Brompton Urban Challenge Tokyo was held on November 11, 2024. Riders started to look for and take pictures of designated "animal symbols" consisted of slopes named after an animal and animal monuments. Our strategy was, instead of riding faster than other teams, to take advantage of public transportation network in Tokyo to win. What was the result of our animal quest?
Showing posts with label Tokyo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tokyo. Show all posts
Monday, November 11, 2024
Sunday, December 17, 2023
Brompton Ride and Hike to the top of Mt. Mihara, huge, active volcano near Tokyo.
Brompton hill climbing ride to the trailhead and, leaving Brompton there, trekking walk to the top of Mt. Mihara, one of the world's largest active volcano which locates on Oshima Island only 100 km from central Tokyo.
When I reached the top just beside the huge crater, the view was spectacular and solemn. It was a fantastically fine day, no cloud, no wind at all, and exceptionally warm in Winter. I was lucky. Mt. Fuji was seen from the top of the island.
It was difinetely the best RIDE & HIKE ever for me and my Brompton.
Tuesday, April 10, 2018
Your Name.
"Your Name." (Japanese title: Kimi no Na wa.) is a 2016 Japanese animated film created and directed by Makoto Shinkai with music composed by Radwimps. It tells a fantasy of time travel and body swap between high school girl in rural Japan and a high school boy in Tokyo. It achieved a major commercial success and received widespread acclaim.
High school girl Mitsuha has become bored of her traditional life in beautiful Hida mountain region where she was born in a shrine as a successor of a sacred maiden.
She wishes if she were a teenage boy in modern Tokyo and, on one day, she had it in a dream. However, when she sees a message on her notebook asking "Who are you?" and when her friends react at her strange behavior on the previous day, she suspects something is going on. At the same moment, high school boy Taki experiences the same thing.
They finally realize that their spirits swap back and forth at random and start communicating with each other by leaving notes and messages in notebooks and smartphones. Mitsuha enjoys Taki’s high school days in Tokyo and Taki also becomes accustomed to the Japanese traditional life in an unknown rural village. During the time, Taki wonders that Mitsuha's latest note tells about a comet approaching to the Earth as a nationwide news but he never hears about it.
One day, Taki, as Mitsuha, accompanies her grandmother and sister to go to the sacred place in the mountain. The sacred body as a huge stone is located far in the caldera of the mountain top. It is a regular event for the shrine family to leave Kuchikamizake, the ritual sacred sake, for the god stone located on the mountain. Grandmother tells Mitsuha (Taki) that there is the body of the village guardian god who rules time, human experiences and reconnections. For some reason Taki is impressed by her words. Grandmother seems to notice Mitsuha is not Mitsuha but Taki on that day.
After a while, the body switching suddenly ends. He decides to visit her hometown though he does not know its name and where. Based on his memory of the scenery, he finally reached Hida-Takayama which has to be a vicinity of Itomori Villege where Yotsuha lives but hears that the village was vanished 3 years ago due to an unexpected fall of a fragmented meteorite.
Taki understands that the disaster happened exactly on the ritual day 3 years ago when he watched a beautiful meteor shower from the balcony. He finds the names of Mitsuha, her sister, grandmother and other people in the list of victims. He suddenly realizes their timelines were separated by three years. Taki despairs but an idea comes across. He goes to the mountain top where he once visited as Mitsuha with her sister and grandmother in his dream.
～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～
Five years later, Taki does not remember anything but he senses he is missing something important, being interested in the Itomori's miracle that most of the inhabitants survived by chance due to the mayor's unanticipated direction.
One day, Taki and Mitsuha recognize each other when their trains draw parallel near Yoyogi Station. They disembark in the different station (because he was on Chuo line and she was on Sobu line.) and search for one another, finally meeting each other on a stone staircase near Sendagaya station. Feeling as if they have met before, they ask for each other “what’s your name?” with burst of tears.
source: Kimi no Na wa Official Page http://www.kiminona.com/
End of the story
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If you bring Brompton to Japan, you may visit locations where Mitsuha and Taki live and pass each other.
Trailer:
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
Brompton 2018 Model
Brompton 2018 model is now disclosed in Japanese market. The shops are releasing information about the specifications and new accessories.
