Rhododendron Bonsai

A rhododendron bonsai exhibit in the lobby of the Nerima City Office. These photos were taken in late May.

I chanced upon these rather randomly, so I was quite delighted.

The photos were taken with my ever-unreliable Digno camera phone (the files folder is liable to crash at any moment), so the quality is grainy.

Each bonsai plant had its own name. 

There is also a card in front of evch plant indicating the right direction from which to view it. I shot this from the bottom up, so this is not the right angle or direction.

I love how perfectly patriotic the colors are.

Rhododendron bushes tend to bloom spectacularly at similar times, but even so, it was awe-inspiring to see them in bonsai form at their height.

Deniz in Roppongi

Taken on the second floor of the Turkish restaurant Deniz, in Roppongi.

I've been to the one in Takatanobaba numerous times, but this was my first time going to the Deniz in Roppongi.

This restaurant is larger and the decor is better, but the cooking is noticeably sloppier.

Also, the cooks and assorted male hangers-on leering at you in lieu of communicating verbally can get a bit uncomfortable.

Conclusion: try the one in Takatanobaba first!

The East Japan Student Sumo Tournament

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to go to a sumo tournament at the Ryogoku Sumo Hall, where all the major sumo competitions are held.

Sumo is shown regularly on television, but I'd never seen it in person. This was a sumo competition for university students in eastern Japan.

Traditionally, you were supposed to sit with your legs tucked beneath you, but not many people were doing that. Since this is Japan, there were a handful of people sleeping, stretched out in their allotted space. On very crowded occasions, four people sit in a square, but that day, most people were treating their spaces like a plot of land at a picnic.

 

In the group competition, five players from a university were pitted against each other, and the overall tally of wins allowed them to advance to the next round.

We started watching with the start of the Level B competition. (A was the best group, C was the lowest.) You could tell these players weren't betting their career on being sumo players. Some of them were merely wiry men. In one instance, one relatively large player simply lifted up his scrawnier opponent and carried him outside the circle.

Many of the matches barely lasted ten seconds, but towards the semi-finals for Level B, as the opponents became better-matched, there were some genuinely exciting moments.

As you can see, the players got bigger as the day progressed. An interesting thing about size, though: up to a certain level, the winner was most often the bigger player. However, as the level of players got higher, I noticed that the strongest players were those whose girth were made of pure muscle. As a general rule, if your man breasts are swinging around, it means you don't have enough muscle, and that is a liability in the long run.

 

Sweepers making the mound even in between matches.

Players made their pilgrimage up to certain people to pay their respects. Some opted to wear warm-up jackets, but quit hilariously, they didn't cover up their mawashi  (the loincloth-like fabric they wear).

On occasion, a bunch of referees were called in to make a decision on the winner.

Two players, deadlocked. I didn't watch till the end, but it seemed the strongest schools were Nihon University, Nippon Sport Science University, and Toyo University. Nihon University had a very long streak of winning the group competition, but in recent years they have been eclipsed by Nippon Sport Science University.

Sumo-related souvenirs.

There was a small shrine right outside the building.

Sumo players out in the real world.

Stray Shots of Tokyo

Odaiba, seen from the highway.

Around the Ginza area.

Near the Imperial Palace Gardens.

The garden at the Marunouchi Hotel, whose lobby is located on the 7th floor.

Tokyo Station, seen from the elevator up to the lobby.

Kitte, the white building on the right side in the previous photo. A mall in the former Tokyo Central Post Office building!

The mall itself is operated by Japan Post, the first commercial facility venture for them. The shops are a mix of quirky and sophisticated, but full of things that you give to people rather than get for yourself.

Kitte has a gorgeous rooftop garden though, and it provides an amazing view of the surrounding skyscrapers and Tokyo Station.

Yokohama's Artist-in-Residence Program

Koganecho, in Yokohama City. The area developed into a red light district after WWII. Eventually, the city demolished over 250 brothels running beneath the train tracks, built a series of ateliers and gallery spaces, and established an artist-in-residence program. The program, which began in 2009, is funded by the city of Yokohama.

Here, polished wood planks have been set up outside to form a stage. A white wall had been set up at the end, with projectors mounted on the concrete pillars. It seems they are simply left there 24/7, which lets you know what a long way the area has come.

 

Artists can rent spaces short-term (three months, just long enough for overseas artists to come to Japan without any visa hassles) or up to three years, although shorter periods are preferred to keep up the steady stream of artists and exhibits.

Rent prices vary depending on the size of the space and whether it comes furnished.

The day I visited was a Monday, so most of the galleries were closed.

A not-so-fun fact: Akira Kurosawa's 1963 film "High and Low" (the Japanese title is Tengoku to Jigoku, "Heaven and Hell") was set in Koganecho. The "Hell" referred to Koganecho, but the area was considered too dangerous to shoot in.

A barter system had been set up here: bring something of your own, and any of these things are yours for free.

Preparations for a showing. The photos here show a fairly straightforward use of the rectangular spaces, but the atmosphere differed from building to building. The building next to this one contained a mini-cafe, a clothing rack selling vintage clothing, and a stage for a band to play on at the other end of the room.