Development and Tree Cutting

Tokyo's greenery is disappearing

Central Tokyo has a relatively large amount of greenery, but that landscape is changing. A large number of trees in the outer garden of Meiji Shrine in Tokyo will be cut down due to redevelopment. The number of trees to be felled is said to be 4,000 or more, including small trees, but it is not certain. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2024, with overall completion expected in 2036.

The scenery of the ginkgo trees is wonderful.
There are also great cafes and restaurants where you can enjoy this view.

The autumn leaves are also great.

The healing benefits of greenery in the city center

Meiji Shrine is surrounded by an artificial forest, which was planned so that many types of trees would complement each other, resulting in a rich natural environment. It is a home for many insects and luminous objects. For those who visit there, it is a healing experience that restores their humanity.

If there was no greenery left in the city center, people would feel a sense of loss. You won't be able to deeply feel true richness in an environment consisting only of artificial buildings.

In Shinto, trees are sometimes worshiped as objects of worship.

Shaved Ice, Japanese Summer Tradition

Shaved Ice, Japanese Summer Tradition

"Taiyaki Wakaba" is a long-established
taiyaki restaurant since 1953,
but shaved ice is added to the menu only in summer.

One of the pleasures of summer in Japan is shaved ice. My favorite is the orthodox shaved ice with matcha and red beans. The slightly bitter taste of matcha and the sweet adzuki beans mixed with the crunchy coolness of the shaved ice create a perfect harmony. Shaved ice is a luxury on a hot day.

Shaved ice and ice sweets with a wide variety of prices and types

Depending on the shop, the ice is made with delicious water, or the matcha is the famous matcha from Uji, Kyoto. Prices also vary. There is also shaved ice that you can easily buy at convenience stores and supermarkets. Popsicle bars are also recommended.

You can buy this matcha shaved ice
 at Seven-Eleven, a convenience store.
It is 170 yen (tax included).
This shaved ice is made by inserting sweet,
creamy condensed milk into smooth matcha ice.
The matcha used is from Uji, Kyoto,
which is famous for its matcha.

Shaved ice made at home

You can easily make shaved ice at home with a shaved ice maker. When I was a kid in the 1970s, we used to make them ourselves. Even children can easily make it with syrup. Strawberry, melon, and lemon syrups were standard at the time.

A restaurant with delicious acqua pazza in Kojimachi, Tokyo

I visited the restaurant after hearing that acqua pazza was delicious. Another reason is that the restaurant is in the middle of the stairs.

This is the restaurant “KAIDAN NO TOCHU” in Kojimachi, Tokyo. Counter seats are the main, and there are a several large table seats. It is really a building with a mysterious structure in the middle of the stairs. The interior of the store, which is well-designed with natural lighting, is based on white and has a good taste.

Stairs are not only a path for people, but also a path for the flow of energy, where the flow of energy becomes faster. Perhaps because of that, even when I entered the restaurant, I felt a strange floating feeling as if I was in a spaceship. I like this feeling.

Acquapazza is a whole oven-baked fish with clam soup and vegetables. The most delicious!

The Kojimachi neighborhood in Tokyo has both business districts and residential districts, and there are many high-quality, reasonably priced restaurants. “KAIDAN NO TOCHU” is one of them.

We also ordered an additional drink and dessert set. The combination of crispy choux and vanilla-flavoured custard cream creates a wonderful synergy. Herb tea is also delicious.

The reasonable lunch menu will suddenly rise in price in 2023. Even so, this restaurant is always full of diners. When I arrived at 12:20, it was already full and I waited for 30 minutes. I was lucky because sometimes I couldn't get in even if I waited. I felt happy after eating it. So this restaurant is a good match for me. I want to come again. even if the price goes up.

Address: 3-12-19 Kojimachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Russia in Tokyo

"Cafe Russia" in Kichijoji, Tokyo

A 3-minute walk from Tokyo Kichijoji Station, there is a restaurant where you can enjoy authentic Russian cuisine, "Cafe Russia". The cafe is located on the first basement floor. Although it is a cafe, it is a full-fledged restaurant. As soon as you step inside, you hear a lot of Russian.

When it comes to Russian cuisine, 

the first thing that comes to mind is borscht.

 I am glad that it is reasonable at 700 yen. 

Best of all, it's delicious. It has a rich taste.

