After a couple of days in Tokyo, I started to realize that a lot of time can be wasted transferring between stations on subway trips across more than one line, and I didn’t want to spend all day underground in the name of “efficiency.” So, we started treating transfer stations as destinations in themselves, adding extra sites to our itineraries. These gardens were one such bonus visit.
I’m a sucker for a good frame within a frame.
It’s weird how brains work. When I was in Japan eleven years ago, Christine had googled a shinkansen themed kaitenzushi place in Tokyo she thought I’d like and sent me the address. I was based in Yokohama at the time and didn’t know anything about Tokyo’s geography, so when I arrived, I was pleasantly surprised to see this statue out front. Fast forward to this trip, and this time I planned a visit to this same neighborhood but didn’t realize it was the same place until Suzi pointed it out. This was also our second attempt at checking out Tokyo Bay.
So this is the Unicorn Gundam. I don’t know anything about this anime, but I did grow up with the giant robot “Japanimation” trope by way of Grendizer, or UFOロボ グレンダイザー.
Everyone my age in Lebanon either watched it or had parents who did, dubbed in Arabic of course. In fact, the Arabic theme song was sung by a singer from my home town, the late great Sami Clark (stage name of Sami Hobeika).
This Gundam only comes to life at certain times of the day, so it was quite lucky to arrive just in time for this display. x
We spent enough time in Tokyo that we did normal things too, like walking through malls, if you consider walking through malls “normal.” Maybe I meant “normie.” Here’s a collection of images from stores and streets, etc. An ode to consumption. x
I think these photos illustrate the surrealness of Japan’s place in the world 80 years after the fall of its empire. I mean, I had to google “does Japan still have an emperor” just now just to be sure I’m not hallucinating half-remembered trivia, and this is what google had to say, with a condescending sigh, I imagine: “Yes, Japan still has an emperor. The current Emperor is Naruhito, who acceded to the Chrysanthemum Throne in 2019 after his father, Emperor Akihito, abdicated. Japan is the world’s oldest continuous monarchy, and while the emperor holds no political power, he serves as the symbol of the state and the unity of the people under the country’s post-war constitution.”
People were lining up for an hour or more before this mall opened to get a chance to see whatever this poop-shaped thing was. More scenes from stores plus my favorite subway signage. x