Beautiful Japan. Leza Lowitz
| The dramatic landscape of Hokusai’s Beneath the Waves Off Kanagawa | 葛飾北斎画 『富嶽三十六景』 のうち |
| exhibits the mastery of perspective for which ukiyo-e are famous. | 「神奈川沖浪裏の図」(部分) |
| A mysterious Osaka geisha captured in an evocative pose in Choki’s woodblock print, The Courtesan Tsukasa-dayu. | 長喜画『大阪影町東扇屋つかさ太夫』 |
| (Facing page) Sunrise at Oarai Beach, Ibaraki Prefecture. (Following pages) Mount Fuji, forever majestic, holds court over the cherry blossoms at Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi Prefecture. | (p. 3) 茨城県大洗海岸の日の出 (pp. 4-5) 山梨県富士吉田からの富士山と桜 |
Photographs by Narumi Yasuda • Text by Leza Lowitz
Tuttle Publishing
Boston • Rutland, Vermont • Tokyo
CONTENTS
Kamakura
Yokohama
Fuji-Hakone
Izu
Nagoya
Ise
Osaka
Kobe
Inland Sea
Hiroshima
Kyushu
Okinawa
Hokkaido
Tohoku
TOKYO
Shop along tree-lined streets filled with exclusive boutiques, stroll in ancient temple grounds, strike a business deal on the thirty-second floor of a chrome-and-glass skyscraper, get swept up in the crowds, or sip sake with newfound friends in a bustling neighborhood pub. Tokyo—once a maze of rice-paddies and quiet wooded villages called Edo—is now a tableaux of old and new, where wooden houses meet modern skyscrapers on streets with no names. Welcome to the gateway of the twenty-first century.
1. The triumphant twin towers of the Tokyo metropolitan government offices in West Shinjuku
瀟洒なブティック、近代的な高層ビル、
喧噪に満ちた居酒屋、密集する木造家
屋、東京の魅力は近代と伝統とが同居
し、しかも未来への可能性を秘めてい
るところにあるだろう。
1
One of the most photographed sights in Tokyo, Nijubashi Bridge reflects the glories of Old Edo. A bright day finds swans gliding in tandem beneath its arches, a vision of unruffled tranquillity. The first span is constructed with stones from the ancient castle walls, the second is made of iron and crosses a moat that has guarded the Imperial Palace in the center of the city for 350 years.
1. Nijubashi bridge at Tokyo’s Imperial Palace.
2. Water lilies frame the Rokkaku-do at Shinobazu Pond, Ueno Park.
東京で最も代表的な見所の一つである二重橋は、
古き江戸の栄光を偲ばせながら、静かに落ち着
いた景観を繰り広げている。
2
The City by Night
Lights, camera, action! What could outshine the luminous Tokyo night horizon, where a necklace of neon lights drapes from the stylish shopping streets of Ginza to the business district of Shinjuku to the entertainment center of Shibuya. Of course, if you like your night sky lit up the old-fashioned way, catch the fireworks flying high over the Sumida River.
1. San-ai Building at Ginza 4-chome in all its glory.
2. West Shinjuku metropolitan government offices at night.
3. Fireworks fly over the Sumida River every August.
4. The neon glow of Kabuki-cho, Shinjuku.
5. The Rainbow Bridge at Daiba Park shows its colors.
銀座の商店街、新宿のビジネス街、渋谷の歓楽街など、不
夜城の感のある東京の夜。隅田川の空高く打ち上げられる
花火に代表される伝統的な夜景もある。
1
2
3
4
5
Sumo Madness
Adoring fans pack sumo tournaments, throwing cushions and cheering on their heroes. Once considered the Japanese national Sport, sumo has become truly international as foreign wrestlers fight their way to the top of this revered sport.
1. When push comes to shove： Grand Master Takanohana and Hawaiian Konishiki.
2. Crowds go wild at Tokyo’s Ryogoku Kokugikan sumo stadium.
ファンを熱狂させる大相撲。これまでは日本の国技と