een tosti betaal je hier ongeveer ¥250 (iets meer dan 2 euro).

In een typische lokale bar kost een blikje bier rond de 4 euro, koffie en frisdrank zijn goedkoper (koffie 3 euro, frisdrank 1 a 2 euro). In wat duurdere eetgelegenheden liggen met name de alcoholprijzen hoger.

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Japan - culture Though the term Culture integrates a number of connotations, but commonly it denotes the manner a community lives in harmony with its traditions, the notions, the linguistic processes, or the way they dress. The Japanese culture is no exception to this. A meticulous observation demonstratethe immense influence of European, Asian, Chinese as well as North American Culture. As a consequence Japanese culture is unique as well as so distinguishing from the other Asian ethnicity and cultures.

An extensive array of components has composed the culture of Japan . This array includes Japanese Language, Japanese Music, Japanese Costume and Clothing, Japanese Performing Arts, Japanese Religions, Japanese Customs, Japanese Folklore, Japanese Sculpture, Japanese Cuisine in addition to Japanese Literature.

Besides that, Geisha, Kabuki Theatre, Ikebana are also regarded as significant part of Japanese Cultural Heritage . Brief descriptions of a few of the Japanese cultural

Japanese Painting: The Japanese painting is a very popular form of art

celebrated through out the country. The outstanding procedure of the painting is borrowed from continental regions.

Japanese Language: The language of Japan is one of the most eminent elements of Japanese culture. This language includes a polysynthetic linguistic process and is featured by a distinctive lexical pitch modulation. The written form of this language is very interesting as the

Japanese scripts are combination of various types of scripts as Roman Alphabets, Chinese Characters.

Japanese Sculptures are the reflection of Shinto as well as Buddhist cultural heritage. Stone, metal, pottery and wood are considered as the favored materials for sculpting.

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Japanese CuisineThe Japanese cuisine or culinary art offers a huge diversity of food stuffs as well regional food preparations. The Japanese word for Culinary stands for ‘conventional style’. But in a wider significance Japanese Cuisine incorporates the dishes with elements as well as food preparation processes borrowed from foreign countries and refined and modified by Japanese cookery innovators. The Japanese cuisine is highly celebrated world wide for its quality and taste. The tourists to Japan find Japanese Cuisine as one of the major attractions in that country. Numerous Seasonal and Regional Japanese dishes have enriched the Japanese Cuisine.

Generally the Japanese Cuisine is the assemblage of staple foodstuffs including noodles, rice, soup and several items made up of vegetable, crabs, fish, tofu and meat. Spices and flavors like Soy sauce, miso and dashi are added with the low fat dishes. Various sorts of Noodles, which are the vital element of Japanese culinary, were undoubtedly adopted from Chinese Cuisines.

Other than that the fruits like Daidai, Mikan, Yuzu, persimmon, chestnut, Nashi pear, Kabosu and Nashi pear are eminent part of Japanese Cuisine. Several Japanese Dishes prepared with meat including pork, chicken, beef and horse as their ingredients. The array of fishes which grace the toothsome delicacies of Japan

integrates Prawn, Octopus, tuna, mackerel, pacific saury and spiny lobster.

Japanese MusicMusic in Japan is an integral part of their culture. The Japanese music has a wide variety, ranging from traditional to the new Japanese music . Karaoke which can be considered a form of musical practice has made its way into modern Japanese culture, especially among the young crowd. The musical culture of Japan is distinctive and not fully influenced by its western counterparts as it has a number of traditional instruments which are very much popular even now. The Japanese people are extremely fond of western music and the American pop is extremely admired by the young populace.

Music has been important in the Japanese culture from ancient times. The traditional music of Japan can be divided into two parts art or classical

and folk music. Though both vocal and instrumental music are prevalent in Japanese culture the popularity of vocal music has an edge over the instrumental. ‘Gagaku’ a form of Japanese music was customary in the royal courts in ancient times. This form of music was influenced by the other north Asian countries. In the medieval era ‘Noh’ which is a form of musical drama became very popular. Koto, Shamisen and Shakuhachi are the three forms of music which made its appearance in the later medieval period in Japan. Koto also known as Sokyoto was taught to the high class girls as part of their upbringing.

The folk songs in Japan like other parts of the world are concerned with the everyday life and pain of the common mass. Most of the folk songs of the ‘land of the rising sun’ are from the Edo age. Both the metric rhythm and free rhythm are common in the folk music of Japan.

From the 20 th century with the development of communication music from all over the world has gradually gained popularity. Canzone from Italy, American jazz, and Latino music have made their place in the heart of the Japanese people. Japan’s very own ‘Kayo-kyoku’ is most adored by the people. Japanese rock music from the 1960’s had become very popular and the rock band called ‘Happy End’ was the most famous of them all.

Of late many experiments are done with the traditional Japanese classical music and the instruments. Japanese composers are even using western classics for giving Japanese music a new form.

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Japanese DramaJapanese dramas can be categorized into three parts television drama, radio drama and audio drama. Drama in Japanese televisions are a big hit with the audiences and are also known as “Dorama” or “jdrama”. Japanese drama in influenced a lot by its Chinese counterparts. The history of Japanese drama is very rich and the golden periods of theatre in Japan are the 14 th and the 18 th century. During this period the two forms theatre aristocratic and popular were in practice in Japan. Apart from dramas by live actors puppet shows are also a very prominent part of Japanese drama . In the medieval times Noh drama, Kabuki Theater and Kyogen were the forms of dramas in Japan . Kyogen dramas mostly dealt with comic and religious topics.

Drama in Japanese televisions is mostly soaps which are held every day and the story ranges from detectives to horror, from romance to comedies. The recent theme of television drama which involves the opinion of the audiences had made its appearance in Japan very first. ‘Trendy dramas’ which are based on the daily life of the people of J apan are very popular on Japanese television. The background music is used to enhance the romance and the thrill of the dramas.

Some of the famous dramas of the 21 st century Japan are Long Vacation,

Perfect Love, PU-PU-PU, Sleeping Forest, Wakamono no Subete, Oni no Sumika and Under the Same Roof. The dramas which are broadcasted in the television in the evening generally have higher ratings. Japanese dramas form a great source of entertainment for the people of Japan.

Japanese DragonThe legend of the Japanese dragon has its origins in Chinese myths and folklore. Japanese dragons like all Asian dragons and unlike the dragons found in Occidental mythology is not malevolent.

These dragons are considered to be bringers of wealth and good fortune. According to legends Japanese dragon are believed to take up the shape of humans and is even considered

capable of mating with humans. The age-old enemy of the dragon is the phoenix and sometimes a bird-man creature called Karura.

Just like in the Chinese society, in the Japanese society too dragons are depicted in paintings in temple walls and carvings. Most of the temples with dragon carvings usually belong to Zen Buddhism religion. The Japanese dragon had originally come into existence as a guardian creature that was in charge of guarding all the 4 cosmic regions. Traditionally the dragon is identified with the season of spring throughout Asia.

The Japanese dragon bears close resemblance with its Chinese counterpart but with the exception that the Japanese dragon has 3 claws while the Chinese dragon has 5. The Japanese dragon is referred to as Ryugu in Japanese mythology. The dragon king is believed to have his home underwater in the Ryuku islands area in Okinawa. Japanese dragon s are of various types: there are the Tatsu dragons that are a representation of spirituality and imperial power. The Sui-Riu dragons are held responsible for bringing rains into the islands of Japan. The Han-Riu dragon is the tallest of the dragons measuring up to almost 40 feet in length and can reach the heavens. The Ri-Riu dragon is most popular for its unusual eye-sight which is believed to be the best. The Ka-Riu dragon which is the smallest possesses a frightening red color. The Fuku Riu is the dragon which brings luck to people. The Hai-riyo dragon is actually a dragon which possesses a bird-like shape and was one to evolve out of Chinese mythology.

30

Japan Japan has an interesting variety of buildings that exhibit different architectural forms from humble farm houses to grand imperial palaces. Architectural styles have evolved from pre-historic to modern times. Early native designs were exposed to strong influences from the Asian mainland, imported styles were subsequently adapted to suit local tastes, and recent history saw the introduction of Western architecture into Japan.

Buildings were traditionally built in wood - in part because of the abundance of timber and due to the material’s relatively good resistance to earthquakes. Unfortunately, many buildings were lost through the years to natural disasters, the humid climate, fires and wars. Efforts have been made to preserve some monumental buildings including temples, shrines, palaces and castles, of which many are very old and require periodic renovations. Furthermore, efforts are ongoing across the country to reconstruct some lost buildings of importance.

Many structures exhibiting past architectural styles are nowadays popular tourist sites. They are spread across the country, some surviving in entire preserved districts or towns, while others were moved to open air museums. The following is an introduction to the general architectural building types in Japan:

Early Japan

The Jomon Period lasted from around 13000 BC to 300 BC. The inhabitants of Japan at that time were mainly gatherers, fishers and hunters. Dwellings were built directly over an earth floor with a wood foundation and a thatched straw roof. Inside the house, the floor may have been hollowed in, which is why Jomon Period houses are often called “pit dwellings”. The Sannai Maruyama Archaeological Site in Aomori is one of the best places to see an entire

village of Jomon Period houses. Some local history museums also exhibit Jomon dwellings.

Following the Jomon Period, the Yayoi Period lasted from around 300 BC to 300 AD. The period is characterized by the START of widespread rice farming, resulting in the appearance of permanent settlements with bigger populations.

Communities became organized in villages as a whole, with areas demarcated for granaries, storehouses and living quarters. Houses, especially the granaries, were built on stilts to keep away mice. Structures such as village fences and watch towers appeared. The Yoshinogari Historical Park in Saga Prefecture is an excellent place to see a Yayoi Period settlement.

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Shrines

In ancient times, Shinto ceremonies were held outdoors at temporarily demarcated sites without buildings. Later, temporary structures were used which eventually got replaced by permanent shrine buildings housing the deity. Early shrine buildings predate the introduction of Buddhism and reflect native Japanese architecture styles.

Among the earliest shrine architecture styles are the Shinmei style as represented by the Ise Shrines whose halls resemble ancient storehouses, and the Taisha style as represented by the Izumo Shrine whose buildings resemble ancient residences. Furthermore, there is the Sumiyoshi style as represented by the Sumiyoshi Shrine in Osaka which is also considered to be close to a natively Japanese shrine architecture style.

The arrival of Buddhism in the 6th century brought along strong architectural influences from the mainland. Kasuga Shrine and Usa Shrine are among two early shrine construction prototypes which already show more distinct foreign elements. Towards the Edo Period, shrines became increasingly ornate as exemplified by the most spectacular of them all, Nikko Toshogu Shrine, which was built in the 17th century.

Over the centuries, many shrine buildings were lost to fire or other

disasters. Thus, even though many shrines may have been founded more than a millennium ago, the oldest extant shrine buildings are about a thousand years old, while the majority of them are just a few centuries old. Furthermore, several major shrines used to follow a unique custom of periodic rebuilding for symbolic purification. Today, the Ise Shrines still follow this custom every twenty years, while some other major shrines undergo periodic renovations instead.

Temples

Temples came along with the import of Buddhism from China around the 6th century. At first, temples resembled those in China closely in features, such as having wide courtyards and symmetrical layouts. Some of the oldest surviving temple buildings exhibiting these features can be found in Nara, in particular at Horyuji (the world’s oldest

wooden structure), Todaiji (the world’s largest wooden structure), Yakushiji and Kofukuji. Asukadera, located about 25 kilometers south of Nara City, is considered the oldest Buddhist institution in Japan.

As time passed, temples were increasingly designed to suit local tastes. Newly introduced sects from the mainland contributed to new temple architecture styles. Temples began to exhibit less symmetrical features, and many STARTED to incorporate gardens in their compounds. Temples were also founded in more remote places and in the mountains, which had more varied layouts owing to complex topographies. Like shrines, temples buildings were also lost over time, and the ones that exist across the country today are mostly a few centuries old.

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Palaces

Imperial palaces are the seat of the Emperor. In the past, a new palace was built with the relocation of the capital every time a new emperor ascended to the throne. In 710, the first permanent capital was set up in Nara, and thus the first permanent palace, the Heijo Palace, was built. The palace’s former site is open to tourists today and exhibits a few rebuilt structures.

The imperial capital was later moved to Kyoto where it remained for over a thousand years until 1868. Along with the Kyoto Imperial Palace, several imperial villas still exist, exhibiting a grand and dignified, yet not overly-ostentatious style. The Kyoto Palace, Sento Palace, Katsura Villa and Shugakuin Villa are open to the public today. Furthermore, some temples such as Kyoto’s Ninnaji and Daikakuji utilize former palace buildings.

From the 14th to the 16th century, Japan went through a period of civil war. With the arrival of peace in the Edo Period, feudal lords STARTED to build palaces for themselves too. These palaces were usually situated within the castles but separate from the main keep. They served as residences, offices and reception halls. Most castle palaces have been destroyed, leaving only a handful of original ones, most notably the Ninomaru Palace at Nijo Castle and some recent reconstructions at the castles of Nagoya, Kumamoto and Hikone.

Castles

The civil war also gave the impetus for the construction of castles. Initially built for purpose of fortification, the castles became the center of government and status symbols for the provincial lords as war drew to an end and Japan was reunited in the late 1500s. Hundreds of castles used to stand across the country, but due to wars, natural disasters and past governments’ policies to limit their numbers, today only twelve castle keeps survive from the feudal era, while a few dozen others have been rebuilt in the 20th century.

The primary material for castle construction used to be wood, but most of the rebuilt castles were constructed using ferro concrete, and thus they look authentic from the outside but not from within. Two of the best original castles, i.e. castles that survived the post-feudal years, are Himeji Castle and Matsumoto Castle.

Samurai Residences

During the Edo Period (1603 - 1867), the samurai were required to reside in the castle towns that surrounded the castles. The grandeur of a samurai’s house was determined by his rank in the hierarchy. Strict regulations had to be followed; for example, the size of the pillars and the type of gates to be used were pertained by status.

While higher ranking samurai lived closest to the castle in large houses with spacious tatami rooms and gardens, lower ranking samurai had more humble residences further away from the castle.

Naturally, only the mansions of high-ranked samurai were preserved over time, and therefore they may not portray the picture of the average samurai residence. Nonetheless, they provide interesting insights to what a samurai residence looked like. Today, former samurai residences are best seen in cities which preserve some of their samurai districts, such as Kanazawa or Hagi. A few of them date back to the Edo Period.

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Townhouses

Townhouses were inhabited by craftsmen and merchants, further down the social ladder in the past. Many townhouses had relatively narrow facades but extended wide into the back because taxation was often based on road ACCESS. A typical townhouse had its store in front, the living quarters behind, and a storehouse (kura) in the back. Storehouses were fire-insulated with earthen walls to protect valuable goods from the threat of fires.

Several merchant districts exist today with nicely preserved townhouses, such as those in Takayama and Kurashiki. Some of the merchant houses open to tourists may resemble samurai residences. This is due to the tendency to preserve only the houses of the richest merchants, who towards the end of the Edo Period had become successful enough to design their houses in a style similar to that reserved for the samurai.

Farmhouse

Farmers made up the majority of Japan’s population into the Meiji Period (1868-1912). Different farmhouse construction styles developed according to widely varying weather patterns. However, architectural similarities can be seen between dwellings across the country, such as the wooden facades, thatched roofs, sunken hearths (irori), earth floors for stable and kitchen, and living spaces on elevated wooden floors that may have included some tatami rooms in case of the more

well-off families.Farmhouses were the most numerous among the old buildings but were rarely preserved, and thus the remaining ones that we see today tend to be the more prestigious ones, such as those that belonged to village heads or those in remote locations such as Shirakawago and Miyama where entire villages have been preserved to a certain degree. Open air museums are also good places to see regional styles of farmhouses

Meiji Period

The Meiji Restoration of 1868 saw an influx of Western concepts on almost all aspects of life, from clothes to food, entertainment to architecture. Brick buildings are legacies left

behind from this era, and they can be found especially at the handful of port towns that were early opened to international TRADE, such as Yokohama, Kobe, Nagasaki, Hakodate and Moji.

The must-see destination for those INTERESTED IN Meiji Period architecture, however, is the Meiji Mura, an outstanding open air museum in Inuyama near Nagoya that displays over 60 buildings from the Meiji Period.

Modern

Japan is a hotbed for contemporary architecture with lots of eye-catching creations mainly in the leading cities, especially Tokyo. The growth of big cities has led to the appearances of skyscrapers and a variety of buildings exhibiting artistic imagination.

Many Japanese architects have made their mark on the international scene. Star architects include Ando Tadao, who has won numerous architectural prizes and has designed many buildings both in Japan and abroad. Multiple museums designed by Ando can be found on Naoshima, an island in the Seto Inland Sea that has become famous as a site for contemporary art.

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Tokyo

Although the site of Tokyo has been inhabited since prehistoric times, the first recorded mention of a settlement is a twelfth-century reference to an obscure village called Edo, meaning “Gate of the Inlet,” situated where the Sumida River empties into Tokyo Bay. The temple at Asakusa, east of Ueno station and near the Sumida, dates from perhaps the late seventh century, though the present-day structures have been built since World War II. A provincial general erected a fortified castle at Edo around 1457, but the village remained insignificant until Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542–1616) took it over in 1590. Edo was made the capital of the shogunate in 1603 and remained so until 1868, though for the time being the court aristocracy remained in Kyoto, which retained its cultural preeminence throughout the early Tokugawa period.

Edo grew rapidly through the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and appears to have become the largest city on the planet by the end of the 1700s. Edo also overtook Kyoto to become the center of national culture, as theater (in particular, kabuki) reached a high level of sophistication during this

time. The growth of the city was also accompanied by difficulties, such as the fire of 1657, in which two-thirds of the city was destroyed, and more than 100,000 people died.

The city started to flourish after Tokugawa Ieyasu established the Tokugawa Shogunate here in 1603. As the center of politics and culture in Japan, Edo grew into a huge city with a population of over a million by the mid-eighteenth century. Throughout this time, the Emperor resided in Kyoto, which was the formal capital of the nation. The Edo Period lasted for nearly 260 years until the Meiji

Restoration in 1868, when the Tokugawa Shogunate ended and imperial rule was restored. The Emperor moved to Edo, which was renamed Tokyo. Thus, Tokyo became the capital of Japan..

During the Meiji era (1868-1912), Japan began its avid assimilation of Western civilization. Buildings made of stone and bricks were built on the sites of the mansions of feudal lords, and the major roads were paved with round stones. In 1869 Japan’s first telecommunications line was opened between Tokyo and Yokohama, and the first steam locomotive started running in 1872 from Shimbashi to Yokohama. Western hairstyles replaced the traditional topknot worn by men, and bowler hats, high collars, and bustled skirts were the height of fashion. In 1882 Japan’s first zoological gardens were opened in Ueno. In 1885 the cabinet system of government was adopted and Ito Hirobumi became Japan’s first prime minister. With the promulgation of the Constitution of the Empire of Japan in 1889 Japan established the political system of a modern state..

During the Taisho era (1912-1926), the number of people working in cities increased, and a growing proportion of citizens began to lead

consumer lifestyles. Educational standards improved, and the number of girls going on to study at higher schools increased. Performing arts such as theater and opera thrived..

In September 1923 Tokyo was devastated by the Great Kanto Earthquake. The fires caused by the earthquake burned the city center to the ground. Over 140,000 people were reported dead or missing, and 300,000 houses were destroyed. After the earthquake a city reconstruction plan was formulated, but because the projected costs exceeded the national budget only a small part of it was realized..

Beginning shortly after the Great Kanto Earthquake, the Showa era (1926-1989) started in a mood of gloom. Even so, Japan’s first subway line was opened between Asakusa and Ueno in 1927, and in 1928 the 16th general elections for the House of Representatives of the Diet were held for the first time following the enactment of universal male suffrage. In 1931 Tokyo Airport was completed at Haneda, and in 1941 the Port of Tokyo was opened. By 1935 the resident population of Tokyo had grown to 6.36 million, comparable to the populations of New York and London..

However, the Pacific War, which broke out in 1941, had a great impact on Tokyo. The dual administrative system of Tokyo-fu (prefecture) and Tokyo-shi (city) was abolished for war-time efficiency, and the prefecture and city were merged to form the Metropolis of Tokyo in 1943. The metropolitan administrative system was thus established and a governor was appointed. In the final phase of the war, Tokyo was bombed 102 times. The heaviest air raid was on March 10, 1945, in which there was great loss of life and material damage. The

war came to an end on September 2, 1945, when the Japanese government and military representatives signed the Instrument of Surrender. Much of Tokyo had been laid waste by the bombings and by October 1945 the population had fallen to 3.49 million, half its level in 1940..

In May 1947 the new Constitution of Japan and the Local Autonomy Law took effect, and Seiichiro Yasui was elected the first Governor of Tokyo by popular vote under the new system. In August of that year, the present23 special-ward system began in Tokyo Metropolis..

The 1950s were a time of gradual recovery for the nation. Television broadcasting began in 1953, and Japan joined the United Nations in 1956. Economic recovery was aided in particular by the special procurement boom arising from the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950. This led to

Japan’s entry into a period of rapid economic growth in the 1960s. Due to technological innovations and the introduction of new industries and technologies, this period saw the beginning of mass production of synthetic fibers and household electric appliances such as televisions, refrigerators, and washing machines. As a result, the everyday lives of the residents of Tokyo underwent considerable transformation. In 1962 the population of Tokyo broke the 10 million mark. In 1964 the Olympic Games were held in Tokyo, the Shinkansen (“Bullet Train”) line began operations, and the Metropolitan Expressway was opened, forming the foundation for Tokyo’s current prosperity..

Entering the 1970s, the strain of rapid economic growth became apparent as the country was beset by environmental issues such as pollution of the air and rivers, as well as high levels of noise. The Oil Crisis of 1973 brought the many years of rapid economic growth to a halt..

In the 1980s, Tokyo took large steps in economic growth as a result of its increasingly global economic activity and the emergence of the information

3512 13

Tokyo

Although the site of Tokyo has been inhabited since prehistoric times, the first recorded mention of a settlement is a twelfth-century reference to an obscure village called Edo, meaning “Gate of the Inlet,” situated where the Sumida River empties into Tokyo Bay. The temple at Asakusa, east of Ueno station and near the Sumida, dates from perhaps the late seventh century, though the present-day structures have been built since World War II. A provincial general erected a fortified castle at Edo around 1457, but the village remained insignificant until Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542–1616) took it over in 1590. Edo was made the capital of the shogunate in 1603 and remained so until 1868, though for the time being the court aristocracy remained in Kyoto, which retained its cultural preeminence throughout the early Tokugawa period.

Edo grew rapidly through the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and appears to have become the largest city on the planet by the end of the 1700s. Edo also overtook Kyoto to become the center of national culture, as theater (in particular, kabuki) reached a high level of sophistication during this

time. The growth of the city was also accompanied by difficulties, such as the fire of 1657, in which two-thirds of the city was destroyed, and more than 100,000 people died.

The city started to flourish after Tokugawa Ieyasu established the Tokugawa Shogunate here in 1603. As the center of politics and culture in Japan, Edo grew into a huge city with a population of over a million by the mid-eighteenth century. Throughout this time, the Emperor resided in Kyoto, which was the formal capital of the nation. The Edo Period lasted for nearly 260 years until the Meiji

Restoration in 1868, when the Tokugawa Shogunate ended and imperial rule was restored. The Emperor moved to Edo, which was renamed Tokyo. Thus, Tokyo became the capital of Japan..

During the Meiji era (1868-1912), Japan began its avid assimilation of Western civilization. Buildings made of stone and bricks were built on the sites of the mansions of feudal lords, and the major roads were paved with round stones. In 1869 Japan’s first telecommunications line was opened between Tokyo and Yokohama, and the first steam locomotive started running in 1872 from Shimbashi to Yokohama. Western hairstyles replaced the traditional topknot worn by men, and bowler hats, high collars, and bustled skirts were the height of fashion. In 1882 Japan’s first zoological gardens were opened in Ueno. In 1885 the cabinet system of government was adopted and Ito Hirobumi became Japan’s first prime minister. With the promulgation of the Constitution of the Empire of Japan in 1889 Japan established the political system of a modern state..

During the Taisho era (1912-1926), the number of people working in cities increased, and a growing proportion of citizens began to lead

consumer lifestyles. Educational standards improved, and the number of girls going on to study at higher schools increased. Performing arts such as theater and opera thrived..

In September 1923 Tokyo was devastated by the Great Kanto Earthquake. The fires caused by the earthquake burned the city center to the ground. Over 140,000 people were reported dead or missing, and 300,000 houses were destroyed. After the earthquake a city reconstruction plan was formulated, but because the projected costs exceeded the national budget only a small part of it was realized..

Beginning shortly after the Great Kanto Earthquake, the Showa era (1926-1989) started in a mood of gloom. Even so, Japan’s first subway line was opened between Asakusa and Ueno in 1927, and in 1928 the 16th general elections for the House of Representatives of the Diet were held for the first time following the enactment of universal male suffrage. In 1931 Tokyo Airport was completed at Haneda, and in 1941 the Port of Tokyo was opened. By 1935 the resident population of Tokyo had grown to 6.36 million, comparable to the populations of New York and London..

However, the Pacific War, which broke out in 1941, had a great impact on Tokyo. The dual administrative system of Tokyo-fu (prefecture) and Tokyo-shi (city) was abolished for war-time efficiency, and the prefecture and city were merged to form the Metropolis of Tokyo in 1943. The metropolitan administrative system was thus established and a governor was appointed. In the final phase of the war, Tokyo was bombed 102 times. The heaviest air raid was on March 10, 1945, in which there was great loss of life and material damage. The

war came to an end on September 2, 1945, when the Japanese government and military representatives signed the Instrument of Surrender. Much of Tokyo had been laid waste by the bombings and by October 1945 the population had fallen to 3.49 million, half its level in 1940..

In May 1947 the new Constitution of Japan and the Local Autonomy Law took effect, and Seiichiro Yasui was elected the first Governor of Tokyo by popular vote under the new system. In August of that year, the present23 special-ward system began in Tokyo Metropolis..

The 1950s were a time of gradual recovery for the nation. Television broadcasting began in 1953, and Japan joined the United Nations in 1956. Economic recovery was aided in particular by the special procurement boom arising from the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950. This led to

Japan’s entry into a period of rapid economic growth in the 1960s. Due to technological innovations and the introduction of new industries and technologies, this period saw the beginning of mass production of synthetic fibers and household electric appliances such as televisions, refrigerators, and washing machines. As a result, the everyday lives of the residents of Tokyo underwent considerable transformation. In 1962 the population of Tokyo broke the 10 million mark. In 1964 the Olympic Games were held in Tokyo, the Shinkansen (“Bullet Train”) line began operations, and the Metropolitan Expressway was opened, forming the foundation for Tokyo’s current prosperity..

Entering the 1970s, the strain of rapid economic growth became apparent as the country was beset by environmental issues such as pollution of the air and rivers, as well as high levels of noise. The Oil Crisis of 1973 brought the many years of rapid economic growth to a halt..

In the 1980s, Tokyo took large steps in economic growth as a result of its increasingly global economic activity and the emergence of the information

3614 15

society. Tokyo became one of the world’s most active major cities, boasting attractions such as cutting-edge technology, information, culture, and fashion, as well as a high level of public safety. From 1986 onwards, land and stock prices spiraled upwards, a phenomenon known as the “bubble economy.”.

Japan enjoyed tremendous growth under the bubble economy, but with the burst of the bubble at the beginning of the 1990s, sinking tax revenues caused by the protracted economic slump led to a critical state in metropolitan finances. Tokyo was, however, able to overcome this financial crisis through two successive fiscal reconstruction programs. The population also started returning to Tokyo, and in 1997, in-migration exceeded out-migration for the first time in 12 years. In 2001, Tokyo’s population reached 12 million, and surpassed 13 million in 2010..

In March 2011 the Great East Japan Earthquake hit the Tohoku region. In the immediate aftermath, many commuters were left stranded in Tokyo when transit operations were largely suspended. The subsequent electricity shortage also impacted the Tokyo residents. By tackling the challenges that came to light through this experience, Tokyo is striving to further bolster its crisis management system..

In September 2013 Tokyo was selected to host the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Tokyo is advancing preparations to make its second Games the best ever..

If Tokyo changes, so too will Japan. Tokyo is pushing toward its goal of becoming “the world’s best city” where every resident can fully enjoy life..

3714 15

society. Tokyo became one of the world’s most active major cities, boasting attractions such as cutting-edge technology, information, culture, and fashion, as well as a high level of public safety. From 1986 onwards, land and stock prices spiraled upwards, a phenomenon known as the “bubble economy.”.

Japan enjoyed tremendous growth under the bubble economy, but with the burst of the bubble at the beginning of the 1990s, sinking tax revenues caused by the protracted economic slump led to a critical state in metropolitan finances. Tokyo was, however, able to overcome this financial crisis through two successive fiscal reconstruction programs. The population also started returning to Tokyo, and in 1997, in-migration exceeded out-migration for the first time in 12 years. In 2001, Tokyo’s population reached 12 million, and surpassed 13 million in 2010..

In March 2011 the Great East Japan Earthquake hit the Tohoku region. In the immediate aftermath, many commuters were left stranded in Tokyo when transit operations were largely suspended. The subsequent electricity shortage also impacted the Tokyo residents. By tackling the challenges that came to light through this experience, Tokyo is striving to further bolster its crisis management system..

In September 2013 Tokyo was selected to host the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Tokyo is advancing preparations to make its second Games the best ever..

If Tokyo changes, so too will Japan. Tokyo is pushing toward its goal of becoming “the world’s best city” where every resident can fully enjoy life..

39

GINZA -CHUO

We start the morning at Tsukiji fish market, Tsukiji Market is best known as one of the world’s largest fish markets, handling over 2,000 tons of marine products per day. This is part the optional programme. At 9:00 we meet up at Hamarikyu Onshi garden to start the programme of the day, Ginza. Ginza is Tokyo’s most famous upmarket shopping, dining and entertainment district, featuring numerous department stores, boutiques, art galleries, restaurants, night clubs and cafes. One square meter of land in the district’s center is worth over ten million yen, making it one of the most expensive real estate in Japan. It is where you can find the infamous $10 cups of coffee and where virtually every leading brand name in fashion and cosmetics has a presence.

Besides the flagshipstores we will visit, we will see some of the famous metabolism monuments like the Nakagin capsule tower. We will end the Ginza tour at the Tokyo International Forum by Rafael Vinoly.