Cafe Russia entrance

The shop is on the first basement floor. It's a little confusing, but when you go down the stairs, you'll find a reddish-purple wall. That's Cafe Russia.

The cafe is just down the stairs.

The wall colors and decorations are exotic designs. 

The menu at the entrance of the shop is cool in Russian.

Russian tea comes with plenty of rose jam.
Very fragrant.

Beef stroganoff (1,000 yen)
One of the must-try menu items.

Recommended appetizer, "herring in a fur coat" (600 yen).

Serves both Russian and Georgian cuisine

Cafe Russia serves both Russian and Georgian cuisine. Georgian wine is also recommended. 

Padrajani: Georgian roasted eggplant with spicy walnut paste. 

There are 4 in one plate. 

Recommended appetizer.(700 yen)

Recommended appetizer, "Salmon wrapped in blini" (600 yen).

Georgia pizza.
There is plenty of cheese inside. 
(1,000 yen)

Coffee fortune telling

I had a coffee fortune-telling with Georgian coffee after dinner. Georgian coffee is made by boiling powder and sugar together, so you can tell fortunes by looking at the patterns on the bottom of the cup. 

This is how coffee fortune-telling works. It's in the menu.

The pattern looks like a bearded man,
but I don't know what it means.

Desert wine kagor (JPY350)

Russian

The menu book also includes information on how to pronounce Russian. "It was delicious," I told the staff in Russian. It was nice to hear "thank you" in Russian.

Other

I forgot the name of the menu, but everything is really delicious. By all means, if you go to Tokyo, I would like to recommend Cafe Russia in Kichijoji. It's a popular restaurant, so it's best to make a reservation.

Thankfully, as a bonus, the cake provided for free.

Address: 1-4-10 Kichijoji Honcho, Musashino City, Tokyo Nine Building B1F

Early MorningJanuary 1 Shrines in Tokyo

New Year in Tokyo

In Tokyo, the number of visitors during the New Year is very large. For example, this year, Meiji Jingu, the largest shrine in the city, had about 3.1 million visitors. I visit Tokyo Daijingu every year, and this year about 45,000 people visited.

This year, too, we had our annual New Year's visit. I left home in the dark before dawn, and I felt lonely on the way, but the shrine was brightly lit and crowded with many worshipers.

If you want to have a prayer inside the temple instead of a general visit, you will have to pay a tamagushi (ritual offerings) fee of 5,000 yen or more per person. At Tokyo Daijingu, you can get osechi lunch box, in which a traditional Japanese dish served on New Years, as a return gift for a tamagushi fee of 20,000 yen or more.

In prayer, the Shinto priest gives Norito (Shinto ritual player) to those who paid Tamagushi  (ritual offerings) fee. You can also enjoy a performance by two shrine maidens. In addition, you can get your wish and name on a wooden tag after praying. It has become an event for our family to visit the shrine together as a family. Unfortunately, photography is prohibited, so I won't post it on this blog.

I wish the world peace and happiness this year.

At 6 a.m. on January 1st, there were many worshipers 
at Tokyo Daijingu Shrine, 
which is said to bring good luck in marriage. 
The dawning sky is beautiful.

This is a kagami mochi that was in the building of Tokyo Daijingu.
Traditional New Year's decorations,
such as mochi (rice cake), kombu seaweed, and sake,
are arranged like the incarnation of a Shinto ritual.

New Year's flowers are gorgeous. 

New Year's flowers was arranged by Kazuyuki Ishihara, a garden designer. 

The round bamboo means that people who see this flower arrangement 

will be connected in a circle of smiles. 

And the red fruit contains the wish that 2023 will be a fruitful year. 

In addition, the battledore has a wish that it will be a leap year.

This is Yasukuni Shrine, not Tokyo Daijingu.
It is a shrine where the spirits of the heroes are enshrined.

Shrine in Designed Forest in Tokyo

The original torii was made from an over 1,200-year-old cypress tree
cut down in Alishan National Scenic Area in Taiwan.
The second torii also used a 1,500-year-old cypress tree
found in the Alishan National Scenic Area in Taiwan. 
The current torii is made from Yoshino cedar in Nara, Japan.

