Sometimes, when it all goes wrong, just smile...

Sometimes, just sometimes, it all goes horribly wrong, all at the same time. And that was my twenty four hours over the weekend. Everything started well, catch up with an old friend. Sat outside a wonderful little restaurant in Shibuya Yokocho (Shibuya Alley) in central Tokyo, we were just chatting when a little light rain started to fall. I'm English, my friend German, a little light rain is nothing. We carried on. Until the manager came out and said we had to go inside. We were fine and not worries but he looked serious and said "you have to go inside, now!". So we did. And in the next few minutes, the heaviest rainstorm Tokyo has seen in twenty years erupted. 12cm of rain an hour for the next four hours. He was right.

And then there was the matter of getting home. No chance of a taxi and (again, being English) no umbrella, the only option was to walk, across Shibuya Scramble, with the gods pouring a bucket of water over me. Twenty wet minutes later, I made it. Spectacular thunderstorm though, at which point I was kind of glad not to have a lightening rod over my head and at least the day was warm. But I looked like a drowned rat. I should've stayed at the cafe but my friend had to leave for work and I never enjoy sitting on my own, so home it was.

Changed clothes, dried off and sat down to watch "Project Hail Mary" (for non-Americans, a Hail Mary is 'a leap of faith'), good movie. And then the earthquake hit. Biggest in quite a while in Tokyo. M5.9, not as big as we've had in the past but enough so I had to grab the TV to stop it falling. On the Japanese measuring system, which measures intensity rather than actual energy released, it was a 5- on a scale up to 7, so pretty descent. And then I had to make it to a video shoot where I was due to be interviewed. Except for the fire trucks outside my house. Four of them, twenty fire fighters and a dozen or so police. So no driving and "a la hoof" again.

But I made it on time. Seventh floor. And of course the elevators were out because of the earthquake. So, hiking slowly, I made my way up. To meet a very nice French guy who let me know the shoot had been delayed by an hour but there was a coffee shop around the corner "and why did I look so red?" And this capped off the twenty-four hours, sitting with my friend, before all the above began, I was slowly being sun burned without knowing it. And now I was due to be videoed and looked like a carrot. You have to smile sometimes, nothing else to do. 

A Birthday, a Treehouse and an Earthquake in Japan

Give or take, the second Monday of January is "everyone's" twentieth birthday here. It's actually a National Holiday and those who turned twenty in the last twelve months (not precisely but, run with me here) is celebrated. The girls wear beautiful kimono and the guys try to wear a suit. The girls do it better... There are town meetings when the responsibility of adulthood is extolled to all and sundry by the great and the good of the community. And then friends, for some they may not have seen each other since graduating High School, head into town and catch up on their latest adventures. It's an important day in the life. 

And so, like many others, I'll walk into Shibuya and enjoy the spectacle. The stations used to be overflowing with excitement but these days more will take a taxi direct to the forum rather than rail and a walk. And when the ceremony is over, they're all adults. I quite like the concept, it's good to see the recognition and reward they've all achieved to this point, it's not going to be easy going forward, but this is their day and I'm always grateful to be a silent witness.

New Years Resolutions are not something of a "thing" here but I've never quite kicked the habit. And so, this year, it's "Podcasts"! But, to be honest so was last year so let's just call it a "Carry-Over". Took me four years to hold a photo exhibition but I did have the excuse of a small global pandemic getting in the way for that one (https://www.instagram.com/i_tsurulife/ if you were wondering). Actually managed to (finally)  create a book of the work too. If you take a look, most are friends and about half speak English which always adds to the creative charm (sadly my Japanese sucks but you kind of raise the bar as time goes by and so it always feels like you're on the bottom rung).

Today, as I write, is Kobe Earthquake Day. Not recognised as such but I remember coming to work (in Tokyo) to hear there's been a small quake in the western city of Kobe. Turned out that it was so massive all sensor and communication links had been severed and so no one really appreciated the scale at first. I remember watching the news as the numbers climbed throughout the day eventually reaching some 5,000+ souls lost and the fires starting. The city turned red as night fell and I put a tape in, recording it till morning. Still have that tape.