Verplicht dagdeel

Zondagochtend 10 mei

7:00 Tsukijishijo station of9:00 Hamarikyo onshi garden

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GINZA - CHUOGinza is an up market shopping area in central Tokyo featuring major department stores, international fashion brand stores, galleries, restaurants and some distinctive architecture. Our Ginza Guide includes and extensive guide to the shops and landmarks in Ginza with a detailed interactive map of Ginza.

Ginza in Japanese literally means “Silver Mint”, which historically related to the coin mint located in the area in the 1600’s and 1700’s. Ginza’s title still holds true today as Ginza is packed with brand name stores and up market department stores on some of the most expensive land in Japan. Ginza is located in the central part of Tokyo, in the Chuo ward and is in walking distance to Tokyo Imperial Palace. The heart of Ginza is the Ginza 4-chome Intersection,

which is the junction of Chuo-dori and Harumi-dori. From midday to sunset on Sundays, the central section of Chuo-dori is closed to vehicles making it a pedestrians Paradise.

While the history of this region dates back to the Edo period, recent modernization efforts have made Ginza an even more desirable shopping destination with its high end stores, boutiques, and cafes. Exclusive, sophisticated brands and restaurants featuring delicacies from all over the world can be seen throughout the area. Several fashion labels have commissioned their own personal restaurants in Ginza, with locales such as the Gucci Café and the Armani restaurant attracting visitors looking for a gourmet break from a day of shopping. During the weekends, Ginza employs the use

of hokosha tengoku, or closed-off pedestrian streets, so that weekend shoppers have a chance to browse many stores of the renowned shopping region without having to worry about traffic congestion.

After shopping, Ginza is best known for its nightlife that includes bars, lounges and nightclubs. These are mostly small venues that attract a decidedly well dressed and mature crowd. Ginza is one of the best places to see the neon lights of Tokyo. After the department stores close and the shoppers go home, the area takes on a second life as an entertainment and theatre district. It also has a relatively quiet but famous red light district that’s mostly upscale hostess clubs. If you’re a photography enthusiast, the area is photogenic at night.

TSUKIJI FISH MARKET

HAMARIKYU ONSHI GARDEN

SHIZUOKA BROADCASTING TOWER

TSUKIJISHIJO STATION

NAKAGIN CAPSULE TOWER

4128 29

GINZA - CHUOGinza is an up market shopping area in central Tokyo featuring major department stores, international fashion brand stores, galleries, restaurants and some distinctive architecture. Our Ginza Guide includes and extensive guide to the shops and landmarks in Ginza with a detailed interactive map of Ginza.

Ginza in Japanese literally means “Silver Mint”, which historically related to the coin mint located in the area in the 1600’s and 1700’s. Ginza’s title still holds true today as Ginza is packed with brand name stores and up market department stores on some of the most expensive land in Japan. Ginza is located in the central part of Tokyo, in the Chuo ward and is in walking distance to Tokyo Imperial Palace. The heart of Ginza is the Ginza 4-chome Intersection,

which is the junction of Chuo-dori and Harumi-dori. From midday to sunset on Sundays, the central section of Chuo-dori is closed to vehicles making it a pedestrians Paradise.

While the history of this region dates back to the Edo period, recent modernization efforts have made Ginza an even more desirable shopping destination with its high end stores, boutiques, and cafes. Exclusive, sophisticated brands and restaurants featuring delicacies from all over the world can be seen throughout the area. Several fashion labels have commissioned their own personal restaurants in Ginza, with locales such as the Gucci Café and the Armani restaurant attracting visitors looking for a gourmet break from a day of shopping. During the weekends, Ginza employs the use

of hokosha tengoku, or closed-off pedestrian streets, so that weekend shoppers have a chance to browse many stores of the renowned shopping region without having to worry about traffic congestion.

After shopping, Ginza is best known for its nightlife that includes bars, lounges and nightclubs. These are mostly small venues that attract a decidedly well dressed and mature crowd. Ginza is one of the best places to see the neon lights of Tokyo. After the department stores close and the shoppers go home, the area takes on a second life as an entertainment and theatre district. It also has a relatively quiet but famous red light district that’s mostly upscale hostess clubs. If you’re a photography enthusiast, the area is photogenic at night.

TSUKIJI FISH MARKET

HAMARIKYU ONSHI GARDEN


TSUKIJISHIJO STATION

NAKAGIN CAPSULE TOWER

4230 31

The district name, “Ginza” originated from the Ginza Yakusho (government office) in the Edo period. In 1603, the Edo Shogunate founded by Tokugawa Ieyasu moved the silver coin mint from Sunpu to its current location of Ginza 2-Chome. The town’s official name was Shin-ryogae-cho (meaning “new money exchange town”), but it came to be known colloquially as “Ginza.”

Some people say that Ginza used to be in the ocean, but it is not the case that the entire Ginza perimeter was completely submerged prior to the Edo period. It is thought that what is known as “Ginza” today was low marshes at the tip of a peninsula called Edomaejima largely jutting out from Tokyo Bay. The building of Edo city then began with the reclaiming of these marshes, Hibiya inlet and the Tsukiji area.

An organization called “Ginza” was established to create silver coins for the Shogunate and consisted of a governmental office in charge of buying and managing the silver as well as clerical work and a factory for casting the silver coins. Incidentally, Kinza, the place for dealing with gold, was in the current location of the Bank of Japan head office in Nihonbashi.

As the “Ginza” organization had privileged rights for handling silver, there were tremendous profits, and the “Ginza” bureaucrats were quite prosperous. After numerous cases of bribery, “Ginza” was moved to Kakigara-cho in Nihonbashi in 1800. Despite this, the name “Ginza” stayed behind. Ginza was also home to “Shuza” (that handled cinnabar), “Obanza” (that received special privileges from the Shogunate to cast gold coins to be used as gifts), and “Fundoza” (that produced and sold standard weights used in measuring scales; ingots for making coins were also stored in this form), among others. Incidentally, eight fundo weights were used in the logo of the Ginza Street Association that was established during the Taisho period.

Ginza was mostly inhabited by artisans. Nevertheless, the area around Owari was quite bustling.

What is currently the intersection between Chuo-dori and Miyuki-dori was lined with rows of kimono shops, including Ebisuya, Kameya and Hoteiya that were said to have been very prosperous, on par with Mitsui Echigoya in Nihonbashi.

Ginza also held the residences that were specially bestowed by the Shogunate to Noh players of the Kanze, Konparu and Kongo schools. Relevant individuals occupied the surrounding areas. Masters of the Konparu style later became the Konparu geisha who were the foundation of the current Shinbashi geisha. The Kobiki-cho area was lined with rows of theaters and was the famous area where the Kano Painting School was located. A fruit and vegetable market and bamboo riverside market (selling bamboo for building material) were set up along the Kyobashi River, making it very lively. Ginza was thus a place where large bustling shops lined its main street that was also a part of Tokaido, the Edo-Kyoto highway beginning in Nihonbashi., On the one hand, it was a place where lively trade by boats took place in the surrounding river, and on the other hand a place with stretches of artisan villages and the home to Noh players, Kabuki actors, masters of the Tokiwazu style of joruri narrative used for kabuki dances and painters.

Ginza that was bursting with energy throughout the Genroku era temporarily fell out of fashion in the Bunka and Bunsei eras. By the last days of the Tokugawa Shogunate, it had become quite neglected.

Then, following a huge fire in 1872, it was reborn as a Westernized Rengagai, or “Bricktown” built by

the Meiji government, designed by a British architect called Thomas James Waters. The project had two central pillars: (1) rebuild the streets with a focus on increasing the width, and (2) build fireproof Western-style houses mainly of brick. The government spent 1/27 of their budget, an enormous sum, for construction.

At the end of construction, the main street was widened to 27 meters, more than twice as wide as the previous street, and was separated into a vehicle zone and a pedestrian sidewalk. The sidewalks were also laid with brick. Gaslamps were installed and cherry blossom, pine and maple trees were planted along the street. Based on the district block system used until then, the so-called Hachiken street and Goken street were built and became a neat grid. Needless to say, it was the foundation for the current Ginza blocks. The brick houses were built in the Georgian architectural style. An overhanging balcony on the second floor was supported by circular columns and covered a veranda below. These houses were built in sequence from 1-Chome. Once the brick houses were completed, they were sold off by the government to civilians. Despite the extremely high price of the buildings, the brick was poor quality and quickly became damp from humidity, often causing the houses to become ruined in no time. As a result, the area was full of houses that remained vacant from the very start.

The year of 1872 was also the year that Japan’s first railway, connecting Yokohama and Shimbashi, was completed. Ginza was also the

Ginza-dori and Miyuki-dori intersection in the early 19th century

GINZA HISTORY

shopping area in front of Shimbashi station, and merchant after merchant opened up shops there to sell the imports and the latest hot products. There were all sorts of shops — western-style restaurants, bakeries, bag vendors, sukiyaki restaurants, clock dealers, western-style furniture shops, western-style clothing shops, and much more. These strongly enterprising merchants set up window displays in their shop fronts. Unlike their pre-Meiji counterparts where vendors sat down in shops floored with tatami mats, these new style of shops were set up so that customers could freely enter and look at the items for sale with their shoes still on. Ginza began take shape as the town where people could enjoy watching a western-style cityscape and enjoy window shopping — in other words, a town where they could enjoy a nice stroll that would later come to be called “Gin-bura.”

Another distinctive characteristic of Ginza was the foray of newspaper publishers. Journalists that were sensitive to what was hot and new assembled in the fashionable district that gathered all things western. Shimbashi station was also a hub for distributing goods to rural areas. There was even a point in time when newspaper publishers were located on all the Owari-cho intersections (Ginza 4-Chome intersections). The newspaper publishers were followed by magazine publishers, then printing houses, advertising firms and so on, making Ginza a mega information publishing hub.

As the Meiji era passed the halfway point, bazaars began to appear. These bazaars were similar to today’s department stores or multi-tenant commercial buildings. Lining both sides of roughly two and a half meter wide aisles were small shops selling toys, picture books, writing materials, and various other miscellaneous goods. The buildings were constructed so that you would spiral up the gently sloping aisle until you reached the top floor of the building, then begin a gentle descent. In 1902, seven such bazaars were standing on Ginza Chuo-dori. Ginza thus became a place where many people gathered, but shopping was not the only objective. People began to think it cool to simply walk through Ginza and to consider meeting up in Ginza to be the forefront of the era. The phrase “Gin-bura,” to mean wandering around Ginza, emerged in 1915-16. There are many theories for the word’s origin.

The phrase “wander through Ginza” was of course commonplace, but, in addition to this, there was also the phrase, “Gin-no-bura” that had a negative nuance, referring to hoodlums in Ginza. This phrase may have become modified into the word “Gin-bura” to mean walking through Ginza with no purpose in mind. Another story is that students of Keio University would go to Ginza for a cup of Brazilian coffee, still a novelty at the time, an activity they would refer to as “Ginza de Brazil coffee”, which was shortened to “Gin-bura.” Either way, the word “Gin-bura” stuck, becoming adopted into regular

speech and even coming to appear in the Kojien Japanese Dictionary. Today, the word is essential for describing the allure of the Ginza district.

The event that epitomized Ginza as a place to long for, a place at the cutting edge, and a special place where cultural figures gathered was the opening of Café Printemps. In 1911, when the painter Shozo (or Seiso) Matsuyama returned from Paris, he tried to reproduce the atmosphere of the Parisian cafés. The naming of his café was assisted by Kaoru Osanai (Playwrite) and the interior design by a young Ryusei Kishida (Artist). As many people did not know what a café was, a number of people were solicited as sponsors. Those sponsors included big-time authors like Kafu Nagai and Ogai Mori as well as geisha from Shimbashi and Akasaka. In addition to coffee blended by a shop run by an Italian in Yokohama and whiskey, brandy and other foreign alcohol, the Café also offered various types of liqueurs. It became a thriving social venue where literary figures and painters with experience traveling abroad came to gather. Up until then, there was nowhere in Japan that could act as an easygoing social lounge for holding lively discussions, meeting up with people, or dropping in for a quick cup of tea. Café Printemps was soon followed one after another by the Café Paulista, Café Lion, Tiger and so on. While each of these cafés had their own distinctive qualities, they all set adrift a desirable western mood. In addition to letting its customers enjoy the taste of feeling fashionable by simply being there, the cafés also acted as social lounges. Every move made by the famous people who gathered in the cafés became the object of admiration and the buzz of the town, and, it goes without saying, largely helped form Ginza’s image.

By the beginning of the Taisho period, Ginza’s Bricktown had become remodeled to look exquisitely Japanese through the creative efforts of its residents who made it livable by their standards. In addition to laying down tatami mat flooring inside for carrying

—Bazaar Hakuhinkan

4330 31

The district name, “Ginza” originated from the Ginza Yakusho (government office) in the Edo period. In 1603, the Edo Shogunate founded by Tokugawa Ieyasu moved the silver coin mint from Sunpu to its current location of Ginza 2-Chome. The town’s official name was Shin-ryogae-cho (meaning “new money exchange town”), but it came to be known colloquially as “Ginza.”

Some people say that Ginza used to be in the ocean, but it is not the case that the entire Ginza perimeter was completely submerged prior to the Edo period. It is thought that what is known as “Ginza” today was low marshes at the tip of a peninsula called Edomaejima largely jutting out from Tokyo Bay. The building of Edo city then began with the reclaiming of these marshes, Hibiya inlet and the Tsukiji area.

An organization called “Ginza” was established to create silver coins for the Shogunate and consisted of a governmental office in charge of buying and managing the silver as well as clerical work and a factory for casting the silver coins. Incidentally, Kinza, the place for dealing with gold, was in the current location of the Bank of Japan head office in Nihonbashi.

As the “Ginza” organization had privileged rights for handling silver, there were tremendous profits, and the “Ginza” bureaucrats were quite prosperous. After numerous cases of bribery, “Ginza” was moved to Kakigara-cho in Nihonbashi in 1800. Despite this, the name “Ginza” stayed behind. Ginza was also home to “Shuza” (that handled cinnabar), “Obanza” (that received special privileges from the Shogunate to cast gold coins to be used as gifts), and “Fundoza” (that produced and sold standard weights used in measuring scales; ingots for making coins were also stored in this form), among others. Incidentally, eight fundo weights were used in the logo of the Ginza Street Association that was established during the Taisho period.

Ginza was mostly inhabited by artisans. Nevertheless, the area around Owari was quite bustling.

What is currently the intersection between Chuo-dori and Miyuki-dori was lined with rows of kimono shops, including Ebisuya, Kameya and Hoteiya that were said to have been very prosperous, on par with Mitsui Echigoya in Nihonbashi.

Ginza also held the residences that were specially bestowed by the Shogunate to Noh players of the Kanze, Konparu and Kongo schools. Relevant individuals occupied the surrounding areas. Masters of the Konparu style later became the Konparu geisha who were the foundation of the current Shinbashi geisha. The Kobiki-cho area was lined with rows of theaters and was the famous area where the Kano Painting School was located. A fruit and vegetable market and bamboo riverside market (selling bamboo for building material) were set up along the Kyobashi River, making it very lively. Ginza was thus a place where large bustling shops lined its main street that was also a part of Tokaido, the Edo-Kyoto highway beginning in Nihonbashi., On the one hand, it was a place where lively trade by boats took place in the surrounding river, and on the other hand a place with stretches of artisan villages and the home to Noh players, Kabuki actors, masters of the Tokiwazu style of joruri narrative used for kabuki dances and painters.

Ginza that was bursting with energy throughout the Genroku era temporarily fell out of fashion in the Bunka and Bunsei eras. By the last days of the Tokugawa Shogunate, it had become quite neglected.

Then, following a huge fire in 1872, it was reborn as a Westernized Rengagai, or “Bricktown” built by

the Meiji government, designed by a British architect called Thomas James Waters. The project had two central pillars: (1) rebuild the streets with a focus on increasing the width, and (2) build fireproof Western-style houses mainly of brick. The government spent 1/27 of their budget, an enormous sum, for construction.

At the end of construction, the main street was widened to 27 meters, more than twice as wide as the previous street, and was separated into a vehicle zone and a pedestrian sidewalk. The sidewalks were also laid with brick. Gaslamps were installed and cherry blossom, pine and maple trees were planted along the street. Based on the district block system used until then, the so-called Hachiken street and Goken street were built and became a neat grid. Needless to say, it was the foundation for the current Ginza blocks. The brick houses were built in the Georgian architectural style. An overhanging balcony on the second floor was supported by circular columns and covered a veranda below. These houses were built in sequence from 1-Chome. Once the brick houses were completed, they were sold off by the government to civilians. Despite the extremely high price of the buildings, the brick was poor quality and quickly became damp from humidity, often causing the houses to become ruined in no time. As a result, the area was full of houses that remained vacant from the very start.

The year of 1872 was also the year that Japan’s first railway, connecting Yokohama and Shimbashi, was completed. Ginza was also the

Ginza-dori and Miyuki-dori intersection in the early 19th century

GINZA HISTORY

shopping area in front of Shimbashi station, and merchant after merchant opened up shops there to sell the imports and the latest hot products. There were all sorts of shops — western-style restaurants, bakeries, bag vendors, sukiyaki restaurants, clock dealers, western-style furniture shops, western-style clothing shops, and much more. These strongly enterprising merchants set up window displays in their shop fronts. Unlike their pre-Meiji counterparts where vendors sat down in shops floored with tatami mats, these new style of shops were set up so that customers could freely enter and look at the items for sale with their shoes still on. Ginza began take shape as the town where people could enjoy watching a western-style cityscape and enjoy window shopping — in other words, a town where they could enjoy a nice stroll that would later come to be called “Gin-bura.”

Another distinctive characteristic of Ginza was the foray of newspaper publishers. Journalists that were sensitive to what was hot and new assembled in the fashionable district that gathered all things western. Shimbashi station was also a hub for distributing goods to rural areas. There was even a point in time when newspaper publishers were located on all the Owari-cho intersections (Ginza 4-Chome intersections). The newspaper publishers were followed by magazine publishers, then printing houses, advertising firms and so on, making Ginza a mega information publishing hub.

As the Meiji era passed the halfway point, bazaars began to appear. These bazaars were similar to today’s department stores or multi-tenant commercial buildings. Lining both sides of roughly two and a half meter wide aisles were small shops selling toys, picture books, writing materials, and various other miscellaneous goods. The buildings were constructed so that you would spiral up the gently sloping aisle until you reached the top floor of the building, then begin a gentle descent. In 1902, seven such bazaars were standing on Ginza Chuo-dori. Ginza thus became a place where many people gathered, but shopping was not the only objective. People began to think it cool to simply walk through Ginza and to consider meeting up in Ginza to be the forefront of the era. The phrase “Gin-bura,” to mean wandering around Ginza, emerged in 1915-16. There are many theories for the word’s origin.

The phrase “wander through Ginza” was of course commonplace, but, in addition to this, there was also the phrase, “Gin-no-bura” that had a negative nuance, referring to hoodlums in Ginza. This phrase may have become modified into the word “Gin-bura” to mean walking through Ginza with no purpose in mind. Another story is that students of Keio University would go to Ginza for a cup of Brazilian coffee, still a novelty at the time, an activity they would refer to as “Ginza de Brazil coffee”, which was shortened to “Gin-bura.” Either way, the word “Gin-bura” stuck, becoming adopted into regular

speech and even coming to appear in the Kojien Japanese Dictionary. Today, the word is essential for describing the allure of the Ginza district.

The event that epitomized Ginza as a place to long for, a place at the cutting edge, and a special place where cultural figures gathered was the opening of Café Printemps. In 1911, when the painter Shozo (or Seiso) Matsuyama returned from Paris, he tried to reproduce the atmosphere of the Parisian cafés. The naming of his café was assisted by Kaoru Osanai (Playwrite) and the interior design by a young Ryusei Kishida (Artist). As many people did not know what a café was, a number of people were solicited as sponsors. Those sponsors included big-time authors like Kafu Nagai and Ogai Mori as well as geisha from Shimbashi and Akasaka. In addition to coffee blended by a shop run by an Italian in Yokohama and whiskey, brandy and other foreign alcohol, the Café also offered various types of liqueurs. It became a thriving social venue where literary figures and painters with experience traveling abroad came to gather. Up until then, there was nowhere in Japan that could act as an easygoing social lounge for holding lively discussions, meeting up with people, or dropping in for a quick cup of tea. Café Printemps was soon followed one after another by the Café Paulista, Café Lion, Tiger and so on. While each of these cafés had their own distinctive qualities, they all set adrift a desirable western mood. In addition to letting its customers enjoy the taste of feeling fashionable by simply being there, the cafés also acted as social lounges. Every move made by the famous people who gathered in the cafés became the object of admiration and the buzz of the town, and, it goes without saying, largely helped form Ginza’s image.

By the beginning of the Taisho period, Ginza’s Bricktown had become remodeled to look exquisitely Japanese through the creative efforts of its residents who made it livable by their standards. In addition to laying down tatami mat flooring inside for carrying

—Bazaar Hakuhinkan

4432 33

on a Japanese style of living, noren curtains were hung in the facades and extensions were added to many buildings to make them look truly Japanese.

The street side trees were switched from cherry blossom, pine and maple to willows. Willow trees became established as the official street side tree of Ginza, so much to the extent that the thought of Ginza evoked an image of willow trees. Then, a plan was put forth by the city of Tokyo to renovate Ginza-dori t hat included widening the road, removing the willows and planting ginkgo trees in their place, and paving the sidewalks in concrete.

The local residents voiced strong opposition to these plans, and especially to the removal of the willow trees, which led to the establishment in 1919 of the Kyoshin Association as an alliance of shops along Ginza -dori. The removal of willow trees went so far as to become an issue in the city council, but the plan was pushed through by Mayor Shinpei Goto and all the willows were removed in 1921.

Soon after, the Great Kanto Earthquake struck and a movement began to bring back the willow trees. In 1932, willow trees were revived in Ginza as the street side tree. The Kyoshin Association later changed its name to the Ginza Street Association and was joined by the shops along Harumi-dori following the war. It has continued and still continues to preserve the prosperity and protect the safety and security of the Ginza district.

On September 1, 1923, the Great Kanto Earthquake almost completely destroyed Bricktown that represented Ginza following the Meiji period. Not only did the brick come crumbling

down, but it was even reduced to ashes by fires in most areas.

The Ginza shops banded together and began efforts towards reconstruction, which was touchingly portrayed by Takitaro Minakami in his novel, Ginza Fukko (“The Reconstruction of Ginza”).The shops along Ginza -dori worked tirelessly to restore what was lost. They built a barrack and decided to open their shops en masse on November 10. Avant-garde artists designed the facade of the barrack. The artists employed a modern design style that emerged within the unrestricted atmosphere of the Taisho era, with some being quite outlandish. It created a unique scenery in Ginza and was widely talked about. The City of Tokyo also set forth their plans for reconstruction from the earthquake, with a major change for Ginza being to widen Harumi-dori and newly construct Showa-dori. If you look closely at a map of Ginza, you can see that the 4-Chome block is smaller than the rest. This is because of the widening of Harumi-dori.

During the reconstruction period, department stores appeared in Ginza for the first time. It began with the opening of Matsuzakaya in 1924. The practice of removing your shoes was abandoned and the revolutionary new style of building allowed wearing of street shoes throughout its entire premises. It launched many new business techniques, for example offering free shuttle buses from Yurakucho and Shimbashi stations and setting up a zoo on the roof. The zoos even housed large animals like leopards and lions.

The Matsuya department store opened in 1925. The shops surrounded an open area in the center and the building held an aquarium. Mitsukoshi opened in 1930. While the development of these three large scale department stores was a cause of concern for the local specialty shops, it actually acted to raise the competitive power of the shops. It was during this time that we began to see the coexistence and co-prosperity of department stores and specialty shops that is a prime feature of Ginza. The department stores attracted new customers to Ginza and increased the momentum of reconstruction efforts. In 1929, the real-estate rent in Ginza became the highest in Japan for the first time, surpassing that of Nihonbashi. Shopping streets began popping up all over the country with “Ginza” in their name. The motion picture and theater district was developed in Hibiya by Ichizo Kobayashi of Hankyu Railway around this time. In 1934, the subway that was extended from Asakusa finally made its way to Ginza. Customers from Asakusa that was the top-most shopping district at the time were also brought into Ginza. Ginza thus came to be known as the established leader of districts in Japan.

Ginza, that gained top place in Japan as a shopping area where department stores and upscale specialty shops converged, was home to modern cafés, bars and small coffee shops and restaurants, creating a glamorous night scene. Police surveys from 1929 show Ginza’s cafés and bars to number

Near the Ginza 4-Chome intersection in the aftermath of the Great Kanto Earthquake

Ginza-dori around in 1902

as many as about 600. While the Japanese economy was struggling with the Great Depression, massive cafés financed by Osaka businesses opened up along Ginza-dori, lighting up splashy neon signs. So-called mobos and mogas (short for modan boi and modan garu, or “modern boy” and “modern girl”) strutted through the street. Mobos had slicked back hair topped with a Borsalino hat, wore sailor trousers and round glasses with thick plastic rims and carried a walking stick. Mogas wore their hair in an Eton crop and painted their eyebrows. They wore kimonos with daring new patterns and the latest western fashion, strolling swankily as if they were stage actresses. This was also a time when the popularity of records exploded, and songs centered on a Ginza theme were published one and another. One that became a massive hit and remains well-known today is Tokyo Koshinkyoku (“Tokyo March”; lyrics by Yaso Saijo, music by Shinpei Nakayama). The lyrics, “jazz de odotte rikyuuru de fukete, akerya dansaa no namida-ame,” meaning “dance the night away with jazz and liqueur, at sunrise the dancer’s tearful rain lightly falls,” epitomize the mood of the era that was the zenith of cafés.

While people were being swept away by a mood of pleasure and self-indulgence, Japan launched firmly into the War. In the streets of Ginza where mogas strut, members of the women’s society stood claiming that “luxury was the enemy” and urging people to “stop wearing perms.” The year of 1944 came, and street lamps and tram rails were dismantled to be used as military supplies. Major theaters including the Kabuki-za Theater were ordered to close, and the shining neon lights went out. Because food was so scarce, some people even cultivated land in Ginza into fields.

The first air raid on Ginza came on January 27, 1945. Taimei Elementary School was directly hit by a bomb that day, killing the teachers. The air raids continued on March 9 and 10 and on May 25, bringing almost the entire Ginza district to ashes. Many stories from the war remain, including stories of shopkeepers who evacuated their families and stayed behind alone to protect their shops, stories of people who escaped the bombs by running for shelter to the underground of the Toshiba Building during a raid, stories of people born and raised in Ginza who were evacuated and had to labor through life in the countryside for the first time, and countless others.

The war came to an end on August 15, 1945. On September 8, the occupation forces of the Allied Powers rode in an endless string of jeeps, transport vehicles and tanks through Ginza, to the surprise of the people there. K. Hattori and the Matsuya department store, large buildings that survived the fires, were requisitioned as Post Exchanges (specialty shops for the US troops). The occupation forces renamed the streets of Ginza with names they could easily understand and put up English street signs.

The people working in Ginza’s shopping area were mired in confusion and set up their own reconstruction plans to protect Ginza from malicious illegal traders who tried to sneak their way in and to bring the bustling crowds back to the district as soon as possible. As early as April, 1946, they put on a Ginza Reconstruction Festival. It is said that 180 shops reopened on Ginza -dori during this festival.

In addition to the regular shops, street stalls also lined up along Ginza -dori, selling souvenirs, clothing, food, children’s toys and other goods to the US troops. They lit acetylene electric lamps at night, creating a unique atmosphere. Although the street stalls played a significant role in the reconstruction of business in Ginza and many people remembered them as a feature of the district, they were ordered to be shut down by the GHQ (General Headquarters) in 1951 because of illegal business and unsanitary conditions.

Not only Ginza, but all the districts of Tokyo were waterfront districts or river transport districts, but the times changed, and the people of Tokyo were pushing hard to shift towards economic growth and vehicle-centered transportation. There were some people who opposed the filling of the moat in Ginza, but the opportunity was taken so far as to fill up all the rivers surrounding Ginza. Ginza went from being surrounded by rivers to being surrounded by expressways. The names of bridges remain today as the names of numerous intersections, including Kyobashi, Shimbashi, Sukiyabashi and Miharabashi. The vestiges of Hashizume Park that was located at the foot of a bridge provides one of the few green areas in Ginza. Around the mid-50′s, movies set in Ginza often featured water scenes, for example with a couple enjoying a boat ride after a date in Ginza. The radio drama, Kimi no na wa (“What is your name?”) that dominated the genre was also set on Sukiyabashi bridge crossing over the outer moat. The area from Kyobashi river to the outer moat and Shiodome river

The San Francisco Peace Treaty was then signed, and in April, 1952, the following year, K. Hattori, Matsuya and other property was returned to Japan, finally setting off the start of full-scale recovery.

While the burnt ruins of Ginza made a strong comeback through the efforts of its merchants, piles of wreckage remained here and there left behind by the air raids. It is said that the center median of Showa-dori was filled with endless mountains of wreckage. After puzzling over what to do with the wreckage, it was decided to use it to fill up the 50 meter wide moat that was already dirty and filled with masses of junk.

Burnt ruins. View of Ginza and Yurakucho

Ginza mobos and mogas

4532 33

on a Japanese style of living, noren curtains were hung in the facades and extensions were added to many buildings to make them look truly Japanese.

The street side trees were switched from cherry blossom, pine and maple to willows. Willow trees became established as the official street side tree of Ginza, so much to the extent that the thought of Ginza evoked an image of willow trees. Then, a plan was put forth by the city of Tokyo to renovate Ginza-dori t hat included widening the road, removing the willows and planting ginkgo trees in their place, and paving the sidewalks in concrete.

The local residents voiced strong opposition to these plans, and especially to the removal of the willow trees, which led to the establishment in 1919 of the Kyoshin Association as an alliance of shops along Ginza -dori. The removal of willow trees went so far as to become an issue in the city council, but the plan was pushed through by Mayor Shinpei Goto and all the willows were removed in 1921.

Soon after, the Great Kanto Earthquake struck and a movement began to bring back the willow trees. In 1932, willow trees were revived in Ginza as the street side tree. The Kyoshin Association later changed its name to the Ginza Street Association and was joined by the shops along Harumi-dori following the war. It has continued and still continues to preserve the prosperity and protect the safety and security of the Ginza district.

On September 1, 1923, the Great Kanto Earthquake almost completely destroyed Bricktown that represented Ginza following the Meiji period. Not only did the brick come crumbling

down, but it was even reduced to ashes by fires in most areas.

