Oct. 21th 2007 : Naginata festival --- Shinagawa-ku

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There was a Naginata festival in Minami-ooi cultural center as a part of 57th Shinagawa Sports Fetival.
Naginata is a Japanese traditional sports using long wooden sword with bamboo blade. Whole length is 2m. Game is similar to Kendo and we hit a certain part of body. They also have performing type.

I have started 2 years ago and with good teacher, I am now in 2nd-class and now I learned to play until 3rd game. I am still at learning stage but this time I’ve won a 3rd prize.


Photos are game of advanced-level players.

People who lived through Word War 2 must have another feeling for this Naginata. After the war, they had to stop playing it and after a while they allowed to start again.
Kids are cute when they play wearing protectors. It is good that they can learn courtesy.

Oct. 21th 2007 : Tokaido Shinagawa-juku --- Shinagawa-ku

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I went walking around Shinagawa-juku. It’s a one of a lodging spot of old days. When people travel across Japan, they moved down this Tokaido street and stayed for night in these 53 lodging town.
Juku means lodge

Shinagawa was the first town when people travel from Edo(Tokyo) to Kyoto.
There is a stand telling us about “Pine tree of Shinagawa-juku” in Shinagawa park. It was donated from the people of Shinagawa-juku when the park renovated.
It says “Shinagawa-juku was prospered as an entrance of Tokaido street and there was 1,600 lodge and 7,000 population in those days”
Until now, they keep the street width and I can see how it was in those days.

Picture you can tell it’s downtown. I found flower of “Sui-Fuyou” in the garden of 1 story house.
This flower, the color is white when they start to bloom and change to pink at the end.
This garden had so many fall plants blooming.

Photo left: I found a nice café behind the main street.
Photo center: I saw a dashing student of Shinagawa girl’s high school.
Photo right: It seems like a building of Meiji of Taisho era. A shop remained from war with copper plated roof. I feel a history from them.

Additional info:
Kokuzou-bosatsu is a one of god in Buddhism you can see in Youganji temple in Shinagawa. They have big festival in April and November. This year will held on 10th and 11th of November. Daigomakugenshu is a big praying held at 14:00 and 18:00 twice on 10th. (The event in this year was over.)
They will open the main building and will burn a pray written on the wooden plate. A lot of people will gather on these days. At the same time, there will be an event “Live Festa Shinagawa”. There will be a market of local goods, Japanese traditional comical story telling, traditional music, fortune telling, small booth, flea market etc… At Shin-Banba Station of Keihin-Kyuko-Line. Turn left from Success street. There is Isshin-ji temple and Hinkai park near by and Seiseki park also has Kappakko festival at the same time.

Oct. 21st 2007 : Paper box craftsman --- Shinagawa-ku

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There is Old-Tokaido Street behind Shinagawa shrine. I walked in another small path from there. Above photo is a small “Kakehi” I found on the way.
Kakehi is a bamboo pipe we normally see in Japanese garden brings water to a ponds or a water pot. We Japanese enjoy their sounds as well. It was interesting toy made by waste products.


This Kakehi was made by 4 boxes. Water runs stepping down them and finally gather in a bucket



He even show me another 3 Kakehis from the big cardboard box pulled out from his working site.
Left one is with Japanese flag and Hello Kitty. Quite Japanese taste!
Kids appreciate that he said. He told me that making Kakehi is fun because he can arrange as he imagine.


I asked him some question.
He is running paper box shop which has 80 years of history.
There are lots of small paper boxes in his working site. A big box seen in the photo is for Red rice.
3rd one from the left is for rice cracker for girl’s day.
One has a shape like a box Benkei was carrying or miniature boxes like lunch boxes we bring for cherry blossom party. (Benkei is a famous old days monk)



He was also making a paper cover for chopsticks.
It was interesting to see Japanese craftsmanship.
I hope he will keep his health to be able to keep Japanese tradition.

October 15th 2007 : National New Art Museum --- Minato-ku

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Above photo: from left, New logo of National New Art Museum, Exterior, and Posters of exhibition

My dentist Dr.O gave me a ticket of the exhibition of Ikki-Ten Art Exhibition which his own oil paintings are shown. I managed to visit on the last day.
This museum which opened in this Roppongi this January has its attractive huge wall looks like a huge wave really matches with surrounding greenery. It is said that one of the biggest museum ( hall has 14,000m²) in Japan.
It was accessible with only 25min walk from our office.

Above photos: At their reputable restaurant

I had a Mexican lunch at the Tokyo Midtown. I dined out after a while so I enjoyed a lot . Their black bean soup was nice as well as the view from them. After that I headed to the exhibition.


I looked for my Dr. O’s oil paintings right away. Took a photo in front of his paintings, “Otaru” / won a Uniglavas Award and “Hakodate”.
I took around 30 Japanese pictures but needed to get a permission to post on the web so I couldn’t show you here.



The 3rd exhibition hall was wide and needed to take some time to appreciate pictures.
The right end space is the place Dr. O’s paintings were hanged.


Above photos: Picture “Mask of Japanese Traditional Noh Drama” and the poster of the Ikki-Ten Art Exhibition
I enjoyed appreciating the paintings they put a lot of effort.
Especially I admired with the one “Mask of Japanese Traditional Noh Drama” looked like reflecting our Japanese soul.
I wish even bigger success of this exhibition in the future.