Ryokan…a little peace of mind with rocks, baths and old time aesthetic

Have been at a Ryokan outside of Nagoya. There were 2 studio visits, a museum in Gifu - designed by Arata Isozaki, and a 2 night stay in a ryokan. A tatami mat, sleeping on futons on the floor, taking baths from hot springs and wandering around in a yukata (a cotton robe much resembling a kimono). Nope, no pix of me in the yukata (didn't take any, not sure if any of the others did). But here is the outdoor bath, a predecessor to a hot tub (like this analog version better)

Here is the hot spring - public bath (gender specific, each side switches every day)

that one was fabulous

like you haven't seen enough photos of food, right?

...even the fire extinguishers are 'aestheticized'

I am learning the design of the room, how and why. The safe is a more modern addition. It was very comfortable, needed two futons for sleeping more comfortably. But after the shiatsu massage, I was a puddle anyway.

If you don't want to do the outdoor bath, there is the indoor one, if you don't want to go public with the public hot spring ones…lots of options.

Now we get a bit more up close and personal…toilets…yes like that they warm you up, have various spray accessories left side of toilet, and some even open the lid when you walk into the room. It seems to be a bit 'sensor mad' over here (getting use to it), but this toilet when you flush the toilet has a faucet in the tank where you can rinse your hands as it fills up the tank. Total eco planning…I kinda love it.

Ok I leave you with the big flush…

Will get to the artist studio tours. We have 2 more today and a temple (I think)…Now in Okayama.
Mata (familiar form of see ya)

Street Fashion: Tokyo style

Have now left the fair city of Tokyo.  But before moving on, let's have a little homage to Bill Cunningham, he is a master and I can only emulate him in spirit. The street fashion is a lot of fun. I think this season is about fur, early 60s cocktail dresses cartoon or animé kinda persona. So dig the sci-fi/animé/asian vibe and enjoy the pix.

Shrines (of a different kind)

A quick visual entry about shrines. These are not typical 'shrines', of the Buddhist or Shinto variety, but they seem to be shrines none-the-less. Let me know what you think. 

 Garden of Nezu Museum

 8th floor of Tea building near Shinjuku station

 Omotesando shop display

 Prada Building Omotesando

Tod Building (right) not sure of other Omotesando

Coffee express Omotesando

The Aoyama district has Omotesando which alternately looks like Paris with a wide tree lined boulevard and chic individuals wafting down the street (more of that later) and the side and back streets that alternatively look like Santa Monica...yeah really. It's beginning to look more sci-fi everyday with its contrasts and what seem to be the fascination of the populace.

Then there are lines of people here and there on this boulevard or wrapping around the narrow back streets.... Living near the bakery that sells cronuts- this summer's food phenom (it really made me cranky) I have this morbid wonder about lining up for something, aside from a ticket to ride somewhere. Well, it's really popular here – lining up. There were 3 long lines when I visited: 1 for a pancake house, 1 for a popcorn shop (uh huh) and 1 for a Scandinavian (think Ikea meets Marimeko housewares and accessories shop. All within a few blocks of each other. I guess anything can be a sport these days.....?

Tokyo: day 1

Greetings from Tokyo. All is well here: cleaner, quieter and much more incomprehensible to me than NYC. But I am a provincial person from the island of Manhattan. Yet, I do keep getting on planes and going places.

These are typical tourist photos of Tokyo, but they are personal instead of stock images.

It's day1after all, and as a tourist I am outside of things. But learned a word today, Uchisoto which means (many things as in all Japanese words or anything it seems) inside/outside. It was used as being in a group that may include someone who is not present. For example, the person who told me this word, David was introduced by my friend Kate, who is presently not here. So we are a group of two together but a greater group of 3....another interpretation of inside/outside. This may be a bit of a mind melt, which is totally happening to me. Or just confusing.....but wanted to put it out there.

The doors of the department store, Isetan. They do a small welcome ceremony, speaking in Japanese and English welcoming the customers waiting outside and thanking them for their patronage, and of course bowing. I actually really like the bowing. It's kind of like Namaste, I like the honoring of another person. We have really gotten away from that...just look at Syria or our congress or the crazy hate crimes. Oh, I am going on.....Back to the photos....

These mushroom are wrapped and put on a pedestal because they are, on the left $780.00 and on the right over $1000. Makes Dean & Delucca look like Shop Rite, huh? Now to confuse matters, they are from Fukushima, you know where the nuclear reactor is....yup, confusing. 

At Sekaido, an amazing art supply/stationary store! Across the street from Isetan. I am in the Shinjuku area of Tokyo today, all near my hotel.

Watched the sushi chef construct this beautiful platter. It looks like a park doesn't it?

The two gentlemen sitting a few seats away joked and laughed, (at my expense, but eh) and then bought me a cup of smokey delicious miso soup to go with my sushi platter (which was much more modest) and equally delicious. They laughed when I said delicious. The sushi chef then smiled and said "dericious", and we both laughed.

Walking home, the crowds are intense, but it's quiet, calm...orderly chaos. I hear laughter a lot. Also a lot of western pop music.

Almost Sayonara Bon Voyage

On the way to the airport. Went to bed way too late and up way too early. I'm eating a bagel in the car. For some reason that is what I wanted for my departure taste. 

Now to experience a lifelong dream. I have wanted to go since I was a child and my parent's friends brought me back a doll in a kimono, a Geisha. Later I wanted to make a Japanese style doll house (no Barbie's dream house for me). Finding any books to model my cardboard attempts were fruitles, just books on gardens and flower arranging.

Now onward to the heart of it.