The Tokyo Traveler

Tokyo’s Imperial Hotel has a long and distinguished history. The hotel opened in 1890 across from the Imperial Palace in a impressive Victorian style building that for many decades was the only fully European style hotel in Tokyo. In 1923, the hotel opened a fabulous new building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright which stood until 1968 when the deteriorating building was dismantled, and parts of it rebuilt at Meijimura, a sort of Japanese Williamsburg, outside Nagoya. Parts of Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1923 building were preserved and can be found in the new facility which opened in 1970.

If …read more

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One of the coolest things that you can do when you come to Tokyo is eat at a Kaitenzushi restaurant.  This month marks the 50th anniversary of this very cool dining experience where your sushi is brought to you on a conveyor belt.  The Daily Yomiuri reports that the first conveyor belt sushi restaurant opened in 1958 in Osaka. 
“Operator Yoshiaki Shiraishi equipped a sushi restaurant counter with a revolving belt after seeing a conveyer belt at a beer factory and thinking that it could reduce the work of waitstaff….Shiraishi dreamed of making sushi, which was once considered a …read more

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An exhibit titled “Renoir + Renoir” will be on display at the Bunkamura Museum of Art until May 6th. The exhibit focuses on two great masters — painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) and his son Jean Renoir (1894-1979).
Both men had a love of nature and depicted joyful scenes in their work. On display are 50 paintings by the elder Renoir, including “The Swing” (1876) and “The Country Dance” (1883), and still photographs from 15 films directed by the younger Renoir, including “A Day in the Country” (1936) and “Picnic on the Grass” (1959).
The Bunkamura Museum of Art describes the show …read more

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This past weekend, at Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, 84 babies participated in the ‘crying’ sumo contest or Nakizumo. The first baby to cry or the loudest crier is deemed the winner! Like the other traditions surrounding Children’s day, this event is held to pray for children’s healthy growth.
CNN has put a photo show up documenting the event. It is worth a look as some of these babies are just too cute!
Photo Credit: Flickr, Baby crying competition

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A report on the disturbing increase of cyber-bullying on Japan’s school websites.
Japanese men are turning to spa treatments and anti-aging products offered by a local department store.
Some great shots of Geisha in Japan in this slide show from Yahoo! News.
Learn a little bit about how recycling is done in Japan – it’s not that easy!
A new center has opened in Tokyo to help an estimated 2,000 internet cafe refugees get back on their feet.
Ok, this one is not Tokyo related but an overall travelers philosophy.  Check out some great travel tips from Sir Francis Bacon (via World Hum).
Photo Credit:  …read more

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If you want to check out what’s new and hip in Tokyo, take a walk down Takeshita Dori. This ‘back alley’ in the Harajuku neighborhood has a distinctive entrance and is lined with shops, cafes and fast food outlets catering to the young and hip in Tokyo.
The quarter mile long (400 meter) strip is one of the symbols of the Harajuku area and has been know to spawn many fashion trends in Japan. Even if you aren’t hip and young you will enjoy Takeshita Dori for the people watching alone!
The last time I was on Takeshita Dori I …read more

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The Japan Craft Beer Association is hosting the 11th annual Great Beer Festival. What will you find there? Why, beer, and lots of it!
For Y4,800 (Y4,300 in advance) you can sample 1.7 ounce portions of 120 different micro brewed beers in the Garden Hall at Yebisu Garden Place. Beers are separated into 76 beer styles in 12 categories so you are bound to find one that you like! You might even get to taste the next big beer as all beers showcased at the Great Beer Festival are required to be on sale currently or within …read more

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On a overcast day in Tokyo it felt as if I had been transported back to the days of Edo. Under a peaceful canopy of greenery and cherry blossoms, magnificent horses and their riders (ite), dressed in traditional hunting attire (a-ge-shozoku), thundered down a narrow 240 meter track (baba), taking aim at three targets with their bow (shigedo) and arrow (ebira) along the way. I was watching a demonstration of Jabusame (Japanese archery on horseback), a martial art dating back about 900 years.
Royal guards or local samurai displayed their skills in exhibitions of Jabusame as a form of …read more

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Kodomo no hi (Children’s Day) is observed in Japan on May 5th. The event is celebrated by hanging carp streamers (koi-nobori) and displaying samurai dolls and helmets (kabuto) in and around the home.
Kodomo no hi was originally the day that Japanese families would pray for the health, strength and future success of their sons. This holiday said to have originated in ancient China as Tango no Sekku which was held on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar. The Chinese believe that the 5th month is one for purification and rituals were …read more

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You may have heard of Golden Week if you live in a popular destination for Japanese tourists but do you really know what Golden Week is?  Golden Week runs from Tuesday, April 29th through Tuesday, May 6th, 2008 and there are four national holidays during this 8 day period.  Many Japanese take this opportunity to maximize their vacation days and plan overseas trips or trips within Japan during this period. 
Many smaller business close completely during this period so if you are planning a trip to Tokyo during Golden Week be sure to confirm that any of the more …read more

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