So, a quick visual post today. There’s little I love more than a glaring juxtaposition and a stroll through Ueno Park not to long ago netted these two images:

two women stroll through Tokyo's Ueno Park on a sunny spring afternoon

a group of young mothers in Tokyo's Ueno Park photgraph their babies

Click on either image above for a MUCH larger view. The second one just fascinates me endlessly for so many reasons…(and it really makes me chuckle).

For more views of Japan, visit the weekly

I actually started writing this post in the first week of March and then put it in my drafts folder and left it sitting there as we all became consumed with earthquake, tsunami aftermath, and nuclear plant news.

As anyone who looks at this blog regularly knows, I’ve done a few entries on the construction of the Tokyo Sky Tree. My balcony faces it directly, so I’d been watching the tower climb over the months.

I haven’t taken any new photos of the Sky Tree since then, but it is not vastly different in appearance because these photos were taken just after it passed the 600 meter mark and about 2 weeks later it reached its final height of 634 meters.

Looking at it from the balcony, it’s hard to get a sense of how tall it really is, so, to mark the occasion of passing the 600 meter milestone, I took a quick trip over to the area and took a few photos. It was quite crowded and there was quite a buzz all around  and, I have to say, from the ground, looking up, it really is impressive.

Getting some close-ups of the Tokyo Sky Tree

Almost everyone was doing the same thing - just staring up to the sky

a close-up of the Tokyo Sky Tree observation deck construction

a height marker at the base of the tower

a man had a mirror set up so people could take pictures of themselves with the tower in the background

another angle

I love this picture!

old and new as I walked towards Asakusa

I’ve been remiss of late, but this is my return to the fabulous weekly Show Me Japan blog/photo extravaganza – click on the image below for more Japan blogging goodness:

The Tokyo Jidai Matsuri is an annual parade that depicts key events in Tokyo history through the ages (jidai means “era” or “period”). It’s one of those festivals that you might think has been around for a loooong time, but, actually, it started in 1999 as part of an event called “Tokyo Renaissance”, an attempt to promote the Asakusa area and its historical significance in the history of Edo. Just so there’s no confusion, Kyoto has a more famous Jidai Matsuri that’s been running since the late 1800s and is held on October 22nd every year.

Anyway, last November, I knew the Jidai Matsuri was on, but I didn’t have any particular plan to go and watch it. However, as I was very near Asakusa by chance (I went there to buy a ticket for the Tobu line to Nikko), I strolled over and spent an hour or so watching “The Ages” pass by. I was pleasantly surprised on many fronts: the streets were nowhere near as crowded as I had anticipated (which was my original reason for not really wanting to go), everyone in the parade seemed to really be enjoying themselves, and the costumes were fantastic.

Fortunately, I had my 135L with me and it was easy to get right up to the front, so, this is what it’s all about (if you’re interested in details about the costumes in terms of period or meaning, this website has detailed descriptions). I’ll start with my own personal favourite from the whole parade:

Okay, not everyone looked happy to be there…

This guy reminds me of Cyrano de Bergerac for some reason…

Okay, this guy wasn’t actually in the parade but he was pretty cute in his absolute refusal to walk one inch further…

By the way, if you are running a WordPress.org blog and you ever want to insert more than two or three images in one post, do yourself a favour and get the Faster Image Insert plugin – it’s a brilliant solution to the very irritating built-in method of inserting images one-by-one.

I haven’t been participating in Show Me Japan for the past few weeks (hectic weekends, it seems), but this is my entry for Show Me Japan Vol. I issue XV

You can read more about Show Me Japan by clicking the image below:

(click on the image for a larger view – the cluster of buildings in the distance is Shinjuku.)

Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 - 3 exposures tonemapped with Photomatix

This was taken from the “Sky Deck” of the Mori Tower at Roppongi Hills - if you haven’t been, I highly recommend it on any clear day you are in Tokyo. You have an almost 360° view of the city and it really gives you a sense of scale and scope; and you are outside with the wind blowing, so it is very different from the enclosed observation decks and high rise or office building views throughout the city. If it’s a really clear day, you can see Mt. Fuji.

This is for Budget Trouble‘s photo meme/blog post called Show Me Japan. Jump over and take a look at the other entries by clicking the link above or  here.

festival attendee with his two little friends on his shoulders

Speechless…

Middle of Tokyo.  No doubt they were smuggled here in a paper towel tube or something else. What compels..?

Anyway, as for taxonomy, will take a bit of research. Some type of lemur, but that’s as far as I’ll venture.

EDIT: See comments, below. Thanks, Dave, for IDing the “little creatures”. Definitely marmosets based on this Wikipedia picture. (By the way, Dave is the creator of the awesome KanjiBox app – get it!)