Aqua City Healing Illumination Fantasy
Aqua City Odaiba is a large scale, modern shopping complex located right next to Odaiba Kaihin Park in Odaiba, Tokyo.
Since the theme is water, you will find a small aquarium inside near the Information booth on the 3rd floor.
The highlight of the Aqua City illumination is the Healing Illumination Fantasy Tree which runs every half hour.
The series of pictures below show the tree illuminated in different colors.
A video is probably the best way to experience this.
On the top floor of Aqua City …
… you can find the Aqua City Shrine, the only shrine at which people can go and worship within Odaiba and Ariake Areas.
You can also see a good view of the Rainbow Bridge …
… and the nearby Fuji TV building.
For the romantic types, there are illuminated heart chairs to sit on and view the Tokyo skyline.
Venusfort Illumination Snow Wish
Venus Fort is an indoor European style shopping mall in Odaiba, Tokyo.
One of the main attractions is the largest fountain near the center of the mall.
During the winter illumination in 2011, the fountain transformed into magical light show (every 2 hours) called Snow Wish.
The other parts of the mall also had similar illumination.
There was also a hanging lighted crystal tree.
Empty Subway Station
The Roppongi station on the Toei Oedo line is the deepest Tokyo subway station.
You have to take several long escalators to get to the subway platform.
It was eerily empty on New Years Day – these pictures were taken on January 1, 2012.
The Oedo line has recently installed these safety barriers.
Finally, the train arrives … only one passenger is ready to board!
Ebisu Baccarat Eternal Lights
The 2011 winter illumination at Ebisu was called the Baccarat Eternal Lights.
The famous landmarks in Ebisu are the Sapporo Beer Station and the Sapporo Beer Museum …
… and the Joel Robuchon Restaurant.
This must be a classy neighborhood if they use a red carpet FTW.
Same picture as above, looking the other way.
The highlight is the large chandelier which was situated in the main square.
Close up of the chandelier. It was hard to take a good picture because the lights was extremely bright, while the surrounding was dark.
Hatsumode
One of the traditional Japanese activities during the New Years holiday is called hatsumode, which is the first visit to a Shinto shrine or Buddhist temple.
People will typically visit a shrine or temple from midnight New Years day until January 7. The pictures in this blog post were taken at Hie Shrine in Akasaka, Tokyo on January 2nd.
Below, the main stone torii gate of the Hie Shrine is very large and impressive, a distinct contrast to the modern, high-rise buildings in the area.
Near the rear of the shrine, you will find a red torii gate with a series of smaller torii gates enclosing a steep set of stairs.
Just like most shrines, there was a long queue to get inside the shrine. The next series of pictures show people patiently waiting their turn. The end of the line (as indicated by the sign carried by the policeman) is shown in the first picture.
Finally, pull the chord to ring the bell and offer a solemn prayer for the new year.
New omamori (charms or amulets) are bought, and the old ones are returned to the shrine so they can be burned. In the Hie Shrine, a hamaya, or wooden arrow, was sold as the omamori.
After buying the omamori, you can give it to one of the shrine maidens for a blessing.
You can also buy ema boards, small wooden plaques on which Shinto worshippers can write their prayers or wishes.
There are good selection, and since 2012 is the Year of the Dragon, many ema have a dragon.
Another tradition is omikuji, which are random fortunes written on strips of paper. When the prediction is bad, it is customary to fold up the strip of paper and attach it to a pine tree or a wall of metal wires alongside other bad fortunes in the temple or shrine grounds.
Just like any typical Japanese festival, you will find stalls selling a variety of food and drinks.
Photo of the Day: A Shelf-ful of KitKats
This picture was taken at one of the shops in the Terminal 1 departure floor at Narita airport using my Blackberry camera.
I have certainly missed different flavored KitKats available in Japan, but not in North America. Previous KitKat related posts:
Also, visit Jen Ken’s Kit Kat Blog for more Kit Kats in Japan.
Omotesando Hills 2011 Disney Illumination
Between November 2 to December 25, 2011, Omotesando Hills in Tokyo featured the Disney Christmas Stars of Dreams illumination.
It was Disney’s 110th Anniversary in Japan on December 5.
Crystal mouse ears were appropriate for this very upscale shopping center.
The highlight of the decorations was the illuminated crystal Christmas tree.
It looked spectacular in blue lights.
The base of the tree had silhouettes of Disney characters.
The tree even looked more spectacular in bright white lights.
Finally, the YouTube video below shows the full sights and sounds effects. Enjoy!
Kadomatsu
A kadomatsu is a traditional Japanese New Years decoration placed in front of entrances between Christmas and January 7.
These symbolic gates are meant to welcome the ancestral spirits or kami of the harvest. The next two pictures were taken in the streets of Asakasa.
Depending on the region, a kadomatsu is typically made from 3 diagonally cut bamboo, pine or ume shoots or twigs bound together with a straw rope.
Each type has a spiritual meaning: Pine represents longevity and bamboo represents prosperity, while ume represents steadfastness. The next two pictures were taken in front of modern buildings in Roppongi Hills.
The 3 pieces are cut or set at different heights to represent heaven (tallest), humanity, and earth (shortest) …
… though some place the humanity and earth at the same height.
Kadomatsu are placed in pairs on either side of the gate, representing male and female (yes, in the picture below of the entrance of the Excel Hotel Tokyu in Asakasa, there is another one not shown).
This last picture was taken in Center Gai in Shibuya, a large one with lots of flowers.
Check out Three Steps Over Japan’s attempt to create a kadomatsu papercraft.
Latest Softbank Ad
The latest Softbank ad in Tokyo features a white dog wearing an astronaut suit flanked by American and Japanese flags.
Does this remind you of the famous Hachiko statue in Shibuya, no?
Shimbashi Space Train
Near the JR Shimbashi station, you can find a steam locomotive train which was installed in 1972 to mark the 100 year celebration of the first train line in Japan.
This landmark is located in the Steam Locomotive (SL) plaza.
During the winter illumination season, the train is lit with multi-colored lights.
Check out this short video with music of the Space Train .. choo, choo!