Meiji Jingu, a Shinto shrine in Tokyo

Meiji Jingu is a Shinto shrine in Tokyo, Japan. The enshrined deity is Emperor Meiji, and it was built on November 1, 1920, after the death of Emperor Meiji. The site of Meiji Jingu is 73 hectares, most of which is a rare forest in central Tokyo.

There is an approach to the shrine right next to Harajuku Station.

Intentionally naturalized forest in Tokyo

Most of the shrine grounds are forests intentionally converted from artificial forests to natural forests. Leading landscaping scholars gathered to create a new forest in the city center for the construction of the shrine. They considered the placement of broad-leaved and coniferous trees and the timing of planting, and designed a self-propagating forest from various trees gathered from all over Japan (Not only from Japan but also from Taiwan). Thanks to this, besides the Imperial Palace, it is this Meiji Shrine that has a large green space in central Tokyo. Creatures that are not usually seen in central Tokyo continue to live here, making it a very valuable example from the point of view of zoology and entomology. This self-organizing forest concept of Meiji Jingu reminds me of Project by SONY, Synecoculture™ and Augmented Ecosystems. It may be a Japanese idea. In other words, for Japan, shrines are the very relationship with the forest that nurtures nature.

Harajuku Station near the approach is not a big station,
but it has a lively and fashionable atmosphere.
 One of my favorite stations in Tokyo.

The approach leading to the main shrine
is lined with large trees, and it feels good.
The air is especially clean in the morning.

The approach to the shrine is lined with sake barrels
donated by sake breweries all over Japan.
There is a deep connection between sake and God.
It is also a reverence for nature.

Recently, not only sake but also wine has been dedicated to Meiji Jingu.

Meotokusu is a pair of trees that symbolize a happy couple,
symbolizing the close relationship
between the enshrined deity Emperor Meiji and his wife.
From a distance, the branches and leaves
of these two trees overlap and look like one tree.
In fact, when I stood in front of these trees and put my hands together,
I could feel the kindness.

There are also restaurants and cafes on the grounds of Meiji Jingu.
There are also chairs where you can sit and relax,
which is perfect for resting when you get tired from walking.

There are also souvenir shops along the approach to Meiji Jingu.
There are many goods related to shrines.

Tokyo's recommended spot, Meiji Jingu

Meiji Jingu is the best on a sunny morning. I was able to touch something deep in my heart. I will never forget the pleasant feeling of sunlight at that time. The cafe at Harajuku station is also wonderful.

I went back to Harajuku station and entered a cafe.
Sarutahiko Cafe.

The Old Barrel Cafe was delicious.
 I like the smell of rum.

Sarutahiko Cafe in Harajuku has Wifi and a power strip,
so it's very convenient.
The interior is spacious and comfortable.
I also liked that the restrooms were clean.

Noeud.TOKYO, Sustainable Restaurant

Noeud.TOKYO, providing sustainable food

"A sustainable restaurant that harmonizes nature, seasons, and food. Your precious time, not only “delicious”,experience “true deliciousness” for your mind, body, and environment want to provide". (from Noeud.TOKYO's website)

Noeud.TOKYO is a sustainable restaurant that harmonizes nature, seasons, and food. Nœud means "connection" in French. Beginning with food, the circle of nature, society, and people is newly connected and circulated, so that is exactly what Nœud is. Therefore, diners are not only "delicious", but also feel a connection to the mind, body and environment, and feel advanced.

The entrance of Noeud.TOKYO is in an inconspicuous place. 

The entrance of Noeud.TOKYO is under this staircase.

It's an open kitchen, so there's a sense of unity.

According to the restaurant, the business of food is based on various ecosystems and cycles, such as seeds, soil, producers, regions, the natural environment, and our health. At this restaurant, diners can experience the continuous circle drawn by food in all its ingredients, menus, and space.

This is a biscuit made from bread crumbs.
The eating experience itself is the best.

I ordered wine mariage to match the course. 
All of them are delicious.

Just the right amount of softness 
that makes use of vegetable ingredients

Powdered vegetable skins are wrapped around it.

Of course you can't eat stones, 
but it makes you feel strange.

Stone seems to be the main character. 
That's good. If your heart is satisfied

dessert

tea and sweets

Eating at Noeud.TOKYO made me feel like I was on another planet. It's an otherworldly experience.

Hillcrest Hirakawacho B1F, 2-5-7 Hirakawacho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo