Actually this post starts out with very familiar views of Shibuya. That world famous sky line and scramble. Along with a Hachiko bus.
One more of the Shibuya Crossing after coming out of Shibuya Station. That sky was amazing. I was surprised more photographers weren't out taking photos.
I know I couldn't help but take a few.
One of the reasons I like taking photos here is because of the interplay of the video screens and people. Shibuya is definitely a place where people go to be seen at times.
However this was morning so the Shibuya Crossing and streets around were unusually pedestrian light.
Good thing because I couldn't stop looking up. That sky!
However I wasn't headed to the part of Shibuya that tourists go to. I was headed in a different direction. Where Shibuya's music venues are. Like Tsutaya O-West and O-East.
And duo Music Exchange.
Club Asia needed staff and a bit of pain.
With their Club Vuenos across the street.
At this point I was trying to find a different place and ended up at Hyakkendana. Which is known for a few things. While the restaurants there were closed, there was some activity at places by the many love hotels. Which I was not there to see, so back to music related places.
Which there were many crammed into this small area.
It is amazing how many shops and bars can fit into one small building.
After a bit I found what I was looking for. The venerable Lion Cafe, home of coffee sipping to classical music. Even though it was after 11 am it wasn't open. Had this happen at a couple other places during my trip. Still I made it there even if I didn't get to go inside.
So headed back to Shibuya Station. On my way there I found one of the other places I was looking for. Mt. Rainier Hall, named after that big Pacific Northwest mountain. Don't ask me why. Despite the big name I missed this the first time I walked by the Uniqlo store. In part because there was a television crew filming a couple fashionable people right outside the store.
Lunch was in order at this point so I enjoyed my first MOS shrimp burger of the trip. Along with those delicious onion rings. That Shibuya location is pretty good with a bit of room for seating which was nice.
So while I missed out on experience Lion Cafe from the inside, I did locate a couple of places which would be helpful a few days from this return to Shibuya. So it was a success in part and I was ready to see another place I had spotted on my last trip. Which will be in my next post.
Actually I knew where I was but will explain that in a bit. But first I was focused on my first dinner in Tokyo. For that I decided to go back to a place I stopped at in 2011. CoCo Ichibanya in Hamamatsucho. Not only that but I wanted to see how their newer vegetarian curry was. Nice to see their choices right next to my seat.
When I was last here I tried their Caesar salad. Which wasn't quite up to snuff. This time it was better.
Along with the eggplant version of the vegetarian curry. I would have tried one of the others but seeing there was bell pepper in it, I decided against having that upset my digestion on the first full day of my trip. While the eggplant might not be the prettiest plate of curry it was definitely full of flavor and very much curry. Well done Coco Ichibanya!
Quite full but not ready to settle down for the night I decided to explore the area I knew well from my visits in 2010 and 2011. Good old Shibadaimon.
Except the Daimon was under repair to my surprise. But really it did need a new coat of paint and clearly got one.
Still it was nice to see the roof and part of the supports. This gate gives it's name to the Daimon Station which is almost under it. Many stories under it.
I was also thrilled to see this lovely plum tree in bloom. So much so that I took photos at night.
Along with seeing Tokyo Tower next to Zojo-ji's main gate Sangedatsumon. Not the first time I'd wandered these streets at night. Even took a few photos from about this same spot. Sadly no illuminated heart on Tokyo Tower this time.
Also good to see the well lit Nio of the So-mon Gate. Which is actually in Shiba-koen, aka Shiba Park. I was feeling pretty tired by this point so didn't walk over there at the time. Counting my long walk through Los Angeles Airport my feet were saying enough.