Description of New 2018 Brompton
There is no big change in its specification but only small improvements/modification while 2017 model changed a lot.....
1. New Brake Calipers
Brompton Brake Caliper Dual Pivot (Front and Rear) will appear with new shape.
3. New color
2018 Black Edition Brompton will have a new color, black lacquer, while Stardust Black will terminate. As long as I speculate, the new color is a bit similar to that color of Yoshi's original Brompton.
Other than black lacquer addition, Raw Lacquer changes to gloss type paint.
left: black lacquer, center: raw lacquer gloss, right: raw lacquer matt
(source: Brompton Japan http://www.mizutanibike.co.jp/brand/brompton/)
Accessories
C-BAG
Current Black, Lagoon Blue, Berry Crash to only two colors, Black and Lagoon Blue.
S-BAG
Current Lime Green, Lagoon Blue, Black will continue and two more kinds with Brompton designed cover will be added.
O-BAG
There will be two types, Reflective/black and Grey only.
mini O-BAG
Only Black Reflective will be offered.
Saddle Bag Rucksack
A newly introduced bag for transportation. The new rucksack folds into a saddle bag to attach to the seat post when you start to ride Brompton.
You can climb a mountain with your Brompton in this rucksack. Please see the article Brompton Peak Hunting and Hot Spring.
-----------------------
Please note that some information might be only applicable for Japanese market.
Related Article:
Brompton 2019 Model
References:
Brompton Japan: Black Edition 2018 coming on November 2!! (Japanese)
Brompton Junction Tokyo: BROMPTON 2018 Model (Japanese)
Loro Cycle Works Osaka: BROMPTON2018 Model (Japanese)
Y's Road Yokohama: 【2018 Model】New BROMPTON released! (Japanese)
Brompton anywhere to Go: Brompton 2017 Model (English)
(source: Brompton Bicycle https://www.brompton.com/)
Description of New 2018 Brompton
There is no big change in its specification but only small improvements/modification while 2017 model changed a lot.....
1. New Brake Calipers
Brompton Brake Caliper Dual Pivot (Front and Rear) will appear with new shape.
(source: Brompton Junction Tokyo https://bromptonjunctiontokyo.tumblr.com/)
(source: Brompton Japan http://www.mizutanibike.co.jp/)
2. M/H and P type Tyre change to Schwalbe Marathon Racer. Possible termination of Brompton original tyres.
specification: 16x1.50 40-305 255g
(source: Schwarbe official page https://www.schwalbe.com)
3. New color
2018 Black Edition Brompton will have a new color, black lacquer, while Stardust Black will terminate. As long as I speculate, the new color is a bit similar to that color of Yoshi's original Brompton.
Other than black lacquer addition, Raw Lacquer changes to gloss type paint.
left: black lacquer, center: raw lacquer gloss, right: raw lacquer matt
(source: Brompton Japan http://www.mizutanibike.co.jp/brand/brompton/)
C-BAG
Current Black, Lagoon Blue, Berry Crash to only two colors, Black and Lagoon Blue.
S-BAG
Current Lime Green, Lagoon Blue, Black will continue and two more kinds with Brompton designed cover will be added.
O-BAG
There will be two types, Reflective/black and Grey only.
mini O-BAG
Only Black Reflective will be offered.
Saddle Bag Rucksack
A newly introduced bag for transportation. The new rucksack folds into a saddle bag to attach to the seat post when you start to ride Brompton.
(source: Y's Road Yokohama official page http://ysroad.co.jp/yokohama/)
You can climb a mountain with your Brompton in this rucksack. Please see the article Brompton Peak Hunting and Hot Spring.
-----------------------
Please note that some information might be only applicable for Japanese market.
Related Article:
Brompton 2019 Model
References:
Brompton Japan: Black Edition 2018 coming on November 2!! (Japanese)
Brompton Junction Tokyo: BROMPTON 2018 Model (Japanese)
Loro Cycle Works Osaka: BROMPTON2018 Model (Japanese)
Y's Road Yokohama: 【2018 Model】New BROMPTON released! (Japanese)
Brompton anywhere to Go: Brompton 2017 Model (English)
Sunday, March 13, 2016
Brompton Lovers Gathering in Tokyo #25 & the Fourth Anniversary
On March 13 Sunday, it was a bit chilly weather with clouds. My Brompton M3L and I were a part of the Brompton gathering. Today 91 Bromptons gathered to stand in a row, celebrating the 4th anniversary of the Brompton Palace gathering.
