Tag Archives: Urban art

Shizuoka City, Ukiyoe, urban Art, Utagawa Hiroshige

Japan Urban Art: Utagawa Hiroshige’s Tokaido Stations Ukiyoe in Shin Kambara, Shizuoka City!

November 23, 2015 dragonlife Leave a comment

Utagawa Hiroshige/歌川広重 (1797 – 12 October 1858) (real name: 安藤広重/Ando Hiroshige) is probably the most famous ukiyoe/woodblock print artist when it comes to describing travel scenes in Japan.
When it comes to Shizuoka Prefecture where a Museum is dedicated to him in Yui, Shimizu Ku, Shozuoka City, the Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō immediately come to mind.
And if you look carefully you will find them represented in the most unusual places!

Now, take the Tokaido Railway Line and get off at Shin Kambara Station in Shizuoka City, Shimizu Ku!

The place is famous for its cherry trees.
Did you know that the cherry trees offered to the US in Washington are all the scions from a single tree from nearby Okitsu, Shimizu Ku, Shizuoka City!

Travelers of yore added onto one of Utagawa Hiroshige’s prints!

Now go the pavement along the station and you will discover the world of Edo at your feet!

Find this set of tiles and proceed to its left to discover them all in their right order!

Leaving Edo : Nihonbashi, “the bridge of Japan”!
We are still in present Tokyo!

1st station : Shinagawa!

Now, we enter Kanagawa Prefecture:
2nd station : Kawasaki!

3rd station : Kanagawa (presently in Kanagawa Ku, Yokohama City)!

4th station : Hodogaya (presently in Hodogaya Ku, Yokohama City)!

5th station : Totsuka!

6th station : Fujisawa!

7th station : Hiratsuka!

8th station : Oiso (presently in Naka District, Kanagawa Prefecture)!

9th station : Odawara (Crossing the Sakawa river at a ford.)!

10th station : Hakone!
The last station inside Kanagawa Prefecture!

We enter Shizuoka Prefecture from now on:
11th station : Mishima!

12th station : Numazu!

13th station : Hara (presently in Numazu City)!

14th station : Yoshiwara (presently in Fuji City)!

15th station : Kambara, the main tile (Shin Kambara is part of Kambara, Shimizu Ku, Shizuoka City)!

16th station : Yui (presently part of Shimizu Ku, Shizuoka city)!

17th station : Okitsu (presently part of Shimizu Ku, Shizuoka City)!

18th station : Ejiri (presently part of Shimizu Ku, Shizuoka City)!

19th station : Fuchū (old name of Shizuoka City)!

20th station : Mariko (presently in Suruga Ku, Shizuoka City)!

21st station : Okabe (presently in Fujieda City)!

22nd station : Fujieda!

23rd station : Shimada!

24th station : Kanaya (presently in Shimada City)!

25th station : Nissaka (presently in Kakegawa City)!

26th station : Kakegawa!

27th station : Fukuroi!

28th station : Mitsuke (presently in Iwata City)!

29th station : Hamamatsu!

30th station : Maisaka!

31st station : Arai!

32nd station : Shirasuka (presently in Kosai City)!
This is the last station inside Shizuoka Prefecture!

Now we enter Aichi Prefecture:
33rd station : Futagawa (presently in Toyohashi City)!

34th station : Yoshida (presently in Toyohashi City)

35th station : Goyu (presently in Toyokawa City)!

36th station : Akasaka (presently in Toyokawa City)!

37th station : Fujikawa (presently in Okazaki City)!

38th station : Okazaki!

39th station : Chiryu!

40th station : Narumi (presently in Midori Ku, Nagoya city)!

41st station : Miya (presently in Atsuta Ku, Nagoya City)!
This is the last station inside Aichi Prefecture!

Now we enter Mie Prefecture:
42nd station : Kuwana

43rd station : Yokkaichi

44th station : Ishiyakushi (presently in Suzuka City)!

45th station : Shōno (presently in Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture)!

46th station : Kameyama!

47th station : Seki (“the barrier”), (presently in Kameyama City)!

48th station : Sakashita (presently in Kameyama City)!
This is the last station inside Mie Prefecture!

Now we enter Shiga Prefecture:
49th station : Tsuchiyama (presently in Kota City)!

50th station : Minakuchi (presently in Kota City)!

51st station : Ishibe (presently inside Konan City)!

52nd station : Kusatsu!

53rd station : Otsu!
This is the last station inside Shiga Prefecture!

