Thursday, July 09, 2009
Asak*sa District
On one of the busier press days, I needed to fill some time, so our friend Clark joined me for a day at Asakusa (aw-SOCK-saw). Above is the Outer Gate (entrance) to Sensoji Temple and Asakusa Shrine. Little did I know it was not only an historical site full of great architecture (bombed, rebuilt I think in the 50's), but also a shopping mecca. The guy in front... no clue, but I thought he was 
No, that's not a Japanese boyband... it's just four kids in their school uniforms. You can also see the gauntlet of retail shops that you walk before getting to the Inner (bigger) Gate of Sensoji Buddhist Temple. What was in the shops? You'll see later!
Closer to the Inner Gate....
View looking left of Inner Gate... the day was so harshly overcast that it really messed with my photos and my barely adequate camera. But it's still pretty.
The Inner Gate.
Close up. Can you imagine the wattage on the lightbulb for that lantern?
From the side, I believe.
The actual shrine inside the temple. Very hard to get a photo, and I wasn't sure if I was supposed to take them... I saw no signs, but was trying to be brief, flashless and respectful.
This adorable art (behind glass) was some sort of sign... perhaps a history, perhaps even an ad or some sort... I have no idea. But I loved all the little archetypal characters on it. Zoom to see details.
What's luckier than one Buddha statue?
Two Buddha statues...
Details of the nearby Asakusa Shrine (I think it's a Shinto Shrine... I might be wrong)
But the colors were stunning. Wish I could have photographed it in sunshine. (Maybe in 2011 if we return with the follically-gifted girl)
Foo Dog/Lion. Not sure which.
Okay! Lion!!
(dog?)
Here I used a very special lens to push the image to white hot with a high contrast of color (yeah right... )
You're still seeing the Inner Gate, by the way. Because the exterior of the actual Temple, a VERY large building, was completely covered in scraffolding in the midst of an extensive restoration.
There were also other side streets with tons of shopping! I did take a few photos of items. Some I bought, some I didn't.
Didn't buy.
Didn't buy.
Bought (for B)
Didn't buy. What are they? Chocolate billiard balls?
Bought!!
(at the cutest shop full of handmade crafts)
Didn't buy.
(but they made me smile)
Love this shot of an adjacent shopping street. See the Rikshaw? :) If you look closely, you can also see the bunny door-hanging that I bought.
There were Rikshaw drivers all around Asakusa, offering rides.
Rikshaw shoes. Oddly appealing.
Looking back toward the Outer Gate down the Shopping Gauntlet. I didn't escape the gauntlet. Found really cute gifts. There was some cheap stuff, but mostly it was fun and worth looking. It must look very carnivalesque at night.
You can see the actual temple behind the Inner Gate in this shot --covered in scaffold and tarps. I bet it's beautiful.
Stay tuned for more Tokyo!!
From the side, I believe.
The actual shrine inside the temple. Very hard to get a photo, and I wasn't sure if I was supposed to take them... I saw no signs, but was trying to be brief, flashless and respectful.
This adorable art (behind glass) was some sort of sign... perhaps a history, perhaps even an ad or some sort... I have no idea. But I loved all the little archetypal characters on it. Zoom to see details.
What's luckier than one Buddha statue?
Two Buddha statues...
Details of the nearby Asakusa Shrine (I think it's a Shinto Shrine... I might be wrong)
But the colors were stunning. Wish I could have photographed it in sunshine. (Maybe in 2011 if we return with the follically-gifted girl)
Foo Dog/Lion. Not sure which.
Okay! Lion!!(dog?)
Here I used a very special lens to push the image to white hot with a high contrast of color (yeah right... )
You're still seeing the Inner Gate, by the way. Because the exterior of the actual Temple, a VERY large building, was completely covered in scraffolding in the midst of an extensive restoration.
There were also other side streets with tons of shopping! I did take a few photos of items. Some I bought, some I didn't.
Didn't buy.
Didn't buy.
Bought (for B)
Didn't buy. What are they? Chocolate billiard balls?
Bought!!(at the cutest shop full of handmade crafts)
Didn't buy.(but they made me smile)
Love this shot of an adjacent shopping street. See the Rikshaw? :) If you look closely, you can also see the bunny door-hanging that I bought.
There were Rikshaw drivers all around Asakusa, offering rides.
Rikshaw shoes. Oddly appealing.
Looking back toward the Outer Gate down the Shopping Gauntlet. I didn't escape the gauntlet. Found really cute gifts. There was some cheap stuff, but mostly it was fun and worth looking. It must look very carnivalesque at night.
You can see the actual temple behind the Inner Gate in this shot --covered in scaffold and tarps. I bet it's beautiful.
Stay tuned for more Tokyo!!
~Shephard :)
Labels: Japan
posted by Shephard @ 