Sep 14, 2012

74景 市中繁栄七夕祭 View74 Flourishing City during the Tanabata Festival


秋の巻の巻頭を飾る一枚です。七夕なのに秋というのも変な感じがしますが、旧暦では8月中旬ということになりますから、まあ秋なんでしょうか。それにしても気の早いこと。

This is the first picture categorized in the "Autumn View."
These days, Tanabata festival is a summer event.  It is celebrated on various days between July and August depending on the regions. 
But the Edo people celebrated it in the middle of August and considered it the beginning of autumn.  They loved to get a head start!

江戸時代、人々は絵のような七夕飾りを競うように高く掲げたそうです。
この絵は広重の自宅の物干し台から西を見た景色だと言われています。大きく描かれた笹飾りは広重の家のものだったとか。ひょうたんや杯が飾られていますね。広重はお酒好きだったのかな?

On Tanabata, the Edo people decorated a bamboo tree and set it up as high as they could, just like in this Hiroshige's picture.  
It is said this is a view from his balcony, and the nearest bamboo is his.  I see sake cup and gourd decorations.   His wish was a lot of sake? 

それにしてもたくさんの笹が空に向かって伸びていますね。江戸の町の繁栄を語っているようです。はるか遠くに富士の山。右端に江戸城の物見やぐらも見えています。

Look at all those bamboo trees reaching for the sky!  The city of Edo is surely flourishing!  Beyond the city, we see Mt. Fuji.  On the right, we see the watchtowers of Edo castle, too.

さて、広重のような写真は撮れるでしょうか?
広重の家は東京駅から5分くらい、今のブリヂストン美術館あたりにあったそうですよ。

Well, how can I take a picture like Hiroshige's? 
Hiroshige used to live near where the Bridgestone Museum is today.
(It's about 5-minute walk from Tokyo Station)
Bridgestone Corporation
株式会社ブリヂストン
They have a museum. ブリヂストン美術館です。
そこから西を見るとこんな感じです。

I stood at the entrance and looked toward west.


広重の絵とは全然違います (>_<)
もう少し高いところから屋根を見下ろしたいものです。
どこかいい場所はないでしょうか?

It doesn't look like Hiroshige's picture at all. (>_<) 
I want to be somewhere higher and look over the roofs.  
Where can I do that?

東京駅に直結するデパート大丸東京店へ行ってみることにしました。
12階のレストラン街に行ってみると、西を望む大きな窓がありましたよ。 (^_^)v

I decided to go and see a department store Daimaru Tokyo right outside Tokyo Station.
I went up to the 12th floor and was very pleased.
They have a nice window looking west. (^_^)v

Tokyo Station and Marunouchi area 
東京駅と丸の内
さすが東京駅。プラットホームの屋根がぎっしり並んでいます。

Wow!  Look at all these platform roofs.  
Roofs♪ 屋根ですよ♪

まっすぐ先には皇居の坂下門が見えます。

Straight ahead, I could see the Sakashita-mon gate of the Imperial palace.


大改修中の東京駅丸の内駅舎の丸いドームもきれいに見えました。

I could also see beautiful domes of the Tokyo Station Marunouchi Building, which is now undergoing a massive renovation.

東京駅丸の内駅舎は1914年に建てられました。南北に丸いドームを持つ壮麗な3階建ての建物で、皇室専用の玄関、皇室専用の待合室もありました。関東大震災時も無傷でしたが、第2次世界大戦の大空襲によって、ドームが破壊されるなど大きなダメージを受けました。戦後2階建てに改修して利用されてきましたが、2007年よりかつての姿に復元中です。同時に免震工事も行われました。5年半かけて、とうとうこの10月に完成します。

Tokyo Station Marunouchi Building was built in 1914.  It was a massive 3-story building with two domes in the north and south. It had an entrance and waiting rooms exclusively used by the imperial family. This building survived the Great Kanto Earthquake intact, but was badly damaged by the U.S. air raids in the WWⅡ and lost the domes. Since 2007, they have been restoring the building to its original design, and at the same time, making it a seismic isolated structure.  After five and a half years of efforts, it will be completed this coming October!  

When completed, it will look like this.  壁に貼った完成図。

外観はほぼ完成ですね!素敵です!

It looks completed from the outside.  Beautiful!  

A domed ceiling will be revealed in October.
この天井が抜けてドーム天井になるんだそうです。

一日の乗り降り客総数が200万人を超える東京駅。それだけの人の流れを止めないで、この工事を続けるのは大変なことだったでしょうね。
素晴らしいと思います。

10月にはぜひ見に行きたいと思います。

It is said more than two million people use Tokyo Station a day. This renovation must have been such a challenge as they had to do it without stopping that flow of people. 
I admire their effort.

I will definitely go and see it again in October.

というわけで、広重の絵に戻ります。
広重の絵と似せたつもりですがどうでしょう?

