what I see - a tokyo photolog: 2006

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27 December 2006

wall and pipe 2

wall and pipe 2
Originally uploaded by nofrills.

wall and pipe

wall and pipe
Originally uploaded by nofrills.

mosaic

mosaic
Originally uploaded by nofrills.

Four signs that come in rainbow

Four signs that come in rainbow
Originally uploaded by nofrills.

Shinjuku, Tokyo

flowers

flowers
Originally uploaded by nofrills.

flowers

flowers
Originally uploaded by nofrills.

DaVinci Mode

DaVinci Mode
Originally uploaded by nofrills.

I forgot where I took this one, but I think this is Sekaido (a notable art supply store) in Shinjuku, Tokyo.

17 December 2006

There is a light

There is a light
Originally uploaded by nofrills.

sporadic

sporadic
Originally uploaded by nofrills.

que

que
Originally uploaded by nofrills.

Blown in the wind?

Blown in the wind?
Originally uploaded by nofrills.

Several colours and fallen leaves

Several colours and fallen leaves
Originally uploaded by nofrills.

Two-tone

Two-tone
Originally uploaded by nofrills.

Three colours

Three colours
Originally uploaded by nofrills.

Just like candy.

Tokyo International Forum, Yurakucho, Tokyo.

Three colours (and white)

Three colours (and white)
Originally uploaded by nofrills.

Tokyo International Forum, Yurakucho, Tokyo.

orange

orange
Originally uploaded by nofrills.

Tokyo International Forum, Yurakucho, Tokyo.

colours

colours
Originally uploaded by nofrills.

Tokyo International Forum, Yurakucho, Tokyo.

metal 03

metal 03
Originally uploaded by nofrills.

Stairs.
Tokyo International Forum, Yurakucho, Tokyo.

metal 02

metal 02
Originally uploaded by nofrills.

Stairs.
Tokyo International Forum, Yurakucho, Tokyo.

metal 01

metal 01
Originally uploaded by nofrills.

Stairs.
Tokyo International Forum, Yurakucho, Tokyo.

Logo

Logo
Originally uploaded by nofrills.

Tokyo International Forum (東京国際フォーラム), Yurakucho, Tokyo.
www.t-i-forum.co.jp/general/index.php

You know I was looking for something square-circleable.

Ship shaped

Ship shaped
Originally uploaded by nofrills.

Ship shaped

Ship shaped
Originally uploaded by nofrills.

Whiter Shade

Whiter Shade
Originally uploaded by nofrills.

Walkers - collage

Walkers - collage
Originally uploaded by nofrills.

Tokyo International Forum (東京国際フォーラム), Yurakucho, Tokyo.
www.t-i-forum.co.jp/general/index.php

Inside:
flickr.com/photos/nofrills/326276590/
flickr.com/photos/nofrills/326276587/
flickr.com/photos/nofrills/326276582/

Walkers on the glass

Walkers on the glass
Originally uploaded by nofrills.

Tokyo International Forum (東京国際フォーラム), Yurakucho, Tokyo.
www.t-i-forum.co.jp/general/index.php

muji.net

muji.net
Originally uploaded by nofrills.

Sign board on a Muji store, Yurakucho, Tokyo.

no-smoking

no-smoking
Originally uploaded by nofrills.

I was tempted to take a "squared circle" picture at this "clean, stub-free pavement" but gave up because it's too dark and my battery was almost out. Maybe next time.

Yurakucho, Tokyo.

No smoking is allowed on the platforms and in any other part of a station now. All the train stations and bus stations/bus stops in Japan (overground and underground) are now "no smoking". In 2002, the law-makers decided to do something about passive smoking, and 健康増進法 (Health Improvement Laws) has been in place since then.

This picture is an narrow alley just outside the station - the "ガード下" area at Yurakucho Station. This actually is part of the station, but some people don't realise it is. The alley is 50 meters long, and it's fully decorated with this "no smoking" stickers on the floor, but it seems ... well, half successful. (^_*)

People (platform-smokers) might have been unhappy at first, but in time, they became accustomed to it. And they began to smoke just outside the station. But still, it is part of the station. That's why this long lane of "no smoking" sticker exists at Yurakucho Station. Somewhat funny. And more and more people has gone 禁煙 (quit smoking) thinking/worrying about their health.

Many streets in Tokyo are now no-smoking zones. A few yeayrs ago, before the 健康増進法 was in place. Chiyoda-ku illegalised smoking on the streets (歩行喫煙: smoking while walking) in many parts of the ward. 歩行喫煙 really was dangerous in crowded areas. Some wards, including Chuo-ku, and other cities followed. I'm a smoker myself, but I think the move was reasonable enough.

Japanese smokers can't complain. England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland (North and South) has no-smoking laws now - smoking is prohibited in all indoor public space. Italy has very tough anti-smoking laws. And France has just banned smoking in public space. (Even France!)

Frozen time, 2

Frozen time, 2
Originally uploaded by nofrills.

