Tag Archives: Tokyo

Architectural History: ‘Frank Lloyd Wright – The Imperial Hotel’ (Video)

Frank Lloyd Wright: The Lost Works explores some of Wright’s most important demolished and unrealized structures. The project brings these lost buildings to life through immersive digital animations reconstructed from Wright’s original plans and drawings, along with archival photographs.

Two years in the making and based on a Japanese publication of original plans and historical photos, Frank Lloyd Wright: The Lost Works – The Imperial Hotel is a comprehensive digitally-animated recreation of the exterior (Part I) and interior (Part II) of this masterpiece.

Learn more about the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust: https://flwright.org

Aerial Skyline Views: ‘Tokyo – Japan’ (Video)

Tokyo, Japan’s busy capital, mixes the ultramodern and the traditional, from neon-lit skyscrapers to historic temples. The opulent Meiji Shinto Shrine is known for its towering gate and surrounding woods. The Imperial Palace sits amid large public gardens. The city’s many museums offer exhibits ranging from classical art (in the Tokyo National Museum) to a reconstructed kabuki theater (in the Edo-Tokyo Museum). 

Travel Guides: ‘Ryogoku And Kuramae’, Tokyo, Japan

With any luck you’ll spot a sumo wrestler out and about in Ryogoku, the riverside neighbourhood that is home to Kokugikan, Tokyo’s distinctive sumo stadium. Across the water is Kuramae, another old neighbourhood that has long been famous for its craft workshops and still hums with industry.

The historic center of Japanese wrestling, riverside Ryogoku is home to Ryogoku Kokugikan arena, which hosts sumo and boxing, as well as classical concerts. Nearby Ryogoku Edo Noren is a dining street resembling an Edo-period village, where restaurants serve chanko nabe, the traditional protein-rich stew favored by wrestlers. In the striking, modern Edo-Tokyo Museum, scale and life-sized models recreate feudal life.

Travel Guides: ‘Harajuku & Aoyama’ In Tokyo (Video)

Harajuku is a neighbourhood of contrasts, home to the Meiji Shrine, which is surrounded by one of Tokyo’s largest green spaces, and a dense network of small streets packed with shops and cafés. Aoyama attracts a more grown-up crowd. Here, chic boutiques sit alongside one of the city’s most exquisite museums.

Buzzing Harajuku is renowned for colorful street art and youth fashion, with quirky vintage clothing stores and cosplay shops along Takeshita Street, and traditional, upmarket boutiques on leafy Omotesando Avenue. Small, trendy bars fill the surrounding lanes, while dessert shops and carts specialize in sweet crêpes, donuts, and bubble tea. Watari Museum of Contemporary Art hosts cutting-edge temporary exhibitions. 

Aoyama is one of the wealthiest neighborhoods of Tokyo, located in the northwest portion of Minato Ward. The area is well known for its international fashion houses, cafes and restaurants. 

Spring City Views: Cherry Blossom Season (Sakura) Begins In Tokyo (Video)

Date taken: February 27, 2021.

The Japanese cherry blossom, or sakura, has long been adored by people across the globe. It is regarded as a symbol of renewal, vitality, and beauty. During the spring season of each year, thousands travel to Japan to view the wondrous spectacle of these white or pink flowers blooming en masse.

Video timeline: 0:00​ TOKYO SKYTREE https://bit.ly/3sAQ2Xs1:32​ Sakura-Jingu shrine https://bit.ly/2ZVmec1 2:34​ Nihonbashi https://bit.ly/3bOz4OC5:58​ Ueno park https://bit.ly/3kuthBM7:41​ Kanda jinbocho https://bit.ly/3aXUABo

Sunday Morning Podcast: World News From Zurich, London & Tokyo (Feb 28)

The weekend’s biggest discussion topics dissected by Monocle’s editorial director Tyler Brûlé, Rob Cox, Christof Münger and Nina Müller, with insights from our editors in the UK and Japan.

Plus: what’s on the pages of ‘The South China Morning Post’ this weekend?

Travel Guide: ‘Kanda Neighborhood, Tokyo’

This historic corner of northeast Tokyo was once described as a place for “universities, bookshops and intellectuals”. Academic institutions are still there – along with the Holy Resurrection Cathedral – but Kanda is also home to electronics district Akihabara, a huge shrine and dozens of Japanese curry restaurants too.

Sprawling Kanda covers central districts like neon-lit Akihabara, known for its electronics stores, and Jimbocho, filled with bookshops. Students from the area’s many universities pack into bars, noodle shops, and karaoke rooms at night. Shinto shrines are found on quieter backstreets, including the nearly 1,300-year-old Kanda Myojin Shrine, with its crimson gate and altars to ancient gods of good fortune.

Travel Guides: ‘Yanaka Sector In Tokyo, Japan’

Yanaka moves at a different pace from much of Tokyo. As the city has changed around it, Yanaka has retained its old-fashioned atmosphere. Vacant wooden buildings have been brought back to life as new businesses such as cafés, noodle shops and galleries give them a fresh purpose.

Yanaka is a sector of Taito, Tokyo, Japan and, along with nearby Nezu and Sendagi neighborhoods in Bunkyo ward, is one of the few Tokyo neighborhoods in which the old Shitamachi atmosphere can still be felt. Located north of Ueno, Yanaka includes the large Yanaka Cemetery, which takes up most of Yanaka 7-chome.

Travel Guides: ‘Nihonbashi In Tokyo, Japan’ (Video)

Nihonbashi has deep roots in finance. In the Edo period this was the commercial centre of the city, with bustling canals, streets and markets. Recently, the neighbourhood has been attracting attention once again as exciting new businesses set up shop. Look behind the modern face to discover centuries of history.

Nihonbashi is a buzzing commercial quarter named for its landmark 17th-century canal bridge. The imposing Mitsukoshi Nihonbashi department store has been serving shoppers since 1904, while Coredo Muromachi mall has modern, stylish restaurants as well as shops for kimonos and lacquerware. The Tokyo Stock Exchange has a small museum and is surrounded by izakaya bars that fill up with off-duty traders at happy hour. 

Walks: ‘Kaminarimon Gate Senso-ji, Tokyo’ (4K Video)

The Kaminarimon is the outer of two large entrance gates that ultimately leads to the Sensō-ji in Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan. The gate, with its lantern and statues, is popular with tourists. It stands 11.7 m tall, 11.4 m wide and covers an area of 69.3 m².

Video timeline: 【Locations】 00:00​ Preview 00:24​ Starting Point 00:32​ Kaminarimon Gate / 雷門 00:56​ Nakamise Shopping Street / 仲見世商店街 06:12​ Five-Storied Pagoda / 五重塔 06:26​ Hōzōmon Gate / 宝蔵門 16:38​ Denpoin Street / 伝法院通 24:38​ Shin Nakamise Shopping Street / 新仲見世商店街