Earthquakes aside, one of the real pleasures of living in this land is welcoming others new to town and, with a friend, we welcomed two Canadians who were in for the evening having spent two days snowed under in Hokkaido (them, rather than us). A wonderful backstreet location ("Kaikaya By the Sea" if you were wondering) involved introducing them on how to order sake, the elegance of chopsticks and sashimi to die for. Ten minutes from Shibuya Crossing (the crazy one), it's an easy walk and within a stone's throw of Nombe Yokocho (literally "Drunkards' Alley", an area created post war as somewhere to go in a burned out city, it's a little like a Charles Dobson experience (you may need to look, that particular reference, up) for a final nightcap. A night to remember was enjoyed by all!

And so, thirty five years after arriving in Japan for two (and being locked up at Narita airport on arrival, but that's another story for another day), I'm wondering where this year will take me. I have a place in the mountains to pass on, a two ton treehouse to dismantle (hopefully without injury, at least to me) and a car that is showing its age. Should be good. Oh, and podcasts of course. Well, maybe, possibly, downhill, with a following breeze... 

Tokyo: Three images of a life unconfined

Copyright Aurora Simionescu

It's always an interesting question I'm asked by friends visiting the country, "What do you recommend we go and see?". And this is always followed by a brief, and somewhat awkward pause as you try to frame the answer in such a way as not to cause crushing disappointment. Because the truth is there actually isn't very much to see in Tokyo, at least in the conventional sense. Yes, there are the beautiful art galleries and a lot of cool architecture, but that's not really specific to Japan. However, if there is not that much to see, there is so much to do.

Harajuku Girl - Copyright Gajderowicz

The insane crossing in Shibuya is worth an experience along with the Blade Runner screens and the thousands of people, intertwining like a precision marching band, threading through each other every time the lights change. Getting lost from your friends at a hanami party under the cherry blossom and being gently led back to you group; visiting your local police station to recover your wallet after you dropped it in the street and some kind soul handed it in. And then there's the photograph with Hachiko, the Cosplay of Harajuku and the youth of Takeshita-Dori. Oh, and then of course, don't forget the food.

But if you really want to see something, a heads up: The Palace is simply a gate, the grassy expanse  beyond which no-one but the high flying drones will ever observe. The shrines can be interesting, Meiji, Zojoji and Asakusa being three of the best in the city (though avoid the afternoons) and each with its own history. Golden Gai and the Robot Cafe are perennial favourites but Drunkard's Alley has more character and Ebisu Yokocho has more laughter. And if you really still want to see something that will take your breath away, see the night. It's the greatest view a city can offer. And this one is world class.

All Rights for photograph to Masashi Wakui (love your work!)

The Beer Gardens of Shibuya Castle

When I first arrived in Tokyo, beer vending machines lined the streets of city taking pride of place at the front of a queue of underage school children enjoying their Saturday afternoon Asahi Super Dry on their way home from the compulsory weekend educational schedule. Times have changed and from around 2000, store keepers have slowly removed the "givers of joy and enlightenment" to the young of Japan, only to replace them today with in-store touch screens that require you confirm you are of legal age to drink alcohol. Note there is no option to say "no, I'm to young" by the way.  

But a few years on and you find yourself more in the mood for an afternoon tipple and chatter with friends than a furtive sip in a back street in case your mum's friends walk by. In summer it is time for the beer gardens where you can sit outside, get eaten by the rampant mosquitos, and while away the hours, conferring with the flowers, as it were. And my favourite location used to be in the grounds of, the now long gone, Shibuya Castle; of which only the shrine still remains. Strolling down Hachiman-Dori and across the remnants of the Shibuya river (which, back in the day, acted as the southern defences of the castle itself) you find yourself climbing back up the slope to Konno-Hachimangu Shrine.

And it was in these gardens, concreted over in the name of progress a decade or so ago, where a friend, a professional horologist, once demonstrated how my watch was both shock proof as well as water resistant by drunkenly slamming it off the table and dropping it into my beer. Never did tell the time particularly well after that. But sip and sup as we might, it was always fascinating to imagine the lives of the Lords of the land, as they would drink with friends, swapping stories from somewhere between the twelfth to the seventeenth centuries. Little exists of the castle today except an unassuming corner stone in the grounds of the shrine; which is worth a visit when you have a free afternoon . Something to enjoy; that and the thought of a beer on a sunny day.