The Ginza shops banded together and began efforts towards reconstruction, which was touchingly portrayed by Takitaro Minakami in his novel, Ginza Fukko (“The Reconstruction of Ginza”).The shops along Ginza -dori worked tirelessly to restore what was lost. They built a barrack and decided to open their shops en masse on November 10. Avant-garde artists designed the facade of the barrack. The artists employed a modern design style that emerged within the unrestricted atmosphere of the Taisho era, with some being quite outlandish. It created a unique scenery in Ginza and was widely talked about. The City of Tokyo also set forth their plans for reconstruction from the earthquake, with a major change for Ginza being to widen Harumi-dori and newly construct Showa-dori. If you look closely at a map of Ginza, you can see that the 4-Chome block is smaller than the rest. This is because of the widening of Harumi-dori.

During the reconstruction period, department stores appeared in Ginza for the first time. It began with the opening of Matsuzakaya in 1924. The practice of removing your shoes was abandoned and the revolutionary new style of building allowed wearing of street shoes throughout its entire premises. It launched many new business techniques, for example offering free shuttle buses from Yurakucho and Shimbashi stations and setting up a zoo on the roof. The zoos even housed large animals like leopards and lions.

The Matsuya department store opened in 1925. The shops surrounded an open area in the center and the building held an aquarium. Mitsukoshi opened in 1930. While the development of these three large scale department stores was a cause of concern for the local specialty shops, it actually acted to raise the competitive power of the shops. It was during this time that we began to see the coexistence and co-prosperity of department stores and specialty shops that is a prime feature of Ginza. The department stores attracted new customers to Ginza and increased the momentum of reconstruction efforts. In 1929, the real-estate rent in Ginza became the highest in Japan for the first time, surpassing that of Nihonbashi. Shopping streets began popping up all over the country with “Ginza” in their name. The motion picture and theater district was developed in Hibiya by Ichizo Kobayashi of Hankyu Railway around this time. In 1934, the subway that was extended from Asakusa finally made its way to Ginza. Customers from Asakusa that was the top-most shopping district at the time were also brought into Ginza. Ginza thus came to be known as the established leader of districts in Japan.

Ginza, that gained top place in Japan as a shopping area where department stores and upscale specialty shops converged, was home to modern cafés, bars and small coffee shops and restaurants, creating a glamorous night scene. Police surveys from 1929 show Ginza’s cafés and bars to number

Near the Ginza 4-Chome intersection in the aftermath of the Great Kanto Earthquake

Ginza-dori around in 1902

as many as about 600. While the Japanese economy was struggling with the Great Depression, massive cafés financed by Osaka businesses opened up along Ginza-dori, lighting up splashy neon signs. So-called mobos and mogas (short for modan boi and modan garu, or “modern boy” and “modern girl”) strutted through the street. Mobos had slicked back hair topped with a Borsalino hat, wore sailor trousers and round glasses with thick plastic rims and carried a walking stick. Mogas wore their hair in an Eton crop and painted their eyebrows. They wore kimonos with daring new patterns and the latest western fashion, strolling swankily as if they were stage actresses. This was also a time when the popularity of records exploded, and songs centered on a Ginza theme were published one and another. One that became a massive hit and remains well-known today is Tokyo Koshinkyoku (“Tokyo March”; lyrics by Yaso Saijo, music by Shinpei Nakayama). The lyrics, “jazz de odotte rikyuuru de fukete, akerya dansaa no namida-ame,” meaning “dance the night away with jazz and liqueur, at sunrise the dancer’s tearful rain lightly falls,” epitomize the mood of the era that was the zenith of cafés.

While people were being swept away by a mood of pleasure and self-indulgence, Japan launched firmly into the War. In the streets of Ginza where mogas strut, members of the women’s society stood claiming that “luxury was the enemy” and urging people to “stop wearing perms.” The year of 1944 came, and street lamps and tram rails were dismantled to be used as military supplies. Major theaters including the Kabuki-za Theater were ordered to close, and the shining neon lights went out. Because food was so scarce, some people even cultivated land in Ginza into fields.

The first air raid on Ginza came on January 27, 1945. Taimei Elementary School was directly hit by a bomb that day, killing the teachers. The air raids continued on March 9 and 10 and on May 25, bringing almost the entire Ginza district to ashes. Many stories from the war remain, including stories of shopkeepers who evacuated their families and stayed behind alone to protect their shops, stories of people who escaped the bombs by running for shelter to the underground of the Toshiba Building during a raid, stories of people born and raised in Ginza who were evacuated and had to labor through life in the countryside for the first time, and countless others.

The war came to an end on August 15, 1945. On September 8, the occupation forces of the Allied Powers rode in an endless string of jeeps, transport vehicles and tanks through Ginza, to the surprise of the people there. K. Hattori and the Matsuya department store, large buildings that survived the fires, were requisitioned as Post Exchanges (specialty shops for the US troops). The occupation forces renamed the streets of Ginza with names they could easily understand and put up English street signs.

The people working in Ginza’s shopping area were mired in confusion and set up their own reconstruction plans to protect Ginza from malicious illegal traders who tried to sneak their way in and to bring the bustling crowds back to the district as soon as possible. As early as April, 1946, they put on a Ginza Reconstruction Festival. It is said that 180 shops reopened on Ginza -dori during this festival.

In addition to the regular shops, street stalls also lined up along Ginza -dori, selling souvenirs, clothing, food, children’s toys and other goods to the US troops. They lit acetylene electric lamps at night, creating a unique atmosphere. Although the street stalls played a significant role in the reconstruction of business in Ginza and many people remembered them as a feature of the district, they were ordered to be shut down by the GHQ (General Headquarters) in 1951 because of illegal business and unsanitary conditions.

Not only Ginza, but all the districts of Tokyo were waterfront districts or river transport districts, but the times changed, and the people of Tokyo were pushing hard to shift towards economic growth and vehicle-centered transportation. There were some people who opposed the filling of the moat in Ginza, but the opportunity was taken so far as to fill up all the rivers surrounding Ginza. Ginza went from being surrounded by rivers to being surrounded by expressways. The names of bridges remain today as the names of numerous intersections, including Kyobashi, Shimbashi, Sukiyabashi and Miharabashi. The vestiges of Hashizume Park that was located at the foot of a bridge provides one of the few green areas in Ginza. Around the mid-50′s, movies set in Ginza often featured water scenes, for example with a couple enjoying a boat ride after a date in Ginza. The radio drama, Kimi no na wa (“What is your name?”) that dominated the genre was also set on Sukiyabashi bridge crossing over the outer moat. The area from Kyobashi river to the outer moat and Shiodome river

The San Francisco Peace Treaty was then signed, and in April, 1952, the following year, K. Hattori, Matsuya and other property was returned to Japan, finally setting off the start of full-scale recovery.

While the burnt ruins of Ginza made a strong comeback through the efforts of its merchants, piles of wreckage remained here and there left behind by the air raids. It is said that the center median of Showa-dori was filled with endless mountains of wreckage. After puzzling over what to do with the wreckage, it was decided to use it to fill up the 50 meter wide moat that was already dirty and filled with masses of junk.

Burnt ruins. View of Ginza and Yurakucho

Ginza mobos and mogas

4634 35

became a highway building owned by Japan’s only private expressway company with a road running over the roof of the shop building.

Along with filling the outer moat, construction of new subway lines also progressed. Subway stations opened in Ginza one after another, with the Eidan Subway Marunouchi Line Nishi-Ginza (west Ginza) station (currently the Ginza station) completed in 1957, the Metropolitan Subway Asakusa Line Higashi-Ginza (east Ginza) station in 1963, and the Hibiya Line Ginza station in 1964. That was also the year that the subway section between Higashi-Ginza and Nishi-Ginza opened. In 1967, the Toden streetcar Ginza line was finally shut down for good. Streetcar lines had crisscrossed Tokyo up until the mid-‘50s, acting as a valuable method of transportation. As motor traffic progressed and the number of automobiles on the roads increased, the trams ended up clogging traffic. The sight of trams running through Ginza -dori had already become a common feature of that area. On the night of December 9, the final night of the Toden streetcars, throngs of people filled Ginza-dori to reluctantly bid farewell to their beloved trams. The Yurakucho Line Ginza 1-Chome station opened in 1974, so that a total of 5 subway lines cross through Ginza. Today it has become a subway district, with as many as 155 million people passengers each year.

It was 1956 when the Economic White Paper stated that “The postwar period is over.” Japan’s economic growth following the war sped forward so fast that Japan went on to hold the Tokyo Olympics in 1964 and was determined to have the second largest GNP in the world in 1969. Spurred by that success, Ginza was vastly transformed during the period from the mid-50′s to the mid-60′s, with the filling of the moats, building of highways, expansion of the subway system, removal of the trams, renovation of Ginza-dori, launching of new festivals, and much more. Wooden buildings constructed right after the war were replaced one by one with larger stone and concrete buildings. In 1966, the completion of the Sony Building at the Sukiyabashi intersection was the start of high profile buildings popping up one after another, including the Sannai Building on the 4-Chome intersection, the Toshiba Building that is the largest building in Ginza, the Ginza Lion Building, Meitetsu Melsa, Shiseido The Ginza, and more.

Then, the prosperity came to a standstill in 1973 when the Oil Crisis struck. As a result of the Fourth Middle Eastern War, oil prices rose, production was cut and supplies were restricted. The Japanese government responded by cutting oil and power by 10% and proposing restraint from using private vehicles, which drove housewives streaming to the shops to stock up on toilet paper and other necessities. The Ginza department stores reduced their opening hours and the neon signs that had come to symbolize the entertainment district flickered out. The Ginza Street Association lobbied the government to ease restrictions on the neon signs.

Following the Oil Crisis, the economy once again rebounded, and an unparalleled economic boom began around the mid-’80s, referred to as the “Bubble Economy.” While Ginza also saw its fair share of large money exchanges, successions of glamorous parties and long lines of people waiting for taxis, the real change was taking place elsewhere — it was during this time that a number of financial institutions opened branches on Ginza-dori. Looking back across history, the establishments that thrived the most at the time opened

shops on Ginza-dori. For example, during the Meiji Bricktown period, it was shops selling western goods, and during the early Showa period, it was cafés. Similarly, numerous banks, brokerage houses and other financial institutions opened branches along Ginza-dori during the years of the asset-inflated “Bubble Economy.” Financial institutions are not places to enjoy shopping. Moreover, at 3 o-clock, which is when most visitors to Ginza are still out shopping, they are already closing. This situation was less than ideal from the viewpoint of creating a bustling district. Not only that, but the already high land prices in Ginza skyrocketed even further, actually stopping buying and selling activities. During this period, parts of other districts were frequently bought up by land sharks, transforming those districts, but this did not happen to a large scale in Ginza.

—Street signs were put up that were easy for US troops to understand and the names of streets were changed. 1945

Ginza Chuo-dori crowded with people on the first day of the pedestrian paradise. Taken on August 2, 1970

Following the bubble’s implosion, the economy grew stagnant. With absolutely no prospects in sight for recovery, landowners in Ginza had great difficulty paying taxes on the extremely high land prices. People who did not invest in the land with the aim of making money, but rather to protect the land they inherited from their ancestors, had to pay property taxes, inheritance taxes and other taxes due to land appraisal that was completely unrelated to their own business. Regulations at the time decreed that the gross floor area of buildings being rebuilt must be smaller than that of initial construction , which prevented rebuilding of buildings constructed soon after the end of the war and led them to become decrepit. In 1995, the people of Ginza including those who belonged to the Ginza Street Association began lobbying the Chuo Ward administration, City of Tokyo and the Construction Ministry to make the floor area ratio on par with that of Marunouchi. Drawing on that concept, the Construction Ministry set up a system called “Function Update Intensive Land Use Districts.” District planning of Ginza was established based on that system and under negotiation with Chuo Ward.

Formation of the “Vision for Urban Planning in Ginza”

The basic framework for Ginza was defined by the district planning “Ginza Rules,” and the Ginza Street Association formulated a “Vision for Urban Planning in Ginza” to summarize the underlying concepts. This was part of a project to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Ginza Street Association’s founding.

The Vision proposed 3 main objectives

for urban planning. The first was to reclaim the waterfront and revitalize the alleyways. Since the Edo era, Ginza had been a waterfront district encompassed by canals and rivers. Also, the streets set up in a grid-like system were dissected by an extensive network of alleyways in which people lived vibrant lives. Then, the waterfront was swept away in the waves of motorization and the alleyways began to disappear as the buildings got larger and larger. In light of this history, the Vision proposed urban planning that facilitates the co-existence of old and new, for example by creating an environment that is rich in water and greenery and by redefining the alleyways to create places for people to comfortably rest and relax.

The second objective was to plan a new type of “Gin-bura.” Ginza is a fun district to walk in that is embodied by the phrase “Gin-bura.” The aim of urban planning thus became reconsidering the district from the chief viewpoint of walking, considering points to make it barrier free, having each street present its own unique style to provide places for exciting encounters, and creating a beautiful scenery. It also included the creation of systems to remove street-parking and consideration of public transportation systems such as a “Park & Ride” shuttle bus service and LRT (Light Rail Transit) to eliminate vehicular traffic throughout the district.

The third philosophy was to create new Ginza culture. Although Ginza is primarily a shopping district, districts do not develop through the economy alone. If anything, Ginza’s history has been marked with unique culture that has developed in tune with each era,

and that was what supported the development of the district. The Vision proposed creating systems that would produce momentum for cultural creativity by providing young artists a place to work and facilitating the emergence of new socio-cultural value and the transmission of information. The Ginza Design Council that was inaugurated in 2006 has come to receive roughly 100 applications for new buildings or structures a year. Even businesses with projects that do not require application are voluntarily coming to report to the Ginza Design Council more and more. Most of the businesses listen to the opinions of the Ginza locality and cooperate with them to further improve proposed design. When it comes to large-scale development projects, the developers exchange opinions with the Council from the planning stages, and confer with the Council on the way in which the project should contribute to the area in that which is only possible with large-scale projects. Initially, the Ginza Design Council did not define any rules such as on the brightness or saturation of colors or on the size of advertisements that would act as general design guidelines. It only had criteria for judging what is befitting of Ginza. Unfortunately, this was often inconvenient for businesses. In 2008, a little more than a year after the Council was established, it prepared a pamphlet laying down “Ginza Design Rules.” The pamphlet described the history of urban planning in Ginza, detailed the district planning “Ginza Rules,” explained the organization of the Ginza Association, and provided a number of case examples from previous consultations. Ginza, whose main principle is to be consistently progressive while continuously evolving dispelled with the notion of fixed rules. Instead, it embraced the concept that rules mature through the accumulation of experience and cases and that the rules themselves must be reviewed and revised for each creative new project proposal. After further working through a number of projects, the Council published the second edition of the Ginza Design Rules at the end of 2011.

Vision for Urban Planning

4734 35

became a highway building owned by Japan’s only private expressway company with a road running over the roof of the shop building.

Along with filling the outer moat, construction of new subway lines also progressed. Subway stations opened in Ginza one after another, with the Eidan Subway Marunouchi Line Nishi-Ginza (west Ginza) station (currently the Ginza station) completed in 1957, the Metropolitan Subway Asakusa Line Higashi-Ginza (east Ginza) station in 1963, and the Hibiya Line Ginza station in 1964. That was also the year that the subway section between Higashi-Ginza and Nishi-Ginza opened. In 1967, the Toden streetcar Ginza line was finally shut down for good. Streetcar lines had crisscrossed Tokyo up until the mid-‘50s, acting as a valuable method of transportation. As motor traffic progressed and the number of automobiles on the roads increased, the trams ended up clogging traffic. The sight of trams running through Ginza -dori had already become a common feature of that area. On the night of December 9, the final night of the Toden streetcars, throngs of people filled Ginza-dori to reluctantly bid farewell to their beloved trams. The Yurakucho Line Ginza 1-Chome station opened in 1974, so that a total of 5 subway lines cross through Ginza. Today it has become a subway district, with as many as 155 million people passengers each year.

It was 1956 when the Economic White Paper stated that “The postwar period is over.” Japan’s economic growth following the war sped forward so fast that Japan went on to hold the Tokyo Olympics in 1964 and was determined to have the second largest GNP in the world in 1969. Spurred by that success, Ginza was vastly transformed during the period from the mid-50′s to the mid-60′s, with the filling of the moats, building of highways, expansion of the subway system, removal of the trams, renovation of Ginza-dori, launching of new festivals, and much more. Wooden buildings constructed right after the war were replaced one by one with larger stone and concrete buildings. In 1966, the completion of the Sony Building at the Sukiyabashi intersection was the start of high profile buildings popping up one after another, including the Sannai Building on the 4-Chome intersection, the Toshiba Building that is the largest building in Ginza, the Ginza Lion Building, Meitetsu Melsa, Shiseido The Ginza, and more.

Then, the prosperity came to a standstill in 1973 when the Oil Crisis struck. As a result of the Fourth Middle Eastern War, oil prices rose, production was cut and supplies were restricted. The Japanese government responded by cutting oil and power by 10% and proposing restraint from using private vehicles, which drove housewives streaming to the shops to stock up on toilet paper and other necessities. The Ginza department stores reduced their opening hours and the neon signs that had come to symbolize the entertainment district flickered out. The Ginza Street Association lobbied the government to ease restrictions on the neon signs.

Following the Oil Crisis, the economy once again rebounded, and an unparalleled economic boom began around the mid-’80s, referred to as the “Bubble Economy.” While Ginza also saw its fair share of large money exchanges, successions of glamorous parties and long lines of people waiting for taxis, the real change was taking place elsewhere — it was during this time that a number of financial institutions opened branches on Ginza-dori. Looking back across history, the establishments that thrived the most at the time opened

shops on Ginza-dori. For example, during the Meiji Bricktown period, it was shops selling western goods, and during the early Showa period, it was cafés. Similarly, numerous banks, brokerage houses and other financial institutions opened branches along Ginza-dori during the years of the asset-inflated “Bubble Economy.” Financial institutions are not places to enjoy shopping. Moreover, at 3 o-clock, which is when most visitors to Ginza are still out shopping, they are already closing. This situation was less than ideal from the viewpoint of creating a bustling district. Not only that, but the already high land prices in Ginza skyrocketed even further, actually stopping buying and selling activities. During this period, parts of other districts were frequently bought up by land sharks, transforming those districts, but this did not happen to a large scale in Ginza.

—Street signs were put up that were easy for US troops to understand and the names of streets were changed. 1945

Ginza Chuo-dori crowded with people on the first day of the pedestrian paradise. Taken on August 2, 1970

Following the bubble’s implosion, the economy grew stagnant. With absolutely no prospects in sight for recovery, landowners in Ginza had great difficulty paying taxes on the extremely high land prices. People who did not invest in the land with the aim of making money, but rather to protect the land they inherited from their ancestors, had to pay property taxes, inheritance taxes and other taxes due to land appraisal that was completely unrelated to their own business. Regulations at the time decreed that the gross floor area of buildings being rebuilt must be smaller than that of initial construction , which prevented rebuilding of buildings constructed soon after the end of the war and led them to become decrepit. In 1995, the people of Ginza including those who belonged to the Ginza Street Association began lobbying the Chuo Ward administration, City of Tokyo and the Construction Ministry to make the floor area ratio on par with that of Marunouchi. Drawing on that concept, the Construction Ministry set up a system called “Function Update Intensive Land Use Districts.” District planning of Ginza was established based on that system and under negotiation with Chuo Ward.

Formation of the “Vision for Urban Planning in Ginza”

The basic framework for Ginza was defined by the district planning “Ginza Rules,” and the Ginza Street Association formulated a “Vision for Urban Planning in Ginza” to summarize the underlying concepts. This was part of a project to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Ginza Street Association’s founding.

The Vision proposed 3 main objectives

for urban planning. The first was to reclaim the waterfront and revitalize the alleyways. Since the Edo era, Ginza had been a waterfront district encompassed by canals and rivers. Also, the streets set up in a grid-like system were dissected by an extensive network of alleyways in which people lived vibrant lives. Then, the waterfront was swept away in the waves of motorization and the alleyways began to disappear as the buildings got larger and larger. In light of this history, the Vision proposed urban planning that facilitates the co-existence of old and new, for example by creating an environment that is rich in water and greenery and by redefining the alleyways to create places for people to comfortably rest and relax.

The second objective was to plan a new type of “Gin-bura.” Ginza is a fun district to walk in that is embodied by the phrase “Gin-bura.” The aim of urban planning thus became reconsidering the district from the chief viewpoint of walking, considering points to make it barrier free, having each street present its own unique style to provide places for exciting encounters, and creating a beautiful scenery. It also included the creation of systems to remove street-parking and consideration of public transportation systems such as a “Park & Ride” shuttle bus service and LRT (Light Rail Transit) to eliminate vehicular traffic throughout the district.

The third philosophy was to create new Ginza culture. Although Ginza is primarily a shopping district, districts do not develop through the economy alone. If anything, Ginza’s history has been marked with unique culture that has developed in tune with each era,

and that was what supported the development of the district. The Vision proposed creating systems that would produce momentum for cultural creativity by providing young artists a place to work and facilitating the emergence of new socio-cultural value and the transmission of information. The Ginza Design Council that was inaugurated in 2006 has come to receive roughly 100 applications for new buildings or structures a year. Even businesses with projects that do not require application are voluntarily coming to report to the Ginza Design Council more and more. Most of the businesses listen to the opinions of the Ginza locality and cooperate with them to further improve proposed design. When it comes to large-scale development projects, the developers exchange opinions with the Council from the planning stages, and confer with the Council on the way in which the project should contribute to the area in that which is only possible with large-scale projects. Initially, the Ginza Design Council did not define any rules such as on the brightness or saturation of colors or on the size of advertisements that would act as general design guidelines. It only had criteria for judging what is befitting of Ginza. Unfortunately, this was often inconvenient for businesses. In 2008, a little more than a year after the Council was established, it prepared a pamphlet laying down “Ginza Design Rules.” The pamphlet described the history of urban planning in Ginza, detailed the district planning “Ginza Rules,” explained the organization of the Ginza Association, and provided a number of case examples from previous consultations. Ginza, whose main principle is to be consistently progressive while continuously evolving dispelled with the notion of fixed rules. Instead, it embraced the concept that rules mature through the accumulation of experience and cases and that the rules themselves must be reviewed and revised for each creative new project proposal. After further working through a number of projects, the Council published the second edition of the Ginza Design Rules at the end of 2011.

Vision for Urban Planning

4836 37

TSUKIJI FISH MARKET5 Chome-2-1 Tsukiji Chuo Tokyo 104-0045

10 minuten lopen vanaf Tsukijishijo station

Dagelijks geopend van 7:00 tot 12:00

Grootste vismarkt ter wereld

gratis

http://www.tsukiji-market.or.jp/youkoso/about_e.htm

i

It is said that “Uogashi” or a riverside fish market dates back to the 16th century, the beginning of the Edo period. Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first Tokugawa shogun and builder of Edo as is now Tokyo, invited fishermen from Tsukudajima, Osaka and gave them a privilege for fishing in order to let them supply seafood to Edo Castle. The fishermen purveyed fish

market price was determined chiefly by negotiated transactions between sellers and buyers. Public auction was hardly taken place except in vegetable markets. In the Meiji and Taisho eras, the privilege of wholesale merchants were abolished. In 1923 some 20 private markets in Tokyo were destroyed almost completely by the Great Kanto Earthquake. After

the earthquake, Tokyo City as it then was undertook to construct a central wholesale market on the bases of the Central Wholesale Market Law which had been promulgated in the same year. As a result, the three markets of Tsukiji, Kanda and Koto were founded and the growing population then led to a succession of new markets.

to the Castle and sold the remains near the Nihonbashi bridge. It was the origin of Uogashi. Then, to meet the growing demand for fish with the increase in population, Nihonbashi Uogashi was reformed and developed into a market. The market was lead by wholesale merchants licensed by the Shogunate who bought fish from local ports, sold them to jobbers in the market and thus built up a large fortune, forming their own distributing network. Vegetables markets handling vegetables gathered in the suburbs of Edo were established in Kanda, Senju and Komagome: the Edo’s three big vegetable markets. The markets attained prosperity led by wholesalers and jobbers like fish markets. During the Edo period the

Migonbashi bridge in the mid Edo period

the Meiji period. After the Meiji Restoration, the garden became the detached palace of royal families and officially named Hamarikyu, which means a detached palace on the coast. In 1952,this garden was appointed as the Special Place of scenic beauty and the Special Historic Site, based on the Cultural Properties Protection Law of Japan. Part of the parkland is believed to had been the house of Mr. Bunzaemon Kinokuniya, a famous merchant in the Edo period. In 1878, Mr. Yataro Iwasaki, a founder of Mitsubishi group, bought this premise and built a garden for comforting his employees and also for inviting important business guests. In 1932, Mitsubishi group contributed this garden to Tokyo City and after some repair works it was opened to the public in 1932. The park was appointed as Place of scenic beauty of Tokyo Prefecture in 1979.

Now the garden is surrounded by high-rise buildings of Shiodome business area, and contrast between the old and the new is superb.. The southern garden was originally a villa providing

Hama Rikyu is located near the mouth of the Sumida-gawa, a large river flowing through Tokyo. This garden is a typical Daimyo(Japanese feudal lord) garden in the Edo period with a tidal pond(Shioiri-no-Ike) and two wild-duck hunting sites(Kamoba). A tidal pond means a pond that are infused with seawater in order to change flavor along a pond by flood changes time to time, of which style had been popularly used in coastal gardens in the Edo period. The whole pond had been reed fields and used for falconry site for Shogun families.This garden is roughly divided into two areas, the south garden whose center is Daimyo garden and the north garden that had been developed after

accommodation for feudal lords during the 17th to 19th centuries when they stayed in Edo (present day Tokyo). The northern garden was built later on. The southern garden has the Shio-iri-no Niwa (garden with a tidal pond) which is on the sea, and thus its scenery varies with the ebb and flow of the tide. Originally this area was the hunting grounds of the shogun who ruled Japan at that time. Later, in 1654, land was reclaimed from the sea and the villa built there. It was from here that the shogun would go boating in nearby rivers. These days the garden has a jetty used by a waterbus service.

HAMARIKYU ONSHI GARDEN1-1-1 Hamarikyuteien Chuo 104-0046 Tokyo

paar minuten lopen vanaf Tsukijishijo station

Park altijd geopend

-

gratis

-i

4936 37

TSUKIJI FISH MARKET5 Chome-2-1 Tsukiji Chuo Tokyo 104-0045



Grootste vismarkt ter wereld

gratis

http://www.tsukiji-market.or.jp/youkoso/about_e.htm

i

It is said that “Uogashi” or a riverside fish market dates back to the 16th century, the beginning of the Edo period. Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first Tokugawa shogun and builder of Edo as is now Tokyo, invited fishermen from Tsukudajima, Osaka and gave them a privilege for fishing in order to let them supply seafood to Edo Castle. The fishermen purveyed fish

market price was determined chiefly by negotiated transactions between sellers and buyers. Public auction was hardly taken place except in vegetable markets. In the Meiji and Taisho eras, the privilege of wholesale merchants were abolished. In 1923 some 20 private markets in Tokyo were destroyed almost completely by the Great Kanto Earthquake. After

the earthquake, Tokyo City as it then was undertook to construct a central wholesale market on the bases of the Central Wholesale Market Law which had been promulgated in the same year. As a result, the three markets of Tsukiji, Kanda and Koto were founded and the growing population then led to a succession of new markets.

to the Castle and sold the remains near the Nihonbashi bridge. It was the origin of Uogashi. Then, to meet the growing demand for fish with the increase in population, Nihonbashi Uogashi was reformed and developed into a market. The market was lead by wholesale merchants licensed by the Shogunate who bought fish from local ports, sold them to jobbers in the market and thus built up a large fortune, forming their own distributing network. Vegetables markets handling vegetables gathered in the suburbs of Edo were established in Kanda, Senju and Komagome: the Edo’s three big vegetable markets. The markets attained prosperity led by wholesalers and jobbers like fish markets. During the Edo period the

Migonbashi bridge in the mid Edo period

the Meiji period. After the Meiji Restoration, the garden became the detached palace of royal families and officially named Hamarikyu, which means a detached palace on the coast. In 1952,this garden was appointed as the Special Place of scenic beauty and the Special Historic Site, based on the Cultural Properties Protection Law of Japan. Part of the parkland is believed to had been the house of Mr. Bunzaemon Kinokuniya, a famous merchant in the Edo period. In 1878, Mr. Yataro Iwasaki, a founder of Mitsubishi group, bought this premise and built a garden for comforting his employees and also for inviting important business guests. In 1932, Mitsubishi group contributed this garden to Tokyo City and after some repair works it was opened to the public in 1932. The park was appointed as Place of scenic beauty of Tokyo Prefecture in 1979.

Now the garden is surrounded by high-rise buildings of Shiodome business area, and contrast between the old and the new is superb.. The southern garden was originally a villa providing

Hama Rikyu is located near the mouth of the Sumida-gawa, a large river flowing through Tokyo. This garden is a typical Daimyo(Japanese feudal lord) garden in the Edo period with a tidal pond(Shioiri-no-Ike) and two wild-duck hunting sites(Kamoba). A tidal pond means a pond that are infused with seawater in order to change flavor along a pond by flood changes time to time, of which style had been popularly used in coastal gardens in the Edo period. The whole pond had been reed fields and used for falconry site for Shogun families.This garden is roughly divided into two areas, the south garden whose center is Daimyo garden and the north garden that had been developed after

accommodation for feudal lords during the 17th to 19th centuries when they stayed in Edo (present day Tokyo). The northern garden was built later on. The southern garden has the Shio-iri-no Niwa (garden with a tidal pond) which is on the sea, and thus its scenery varies with the ebb and flow of the tide. Originally this area was the hunting grounds of the shogun who ruled Japan at that time. Later, in 1654, land was reclaimed from the sea and the villa built there. It was from here that the shogun would go boating in nearby rivers. These days the garden has a jetty used by a waterbus service.

HAMARIKYU ONSHI GARDEN1-1-1 Hamarikyuteien Chuo 104-0046 Tokyo


Park altijd geopend

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5038 39

The mid 20th century was a time of great experimentation in architecture, a time when architects set out to create habitats for the brave new world, tearing all bonds of architectural tradition in the process.

The Nakagin Tower, part of the so-called Metabolist Architecture spearheaded by Kisho Kurokawa, is perhaps the most famous building that sprang out of these social experiments.

