Tokyo Visit Fall Sept 2010 (1)

After spending a week in Seoul, Korea at the IUFRO conference I took advantage of the opportunity of my PhD Project funding my travel to Korea to use my own funds to hop over to Japan for a short holiday. I had not been to Japan since I finished my master's degree as a Rotary World Peace Fellow in Tokyo in July 2007. How fast 3 years can pass!

Fortunately, a few study colleagues from that time have stayed on for PhD studies in Tokyo or work in Japan. I have also been able to keep in touch with several Japanese friends that live around Tokyo. Before arriving in Tokyo I was dreaming of good food and reconnecting with people that for the last few years have only been able to connect with online. I was not disappointed.

I spent the 6 days in Tokyo staying with Zare, a Brazilian friend whom I studied with at International Christian University (ICU), no its not a school for monks or nuns! Christianity has a minority religion status in Japan and this university was established after the second world war to help the country rebuilt its intellectual capital particularly in the field of public administration (if I remember correctly).

Anyway, Zare lives in Shimokitazawa a fantastic hip neighborhood that is ideally connected to key train lines in Tokyo. The first night in Tokyo we took some long strolls around the neighborhood (it was still about 30 degrees celcius at midnight). We stopped into a local jazz bar for a beer, and would you believe the only beer they had on draft was Carlsberg, a Danish beer?














The weekend I arrived was also well timed so we could attend a matsuri (festival) in Koenji an area between where I used to live and Shinjyuku on the Chuo-sen train. I never went to the festival before and its a pretty big one. All of the groups had a mix of women, men, older folks and kids...so the whole range of participants. Most of the women wore yukata (summer kimonos). They were also wearing this hat type things.


















The music was a mix but involved a lot of drumming. I like this pic because the guy in the forefront looks like he is having a great time despite it being 30C, perhaps the pre-festival beers helped ;-)















I can't be sure (Japanese or Japan-living people looking at this correct me if I am wrong) but each group is sort of telling a story with their costumes, music, dance. I think in general its a harvest festival. But these guys are dressed up like comical thieves of some kind.












This last pic from the festival impressed me a lot so I had to share. It is hot and humid, not to mention it was loud and drunk people were all over the place. In contrast to all that this woman looks cool and calm as a cucumber - and just so composed and beautiful.