Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Ginza Open Top Tour Bus - (101124-1830)

Ginza Open Top Tour Bus

I'd like to try riding this bus myself - but maybe not in the winter! It looked like there were only two passengers and one tour guide.

Lyle (Hiroshi) Saxon
http://www5d.biglobe.ne.jp/~LLLtrs/
http://youtube.com/lylehsaxon
http://tokyoartmusic.blogspot.com/

Late Autumn, 2010

Late Autumn, 2010  Copyright 2010, Lyle H Saxon

With winter temperatures having arrived, the leaves on the trees are rapidly changing and falling. Hello another winter - dreams of the spring begin once again.

Lyle (Hiroshi) Saxon
http://www5d.biglobe.ne.jp/~LLLtrs/
http://youtube.com/lylehsaxon
http://tokyoartmusic.blogspot.com/

1957 Aerial View of Nihonbashi

1957 Aerial View of Nihonbashi

This is a picture of a large aerial picture printed on a wall near a new construction project in Nihonbashi. This area looks quite different now! For one thing, there's an expressway running over the river - and it looks like there are a lot of two-story buildings in this picture (in the upper right-hand corner) - which are almost completely gone now.

Lyle (Hiroshi) Saxon
http://www5d.biglobe.ne.jp/~LLLtrs/
http://youtube.com/lylehsaxon
http://tokyoartmusic.blogspot.com/

Sunday, November 28, 2010

"Shibuya Station Area on Saturday Night, November 27th, 2010"

I dropped by Shibuya on Saturday night to meet a couple of people.  (Mysterious?  Cool!  Good reason not to explain it then!)  On the way back to the station, I took a few video clips - including of a band that was playing in front of Shibuya Station... until an angry-looking police office (or security person?) started talking to the leader of the band.  The music stopped - the police officer talked angrily on - the band leader looked resigned/irritated/disappointed... the camera dude turned and walked under the rail bridge (see clips below).

Shibuya - From West to East Side - (101127)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tgkuRUXQS4

Walking Downhill in Shibuya - (101127-2109)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuZt-UYc2Os

Street Band in Shibuya-A - (101127-2112)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IPDRsgdudw

Street Band in Shibuya-B - (101127-2113a)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVW99UxM_9M

Street Band in Shibuya-C - (101127-2116a)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hgvcg9nzbsA

Street Band in Shibuya-D - Stopped - (101127-2117a)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ai1URj5fk_o

Saturday Night Shibuya - From East to West Side - (101127-2118a)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIai8l4ZwdU

Shibuya Crosswalk - (101127-2122a)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sfTQKHQcTo

Shibuya Sidewalk - (101127-2123a)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dW-bEvsceQ

Exiting Inokashira Line in Kichijoji - (101127-2151)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPaFblrBsv0


On a national holiday - a nice day in the park:

Kodaira Chuo Park Concert (A)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4m-SUg__0s

Kodaira Chuo Park Concert (B)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpEHa3KSknE

Kodaira Chuo Park Concert (C)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZmJLz5XB5U

Lyle (Hiroshi) Saxon
http://www5d.biglobe.ne.jp/~LLLtrs/
http://youtube.com/lylehsaxon
http://tokyoartmusic.blogspot.com/

Monday, November 22, 2010

"Carrying Atmospheres"

Boarding an old type JR Express train a few weeks ago in Shinjuku, I was happy to see it was from a few decades back.  I haven't actually ridden in the JR limited express trains all that often, but I've been seeing them on the rails for a quarter century now, so they seem like a permanent piece of the world (which they are not of course...), so it's sort of sad to see them disappearing from the rails.

Anyway, I settled into my seat by a left-side window and watched Tokyo roll by as the train headed for the countryside.  Reaching the countryside, things looked exotic out the window and there was a slight feeling of a piece of the city (the train) being away from its natural habitat.  Not logical of course, but keep in mind that I'm used to seeing them in the city, so it seems like they are a part of the city and the city is a part of them... (which is true in a sense).

Getting off the train up in Nikko, I walked up to the front of the train and contemplated its design - thinking of all the many kilometers it's traveled over the decades and wondering how extensively it's traveled the country.  Interesting enough, but feeling the tug of passing time, I turned around and headed off into my Nikko trip, putting the old train out of my mind.