The building follows the axioms of Metabolist philosophy. It consists of two separate towers which serve as support to 140 prefabricated capsules. Each capsule is one self-contained tiny apartment. The original idea postulated that capsules could be eventually replaced by

newer models, keeping living standards in the building constantly up to date. The original target demographic was bachelor salarymen. The capsules were fully furnished in up-to-the-minute fashion, including such amenities as a kitchen stove, a refrigerator, a television set, and a reel-to-reel tape deck.

Elegant as an abstract concept, and beautiful in design to other architects, the tower turned out to be almost unbearable to its inhabitants. Tiny apartments, 8 × 12 × 7 ft, they were constantly cramped, and the giant concrete shell was ugly and dehumanizing. In addition, maintenance costs started to pile up, and the value of real-estate in the center of the famous and expensive Ginza district began to plummet.

The future of the building is at the moment uncertain. In April of 2007 it was slated for demolition. The notion caused an uproar in the international architecture community, which still considers the building a masterpiece. Kurokawa led the campaign for its preservation until the end of his life. He even suggested the replacement of the original capsules with a smaller number of more spacious modules. The financial crisis provided only a temporary salvation for the building, as investors for the replacement haven’t been found yet. However, as of April of 2014, the Save Nakagin Capsule Tower Project has begun crowd-sourcing funds to buy the tower’s capsules and secure voting rights against the Tower’s demolition.

NAKAGIN CAPSULE TOWERGinza 8-16-10 104 0061 Tokyo


Capsule op begane grond voor bezichtiging op aanvraag

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japantimes.co.jp/culture/2014/10/03/arts/tokyos-tiny-capsules-architectural-flair/#.VPx-DI0tFD8

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The mid 20th century was a time of great experimentation in architecture, a time when architects set out to create habitats for the brave new world, tearing all bonds of architectural tradition in the process.

The Nakagin Tower, part of the so-called Metabolist Architecture spearheaded by Kisho Kurokawa, is perhaps the most famous building that sprang out of these social experiments.

The building follows the axioms of Metabolist philosophy. It consists of two separate towers which serve as support to 140 prefabricated capsules. Each capsule is one self-contained tiny apartment. The original idea postulated that capsules could be eventually replaced by

newer models, keeping living standards in the building constantly up to date. The original target demographic was bachelor salarymen. The capsules were fully furnished in up-to-the-minute fashion, including such amenities as a kitchen stove, a refrigerator, a television set, and a reel-to-reel tape deck.

Elegant as an abstract concept, and beautiful in design to other architects, the tower turned out to be almost unbearable to its inhabitants. Tiny apartments, 8 × 12 × 7 ft, they were constantly cramped, and the giant concrete shell was ugly and dehumanizing. In addition, maintenance costs started to pile up, and the value of real-estate in the center of the famous and expensive Ginza district began to plummet.

The future of the building is at the moment uncertain. In April of 2007 it was slated for demolition. The notion caused an uproar in the international architecture community, which still considers the building a masterpiece. Kurokawa led the campaign for its preservation until the end of his life. He even suggested the replacement of the original capsules with a smaller number of more spacious modules. The financial crisis provided only a temporary salvation for the building, as investors for the replacement haven’t been found yet. However, as of April of 2014, the Save Nakagin Capsule Tower Project has begun crowd-sourcing funds to buy the tower’s capsules and secure voting rights against the Tower’s demolition.

NAKAGIN CAPSULE TOWERGinza 8-16-10 104 0061 Tokyo


Capsule op begane grond voor bezichtiging op aanvraag

gratis

japantimes.co.jp/culture/2014/10/03/arts/tokyos-tiny-capsules-architectural-flair/#.VPx-DI0tFD8

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KISHO KUROKAWA

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KENZO TANGE

Ginza 8-3-7 104-0061 Tokyo


Niet toegankelijk

Kantoor 1967

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the building was the first spatial realization of Tange’s Metabolist ideas of organically-inspired structural growth, developed in the late 1950s. The Shizuoka Press and Broadcasting Center is far more significant than its relatively small size would suggest, encapsulating the concepts of the new Metabolistic order in architecture and urban planning that prevailed in post-World War II Japan.

Built in the Ginza district of Tokyo, the Shizuoka Press and Broadcasting Center gave Tange a chance to materialize his Metabolist ideals, which called for a new urban typology that could self perpetuate in an organic, vernacular, “metabolic” manner. The narrow, 189 square-meter, triangular site inspired Tange to design a vertical structure, consisting of a main infrastructural core, which could develop into an urban megastructure (a term coined by a fellow Metabolist, Japanese architect Fumihiko Maki), into which an ever-growing number of prefabricated capsules could be “plugged-in.”

The infrastructural core was a 7.7 meter diameter cylinder, reaching a height of 57 meters, containing stairs, two elevators, and a kitchen and sanitary facilities on each floor. The core served as an access shaft to the modular office units: cantilever glass and steel boxes of 3.5 meters which punctuated the main core on alternating sides.

A total of thirteen individual offices were arranged in five groups of two or three modules connected asymmetrically to the central beam. Balconies formed in the gaps between the clusters, allowing for future units to potentially be “plugged-in,” an idea which never materialized. The structure today has the same amount of units as when first erected in 1967, and so Tange’s Metabolist vision for a perpetually regenerating, prefabricated urban megastructure was never fulfilled.

Metabolism’s utopian ideals evolved in Post-World War II Japan, as the country’s bombed cities were recovering and heading toward rapid economic growth. Tange, who served as a mentor of the group rather than an official member, presented the movement’s concepts in the CIAM congress of 1959 – concepts that were later developed by Tange and his students when he served as a guest professor at MIT.

Though most of their ideas remain theoretical, their unrealized projects, such as “Tower-Shaped City,” as well as built projects, such as the 1970 Expo in Osaka or the Nakagin Capsule Tower (1972), influenced a countless number of 20th century architects in the East and West, including historian Reyner Banham and the British avant garde group Archigram.

5340 41


KENZO TANGE

Ginza 8-3-7 104-0061 Tokyo


Niet toegankelijk

Kantoor 1967

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http://www.mimoa.eu/projects/Japan/Tokyo/Shi-zuoka%20Press%20and%20Broadcasting%20Tower

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the building was the first spatial realization of Tange’s Metabolist ideas of organically-inspired structural growth, developed in the late 1950s. The Shizuoka Press and Broadcasting Center is far more significant than its relatively small size would suggest, encapsulating the concepts of the new Metabolistic order in architecture and urban planning that prevailed in post-World War II Japan.

Built in the Ginza district of Tokyo, the Shizuoka Press and Broadcasting Center gave Tange a chance to materialize his Metabolist ideals, which called for a new urban typology that could self perpetuate in an organic, vernacular, “metabolic” manner. The narrow, 189 square-meter, triangular site inspired Tange to design a vertical structure, consisting of a main infrastructural core, which could develop into an urban megastructure (a term coined by a fellow Metabolist, Japanese architect Fumihiko Maki), into which an ever-growing number of prefabricated capsules could be “plugged-in.”

The infrastructural core was a 7.7 meter diameter cylinder, reaching a height of 57 meters, containing stairs, two elevators, and a kitchen and sanitary facilities on each floor. The core served as an access shaft to the modular office units: cantilever glass and steel boxes of 3.5 meters which punctuated the main core on alternating sides.

A total of thirteen individual offices were arranged in five groups of two or three modules connected asymmetrically to the central beam. Balconies formed in the gaps between the clusters, allowing for future units to potentially be “plugged-in,” an idea which never materialized. The structure today has the same amount of units as when first erected in 1967, and so Tange’s Metabolist vision for a perpetually regenerating, prefabricated urban megastructure was never fulfilled.

Metabolism’s utopian ideals evolved in Post-World War II Japan, as the country’s bombed cities were recovering and heading toward rapid economic growth. Tange, who served as a mentor of the group rather than an official member, presented the movement’s concepts in the CIAM congress of 1959 – concepts that were later developed by Tange and his students when he served as a guest professor at MIT.

Though most of their ideas remain theoretical, their unrealized projects, such as “Tower-Shaped City,” as well as built projects, such as the 1970 Expo in Osaka or the Nakagin Capsule Tower (1972), influenced a countless number of 20th century architects in the East and West, including historian Reyner Banham and the British avant garde group Archigram.

5442 43

Ginza has been Japan’s pinnacle of shopping class and opulence since the early 1900’s, typified in its grand, long-established department stores. There was a time when this district was passé. Its former glamour had migrated across town to said Omotesando. Ginza was filling up with discount stores and chain stores in the 90′s. But Tokyo boasts an inexhaustible appetite for luxury, and for the past eight years Ginza has been building itself up again to rival the fashionable west side of town. And fancy brands demand fancy architecture. Note that many of these buildings develop their true glamour when lit at night — it’s glitzy Ginza, after all.

The recession has seen an influx of casual clothing brands in addition to the scores of top class iconic stores that line Ginza’s streets. But the reason even the less exclusive brands target Ginza is for the gloss that having a store in Ginza adds to the brand image.

Ginza shopping is centered on a 1km stretch of Chuo-dori (“Central Avenue”), three streets running parallel west of Chuo-dori, and numerous elegant tree-lined little streets that connect them. Chuo-dori is pedestrian-only on Sundays. Chuo-dori is the main shopping street in the Ginza area. The street is home to many department stores, flagship brand shops, restaurants and cafes. It’s a sea of lights and eye-catching architecture that’s certainly amongst the world’s most impressive streets.

The center of Ginza is the Ginza 4-Chome (yong-chomay) intersection on Chuo-dori and Harumi-dori. It is overlooked by the iconic old Wako Building with its clock tower on the north side, and the Mitsubishi Dream Center across from it on the south side.

Ginza draws thousands of tourists from other parts of Japan and Asia for its reputation of elegance and class and haute couture.

GINZA (Flagship store architectuur)

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Ginza has been Japan’s pinnacle of shopping class and opulence since the early 1900’s, typified in its grand, long-established department stores. There was a time when this district was passé. Its former glamour had migrated across town to said Omotesando. Ginza was filling up with discount stores and chain stores in the 90′s. But Tokyo boasts an inexhaustible appetite for luxury, and for the past eight years Ginza has been building itself up again to rival the fashionable west side of town. And fancy brands demand fancy architecture. Note that many of these buildings develop their true glamour when lit at night — it’s glitzy Ginza, after all.

The recession has seen an influx of casual clothing brands in addition to the scores of top class iconic stores that line Ginza’s streets. But the reason even the less exclusive brands target Ginza is for the gloss that having a store in Ginza adds to the brand image.

Ginza shopping is centered on a 1km stretch of Chuo-dori (“Central Avenue”), three streets running parallel west of Chuo-dori, and numerous elegant tree-lined little streets that connect them. Chuo-dori is pedestrian-only on Sundays. Chuo-dori is the main shopping street in the Ginza area. The street is home to many department stores, flagship brand shops, restaurants and cafes. It’s a sea of lights and eye-catching architecture that’s certainly amongst the world’s most impressive streets.

The center of Ginza is the Ginza 4-Chome (yong-chomay) intersection on Chuo-dori and Harumi-dori. It is overlooked by the iconic old Wako Building with its clock tower on the north side, and the Mitsubishi Dream Center across from it on the south side.

Ginza draws thousands of tourists from other parts of Japan and Asia for its reputation of elegance and class and haute couture.


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1. Maison HermèsRenzo PianoGinza 4-1 104-0061 Tokyo

2. DIOR GinzaKumiko Inui Ginza, Chuo-ku 5-6-1 104-0061 Tokyo

3. Mikimoto Ginza 2Toyo Ito, Ichiro Nishiwaki Chuo-Ku 2-4-12 Ginza Tokyo

7. Ginza Crystal TowerArchitect 5 Ginza 1-5-11 104-0061 Tokyo

8. Bulgari Ginza Towerntonio Citterio Ginza 2-7-12 104-0061 Tokyo

9. Shiseido BuildingRicardo Bofill Ginza Chuo-Ku 7-5-5 8-8-3 Tokyo

4. Dear Ginza BuildingAmano design office Ginza 1-6-14 104 0061 Tokyo

5. Louis Vuitton Ginza MatsuyaJun Aoki Ginza 3-6-1 104-0061 Tokyo

10. Tiffany GinzaKengo Kuma & AssociatesGinza 2-7-17 104-0061 Tokyo

11. De Beers Ginza TowerJun Mitsui AssociatesChuo-ku, Ginza 2-5-11 104-0061 Tokyo

6. San-ai Dream CenterNikken SekkeiGinza 5-7-2 104-0061 Tokyo

12. Tokyo International ForumRafael Vinoly Architects Marunouchi 3-5-1 100-0005 Tokyo

5744 45


1. Maison HermèsRenzo PianoGinza 4-1 104-0061 Tokyo

2. DIOR GinzaKumiko Inui Ginza, Chuo-ku 5-6-1 104-0061 Tokyo

3. Mikimoto Ginza 2Toyo Ito, Ichiro Nishiwaki Chuo-Ku 2-4-12 Ginza Tokyo

7. Ginza Crystal TowerArchitect 5 Ginza 1-5-11 104-0061 Tokyo

8. Bulgari Ginza Towerntonio Citterio Ginza 2-7-12 104-0061 Tokyo

9. Shiseido BuildingRicardo Bofill Ginza Chuo-Ku 7-5-5 8-8-3 Tokyo

4. Dear Ginza BuildingAmano design office Ginza 1-6-14 104 0061 Tokyo

5. Louis Vuitton Ginza MatsuyaJun Aoki Ginza 3-6-1 104-0061 Tokyo

10. Tiffany GinzaKengo Kuma & AssociatesGinza 2-7-17 104-0061 Tokyo

11. De Beers Ginza TowerJun Mitsui AssociatesChuo-ku, Ginza 2-5-11 104-0061 Tokyo

6. San-ai Dream CenterNikken SekkeiGinza 5-7-2 104-0061 Tokyo

12. Tokyo International ForumRafael Vinoly Architects Marunouchi 3-5-1 100-0005 Tokyo

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YOYOGI - HARAJUKU

We start at Yoyogi National Stadium, built for the 1964 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, by architect Kenzo Tange. The gymnasium is a hybridization of western modernist aesthetics and traditional Japanese architecture. We continue with a stroll through Yoyogi Park, one of the largest parks in Tokyo. Surrounded by tree we place a visit at Meiji Shrine, which is a shrine dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his consort. The spacious shrine grounds offer walking paths that are great for a relaxing stroll. We end our journey at Takeshita Dori, the focal point of Harajuku’s teenage culture. At Sunday, many young people gather around Harajuku Station and Takeshita Dori to engage in cosplay (“costume play”), dressed up in excentric costumes to resemble anime characters, punk musicians, etc.

Aanbevolen dagdeel

Zondagmiddag 10 mei

13:55 Meiji-jingumae station

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YOYOGI - HARAJUKUYoyogi is a neighborhood in the northern part of Shibuya. Yoyogi Park is one of the largest parks in Tokyo, Japan, located adjacent to Harajuku Station and Meiji Shrine in Shibuya. Within Yoyogi Park Yoyogi National Gymnasium is located, which is famous for its suspension roof design. North of Yoyogi Park the Meiji Shrine is located. The Shinto shrine is dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shōken.

Harajuku is the common name given to a geographic area spreading from Harajuku Station to Omotesando, corresponding on official maps of Shibuya ward as Jingūmae 1 chōme to 4 chōme. In popular reference Harajuku also encompasses many smaller backstreets such as Takeshita Street and Cat Street spreading

between Sendagaya in the north to Shibuya in the south.

Harajuku is known internationally as a center of Japanese youth culture and fashion. Shopping and dining options include many small, youth oriented, independent boutiques and cafés, but the neighborhood also attracts many larger international chain stores with high-end luxury merchandisers extensively represented along Omotesando.

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MEIJI JINGU SHRINE

YOYOGI PARK

TOGO SHRINE

TAKESHITA DORI

YOYOGI NATIONAL STADIUM

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YOYOGI NATIONAL STADIUM

KENZO TANGE

2-1-1 Jinnan, Shibuya, Tokyo 150-0041

5 minuten lopen vanaf Meiji-jingumae station

09:00 - 21:00

sports facility (1964)

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Built for the 1964 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, the Yoyogi National Gymnasium has become an architectural icon for its distinctive design. Designed by one of Japan’s most famous modernist architects, Kenzo Tange, the gymnasium is a hybridization of western modernist aesthetics and traditional Japanese architecture.

Tange’s innovative structural design creates dramatic sweeping curves that appear to effortlessly drape from two large, central supporting cables. It’s dynamically suspended roof and rough materials form one of the most iconic building profiles in the world.

Sitting within one of the largest parks in the metropolitan region of Tokyo, Tange uses the context as a way in which to integrate his building into the landscape. The subtle curves of the structural cables, the sweeping roof plane, and the curving concrete base seem to emerge from the site appearing as one integrated entity.

The gymnasium is the larger of two arenas for the 1964 Summer Olympic Games both of which are designed by Tange and employ similar structural principles and aesthetics. The smaller pavilion which holds approximately 5,300 people is used for various small Olympic events, whereas the national gymnasium was designed to be occupied by 10,500 people primarily for the Olympic swimming and diving competitions. However, it was able to be transformed into a space to accommodate for larger events such as basketball and ice hockey.

Influenced by Le Corbusier’s Philip’s Pavilion and Eero Saarinen’s hockey stadium at Yale University, Tange became intrigued with structure and its tensile and geometric potential. Similar to Saarinen’s design for Yale’s hockey stadium, Tange employs a central structural spine from where the structure and roof originates. Two large steel cables are supported between two structural towers in

addition to being anchored into concrete supports on the ground. The suspended cables form a tensile tent-like roofing structure; a series of pre-stressed cables are suspended off of the two main cables that drape toward the concrete structure that creates the base of the gymnasium as well as providing the necessary structure for the seating within the stadium.

The result is a symmetrical suspension structure that elegantly draping from the central structural spine. It‘s flowing surfaces make the minimal surface structure appear as a fabric suspended by two simple supports that’s being pulled into tension by the landscape. The fusion of Japanese architectural aesthetic and western modernist design, the gymnasium’s structural system resembles a snails shell, but in a more contextual sense, the gymnasiums low profile and sweeping roof forms some semblance to that of an abstracted Japanese pagoda.

When the Yoyogi National Gymnasium was completed it was the largest suspended roof span in the world. It’s dynamic form and structural expressionism has made the gymnasium one of Kenzo Tange’s most important works, as well as a progressive architectural icon. Today, it is one of Tokyo’s most sought after tourist destinations, while continuing to be an international venue for sports and fashion.

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Yoyogi Park is one of the largest parks in Tokyo, Japan, located adjacent to Harajuku Station and Meiji Shrine in Shibuya.

Yoyogi Park stands on the site from where the first successful powered aircraft flight in Japan took place by Captain Yoshitoshi Tokugawa on 19 December 1910. The area later became an army parade ground. From September 1945, the site housed the military barracks known as the “Washington Heights” for U.S. officers during the Allied occupation of Japan.

In 1964, the area was used for the Tokyo Olympics housing the main athletes village and the Yoyogi National Gymnasium. The distinctive building, which was designed by Kenzo Tange, hosted the swimming and diving, with an annex for the basketball.

In 1967 most of the area north of the gymnasium complex and south of Meiji Shrine was turned into Yoyogi Park.

The park remains a popular Tokyo destination. On Sundays, it is especially busy when it is used as a gathering place for Japanese rock music fans. In spring, thousands of people visit the park to enjoy the cherry blossom during hanami. The landscaped park has picnic areas, bike paths, cycle rentals and public sport courts.

2-1 Yoyogikamizonochō, Shibuya


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YOYOGI PARK

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MEIJI JINGU SHRINE1-1 Yoyogikamizonocho, Shibuya


09:00 - 16:30

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Meiji Shrine is a shrine dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his consort, Empress Shoken. Located just beside the JR Yamanote Line’s busy Harajuku Station, Meiji Shrine and the adjacent Yoyogi Park make up a large forested area within the densely built-up city. The spacious shrine grounds offer walking paths that are great for a relaxing stroll.

The shrine was completed and dedicated to the Emperor Meiji and the Empress Shoken in 1920, eight years after the passing of the emperor and six years after the passing of the empress. The shrine was destroyed during the Second World War but was rebuilt shortly thereafter.

Emperor Meiji was the first emperor of modern Japan. He was born in 1852 and ascended to the throne in 1867 at the peak of the Meiji Restoration when Japan’s feudal era came to an end and the emperor was restored to power. During the Meiji Period, Japan modernized and westernized herself to join the world’s major powers by

the time Emperor Meiji passed away in 1912.

The main complex of shrine buildings is located a ten minute walk from both the southern entrance near Harajuku Station and the northern entrance near Yoyogi Station. Entry into the shrine grounds is marked by a massive torii gate, after which the sights and sounds of the busy city are replaced by a tranquil forest. The approximately 100,000 trees that make up Meiji Jingu’s forest were planted during the shrine’s construction and were donated from regions across the entire country.

At the middle of the forest, Meiji Jingu’s buildings also have an air of tranquility distinct from the surrounding city. Visitors to the shrine can take part in typical Shinto activities, such as making offerings at the main hall, buying charms and amulets or writing out one’s wish on an ema.

Meiji Jingu is one of the Japan’s most popular shrines. In the first days of the New Year, the shrine regularly welcomes more than three million visitors for the year’s first prayers (hatsumode), more than any other shrine or temple in the country. During the rest of the year, traditional Shinto weddings can often be seen taking place there.

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The focal point of Harajuku’s teenage culture is Takeshita Dori (Takeshita Street) and its side streets, which are lined by many trendy shops, fashion boutiques, used clothes stores, crepe stands and fast food outlets geared towards the fashion and trend conscious teens.

It is approximately 400 meters long stretching from the front of Harajuku Station Takeshita Exit through to Meiji-dori Street.

In order to experience the teenage culture at its most extreme, visit Harajuku on a Sunday, when many young people gather around Harajuku Station and engage in cosplay (“costume play”), dressed up in excentric costumes to resemble anime characters, punk musicians, etc.

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1-5-3 Jingumae, Shibuya, Tokyo 150-0001


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Just off of Harajuku’s busy fashion focused Takeshita Street lays the Togo Shrine. Built in 1940, it was dedicated to the passing of Marshal-Admiral Marquis Togo Heihachiro. Here he is celebrated as a spirit inside the grounds. Whilst smaller than the nearby Meiji Shrine, it acts as a beautiful calm environment in a fast paced area of Shibuya.

TOGO SHRINE

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TOKYO MIDTOWN - ROPPONGI HILLS

Tokyo Midtown and Roppongi Hills are two examples of one of Japan’s largest mixed-use developments. We start at Tokyo Midtown. The complex includes apartments, offices, shops, restaurants, museums, park space and a luxury hotel. In its centre stands Tokyo’s tallest building, the 248 meter tall Midtown Tower. After visiting 21_21 Design Sight by Tadao Ando and the National Art Museum by Kisho Kurokawa, we take a look at Roppongi Hills. This complex features offices, apartments, shops, restaurants, a hotel, art museum, observation deck and more. From the Mori Tower’s observation decks on the 52nd and 54th floors, we finish with a spectacular view of the cityscape of Tokyo.Verplicht dagdeel

Maandagochtend 11 mei

9:20 Roppongi station

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TOKYO MIDTOWN - ROPPONGI HILLSTokyo Midtown is a 569,000-square-meter mixed-use development in the center of Tokyo’s Roppongi district. Opened in 2007, the complex includes apartments, offices, shops, restaurants, museums, park space and a luxury hotel. In its center stands Tokyo’s tallest building, the 248 meter tall Midtown Tower.

The top floors of the Midtown Tower are occupied by the Ritz Carlton Tokyo, one of Japan’s best hotels. Tourists who want to enjoy the view from Tokyo’s tallest building can either stay overnight at the hotel (room rates range from 40,000 to 2,000,000 yen per night) or visit one of its high end restaurants.

The Galleria building is an elegant 4-story shopping and dining complex that also houses the Suntory Museum of Art, one of the museums of the “Art Triangle Roppongi”. Green space is found behind the buildings of Tokyo Midtown, including a pleasant

Japanese style garden named Hinokicho Park.

The primary developer is Mitsui Fudosan, working in concert with several partners. The project was designed by architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill; Nikken Sekkei is the local architect of record. Landscape architecture of the surrounding new 40,000 m² public park was designed by EDAW, the Suntory Museum of Art designed by Kengo Kuma, and the design of the retail Galleria handled by the Colorado-based CommArts. Tokyo Midtown is also the home of 21_21 Design Sight, a design gallery/workshop created by fashion designer Issey Miyake and architect Tadao Ando.

Roppongi Hills is one of the best examples of a city within the city. Opened in 2003 in the heart of Tokyo’s Roppongi district, the building complex features offices,

apartments, shops, restaurants, a hotel, art museum, observation deck and more. The office floors are home to leading companies from the IT and financial sectors, and Roppongi Hills has become a symbol of the Japanese IT industry.

At the center of Roppongi Hills stands the 238 meter Mori Tower, one of the tallest buildings in the city. While most of the building is occupied by office space, the first few floors have restaurants and shops and the top few floors house an observation deck and modern art museum that are open to the public.

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MORI TOWER

ROPPONGI HILLS

21_21 DESIGN SIGHT

MIDTOWN TOWER

NATIONAL ART MUSEUM TOKYO MIDTOWN

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21_21 DESIGN SIGHT

TADAO ANDO

9-7-6 Akasaka, Minato 107-0052

10 minuten lopen vanaf Roppongi station

11:00 -20:00

museum

variable

http://www.2121designsight.jp/i

21_21 Design Sight is a museum in Roppongi in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, which opened in 2007. The museum, design museum, was created by architect Tadao Ando and fashion designer Issey Miyake. “The idea was to create not only a museum that shows exhibits,” says Ando, “but also a place for researching the potentiality of design as an element that enriches our daily life, a place that fosters the public’s interest in design by arousing in them different sights and perspectives on how we can view the world and the objects surrounding us.” The building, designed by Ando, is on the edge of the park area, and features 1,700 square meters of floor space, including two galleries and an attached cafe run by chef and restaurateur Takamasa Uetake. The split-level concrete structure includes a hand-sanded steel roof (whose design was inspired by Issey Miyake’s A-POC (“A Piece of Cloth”) concept) and 14-meter long glass panels.

73

MIDTOWN TOWER-7-1 Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo,


-

mixed-use skyscraper

-

-i

Midtown Tower is a mixed-use skyscraper in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo. Completed in 2007, it is the tallest of the six buildings within the Tokyo Midtown complex, and at 248.1 meters, it is also currently the tallest office building in Tokyo. The building is home to numerous companies and The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo. The building was designed by Chicago-based architectural firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill with help from Nikken Sekkei Ltd. and built by the Takenaka and Taisei Corporations.

As a mixed-use facility, Midtown Tower’s 54 floors are utilized in different ways. Several conference rooms occupy the entirety of the 4th floor. The 5th floor is the home of the Tokyo Midtown Design Hub, a gallery and space for exhibitions, collaborations and discussions by designers. Tokyo Midtown Medical Center is located on the 6th floor. This medical facility is the first Japan-based collaboration with Johns Hopkins University. Unlike similar supertall skyscrapers in the area such as Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, Midtown Tower’s top 54th floor is not a visitors’ observation deck. Instead, the floor houses building components and maintenance facilities.

Architect: Nikken Sekkei, Skidmore, Owings and Merrill.

74

NATIONAL ART MUSEUM

KISHO KUROKAWA

7 Chome-22-2 Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo 106-8558


10:00 - 17:30

museum

variable

-i

The National Art Center, Tokyo is a museum in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. A joint project of the Agency for Cultural Affairs and the National Museums Independent Administrative Institution, it stands on a site formerly occupied by a research facility of the University of Tokyo.

The museum has an exhibition of 600 pieces, concentrating on 20th-century painting and modern art, for its opening on January 21, 2007.

The architect for the museum was Kisho Kurokawa. The facility has 47,960 m² of floor space on a 30,000 m² site with four stories above ground and one below.

75

MORI TOWER6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato 106-6182


11:00 - 20:00

mixed-use skyscraper, observation deck

1500 - 2000 yen

-i

Roppongi Hills Mori Tower is a 54-story mixed-use skyscraper located in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo. Completed in 2003 and named for builder Minoru Mori, it is the centerpiece of the Roppongi Hills urban development. It is currently the sixth-tallest building in Tokyo at 238 meter. The tower has a floor space area of 379,408m squared, making it one of the largest buildings in the world by this measure.

The Mori Tower building is primarily used for office space, but it also includes retail stores, restaurants and other tourist attractions. The Mori Art Museum is located on the 53rd floor and visitors can view the city from observation decks on the 52nd and 54th floors. The headquarters of Mori Building Company are located in this building. Architect: Kohn Pedersen Fox, The Jerde Partnership.

77

ODAIBA

Odaiba is a popular shopping and entertainment district on a man made island in Tokyo Bay. It originated as a set of small man made fort islands (daiba literally means “fort”), which were built towards the end of the Edo Period (1603-1868) to protect Tokyo against possible attacks from the sea and specifically in response to the gunboat diplomacy of Commodore Perry.

More than a century later, the small islands were joined into larger islands by massive landfills, and Tokyo began a spectacular development project aimed to turn the islands into a futuristic residential and business district during the extravagant 1980s. But development was critically slowed after the burst of the “bubble economy” in the early 1990s, leaving Odaiba nearly vacant.

Aanbevolen dagdeel

Maandagmiddag 11 mei

14:30 Odaibakaihinkoen

7866 67

ODAIBAOdaiba is a large artificial island in Tokyo Bay, Japan, across the Rainbow Bridge from central Tokyo. It was initially built for defensive purposes in the 1850s, dramatically expanded during the late 20th century as a seaport district, and has developed since the 1990s as a major commercial, residential and leisure area. Odaiba, along with Minato Mirai 21 in Yokohama, are two of the only places in the Greater Tokyo

Metropolitan area where the seashore is accessible, and not blocked by industry and harbor areas.

Daiba formally refers to one district of the island development in Minato Ward. The Odaiba name is commonly[who?] used to refer to the entire Tokyo Waterfront Secondary City Center Tōkyō Rinkai Fukutoshin?) which includes the Ariake and Aomi districts of Kōtō Ward and the Higashi-Yashio district of Shinagawa Ward.

The name Odaiba comes from a series of six island fortresses constructed in 1853 by Egawa Hidetatsu for the Tokugawa shogunate in order to protect Edo from attack by sea, the primary threat being Commodore Matthew Perry’s Black Ships which had arrived in the same year.[1] Daiba in Japanese refers to the

cannon batteries placed on the islands. In 1928, the Dai-San Daiba or “No. 3 Battery” was refurbished and opened to the public as the Metropolitan Daiba Park, which remains open to this day.

