Battle of the all-star Imperial Palaces.

Is it a coincidence that Kyoto and Tokyo are comprised of the same letters?  To me it seems like it was written in the stars.  Both cities have been the capital of Japan; Kyoto in the past; Tokyo in the present.  Both boast ideologies that are quintessentially Japanese: Kyoto more traditional, Tokyo more modern.  And both have some pretty damn impressive imperial palaces.  We visited them both and here's a rundown of the two.

Kyoto's Imperial Palace requires permission from the imperial family to visit.  So be sure to get your papers before hand.  We didn't know this but lucked out as we arrived just minutes before the last English tour of the day and there were still a couple of spots available.  Although once again I didn't understand the complexities of Japanese paper work which elicited several dramatic eye rolls from our helpful Imperial Palace worker.

Kyoto's Imperial Palace offers a sense of tradition that inspires the imagination. I felt like I was in one of the epic Japanese art house movies. The palace burned down and moved repeatedly in the same general area since the 12th Century.  This latest version dates from 1855.  It was abandoned in 1869 when Japan's imperial family  moved the Edo, changed the city's name to Tokyo, and made it the capital.

If you're looking for cool, traditional Japanese architecture, this is a good place to start.  I loved the epic scale of the wide open gravel court yards and entry ways surrounded by endless lengths of building covered with amazing cypress roofs.  Yeah, I now may know more about traditional Japanese cypress roofs that you could possibly want to know.

Everywhere you looked there were interesting shapes and patterns.  The gables were amazing as were the bold graphic shapes and patterns created by painting the ends of dark beams with white paint.

As is frequently the case, some of the most interesting areas of this Japanese landmark are the gardens. It came as no surprise that this garden was built in the middle of the 19th Century.  They had an exotic romanticism that you often see in the Asian-inspired paintings of European Romanticists. They were lovely.  Our guide told us that when the royal family lived at this residence, a favorite party game was to float small boats, each with an individual glass of Sake down the garden's streams. Party goers had to write an original Japanese poem of a very specific length before the boats reached them in order to retrieve one of the drinks.  Sounds like a lot of fun.

The Tokyo Imperial Palace is currently the home of the Emperor of Japan.  It is built on the area that was previously the Edo Castle. This large park houses a number of buildings including the main residence.  As is the often the case, most of the buildings have either been destroyed in earthquakes or burnt in fires.  So most of the buildings of the Tokyo Imperial Palace are relatively new, completed in 1968.  I'm older than that.

The walk from Tokyo Station to the Palace is magical thanks to an entire forest of carefully formed pine trees.  I wouldn't have been surprised to find a Teletubby or two lurking about.

Here are photo of Felix and Me getting about as close as you can get to the Imperial Palace. Nonetheless, the view was beautiful.  And is it just me or does Felix look like some sexy movie star from the 50s? I wish I could look so chic.  Instead, I'll just have to look grumpy.

I liked how the tradition of Japan is juxtaposed with the modern city.  Every where you looked the two worlds seemed to mesh effortlessly.

I also like that this is a serious palace with massive stone walls and vast moats.  Once again, Japan's views inspired my imagination.

While much of the compound is new, many of the massive, protective gates were very old.

As always, the gardens were spectacular.

There you have it, a view of Japan's two Imperial Palaces.  I can't pick a favorite; I liked them both for different reason.  You decide which wins the Battle of the all-star Imperial Palaces.

Tokyo at night.

I've been to plenty of big cities at night and many of them can be brilliant and vibrant, New York City's Times Square comes to mind.  But few cities I've been to have the bright liveliness of Tokyo after hours.  Here are a few photos and a short video from a night out in Tokyo.

 

 

Art in the sky.

In the ultra-modern Roppongi Hills development, there's a skyscraper that has devoted its top floors to art and other wonders, not the least of which is an art museum known as the Mori Art Center.  We rode the high-speed elevator to the 52nd and 53rd floors to pay the museum a visit.

Showing at the museum was an exhibit Metabolism, about a significant Japanese architectural movement that emerged in the 1960s.  I'm beginning to realize that the Japanese approach to museums mimics the same chaotic enthusiasm that makes Tokyo such a fantastic place.  Which means there was a lot of stuff crammed into each and every gallery. 

No photography was allowed in this exhibit.  But it was a great, technologically-dazzling presentation with hundreds of cool architectural models with futuristic flair.  One could easily imagine Godzilla trudging through the galleries, destroying all the sci-fi inspired buildings. The show was very Japanese, to the point that I can't imagine seeing it anywhere other than Tokyo.  And it definitely gave me a new appreciation for the buildings of Tokyo.  This was one of the best exhibits I saw in Japan.

Also at the Mori Art Museum was a video installation that I liked.  MAM Project 015 by Hong Kong artist Tsang Kin-Wah offered words of wisdom in a mesmerizing setting.  But rather than talk about it, why don't I just show you a video.

I was prepared for the Mori Art Museum to be on the top two floors of the building.  But there were other things that I didn't expect.  Like the city view that allowed you to see a 360 degree view of the Tokyo.  Here are a few pictures including one taken through a clear aquarium filled with gold fish.  You'll also see amazing views of the Tokyo Tower and the National Art Center, both of which are the subjects of previous or future posts.

