It's about …
Shibuya (and no doubt the rest of Tokyo) has been covered with a layer of snow tonight. As I was writing my previous post, it was really bucketing down outside and coating everything with a layer of white. In as little as 20 minutes, the road outside was covered with an untouched, even white surface – apart from the wheel marks of the first car to drive through the middle of it.
It’s snowing in Tokyo!! Tonight, about 3cm (so far, at 11:30pm) has fallen, and things have turned white. I took some photos on my way home from my language class (around 10pm), but it’s become a lot more white since then. I might go outside and take some more. Let’s see if it’s still white outside in the morning.
Christmas in Japan brings elaborate and beautiful decorations and displays, perhaps even of a higher quality than other countries that traditionally celebrate Christmas. Many shops are decorated; it’s largely a commercial event. After all, Christmas seems to be largely about giving a present to your kids, or taking your girlfriend out for a date (and giving her a present!) on Christmas Eve under the romantic Christmas lights. (In Tokyo, the “illumination” in Marunouchi district is very popular as a date spot.) After Christmas, the commercial Christmas hype vanishes, Christmas Day is a normal work day, and the New Years preparations begin.
To add to the local style of Christmas, I’ve noticed that many of the shops or shopping districts have marketing themes running, where it seems to be the done thing to insert [adjective] in front of the word “Christmas”. It’s as if they are competing with each other to see which one can have the most interesting English adjective to use for their own Christmas celebrations. Have a look below and you’ll see what I mean.
It’s a Bright Christmas in the Marunouchi shopping district.
I found out recently that it’s possible to walk across the Rainbow Bridge. On a nice sunny afternoon, what better way to explore Tokyo than walk across the bridge to Odaiba? On reaching Odaiba, I found old Edo-period fortifications, a beach, and a Statue of Liberty scene that didn’t quite resemble New York…
Looking down on Tokyo? Only from the Sky Deck of the Mori Tower at Roppongi Hills, which at 270 metres above sea level, offers some better than ordinary vistas of the megatropolis skyline. I had some complimentary tickets to the observation deck (thanks Masakatsu!) that were due to expire the next day, so whatever the weather, I was going to be up that observation deck to admire Tokyo from above.
I forgot to bring my mini-tripod, so all the long exposure shots I tried to take blurred, except this 8 second exposure looking towards Tokyo Tower.