From the originally planned 11 batteries, only five were ever finished. The modern island of Odaiba began to take shape when the Port of Tokyo opened in 1941. Until the

FUJI TELEVISION STUDIO

FUJI TV HEADQUARTERS

TOKYO BIG SIGHT

MIRAIKAN

ODAIBAKAIHINKOEN STATION

mid-1960s all except two batteries were either removed for unhindered passage of ships or incorporated into the Shinagawa port facilities and Tennozu island. In 1979 the then called landfill no. 13 (now Minato-ku Daiba, Shinagawa-ku Higashi-Yashio and Kōtō-ku Aomi districts), was finished directly connecting with the old “No. 3 Battery”. “No. 6 Battery” was left to nature (landing prohibited).

Tokyo governor Shun’ichi Suzuki began a major development plan in the early 1990s to redevelop Odaiba as Tokyo Teleport Town, a showcase for futuristic living, with new residential and commercial development housing a population of over 100,000. The redevelopment was scheduled to be complete in time for a planned “International Urban Exposition” in spring 1996.

Suzuki’s successor Yukio Aoshima halted the plan in 1995, by which point over JPY 1 trillion had been spent on the project, and Odaiba was still underpopulated and full of vacant lots. Many of the special companies set up to develop the island became practically bankrupt. The collapse of the Japanese asset price bubble was a major factor, as it frustrated commercial development in Tokyo generally. The area was also viewed as inconvenient for business, as its physical connections to Tokyo—the Rainbow Bridge and the Yurikamome rapid transit line—made travel to and from central Tokyo relatively time-consuming.

The area started coming back to life in the late 1990s as a tourist and leisure zone, with several large hotels and shopping malls. Several large

companies including Fuji Television moved their headquarters to the island, and transportation links improved with the connection of the Rinkai Line into the JR East railway network in 2002 and the eastward extension of the Yurikamome to Toyosu in 2006. Tokyo Big Sight, the convention center originally built to house Governor Suzuki’s planned intercity convention, also became a major venue for international expositions.

7966 67

ODAIBAOdaiba is a large artificial island in Tokyo Bay, Japan, across the Rainbow Bridge from central Tokyo. It was initially built for defensive purposes in the 1850s, dramatically expanded during the late 20th century as a seaport district, and has developed since the 1990s as a major commercial, residential and leisure area. Odaiba, along with Minato Mirai 21 in Yokohama, are two of the only places in the Greater Tokyo

Metropolitan area where the seashore is accessible, and not blocked by industry and harbor areas.

Daiba formally refers to one district of the island development in Minato Ward. The Odaiba name is commonly[who?] used to refer to the entire Tokyo Waterfront Secondary City Center Tōkyō Rinkai Fukutoshin?) which includes the Ariake and Aomi districts of Kōtō Ward and the Higashi-Yashio district of Shinagawa Ward.

The name Odaiba comes from a series of six island fortresses constructed in 1853 by Egawa Hidetatsu for the Tokugawa shogunate in order to protect Edo from attack by sea, the primary threat being Commodore Matthew Perry’s Black Ships which had arrived in the same year.[1] Daiba in Japanese refers to the

cannon batteries placed on the islands. In 1928, the Dai-San Daiba or “No. 3 Battery” was refurbished and opened to the public as the Metropolitan Daiba Park, which remains open to this day.

From the originally planned 11 batteries, only five were ever finished. The modern island of Odaiba began to take shape when the Port of Tokyo opened in 1941. Until the



TOKYO BIG SIGHT

MIRAIKAN

ODAIBAKAIHINKOEN STATION

mid-1960s all except two batteries were either removed for unhindered passage of ships or incorporated into the Shinagawa port facilities and Tennozu island. In 1979 the then called landfill no. 13 (now Minato-ku Daiba, Shinagawa-ku Higashi-Yashio and Kōtō-ku Aomi districts), was finished directly connecting with the old “No. 3 Battery”. “No. 6 Battery” was left to nature (landing prohibited).

Tokyo governor Shun’ichi Suzuki began a major development plan in the early 1990s to redevelop Odaiba as Tokyo Teleport Town, a showcase for futuristic living, with new residential and commercial development housing a population of over 100,000. The redevelopment was scheduled to be complete in time for a planned “International Urban Exposition” in spring 1996.

Suzuki’s successor Yukio Aoshima halted the plan in 1995, by which point over JPY 1 trillion had been spent on the project, and Odaiba was still underpopulated and full of vacant lots. Many of the special companies set up to develop the island became practically bankrupt. The collapse of the Japanese asset price bubble was a major factor, as it frustrated commercial development in Tokyo generally. The area was also viewed as inconvenient for business, as its physical connections to Tokyo—the Rainbow Bridge and the Yurikamome rapid transit line—made travel to and from central Tokyo relatively time-consuming.

The area started coming back to life in the late 1990s as a tourist and leisure zone, with several large hotels and shopping malls. Several large

companies including Fuji Television moved their headquarters to the island, and transportation links improved with the connection of the Rinkai Line into the JR East railway network in 2002 and the eastward extension of the Yurikamome to Toyosu in 2006. Tokyo Big Sight, the convention center originally built to house Governor Suzuki’s planned intercity convention, also became a major venue for international expositions.

8068 69


KENZO TANGE

Daiba 2-4-8 137-8088 Tokyo

paar minuten lopen vanaf Odaibakaihinkoen Station


Kantoor TV- Studio 1997

¥550

http://www.fujitv.co.jp/en/visit_fujitv.htmli

Construction of Fuji Television’s new headquarters the Fuji Television Building in the waterfront area of Tokyo’s Minato district has been completed, and broadcasting from the new location commenced at the end of March 1997. The new building designed by Kenzo Tange Associates adds to the dynamic skyline and is a superb complement to the architecturally innovative buildings of the waterfront area.

More than just a building with a unique design, the new headquarters houses a high-profile next-generation broadcasting center with an eye to the future. The building, which in many ways captures the essence of what’s best about Japan, has quickly attracted attention and thus a crowd of visitors and is destined to become a Tokyo landmark.

The new Fuji Television Building can be seen from the recently opened Yurikamome monorail that leaves from Shimbashi station. On the left side of the new headquarters is the media tower, which is also home to the

Nippon Broadcasting Company, and on the right is the office tower. Between the towers is a group of large studios arranged side by side. The media and office towers are connected by three enclosed pedestrian bridges dubbed “sky corridors.”

The headquarters has 25 aboveground and 2 underground floors. Just to the left of the media tower is a unique spherical observation platform, with 53 square meters of floor space and a 32-meter diameter. The building stands 123.45 meters high and comprises a total floor space of 142,800 square meters. Construction began in May 1993 and was completed in June 1996. The project totaled nearly 185 billion yen, with construction costs coming in at 130 billion yen.

An important consideration when designing this kind of building is ensuring adequate space for people to gather and exchange ideas. The headquarters’ 4.8-meter-wide corridors provide not only convenient walkways but valuable space for casual talk and impromptu discussion. The building’s design emphasizes space and openness, which are important concepts to the image that Fuji Television wants to project. Kajima engineers used the “Mast Column”construction method, which features four steel-frame pillars grouped together, symbolic of the consolidation of our group companies, each supporting the other.

In addition, the corridors connecting the two towers strengthen the structure, making it highly earthquake resistant.


KAJIMA DESIGN

Aomi 2-3-23 135-0064 Tokyo




Gratis

-i

Fuji Television’s new studio was part of the broadcaster’s plan to commemorate its 50th anniversary. The studio makes full use of the latest digital technologies to create a “digital content factory” suitable for a diverse range of media, including dramas and variety programs, but also movies and content for mobile devices. By consolidating and expanding its studios in a single location near the head office, Fuji Television has made possible integrated production, from planning and recording through editing and post-production. The new studio not only enhances production efficiency and profitability, and improves content creativity and quality, but is also a new landmark for the area alongside Fuji Television’s headquarters building. The plan for the studio was also part of a private urban renewal project. The facility is located along the east side of Symbol Promenade Park, and the design integrates the two to provide a space for various types of events.

8168 69


KENZO TANGE

Daiba 2-4-8 137-8088 Tokyo




¥550

http://www.fujitv.co.jp/en/visit_fujitv.htmli

Construction of Fuji Television’s new headquarters the Fuji Television Building in the waterfront area of Tokyo’s Minato district has been completed, and broadcasting from the new location commenced at the end of March 1997. The new building designed by Kenzo Tange Associates adds to the dynamic skyline and is a superb complement to the architecturally innovative buildings of the waterfront area.

More than just a building with a unique design, the new headquarters houses a high-profile next-generation broadcasting center with an eye to the future. The building, which in many ways captures the essence of what’s best about Japan, has quickly attracted attention and thus a crowd of visitors and is destined to become a Tokyo landmark.

The new Fuji Television Building can be seen from the recently opened Yurikamome monorail that leaves from Shimbashi station. On the left side of the new headquarters is the media tower, which is also home to the

Nippon Broadcasting Company, and on the right is the office tower. Between the towers is a group of large studios arranged side by side. The media and office towers are connected by three enclosed pedestrian bridges dubbed “sky corridors.”

The headquarters has 25 aboveground and 2 underground floors. Just to the left of the media tower is a unique spherical observation platform, with 53 square meters of floor space and a 32-meter diameter. The building stands 123.45 meters high and comprises a total floor space of 142,800 square meters. Construction began in May 1993 and was completed in June 1996. The project totaled nearly 185 billion yen, with construction costs coming in at 130 billion yen.

An important consideration when designing this kind of building is ensuring adequate space for people to gather and exchange ideas. The headquarters’ 4.8-meter-wide corridors provide not only convenient walkways but valuable space for casual talk and impromptu discussion. The building’s design emphasizes space and openness, which are important concepts to the image that Fuji Television wants to project. Kajima engineers used the “Mast Column”construction method, which features four steel-frame pillars grouped together, symbolic of the consolidation of our group companies, each supporting the other.

In addition, the corridors connecting the two towers strengthen the structure, making it highly earthquake resistant.


KAJIMA DESIGN

Aomi 2-3-23 135-0064 Tokyo




Gratis

-i

Fuji Television’s new studio was part of the broadcaster’s plan to commemorate its 50th anniversary. The studio makes full use of the latest digital technologies to create a “digital content factory” suitable for a diverse range of media, including dramas and variety programs, but also movies and content for mobile devices. By consolidating and expanding its studios in a single location near the head office, Fuji Television has made possible integrated production, from planning and recording through editing and post-production. The new studio not only enhances production efficiency and profitability, and improves content creativity and quality, but is also a new landmark for the area alongside Fuji Television’s headquarters building. The plan for the studio was also part of a private urban renewal project. The facility is located along the east side of Symbol Promenade Park, and the design integrates the two to provide a space for various types of events.

8270 71

MIRAIKAN

NIKKEN SEKKEI

Aomi 2-3-6 135-0064 Tokyo

10 minuten lopen vanaf Odaibakaihinkoen Station


technologie museum 2001

Groep (8 ofmeer) ¥490 - Individueel ¥620

http://www.miraikan.jst.go.jp/en/

The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, simply known as the Miraikan, is a museum created by Japan’s Science and Technology Agency. It is situated in a new purpose-built building in the Odaiba District of Tokyo. Some highlights include real-time displays of data from a huge array of seismometers across Japan which shows the country gently vibrating. The occasional earthquakes for which Japan is noted show up as larger movements. Visitors can search the on-line database of recent earthquake activity. The prominent Geo-cosmos globe displays near real-time displays of global weather patterns, ocean temperatures and vegetation cover. A section of rock core taken across the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary (K-T boundary) records a major meteorite impact event that is believed to have led to the final demise of the dinosaurs. Asimo, the Honda robot is one of the star attractions along with the model maglev train.

It’s co-designed by Nikken Sekkei Ltd and Kumi Sekkei. The building comes with 8 floors above ground and two

floors below ground, with a total area of 8,881 square meters and total floor area of 40,789 square meters. The oval shape building is surrounded by glass wall. The structure and its appearance represents the openness and transparency of science. Inside the building there’s an exhibition center, a library, an R&D area, a 123-seat dome theater, a multifunction room and other facilities such as laboratories, conference rooms, main hall, broadcasting room and so on.

The design concept is to create a space for the interactivity between the public and science as well as technology. So many innovative ways of design and techniques are applied so as to make the museum a suitable place for experiencing latest technology. All exhibitions come under a common key subject: the dream of the 21st century. In order to help the visitors think about visions regarding to the future of the world, the museum tries to explore science and technology from four main

themes: the earth environment and frontiers, life science, innovation and the future, and information science and technology for society. In the museum, one can really feel the way they emphasize “service” in every aspect. Since one enters the museum, there’re people giving instructions for ticket purchasing and orientation. The museum is mainly run by volunteers, who actively lead visitors for their visits and engage in interactions with the visitors. It’s very impressive how they try to put their mission into practice.

The main attraction of the museum is the GEOCOSMOS which is hanged in the five-floor atrium. It’s the biggest sphere monitor in the world, with a diameter of 6.5 meters and weight of 15 tons. It’s 1/200 scale of the Earth. There’s a spiral walkway from the 3rd floor to the 5th floor around the monitor, and it’s one of my favorate places in the museum.

i

TOKYO BIG SIGHT

AXS SATOW

Ariake 3-11-1 135-0063 Tokyo


afhankelijk van het event

Expositieruimte 1996


http://www.bigsight.jp/english/

Tokyo Big Sight Tōkyō Biggu Saito?) is the popular nickname for the Tokyo International Exhibition Center Tōkyō Kokusai Tenjijō?), a Japanese convention center that opened in April 1996. Located in the Ariake district on Tokyo Bay, the center is Japan’s largest convention venue. Its most iconic feature is the visually distinctive Conference Tower.

Tokyo Big Sight is a planned venue for the 2020 Summer Olympics and will host wrestling, fencing and taekwondo events, in addition to serving as the main broadcasting center and press center for the Games.

The architectural element most associated with the Tokyo Big Sight name, the glass and titanium-panelled Conference Tower appears as a set of four inverted pyramids mounted upon large supports. The first floor comprises an 1100-seat reception hall and four conference rooms of varying size. The second floor comprises the Entrance Plaza which is the main access area, the glass-roofed Event Plaza, the Entrance Hall which leads to the exhibition halls proper, and the Exhibition Plaza. There are no floors three through five due to the structure’s above-ground stature.

Floors six and seven can be directly accessed via escalator from the second-floor Entrance Hall, and comprise the main convention facilities of the Tower. The sixth floor houses ten conference rooms of small to medium size, some of which can be merged into larger spaces by removing intervening partitions. Floor seven houses the 1000-seat International Conference Room as well as three conference rooms of much smaller size. Floor eight houses five conference rooms.

Scattered around the Tower’s vicinity are public art pieces, most of which are works by international artists such as Claes Oldenburg and his wife Coosje Van Bruggen, Michael Craig-Martin and Lee U-Fan. These include a giant sculpture of a saw, a large stylized pond and three marble beds.

Tokyo Big Sight is the popular nickname for the Tokyo International Exhibition Center, a Japanese convention center that opened in

April 1996. Located in Odaiba, Tokyo Bay, the center is one of the largest convention venues within the city, and its most iconic representation is the visually distinctive Conference Tower. The former Governor of Tokyo, Shunichi Suzuki, had the honour of commencing the 1994 lifting-up ceremony on June 30, which initiated the operation of raising the Tower’s 6500-ton main structure above ground, a process which took three days to complete using a computer-guided system that precisely jacked the structure up into place. A 250-ton aerial escalator was installed later to formally link the raised structure to the ground floors.

i

8370 71

MIRAIKAN

NIKKEN SEKKEI

Aomi 2-3-6 135-0064 Tokyo



technologie museum 2001


http://www.miraikan.jst.go.jp/en/

The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, simply known as the Miraikan, is a museum created by Japan’s Science and Technology Agency. It is situated in a new purpose-built building in the Odaiba District of Tokyo. Some highlights include real-time displays of data from a huge array of seismometers across Japan which shows the country gently vibrating. The occasional earthquakes for which Japan is noted show up as larger movements. Visitors can search the on-line database of recent earthquake activity. The prominent Geo-cosmos globe displays near real-time displays of global weather patterns, ocean temperatures and vegetation cover. A section of rock core taken across the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary (K-T boundary) records a major meteorite impact event that is believed to have led to the final demise of the dinosaurs. Asimo, the Honda robot is one of the star attractions along with the model maglev train.

It’s co-designed by Nikken Sekkei Ltd and Kumi Sekkei. The building comes with 8 floors above ground and two

floors below ground, with a total area of 8,881 square meters and total floor area of 40,789 square meters. The oval shape building is surrounded by glass wall. The structure and its appearance represents the openness and transparency of science. Inside the building there’s an exhibition center, a library, an R&D area, a 123-seat dome theater, a multifunction room and other facilities such as laboratories, conference rooms, main hall, broadcasting room and so on.

The design concept is to create a space for the interactivity between the public and science as well as technology. So many innovative ways of design and techniques are applied so as to make the museum a suitable place for experiencing latest technology. All exhibitions come under a common key subject: the dream of the 21st century. In order to help the visitors think about visions regarding to the future of the world, the museum tries to explore science and technology from four main

themes: the earth environment and frontiers, life science, innovation and the future, and information science and technology for society. In the museum, one can really feel the way they emphasize “service” in every aspect. Since one enters the museum, there’re people giving instructions for ticket purchasing and orientation. The museum is mainly run by volunteers, who actively lead visitors for their visits and engage in interactions with the visitors. It’s very impressive how they try to put their mission into practice.

The main attraction of the museum is the GEOCOSMOS which is hanged in the five-floor atrium. It’s the biggest sphere monitor in the world, with a diameter of 6.5 meters and weight of 15 tons. It’s 1/200 scale of the Earth. There’s a spiral walkway from the 3rd floor to the 5th floor around the monitor, and it’s one of my favorate places in the museum.

i

TOKYO BIG SIGHT

AXS SATOW

Ariake 3-11-1 135-0063 Tokyo



Expositieruimte 1996


http://www.bigsight.jp/english/

Tokyo Big Sight Tōkyō Biggu Saito?) is the popular nickname for the Tokyo International Exhibition Center Tōkyō Kokusai Tenjijō?), a Japanese convention center that opened in April 1996. Located in the Ariake district on Tokyo Bay, the center is Japan’s largest convention venue. Its most iconic feature is the visually distinctive Conference Tower.

Tokyo Big Sight is a planned venue for the 2020 Summer Olympics and will host wrestling, fencing and taekwondo events, in addition to serving as the main broadcasting center and press center for the Games.

The architectural element most associated with the Tokyo Big Sight name, the glass and titanium-panelled Conference Tower appears as a set of four inverted pyramids mounted upon large supports. The first floor comprises an 1100-seat reception hall and four conference rooms of varying size. The second floor comprises the Entrance Plaza which is the main access area, the glass-roofed Event Plaza, the Entrance Hall which leads to the exhibition halls proper, and the Exhibition Plaza. There are no floors three through five due to the structure’s above-ground stature.

Floors six and seven can be directly accessed via escalator from the second-floor Entrance Hall, and comprise the main convention facilities of the Tower. The sixth floor houses ten conference rooms of small to medium size, some of which can be merged into larger spaces by removing intervening partitions. Floor seven houses the 1000-seat International Conference Room as well as three conference rooms of much smaller size. Floor eight houses five conference rooms.

Scattered around the Tower’s vicinity are public art pieces, most of which are works by international artists such as Claes Oldenburg and his wife Coosje Van Bruggen, Michael Craig-Martin and Lee U-Fan. These include a giant sculpture of a saw, a large stylized pond and three marble beds.

Tokyo Big Sight is the popular nickname for the Tokyo International Exhibition Center, a Japanese convention center that opened in

April 1996. Located in Odaiba, Tokyo Bay, the center is one of the largest convention venues within the city, and its most iconic representation is the visually distinctive Conference Tower. The former Governor of Tokyo, Shunichi Suzuki, had the honour of commencing the 1994 lifting-up ceremony on June 30, which initiated the operation of raising the Tower’s 6500-ton main structure above ground, a process which took three days to complete using a computer-guided system that precisely jacked the structure up into place. A 250-ton aerial escalator was installed later to formally link the raised structure to the ground floors.

i

85

UENO

Ueno Park is a large public park next to Ueno Station in central Tokyo. The park grounds were originally part of Kaneiji Temple, which used to be one of the city’s largest and wealthiest temples and a family temple of the ruling Tokugawa clan during the Edo Period. Ueno Park is famous for the many museums found on its grounds, especially the Tokyo National Museum, the National Museum for Western Art by Le Corbusier, the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum and the National Science Museum. It is also home to Ueno Zoo, Japan’s first zoological garden.

Not far from Ueno is St. Mary’s cathedral by Kenzo Tange. we will go by metro to Gokokuji Station to walk for a few minutes to visit one of Kenzo Tange’s most famous designs.

Verplicht dagdeel

Dinsdagochtend 12 mei

9:30 Ueno station No. 7 uitgang

8674 75

UENOIf you want to get a feel for old Tokyo, Ueno in the Taito district is a good place to start. Entirely lacking in high-rise condos or whiz-bang shopping malls, by Tokyo standards it’s distinctly downmarket, but that means that eating, shopping and drinking are all affordably priced. Safety is not an issue, but the areas to the southwest of Ueno station has a high density of sex-clubs etc. with active bouncers and prostitutes soliciting their trade. Ueno has excellent connectivity not just around Tokyo, but to all of northern Japan as well.

Ueno, a district in Taito Ward of Tokyo, is part of the historical Shitamachi neighborhood, a down-to-earth and cozy working class district around Ueno Park and Ueno Station.

Ueno Park now occupies land which was property of the Kan’eiji Temple, the funeral temple of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Kan’eiji was founded in 1625 in the “demon’s gate”, the unlucky direction to the northeast of Edo Castle. Most of the temple buildings were destroyed in the Battle of Ueno in 1868 during the Boshin War, when the forces of the Tokugawa shogunate were defeated by those aiming at the restoration of imperial rule. Other Buddhist temples are in the area, including the Bentendo temple dedicated to goddess Benzaiten, on an island in Shinobazu Pond. Ueno Park offers refuge for

Tokyo’s homeless population.

Ueno was replanned as a public park after a government notice of January 1873. In 1924, in honor of the marriage of Prince Hirohito, Ueno Park was gifted to the city by Emperor Taisho, receiving the official name of Ueno Onshi Koen (“Ueno Imperial Gift Park”). Ueno Park now houses some of Tokyo’s finest cultural sites, including the Tokyo National Museum, the National Museum of Western Art, the National Science Museum, and Ueno Zoo.

Ueno Station developed as a railway terminal to the North after the opening of railway in 1883-84. The first metro linking Ueno to Asakusa opened in 1927. The current main station building is from 1932. After World War II, an open-air black market sprung up south of the station towards Okachimachi, now known as Ameya Yokocho (American Shop Sidestreet Market). Other places of interest nearby are Kyu Iwasaki Teien, a historic manor of the Iwasaki family, founder of Mitsubishi, and Nihonga painter Yokoyama Taikan’s house by the Shinobazu Pond. Asakusa in the east and Yanaka in the north-west are retro neighborhood districts that are among the top tourist attractions in Tokyo.

The Keisei Railway (a non-JR company) operates Skyliner which offers direct access to Narita Airport in 45 minutes. Inexpensive budget hotels as well as

business hotels are around the Ueno Station area.

Ueno is located in a district in the north of central Tokyo. Ueno is well known for many cultural and historical places, for example the Ueno Park and Zoo. From historic buildings associated with a Tokugawa family temple from the Edo era, to cultural facilities like the National Museum, there are many worthwhile sightseeing attractions in Ueno. If you are interested in Japanese traditional culture and the older neighbourhoods of Tokyo, Ueno is a great place to visit.Since the city of Tokyo is a constant state of rebuilding, older, historic buildings are disappearing little by little. Fortunately, in Ueno, the area still retains an old historic charm filled with old buildings and a lively atmosphere of the easy living lifestyle of old Tokyo.

TOKYO BUNKO KAIKAN

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF WESTERN ART

TOKYO METROPOLITAN ART MUSEUM UENO PARK

UENO STATION

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UENOIf you want to get a feel for old Tokyo, Ueno in the Taito district is a good place to start. Entirely lacking in high-rise condos or whiz-bang shopping malls, by Tokyo standards it’s distinctly downmarket, but that means that eating, shopping and drinking are all affordably priced. Safety is not an issue, but the areas to the southwest of Ueno station has a high density of sex-clubs etc. with active bouncers and prostitutes soliciting their trade. Ueno has excellent connectivity not just around Tokyo, but to all of northern Japan as well.

Ueno, a district in Taito Ward of Tokyo, is part of the historical Shitamachi neighborhood, a down-to-earth and cozy working class district around Ueno Park and Ueno Station.

Ueno Park now occupies land which was property of the Kan’eiji Temple, the funeral temple of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Kan’eiji was founded in 1625 in the “demon’s gate”, the unlucky direction to the northeast of Edo Castle. Most of the temple buildings were destroyed in the Battle of Ueno in 1868 during the Boshin War, when the forces of the Tokugawa shogunate were defeated by those aiming at the restoration of imperial rule. Other Buddhist temples are in the area, including the Bentendo temple dedicated to goddess Benzaiten, on an island in Shinobazu Pond. Ueno Park offers refuge for

Tokyo’s homeless population.

Ueno was replanned as a public park after a government notice of January 1873. In 1924, in honor of the marriage of Prince Hirohito, Ueno Park was gifted to the city by Emperor Taisho, receiving the official name of Ueno Onshi Koen (“Ueno Imperial Gift Park”). Ueno Park now houses some of Tokyo’s finest cultural sites, including the Tokyo National Museum, the National Museum of Western Art, the National Science Museum, and Ueno Zoo.

Ueno Station developed as a railway terminal to the North after the opening of railway in 1883-84. The first metro linking Ueno to Asakusa opened in 1927. The current main station building is from 1932. After World War II, an open-air black market sprung up south of the station towards Okachimachi, now known as Ameya Yokocho (American Shop Sidestreet Market). Other places of interest nearby are Kyu Iwasaki Teien, a historic manor of the Iwasaki family, founder of Mitsubishi, and Nihonga painter Yokoyama Taikan’s house by the Shinobazu Pond. Asakusa in the east and Yanaka in the north-west are retro neighborhood districts that are among the top tourist attractions in Tokyo.

The Keisei Railway (a non-JR company) operates Skyliner which offers direct access to Narita Airport in 45 minutes. Inexpensive budget hotels as well as

business hotels are around the Ueno Station area.

Ueno is located in a district in the north of central Tokyo. Ueno is well known for many cultural and historical places, for example the Ueno Park and Zoo. From historic buildings associated with a Tokugawa family temple from the Edo era, to cultural facilities like the National Museum, there are many worthwhile sightseeing attractions in Ueno. If you are interested in Japanese traditional culture and the older neighbourhoods of Tokyo, Ueno is a great place to visit.Since the city of Tokyo is a constant state of rebuilding, older, historic buildings are disappearing little by little. Fortunately, in Ueno, the area still retains an old historic charm filled with old buildings and a lively atmosphere of the easy living lifestyle of old Tokyo.

TOKYO BUNKO KAIKAN


TOKYO METROPOLITAN ART MUSEUM UENO PARK

UENO STATION

8876 77

TOKYO BUNKO KAIKAN

KUNIO MAEKAWA

5-45 Uenokoen Taito Tokyo 110-0007

3 minuten lopen vanaf Ueno station (No.7 uitgang)

dagelijks geopend van 11:00 tot 19:00

muziek theater 1961

Gratis

http://www.t-bunka.jp/en/about/index.htmli

Architecture by Kunio MayekawaTokyo Bunka Kaikan, Tokyo JapanThis article is about Kunio Mayekawa (1905-86) and his spectacular but rather unknown modernist landmark, the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan (translates to Tokyo Cultural Center) building which currently houses the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra). Constructed in 1961, this year marks the 50th anniversary. We had a unique chance to tour this architecturally significant masterpiece which is located in Ueno Park, smack right in the center of Tokyo Japan. We were blown away with the sense of detail and balance. This building is truly spectacular and a delight for fans of modern architecture. What makes it extra special is that it has survived the last 50 years reasonable unscratched and most of the original features have remained unchanged. Right across from Tokyo Bunka Kaikan is another master piece: Le Corbusier’s National Museum of Western Art Tokyo (1959). Japan has been trying to get Le Corbusier museum listed on UNESCO’s World Heritage listing, so far unsuccessfully. That is an obvious

mistake since the lesser known Tokyo Bunka Kaikan by Kunio Mayekawa is in fact the great undiscovered masterpiece they have been sitting on without realizing it. Tokyo Bunka Kaikan has a much greater chance to receive UNESCO’s World Heritage distinction.

Kunio Mayekawa is the often forgotten but pivotal master of modern architecture in Japan. Arguably the greatest modernist architect in Japan since he was the one who tutored Kenzo Tange. Kunio Mayekawa AKA Kunio Maekawa (前前前前) was one of the leading founders of the Japanese modern architecture movement during the middle of the 20th century. Kunio Mayekawa worked and studied under Le Corbusier in Paris between 1928 and 1930 and the influence from Le Corbusier would be clearly visible in many of Kunio Mayekawa’s works in Japan. Note the blue and red door on the front of the building, a nice little touch which reminds us of the work of Le Corbusier.

Kunio Mayekawa was one of the first in Japan to adopt rational architecture. During the 1950’s and 1960’s Kunio Mayekawa designed sculpturally expressive modern architectural structures by combining national traditions with the structural and aesthetic possibilities of reinforced concrete. Kunio Mayekawa designed many public buildings, including municipal buildings in Fukushima (1958) and Hirosaki (1964); cultural centers in Tokyo (1959), Kyoto (1960), Okayama (1962), and Urawa (1966); and the Gakushuin University in Tokyo (1960). He also created prefabricated structures and high-rise apartment buildings in Japan.

