Last Day of Significant Year . M&D day 3

Today was the beginning of a 48 hour tourist and new year bender.  After heading out of the hotel and towards Ginza to check out the main drag, after realizing is was too early to experience the buzzing Ginza atmosphere I quickly made a change of plans to head to Yoyogi park and Meiji-Jingu Shrine instead. The weather was again beautiful and after stepping off the Yamanote train at Yoyogi station we headed for soba and then the park. We strolled through the park for about an hour or so, visiting Meiji-Jingu which was preparing for the New year masses. We ended up at the Harajuku end of the park by noon and proceeded to get amongst all the shopping pilgrims in Harajuku. After the peaceful nature of the park, Harajuku provided quite the contrast as Dad was quiet perplexed by the high pitched tone and persistence of the outlet girls screaming out various things. We made our way to the end of the main Harajuku spot and turned right to join on the parallel running Omotesando. We popped into a hat store and the Moma store before settling down for lunch at J.S burgers adjacent to the great gyouza place which was unfortunately closed. After a satisfying lunch, we continued East down Omtesando to see the remaining architectural icons of SANAA’s Dior building, Ando’s Omotesando Hills and Herzog&Demuron’s Prada building. We then jumped onto the Ginza Metro bound for Ginza. We emerged to the street level via the overwhelming Takashimya food section and began our stroll westerly on Chou-Dori. The street scape was lighting up by the time we hit my professors Tiffany&Co building however the vibe was of clam before the New Year storm.  After a coffee and scone break at a Café we wandered all the way back to our hotel in Shimbashi. After a nap we grabbed a taxi bound for Zojo-ji temple. Set in front of Tokyo tower, the Buddhist Zojo-ji temple was quite the spectacle and was alive with New Year pilgrims of all shapes, sizes and colors. We arrived close to eleven and people where pouring through the main gate prayer balloons in hand. Moved about and found a comfortable spot under the string of lanterns and large countdown clock. For the next hour or so we had to endure eavesdropping on boisterous Americans and Australians talking absolute garbage. I have to admit I have come across too many Australians overseas that portray us as boisterous bogans (annoying gaijins) who don’t give two bob about what is appropriate. Tonight was a key example. 

The time ticked closer towards 2012 and the speeches and vocal performances by the monks began. The atmosphere was unique given the vast range of cultures and New Year optimisms clashing in one arena. I can only imagine that the Japanese locals where wishing for a bright 2012. As we all know it has been a tragically significant year for the Japanese. The last ten minutes disappeared and the time came for the countdown and when 2012 arrived, 3000 balloons and blissful cheer erupted from the crowd. It was quite a moment. We all gazed at the prayer balloons disappearing into the night sky and then chuckled at the hundreds stuck in the surrounding trees. I finally got onto C who was somewhere in the crowd and my Parents and I managed to move out slowly and meet up with him and his female companion Y at the main gate. It was a quick hello and “happy new year” before the two parties went our separate ways. My Parents and I strolled back to the hotel, as I tried to establish over the phone where the rest of my New Years night was headed.

Autumn Sunday

After discussions of a Sunday autumn excursion over beers in Omotesando, I trudged home with my close friend C from the Toshima-ku dorm. I had a quick read over some web info on various Tokyo excursions and found the Nishisizawa Ravine hike as the most exciting despite the scarce info provided online. So I hit the futon (really hard) at 2.30am knowing I would need to get moving fairly early for the three hour journey out to Nishisizawa. The following morning all is well and I am up and about, finding myself on the 8.30am Limited Express to Enzan station. I reach Enzan feeling fresh and excited due to the glorious weather; therefore am eager to get the bus out to the starting point of the 4 hour hike. It's 10am and the next bus is at...1pm (two buses are at 8.10 and 9.05am). A few choice four letter words in my native English are blurted out and much to my surprise a local taxi driver close by understands me clearly and joyfully chuckles at my obvious dilemma. So my options are to go home (admitting defeat) or take a $70 taxi to the starting point (keep the autumn excursion dream alive).

Bugger it! let's roll Mr Chuckles.

The taxi ride is glorious. After a month of hectic Tokyo life cruising at top speed next through the mountainside was liberating to say the least. Mr Chuckles is super and stops the meter at least 10mintues before we actually stop, and takes me right to starting point. The hike takes 3.5 hours
(will take longer depending on fitness and amount of photography stops). It was a perfect hike for the afternoon; superb scenery and with easy going path but with interesting sections of clambering up rocks and crossing bridges. I would highly recommend this hike to anyone from Tokyo wanting to escape for a day.

 An unexpected highlight was Erinji Shrine (Shingen's family temple). I managed to catch the 3pm bus back to Enzan but saw the temple out the window and instinctively smacked the 'I want to get off' button. As the photos hopefully portray, it is a handsome Shinto shrine encompassed by a superb landscape garden designated by Kokushi Muso.

I concluded the already blissful day stumbling across Keuin Cafe. Run by a friendly and kooky local, Keuin Cafe is decorated with a array of hand-made objects, nic nacs, clothing, instruments, pottery, tapestry, artwork and jewellery. The cafe is located on the second level of this obviously architect designed concrete triangular planned shop / house. The owners living space is clear to view as you enter from the main street and is decorated in a similar hoarding/botanist style as the cafe area above. The coffee and complementary cookie were timely and delicious. She also fed me with books and magazines on Gokayama and iitobori wood carving after I expressed my interest in the traditional Japanese House and her personal collection. I consciously stayed much longer than I should have however I managed to make up time by hitching a ride back to the train station with a local tradesman in the now moonlit Enzan.

Edo Tokyo Open Air Architecture Museum

Today 120 University of Tokyo Japanese Language Class students packed three full buses and headed off on a well organised and architecturally focused excursion. This is my second visit to this superb open air museum; my first being back in April 2010 when snow and blossoms graced the small group tour I was a member of. I will post up photos of this experience at a later date. The Edo Open Air architecture museum, as its name suggests,  is reassembled original houses and buildings from the Edo period in Tokyo.

The Museum exhibits;

• Sixteenth century thatched roof farmhouses of the working class rice-farmer, wealthy extended family, and important political figures.
• Early twentieth century houses infused with traditional Japanese style and Western modern elements. House of Kunio Mayekawa, 1942
• Recreation of a 'typical' Tokyo street in Edo times featuring a public bathhouse, tailor's workshop, soy sauce workshop, bar, stationary shop, Oil paper umbrella Wholesaler and other great examples.

The following are some key photographs I took today, with the intention of capturing the wonderful play of light and darkness within the thatched farmhouses. Upon entering the homes through the earthen floor, the smell and texture of rich smoke rising from the hearth instantly engages the senses. Your eyes adjust to the darkness and your body temperature begins to increase depending on proximity to the fire. Your eyes trace through the choreography of rooms divided by Shoji panels, and then they begin to look upwards at the black structure of the enormous gabled roof. My up-most attention given to these homes. My senses were completely engaged.

I believe their are values key inherent in the design and behavior of the Japanese House. Values that can be used by the contemporary architect to start give greater responsibility to the home once again. A research project of mine for the next year is precisely on finding and articulating these values and studying the Traditional Japanese Home is a major part of this. Therefore, today's experience further enhanced my already intense passion and curiosity about The Japanese House, Edo Japanese Culture and the astounding transformation Japan experienced through Dutch influence and particularly after US Navy Captain Commodore Perry's visit in 1852 before the beginning of the Meiji Era (1868).