The point of Daikanyama

Nestled between Ebisu and the southern fringes of Shibuya on the western centre of Tokyo is a little district, similar in feeling to Greenwich Village or Wimbledon in London. If you've ever had the enjoyment of watching "Lost in Translation" and you don't know Tokyo (and even if you do) there's a line that doesn't ring true when the newbies to Japan say "let's go to that little sushi place in Daikanyama". Two days on the ground and you'd never knew it existed.

Though the dancing lesson reference is hilarious. One station for the stopper trains to Yokohama and three main intersections, perched on top of a bluff between the Shibuya and Meguro rivers, it's the area the people who know, know. Created with concrete to protect from the shocks of earthquakes following 1923's levelling of the city, it has slowly morphed into the fashion district of Tokyo. You can walk the streets, but you're not going home without buying something.

And so what is the point of Daikanyama? Home to Tora-san (you can research that one yourself if you don't already know), a gift given away as a Philippines embassy, location of awesome photographers and place where The Last Samurai would visit his brother. It's a residential oasis in the centre of Tokyo, one of the three global cities on the face of the planet. And if you visit, you're going to find somewhere for a coffee. And then you can sit and watch the world go by. Welcome to Japan.

The Fratellis in Shibuya

Roppongi is famed as the night life centre of Tokyo for the foreign community having housed some of the infamous gaijin friendly establishments dating back to the 1960s as it drew the crowds away from Akasaka and the Ginza. However, it's not where the locals party, especially the young; they hang out in back streets of Shibuya where the bars and clubs often start late and finish even later.

The clubs, although very focussed on the domestic market, often without a word of English to assist even in basic directions, such as where is the door, are just as happy to host a foreign band as a local one. The big name acts are seen at venues like the Budokan or Tokyo Dome but if you're looking for something a little different, take a walk down the side streets of Dogenzaka. O-East, Quattro, O-West, Womb and the rest always have a hugely diverse selection of entertainment to choose from.

And the vibrancy was raised to "11" last night as the Scottish band The Fratellis brought the house down in front of around 500 Japanese fans who seemed to know the words to every single song and who carried a flag waving Scottish fan on their shoulders for much of the time. Highly talented and highly enjoyable, it was a great show. Thanking the crowd and pointing out that without them they'd just be three guys in an empty room, they left the audience ears still ringing. And then we walked home. Shibuya is just so easy.

Start getting ready, Halloween will soon be on us!

Soon we'll see Halloween actually fall on a Saturday and the streets of Japan will go crazy. Young children will follow maps marking the houses where they can receive candy (the "trick" element of "trick-or-treat" doesn't seem to have caught on), the largest processions including hundreds of families, all in costume, and all enjoying a great day out together. But it's when darkness falls that the fun really begins.

In the last few years the student population of Japan has taken to Halloween with a passion. The famous Shibuya Crossing in central Tokyo will be a awash with ghouls, ghosts and things that go bump in the night. But in typical Japanese fashion there will also be elves, pixies, cats and clowns and anything that looks cute as the girls throw themselves into the spirit of what is fast becoming the countries biggest party night.

The student population of Japan will already be putting together their concepts, costumes and plans for the night. So start thinking. Group photos are always the best. And if you want to experience the speed at which Japan can change direction when it puts it's mind to it, head on down to Shibuya Crossing on Halloween. It really will be quite a sight and didn't even exist five years ago. After that of course, it's Santa's little helper time.

An Oasis in the centre of a city

Tokyo is busy. Seriously busy. With arguably thirty million people living within commuting distance of Shibuya Crossing, there are not many places on the planet that so many people call home. But right in the centre there are small oases of tranquility and one of those is the Asakura House in Daikanyama. Built in 1919, it's survived the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 and the days of the Pacific War. Not too shabby for a hundred year old wooden structure. Granted its struggles were in its younger days.