Yurakucho, Tokyo

Frozen time

Frozen time
Originally uploaded by nofrills.

Very old political posters (right-wing/nationalist or far-right, to be precise) found in Yurakucho area.

Back in the 1980s, these posters were very often seen in Shinjuku and other spots in central Tokyo. Today, it's rare to see this type of posters.

I'm no suppoter of their politics, but find this interesting. Time is frozen here, in the middle of Tokyo city centre.

Feels very odd, as the Japanese mainstream politics now are more extreme than those traditional extreme right in a way or two. Moreover, so many things are completely illogical in the mainstream politics today. Those "good-old" (I'm being cynical) nationalists were at least logical in their own way (although I never supported them).

Democratic elections have resulted in a nightmare.

[14 feb]
I added this to the Only in Japan group pool as this is without a doubt only in Japan... I was and am never with them. This is only a photograph.

10 December 2006

book

book
Originally uploaded by nofrills.

[for my blog (in Japanese)]
nofrills.seesaa.net/article/28150579.html

book

book
Originally uploaded by nofrills.

[for my blog (in Japanese)]
nofrills.seesaa.net/article/28150579.html

book

book
Originally uploaded by nofrills.

[for my blog (in Japanese)]
nofrills.seesaa.net/article/28150579.html

BOOK INFO:
First published in Great Britain 1975
by Hamish Hamilton Ltd as A Terrible Beauty Is Born
This edition revised and with a new epilogue published in 1989
by Mandarin Paperbacks

ISBN 0749301775

The book Terrible Beauty Is Born is translated and published in Japan under the title, 『恐ろしい美が生まれている―アイルランド独立運動と殉教者たち』（青土社、1997年）、ISBN 4791755154.

book

book
Originally uploaded by nofrills.

[for my blog (in Japanese)]
nofrills.seesaa.net/article/28150579.html

A while ago, a friend of mine gave this book to me after a big cleaning of her bookshelf.

First published in Great Britain 1975
by Hamish Hamilton Ltd as A Terrible Beauty Is Born
This edition revised and with a new epilogue published in 1989
by Mandarin Paperbacks

ISBN 0749301775

The book Terrible Beauty Is Born is translated and published in Japan under the title, 『恐ろしい美が生まれている―アイルランド独立運動と殉教者たち』（青土社、1997年）、ISBN 4791755154.

3 December 2006

The Wind That Shakes Barley booklet inside

The Wind That Shakes Barley booklet inside
Originally uploaded by nofrills.

Inside of the booklet.

Basically most of the literature here can be found on the Japanese official site.
www.muginoho.jp/

But this map on the right side couldn't be found anywhere as far as I know. It shows where the film was shot.

The Wind That Shakes Barley booklet

The Wind That Shakes Barley booklet
Originally uploaded by nofrills.

Official booklet for the film "The Wind That Shakes Barley".

The colour is a bit funny here... due to the lighting (my desk top light!)　The real colour is the green that symbolises Eire.

The film title and the islands are beautifully embossed.

The Wind That Shakes Barley Poster

The Wind That Shakes Barley Poster
Originally uploaded by nofrills.

Cillian Murphy's autograph on the poster.

The Wind That Shakes Barley Poster

The Wind That Shakes Barley Poster
Originally uploaded by nofrills.

Ken Loach's autograph on the poster.

The Wind That Shakes Barley Posters -- English and Japanese

The Wind That Shakes Barley Posters -- English and Japanese
Originally uploaded by nofrills.

View large, if you prefer. They started showing the film "the Wind that Shakes the Barley" on 18 November here in Tokyo.

And if you read Japanese, here's my blog entry.
nofrills.seesaa.net/article/28127911.html

Poster Outside the Cinema

Poster Outside the Cinema
Originally uploaded by nofrills.

They started showing the film "the Wind that Shakes the Barley" on 18 November here in Tokyo.

I went to see the film at Cine-Quanon Yurakucho (near Ginza) and this is the outside view. It may sound a bit strange, but the cinema is located on the 8th floor of the building, which used to be a department store and now hosts a Bic Camera (a wide range of domestic electric appliances, computers, cameras etc etc).

no-nukes (re-posted)

no-nukes (re-posted)
Originally uploaded by nofrills.

This is a reposted picture, again, as I don't want this one to slip away.

Original post, which is about one year ago, is here, and another post here, and here, each with some comments.

thirty-year-old sign of "no nukes declaration." large letters were possibly hand-written, in a very beautiful authentic style.

"No Nukes Declaration" can be seen in a lot of cities around Japan, because Japan is the first country that was nuke-bombed (in 1945).

peace. :-)

PS
Feel free to use this pic on your blog if you like.

Minton Tile Booklet

Minton Tile Booklet
Originally uploaded by nofrills.

A set of booklet and postcard from a special exhibition in Tokyo.

These minton tiles, some of which were most probably designed by AWN Pugin, were used for a 1896 building by a British architect, Josiah Conder (1852 - 1920).

[a picture for my blog]
nofrills.seesaa.net/article/26779652.html