New Gallery

Finally it's done. I put my favourite photos of Japan on a new gallery, Don't hesitate to have a look:

http://gallery.anthonychabin.com

Tamagawa, Noborito (Kawasaki-shi)

We are currently in the rain season but the weather still gives us some great sunny day. The occassion for me to go to Noborito, a small station that I came across when I went to Enoshima and where I wanted to stop. Did it today and took those pictures. No more writing for today.

Sun, Towers and lights

Few new photos... not really original, there are already a dozen of those kind of photos on my blog and despite the great sun and the warm air (25 degrees) I wasn't so inspired.

On the left, Tokyo town hall and the Tokyo Hyatt hotel on the right where some scenes of the movie "Lost in Translation" were filmed.

New highway.

It wasn't here when I arrived last september.

Poor wretch house behind the huge Hyatt hotel.


Bus stop.

Tokyo Hyatt hotel.

Homeless place.

A homeless playing trumpet in the shade of the governemental tower.

The governemental tower complex, constitued of 2 towers.


Self-portrait #4

New highway exchanger from the Town Hall building observatory.

Cranes.

I should come back in few months and take the same photo.


Shinjuku district lights.

Shinjuku by night.

Osaka and few other pics

Two weeks ago, Haruka and I went to Osaka for two interviews. We had a quick visit between them.

The Umeda Sky Tower in Osaka.

173 meters high, the building was designed by Hiroshi Hara and finished in 1993.


From underneath.

From the top. The Floating Garden Observatory.

A picture from the top directly inspired by the work of Naoki Honjo. Have a look on her blog, the pictures are amazing: http://blog.so-net.ne.jp/photolog

Fountains near the Umeda Sky tower.


Some towers in Osaka.

A quick cigarette before the light gets green (or blue).

A pigeon enjoying the tranquility of a small park around Ryogoku in the Sumida-Ku.



The Shinkansen. One of the fastest train in the world. Very confortable, always on time, I took it for the first time to go to Osaka. A pleasure.

Sumo in Tokyo, the "guide".

Last monday I went for the second time watch Sumo but this time, it took place in Tokyo. Every year there are 6 officials tournaments (Basho). Three in Tokyo and the others in Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka. Only those tournaments can help the wrestlers to upgrade their ranking. The new ranking (called Banzuke in Japanese) is publied after each tournament by the Judges depending on the performance of each figther during the fifteen days of the Basho.
There are mainly 3 groups in the ranking. The maku-uchi (top), the juryo and the makushita (below we have the san-dan me , jo-ni-dan and lastly the jo-no-kuchi). The most followed and interesting is, of course, the maku-uchi which is also divided in 5 ranks:
1. Yokozuna (according to my previous comment... I was totally wrong! It's possible to have several yokozuna in the same time, but he can't lost his rank and then, if he's not good enough, he has to retire.).
2. Ozeki (to hope to be the Yokozuna, a wrestler must first be an ozeki and then win 2 basho in a row, then only he can pretend to be the top wrestler).
3. Sekiwake
4. Komusubi
5. Maegashira
At first sight Sumo doesn't seem that interesting and it's not a really "sexy" sport, but when you get a little bit into it, the rules, the traditions, the fights make it really fascinating.
The following pictures illustrated the main rules of Sumo.

Before each bout the rikishi (wrestlers), is called by the gyoji with a specially trained high-pitched voice. It is the custom for each rikishi to choose a poetic sumo name for himself. Some adopt a ame derived from the name of their sumo master or their place of birh. Most frequently chosen are names ending in -yama (mountain), -gawa (river) or -umi (sea). Rikishi are divided according to where their stable. Nishi (west) or higashi (east).

The ring, called the Dohyo. The outer ring is formed with 20 straw rice bags and measures 4.55 meters in diameter. One bag is set slightly back from the ring at the north, south, east and west sides, a remnant of the days of outdoor matches when it was often necessary to drain off rain water.

After the bouts of "beginners" wrestlers" the upper division rikishi are presented in two ceremonies; one for the easterners combatants and one for the westerners combatants.

There is a special ceremony for the yokozuna. Here Asashoryu from Mongolia, the current yokozuna.

Then each combatant goes through a series of symbolic movements. Here they are raising their arms showing their palms in a sign of respect and fair-play by not possessing any arms.

Their flexibility is quite impressive. Here they strongly stamp the ring with each foot to supposedly squash the bad spirits.

From ancient times, salt has been believed to possess purifying powers. Both wrestlers toss salt in the air as they prepare for their bout, purifying the ring as a sacred place. The salt-throwing is, however, the privilege only of maku-uchi, juryo and maku-shita wrestlers.

Finally, to cleanse his mind and body, the rikishi rinses his mouth with water and wipes his body with a towel. Then the fight can start. Those ritual movements take usually four minutes (juryo rikishi have only three minutes and the lowest ranks must begin at once).

Asashoryu, the yokozuna, wisely waiting for his bout.

The fight. A bout is won by forcing the opponent out of the inner circle or throwing him in the dohyo. To lose the match it's not necessary to fall in the circle or to be pushed completely out. The rikishi who touches the ground with any part of his body, his knee or even the tip of his finger or his topknot, loses the match. Striking with fists, hair pulling, eye gouging, choking and kicking in the stomach or chest are prohibited.