On my way back I passed by a sign gate I didn't remember. Not sure if it's newer but it's for Shiba. Which was the actual area I was staying in. Since my hotel says it's Hamamatsucho I previously thought the area was Hamamatsucho. However where the hotel is isn't. It's actually Shiba, a ward in Minato and the area where Daimon is actually is in Shibadaimon which is also in Minato. Hamamatsucho is right by there but it's a small area with the same named station and a bit of the wharf and such. I guess because the station is thought to be well known the hotel uses it as part of their name even though it's not actually in Hamamatsucho. Confusing? Yes it is since some wards are so small you might walk right through them and not know you missed it. Wards are really like neighborhoods in a way.
I couldn't ask for better weather on the day I visited the David Bowie is exhibit.
The sky above Tennozu Isle was beautiful.
There were many things I wanted to do on this trip to Tokyo but for now, strolling felt like the right thing to do.
Behind the exhibit building was this nice boardwalk which ran along the Tennozu-unga Canal.
Even with this good weather there weren't many people around. And while the area isn't the most scenic, it had it's own personality and felt very Tokyo.
Many planters along the boardwalk and even one business had a garden growing. Even hellebore flowers were happening.
Along with this lovely lavender.
Really spectacular clouds that morning.
Even houseboats that would fit right in on the Columbia River in Oregon.
No idea if people live here or if they are used for something else but the metal work on this one is almost lyrical.
Also striking are the bridges crossing the waterways. Each one different.
Along with having different colors. I would guess for sailors that would help finding one's way through these canals.
Mostly small boats sail along here.
A fort was in this area back when it was part of Edo. A lot of the buildings on Tennozu Isle are fairly new with urban planning for the area starting in 1985. If you think it looks familiar, it's popular for filming. It is becoming an area for dining and walking, with restaurants like T.Y Harbor, Soholm and Pizza Salvatore Cuomo. I noticed a number of buildings having interior work being done. If I had stayed in Tokyo longer I would have come back to explore more and get something to eat.
One last bridge. Just for pedestrians and bicyclists.
This is the Tennozu Fureai Bridge. The other side is the Konan area with Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology and more green spaces to walk along the canals.
Yes that is a little word play with reference to one of David Bowie's movies The Hunger and also to my state of being after exiting the David Bowie is exhibit. The sensory experience of it left me not wanting to leave just yet. So I looked for their cafe.
True to form, there were cut-out cardboard life size David Bowies that people could take their photo with outside the cafe and gift shop.
Just a look at what was being offered. This cafe was created for the exhibit. And yes the prices were a bit higher than these items might have cost at a local restaurant in Tokyo.
But I was hungry and willing to pay for the experience. So I went with the fish and chips. While waiting I looked around. Posters of all the exhibits for David Bowie is hung on one wall.
Another featured a canvas with an image of Bowie wearing the suit from the Spiders from Mars music video.
And yes it amused me to sit at this table. What would I do? Smile.
My fish and chips showed up and I enjoyed it with a glass of Guinness. Had to be proper to do this right. Interesting that the fish had very little batter on it. Decent tasting for an English dish so far from home.
After this I browsed at the gift shop but only bought a small pin and a lightning bolt sticker. It was fun to see all the David Bowie related Japanese magazines and books for sale. Lots of orange on everything.
In retrospect, I would go to the exhibit again if it's ever near the same location that I am at. Looking back at it, it helps to remember that David was alive when it was put together but he did not take part in curating it. Given how glamorous and positive it felt, I do think there were things left out that could have provided a more rounded experience of who David Bowie was. Still it was an enjoyable tribute to the person who put the glam into rock and roll and turned music concerts into theater. His influence is found far and wide from Visual Kei to Lady Gaga.
in Tokyo. こんにちは! Hello, welcome to my blog. I know I have been remiss in not posting for a while but will take care of doing so now. First with a photo of the local Inari shrine. Good to see these guys again.
Because I was recently in Tokyo also. I wanted to see if I could do better than my last two trips. The one with the extreme heat and the other with the immense earthquakes, tsunami and nuclear power plant blow-ups. While I knew I would have to deal with physical pain my desire to return to a place that feels also like home never goes away. Of course having incentives like finally being able to see the David Bowie is exhibition also helped spur me to take those very long flights.