After a couple of days traveling around in Nikko - including to the Kinugawa Onsen area, I boarded a newer type express train for the return trip to Tokyo, and this time, the train seemed to be a part of the countryside - as it might, after watching the express trains on the rails over two days.  (Incidentally, I didn't see the old type of express train at all - after the one I took from Shinjuku to Nikko - but saw many of the newer type that I took back to Shinjuku - so that old type train may be even rarer than I thought.)

Homeward-bound and looking forward to more time in a comfortable seat by a window, I went to a store first and bought some food - a little more than I needed actually - and then when I sat down on the train, I began eating and drinking - a luxury all the more luxurious for usually not being able to do it!

The train rolled on through the evening, and then through the night - and as it passed... I think it was Akabane Station (not sure about that though), I looked at all the people on the platforms and felt a bit surprised at there being so many!  Since I live in Tokyo, I know only too well how crowded it is, but in two days on the trains in Nikko and the Kinugawa Onsen area, I'd gotten used to a more leisurely pace and a lot fewer people!

Getting off the train in Shinjuku - this time the train seemed like it belonged to the countryside and was out-of-place in the mega-city.  But of course... travel devices carry something of the atmosphere they come from when they travel somewhere.

Lyle (Hiroshi) Saxon
http://www5d.biglobe.ne.jp/~LLLtrs/
http://youtube.com/lylehsaxon
http://tokyoartmusic.blogspot.com/

Saturday, November 20, 2010

"Bicycle Ride, Shinjuku Night Scenes/Crowds, and Keio Bus"

Starting off on a bicycle ride along a busy road (and then a side street), and then going to (when else?) nighttime Shinjuku, and (finally) wrapping up with a ride on a Fuchu-bound Keio Line bus.

"Bicycle Ride by Nishi-Kokubunji Station" (101113Sa-1042)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiGDza71RHY

Riding a bicycle by Nishi-Kokubunji Station.

自転車で西国分寺駅から通る  東京

"Riding a Bicycle by a Tokyo Park in November 2010" (101113Sa-1542)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gvl5q0gWPq8

Riding past a park in the autumn of 2010 in Tokyo.

東京の公園を自転車で通る  東京

"NIshi-Shinjuku - Crosswalk and Omoide-Yokocho" (101116Tu-1849)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aN2fz-TvzMU

Crossing a wide sidewalk in Nishi-Shinjuku and then walking through Omoide-Yokocho alley.

西新宿横断歩道と思い出横丁散歩  東京

"Nishi-Shinjuku Sidewalk - November 2010" (101116Tu-1851)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K42XPjkv_3M

Walking along a sidewalk in Nishi-Shinjuku.

西新宿の人々散歩  東京

"NIshi-Shinjuku Street Singers, Political Speech, Etc." (101116Tu-1853)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcrLrUt3raw

Walking along the sidewalk on the west side of Shinjuku Station - watching street singers and trying to ignore a loud political speech.

西新宿の人々散歩とストリート歌手  東京

"Blue Light Path and Shinjuku South Exit" (101116Tu-1859)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRgp7JuBGLE

Walking from the west side of Shinjuku Station - via the blue path - to the area by the south exit, and navigating through the crowds there.

新宿駅西口から新宿駅南口までの散歩と南口の人々  東京

"Keio Bus - Fuchu-Bound" (101118Th-1602)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qYDUB3NoYk

Looking around on in the inside of a Keio bus bound for Fuchu Station.  (Notice how the driver turns the engine off while stopped.  Also notice a sign of the bad economy - the empty spaces where there could be advertisements.)

府中行きの慶応バス内  東京

And some new art gallery posts here:
http://tokyoartmusic.blogspot.com/

Lyle (Hiroshi) Saxon
http://www5d.biglobe.ne.jp/~LLLtrs/
http://youtube.com/lylehsaxon
http://tokyoartmusic.blogspot.com/

Friday, November 19, 2010

"Shadows on Fallen Leaves" - (091206)

"Shadows on Fallen Leaves"

Lyle (Hiroshi) Saxon
http://www5d.biglobe.ne.jp/~LLLtrs/
http://youtube.com/lylehsaxon
http://tokyoartmusic.blogspot.com/

I Don't Like Cars in Tokyo...

I Don't Like Cars in Tokyo...

All that wasted space sitting under ugly asphalt - just so cars will have somewhere to sit.  It would be better not to have any personal cars in Tokyo!