Back to Hiroshige's picture.  
I tried to take a picture as close to as Hiroshige's.  
But what do you think?



七夕飾りはないし、富士山も見えません。
でも東京の繁栄、というか頑張っている東京が写っていると思うんですけど。それとたくさんの屋根もね。(^_-)

There are no Tanabata decorations, nor Mt. Fuji.   
But I think this shows the flourishing Tokyo, well, if the flourishing is not the right word in this difficult time, ganbatteru Tokyo.  
At least you can see many roofs! (^_-)

にほんブログ村 英語ブログ 国際交流へ

14 comments:

Dru said...

What an interesting picture. I think the Shin-maru building, at least I think it is the Shin-maru can look like the beautiful Tanabata decorations, especially at night when they have long bars that light up. They kind of look like bamboo. ^^

The new station will be great, but they will then switch to the Yaesu side. Another year and it should be completely finished, I hope.

Merry Witch said...

I didn't think of that, but this area surely must look beautiful at night with so many lights on. Do those bars light up at night? Then, it might look like bamboo.(^_^) Someday, I might go there again and take a picture in the evening.

I saw they are working on the Yaesu side.
I hope they will finish it soon.

Dru said...

I read that they will finish the Yaesu side next year, autumn.

As for the buildings, searching my photos and found a couple old photos:

photo 1
photo 2

Not as "bamboo" like as I thought. I was actually thinking of Roppongi, Tokyo Midtown, but still close enough. ^^

Merry Witch said...

The building in your photo looks beautiful with sparkling lights. I agree it's as beautiful as Tanabata decorations! (^_^)v  But I couldn't see the photo 2.(・・?)

I watched on TV yesterday that they lighted up the renovated Tokyo Station Building for the first time. It looked beautiful! Not colorful, rather chic and elegant, I thought.

Dru said...

Let me try photo 2 again.

photo 2

Hope that works.

I pass Tokyo Station almost every day, although I rarely take a good look at it. Saw it lit up a bit last night and it looks nice. Need a bit more time to enjoy it though.

Merry Witch said...

Thank you. I could see the photo 2, too.

So, they are green, blue and red! Colorful, aren't they?

You are passing Tokyo Station almost every day? And you saw the light last night? I'm jealous!

Rurousha said...

I'm also planning to visit Tokyo Station as soon as the Marunouchi side is finished!

I used to work in Yurakucho, and I always walked past Tokyo Station to get to Maruzen Books in the Oazo Centre. Nowadays I seldom go to that area. :(

PS: I think Hiroshige is turning in his grave ...

Merry Witch said...

Hiroshige would surely be surprised if he could see today's Tokyo. (^_^)

You used to be in the Marunouchi area often? I've been to Marubiru several times, but that's about it. They say it's an area for "mature adult." \(^o^)/

When I'm going to Tokyo Station Building again, I hope I can explore the area, too. But probably it will be quite crowded for a while?

Dru said...

Yup, almost every day. I work in Yurakucho (what a surprise to work in the same area Ru worked in. Technically I worked in Ginza before this year when my school moved next to Yurakucho Station). I also work a little in Otemachi and wanted to enjoy Tokyo Station a little today but couldn't. :(

I rarely go to Maruzen. I prefer Kinokinuya in Shinjuku's Takashimaya.

Merry Witch said...

You are working, really, in the heart of Tokyo!

That's why you know the store near Yurakucho Station that has Dogo beer. I have been there once, and bought Bocchan Dango and Matsuyama-age (very tasty bean curd for miso-soup.)

If you are working in those area, it must be hard not to get side-tracked at some izakaya or bars.(^_-)

Dru said...

Yup. That's why I can find it. Although it isn't close to Yurakucho. It is near Shinbashi. Unless there is another shop that sometimes sells Dogo Beer near Yurakucho. I'm suddenly thirsty. ^^

The izakaya and bars are no problem. I finish work at 10pm on weekdays and on weekends I'm too tired to go out. I do go back on my days off from time to time. ^^

Merry Witch said...

Oops! Somehow I mixed up Yurakucho and Shinbashi. It IS near Shinbashi station. Sorry.

お仕事がんばって!(^_^)

キャラメル said...

 七夕には、いろいろな伝説があるようですが、私の子供時代(50年以上前)どこの家でも七夕飾りをしていたように記憶しています。七夕の翌日の朝に川に竹ごと流しにいきました。なぜだか分りませんが? 川下では流れてきた竹をかたずけていたのでしょうね。願い事が、かないますように夢がありました。今、願い事を書きなさい、と言われたら沢山ありすぎて、困りますと言われそう! 欲張りすぎは、いけませんよね?

Merry Witch said...

最近は七夕飾りをしなくなりましたね。まず竹が手に入りにくいし、それに川に流すなんて今はできないですものね。子供が小さいころは飾ったこともありましたが、その時も確かゴミに出したような(>_<)
キャラメルさんの願い事がたくさん叶いますように!