The end of the Tōkaidō: arriving at Kyoto (actually at the tme Sanjō Ōhashi (the bridge spanning over Kamo River) at Keishi (“the capital”)!

Enjoy your trip!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

So Good Sushi Restaurant in Nice France
Navigating Nagoya by Paige, Shop with Intent by Debbie, BULA KANA in Fiji, Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pie
rre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Ichi For The Michi by Rebekah Wilson-Lye in Tokyo, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in Kansai by Nevitt Reagan!
ABRACADABREW, Magical Craftbeer from Japan
-Whisky: Nonjatta: All about whisky in Japan by Stefan Van Eycken
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

Manhole covers, Shizuoka City, urban Art

Manhole Covers in Shizuoka Prefecture 38: Nishigaya Sports Center in Shizuoka City!

August 17, 2015 dragonlife Leave a comment

Nishigaya Sports Center is located far away, about 30 minutes by bicycle from Shizuoka Station on the other side of the Abe River. That is probably why I never realised they might have, and an ancient one at that, their own particular manhole covers!

They are all, 21 of them, located in the middle of a street running along the sports center (none were found near the baseball stadium, though). There are two types,most often in pairs, although of the exactly same design.
They were probably installed in 1990 when the Sports Center was completed, making them very old by Shizuoka standards!

The “denki/電気/underground electric cables manhole cover”!

The “Tachi Aoi/たち葵/Hollyhock”, emblem flower of Shizuoka City!

A “Tsubame/燕/Swallow”, one of the two Shizuoka emblem birds (the other one is the kingfisher)!

The “Osui/汚水/spent waters” type!

I have a strong hunch they will soon be replaced so keep an eye on them!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

Manhole covers, Shizuoka City, urban Art

Manhole Covers in Shizuoka City 37: The One That Will Never Appear On Shizuoka City Streets!

August 10, 2015 dragonlife 1 Comment

Last Friday the Shizuoka City Water and Sewers Department were holding an unusual and very instructive exhibition to make the public aware of their work from manhole covers to the functioning of toilets with a strong accent pn public hygiene!

Visitors were greeted with two of these public water spouts in shape of dragon head!

Quite a few fire hydrant and waterways manhole covers in their mint form were on display including a guest in the shape of a flowery design from Aichi Prefecture!

of course the hollyhock, emblem flower of Shizuoka City (for waterways) was exhibited!
Actually there exist more than 8 types of the same design!

There was also a mint of a fire hydrant manhole cover from Shimizu City before its merger with Shizuoka City!

The start display was of the three most recent fire hydrant manhole covers in Shizuoka City!

I have described those two in recent articles!

This one was minted in 2007 to commemorate the 400th Anniversary of the retirement of Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu to Sumpu (the old name of Shizuoka City!)!

This was laid on February 24th this year to commemorate the 400th Anniversary of the Death of Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu in our city!

These are the very newest designs to be laid in Shizuoka City!

The character on all three designs is a kingfisher, the emblem bird of Shizuoka City!
But unfortunately it will be some time before we can admire them in our streets!

This is the mint of a firefighting kingfisher!
When I asked the civil servants where we could them, they first replied they did not know exactly.
Later they were kind enough to meet me again with more of their colleagues who were actually extremely helpful and kind.
The story is we will never see this particular design as it was found out the surface would become too slippery when wet. Therefore this has become a mint proof that will ot be reproduced.
On the other hand the city is re-designing the cover to improve its safety but no one knew when they would appear yet!

A rare find if there is one!
Great for my collection until we see the new ones!
It would be a sham not to discover them as they are so cute!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

観光, Japan, Japanese Culture, Kanazawa City, Photography, Tourism

The Shovels are for he Snow in Kanazawa City!

January 9, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

I found these snow shovels at the bus stop near Kenroku Park in Kanazawa City!
Now, you understand that living in the snow country requires some volunteer work!

As the access to the bus and the bus stop shelter can be easily blocked in January~April these shovels are provided for such work by the city with the understanding that citizens participate to the work if they can.
Incidentally, it is clearly written that these shovels are provided for clearing the snow only! LOL

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

So Good Sushi Restaurant in Nice France
Navigating Nagoya by Paige, Shop with Intent by Debbie, BULA KANA in Fiji, Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

観光, Japan, Japanese Culture, Parks, Photography, Statues, Tourism, 公園

Kanazawa City Symbol: Kanazawa Kenroku Park Stone Lantern!

January 9, 2014 dragonlife 4 Comments

This stone lantern in Kenroku Park is the symbol of that City!
You will see on every tourism pamphlet.
I know that some buffs take picture of that single art piece every season in every weather!