Shibamata, Tokyo

I made a movie with pictures and video files that I took when I visited Shibamata, Tokyo last year with my family.

The background music “Otoko Wa Tsuraiyo” is played by Koichi who is an amateur electric organ player.
He uploaded numbers of tunes on his YouTube site. I impressed his skilled technique a lot.

One day, I wanted to make a video with his music, I asked him a favor of using his music in my video. That is about two months ago.
After getting his generous permission by email, I spent almost a month to complete the video.

I’m happy you watch and enjoy the video.

7-5-3, Shichi-Go-San Festival

Shichi-Go-San, literally translated "Seven-Five-Three" is a traditional festival day in Japan to celebrate the healthy growth of children, three and seven year-old girls and three and five year-old boys.

It is not a national holiday. It is generally held on the nearest weekend around November 15.
When I went to Tokyo a few weeks ago for a college reunion, I visited Kanda Myojin Shrine on Sunday morning.

Two families were celebrating Shichi-Go-San festival there.
They were dressed up in their best clothes and held a ceremony of purification.
Parents didn't fail to take pictures of thier lovely children.

One young couple were having a wedding ceremony at Kanda Myojin on the day.

Tokyo Sky Tree

I stayed in Tokyo on the day of the college reunion party. Then, the next day, I went to "Tokyo Sky Tree" with three former photography club members who had come to the party.

"Tokyo Sky Tree" is now under construction in Sumida Ward, located about 1km east of Asakusa, Tokyo.

It will be completed in 2011. The height of the tower is said to become 634m and will be the world's tallest.

According to the notification showed at the construction site, the tower was a little shorter than 200m when we visited.

Even it was one-third of the final height, its huge skirts of the building impressed us very much.

Many tourists were posing before the tower to be taken a picture.

Mr. Yamamoto (center) and Mr. Nakahigashi (right) in the subway.

College Reunion Party

After walking together with Michel and Keita to the area near Utsunomiya station, I hopped on a train heading to Tokyo to join a reunion party of college photography club.




I was a member of photography club in my college.
It was five years ago that the club reunion party was held last time.

Twenty people gathered to the party that was held in Ochanomiz. One of campuses of my alma mater is located in Ochanomizu about a five-minute train ride from Tokyo station.

Most people joined the party had come to the party five years ago. They looked far different from they looked in college days, but amazingly not changed from five years ago.

To think about their characters, either good or strange, I felt that most of them had not lost their own characters that they had in their youth, even about thirty years had passed.

I met some of the members for the first time at the party.

I was very happy that I could talk with those who were once in the same college photography club and never talked with in my adolescence, since they had already graduated before I entered the college.

We were really enjoyed eating, drinking, talking, laughing, singing, exchanging ideas and, of course, taking pictures at the party.

We all promised to keep our health good and have a party five years later again.

Michel and Keita Come My Home.

My friend Michel and his son Keita who live in Canada have come home for the first time since one and half year ago. They are staying in his wife’s parents’ home in Tochigi and their one-month-trip will end in few more days.

They’ve traveled from Nikko, Gifu, Nara, Osaka and many places in Japan, I heard.

I really envied both his energy to go such many places in Japan and being able to take four weeks off from his work.

In my case, I made trips in Japan to Tochigi, Tokyo and my hometown Shimane. Those were my only destinations of traveling in Japan for the past several years.

My wife Kiyono and two children Emi, Rina and I, all enjoyed talking with Michel and were happy to see Keita becoming such a cheerful nice boy.