nihonbashi

aka nihombashi [japan bridge]
this is mile 0 for all routes and highways in japan. was the centre of commerce way back in edo, and still is today with the TSE right next door. the river used to be vibrant with commercial activity, but since the river edge has been built up and an elevated expressway built over top [not even this hisotric bridge was spared for preparing for the '64 olympics], the river has lost its old charm.



since a senior government offical called this 'ugly', there are plans to put the expressway under the river, but who knows if it will happen as the costs will be a little high.



i kind of like it the way it is. by putting two unlikely pieces of infrastructure together, you get this new kind of space that was not 'designed' and kind of surreal...
how much more interesting it would be to cruise along this river in a kayak and be undercover on a rainy day navigating through the maze of columns...



guess i was not the first one to think of that one!

train platform

it is rare to see just one guy on the platform, but he is fully loaded with the necessary gadgets to survive the trains. the camera accessory is a nice touch.

nagano

there are more oldies on bikes here than anywhere else...


... priceless!

away from tokyo

koya san _ a buddhist mountain 1000m above sea level. this place exudes peace and beauty.
we stayed at this temple. waking up for morning prayer with the monks at 5:30 was surprisingly not a hard thing to do.






a cemetry of half a million tombs

capsules

nakagin capsule tower by kisho kurokawa



the first metabolist building built and be occupied [1972]. idea is to allow the building to change through time. the capsules are meant to be replaced when required instead of having to demolish the entire building.



each capsule was prefabricated in Osaka and shipped to Ginza, lifted, and high tension bolted onto a concrete + steel core. only 4 bolts were used highlighting the detachability of the units.



since none of the capsules have ever been replaced or renovated, they have out-lived their intended design life and are looking a bit sad. some of the owners want the whole thing torn down, and of course architects are up in arms. the capsules' fate remains unclear.



it feels like you are in a space ship while inside. lab coat defintely required.



me in space ship. the view is pretty good.