The Tokyo Traveler

In Tokyo you will find museums and galleries around every corner and it’s hard to keep up with everything that is going on in the Tokyo art scene.  Tokyo Art Beat is a great site that provides it’s readers with event listings and details for art & design related events around the city. This site covers 500 venues and is the most comprehensive online resource available in English.

Tokyo Art Beat has now taken it a step further and now offers the Tokyo Art Map at more than 200 locations around Tokyo.  In an effort to promote an even wider distribution, Tokyo Art Beat has started a neighborhood distribution campaign and made the second edition, covering 52 different events in June & July, available online.  The Tokyo Art Map provides and overview of each event, sorts them by area and, as the title suggest, plots most of the featured venues on neighborhood maps.  Many of the events are free, just look for the happy face, and some have an entrance fee which is easily determined by looking for the “Y” symbol beside the listing.

Take a moment to download the Tokyo Art Map and plan to explore the Tokyo art & design scene the next time you visit.  Some of the exhibitions featured in the second edition of the Tokyo Art Map include:

• “BAUHAUS experience, dessau” Exhibition - covers the wide influence of this well know designer through history (runs through July 21)
• “History in the Making: A Retrospective of the Turner Prize” Exhibition - the first time that works by all past winners of this prestigious British contemporary art award have been exhibited together. (runs through July 13)
• Eikoh Hosoe Exhibition - This exhibition is a manifestation of this fusion of the fundamental components of both technology and Japanese culture. (runs through July 21)

There are many more interesting events and to help keep you up to date I’ve added Tokyo Art Beat to the blogroll of this site - check back often to see what new in Tokyo’s vibrant art scene.

Photo Credit:  Tokyo Art Beat - Art Map, Used with Permission

A look at the tight schedule of air traffic controllers at Tokyo’s busy Haneda Airport in Grounded Rulers of the Sky.

Who’s watching you? is an interesting article on the rising use of personal surveillance and anti-surveillance measures in Japan.

If you love caviar but can’t afford the real thing you may have to settle for ‘Cavianne’, billed as caviar for the masses and created in Japan from squid ink and other ingredients.

In an effort to limit carbon dioxide emissions, Japan’s convenience stores are considering shortening their operating hours.  They might not be so convenient anymore…

Many foreigners who live in Japan have a bad habit of stereotyping the country and it’s culture but Japanese people in turn have their stereotypes about Westerners.

How to surprise the Japanese is a great list of things that surprise the Japanese about foreigners.  On the list, the ability to speak the language and use chopsticks.

Photo Credit:  Flickr, at cloudy Haneda Airport

Summer in Japan is well known for it’s heat and humidity but it is also time to dust of your yukata (summer kimono) and head out to a festival or to your local park for a bento picnic. You can also catch some great hanabi (fireworks) shows or head out to a baseball game.

Many festivals are held throughout the year and you can attend one on almost any weekend during the summer months. The Japan Times provides a Monthly Guide to Festivals in Japan which is a great resource for visitors and residents alike. Attending a festival is a great way to get some insight into Japanese culture by sampling some of the street food or taking in some of the entertainment or festival games. The festivals usually held on the grounds of historic temples or shrines and lend a historic atmosphere to these great events.

Hanabi, or fireworks, are very popular during the summer months. The Sumida River Fireworks Festival, scheduled for July 26th (weather permitting), is the oldest fireworks show on record in Japan. It dates back to 1733, when the Shogun staged a ceremony the Sumida River to pray for the souls of the victims of a famine the previous year and to drive away disease.

If you just want to relax on a sunny afternoon, pick up a bento from your local grocery store and head out to one of these great parks:

• Yoyogi Park, a huge green area near the Meiji Jingu Shrine (map). Sundays are great for people watching as the Gothic Lolitas and their friends are usually out in force strutting their stuff.
• Ueno Park offers a relaxing stroll around the Shinobazu pond, where you can rent pedal powered boats, or you can visit the Ueno Zoo before claiming a spot for your picnic. (map)

You can also dine by the light of fireflies until July 18th or cheer on your favorite team at a baseball game.

It might be hot outside, but why would you want to stay home with the air conditioner going full blast when there are so many great things to do and see over the summer in Tokyo!

Photo Credit: Flickr, Yukata Couple, Fireworks 04 & Yoyogi Park

The British rock band, The Who, will tour Japan in November of this year and have three shows scheduled for the Tokyo area. On November 14 they will be at Yokohama Arena, November 15th will take them to Saitama Super Arena and on November 17th they will play at the legendary Budokan.

If you are a subscribe to TheWho.com you can take advantage of pre-sale tickets starting on June 28th and continuing until July 10th. Tickets cost Y12,000 or around USD$120 and there are also VIP packages available (you don’t need to be a member to get these). The Who Japan Tour is bound to sell out early so you might want to subscribe to the website so that you can take advantage of these pre-sale tickets.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia, The Who 2007 -2-

The bento, or boxed meal, is like a tasting menu of Japanese food and is a great way to sample a variety of different foods without making a huge commitment to one dish. Bento are commonly available at most grocery and convenience stores throughout Japan and are a staple on many restaurant menus. The contents of a bento box can vary greatly but they usually contain small portions of fish and/or meat, rice and vegetables. Tempura, sushi and noodles can also be found in many bento boxes.

Formal bento meals in restaurants are served in black, partitioned, lacquerware boxes that are very beautiful to behold.  They can be a bit pricey but can be worth the outlay as only the freshest seasonal ingredients, prepared perfectly, are included.

Those purchased at local grocery stores are much more economical and are served in disposable containers that can be easily transported to work or a picnic in the park on a sunny afternoon.