The interesting thing about Tokyo though, is that there is a lot to do but not actually that much to see. The city at night is a stunning array of light but during the day it's a pretty big piece of concrete. Think of London and immediately Tower Bridge, St Paul's and Big Ben come to mind. New York you've got The Empire State Building and Central Park. But Tokyo? Arguably one of it's most iconic centres is the Tsukiji fish market (and that's about to close its doors to relocate to a new home).

Tokyo is an awesome city with hidden gems around every corner. If you want to listen to good old vinyl records you are genuinely spoilt for choice. Near where I live there is a library where you can order a beer. At 3.00AM! And even closer there is a bar where the husband and wife owners compete with each other over who know's 1970's rock better than the other. But if you would like just a little bit of down time, the Asakura House will set you back a dollar. And you can sit and watch life go by.

The story of the Skylark of Shibuya

Japan was not a very enjoyable place to live immediately after the war. Having narrowly staved off famine and slowly rebuilding under the American administration, for the children of the country life was fairly bleak. And then someone created the Hibari-go for them, an idea that roughly translates as Skylark. In 1951 an airborne cable-car ran from the rooftops of the Toyoko Building (Tokyu Bunka Kaikan, which later housed the Shibuya planetarium), to the Tamaden Building, a hundred meters away.

Under its operating licence, the cable-car was not allowed to actually provide transport facilities and so the trip was a round-robin back to the start, the doors remaining firmly closed. Up to twelve children could ride at any one time, gaining a bird's eye view of the rapidly rising city, which had been flattened by years of war. But the question has to be asked, why build a cable-car, especially one that is purely for sight-seeing and only for children, in a time of extreme austerity and reconstruction? 

In the late 1980's, I once briefly worked on a company that had been created post war in Allied occupied Germany. The founder had realised that, if he accumulated all the possible grants available at the time, he could build bowling-alleys and have the Allies pay for them, the money available being greater than the actual cost of construction. It's interesting to note that the Hibari-go only operated for a year and a half, closing in 1952; the year America pulled out of Japan. But whatever the reason it was created, it must have given the children of Shibuya quite something of a ride to remember. All aboard the Skylark!

Children peer from the Skylark onto Shibuya Crossing below

The Moving Story of Hachiko - and maybe not the one you were expecting

The story of Hachiko, the purebred Akita dog, is a touching one and represents to many Japanese the very definition of devotion. Having been bought as a pet in 1924, Hachiko would walk with his master each morning to the local Shibuya station in central Tokyo and then return in the evenings to welcome him home. Except, one day in 1925, his master didn't return having been struck down at his work in Tokyo University by a fatal stroke. Despite this, for the next ten years, Hachiko continued to return to the station each evening to await his master's return.

This act of loyalty was eventually recognised by Japan and a bronze statue of Hachiko was erected outside Shibuya Station where he would wait for his master each day. Hachiko himself was guest of honour at the unveiling ceremony. This unquestioning and devoted dog had caught the nations hearts and people thanked him for it. However, all things must come to pass and a year later in 1935 Hachiko hung up his collar on the streets of Shibuya. Sadly, the statue didn't last much long either. Being needed for the war effort, it was melted down and recycled.

But you can't keep an old dog down and, in 1948, a new statue of Hachiko was commissioned from the son of the original sculpture. In this c1952 photograph of Shibuya Crossing, in the left hand corner, you can see him sitting there, still waiting for his master to come home. If this image were taken today, Starbucks would be on the right and Shibuya Station out of picture to the left. And this is where it becomes even more interesting. Here Hachiko is clearly facing towards the crossing but today the statue faces away. And that's because, in 1989, he was relocated as the area underwent a minor re-developedment. In more ways than one, a moving story indeed.

Update: Images of the 1948 unveiling ceremony kindly forwarded by @jd_tokyo 

The Secret Rivers of Tokyo

There are multiple definitions of what actually constitutes "Tokyo". The Metropolis of Tokyo, bordered on the east and west by the Tama and Edo rivers, is home to some 13 million souls whereas the Tokyo Metropolitan Employment Area swells to an eye water 35 million. Then again the classic "23 Wards of Tokyo" supports a trifling 9 million, just a little more than London. But there are a lot of rivers running through it whichever you look at it. And most are fairly short. Actually some are very short.

