meguro.目黒.in.light.snow

it's public holiday in tokyo.  tokyo is in light snow today.  the reality is, it has been snowing non-stop for the entire day.

wet snow. it doesn't stay most of the time and turns into water on the ground.

plan changed. 

plan a was plum viewing at one of the park at the outskirt of tokyo.

plan b, well it took me awhile to come out with plan b. i am not feeling well, caught a cold, combination of cough and headache. i don't want to go somewhere too far, i don't want to change too many times in my metro ride.  so meguro (目黒区) seems to be the perfect choice.

four direct stops from where i live, there is a nice museum and it's not touristic ward.

so  tokyo metropolitan teien art museum (東京都庭園美術館) i went.

this art deco building is charming. it's a former residence of one of the japanese royal heir.

the exhibition is on typology posters from the last few decades.  most of the posters are from the west, but there are a few local versions that really caught my attention.

there is a big garden just next to the museum.  the light layer of snow makes this place extra enchanting.  no tourist either.  people came here in the name of the arts and is a different sort of crowds, if you know what i mean, they are arty in their dressing and behavior.

despite of the snow, i decided to take out my camera and take some photos.  it's just too beautiful to resist.  but it's challenging to take a shot with one hand carrying umbrella, the other hand camera. but i managed.

like any japanese park, there is always an area for japanese garden, a tea room, stone lamp, bridge and pond.

and some flowers, leaves that once again drawn me closer to the Lord.  i don't know why, it is usually at the least expected moment, the Holy Spirit talks to me, especially when i am indulging in the natural beauty that He has created.  ume blossom in pink and red, yellow leaves, green leaves everything that has breath praise the Lord!

after the museum and garden, the snow is still going strong, so i hide myself in arte, a shopping mall just on top of the underground station. got some stuffs for "home" from muji and then when to the restaurant level to hunt for lunch.  meguro is perfect, down to earth and easy living, no ginza or chiyoda pretentious.  i just be myself at meguro. in fact feel at home here. this is the sort of ward that i am looking for.

i had a set menu tempura, a bowl of udon, and a bowl of rice with shredded crab meat.  it's super size and filling.  i finished everything because it is already late in the afternoon, my late lunch.

choco-aid

let's do something a little different. since it's thursday night and it will be a long weekend for me. yay!! tomorrow is a public holiday, so i gonna sleep in a bit and will see what i am going to do after that.

remember when you have a blister or cut, band-aid or handy-plus is what you want next.

how about choco-aid?

only japanese can think of this.

it's made of milk chocolate, not my favorite, but i am sold by the idea.

and it's not expensive after all. i picked one box up from the red brick warehouse in yokohama.

happy long week end for me!!

crossroad.shibuya.渋.谷

the ever busy, action packed,  on the move shibuya. one of the area that is famous with affordable shopping and where the younger generation congregate...

everyone is on the move.

they pause because the crossing light is red.

at no time, both sides of the street are full of people, waiting for the light to turn green and cross to the other side.

the GAP in japan, uniqlo is the name.

~~~

today we had a bit of wet snow in the morning just as i walked toward the metro station to catch a ride to my workplace. it was interesting to see the snow falling down and get melted immediately. 

~~~

yokohama.kaiko.promenade.開.港.の.道

from chukagai to yamashita-koen (山下公園)  to minato mirai 21. there is this pleasant promenade that lead you from chinatown to minato mirai 21 area.

hikawa maru (cruise ship) is now permanently docked at the pier, accompanying yamashita koen day and night.

there are many retired men sketching and paintings.  you admired them.  especially their determination to pursuit such hobby at such an old age.  you wonder if you will every pursue your passion for arts like them too when you finally retired and have time for such hobby...

along the promenade, you love the open space here, it is not so crowded like the china town or like most areas in tokyo.  you are blessed with the mild weather that you can walk really slowly, enjoying every scenes along the way, without hurry.

a string of pigeons accompanying hikawa maru. it's picturesque as you observe them and angle your camera...

the futuristic osanbashi an international passenger terminal is quite a funky place to be.  but you didn't walk towards it as you are already tired after this far...

the sign of the kaiko promenade - 開港の道 on the ground leading me all the way to the city center

red akarenga warehouse (横浜赤レンガ倉庫), you love the ice ring right in front of the red warehouse, you love how the red accentuate the grey sky, adding a dash of color to the view in front of you.

you love everything you see in this red akarenga warehouse (横浜赤レンガ倉庫).  there are plenty of stores to browse and bought some funky chocolate here...

you walk on further, before you realize, cosmo clock 21 (the big wheel) welcome you on the right, and landmark tower waiting for you on the left.

~~~

it's late tuesday night here.  i am not feeling well.  my throat is sore and i still have a call at 10pm.  so i will say good night to you here.

~~~

yokohama.chukagai.横.浜.中.華.街

this is the story of chinatown as promised.

 

hopping on your train to yokohama from shibuya station. yokohama chinatown is just a good 25 min away if you hop on to the limited or limited express train.  that's what you did.

the chukagai of yokohama, in reality the biggest and the largest among the three chinatowns in japan.  perhaps is during chinese new year, perhaps it is just weekends, there are lot of people, japanese and foreign tourists...

everyone congregate at the square to watch the special lunar new year program such as lion dance.  you hardly get any closer because it is so crowded, so you leave for something else.
you walk around the side streets, encounter many gates

that mark the boundaries of chinatown. there are probably more but you didn't bother to check out further, the crowds and human traffic is a little too much to bear...

there are two temples in the chinatown and everyone is going to the temple except you. you just stroll around and see if there is anything interest you...

some of the street food and there are plenty of restaurants too but they failed to entice you or even get you in for lunch. 

that's chinese new year in japan.

yo~ko~ha~ma~横~浜

you went to yokohama 横浜 today.  you guest it is because of chinese new year and you want to catch some chinese new year atmosphere.

so you set off.  a short metro ride to shibuya and another thirty minute ride on tokyo toyoko line.

although you been to yokohama china town. the largest china town in japan, but you are not in the mood to write about it. not yet...

minato mirai 21 gives you inspirations but china town doesn't really inspired you, so yokohama chuukagai 横浜中華街 can wait...

there's not much sun, the sky is grey and cloudy most of the time, but when you finally arrived minato mirai 21, you caught a glimpse of sunset

it makes a lot of difference to the photo

nipon maru, dock permanently beneath the feet of landmark tower

at the 69th floor of sky garden observation deck, high on top of landmark tower, you arrived just in time to take a glimpse of mount fuji.  she disappears and hides herself shortly after this photo is taken... it's your first ever encounter with her, face to face, from a distance...

 

looking downward, the cosmo clock 21 and the queen's square.

so much for now, more photos will come...

happy saturday!

tokyo.day.night

tokyo tower at 8.30am

tokyo tower at 8.30pm