8976 77

TOKYO BUNKO KAIKAN

KUNIO MAEKAWA


3 minuten lopen vanaf Ueno station (No.7 uitgang)

dagelijks geopend van 11:00 tot 19:00

muziek theater 1961

Gratis

http://www.t-bunka.jp/en/about/index.htmli

Architecture by Kunio MayekawaTokyo Bunka Kaikan, Tokyo JapanThis article is about Kunio Mayekawa (1905-86) and his spectacular but rather unknown modernist landmark, the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan (translates to Tokyo Cultural Center) building which currently houses the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra). Constructed in 1961, this year marks the 50th anniversary. We had a unique chance to tour this architecturally significant masterpiece which is located in Ueno Park, smack right in the center of Tokyo Japan. We were blown away with the sense of detail and balance. This building is truly spectacular and a delight for fans of modern architecture. What makes it extra special is that it has survived the last 50 years reasonable unscratched and most of the original features have remained unchanged. Right across from Tokyo Bunka Kaikan is another master piece: Le Corbusier’s National Museum of Western Art Tokyo (1959). Japan has been trying to get Le Corbusier museum listed on UNESCO’s World Heritage listing, so far unsuccessfully. That is an obvious

mistake since the lesser known Tokyo Bunka Kaikan by Kunio Mayekawa is in fact the great undiscovered masterpiece they have been sitting on without realizing it. Tokyo Bunka Kaikan has a much greater chance to receive UNESCO’s World Heritage distinction.

Kunio Mayekawa is the often forgotten but pivotal master of modern architecture in Japan. Arguably the greatest modernist architect in Japan since he was the one who tutored Kenzo Tange. Kunio Mayekawa AKA Kunio Maekawa (前前前前) was one of the leading founders of the Japanese modern architecture movement during the middle of the 20th century. Kunio Mayekawa worked and studied under Le Corbusier in Paris between 1928 and 1930 and the influence from Le Corbusier would be clearly visible in many of Kunio Mayekawa’s works in Japan. Note the blue and red door on the front of the building, a nice little touch which reminds us of the work of Le Corbusier.

Kunio Mayekawa was one of the first in Japan to adopt rational architecture. During the 1950’s and 1960’s Kunio Mayekawa designed sculpturally expressive modern architectural structures by combining national traditions with the structural and aesthetic possibilities of reinforced concrete. Kunio Mayekawa designed many public buildings, including municipal buildings in Fukushima (1958) and Hirosaki (1964); cultural centers in Tokyo (1959), Kyoto (1960), Okayama (1962), and Urawa (1966); and the Gakushuin University in Tokyo (1960). He also created prefabricated structures and high-rise apartment buildings in Japan.

9078 79


LE CORBUSIER


5 minuten lopen vanaf Ueno station

openingstijden van 9:30 tot 17:30 (vrijdag van 9:30 - 20:00) *gesloten op maandagmuseum 1959


http://www.nmwa.go.jp/en/visit/index.htmli

A historically important building designed by the internationally renowned 20th century French architect Le Corbusier (1887-1965). The building was completed in March 1959 as a symbol of the resumption of diplomatic ties between Japan and France after World War II.

In 1998, the building was listed as a “Kokyo Kenchiku 100 Sen” (100 selected public buildings) sponsored by the former Ministry of Construction, which determined that it was an outstanding public building well established in the local community.

The National Museum of Western Art, NMWA, in Tokyo, is the only work by Le Corbusier in the Far East. It is also the best example of his theory of “unlimited growth museums.” Due to its conceptual innovation, quality of space and valuable collection, the museum has been included as one of the 100 most important public buildings in Japan. It is also in the tentative list of World Heritage by UNESCO, at a request made by the French government.

In 1929 Le Corbusier designed a model of Unlimited Growth Museum

(Musée à croissance illimitée) for the Mundaneum in Geneva. It was a square spiral that would eventually develop and grow according to the needs of the project. Since this project was widely discussed and often criticized as utopian, it was never realized in the West.

There are only three versions of this type of Corbusian museum in the world : Sanskar Kendra in Ahmedabbad (1957), the Governmental Museum and Art Gallery in Chadigarh (1965) in India and the National Museum of Western Art in Tokyo, Japan (1959). Of these, the latter is the one closest to the original concept as the ones made in India had to adapt to the climatic conditions of the site.

The museum for the Matsukata collection was commissioned to the French Swiss architect Charles-Edouard Jeanneret-Gris (known as Le Corbusier), and the project

was completed by three Japanese apprentices of his studio in Paris: Kunio Maekawa, Junzo Sakakura, and Takamasa Yoshizaka.

9178 79


LE CORBUSIER



openingstijden van 9:30 tot 17:30 (vrijdag van 9:30 - 20:00) *gesloten op maandagmuseum 1959


http://www.nmwa.go.jp/en/visit/index.htmli

A historically important building designed by the internationally renowned 20th century French architect Le Corbusier (1887-1965). The building was completed in March 1959 as a symbol of the resumption of diplomatic ties between Japan and France after World War II.

In 1998, the building was listed as a “Kokyo Kenchiku 100 Sen” (100 selected public buildings) sponsored by the former Ministry of Construction, which determined that it was an outstanding public building well established in the local community.

The National Museum of Western Art, NMWA, in Tokyo, is the only work by Le Corbusier in the Far East. It is also the best example of his theory of “unlimited growth museums.” Due to its conceptual innovation, quality of space and valuable collection, the museum has been included as one of the 100 most important public buildings in Japan. It is also in the tentative list of World Heritage by UNESCO, at a request made by the French government.

In 1929 Le Corbusier designed a model of Unlimited Growth Museum

(Musée à croissance illimitée) for the Mundaneum in Geneva. It was a square spiral that would eventually develop and grow according to the needs of the project. Since this project was widely discussed and often criticized as utopian, it was never realized in the West.

There are only three versions of this type of Corbusian museum in the world : Sanskar Kendra in Ahmedabbad (1957), the Governmental Museum and Art Gallery in Chadigarh (1965) in India and the National Museum of Western Art in Tokyo, Japan (1959). Of these, the latter is the one closest to the original concept as the ones made in India had to adapt to the climatic conditions of the site.

The museum for the Matsukata collection was commissioned to the French Swiss architect Charles-Edouard Jeanneret-Gris (known as Le Corbusier), and the project

was completed by three Japanese apprentices of his studio in Paris: Kunio Maekawa, Junzo Sakakura, and Takamasa Yoshizaka.

9280 81

TOKYO METROPOLITAN ART MUSEUM

SHINICHIRO OKADA

8-36 Ueno Park Taito-ku Tokyo 110-0007


dagelijks geopend van 9:30 tot 17:30 - vrijdags van 9:30 tot 20:00museum 1926

varierend

http://www.tobikan.jp/en/guide/index.htmli

Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum first opened on May 1, 1926 under the name “Tokyo Prefectural Art Museum.” The original building was designed by Shinichiro Okada, an architect who taught at Waseda University and Tokyo School of Fine Arts and fostered numerous young architects. Okada’s museum was a European classicist building with entrances on all four sides. A row of columns fronted each entrance.

Visitors climbed the main entrance steps, looking up at the columns, and advanced straight into the entry hall. There, they encountered stairs leading down to the sculpture hall—a large void space with a high ceiling, filled with natural light. Around this void, the other spaces were arranged: the crafts showroom, offices and cafeteria, on the ground floor; and the painting galleries, on the main floor.

This “temple of art,” designed by Shinichiro Okada, was one of three buildings—forerunners of the Western art facility in Japan—that Okada designed and completed in Ueno Park in the late 1920s, along with KURODA Memorial Hall and the Tokyo School of Fine Arts Museum. Okada received

acclaim as a master designer in the Western style.

In designing Tokyo Prefectural Art Museum, Okada ambitiously tackled the issues of creating the first large-scale art museum in Japan. One was lighting. On the ground floor, he established windows in the walls for the crafts showroom, with its many display cases, and the cafeteria. On the main floor, however, he employed skylights, in order to secure sufficient wall space for hanging paintings, and created painting galleries illuminated by soft natural light.

In the building’s central sculpture hall, meanwhile, he originally planned to establish rows of decorative columns along its four walls. He was nevertheless asked to eliminate the columns, as they would interfere with the sculptural works of Fumio Asakura and other sculptors. Okada revised his

plan accordingly, and construction began.

When the new art museum building opened in May 1926, its completion was warmly celebrated by the art community, which rated it highly as a museum grasping artists’ intentions and placing weight on practical use.

Shinichiro Okada

1883-1942. Born in Tokyo. Graduated from the School of Architecture, Tokyo Imperial University. Taught at Tokyo School of Fine Arts (currently Tokyo University of the Arts) and Waseda University and fostered numerous young architects. Won the first prize in a design competition for the Osaka Central Civic Hall. Came to be considered a master of Western architectural design.

UENO PARKTaito Tokio 110-0007


park altijd geopend

Park 1924

gratis

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3019.htmli

The area where Ueno Park is located is affectionately known as “Ueno no Yama” (Ueno hill) and sits on the fringe of the Musashino Plateau approximately 20 meters above sea level. Shinobazu Pond, located in the lowland between the Musashino Plateau and Hongodai in the west, was once part of the sea however the area was widely developed and reclaimed following the opening of a new government in Edo by Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616), the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate.

In 1624, at the direction of high Buddhist priest Tenkai Sojo, construction of Kan’ei-ji Temple was started on Ueno hill to the northeast of Edo Castle, spurring rapid urbanization in the district at the southern foot of the fill. Subsequently, Kan’ei-ji prospered as the Tendai-shu Buddhist sect’s head temple in the Kanto region, rivaling the sect’s main temple-Hieizan Enryaku-in Kyoto. Kan’ei-ji also served as the family temple of the ruling Tokugawa clan. In its prime, the temple owned land twice the size of present-day Ueno Park and the original temple building had as many as 36 rooms for priests.

However, in 1868, most of the temple’s buildings were burned to

the ground in the Battle of Ueno fought between the Shogitai troops, who supported the former Tokugawa regime, and troops of the new imperial government. Of the major buildings, only only Shimizudo Temple, Toshogu, the mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu-, the magnificent five-story pagoda, and few others survived.

At the southern edge of the park near Keisei Ueno Station stands the the statue of Saigo Takamori, the samurai who led the imperial troops. In nearby scrub, lies a tombstone for the Shogitai troops on which characters written by famed samurai, Yamaoka Tesshu were inscribed. They read: “Tomb of the war dead.”

When the battle ended, Kan’ei-ji was closed and its control was transferred to Tokyo Prefecture (the present-day Tokyo metropolitan government). The new Meiji government then drew up plans to construct the Institute

of Western Medicine (present-day Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo) at the temple site, but was soon swayed by Dr. Bauduwin, a scholar of Western medicine, who advised the government to build a park instead of a medical school.

Accordingly, Tokyo Prefecture applied to the ministry for permission to build a park in Ueno and in 1876, in the presence of Emperor Meiji, a spectacular opening ceremony for the park was held. Since then, Ueno Park has played an important role in Japan’s cultural development as well as the promotion of new industries.

In 1924, Ueno Park was gifted to Tokyo City in commemoration of the marriage of the Prince Hirohito, who later became Emperor Showa. From that time on, the park has officially been known as Ueno-Onshi Park.

9380 81

TOKYO METROPOLITAN ART MUSEUM

SHINICHIRO OKADA

8-36 Ueno Park Taito-ku Tokyo 110-0007


dagelijks geopend van 9:30 tot 17:30 - vrijdags van 9:30 tot 20:00museum 1926

varierend

http://www.tobikan.jp/en/guide/index.htmli

Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum first opened on May 1, 1926 under the name “Tokyo Prefectural Art Museum.” The original building was designed by Shinichiro Okada, an architect who taught at Waseda University and Tokyo School of Fine Arts and fostered numerous young architects. Okada’s museum was a European classicist building with entrances on all four sides. A row of columns fronted each entrance.

Visitors climbed the main entrance steps, looking up at the columns, and advanced straight into the entry hall. There, they encountered stairs leading down to the sculpture hall—a large void space with a high ceiling, filled with natural light. Around this void, the other spaces were arranged: the crafts showroom, offices and cafeteria, on the ground floor; and the painting galleries, on the main floor.

This “temple of art,” designed by Shinichiro Okada, was one of three buildings—forerunners of the Western art facility in Japan—that Okada designed and completed in Ueno Park in the late 1920s, along with KURODA Memorial Hall and the Tokyo School of Fine Arts Museum. Okada received

acclaim as a master designer in the Western style.

In designing Tokyo Prefectural Art Museum, Okada ambitiously tackled the issues of creating the first large-scale art museum in Japan. One was lighting. On the ground floor, he established windows in the walls for the crafts showroom, with its many display cases, and the cafeteria. On the main floor, however, he employed skylights, in order to secure sufficient wall space for hanging paintings, and created painting galleries illuminated by soft natural light.

In the building’s central sculpture hall, meanwhile, he originally planned to establish rows of decorative columns along its four walls. He was nevertheless asked to eliminate the columns, as they would interfere with the sculptural works of Fumio Asakura and other sculptors. Okada revised his

plan accordingly, and construction began.

When the new art museum building opened in May 1926, its completion was warmly celebrated by the art community, which rated it highly as a museum grasping artists’ intentions and placing weight on practical use.

Shinichiro Okada

1883-1942. Born in Tokyo. Graduated from the School of Architecture, Tokyo Imperial University. Taught at Tokyo School of Fine Arts (currently Tokyo University of the Arts) and Waseda University and fostered numerous young architects. Won the first prize in a design competition for the Osaka Central Civic Hall. Came to be considered a master of Western architectural design.

UENO PARKTaito Tokio 110-0007


park altijd geopend

Park 1924

gratis

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3019.htmli

The area where Ueno Park is located is affectionately known as “Ueno no Yama” (Ueno hill) and sits on the fringe of the Musashino Plateau approximately 20 meters above sea level. Shinobazu Pond, located in the lowland between the Musashino Plateau and Hongodai in the west, was once part of the sea however the area was widely developed and reclaimed following the opening of a new government in Edo by Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616), the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate.

In 1624, at the direction of high Buddhist priest Tenkai Sojo, construction of Kan’ei-ji Temple was started on Ueno hill to the northeast of Edo Castle, spurring rapid urbanization in the district at the southern foot of the fill. Subsequently, Kan’ei-ji prospered as the Tendai-shu Buddhist sect’s head temple in the Kanto region, rivaling the sect’s main temple-Hieizan Enryaku-in Kyoto. Kan’ei-ji also served as the family temple of the ruling Tokugawa clan. In its prime, the temple owned land twice the size of present-day Ueno Park and the original temple building had as many as 36 rooms for priests.

However, in 1868, most of the temple’s buildings were burned to

the ground in the Battle of Ueno fought between the Shogitai troops, who supported the former Tokugawa regime, and troops of the new imperial government. Of the major buildings, only only Shimizudo Temple, Toshogu, the mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu-, the magnificent five-story pagoda, and few others survived.

At the southern edge of the park near Keisei Ueno Station stands the the statue of Saigo Takamori, the samurai who led the imperial troops. In nearby scrub, lies a tombstone for the Shogitai troops on which characters written by famed samurai, Yamaoka Tesshu were inscribed. They read: “Tomb of the war dead.”

When the battle ended, Kan’ei-ji was closed and its control was transferred to Tokyo Prefecture (the present-day Tokyo metropolitan government). The new Meiji government then drew up plans to construct the Institute

of Western Medicine (present-day Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo) at the temple site, but was soon swayed by Dr. Bauduwin, a scholar of Western medicine, who advised the government to build a park instead of a medical school.

Accordingly, Tokyo Prefecture applied to the ministry for permission to build a park in Ueno and in 1876, in the presence of Emperor Meiji, a spectacular opening ceremony for the park was held. Since then, Ueno Park has played an important role in Japan’s cultural development as well as the promotion of new industries.

In 1924, Ueno Park was gifted to Tokyo City in commemoration of the marriage of the Prince Hirohito, who later became Emperor Showa. From that time on, the park has officially been known as Ueno-Onshi Park.

94

ST. MARY’S CATHEDRAL

KENZO TANGE

Sekiguchi 3-15-16 Bunkyo-ku Tokyo

8 minuten vanaf Gokokuji Station

Dagelijks geopend van 9:00 to 17:00

Kerk 1964

gratis

http://en.japantravel.com/view/st-marys-cathe-dral-tokyo

GOKOKUJI STATION

i

The Saint Mary’s Cathedral in Tokyo is a project by the celebrated architect Kenzo Tange , the greatest exponent of modern architecture in Japan and the first Japanese to be awarded the Pritzker prize. Tange’s project is at the midpoint between Modernism and Metabolism, between the abstract and the symbolic, between the bright and polished exterior and the dark and rough interior... in sum, between the East and the West.

One of the things that struck me from the church, especially when compared with other Catholic cathedrals in Europe, Latin America or Asia itself (I mean the Philippines ) was it secluded character. That is, there is not a square or a public open space preceding the cathedral, as it is common in the Western tradition. On the contrary, the church is located next to a highway, hidden behind

other buildings, and one can only have an idea of its size and magnificent proportions when viewed from a nearby pedestrian bridge .

The complex consists of a group of structures, among which are the cathedral and bell tower. The cathedral is based, as many ancient Christian churches, in a cross layout. The arms of the cross measure 55.5 and 40 meters respectively. However, contrary to what is seen in the West, Tange depressed the cruise raising each of the arms of the cross to a height of 39.4 m.

The plan layout is a diamond, which sides are joined to the vertices of the cross using 8 curves called hyperbolic paraboloids. At this stage, it is evident the tendency of the architect to develop monumental buildings using concrete and steel structures such curves, also present at the National Gymnasium for Tokyo Olympics of 1964 (that I will review in the next post in this moleskine), designed more or less at the same time of the cathedral. In fact this technique had

been previously used by Le Corbusier in buildings such as the Legislative Assembly of Chandigarh .

To this sculptural structure wrapped in stainless steel, which symbolizes the “light of Christ shining upon the world and the hearts of men”, the architect added other small cubic volumes, such as the baptistery.

Access to the lateral nave is reached by one of these added volumes. In fact you might think of it as a transitional space between the profane and the sacred, a kind of liminality, a resource that was also used by the Filipino master Leandro Locsin, a modern architect and a contemporary of Tange.

But while the exterior facade catches the eye due to its metal tones, especially glaring on a sunny day, the interior captivates with its grim tones and unfinished texture, just like the Japanese concept of wabi sabi , that is the aesthetic pleasure of unfinished things , also used in works by other architects, such as the famous Church of Light by Tadao Ando.

97

ASAKUSA - NARIHIRA

Asakusa is the center of Tokyo’s shitamachi (literally “low city”), one of Tokyo’s districts, where an atmosphere of the Tokyo of past decades survives. Asakusa’s main attraction is Sensoji, a very popular Buddhist temple, built in the 7th century. The temple is approached via the Nakamise, a shopping street that has been providing temple visitors with a variety of traditional, local snacks and tourist souvenirs for centuries. Further we can visit the Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center. The eight story building offers a counter providing tourist information in multiple languages If you need to relax for a moment you can visit Sumida riverside park. This park stretches along both sides of Sumida River for several . Close to Asakusa is the Tokyo Sky tree (the second tallest building)where we can enter till 21:00 to get a overview of the metropole of Tokyo

Aanbevolen dagdeel

Dinsdagmiddag 12 mei

16:00 Hostel

9886 87

ASAKUSA - NARIHIRA

ASAHI BREWERIES

Located in Taito-ku along the west bank of the Sumida-gawa River, the Asakusa district once thrived as a temple town for the nearby Senso-ji Temple, but now it is a downtown area that rivals Ginza, Shinjuku, Ikebukuro and Shibuya. The history of Senso-ji Temple goes back far into the past. Legend has it that fishermen brothers discovered an image of Kan’non (the goddess of mercy) in the Sumida-gawa

River around the year 628 and were inspired to enshrine it. The temple’s symbol is the Furai jin-mon (Gate of Wind God and Thunder God) adorned with a large red paper lantern that bears the inscription “Kaminari-mon” (Thunder Gate). There is a constant flow of visitors and worshippers to the temple throughout the year.

Numerous shops along Nakamise-

dori Street, which runs along the approach way to Senso-ji Temple, carry a variety of small articles made of Japanese-style paper and other traditional goods such as folding fans. It is a lovely shopping street that attracts many foreign visitors.

It is also known as the site for many traditional events. The Sanja-matsuri is a festival of Senso-ji Temple, and is famous for the palanquin parade that is said to convey the “Edokko Katagi,” or the spirit of the children of Edo, representing the traditional temperament of the original townsfolk of Tokyo. Other festivals include Hozuki-ichi (ground cherry market) in summer, Tori-no-ichi (rooster market) at Otori-jinja Shrine in early winter and Hagoita-ichi (Japanese battledore market) at the end of the year. The most popular event is the fireworks display along

ASAKUSA CULTURE AND TOURISM CENTER

HOSTEL

SENSO-JI, ASAKUSA SHRINE

ASAKUSA STASTION

the Sumida-gawa River in summer, which over one million people gather to watch.

Asakusa is ‘shitamachi’ – the traditional, low-rise, down and dirty Tokyo of yesteryear. Although on the surface it’s ye olde Japan, this was the first part of the capital to have significant western influence. It was even the site of Japan’s first cinema. Asakusa is a great place to stay if you’re on a budget – it’s a little distant from the central Tokyo attractions but

it provides a relaxing quiet oasis at the end of the day.Atrractions in the area include one of Tokyo’s most historic temples – Sensoji, and the impressive Kaminari Gate that marks the entranceway to the temple. Also you can’t miss Phillip Stark’s ‘Golden Poo’ on the roof of the nearby Asahi Breweries headquarters.

As a place to live, it’s considerably cheaper than places in central Tokyo and also has a large number of “guest houses” catering for foreign residents. In the words of Akasaka resident Tim Vodden, “One good thing about living in Asakusa is being in the midst of a great number traditional Japanese cultural festivities. Whether it’s experiencing the bartering for lucky rakes during the Tori-no-ichi, seeing the portable shrines of the Sanja matsuri shaken through the backstreets and alleyways, or

experiencing the golden dragon dance at Sensou-ji temple, Asakusa consistently offers brief glimpses into its storied Edo past. On the surface, the neighbourhood may appear drab and grey, dense with endless mid-rise apartment blocks, but there is always something new to discover down the next lane. It might be a legendary soba shop, a miniscule monjayaki restaurant run by a dear-old obaasan, or a glance at an elegant maiko in an expensive kimono shuffling her geta to her next appointment.

TOKYO SKYTREE

SUMIDA PARK

9986 87

ASAKUSA - NARIHIRA

ASAHI BREWERIES

Located in Taito-ku along the west bank of the Sumida-gawa River, the Asakusa district once thrived as a temple town for the nearby Senso-ji Temple, but now it is a downtown area that rivals Ginza, Shinjuku, Ikebukuro and Shibuya. The history of Senso-ji Temple goes back far into the past. Legend has it that fishermen brothers discovered an image of Kan’non (the goddess of mercy) in the Sumida-gawa

River around the year 628 and were inspired to enshrine it. The temple’s symbol is the Furai jin-mon (Gate of Wind God and Thunder God) adorned with a large red paper lantern that bears the inscription “Kaminari-mon” (Thunder Gate). There is a constant flow of visitors and worshippers to the temple throughout the year.

Numerous shops along Nakamise-

dori Street, which runs along the approach way to Senso-ji Temple, carry a variety of small articles made of Japanese-style paper and other traditional goods such as folding fans. It is a lovely shopping street that attracts many foreign visitors.

It is also known as the site for many traditional events. The Sanja-matsuri is a festival of Senso-ji Temple, and is famous for the palanquin parade that is said to convey the “Edokko Katagi,” or the spirit of the children of Edo, representing the traditional temperament of the original townsfolk of Tokyo. Other festivals include Hozuki-ichi (ground cherry market) in summer, Tori-no-ichi (rooster market) at Otori-jinja Shrine in early winter and Hagoita-ichi (Japanese battledore market) at the end of the year. The most popular event is the fireworks display along


HOSTEL

SENSO-JI, ASAKUSA SHRINE

ASAKUSA STASTION

the Sumida-gawa River in summer, which over one million people gather to watch.

Asakusa is ‘shitamachi’ – the traditional, low-rise, down and dirty Tokyo of yesteryear. Although on the surface it’s ye olde Japan, this was the first part of the capital to have significant western influence. It was even the site of Japan’s first cinema. Asakusa is a great place to stay if you’re on a budget – it’s a little distant from the central Tokyo attractions but

it provides a relaxing quiet oasis at the end of the day.Atrractions in the area include one of Tokyo’s most historic temples – Sensoji, and the impressive Kaminari Gate that marks the entranceway to the temple. Also you can’t miss Phillip Stark’s ‘Golden Poo’ on the roof of the nearby Asahi Breweries headquarters.

As a place to live, it’s considerably cheaper than places in central Tokyo and also has a large number of “guest houses” catering for foreign residents. In the words of Akasaka resident Tim Vodden, “One good thing about living in Asakusa is being in the midst of a great number traditional Japanese cultural festivities. Whether it’s experiencing the bartering for lucky rakes during the Tori-no-ichi, seeing the portable shrines of the Sanja matsuri shaken through the backstreets and alleyways, or

experiencing the golden dragon dance at Sensou-ji temple, Asakusa consistently offers brief glimpses into its storied Edo past. On the surface, the neighbourhood may appear drab and grey, dense with endless mid-rise apartment blocks, but there is always something new to discover down the next lane. It might be a legendary soba shop, a miniscule monjayaki restaurant run by a dear-old obaasan, or a glance at an elegant maiko in an expensive kimono shuffling her geta to her next appointment.

TOKYO SKYTREE

SUMIDA PARK

10088 89


KENGO KUMA & ASSOCIATES

Kaminarimon 2-18-9 111-0034 Tokyo

10 minuten lopen vanaf hostel


Tourist Information Center, kantoor, Gallerie, Cafe 2159.52 m2 bouwjaar 2012gratis

http://kkaa.co.jp/works/architecture/asakusa-culture-tourist-information-center/

Named the Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center, the building is located near the outer gate to ancient Buddhist temple Sensō-ji, which was constructed in the sixth century and is the oldest of its kind in the city.

Horizontal slices divide the tower’s eight main storeys, creating sloping ceilings in conference rooms and an exhibition space, as well as a tiered floor inside the multi-purpose hall.

Wooden louvres shade each of the four glass elevations and are spaced differently depending on the shade and privacy required by the rooms inside. Surfaces inside the building are also timber-clad and balconies are located on two of the upper floors.

In the corner premise of just 326sqm across Kaminari-mon Gate, the building was required to accommodate plural programs such as tourist information center, conference room, multi-purpose hall and an exhibition space.The center extends Asakusa’s lively neighborhood vertically and piles up roofs that wrap different activities underneath, creating a “new section” which had not existed in conventional

layered architecture. Equipments are stored in the diagonally shaped spaces born between the roof and the floor, and by this treatment we could secure large air volume despite its just average height for high-and medium-rise buildings.

Furthermore, the roofs not only divide the structure into 8 one-storied houses but also determine the role of each floor. First and second floor has an atrium and in-door stairs,

creating a sequence from which you can feel the slope of the two roofs. On 6th floor, taking advantage of the slanted roof, we were able to set up a terraced floor with which the entire room can function as a theater. As angles of the roofs inclined toward Kaminari-mon and the heights from the ground vary from floor to floor, each floor relates differently to the outside, giving a unique character to each space.

i

10188 89


KENGO KUMA & ASSOCIATES

Kaminarimon 2-18-9 111-0034 Tokyo



Tourist Information Center, kantoor, Gallerie, Cafe 2159.52 m2 bouwjaar 2012gratis

http://kkaa.co.jp/works/architecture/asakusa-culture-tourist-information-center/

Named the Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center, the building is located near the outer gate to ancient Buddhist temple Sensō-ji, which was constructed in the sixth century and is the oldest of its kind in the city.

Horizontal slices divide the tower’s eight main storeys, creating sloping ceilings in conference rooms and an exhibition space, as well as a tiered floor inside the multi-purpose hall.

Wooden louvres shade each of the four glass elevations and are spaced differently depending on the shade and privacy required by the rooms inside. Surfaces inside the building are also timber-clad and balconies are located on two of the upper floors.

In the corner premise of just 326sqm across Kaminari-mon Gate, the building was required to accommodate plural programs such as tourist information center, conference room, multi-purpose hall and an exhibition space.The center extends Asakusa’s lively neighborhood vertically and piles up roofs that wrap different activities underneath, creating a “new section” which had not existed in conventional

layered architecture. Equipments are stored in the diagonally shaped spaces born between the roof and the floor, and by this treatment we could secure large air volume despite its just average height for high-and medium-rise buildings.

Furthermore, the roofs not only divide the structure into 8 one-storied houses but also determine the role of each floor. First and second floor has an atrium and in-door stairs,

creating a sequence from which you can feel the slope of the two roofs. On 6th floor, taking advantage of the slanted roof, we were able to set up a terraced floor with which the entire room can function as a theater. As angles of the roofs inclined toward Kaminari-mon and the heights from the ground vary from floor to floor, each floor relates differently to the outside, giving a unique character to each space.

i

10290 91

SENSO-JI, ASAKUSA SHRINE2-3-1 asakusa taito-ku Tokyo


Tempel dagelijks geopend van 6:00 tot 17:00 - Park altijd geopendBoedistische tempel / park

gratis

http://www.senso-ji.jp/guide/index_e.htmli

Early in the morning of March 18, 628, when the capital of Japan was Asuka (present-day Nara Prefecture), two fishermen, Hinokuma Hamanari and his brother Takenari, were fishing in the Sumida River. Suddenly sensing something, they pulled up their net to find a statue of Bodhisattva Kannon. When Haji no Nakatomo, village headman of Asakusa, heard about this, he immediately realized that the object was a statue of the important Buddhist deity Bodhisattva Kannon. Taking vows as a Buddhist priest and remaking his home into a temple, he spent the rest of his life in devotion to Bodhisattva Kannon.In 645, renowned Buddhist priest Shokai Shonin built Kannondo Hall upon visiting the Asakusa district during his travels. Following a revelation he received in a dream, Shokai decided that the image should be hidden from human view, and this tradition has remained in place ever since.

Asakusa began as an obscure fishing village along an estuary of Tokyo Bay, part of the vast wilderness of the area known as Musashi. The district later thrived as people arrived in increasing numbers to worship. When Ennin (794-864), the highest-ranking

priest of Enryaku-ji (head temple of the Tendai School of Buddhism) visited Senso-ji in the mid-ninth century, he created a statue identical to the hidden one that could be viewed and worshipped by the people.