The sunken Shibuya River is about to see the light of day again in the current redevelopment of this central area of Tokyo. Formed by the confluence of the Onden and the Uda rivers underneath the feet of the shoppers of Hachiko Crossing, it flows a mere 2.5km before emptying into the Furu River which in turn empties into Tokyo Bay. Much of it is now nothing more than a backstreet storm drain, itself due for a refresh over the next few years bringing public access for the first time in more than half a century.

But it is the signatures of the Onden and Uda rivers that are today hidden in plain sight to those walking the streets of Shibuya. When you walk along Center-gai you're actually walking along the path of the Uda river and when you stroll the fashionable boutiques of Cat Street, you're retracing the waterwheels of the Onden. Tokyo is criss-crossed by hidden waterways that lost out in the battle for concrete and modernisation. And so the rivers of Shibuya became the forgotten victims of the 1964 Olympics. That is until today.

The pedestrians of the Onden River

  

Shibuya - before you rise from the ashes, you have to be ash

So the Shibuya re-development in Tokyo continues. I've lived in Japan over twenty years and cannot, for the life of me, remember a time when there wasn't redevelopment around the station, home to three million commuters every working day of the year. In 2014 the main station building and the attached department store were closed and torn down and on March 22, 2015, it was the turn of the Tokyu (not a typo) Plaza, a positive warren of disconnected 1965 stores and restaurants.

This round of development was kicked off in the early 2000s when the Tokyo Metropolitan Government decided the area was desperately in need of a lick of paint. By co-incidence the early phases are set to be complete by 2020, I'm sure in time for the Olympics, to be held that autumn. The principle is to replace inefficient low rise buildings with sparkling new skyscrapers that will attract international business. An uptick in English wouldn't hurt that objective either.

When complete the area will, in principle, provide a coherent interconnection between station and stores. The first go at this, the relocation of a number of train lines to the new Hikarie building, was heralded as an outstanding success by the planners, and equally by the general derision from the commuters who actually need to transfer on a daily basis with long connections and deep, dark stairwells. The images though have to be said to look stunning.

Farewell Tokyu Plaza, hello the Phoenix.

West exit of the new Shibuya Station.
Environmentally friendly and easy to navigate.

You can track earthquakes in Japan too

On Wednesday we experienced another aftershock in Japan, an echo of the M9.0 from March 2011. I posted a map showing the 949 quakes over M5.0 we've experienced since then and had several questions asking where did I find the data. Very simple, soon after the earthquake a developer called Paul Nicholls created a real time map linked into the Japan sensor network; it became something of a hobby tracking the shocks as we were thrown sideways on a regular basis. Here is a follow-up image showing all 3,234 quakes (as of 5.00PM today) we've had the pleasure to host since then and if you'd like to follow this site just go to Japanquakemap.com. And thank you to Paul for creating this site.

However, if you'd like to be a little more proactive following earthquakes in Japan then download this App, Yurekuru ("Earthquake Coming"). In the settings you can choose where in Japan you'd like to follow and the level of quake you'd be concerned about. Mine is set to Shibuya in central Tokyo and only alerts me for anything over M5.0. Below that doesn't seem too exciting these days.

The system is linked again into the government sensor network. When an earthquake is detected it issues an alert across the entire data network and you'll receive a few seconds warning. 

A few seconds doesn't sound much but it's about the time it takes for you to stop watching TV and get to the children's room to ensure they're safe and not scared. At those moments ten seconds is akin to an eternity.

And so if you're sitting in New York and have family in Fukushima, it will still work. And you can track when we're running to the kids' room to check they're ok and hopefully watching them quietly fall back to sleep.

Halloween. The Americanisation of Japan?

Shibuya, the youthful, nightlife centre of Tokyo came to a virtual standstill last night as tens of thousands of people dressed up as everything from Dracula to Waldo and partied into the night. Halloween has seriously come of age in Japan. And the question has been raised of whether this is a further Americanisation of Japan and is that a good or a bad thing.

The coordination was remarkable. Friends had arranged themes and arrived as individual concepts groups. The lockers around the station were bulging with clothes as people changed (presumably so their parents didn't see them leave the house dressed in such creative ways). Each time the lights changed at Hachiko Crossing police would run to the centre in a vain attempt to try and control the revellers. Wasn't happening. They were instantly overwhelmed but really didn't need to be there.

