Many Museums-Many Adventures

We went to the Japan Folk Art Museum and the Camera Museum today. Both very interesting but no photography allowed and no English to explain the displays. The Folk Art Museum is in a gorgeous house - all dark wood and sliding screens. Bought great postcards and had to wear slippers in the house and separate ones for the bathroom. Saw some work of the Ainu - Japan's First Nations people. Wooden boxes and woven materials. The Camera Museum has every kind of camera, big and small. It even had detectives and their 'undercover' cameras hidden in pop cans, pens, cigarette boxes, hats, flowers and lapels. Wonderful, original posters from the 20's on and photographs of every country where the cameras orginated. Yesterday we booked a Noh Theatre experience for March as well as a two week train trip into rural Japan. We will stay in a temple, an inn, a hostel and more. Hope the weather is going to warm up. Cold and misty right now.

Andy Warhol, The Ronettes and Bob Dylan

It is amazing the amount of music we hear in the malls, train stations, galleries and toilets. There is some classical, instrumental music but much of it seems to be canned. We like the ecclectic combinations such as Bob Dylan and The Ronettes but also have heard The Velvet Undergound and ABBA. The galleries and museums and even the malls all have places for rest and reflection. There are usually small gardens and waterfalls or pools. In bloom are oranges, camelias, geraniums and plum buds and many of the trees are wrestled into bonzai
shapes. There is beauty everywhere - always a place to rest your eyes from the multitude of screens, shows, crowds and clash of brilliant colours. Yesterday we went to Meguru and walked from there to Ebisu and then to Diakenyama. Daien-gi (temple), right in the middle of a busy centre, is quiet, even though dragons and gods surround you and the gong sounds as worshippers sound it and clap. The Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography brings in exhibits from around the world and we saw the Warhol exhibit that we had seen in Amsterdam. Most of the exhibits were films and we hope to go back in March to see what's next. Today we are off to Harijuku so more pictures for sure

Here In Japan

After a gruelling 10 hour flight on food-horrible Air Canada, we arrived in Tokyo on Feb. 16, 2009.
I immediately wished I had studied my Japanese more but there are lots of English cues and people are great at signing. We got our apartment (Lots of paperwork in triplicate) and a cab to get us there. It is through Sakora House and is small but efficient and warm. I was immediately impressed with the fashion sense here; everyone is dressed to the nines. Love how well tailored and intricately designed the clothes are! High heels are a must and you can see everything from fur to buckles and silver and gold. The boots are fabulous - leather and style - not many ughs.

We plan to see as much as we can here, especially Tokyo Fashion Week in March. Already there are some flowers blooming and in every small space, there is greenery. On our neighbor's balcony,there is a container garden and oranges grow on the small bushes. The streets are clean and people seem to walk in files - there is a slow lane and a fast lane and bicycles in between. Lots of BMW's, convertables, sedans and small trucks but few accidents. When the lights change, millions of people cross in all directions but there is order to everything. It seems a safe place with small school kids unaccompanied, travelling on trains, early in the morning and late at night.

We start out looking for the familiar and see McDonald's, Burger King, Crispy Creme, and the Hard Rock Cafe. We see Zara, American Apparell, Banana Republic and more. Haven't seen any camping stores yet. (yeah) There is the 100 yen store and small grocery stores and we buy staples and some breakfast items. We say please and thank-you and hand over the money. Things cost the same here as at home. Oh and although we don't see big dogs or poo on the streets, there are dog stores and well dressed purse pups. But people wash the streets down every day, like in Greek villages and the garbage is orderly and swiftly taken away.

I am headed for Japan as of 12:00 noon Sunday. Miss you all. Will blog and email. Talk soon, Colleen