goyablog

I couldn’t post the yesterday’s Tokyo activities because I was in transit to Naha, Okinawa. i had a half-day to traipse about and the choice to go to the Advertising Museum in Shiodome was a good one. The museum itself is FREE and does a nice job presenting in a user-friendly way (= lots of visuals) the history of advertising in Japan from the Edo Period to the present. Lots of nostalgic stuff from the 1960s-70s, including videos of old TV commercials. But what really blew me away were the buildings and interior/exterior spaces in the whole Shiodome media-centered complex. Dentsu (THE big ad agency) anchors the area (known as Sio-Site), with Nippon Television playing backup. All Nippon Airways and Fujitsu also have headquarters here. The stone and metal and glass architecture, done in interesting textures, shapes, and angles inside and outside the buildings are truly spectacular without being monumental. Similar to the effect of Roppongi Hills. Check out the Wikipedia entry on it for some idea of how cool and modern it is. I tried to go into the Dentsu building for got stopped by a guard. Bummer, because the lobby/hall was so inviting. Next to the Dentsu building is Caretta Shidome, which has this Eischer-like stone canyon interior that’s impossible to do justice to without a super-wide lens, but I tried:

In short, if you found yourself in Tokyo with a couple hours to spare and like modern architecture, Shiodome is a must-see.

“Tokyo Encounter”–that’s the name of the little Lonely Planet guide I have with me and of the day I had. The day started at the post office, mailing 22 books home. Then it was off to Kichijôji via Shinjuku. Going out to Kichijôji — Inokashira Park to be exact — was a great inspiration. I intended it as a little calm from the city and hopefully nice photo weather. It was very calming walking around the pond. I kept thinking “Yes, Aachen would be a nice place to retire to, but I think Kichijôji would be better. To be with 20 minutes of Shibuya and Shinjuku and live in a hip suburb (cafes, boutiques, restaurants, music scene, and the Ghibli Museum to boot) that has this wonderful park at its center is ideal. There’s a reason it’s one of the most coveted areas for Tokyoites.

In any case, I’m half way around the pond, content taking in the scene and scenery when I swear I hear a sanshin and someone singing a traditional Okinawan folk song. Sure enough, a young guy — Toshi — is belting it out. I sit and listen as others walk by. I compliment his playing and mention I’m going to Okinawa tomorrow. He asks about why, and give him the short version. He plays more, we chat, he plays more. He lets me photograph and videotape him (I’ll post the video later):

He wasn’t playing for money, just for himself and for those who would hear him. I gave him one of my Moo Business Cards made from photos I’ve taken and he thought it really pretty. I figure encountering him the day before going to Okinawa is a good sign.

Then it was over to the playground where moms were with their kids and the late afternoon light was looking pretty good. One mom was entertaining her boy with falling leaves. I thought she’d like the shot, so I interrupted the play and showed her. She loved it. I told her I’d email it to her, but I just tried and the email she gave me isn’t right (she wasn’t sure of it at the time). Hopefully she’ll email me instead.

It’s a great shot, but my favorite is this one, prompted by the kid running off while mom was talking to me:

That was the Shoes of Tokyo shot of the day….

After the Japanese mom came the granny who was painting a scene at the other end of the pond. As in the case of Toshi the Sanshin Player, I complimented her painting we chatted about the beauty of the park, the perfect light for photos, and how little kids are amused by the simplest things, like falling leaves. She had a great face and the light was on it, but she was very reluctant to be photographed. She made me erase versions she didn’t like. I kept one:

I continued my adventure with a walk to the Ghibli Museum, where I ran into a young couple from Kent, England who actually had made reservations for entrance (I hadn’t). They appreciated me taking a photo of them together in front of the gate. I envied them, but as it turned out, they weren’t given a proper ticket — only a receipt from the travel agent who arranged their JR Pass. I saw they were having some kind of problem at the gate so I intervene to offer interpreting services. It was such a bummer for them, especially the guy, Chris. I tried my best with the gatekeeper guy, pointing out they came all the way from England, they had a receipt, etc., but no go. I walked back with them to the station and ended up taking the long way — via an upscale patisserie where I treated them to cakes and coffee (for Sara, the woman) and OJ (for Chris) over their protestations. They were so disappointed (and jetlagged) that I had to do something to pick them up. Being the “Japan expert” I felt somehow responsible and had to play host. Over coffee we talked about itineraries for them this week and then walked back through the park, which they hadn’t seen yet. They really liked it and were in better spirits by the time we exchanged photos and parted ways at the station:

Finally, while on the Sky Deck of the Mori Arts Center in Roppongi Hills, a Chinese (I think) guy came up to me (speaking pretty good English) and asked if I could take a photo of him with Tokyo Tower in the background. He really didn’t know how to work his Nikon for a shot like that at night andI wasn’t familiar with the controls. We just couldn’t hit it right with his camera, so I used mine and got a decent shot. Noting the f stop and shutter speed I used, I tried again with his camera and nailed it. He was visibly thrilled. The one with his camera was the best as far as getting him focused and lit well and still having the tower fairly focused in the background. The one on my had more bokeh:

He liked this one a lot, so I’m going to email it to him.

I guess I played Good Samaritan enough today to warrant a trip to Okinawa tomorrow….