My first full day in Tokyo found me at Tennozu Isle looking at these very large posters for the exhibit. While purchasing tickets for events in Japan is very difficult for those outside of the country, the people running this made it pretty simple by having a webpage where people could purchase them online even outside of Japan. While the specific date and time tickets were cheaper, I went with the All Day ones since I did not know how I would be feeling or what could happen. Once payment was made I received an email that I would then present at a 7-11 in Japan to get my physical ticket. With no additional payment or must be done by x date. Worked very well, had no problem getting my ticket at the konbini.
My experience with exhibits in Tokyo is that they tend to be very crowded. I hoped that a couple months in and showing up near the time it opened there would be less people. Turned out my planning was good. Not only was it not packed with people but it was clear they were fans and not just people going because it was a popular thing to do.
Two sides of the display had the lightning bolt image. The third side was a hand painted image of the Heroes album cover. I'm guessing the artist okayed people signing it.
Along with the fourth multi-colored panel. These images made it a little easier to find the entrance to the building.
Once inside it was up in an elevator and into this long dark hall lit only by spot lights. The intention to make one feel like they were in a theater waiting for a concert was evident.
Because no photographs were allowed I do not have photos of the exhibit. There are many online and worth checking out. The interior was also in black with white lighting for most of it. The first room was early work, pre-Ziggy Stardust days. Writings and more that influenced Bowie, one of his first stage sets, videos and of course music. When entering each person was given a headset that was triggered when at certain points in the exhibit. Music and recorded interviews would play. Much of the exhibit was in both Japanese and English.
I had seen many of the videos and interviews before, having been a fan since Space Oddity. Being grouped in context with costumes, writings and other objects added to the experience. While the first room was dedicated to the beginning of his career, the rest of the exhibit did not necessarily follow a historical order but was set up in eras like Berlin or for his acting career. I noticed there was not a lot of personal information provided. After a bit I realized this exhibit was about David Bowie the performer.
It helped to remember his words at the beginning, where he said he could not perform on stage as himself when he started. He made up characters and performed as them and it worked. For me this bit of theme continued after the exhibit which I may explain in a later post. As for the exhibit, it was a celebration of Bowie bringing theatrics to rock and roll. It wasn't just showing Bowie but also his many contributors both in fashion and music. Innovators and more. Fashion was a big part. Very popular for attendees were the Kansai Yamamoto outfits. Amazing to see not just the stage wear but also pieces used in music videos. The most striking piece for me was the iconic Alexander McQueen's distressed Union Jack coat made at the beginning of Lee's career.
Another amazing moment for me was in the Space Oddity section where I read David's hand written lyrics as he sang the song. This was the first song of his I heard while growing up so the moment was touching and made me smile.
The exhibit was packed with memorabilia and I am sure I missed a few things. The video room showing interviews and bits from his films was full so I was unable to see that. I did see his Saturday Night Live appearance with Klaus Nomi on a tv screen which brought back memories of seeing this when it originally aired. Walking through it all was emotional for me. Especially the last room.
Four walls of video screens, one with panels that became see-through when lit from behind showcasing more costumes. Other outfits displayed in the room. No need for headphones here with speakers playing the soundtracks for various concerts as the video played below. Many people watching, some nodding their heads in time or quietly singing along. It hit peak emotions with me when they showed Bowie's last time singing Rock n Roll Suicide as Ziggy Stardust. I couldn't think of a better way to end my time spent in a place hearing music I had not been able to listen to much since his death.
One more photograph of the lit entrance as I was leaving. The guy was actually looking for people getting off the elevator. His posing is a little amusing here.
One last bit was this video display that they did allow photos of. A tape of David wishing people happy birthday on loop. Someone's copy of that video is below. The one in Tokyo had subtitles in Japanese so this video is not from the exhibit.
I so enjoyed my time at David Bowie is that I didn't want to leave just yet. And I didn't have to. Which I will write about in my next post. Along with more photographs.