During the Kamakura period (1192-1333), the shoguns, who held the true power in Japan during this time, demonstrated great devotion to Senso-ji. Gradually, other historically prominent figures including military commanders and the literati came to follow their example. Enjoying the protection of these illustrious individuals, the temple buildings were refined. During the Edo period (1603-1867), first Edo shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu deemed Senso-ji the temple where prayers for the aspirations of the shogunate would be offered. As a result the buildings were imbued with still greater dignity, and the temple complex flourished as the center of Edo (present-day Tokyo) culture.Senso-ji is Tokyo’s oldest temple. Known affectionately to people all over Japan as the temple of the Asakusa Kannon, it draws some 30

million visitors every year, remaining an important center of worship.The original gate, built by military commander Taira no Kinmasa in 942, stood south of Asakusa in Komagata. It was erected in the present location during the Kamakura period (1192–1333). At that time, statues of Fujin (wind god) and Raijin (thunder god) came to rest at either side of the gate.

ASAHI BREWERIES

PHILIP STARK, MAKOTO NOZAWA, NIKKEN SEKKEI

Azumabashi 1-23-1 130-0001 Tokyo

5 minuten lopen vanaf Asakusa Station

Openingstijden afhankelijk van openingstijden restaurantsKantoor met 2 cafe’s en enkele restaurants op de 22e verdieping (1989)gratis

http://www.asahibeer.co.jp/aboutus/summary/#headQuarter

i

Perched above the Sumidagawa river, the building is a shiny black form with a giant gold flame rising up from its flat roof. The building itself is covered with highly polished black granite. Its windows are small portholes which are almost invisible from a distance. The walls of the building curve gently outward towards the top, creating in effect a giant pedestal for the gold flame on top.

The flame itself, from which the beer hall and restaurant within take their names, rises several stories and looms over the Sumidagawa river as a gilded monument to Asahi beer. It is constructed of metal and weighs over 300 tons. The simulated gold leaf finish makes the flame gleam by day and by night, when it is illuminated. The shape of the flame is easily recognized as a trademark form of the designer. It appears in almost all of his interiors, either as a sconce or a door handle. This, however, is the first instance in which Starck has used the form on such a massive scale. Although it has been interpreted by the people at Asahi as being a symbol of the burning soul of the company, it is such a recognizable element in all of the architect’s work that it is hard not to see it as either a

designer label or the self-conscious imprint of an egotist. The building is placed above a staircase made of glass blocks which is illuminated from behind at night. The staircase has all the shameless glamour of a set from a 1950’s Hollywood musical. It is virtually impossible to walk by in the evening and not be tempted to walk up the illuminated stairs and enter the building.

The main entrance of the beer hall is marked by a curving gold panel which is the only punctuation mark along the otherwise uninterrupted surface of the shiny black facade. Passing behind the gold panel and through the doors one enters a fantasy space the likes of which could only have been created by Philippe Starck. The curving walls covered in gray velvet and inlaid with velvet rope, the twisting columns vaguely resembling human forms and the angular staircase all combine to create an otherworldly atmosphere. The designer’s strikingly beautiful but uncomfortable metal-backed chairs are also part of the decor. In a striking example of what can go wrong after a

project has been completed, plastic plaques with numbers have been glued to each custom-designed table in an apparent attempt to ease the jobs of the waiters. These plaques diminish greatly the otherwise surreal atmosphere of the space.

This striking and unusual building is a must-see for anyone in the Asakusa area. Its flashy style is clearly in contrast with the anonymous gray buildings which are the norm in Tokyo, which only makes it more of a landmark. It is to the city’s credit that such an unusual structure could have been built. The current management, however is already showing a certain amount of disregard for the unusual design of the building.

10390 91

SENSO-JI, ASAKUSA SHRINE2-3-1 asakusa taito-ku Tokyo


Tempel dagelijks geopend van 6:00 tot 17:00 - Park altijd geopendBoedistische tempel / park

gratis

http://www.senso-ji.jp/guide/index_e.htmli

Early in the morning of March 18, 628, when the capital of Japan was Asuka (present-day Nara Prefecture), two fishermen, Hinokuma Hamanari and his brother Takenari, were fishing in the Sumida River. Suddenly sensing something, they pulled up their net to find a statue of Bodhisattva Kannon. When Haji no Nakatomo, village headman of Asakusa, heard about this, he immediately realized that the object was a statue of the important Buddhist deity Bodhisattva Kannon. Taking vows as a Buddhist priest and remaking his home into a temple, he spent the rest of his life in devotion to Bodhisattva Kannon.In 645, renowned Buddhist priest Shokai Shonin built Kannondo Hall upon visiting the Asakusa district during his travels. Following a revelation he received in a dream, Shokai decided that the image should be hidden from human view, and this tradition has remained in place ever since.

Asakusa began as an obscure fishing village along an estuary of Tokyo Bay, part of the vast wilderness of the area known as Musashi. The district later thrived as people arrived in increasing numbers to worship. When Ennin (794-864), the highest-ranking

priest of Enryaku-ji (head temple of the Tendai School of Buddhism) visited Senso-ji in the mid-ninth century, he created a statue identical to the hidden one that could be viewed and worshipped by the people.

During the Kamakura period (1192-1333), the shoguns, who held the true power in Japan during this time, demonstrated great devotion to Senso-ji. Gradually, other historically prominent figures including military commanders and the literati came to follow their example. Enjoying the protection of these illustrious individuals, the temple buildings were refined. During the Edo period (1603-1867), first Edo shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu deemed Senso-ji the temple where prayers for the aspirations of the shogunate would be offered. As a result the buildings were imbued with still greater dignity, and the temple complex flourished as the center of Edo (present-day Tokyo) culture.Senso-ji is Tokyo’s oldest temple. Known affectionately to people all over Japan as the temple of the Asakusa Kannon, it draws some 30

million visitors every year, remaining an important center of worship.The original gate, built by military commander Taira no Kinmasa in 942, stood south of Asakusa in Komagata. It was erected in the present location during the Kamakura period (1192–1333). At that time, statues of Fujin (wind god) and Raijin (thunder god) came to rest at either side of the gate.

ASAHI BREWERIES

PHILIP STARK, MAKOTO NOZAWA, NIKKEN SEKKEI

Azumabashi 1-23-1 130-0001 Tokyo


Openingstijden afhankelijk van openingstijden restaurantsKantoor met 2 cafe’s en enkele restaurants op de 22e verdieping (1989)gratis

http://www.asahibeer.co.jp/aboutus/summary/#headQuarter

i

Perched above the Sumidagawa river, the building is a shiny black form with a giant gold flame rising up from its flat roof. The building itself is covered with highly polished black granite. Its windows are small portholes which are almost invisible from a distance. The walls of the building curve gently outward towards the top, creating in effect a giant pedestal for the gold flame on top.

The flame itself, from which the beer hall and restaurant within take their names, rises several stories and looms over the Sumidagawa river as a gilded monument to Asahi beer. It is constructed of metal and weighs over 300 tons. The simulated gold leaf finish makes the flame gleam by day and by night, when it is illuminated. The shape of the flame is easily recognized as a trademark form of the designer. It appears in almost all of his interiors, either as a sconce or a door handle. This, however, is the first instance in which Starck has used the form on such a massive scale. Although it has been interpreted by the people at Asahi as being a symbol of the burning soul of the company, it is such a recognizable element in all of the architect’s work that it is hard not to see it as either a

designer label or the self-conscious imprint of an egotist. The building is placed above a staircase made of glass blocks which is illuminated from behind at night. The staircase has all the shameless glamour of a set from a 1950’s Hollywood musical. It is virtually impossible to walk by in the evening and not be tempted to walk up the illuminated stairs and enter the building.

The main entrance of the beer hall is marked by a curving gold panel which is the only punctuation mark along the otherwise uninterrupted surface of the shiny black facade. Passing behind the gold panel and through the doors one enters a fantasy space the likes of which could only have been created by Philippe Starck. The curving walls covered in gray velvet and inlaid with velvet rope, the twisting columns vaguely resembling human forms and the angular staircase all combine to create an otherworldly atmosphere. The designer’s strikingly beautiful but uncomfortable metal-backed chairs are also part of the decor. In a striking example of what can go wrong after a

project has been completed, plastic plaques with numbers have been glued to each custom-designed table in an apparent attempt to ease the jobs of the waiters. These plaques diminish greatly the otherwise surreal atmosphere of the space.

This striking and unusual building is a must-see for anyone in the Asakusa area. Its flashy style is clearly in contrast with the anonymous gray buildings which are the norm in Tokyo, which only makes it more of a landmark. It is to the city’s credit that such an unusual structure could have been built. The current management, however is already showing a certain amount of disregard for the unusual design of the building.

10492 93

SUMIDA PARK1 Chome Mukojima Sumida 131-0033 Tokyo


Park altijd geopend

Park

gratis

...i

The area between Azumabashi Bridge and Sakurabashi Bridge on the Sumida River has been a famous cherry blossom viewing spot since the Edo period. Approximately 1,000 cherry trees grow in Sumida Park. Visitors can enjoy viewing the lines of blooming trees on both sides of the Sumida River from a yakata-bune (Japanese old-fashioned houseboat). Enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of cherry blossom viewing along the Sumida River.

Sumida Park is one of the best 100 Sakura Spots in Japan located right next to Sumida River. During the Hanami period which is between end of March to middle of April, there are a lot of ceremonies or events, such as traditional dance, music or Nursery rhyme song. Also, there many Yatai which sell food, toys or snacks in this time. It was used to be the private park of Shogun family. 8th Shogun of Tokugawa, Yoshiie opened some spots of park so that everyone can enjoy Hanami. He planed a lot of Sakura on both side of Sumida river. Now, it’s opened for public.

TOKYO SKYTREE

NIKKEN SEKKEI

Oshiage 1-1-2 131-0045 Tokyo

Oshiage station Asakusa line vanaf Asakusa station


Zend mast met observatiedek 634 m. opbservatiepunten op 350 m. en 450 m. (2012)¥2,060 ongeveer €15

http://www.tokyo-skytree.jp/en/reservation/i

On May 22 the Tokyo Skytree Tower opened, providing access to its observation decks. It is the second-tallest structure in the world, behind the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

Tokyo Sky Tree soars above Narihira Bridge and the Oshiage area in Sumida Ward, Tokyo Metropolis. It is surrounded by traditional downtown areas, such as Asakusa and Mukojima, and is at a key transportation hub where the Tobu Railway, metropolitan subways and water-buses busily operate. This tower is basically intended to serve as a new-generation radio-wave transmission tower for ground-wave TV broadcasting, and also is expected to become a symbol of the redevelopment of the downtown combined with the maintenance of the area’s cultural tradition in association with Asakusa, a famous sightseeing spot rich in cultural traditions of the Edo era. Considering this background,

we have studied how to closely relate the shape of the tower to the geography of this area.

The construction site is at the center of a triangular plane surrounded by the three axes, the Sumida River and Arakawa River, and, to the south, railway lines running in an east-west direction and trunk roads. Perpendicular to each axis, various streets converge toward the focal point at which the tower stands. So, the tower has been designed to have three gates, each inviting people coming down through these streets.

The footprint of the Sky Tree is an equilateral triangle, each side being about 68m. From three apexes, lines extend, while converging, up to 50m above grade, from which the lines further extend up to more than 600m. The ratio of length to width is approx. 9:1, thus forming a slender vertical shape. The three legs, as seen in the lower portion, resemble a tripod kettle

(having three legs similar to a tripod for camera, and self-standing anywhere with its own three legs), which was used ceremonially in ancient China, and give people looking at it a vague feeling of safety. Also, the triangular shape smoothly leads to a structural analysis solution that is safe, yet has the fewest structural members. This not only reduces a feeling of oppression in the minds of neighbors, but also reduces the tonnage of structural steel used, both of which are beneficial to the environment. Meanwhile, for the observatory, a round shape is selected, which is believed to be most suitable for looking over the vast expanse of the Kanto plain from the 360-degree periphery.

The tower thus created has a shape without precedent in the world, in which a rectangular plan on ground gradually changes to a circle plan at a super-high elevation.

10592 93

SUMIDA PARK1 Chome Mukojima Sumida 131-0033 Tokyo


Park altijd geopend

Park

gratis

...i

The area between Azumabashi Bridge and Sakurabashi Bridge on the Sumida River has been a famous cherry blossom viewing spot since the Edo period. Approximately 1,000 cherry trees grow in Sumida Park. Visitors can enjoy viewing the lines of blooming trees on both sides of the Sumida River from a yakata-bune (Japanese old-fashioned houseboat). Enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of cherry blossom viewing along the Sumida River.

Sumida Park is one of the best 100 Sakura Spots in Japan located right next to Sumida River. During the Hanami period which is between end of March to middle of April, there are a lot of ceremonies or events, such as traditional dance, music or Nursery rhyme song. Also, there many Yatai which sell food, toys or snacks in this time. It was used to be the private park of Shogun family. 8th Shogun of Tokugawa, Yoshiie opened some spots of park so that everyone can enjoy Hanami. He planed a lot of Sakura on both side of Sumida river. Now, it’s opened for public.

TOKYO SKYTREE

NIKKEN SEKKEI

Oshiage 1-1-2 131-0045 Tokyo

Oshiage station Asakusa line vanaf Asakusa station


Zend mast met observatiedek 634 m. opbservatiepunten op 350 m. en 450 m. (2012)¥2,060 ongeveer €15

http://www.tokyo-skytree.jp/en/reservation/i

On May 22 the Tokyo Skytree Tower opened, providing access to its observation decks. It is the second-tallest structure in the world, behind the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

Tokyo Sky Tree soars above Narihira Bridge and the Oshiage area in Sumida Ward, Tokyo Metropolis. It is surrounded by traditional downtown areas, such as Asakusa and Mukojima, and is at a key transportation hub where the Tobu Railway, metropolitan subways and water-buses busily operate. This tower is basically intended to serve as a new-generation radio-wave transmission tower for ground-wave TV broadcasting, and also is expected to become a symbol of the redevelopment of the downtown combined with the maintenance of the area’s cultural tradition in association with Asakusa, a famous sightseeing spot rich in cultural traditions of the Edo era. Considering this background,

we have studied how to closely relate the shape of the tower to the geography of this area.

The construction site is at the center of a triangular plane surrounded by the three axes, the Sumida River and Arakawa River, and, to the south, railway lines running in an east-west direction and trunk roads. Perpendicular to each axis, various streets converge toward the focal point at which the tower stands. So, the tower has been designed to have three gates, each inviting people coming down through these streets.

The footprint of the Sky Tree is an equilateral triangle, each side being about 68m. From three apexes, lines extend, while converging, up to 50m above grade, from which the lines further extend up to more than 600m. The ratio of length to width is approx. 9:1, thus forming a slender vertical shape. The three legs, as seen in the lower portion, resemble a tripod kettle

(having three legs similar to a tripod for camera, and self-standing anywhere with its own three legs), which was used ceremonially in ancient China, and give people looking at it a vague feeling of safety. Also, the triangular shape smoothly leads to a structural analysis solution that is safe, yet has the fewest structural members. This not only reduces a feeling of oppression in the minds of neighbors, but also reduces the tonnage of structural steel used, both of which are beneficial to the environment. Meanwhile, for the observatory, a round shape is selected, which is believed to be most suitable for looking over the vast expanse of the Kanto plain from the 360-degree periphery.

The tower thus created has a shape without precedent in the world, in which a rectangular plan on ground gradually changes to a circle plan at a super-high elevation.

107

SHINJUKU

We start at Shinjuku station, the busiest station/interchange in the world. West of the station we visit Tokyo’s skyscraper district, including the Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower by Paul Tange and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building by Kenzo Tange. From high rise buildings to narrow alleys: we visit Shinjuku Golden Gai. A network of six narrow alleys, connected by even narrower passageways which are just about wide enough for a single person to pass through. Over 200 tiny shanty-style bars, clubs and eateries are squeezed into this area. It provides a view into the relatively recent past of Tokyo, when large parts of the city resembled present-day Golden Gai. To refresh ourselves, we finish at Shinjuku Gyoen National Gardens, one of Tokyo’s most beautiful and largest parks.

Verplicht dagdeel

Woensdagochtend 13 mei

9:20 Shinjuku station

108

SHINJUKUShinjuku is a major commercial and administrative centre, housing the busiest train station in the world (Shinjuku Station), the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (the administration centre for the government of Tokyo) and the curved form and webbed façade of the Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower.

Shinjuku is a major urban transit hub. Shinjuku Station sees an estimated 3.64 million passengers pass through each day, making it the busiest station in the world. It houses interchanges to three subway lines and three privately owned commuter lines, as well as several JR lines. Shinjuku is also one of Tokyo’s major stops for long-distance highway buses and city buses.

West of the station is Shinjuku’s skyscraper district, home to many of Tokyo’s tallest buildings, including several premier hotels and the twin towers of the Metropolitan Government Office.

Northeast of the station lies Kabukicho, Japan’s largest and wildest red light district, while department stores, subterranean malls and electronic shops surround Shinjuku Station on all four sides.

109

SHINJUKU GYOEN NATIONAL GARDENS

SHINJUKU GOLDEN GAI

HANAZONO SHRINE

MODE GAKUEN COCOON TOWER

TOKYO METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT BUILDING

110

MODE GAKUEN COCOON TOWER

PAUL TANGE

1 Chome-7-3 Nishishinjuku

5 minuten lopen vanaf Shinjuku station

niet toegankelijk

educational facility (2008)

-

-i

Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower, which contains 3 vocational schools with approximately 10,000 students, is an innovative educational facility located in Tokyo’s distinctive Nishi-Shinjuku high-rise district. The building’s elliptic shape, wrapped in a criss-cross web of diagonal lines, embodies the “cocoon” concept. Students are inspired to create, grow and transform while embraced within this cocoon-like, incubating form. In essence, the creative design successfully nurtures students to communicate and think creatively.

In designing Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower, Tange Associates offers a new solution for school architecture in Tokyo’s tightly meshed urban environment. A new typology for educational architecture, the tower and accompanying auditoriums successfully encompass environmental concerns and community needs with an unparalleled inspirational design.

The high rise tower floor plan is simple. Three rectangular classroom

areas rotate 120 degrees around the inner core. From the 1st to the 50th floor, these rectangular classroom areas are arranged in a curvilinear form. The inner core consists of an elevator, staircase and shaft.

Unlike the typical horizontally laid out school campus, the limited size of the site challenged Tange Associates to develop a new typology for educational architecture. Student Lounges are located between the classrooms, facing three directions, east, southwest and northwest. Each atrium lounge is three-stories high and offers sweeping views of the surrounding cityscape. A new types of schoolyard, these innovative lounges offer students a comfortable place to relax and communicate.

The elliptic shape permits more ground space to be dedicated to landscaping at the building’ s narrow base, while the narrow top portion of the tower allows unobstructed views

of the sky. The nurturing forces of nature are close at hand to the student, an inspiring environment in which to study, learn and grow. For the community, the fascinating design of Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower is a welcome contribution to the urban landscape and an example of how such design innovation benefits and impacts its immediate surroundings.

111

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building houses the headquarters of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, which governs not only the 23 wards, but also the cities, towns and villages that make up Tokyo as a whole. Located in Shinjuku, the building consists of a complex of three structures, each taking up a city block. The tallest and most prominent of the three is Tokyo Metropolitan Main building No.1, a tower 48 stories tall that splits into two sections at the 33rd floor. The building also has three levels below ground. The design of the building Kenzo Tange, has many symbolic touches, most notably the aforementioned split which re-creates the look of a Gothic cathedral. The building held the title of the tallest building in Tokyo, at 243 meters from 1991 to late 2006, when it surrendered its title upon the completion of Midtown Tower.

The building was designed by Kenzo Tange and finished in December 1990 at the expense of ¥157 billion (about US$ 1 billion) of public money. It replaced the former Tokyo City Hall at Yūrakuchō, which was built in 1957 and also design by Tange. The former Tokyo City Hall is now the site of the Tokyo International Forum.

Though it has not gained the same degree of worldwide recognition as Tokyo Tower or Tokyo Skytree, the Metropolitan Government Building has come to represent the city in its own right. It frequently appears in Japanese science fiction as a symbol of authority or in type scenes depicting a futuristic or post-apocalyptic Shinjuku.

2-8-1 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku


09:30 - 23:00 (observatiedek)

gratis

-i

prefecture building (1991)

KENZO TANGE

TOKYO METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT BUILDING

112

SHINJUKU GOLDEN GAIKabukicho, Shinjuku


-

clubs and eateries

-

-i

Shinjuku Golden Gai is a small area of Shinjuku, famous both as an area of architectural interest and for its nightlife. It is composed of a network of six narrow alleys, connected by even narrower passageways which are just about wide enough for a single person to pass through. Over 200 tiny shanty-style bars, clubs and eateries are squeezed into this area.

Its architectural importance is that it provides a view into the relatively recent past of Tokyo, when large parts of the city resembled present-day Golden Gai, particularly in terms of the extremely narrow lanes and the tiny two-storey buildings. Nowadays, most of the surrounding area has been redeveloped: The street plans have been changed to create much wider roads and larger building plots, and most of the buildings themselves are now much larger high- or medium-rise developments. This has left Golden Gai as one of a decreasing number of examples of the nature of Tokyo before Japan’s ‘economic miracle’, that took place in the latter half of

the 20th century.

Typically, the buildings are just a few feet wide and are built so close to the ones next door that they nearly touch. Most are two-storey, having a small bar at street level and either another bar or a tiny flat upstairs, reached by a steep set of stairs. None of the bars are very large; some are so small that they can only fit five or so customers at one time. The buildings are generally ramshackle, and the alleys are dimly lit, giving the area a very scruffy and run-down appearance. However, Golden Gai is not a cheap place to drink, and the clientele that it attracts is generally well off.

Golden Gai was known for prostitution before 1958, when prostitution became illegal. Since then it has developed as a drinking area, and at least some of the bars can trace their origins back to the 1960s. In the 1980s, many buildings in Tokyo were

set on fire by Yakuza, so the land could be bought up by developers, but Golden Gai survived because some of its supporters took turns to guard the area at night.

113

HANAZONO SHRINE5-17-3 Shinjuku


-

shrine

gratis

-i

Hanazono Shrine is one of the important Shinto Shrines found in Tokyo. Hanazono Shrine was first established in the middle of the 17th century, during the early Edo period. Over the hundreds of years there has been various redevelopments to the current buildings found at the site. A number of fires had destroyed the buildings including sever damage and destruction during World War II.

Hanazono literaly means Flower Garden (hana - flower and zono or sono - garden) The land surrounding Hanazono Shrine was once part of the Imperial Gardens, now developed with the many tall buildings of Shinjuku. Around the 1830s and 1840s there were fields surrounding the shrine which were famous for growing bell peppers known as Naito bell peppers. Squash was also grown in the fields which were known as Naito squash or Yodobashi squash.

A number of important festivals are celebrated at Hanazono Shrine throughout the year including New Years Day prayers 1st January, Setsubun Festival and Two Horse Festival in February, Festival Koxinga in March, Flower Festival in April, Shinto Purification in June and December 31st as well as Clock Festival in November.

114

11 Naitomachi, Shinjuku

paar minuten lopen vanaf shinjukugyoenmae station

09:00 - 16:30, gesloten op maandag

park

200 yen

-i

Shinjuku Gyoen was constructed on the site of a private mansion belonging to Lord Naito, a “daimyo”(feudal lord) of the Edo era. Completed in 1906 as an imperial garden, it was re-designated as a national garden after the Second World War and opened to the public. With 58.3 ha in size and a circumference of 3.5 km, it blends three distinct styles, French Formal Garden, English Landscape Garden and Japanese Traditional Garden, and is considered to be one of the most important gardens from the Meiji era.

The oldest is a traditional Japanese landscape garden featuring large ponds dotted with islands and bridges. Well manicured shrubs and trees surround the water together with several pavilions and the Kyu Goryotei (also called the Taiwan Pavilion) which was built on the occasion of the wedding of the Showa Emperor. A chrysanthemum exhibit is held during the first two weeks of November in the Japanese garden with flower displays and large, temporary pavilions erected around the grounds.

The park’s other main gardens include a symmetrically arranged formal French garden, and an English landscape garden featuring wide, open lawns surrounded by flowering cherry trees. The rest of the park consists of forested areas, lawns and several structures including a restaurant, an information center and an art gallery. There is also a beautiful greenhouse with many tropical and subtropical flowers.

SHINJUKU GYOEN NATIONAL GARDENS

115

OMOTESANDO - SHIBUYA

Omotesando, the place for flagship architecture. Omotesandō is known as one of the foremost ‘architectural showcase’ streets in the world, featuring a multitude of fashion flagship stores within a short distance of each other. These include the Louis Vuitton store (Jun Aoki, 2002) Prada building (Herzog & de Meuron, 2003), Tod’s (Toyo Ito, 2004), Dior (SANAA, 2004), Omotesandō Hills (Tadao Ando, 2005) and Gyre (MVRDV, 2007). We finish at Shibuya Crossing, the world’s busiest pedestrian crossing. Shibuya Crossing is often featured in movies and television shows which take place in Tokyo, such as Lost in Translation.

Aanbevolen dagdeel

Woensdagmiddag 13 mei

14:30 Meiji-jingumae station

116

OMOTESANDO - SHIBUYAOmotesandō is an avenue located in Shibuya and Minato, Tokyo stretching from the entrance to the Meiji Shrine, to Aoyama-dori where Omotesando Station can be found. Omotesandō was originally created in the Taishō era as the frontal approach to Meiji Shrine, dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shōken.

Today, Omotesandō is known as one of the foremost ‘architectural showcase’ streets in the world, featuring a multitude of fashion flagship stores within a short distance of each other. These include the Louis Vuitton store (Jun Aoki, 2002) Prada building (Herzog & de Meuron, 2003), Tod’s (Toyo Ito, 2004), Dior (SANAA, 2004), Omotesandō Hills (Tadao Ando, 2005) and Gyre (MVRDV, 2007), amongst others.Omotesandō is the main vehicle and pedestrian thoroughfare for the

shopping district commonly referred to as Harajuku. The area features many international brand boutiques, ranging from high end stores such as Louis Vuitton, Alexander McQueen and Gucci to Fast fashion retailers such as Gap, H&M and Zara. Omotesandō is one of two locations in Tokyo, considered by Chevalier to be the best location for a luxury-goods store. Omotesandō is also home to the Kiddyland toy store, Laforet a shopping center geared primarily toward young women, and the Oriental Bazaar, a general merchandise store popular with international tourists. It is sometimes referred to as “Tokyo’s Champs-Élysées”. Its latest development, Omotesandō Hills, opened in 2006. Omotesandō’s side streets known as Ura-Harajuku, feature a range of smaller cafes, bars, and restaurants, as well as boutique stores specialising in everything from handbags to

postcards to vintage glass bottles.

Shibuya is one of the twenty-three city wards of Tokyo, but often refers to just the popular shopping and entertainment area found around Shibuya Station. In this regard, Shibuya is one of Tokyo’s most colorful and busy districts, packed with shopping, dining and nightclubs serving swarms of visitors that come to the district everyday.

Shibuya is a center for youth fashion and culture, and its streets are the birthplace to many of Japan’s fashion and entertainment trends. Over a dozen major department store branches can be found around the area catering to all types of shoppers.

117

SHIBUYA CROSSING

NEZU MUSEUM

OMOTESANDO

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OMOTESANDO (Flagship store architecture)

1. Gyre Shopping CenterMVRDVOmotesando street 5-10-1 Jingu-mae Tokyo

2. Coach Omotesando FlagshipOMA Kitaaoyama 6-3 107-0061 Tokyo

3. Dior OmotesandoSANAAOmotesando Street 5-9-11 Jingu-mae Tokyo

7. Tokyu Plaza OmotesandoHiroshi Nakamura Jingumae 4-30-3, 150-0001,Tokyo

8. Audi Forum TokyoCreative Designers InternationalJingumae, Shibuya-ku 6-12-18,150-0001, Tokyo

9. Upper EastA.A.E.Jingumae 5-27, 151-0052, Tokyo

119

4. Prada Aoyama EpicenterHerzog and De Meuron Minamiaoyama, 5−2, Minato,Tokyo

5. Omotesando HillsTadao Ando 4-12-10 Jingumae, Shibuya, Tokyo

10. AO BuildingNihon SekkeiKitaaoyama 3-11-7, 107-0061,Tokyo

11. Hugo Boss OmotesandoNorihiko DanJingumae 5-1-5, 150-0001,Tokyo

6. Sky GateShiina EizouShibuya 1-20-9, 150-0001,Tokyo

12. Tod’s Omotesando BuildingToyo Ito Jingumae 5-1-15, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

120

13. The From-First BuildingKazumasa Yamashita Minamiaoyama 5-3-10, 107-0062, Tokyo

14. Sunny Hills JapanKengo Kuma & Associates Minamiaoyama 3-10-20, 107-0062, Tokyo

16. GHSAAT PlusKitaaoyama, 2-12-13, 107-0062, Tokyo

17. The Ice CubesJun Mitsui & AssociatesJingumae 1-8-9, 150-0001, Tokyo

15. Aoyama Technical CollegeMakoto Sei WatanabeUguisudani 7-9,150-0032, Tokyo

18. Louis VuittonJun Aoki Jingumae 5-8-5,151-0052,Tokyo

121

19. Apple Store OmotesandoBohlin Cywinski Jackson4-2-13, Jinguumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

20. One OmotesandoKuma Kengo & Associates Kitaaoyama 3-5-29, 107-0062, Tokyo

22. The Jewels of AoyamaJun Mitsui & AssociatesMinamiaoyama 5-3-2,107-0062, Tokyo

23. La CollezioneTadao AndoMinamiaoyama 6-1-3, 107-0062, Tokyo

21. Spiral BuildingFumihiko Maki & AssociatesMinamiaoyama 5-6-23, 107-0062, Tokyo

24. Nezu MuseumKengo Kuma & AssociatesMinamiaoyama 6-5-1, 107-0062, Tokyo

122

NEZU MUSEUM

KENGO KUMA

Minamiaoyama 6-5-1, 107-0062

10 minuten lopen vanaf Omotesando Statio

10:00 - 17:00

museum (2009)

1000 yen

Nezu Museum, formerly known as the Nezu Institute of Fine Arts, houses the private collection of Nezu Kaichirō (1860–1940). The museum opened to the public in 1940 and escaped the destruction suffered by the estate property in the bombing of May 1945. Closed due to large-scale renovation and renewal from 2006 onwards, it re-opened in fall 2009 with a completely new museum building by the Japanese architect Kengo Kuma.

Included in the collection are a pair of Edo period folding screens of Irises by Ogata Kōrin. It also includes other paintings of renown, calligraphy, sculpture, ceramics, textiles and archaeological materials, as well as objects in lacquer, metal, and wood. The collection also consists of Chinese bronzes of the Shang and Zhou dynasties. The Nezu Museum is also known for its vast, Japanese-style garden.

