Tokyo National Museum

 

The objects at the Tokyo National Museum were as dazzling as one would expect.

The decorations on formal kimono for women of the samurai class became standardized in the late 1700s. They consisted of geometric patterns and floral bouquets rendered in embroidery and stencil dyeing. This fabric is silk damask with a subtle pattern woven into the surface.

Screens are so varied and appealing.  One popular subject matter for landscape painting was the Eight Views of the Xiao and Xiang Rivers, which is based on a scenic area in China.

Buddhism originated in India. It spread to surrounding regions like China and Korea before its introduction to Japan in the 6th century.  The first sculptures of Buddhist deities were metal.  In the 8th century the technique of making sculptures with lacquer -- like this figure -- was also introduced.

Asakusa Kannon Temple

Buddhist temples in Japan have architecture based on those in China, but the roofs are not curved with the same exaggeration.  This temple holds a small Buddha statue rescued from the sea by two fishermen in 628.  Visitors can't see it because it is hidden from the public. 

 

Donald Trump would approve of the inside of the temple.  It is gleaming with gold.

Tokyo Murals

 The Nakamise shopping arcade is just beyond the Asakusa Kannon Temple in Tokyo.

We walked down a street with stores selling food and souvenirs.  When stores were not yet open, security doors were down.  The doors were usually painted with murals.

Linked to Monday Murals.

Ginza

 We spent some time in Ginza, Tokyo's leading upscale shopping, cafe and entertainment district.

I chose a bento box for lunch.It was delicious.

We ate at the top level of Ginza Six, which had a park-like setting facing the Mikimoto building.

There are many distinctive buildings in Ginza.  Because of the extensive bombing in World War II, many of the buildings are modern.  This is the headquarters of Seiko, the watchmaker.  It looks original, but I don't know.

This is a Nissan building, which also houses SONY.  A very cool building, to my eyes.

My son loved Japanese Manga characters.  He would have liked this truck.

Tokyo Tower

 My hotel is at the edge of Shiba Park in the Minato district of Tokyo.

The hotel shares Shiba Park with Tokyo Tower, a television transmission tower built in 1958.  It was modeled on the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and it is ten feet taller but substantially lighter.

With Tokyo's fast growth in the past decades, skyscrapers in the city grew taller than Tokyo Tower, so it is no longer the principal communication antenna for the city.  Today it  is more of an entertainment venue. 

Samurai and Baseball

 I'm in Japan for twelve days or so.

Koshun Masunaga is a noted calligrapher in Tokyo.  She exhibited some of her works, including several commissioned posters for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.  In front of us, she filled a sheet with calligraphic art about Japanese star baseball player Shohei Ohtani, a rare pitcher-hitter for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

I like these Samurai warriors. 

Soft

 

In the guest room set up for granddaughter visits.

The October 1 theme for City Daily Photo participants is "soft."  Click here for other interpretations.