Chuo Bohatei—Reclaiming Land

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tokyo_chuo_bohateiChou Bohatei or Central Breakwater Island is the largest landfill in Tokyo bay. It is expected to cover 989 hectare or 2,444 acres when complete. About half a million tons of rubble from the Tohoku Tsunami disaster was deposited at this site.

A number of events at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics are expected to take place here—cycling will be on the outer landfill, the island in the foreground, rowing and kayaking in the channel, and equestrian events on the inner landfill on the other side of the channel. The hill on the inner landfill is part of the Sea Forest Park which will host the events.

At the horizon is the reclaimed land of Odaiba and the mainland of Tokyo. Since Tokyo has been extending into the bay, over 250km² or 100mi² of land has been created. Almost everything in the image is or is on reclaimed land. Click on the image for a larger view.

Nihonbashi—the Bridge of Japan

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tokyo_nihonbashiNihonbashi, the bridge of Japan, is unceremoniously nestled under a highway built in 1964 for the Tokyo olympic games. But the bridge had a greater symbolic role in the nation. When Ieyasu Tokugawa made Edo as the capital of his new shogunate, he designated Nihonbashi as the point every road in the land would be measured from. The original bridge was built in 1603. The current structure is from 1911.

It would probably come as no surprise to anyone that the river, Nihonbashigawa, is older than the bridge. What might be a surprise is it is not that much older as it was built in the 15th century. Ota Doukan had built the first castle in the area in 1457. This waterway served as defense for the castle and a route to Tokyo bay. That castle evolved into what is now known as the Imperial Palace. Click on the image for a larger view.

A Year in Color Revisited

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life_in_maine_year_in_color_2014_2Winter gives you a long time to think about the seasons in Maine. Previously, I had posted the year in color for our forest for 2014. As an experiment, I revisited that year to try another way to visualize that change. January is the section between 12 o’clock and 1 o’clock with the following months continuing clockwise between each hour. Click on the image for a larger view.

Dreaming of Summer

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The snows this winter have been taking their toll. We have had over twice the average snowfall so far this year. It is hard to remember our garden being anything but white.life_in_maine_dreaming_of_summerThis is not a small pumpkin, but one of our heirloom tomatoes. We still have tomatoes in our freezer from last summer, but bringing in one of these fruit straight from the vine is very different—the rich smell and the sun-warmed flesh can only be experienced in the summer. A thick slice on a piece of freshly baked bread with a little ground pepper makes the perfect meal. Click on the image for a larger view.

 

Fast Food—Japanese Style

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tokyo_fast_foodFast food is synonymous with unhealthy food, at least in the West. In Japan, it is not so bad. For example, the last place I dropped in for a quick bite, this is what my $9 got me:

Lightly fried fish, shrimp, squid, and vegetables in batter
a bowl of white rice
a bowl of miso soup
boiled spinach
a small side of pickled vegetables
a cup of green tea at the beginning and a cup of brown tea at the end

The rice and miso soup have free refills.

OK, that is not quite right. That was about $6. I also ordered a glass for beer, which brought the total to $9.

And it is fast. Many places have a ticket machine outside where you purchase your meal. You take that in, sit at the bar, and hand it to the servers. A few minutes later you have your food. And when you finish, you just leave. Click on the image for a larger view.

Come On Art

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tokyo_come_on_artThe Tokyo bar and restaurant scene can be an odd one for the visitor. While large establishments can be found around the city, there are also small places scattered through neighborhoods, especially around train stations—this one is near Kami-Itabashi station. These bars tend to be well loved by a small clientele. They can also be surprisingly good, odd signs and confusing names not withstanding. Click on the image for a larger view.