Friday, May 1 – Tokyo

I’ve been looking forward to this day because I’m meeting my friend Kaoru for lunch! We last saw each other in 2017 (on my birthday!), when I was here in Japan on a business trip. I was back again on a BT in early 2018, but we weren’t able to connect then.

We met at the Hachiko statue by Shibuya Station, and then made our way to this nice restaurant/wine bar within the station.

Kaoru ordered three different plates for us to share…

And they were all great!

This was a wonderful lunch! And we weren’t even finished!

Kaoru then brought me to this cafe, where she snagged us the window seats on the left.

Our view of Shibuya,…

…including the famous Shibuya Crossing.

Shibuya Crossing has been described as the world’s busiest pedestrian crossing, with as many as 3,000 people crossing during a single green light cycle. It looks a little lighter than that today though. Likely due to the fact that we’re in the middle of Golden Week, when the office workers are away.

We both went with matcha tea; mine hot, Kaoru’s on ice. I took this photo, and…

…Kaoru took this one. I’m such an amateur!

This was a delightful afternoon! Thank you so much Kaoru!

And to top it all off, Kaoru surprised me with this delicious gift box…

Yummmmm!

Sidenote: When it was time for me to make my way back to the apartment, the area around Shibuya Station was packed. I didn’t feel like clawing my way through the crowd to get to the trains, so decided to just walk back. It took about an hour. It was actually nice.

Saturday, May 2 – Tokyo

I’m a huge admirer of the Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai; and luckily for me, The National Museum of Western Art here in Tokyo is currently presenting an exhibition of his work, titled Thirty-six Views of Mt. Fuji. I’ll be checking it out today.

Do you know who else is a Hokusai fan? Kaoru. And she’ll be meeting me at the museum this morning. This day just got so much better!

The museum is located in Ueno Park, which is also home to the zoo. That’s where these folks are heading on this beautiful Saturday morning.

The National Museum of Western Art (NMWA) was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016 as part of The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier. Completed in 1959, it is the only building designed by the Swiss-French architect in East Asia.

The NMWA is world-renowned for its collection of Auguste Rodin sculptures. Many of these are displayed in an outdoor courtyard, including The Gates of Hell (One of the few original casts in the world).

(You probably noticed Rodin’s The Thinker in the foreground of the previous photo. Hard to miss!)

I posed under protest! Nobody wants to see me.

Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji is a legendary series of landscape woodblock prints created by Katsushika Hokusai between 1830 and 1832. Hokusai was about 70 years old when he started this series. He actually believed that everything he did before the age of 70 wasn’t “real” art and that he was only just beginning to understand the true nature of things. There’s still hope for me!

When Japan opened its borders in the mid-1800s, these prints flooded into Europe. Many of the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artists in the region were heavily influenced by Hokusai’s work.

The Great Wave off Kanagawa: Arguably the most famous work of Japanese art in history. It depicts a massive wave threatening three boats, with Mt. Fuji appearing in the distance.

The exhibition displayed three of Hokusai’s works within an individual kiosk that allowed viewers to see both the front and back of the woodblock print. Clever! This is the back of The Great Wave off Kanagawa.

The exhibition was fairly crowded, but not terrible.

This is Fuji from Gotenyama at Shinagawa on the Tokaido Highway. It is another of the three prints that have both their front and back displayed within a kiosk.

The back of Fuji from Gotenyama at Shinagawa on the Tokaido Highway.

The back of a Japanese woodblock print is a crucial indicator of its authenticity and quality. In a high-quality original print, the colors “bleed” through to the back. You can often see a “ghost” or mirror image of the front on the reverse side. If the back of a print is stark white, it’s usually a sign that it’s a modern mechanical reproduction or a cheap lithograph rather than a hand-pulled woodblock.

I was able to get a couple photos when the crowds parted…

The NMWA’s permanent collection contains roughly 6,000 pieces, spanning from the late Middle Ages through to the early 20th century. It is the result of an extensive assemblage of works gathered by businessman Kojiro Matsukata in the early 20th century.

After WWII, the Matsukata collection was held by the French government as enemy property. It was eventually returned to Japan on the condition that a “National Museum of Western Art” be built to house it.

Sidenote: There is currently a Monet exhibition at the Artizon Museum here in Tokyo. I was hoping to attend, but it’s sold out. Ugh! However, the NMWA has several Monet’s in its collection. That was a nice surprise! In fact, Kojiro Matsukata was a friend of Monet and visited him at Giverny multiple times. At one point, Matsukata owned over 30 Monets.

Following our museum visit, Kaoru brought me to her favorite ramen spot, which is also located in Ueno.

Orders are placed, and payment is made, at this vending machine next to the entrance. A ticket is produced that is then given to the cook inside.

This place is awesome!

We both ordered Miso Ramen. I took this photo, and…

…Kaoru took this one. I’m pathetic!

And Kaoru also got us each a plate of Gyoza (potstickers). Perfect!

The cost of the ramen bowl was 920 JPY (5.75 USD), and the plate of gyoza was 300 JPY (2 USD). Remember my visit to the Sendai Ramen Festa? My bowl there cost 1,000 JPY, and it was smaller. Sendai more expensive than Tokyo?? It helps to know the right people!

Following the delicious lunch we took advantage of the beautiful weather and walked around the Ueno area a bit.

We ultimately ended the day with some matcha tea once again. I joined Kaoru with the ice version today; it’s a little warm outside!

Thank you Kaoru for spending parts of these last two days with me! It’s been a joy! I hope it’s not another 9 years before we see each other again!

Sunday, May 3 – Tokyo

I had a relaxing morning; getting some journal work done. It was a beautiful day though, and I had read about a museum I wanted check out. An outdoor museum…

The Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum is located in Koganei Park (western Tokyo), covers 17 acres, and features 30 full-scale historical buildings that were dismantled from their original locations and rebuilt here.

And as a senior, my entry fee was 200 JPY (1.25 USD) instead of 400 JPY. Nice!

The Residence of Hachirouemon Mitsui (ca. 1952)

Farmhouse of Yoshino Family (ca. The late Edo period; 1830s–1868)

House of Koide (ca. 1925)

Washroom

Attic Sleeping Area

House of Kunio Mayekawa

The house was built in 1942, at a time when wartime restrictions made building materials difficult to acquire.

It is an example of mid-century modern Japanese architecture, and was built by a disciple of Le Corbusier (the architect discussed earlier, who designed The National Museum of Western Art).

House of Okawa in Den’enchofu (ca. 1925)

House of Korekiyo Takahashi (ca. 1902)

A 1968 Isuzu TSD43 Bus. It was originally used by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force before being retired and eventually making its way to the museum collection.

Second House of Nishikawa Family (ca. 1922)

Electric Light from the Front Gate of the Imperial Palace (ca. 1890s)

Ueno Fire Department Watch Tower Upper Section (ca. 1925; in use until 1970, when the increase in high-rise buildings reduced their effectiveness)

Kagiya (Bar); built in 1856 as a one-story structure, subsequently expanded with the addition of a second floor.

The interior is how it would have looked in the 1970s.

Mantoku Inn (ca. late 19th century)

The Inn was in operation until 1993 in its original form, without significant alternation to the interior or remodeling of the fixtures.

The museum/park was just a little busy today…

An enjoyable visit on a beautiful day!

Travel Note:

I’ve seen a lot of these Toyota Crown Sports during my time in Japan. I like the look of this compact SUV, and would consider buying one; unfortunately, this version is not sold in the United States. Here is the model we get. (kind of similar, I guess…)