The gold fish are a nice transition to the biggest surprise of the 52nd floor of Roppongi Hills, the strangest aquarium I've ever visited.  The opening gallery featured a Japanese spectacle with imagery projected through walls of aquariums filled with giant koi.  Yeah, it's tough to describe.

The second gallery was a study in color.  The completely black gallery had various sized tanks set into the walls.  Many had LED lighting systems that shifted through spectrums of bright, candy-coated colors.  It's a magical place.

The last gallery was even more fantastical.  I can't describe it.  Watch this video of a place which is so Japanese.

Finally, I have to mention the Roppongi Hills Art and Design Store.  I spent way too much money here.  The Takashi Murakami stuff alone was incredible.

If you're ever in Tokyo, I definitely recommend a trip to see some "art in the sky" at the top of Roppongi Hills.

A trip to "The Best City Landmark."

If there's an iconic architectural landmark that represents Tokyo, it's probably Tokyo Tower.  In fact, the Tokyo Tower proclaims to be, "The Best City Landmark." 

That means if you're looking for the perfectly touristy way to experience Japan's largest city, then plan a night time visit to the Tower.

Tokyo Tower was within walking distance of our hotel so we headed out on foot.  Here are a couple of photos of the Tower as we approached.

And here are photos of the spectacular night time views experienced from the main deck.

Felix dressed for the occasion sporting one of his many purchases from visits to a variety of Comme des Garcons shops.

Finally, here's a short video of the red blinking lights that are so much a part of the Tokyo nighttime sky line.

A shrine surprise.

My visit to the Harajuku district of Tokyo wasn't just about the craziness of Takeshita street.  We did some official sight seeing as well with a stop to the famed Meiji Shrine. This grand structure was dedicated to Meiji Emperor and his consort Shoken.  Here's the interesting part; it was completed in 1920.  But destroyed in an air raid in 1945.  World War II was hard on the landmarks of Japan.  However I'm told the reconstructed structure is identical to the original.

This brings up an interesting observation about Japan.  From war, to fire, to earthquakes, to tsunamis, Japan is a country that is constantly being destroyed.  So there are very few structures that are more than a century old.  That means that even though the country feels steeped in ancient traditions, the reality is that it's a country that lives in the now, constantly rebuilding. It's another example of the tension that is Japan: a desire to honor long-held tradition in a place where everything is new, or at least not old.

But that's not what we're here to discuss.  We're here to talk about the Meiji Shrine.  Here I am at the front gate.  And what a front gate?  I love these huge Japanese entrances.

The Meiji Shrine offers plenty of details to catch your attention, some subtle, some grand.

While we were in the main area of the shrine, a surprise procession entered with a fair bit of drama.  I think it might have been a wedding as my guide book said that traditional, Shinto-style weddings are common.

 
Our visit was cut short (you can ask Felix about that), so we didn't get to explore much more.  But even a brief visit to the Meiji Shrines gives you plenty of respect for the grandeur of Japan.

On the street where the Harajuku girls live.

If you want to experience total Tokyo chaos, take a Sunday afternoon and stroll down Takeshita Street in the city's Harajuku district.  After I did just that, I read in one of my guide books that on the weekends, it's the busiest street in the city.  I believe it.

Here are a couple of photos of Felix and me at the start of the street where you can see some of the crowds in the background.  By the way, notice how bored Felix looks standing under the one of the world's happiest signs.

It just gets crazier from there.  To the point that with the heat and humidity, the whole thing can quickly become overwhelming.  My trip down Takeshita street brought some of the stuff I'd heard I might find.  Like following a Harajuku girl who's obviously found her closeted child.

Or the strange and wondrous clothing stores that help people release their closeted children, or their . . . well I don't actually know what some of this stuff releases but there might be a gay man involved.

However, without doubt, my favorite part of Takeshita street is the store names.  Remember that scene in the Simpsons where Homer takes a drive down Springfield's gay boulevard and the street is lined with shops featuring hilarious names based on gay puns (my personal favorite being Armistead Mopeds)?  Well Takeshita street is like the bad Japanese translation of that scene.  And yet, there are a couple of stores that would be right at home in Springfield's gay district.

Take Wonder Rocket. Who doesn't want a ride on a Wonder Rocket?

Then there's Top Guys.  No matter how hard we tried, we couldn't find the entrance to Top Guys.  No, I'm serious. We couldn't find the entrance to Top Guys.  Takeshita street may have just written the best gay joke ever!

There were also plenty of other funny store names.  Here's Mighty Soxer, and yes, they sold socks.

Or what about Paris Kid's.  This might not be that funny but as a kid who grew up known as one of the Paris Boys, it made me laugh.

Speaking of kids, what kid wouldn't want to be sent to her SBY Happy Room?

Nearby was Fancy Pocket.

With Fancy Pocket, I have to side track a bit because this store is fantastic.  I challenge any girl under the age of 10 to not be totally transfixed by this emporium of all things pink.  Upon entering, Felix proclaimed, "It looks like Hello Kitty puked in here." Here are a few photos:

Wouldn't the world be a better place if we all shopped at the Happy Hearts Poesie Elf?

Finally, I leave you with the most fantastic store name ever: Store My Ducks. Indeed!

Oh, Takeshita Street, I hope to return soon.