So, in answer to the question as to whether this was a further example of an Americanisation of Japan I would say no. There were literally thousands of teenagers gathered together simply having fun. A lot of work and organised planning had gone into this night. This wasn't an Americanisation of Japan, this is the Japanisation of Halloween.

Harajuku to Shibuya - from Madonna to Lady Gaga

For many, Ginza is a favoured destination when visiting Japan. The chic stores and wide streets allow every foreign brand to display their wares to the rich and relaxing of the world. But that's the point, in reality it's nothing you can't find on 5th Avenue, Bond Street or the Champs Elysees. Or at an airport duty free shopping plaza for that matter. Originality is thin on the ground and even Japan "exclusives" will have their origins in the global product range.

And yet Japan drives youth fashion across Asia and indirectly youth culture globally. On a Sunday afternoon any time of year when the weather is good, take a train to Harajuku station and walk along Takeshita Dori. Not a single foreign fashion brand will be on display. Each and every store is a small boutique, product often hand-made during the week, sold during the hectic weekends; only a few items of each design available. The turn around time for concept to shelf isn't measured in months but days. The fashions are cutting edge relevant.

From Takeshita Dori cross Omote Sando, avoiding the European fashion brands, walk slowly along Cat Street. The street will be packed with teenagers, each looking as individual as they possibly can. It's a myth that everyone in Japan wants to conform, to be identical. These are as individual as it comes. And then it's Shibuya. The 109 building is the Mecca of youth fashion. And this is where Lady Gaga, Madonna and the rest go every time they visit Japan. And it's where the ideas come from. In some ways, Shibuya 109 really is the spring waters of global youth fashion. And you probably won't want to go to the Ginza stores again until you're back at the airport.

The tiny bars of old Japan - soon to be no more

Shinjuku's Golden Gai, the street of many bars, is famous in Japan. It's in all the travel books and even comes replete with its own wikipedia page and robot cafe (but that is a different story). It's also, despite claims to the contrary, not unique. There is a very well kept secret in Shibuya that will not be with us much longer as it's scheduled for redevelopment very soon. So if you get the chance, take the time and visit Nombei Yokocho and step into a different world.

The area is a block containing forty seven separate tiny bars, each with a handful of seats at street level and a "function room" upstairs (that can accommodate a further three or four people). The main street is no more than a narrow alley-way (Nombei Yokocho roughly translates as "Drunkard's Alley") lined with tiny sliding doors. The area was actually developed post war as a cheap place for people to relax and forget their worries for a while. Now it's one of the few remaining in Japan.

Stepping inside the Mama-san will welcome you in and motion for you to take a seat. Often this means the current occupants will need to shuffle round but are always happy to do so. And suddenly you're back about three hundred years in time. The fire safety people would never allow it today...

Shibuya - the most interesting place in the world?

It's winter and it's cold out there. Possibly not as cold as some places but cold enough for me.  However, when you arrange to catch up with someone there can be few better places than Shibuya crossing. I'm always amazed at the people who spend their lives looking at their phones when one of the wonders of the world is there for them to appreciate if they'd just look up. 

Thousands cross every few minutes like a human migration moving on their way but it's the colours and the variety that are incredible. Japanese have a reputation for being conformist that is, based on watching the people walk by, utterly underserved. There are no two people alike, each presenting their own story. If you have to wait a few minutes for someone, Shibuya crossing must be one of the most interesting places in the world. You just need to look.

Shibuya - little by little it's changing

Left pretty much alone since the 1964 Olympics, Shibuya is due for a major upgrade. Little by little, the change is coming. In early 2013, in phase one of the project, a number of lines were moved in an overnight big bang to a new station building causing chaos with commuters as they found their existing simple transfers now included multi-level subterranean hikes.

The existing station building is slowly being dismantled as will many others to follow and over the next several years a new vision is being created of open pedestrian areas, modern offices and simplified access from either side of route 246. It will be a mess of Biblical proportions for a while but if the new area looks like the designs, it will have been worth the wait.