-i

123

SHIBUYA CROSSING2-29-1 Dogenzaka, Shibuya 150-0043

paar minuten lopen vanaf Shibuya station

-

crossing

-

Shibuya Crossing, also referred to as Shibuya Scramble Crossing is the pedestrian crossing outside the Hachiko exit of Shibuya Station. It is referred to as a scramble crossing as the traffic is stopped in all directions, thus allowing pedestrians to walk in all directions through the intersection. Crossing such as Shibuya Crossing are also know as diagonal crossing or exclusive pedestrian crossings.

Three large TV screens mounted on nearby buildings overlook the crossing, as well as many advertising signs. The Starbucks store overlooking the crossing is also one of the busiest in the world. Its heavy traffic and inundation of advertising has led to it being compared to the Times Square intersection in New York City. Tokyo-based architecture professor Julian Worrall has said Shibuya Crossing is “a great example of what Tokyo does best when it’s not trying.”

Shibuya Crossing is often featured in movies and television shows which take place in Tokyo, such as Lost in Translation, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, and Resident Evil: Afterlife and Retribution, as well as on domestic and international news broadcasts.

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125

OPTIONAL PROGRAMME

Keuzeprogramma

vrij in te delen op de middagen

Ikebukuro

Hachioji Library

Crazy houses

Made in Tokyo

126114 115

IKEBUKUROIkebukuro is a district of Tokyo, Japan found in the Toshima Ward. Along with Shibuya and Harajuku, Ikebukuro is one of the youth culture hubs of Tokyo. Ikebukuro Station is a major stop on the JR Yamanote Line and can also be accessed via the Seibu Line, Tobu Line, Marunouchi Line, and Yurakucho Line.

With a mild population the city of Ikebukuro is currently working its way up to being one of the most popular tourist districts in all of Tokyo. Its key location has driven this success as it is serving as the central area for transportation in the Toshima and surrounding wards.

For tourists seeking a little adventure Ikebukuro is an appealing destination. Entertainment venues can be found all around the district including theatres, gaming centers, music shops, and museums. Ikebukuro is also the home of many famous Japanese restaurants.

Aside from tourism, Ikebukuro has flourished as a commercial and shopping district. With two of the most popular and highest class department stores, Tobu Department Store and Seibu Department Store, along with a huge Bic Camera store, the city is a popular place for Japanese people to shop for the latest items such as clothing, fashion accessories, gadgets and electronics, and home décor items.

The area now known as Ikebukuro district was first a city called Sugamo. At this time the city was driven by affordable land and housing bringing

in thousands of struggling artists and temporary foreign contractors. The high amount of foreign residents created a basic work related atmosphere leaving little to bring in tourists.

It wasn’t until late 1932 that the city of Sugamo was reorganized becoming Ikebukuro-mura in the Toshima Ward. With this change the city quickly evolved bringing in larger companies seeking a permanent location for their headquarters. Since the establishment of the official district in Tokyo, Ikebukuro has flourished and become an international tourist destination.

“The kanji for Ikebukuro literally means pond bag. Originally, this area was a damp, low lying wetland habitat (前前前 teishicchi in Japanese) with a lot of spring water. Naturally, there were many lakes and ponds in the region, hence the 前 ike (pond).

The 前 fukuro (bag) part is interesting. If you check a good dictionary, 前 has an extended meaning as “a plot of land surrounded by water.” In particular it can be used to refer the land where rivers or lakes meet – such as happens in wetlands. I asked a few Japanese people around me if they had ever heard of this meaning and no one seemed to know it. That said, one person said that she’d heard of another place – besides Ikebukuro – that had the kanji 前 in it. So in my [admittedly limited] experience, this use of the kanji is for place names and not everyday discourse. The word 前 fukuro changes to bukuro when combined with 前 according to a phonological rule called 前前 rendaku. The word 前 fukuro/bukuro is reinforced by the onomatopoeic word 前前前前 buku buku, the sound of water bubbling up, as from a spring.

So while it literally translates as “Pond Bag,” the real meaning is more like “Wetlands.”

As a major commuter hub on the circular Yamanote Line, Ikebukuro has sizable shopping areas and numerous department stores. It’s not quite as fashionable as major stops like Shinjuku or Shibuya, but it’s still a major shopping destination. Beyond the big-name shopping, the outlying areas around Ikebukuro feature narrow side streets hosting all manner of neighborhood ramen shops, bars, love hotels and smaller shops. 2010’s Durarara!! was set

TOKYO METROPOLITAN ART SPACE

TOSHIMA TOKYO GOVERNMENT OOFFICE

RIKKYO UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

JIYU GAKUEN GIRLS SCHOOL

IKEBUKURO STATION

among the narrow side streets of East Ikebukuro, and made a considerable effort to be accurate to the area. It’s a grittier part of Tokyo, to be sure.

A block away from Sunshine City (or on top of Sunshine City if you want to get technical -- as the complex is spread out across a couple of city blocks and partially subterranean) is Otome Road, the so-called “Akihabara for fujoshi.” Most of the stores here cater towards that very specific fujoshi niche, which may be a good or bad thing depending on your interests. There are a couple of general focus otaku shops, but they don’t offer anything that you couldn’t find elsewhere. We’ve covered both Otome Road and Otome Road’s Animate before for Otaku USA in more detail, so check out those posts if you’re curious.

On the other side of the train tracks, right outside Ikebukuro station’s north exit, you’ll find another neighborhood boasting narrow streets and hole-in-the-wall bars that are such a big

part of Tokyo’s charm. The ironically-named Romance Street area boasts lots of bars, karaoke parlors, hostess clubs and love hotels. There’s nothing particularly otaku-related but it’s a fun area and worth wandering through at night, if you’re in the area.

Just south of that is Ikebukuro’s West Gate Park, which, unsurprisingly, was the setting for the the Ikebukuro West Gate Park manga and live-action drama series from the early 2000s. Written by Ira Ishida and illustrated by Sena Arito, the manga is a remnant of a time, years ago, when Ikebukuro was seen as a much hipper, trendier place. The area was well-known as a destination for nampa, but whatever glamour was once attached to the area has long since disappeared.

A short walk farther west from West Gate Park is an area of bars that once was home to a bar called Harukiya, and was based on the bar of the same name from the manga and film Akira. Despite the name and some Akira

memorabilia on the walls, it kind of did its own thing and was known for serving up some exotic meats like kangaroo. Sadly, Harukiya closed down in 2011 but the website is still online and has pictures of the place.

127114 115

IKEBUKUROIkebukuro is a district of Tokyo, Japan found in the Toshima Ward. Along with Shibuya and Harajuku, Ikebukuro is one of the youth culture hubs of Tokyo. Ikebukuro Station is a major stop on the JR Yamanote Line and can also be accessed via the Seibu Line, Tobu Line, Marunouchi Line, and Yurakucho Line.

With a mild population the city of Ikebukuro is currently working its way up to being one of the most popular tourist districts in all of Tokyo. Its key location has driven this success as it is serving as the central area for transportation in the Toshima and surrounding wards.

For tourists seeking a little adventure Ikebukuro is an appealing destination. Entertainment venues can be found all around the district including theatres, gaming centers, music shops, and museums. Ikebukuro is also the home of many famous Japanese restaurants.

Aside from tourism, Ikebukuro has flourished as a commercial and shopping district. With two of the most popular and highest class department stores, Tobu Department Store and Seibu Department Store, along with a huge Bic Camera store, the city is a popular place for Japanese people to shop for the latest items such as clothing, fashion accessories, gadgets and electronics, and home décor items.

The area now known as Ikebukuro district was first a city called Sugamo. At this time the city was driven by affordable land and housing bringing

in thousands of struggling artists and temporary foreign contractors. The high amount of foreign residents created a basic work related atmosphere leaving little to bring in tourists.

It wasn’t until late 1932 that the city of Sugamo was reorganized becoming Ikebukuro-mura in the Toshima Ward. With this change the city quickly evolved bringing in larger companies seeking a permanent location for their headquarters. Since the establishment of the official district in Tokyo, Ikebukuro has flourished and become an international tourist destination.

“The kanji for Ikebukuro literally means pond bag. Originally, this area was a damp, low lying wetland habitat (前前前 teishicchi in Japanese) with a lot of spring water. Naturally, there were many lakes and ponds in the region, hence the 前 ike (pond).

The 前 fukuro (bag) part is interesting. If you check a good dictionary, 前 has an extended meaning as “a plot of land surrounded by water.” In particular it can be used to refer the land where rivers or lakes meet – such as happens in wetlands. I asked a few Japanese people around me if they had ever heard of this meaning and no one seemed to know it. That said, one person said that she’d heard of another place – besides Ikebukuro – that had the kanji 前 in it. So in my [admittedly limited] experience, this use of the kanji is for place names and not everyday discourse. The word 前 fukuro changes to bukuro when combined with 前 according to a phonological rule called 前前 rendaku. The word 前 fukuro/bukuro is reinforced by the onomatopoeic word 前前前前 buku buku, the sound of water bubbling up, as from a spring.

So while it literally translates as “Pond Bag,” the real meaning is more like “Wetlands.”

As a major commuter hub on the circular Yamanote Line, Ikebukuro has sizable shopping areas and numerous department stores. It’s not quite as fashionable as major stops like Shinjuku or Shibuya, but it’s still a major shopping destination. Beyond the big-name shopping, the outlying areas around Ikebukuro feature narrow side streets hosting all manner of neighborhood ramen shops, bars, love hotels and smaller shops. 2010’s Durarara!! was set


TOSHIMA TOKYO GOVERNMENT OOFFICE



IKEBUKURO STATION

among the narrow side streets of East Ikebukuro, and made a considerable effort to be accurate to the area. It’s a grittier part of Tokyo, to be sure.

A block away from Sunshine City (or on top of Sunshine City if you want to get technical -- as the complex is spread out across a couple of city blocks and partially subterranean) is Otome Road, the so-called “Akihabara for fujoshi.” Most of the stores here cater towards that very specific fujoshi niche, which may be a good or bad thing depending on your interests. There are a couple of general focus otaku shops, but they don’t offer anything that you couldn’t find elsewhere. We’ve covered both Otome Road and Otome Road’s Animate before for Otaku USA in more detail, so check out those posts if you’re curious.

On the other side of the train tracks, right outside Ikebukuro station’s north exit, you’ll find another neighborhood boasting narrow streets and hole-in-the-wall bars that are such a big

part of Tokyo’s charm. The ironically-named Romance Street area boasts lots of bars, karaoke parlors, hostess clubs and love hotels. There’s nothing particularly otaku-related but it’s a fun area and worth wandering through at night, if you’re in the area.

Just south of that is Ikebukuro’s West Gate Park, which, unsurprisingly, was the setting for the the Ikebukuro West Gate Park manga and live-action drama series from the early 2000s. Written by Ira Ishida and illustrated by Sena Arito, the manga is a remnant of a time, years ago, when Ikebukuro was seen as a much hipper, trendier place. The area was well-known as a destination for nampa, but whatever glamour was once attached to the area has long since disappeared.

A short walk farther west from West Gate Park is an area of bars that once was home to a bar called Harukiya, and was based on the bar of the same name from the manga and film Akira. Despite the name and some Akira

memorabilia on the walls, it kind of did its own thing and was known for serving up some exotic meats like kangaroo. Sadly, Harukiya closed down in 2011 but the website is still online and has pictures of the place.

128116 117


KENZO TANGE

Nishiikebukuro 3-34-1 171-8501 Tokyo

9 minuten lopen vanaf Ikibukuro Station


Bibliotheek 1960

gratis

http://english.rikkyo.ac.jp/research/library/e-hours/i

Rikkyo University is a private university, based on Christian precepts, located in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. There is a suburban campus in Niiza in nearby Saitama. It is known for its liberal climate symbolized by the motto “academy of freedom”. The new library in campus was designed by Kenzo Tange in 1960.

Kenzo Tange (Osaka, 1913 – Tokyo, 2005). He is one of the most interesting and complex figures of modern architecture, in terms of both practical and theoretical production. He graduated from the Tokyo University in 1938. The same year he began working in the office of Kunio Maekawa, who had worked in Paris for Le Corbusier. During the 40s he won several awards and developed the reconstruction plans for Fukushima and Wakkanai. In 1946 he became an assistant at the Tokyo University and founded the Tanken group whose members will become the protagonists of Japanese architecture (Fumihiko Maki, Arata Isozaki, Sachio Otani, Kisho Kurakawa, Kiyonori Kikutake).

His contribution goes beyond the buildings he designed but lies in the cultural consistency of his teachings and researches, that demonstrate the breadth of his conception of architecture. To Tange architecture is coordination, it serves civilization through an understanding of social problems, solving them both technically and spiritually, involving desginers able to interpret and brighen people’s sensitivies. Remarkable of this approach is the design of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, a debut project with an enormous responsibility that Tange faces with consciousness and proficiency. Even if I am aware of the intellectual depth of his work, the quality that I admire most is purely formal: his extraordinary ability to transpose the typical shapes of Japanese tradition into an absolutely contemporary architectural conception. This

produces an ideal union of simple and complex forms, visible but impenetrable. I chose to limit the projects’ selection until 1967 and specifically to the Yamanashi Broadcasting Center that I think marks a turning point in its production: the end of a context and orientation and the beginning of a new one. Tange consolidates a formal attitude that begins to systematically apply: he stops using béton brut, introduces cylindrical structures, and applies rigorous pattern partitions to façades. The Japanese context has drastically changed: from a devastated country Japan has become a rebuild new country, full of tall buildings. He attemps to implement the expandable mega-structures designed earlier in anticipation of an unsustainable future made of megalopolis that did not come true


FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT



dagelijks geopend van 10:00 - 15:30 behalve op maandagen

School 1921

niet toegankelijk

http://mimoa.eu/projects/Japan/Tokyo/Jiyu%20Gakuen%20Girls%27%20School

i

Jiyu Gakuen Girls’ School is the original building complex of Jiyu Gakuen, designed by renowned American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Impressed by the couple’s self-reliant, Christian-oriented educational philosophy, Wright accepted to undertake the design of their new school. Built of economical 2 x 4 wood and plaster, Jiyu Gakuen featured a central section with double-height volume and soaring windows facing south onto an open courtyard, with symmetrical wings on the east and west. It was built to child scale, with an architectural richness belying its budget. Myonichikan is also given a Japanese touch by Wright’s extensive use of gray-green Oya stone for pavements, columns and the lanterns standing in the corridors. The Myonichikan consists of four buildings; the main, the east, and the west buildings and the auditorium. The main building stands with the two classroom buildings to the west and the east forming a U-shape.

Jiyu Gakuen Girls’ School is the original building complex of Jiyu Gakuen, designed by renowned American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Impressed by the couple’s

self-reliant, Christian-oriented educational philosophy, Wright accepted to undertake the design of their new school. Built of economical 2 x 4 wood and plaster, Jiyu Gakuen featured a central section with double-height volume and soaring windows facing south onto an open courtyard, with symmetrical wings on the east and west. It was built to child scale, with an architectural richness belying its budget. Myonichikan is also given a Japanese touch by Wright’s extensive use of gray-green Oya stone for pavements, columns and the lanterns standing in the corridors. The Myonichikan consists of four buildings; the main, the east, and the west buildings and the auditorium. The main building stands with the two classroom buildings to the west and the east forming a U-shape.

Myonichikan suffered little damage from the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923 and also escaped damage by attacks during the Pacific War.

However, the buildings have stood for almost 80 years, and many damaged areas remarkably appeared. Therefore, restoration work was conducted from January 1999 through September 2001, in accordance with the Cultural Agency’s restoration guidelines for cultural assets.

Generally, several surveys, such as building structure, land subsidence and material condition, are conducted to identify the original structure, techniques and specifications, as well as some later repair and alteration work. At the same time, archives are also investigated. Based on such results, the principles for restoration work are planned.

129116 117


KENZO TANGE




Bibliotheek 1960

gratis

http://english.rikkyo.ac.jp/research/library/e-hours/i

Rikkyo University is a private university, based on Christian precepts, located in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. There is a suburban campus in Niiza in nearby Saitama. It is known for its liberal climate symbolized by the motto “academy of freedom”. The new library in campus was designed by Kenzo Tange in 1960.

Kenzo Tange (Osaka, 1913 – Tokyo, 2005). He is one of the most interesting and complex figures of modern architecture, in terms of both practical and theoretical production. He graduated from the Tokyo University in 1938. The same year he began working in the office of Kunio Maekawa, who had worked in Paris for Le Corbusier. During the 40s he won several awards and developed the reconstruction plans for Fukushima and Wakkanai. In 1946 he became an assistant at the Tokyo University and founded the Tanken group whose members will become the protagonists of Japanese architecture (Fumihiko Maki, Arata Isozaki, Sachio Otani, Kisho Kurakawa, Kiyonori Kikutake).

His contribution goes beyond the buildings he designed but lies in the cultural consistency of his teachings and researches, that demonstrate the breadth of his conception of architecture. To Tange architecture is coordination, it serves civilization through an understanding of social problems, solving them both technically and spiritually, involving desginers able to interpret and brighen people’s sensitivies. Remarkable of this approach is the design of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, a debut project with an enormous responsibility that Tange faces with consciousness and proficiency. Even if I am aware of the intellectual depth of his work, the quality that I admire most is purely formal: his extraordinary ability to transpose the typical shapes of Japanese tradition into an absolutely contemporary architectural conception. This

produces an ideal union of simple and complex forms, visible but impenetrable. I chose to limit the projects’ selection until 1967 and specifically to the Yamanashi Broadcasting Center that I think marks a turning point in its production: the end of a context and orientation and the beginning of a new one. Tange consolidates a formal attitude that begins to systematically apply: he stops using béton brut, introduces cylindrical structures, and applies rigorous pattern partitions to façades. The Japanese context has drastically changed: from a devastated country Japan has become a rebuild new country, full of tall buildings. He attemps to implement the expandable mega-structures designed earlier in anticipation of an unsustainable future made of megalopolis that did not come true


FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT



dagelijks geopend van 10:00 - 15:30 behalve op maandagen

School 1921

niet toegankelijk

http://mimoa.eu/projects/Japan/Tokyo/Jiyu%20Gakuen%20Girls%27%20School

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Jiyu Gakuen Girls’ School is the original building complex of Jiyu Gakuen, designed by renowned American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Impressed by the couple’s self-reliant, Christian-oriented educational philosophy, Wright accepted to undertake the design of their new school. Built of economical 2 x 4 wood and plaster, Jiyu Gakuen featured a central section with double-height volume and soaring windows facing south onto an open courtyard, with symmetrical wings on the east and west. It was built to child scale, with an architectural richness belying its budget. Myonichikan is also given a Japanese touch by Wright’s extensive use of gray-green Oya stone for pavements, columns and the lanterns standing in the corridors. The Myonichikan consists of four buildings; the main, the east, and the west buildings and the auditorium. The main building stands with the two classroom buildings to the west and the east forming a U-shape.

Jiyu Gakuen Girls’ School is the original building complex of Jiyu Gakuen, designed by renowned American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Impressed by the couple’s

self-reliant, Christian-oriented educational philosophy, Wright accepted to undertake the design of their new school. Built of economical 2 x 4 wood and plaster, Jiyu Gakuen featured a central section with double-height volume and soaring windows facing south onto an open courtyard, with symmetrical wings on the east and west. It was built to child scale, with an architectural richness belying its budget. Myonichikan is also given a Japanese touch by Wright’s extensive use of gray-green Oya stone for pavements, columns and the lanterns standing in the corridors. The Myonichikan consists of four buildings; the main, the east, and the west buildings and the auditorium. The main building stands with the two classroom buildings to the west and the east forming a U-shape.

Myonichikan suffered little damage from the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923 and also escaped damage by attacks during the Pacific War.

However, the buildings have stood for almost 80 years, and many damaged areas remarkably appeared. Therefore, restoration work was conducted from January 1999 through September 2001, in accordance with the Cultural Agency’s restoration guidelines for cultural assets.

Generally, several surveys, such as building structure, land subsidence and material condition, are conducted to identify the original structure, techniques and specifications, as well as some later repair and alteration work. At the same time, archives are also investigated. Based on such results, the principles for restoration work are planned.

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YOSHINOBU ASHIHARA


5 minuten lopen vanaf Ikebukuro Station

Afhankelijk van het programma

Muziek theater 1990

Afhankelijk van het programma

http://english.rikkyo.ac.jp/research/library/e-hours

TADASHI OE

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Yoshinobu Ashihara: Biography

Architect, 1918-2003. Born in Tokyo, Ashihara graduated from the University of Tokyo and received his master’s degree in architecture from Harvard

University. In 1956, he established his own firm Yoshinobu Ashihara Architect and Associates. He was professor at Hosei University, Musashino Art University, and University of Tokyo and served as president of the Japan Institute of Architects and also of the Architectural Institute of Japan. His works, many of which received awards, include the Komazawa Olympic Gymnasium, the Sony Building, the Japan Pavilion at the Montreal Expo, the National Museum of Japanese History, and Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space. His books include The Aesthetic Townscape (winner of the Mainichi Publishing Culture Award) and The Hidden Order:Tokyo Through the Twentieth Century. He received his doctoral degree

from the University of Tokyo and was later appointed Honorary Professor there. He was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure and the Order of Culture.

Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space is a centre for the performing arts located in Ikebukuro, Toshima, Tokyo, Japan. It opened in 1990 and is operated by Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture. There is a concert hall with 1999 seats and a theatre with 841 seats as well as a number of smaller spaces. Yoshinobu Ashihara was the architect, with acoustical design by Nagata Acoustics

Office building located in Toshima district. Its postmodern form stands out among the other buildings surrounding it. The façade is covered with openwork panels in sandy colour

TOSHIMA TOKYO GOVERNMENT OFFICENishiikebukuro 1-17-6 171-0021 Tokyo


niet toegankelijk

Kantoor 1996

-

http://mimoa.eu/projects/Japan/Tokyo/Toshima%20Tokyo%20Government%20Office

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INDIVIDUAL PROGRAMME

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HACHIOJI LIBRARY

TOYO ITO

Yarimizu Hachioji 2-1723 192-0394 Tokyo

18 minuten met bus 76 vanaf Tamasakai Station (Keio Sagamihara line) of (50 min. lopen)Dagelijks geopend van 9:00 tot 17:00

Bibliotheek 2007

gratis

http://www.tamabi.ac.jp/english/about/library.htmi

This is a library for an art university located in the suburbs of Tokyo. Passing through the main entrance gate, the site lies behind a front garden with small and large trees, and stretches up a gentle slope.

The existing cafeteria was the sole place in the university shared by both students and staff members across all disciplines, so the first impetus for our design was to question how an institution as specialised as a library could provide an open commonality for all.

Our first idea was for a wide open gallery on the ground level that would serve as an active thoroughfare for people crossing the campus, even without intending to go to the library.

To let the flows and views of these people freely penetrate the building, we began to think of a structure of randomly placed arches which would create the sensation as if the sloping floor and the front garden’s scenery were continuing within the building.

The characteristic arches are made out of steel plates covered with concrete. In plan these arches are arranged along curved lines which cross at several points. With these

intersections, we were able to keep the arches extremely slender at the bottom and still support the heavy live loads of the floor above. The spans of the arches vary from 1.8 to 16 metres, but the width is kept uniformly at 200mm.

The intersections of the rows of arches help to articulate softly separated zones within this one space. Shelves and study desks of various shapes, glass partitions that function as bulletin boards, etc., give these zones a sense of both individual character and visual as well as spatial continuity.

On the sloped ground level, a movie-browser like a bar counter and a large glass table for the latest issues of magazines invite students to spend their time waiting for the bus in the library.

Climbing the stairs to the second floor, one finds large art books on

low bookshelves crossing under the arches. Between these shelves are study desks of various sizes. A large table with a state-of-art copy machine allows users to do professional editing work.

The spatial diversity one experiences when walking through the arches different in span and height changes seamlessly from a cloister-like space filled with natural light, to the impression of a tunnel that cannot be penetrated visually.

The new library is a place where everyone can discover their style of “interacting” with books and film media as if they were walking through a forest or in a cave; a new place of arcade-like spaces where soft mutual relations form by simply passing through; a focal centre where a new sense of creativity begins to spread throughout the art university’s campus.

133120 121

HACHIOJI LIBRARY

TOYO ITO

Yarimizu Hachioji 2-1723 192-0394 Tokyo

18 minuten met bus 76 vanaf Tamasakai Station (Keio Sagamihara line) of (50 min. lopen)Dagelijks geopend van 9:00 tot 17:00

Bibliotheek 2007

gratis

http://www.tamabi.ac.jp/english/about/library.htmi

This is a library for an art university located in the suburbs of Tokyo. Passing through the main entrance gate, the site lies behind a front garden with small and large trees, and stretches up a gentle slope.

The existing cafeteria was the sole place in the university shared by both students and staff members across all disciplines, so the first impetus for our design was to question how an institution as specialised as a library could provide an open commonality for all.

Our first idea was for a wide open gallery on the ground level that would serve as an active thoroughfare for people crossing the campus, even without intending to go to the library.

To let the flows and views of these people freely penetrate the building, we began to think of a structure of randomly placed arches which would create the sensation as if the sloping floor and the front garden’s scenery were continuing within the building.

The characteristic arches are made out of steel plates covered with concrete. In plan these arches are arranged along curved lines which cross at several points. With these

intersections, we were able to keep the arches extremely slender at the bottom and still support the heavy live loads of the floor above. The spans of the arches vary from 1.8 to 16 metres, but the width is kept uniformly at 200mm.

The intersections of the rows of arches help to articulate softly separated zones within this one space. Shelves and study desks of various shapes, glass partitions that function as bulletin boards, etc., give these zones a sense of both individual character and visual as well as spatial continuity.

On the sloped ground level, a movie-browser like a bar counter and a large glass table for the latest issues of magazines invite students to spend their time waiting for the bus in the library.

Climbing the stairs to the second floor, one finds large art books on

low bookshelves crossing under the arches. Between these shelves are study desks of various sizes. A large table with a state-of-art copy machine allows users to do professional editing work.

The spatial diversity one experiences when walking through the arches different in span and height changes seamlessly from a cloister-like space filled with natural light, to the impression of a tunnel that cannot be penetrated visually.

The new library is a place where everyone can discover their style of “interacting” with books and film media as if they were walking through a forest or in a cave; a new place of arcade-like spaces where soft mutual relations form by simply passing through; a focal centre where a new sense of creativity begins to spread throughout the art university’s campus.

134122 123


Itabashi-ku, Komone, 2 Chome 16−3

14 minuten lopen vanaf Kotakemukaihara Station 1,1kmM: Fukutoshin Line or Yurakucho Line

tokyo Apartment Sou Fujimoto

Suginami-ku, Kōenjiminami, 3 Chome−55−10

5 minuten lopen vanaf Koenji station 400m.JR: Chuo Line

CRAZY HOUSING


Minamidai, Nakano-ku, 1 Chome-5-1

12 minuten lopen vanaf Nishishinjuku Gochome Station 900m. M: Oedo Line


Setagaya-ku, Kamata, 2 Chome−6−1

20 minuten lopen vanaf Futakotamagawa Station2,0km JR: Tokyu Oimachi Line

135122 123


Itabashi-ku, Komone, 2 Chome 16−3

14 minuten lopen vanaf Kotakemukaihara Station 1,1kmM: Fukutoshin Line or Yurakucho Line

tokyo Apartment Sou Fujimoto

Suginami-ku, Kōenjiminami, 3 Chome−55−10

5 minuten lopen vanaf Koenji station 400m.JR: Chuo Line

CRAZY HOUSING


Minamidai, Nakano-ku, 1 Chome-5-1

12 minuten lopen vanaf Nishishinjuku Gochome Station 900m. M: Oedo Line


Setagaya-ku, Kamata, 2 Chome−6−1

20 minuten lopen vanaf Futakotamagawa Station2,0km JR: Tokyu Oimachi Line

136124 125

MADE IN TOKYO TOUR

Yoshiharu Tsukamoto, along with his partner Momoyo Kaijima, is one half of the Tokyo-based Atelier Bow-wow . Founded in 1992, Atelier Bow-wow is one the most unique practices of its generation. With Japanese architecture once again taking center stage through the work of Yoshio Taniguchi, Toyo Ito, SANAA, Kengo Kuma, and others, it is refreshing to witness a practice confident enough in itself to shun a particular style. Instead, Bow-Wow embraces a kind of accidental urban vernacular, using their research/work to chronicle the complex - and often unforgiving - logic of the city. Acting as urban detectives, Bow-wow has catalogued the agility of Tokyo's fabric to produce radical programmatic collisions (Made in Tokyo ) and nuanced micro architectures (Pet Architecture ).

These observations have figured heavily in their own work, as documented in recent publications Post-Bubble City and Graphic Anatomy . Armed with the understanding of architecture's maneuverability in Tokyo, Bow-wow posits a practice engaged in what they call "lively space." This is a kind of space that is willingly infected with the accidents of site and program rather than trying to control or sterilize them.

137124 125

MADE IN TOKYO TOUR

Yoshiharu Tsukamoto, along with his partner Momoyo Kaijima, is one half of the Tokyo-based Atelier Bow-wow . Founded in 1992, Atelier Bow-wow is one the most unique practices of its generation. With Japanese architecture once again taking center stage through the work of Yoshio Taniguchi, Toyo Ito, SANAA, Kengo Kuma, and others, it is refreshing to witness a practice confident enough in itself to shun a particular style. Instead, Bow-Wow embraces a kind of accidental urban vernacular, using their research/work to chronicle the complex - and often unforgiving - logic of the city. Acting as urban detectives, Bow-wow has catalogued the agility of Tokyo's fabric to produce radical programmatic collisions (Made in Tokyo ) and nuanced micro architectures (Pet Architecture ).

These observations have figured heavily in their own work, as documented in recent publications Post-Bubble City and Graphic Anatomy . Armed with the understanding of architecture's maneuverability in Tokyo, Bow-wow posits a practice engaged in what they call "lively space." This is a kind of space that is willingly infected with the accidents of site and program rather than trying to control or sterilize them.

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25 m

in.

lope

n

33

34

2

UENO STATION

AKIHABARA STATION

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25 m

in.

lope

n

33

34

2

UENO STATION

AKIHABARA STATION

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70 min. lopen

SHIBUYA STATION

ROPPONGI STATION51

1166

910

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70 min. lopen

SHIBUYA STATION

ROPPONGI STATION51

1166

910

142130 131

20 min. lopen

GINZA STATION

3

4

55

143130 131

20 min. lopen

GINZA STATION

3

4

55

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145132 133

ravb-reisgids tokyo

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