Lyle (Hiroshi) Saxon
http://www5d.biglobe.ne.jp/~LLLtrs/
http://youtube.com/lylehsaxon
http://tokyoartmusic.blogspot.com/

Friday, November 12, 2010

"Cooler Weather - Cold Weather on the Horizon"

During the summer I was looking forward to being out of the heat in the autumn - and that is where I am now, but the temperatures are sliding out of the comfort zone and towards downright cold, at which time I'll be dreaming of spring again....

Earlier in the week, I stopped and listened to a street musician from Osaka perform a song in front of Shinjuku Station:

"Michiko (ミチコ) Live by Shinjuku Station"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juZeklzviV8

Michiko playing the keyboard and singing while somebody (cough-cough) walks around taking a shaky video clip.

The musician's blog is:
http://blog.livedoor.jp/mitiko32/

There was a couple who set up beside her and were about to begin playing as soon as she stopped, but a police officer came around and stopped them before they could begin.  I wish they could have played at least one song.

The results of this week's gallery crawl are here:
http://tokyoartmusic.blogspot.com/

My favorite exhibition was this one:
http://tokyoartmusic.blogspot.com/2010/11/sunagawa-tatsumasa-exhibition-at.html

It's difficult to explain why exactly, but I attempt to in that blog post!

I also liked this exhibit:
http://tokyoartmusic.blogspot.com/2010/11/okura-hitomi-exhibition-at-gallery-2.html

 - although the gallery owner irritated me by speaking English at me as though I had just parachuted down into Ginza from another galaxy.  Probably he meant it in a friendly way, although it didn't *feel* friendly, so I didn't take it as such and just silently nodded to be civil, while refusing to step into the game.  (That "game" reference might not make any sense unless you've lived here since a date that falls before the sudden jump in the yen in the mid-eighties...).

Sore dewa, mata!

Lyle (Hiroshi) Saxon
http://www5d.biglobe.ne.jp/~LLLtrs/
http://youtube.com/lylehsaxon
http://tokyoartmusic.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, November 09, 2010

"Autumn in Ginza" - (101105-1904)

"Autumn in Ginza"

Autumn is definitely here - and winter on the horizon. Soon I'll be dreaming of spring while I endure the cold winds of winter... but for now, the temperatures are nice and the colorful leaves are interesting, although sad....

Lyle (Hiroshi) Saxon
http://www5d.biglobe.ne.jp/~LLLtrs/
http://youtube.com/lylehsaxon
http://tokyoartmusic.blogspot.com/
Copyright 2010 by LHS

Tuesday, November 02, 2010

"Autumn Very Near..." (101027-1106)

"Autumn Very Near..."

Lyle (Hiroshi) Saxon
http://www5d.biglobe.ne.jp/~LLLtrs/
http://youtube.com/lylehsaxon
http://tokyoartmusic.blogspot.com/

"Mystery Door" - October 2010

"Mystery Door"

Lyle (Hiroshi) Saxon
http://www5d.biglobe.ne.jp/~LLLtrs/
http://youtube.com/lylehsaxon
http://tokyoartmusic.blogspot.com/

"Oyama to Hagiyama, Ikebukuro to Otsuka, and Shibuya to Harajuku"

Three train views - first Oyama to Hagiyama on the Seibu Line, and then Ikebukuro to Otsuka on a daytime Yamanote Line train, and finally Shibuya to Harajuku on a nighttime Yamanote Line train.

"Oyama to Hagiyama - Construction Zone" (101027We-1120)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z1HiM5mfco

Watching the rail line construction site between Oyama and Hagiyama (on the Seibu Line).

西武線の小山駅から、萩山駅までの風景  東京

"Ikebukuro to Otsuka - Daytime Right-Side View" (101027We-1155)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKsKebn2S-s

Watching the world flow by from a daytime Yamanote Line train rolling from Ikebukuro to Otsuka.

山手線の池袋駅から、大塚駅までの風景  東京

"Shibuya to Harajuku - Yamanote Nighttime View" (101027We-2258)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojPX_ls3jSY

Watching the world flow by from a nighttime Yamanote Line train rolling from Shibuya to Harajuku.

山手線の渋谷駅から、原宿駅までの風景  東京

Lyle (Hiroshi) Saxon
http://www5d.biglobe.ne.jp/~LLLtrs/
http://youtube.com/lylehsaxon
http://tokyoartmusic.blogspot.com/