ADAWAK: 2009-12

2009/12/27

Tokyo - the past and recent

When I was walking in the Tokyo Station, I noticed a head statue situated right by a cigarette vending machine.

The explanation of it said that it is of Jan Joosten van Loodensteijn, a seaman of the wrecked Dutch merchant ship, De Liefde that wrecked a shore of Kyushu. He was brought to Edo (current Tokyo) and met the Shogun - Tokugawa Ieyasu. He even became a samurai. One side of the Tokyo Station is called "Yaesu". It derives from his Japanese name "Yayosu". It is interesting to learn that such a familiar name of a location in Tokyo came from a foreigner!

Tokyo station as seen from Marunouchi side (the opposite of Yaesu side). The renovation is going well - the circular roof is now apparant.

Inside the station.

Below photos are of very recent events. Although not very many people here are Christians, businesses decorate for the Christmas Season.

Trees lit up for Christmas in front of Ritz Carlton Hotel.

The Christmas lighting exhibition at the Ritz.

2009/12/20

Nikko Visit (very briefly)

I had a brief visit to Nikko on Thursday.

It was a very cold day and from what I understand, it had the first snow of the season.

Shinkyo,the Sacred Bridge, spans across Daiya River to Futarasan Shrine.

Here's a view from the bridge - very beautiful in new snow.

Then we drover over to the entrance to the Toshogu Shrine.

The entrance way to the shrine.

Here's the first gate into the shrine - I chose not to enter it for the lack of time.

There was a nice Five Story Pagoda right next to the gate.

2009/12/13

Ueno Park

Last weekend, I went to Ueno Park to see a friend's painting exhibited at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum.

He is an amateur painter, but has gotten many awards.

At the entrance of the museum was a big silver sphere - an interesting exhibit.

Here is the picture titled "Yacht Harbor" painted by my friend. It is a very nice oil paint.

A memorial clock tower for the victims of the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 and the air raids on Tokyo during the WWII.

At the park, there exhibited a face of the Great Buddha statue that was originally constructed in the 17th Century. It was of course built to pray to easing of people's suffering. The head fell down at the time of the 1923 earthquake. Amazingly, the body of the Buddha statue was donated for the war efforts during the WWII. This is a truly an awful and very sad story.

And of course, the famous statue of Saigo-san (Saigo Takamori) is a very popular sightseeing spot. He is one of the historical figure that achieved the Meiji Restration that led to the modernization of Japan.