But bentos aren’t just purchased, many people make and take their own bento to work or school with them on a daily basis. Many homemakers take great pride in the bento they prepare and get really creative with the presentation.

You may not know what you are eating, and you make not like everything in your bento box, but there is a good chance that you will discover a new favorite or two, so don’t pass up the chance to eat a bento when you are in Japan.

Photo Credit: FLickr, Cooking Lecture: Japanese - 松花堂弁当 Shokado-style Bento Box (Japanese “Lunchbox”), Bento Panda, vive le food art & … by puzzlegaze

The yukata is a type of kimono worn during the summer months by both men and women in Japan.  Usually made of 100% cotton, they are light weight and comfortable to wear in the hot summer months. 

The Japanese don yukata when they head out to festivals, use them as a robe after a bath, at onsens (public baths) and ryokan (traditional Japanese Inns). 

The name yukata comes from the word “yu” (bath) and “katabira” (under clothing). Thousands of years ago, Court Nobles wore linen “yukatabira” which were draped loosely after taking a bath. It gradually became worn by Japanese warriors and then by the general public when the sophisticated Japanese public bath became popular.
Source: Japanesekimono.com

Yukata come in muted colors with a traditional cross hatch patterns but are also available in brightly colored designs with images of flowers, fireworks or scenery.  Hotels in Japan often provide their guests with a yukata in their rooms and you should be sure to try one on at some point during your stay - you may find them so comfortable that you will want take one or two home with you!

When you wear a yukata be sure to wrap the left side over the right side as you don’t want to temp fate by wearing it the opposite way (right over left is how the dead are dressed for their funerals).

Photo Credit: Flickr, yukata shop

Take advantage of three free bus routes around in Tokyo - your feet and your wallet will thank you!

The Marunouchi Shuttle operates in the area around the Tokyo Station and the Imperial Palace every 15-20 minutes from 8AM - 8PM weekdays and 10AM - 8PM on weekend and holidays. (route map & schedule)

Metrolink Nihonbashi operates on the opposite side of Tokyo Station (Yaesu exit) and circles around the historic Nihonbashi and Kyobashi areas. Busses run daily, every 10 minutes, from 10AM - 8PM . Sights in the area include the Nihonbashi bridge, the Kite Museum and the Museum of Coinage & Currency (map).

Tokyo Bay Shuttle operates in and around the modern Odaiba area every 15-20 minutes from 11AM - 8PM. In this area you will find some great shopping, the Giant Sky Wheel, the Rainbow Bridge and Tokyo’s very own miniature version of the Statue of Liberty. (route map & schedule).

Photo Credit: Personal Collection & Wikimedia, Nihonbashi 1114

The National Museum of Western Art in Ueno will be displaying works by the 19th century French painter Camille Corot (1796-1875) in an exhibition titled “Corot: Souvenirs et Variations“. The highlight of the exhibition will be his painting “The Woman with the Pearl” which is said to be his ‘Mona Lisa’.

The exhibition was put together with cooperation from the Musée du Louvre in Paris and will feature more than 110 paintings and prints by Corot, Renoir, Sisley, Braque and others who were influenced by Corot.

Event Details:

Location: The National Museum of Western Art
Dates: June 14th through August 31st, 2008
Hours: 9:30 - 5:30 (Fridays 9:30 - 8:00), Closed on Mondays, except open on July 21 and August 11, and closed on July 22nd (Tuesday).
Admission: General: Y1,500, College students: Y1,100, High school students: Y700
Access: The closest stations are JR Ueno, Keisei Ueno and Tokyo Metro Ueno (map & directions).

Photo Credit: Wikimedia, Camille Corot - Woman with a Pearl

If you find yourself in need of some retail therapy while in Tokyo check out Omotesando Hills.

Located in trendy Omotesando and opened in 1996, this innovative mall boasts six floors of retail space, three of which are underground, and two floors for residential use. There are three wings, all of which front Ometesando Dori which is lined with beautiful Japanese zelkova trees the entire length of the mall (almost three blocks).

In the mall you will find a selection of restaurants, gallery spaces along with many fashion and lifestyle stores. Most of the stores are Japanese but some American brands have a presence in the mall. Here are just a few:

• DOLCE & GABBANA
• QUIKSILVER STORE
• THE NORTH FACE
• JIMMY CHOO

Omotesando Hills is located midway between Omotesando and Harajuku or Meiji-jingumae Stations. (map).

Photo Credit: Personal Collection

How hard is it really to learn Japanese? is a great article with a little bit of history of the language and it’s origins.

Reuters lists Top 10 “weird activities” around the world features the Hakone Kowakien Yunessun Wine Spa in Hakone, Japan at number eight. Yep, you read it right, the spa website says that bathing in wine is a rejuvenation treatment for the body, and that the Queen of Egypt, Cleopatra loved to bath in wine.

Traditional court music or gagaku, literally “gracious music,” which the Japanese claim as the oldest surviving orchestral music in the world, continues to survive due to the Emperor’s patronage and has a history dating back more that a thousand years. (Listen with Windows Media Player)

Ruth, from Let’s Visit Asia, discovered a luxury tour of Japan that looks amazing. It’s not cheap but the itinerary is worth a look.

Check out the Tokyo Food File via The Japan Times website for reviews of local restaurants. I’ve added this site to the blogroll so the latest reviews will never be more that a click away.

The art of creating the edible looking plastic food samples that can be found at nearly every restaurant in Japan. So what do you think? Is the typical Japanese lunch set in the picture below below real or plastic? Photo Credit: Personal Collection