Big hug! As there no weight limits as in boxing or western wrestling it's possible for a rikishi to find himself pitted against an opponent twice his own weight.

In the olds days, before a ring was even used, there were supposedly 48 winning techniques. In 1955 the sumo association released its first official list of 68 techniques, with that increased to 70 in 1960 and 82 in 2001.

Big slap in the face.

Lower ranks figthing during the morning. The public usually come around 3 p.m.

Using one of the 82 techniques to push his opponent out of the circle.

There are few foreigners doing sumo. From Mongolia (Asashoryu the yokozuna, Hakuho who is ozeki (soon yokozuna I think)...), Georgia (we can see the russian Roho waiting for his turn on the photo...), Bulgaria (Kotooshu who is ozeki...), Russia (Kokkai...), Estonia (Baruto...), Brazil and maybe some more counties.

Close to a defeat...

Rikishi jumping to be sure to touch the ground after his opponant and win the match.

A tournament last 15 days, so 15 matches for each wrestlers (only 7 fights for the lower ranks). The rikishi can pretend to increase his grade if his total of victories is positive (more than 8 wins).

The right fighter lost as he touches the ground with his hands.

About to push the button.

It's usual to see rikishi walking around during a basho.
That's it! Source text: Ryogoku Kokugikan hand book 2006, published by Nihon Sumo Kyokai.

Futsal and Yoyogi Park.

Last weekend my friends and me made a futsal team to took part of a tournament in Osaki organized by Tetsuma... we were pretty bad, I should say really bad! Anyway we had fun and hopefully we can play next month.

Thomas in action waiting for the ball, while Stefen takes the wing.

The second team on the bench while I'm not that glad to have lost the first match 5-0.... no comment.

After a goal. Ben, his Korean friend, Serge, Thomas and Hiro.

The day after in Yoyogi Koen (park).

Time to relax.

Children playing with small pieces of wood.

There are hundred talented (and not talented as well) musicians singing, playing all around the park.


Typically Kawaiiiiiii (even if he's a bit big to be in the concept kawai in Japan). Kawai means cute, can't stand this word anymore ;)




One the way back home. Several dozen of manga on the road.

The school where I used to study Japanese.

Cherry Blossoms in Yoyogi Park.

About one month ago it was the time for the cherry blossoms all around Japan. So I had to put some pics on the blog and here they are. It's a really important period for the Japanese and the first blossoming is scanned and wait every day as the beginning of spring. Then it's an overflowing of picnic all around tokyo's park and bento, beers and sake are shared in the joy.



Yoyogi-Park.

Sakura's flower.

Hundred Sakura trees.

Self-portrait #3.

Strolling around Roppongi tower and Azabu-Juban

That day was a special one. A friend of mine is setting up her own company. She designs Kimono and wanted me to take pictures of her friend wearing her creation. It's the first step to her goal. A book, a pamphlet and website may come later, I'm pretty glad to be involved in her project. At the end of the day we went to a Chinese restaurant in Roppongi Hills. Here's the pictures I took on the way.

Tokyo tower, 333 meters.

An old man drawing in Zojo-Ji temple.

The following pics are over-exposed. Did in purpose.

Building block dominated by the Mori tower.

Roppongi Hills complex.

For your future.

Children playing video games in the street.

Concrete Jungle.

Babel tube. I came across the square where the movie "Babel" was filmed.



The foutain of Babel surrounded by fences.


Tokyo tower.



Matched with the road.

Zojo-Ji temple and Tokyo Tower. The Zoji-Ji is a buddhist temple which shelter 6 out of 15 tombs of the Tokugawa Family (Shogunat of the Edo Era).

Self-portrait #2

Great afternoon in Komazawa Koen

Haruka and me went to Komazawa Park located in Setagaya-Ku, one of the poshest Ku of Tokyo. It takes about 35 minutes by bicyle from Yoyogi-Uehara.

The proud master of huge massive dog, nevertheless very obeying but...

he doesn't seem to share the interest of the child.

Some talented BMX rider.

Fathers are resting while children are playing around.

A small tower made of concrete which remind me (from farer) a swimming pool in Geneva.

Haruka.

Self portrait.


Japanese youth enjoying football.




The pic is a little bit blur, that's a shame.

Highway hidding the blue sky.

Verticals and horizontals.


On the way back, we meet an old lady arguing her lazy dog and she noticed I was taking a photo, she advices us to go to this tower as the view was beautiful. The Carrot Tower. Funny name.

View from the 26th floor.

A woman gazing at the Mount Fuji.

From here, some night time photos on our way back.


Fast and furious.


Down to Yoyogi-Uehara station.

20 new photographies.

A sunny afternoon and warm evening around Shinjuku Gyoen and Meiji-Jingumae.

Easy effect on photoshop... anyway I quite like it.


Meiji-Jingumae crossroad by night.


Shiny Odakyu line.


Meiji-Jingumae traffic jam.

Tower near Shinjuku Gyoen.




I missed my set up on this pic... I wanted the blur on the wall and the clearness and the motorbike.


Japanese Youth playing base-ball in a park.

Here some pics of Tokyo staduim where the 1964 olympic games took place. Hope next time I can get inside to take more photos.