After a photo session with all the participants, we moved on to the usual restaurant to chat.
Every foreign traveler passing by the Marunouchi Nakadori Avenue was interested in and took a photo when they watched this strange flock of bikes in front of the restaurant.
We shared wonderful time together.
The gathering in Tokyo is held bimonthly at the Imperial Palace Park near Tokyo Station. Why don't you join the meeting next time? The next gathering is scheduled on May 8 (Sunday).
Every foreign traveler passing by the Marunouchi Nakadori Avenue was interested in and took a photo when they watched this strange flock of bikes in front of the restaurant.
We shared wonderful time together.
The gathering in Tokyo is held bimonthly at the Imperial Palace Park near Tokyo Station. Why don't you join the meeting next time? The next gathering is scheduled on May 8 (Sunday).
Saturday, March 12, 2016
Brompton Junction Tokyo
Last September, a new Brompton Junction flagship store has opened in Tokyo, the second Brompton showcase in Japan. The store is located in a fashionable but quiet street of Daikanyama, near Ebisu and Shibuya.
There are more than a dozen of titanium models in the store. I have never seen that number of store stocked Ti-models in other places.
The photo was taken on the day when more than 30 Brompton lovers in Tokyo gathered and filled the store in the end of last year.
At the store Oi-san and Shiobara-san will take care of you and your Brompton.
Store Details:
Opening Hours: 10:30 - 19:30 (Closed on Thursdays)
Address: FLEG Daikanyama, 1-31-12 Ebisu-Nishi
Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Tel. 03-4283-1117
There are more than a dozen of titanium models in the store. I have never seen that number of store stocked Ti-models in other places.
The photo was taken on the day when more than 30 Brompton lovers in Tokyo gathered and filled the store in the end of last year.
At the store Oi-san and Shiobara-san will take care of you and your Brompton.
Store Details:
Opening Hours: 10:30 - 19:30 (Closed on Thursdays)
Address: FLEG Daikanyama, 1-31-12 Ebisu-Nishi
Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Tel. 03-4283-1117
Thursday, March 10, 2016
Tokyo Temples and Shrines to go
When you visit Tokyo, let's go to the shrines and temples for a pray of your travel safety!
Meiji Jingu Shrine (JR Harajuku Station)
Meiji Shrine is dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his consort, Empress Shoken. The shrine was completed and dedicated to the Emperor Meiji and the Empress Shoken in 1920. Emperor Meiji was the first emperor of modern Japan. He was born in 1852 and ascended to the throne in 1867 at the peak of the Meiji Restoration when Japan's feudal era came to an end and the emperor was restored to power.
Yasukuni Shrine (Subway Kudanshita Station)
The origin of Yasukuni Shrine was established as Shokokusha in the second year of the Meiji era (1869) by the will of the Emperor Meiji. In 1879, it was renamed Yasukuni Shrine. Yasukuni Shrine was established to commemorate and honor the achievement of those who dedicated their precious lives for their country.
Hie Shrine (Subway Akasaka Mitsuke Station)
In 1478, Ota Dokan constructed Edo Castle on the site of the present Imperial Palace. He also erected a Sanno-Hie Shrine in the compound for a guardian deity of the castle. That was an origin of Hie Shrine. The Shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa began ruling Japan from Edo Castle. He also became a patron of the Hie Shrine and worshipped the deity as the protector of Edo, the old name for Tokyo. The citizens of Edo also had the strongest faith in Hie Shrine, which enshrined the guardian deity of the Shogun. In 1657, Hie Shrine and a large part of Edo was destroyed by fire. However, in 1659, Shogun Ietsuna Tokugawa rebuilt the shrine at its present location. Regrettably, the shrine buildings were burnt down again in the bombing of Tokyo during the Second World War, in 1945. The present shrine buildings were constructed in 1958.
Zojoji Temple (Subway Onariomon Station/Shiba Koen Station)
Zojoji was founded in 1393 as an orthodox and fundamental nembutsu seminary for Jodo shu in the east Japan region. After the start of the Edo Period when the Tokugawa shogunate ruled Japan, Zojoji became the family temple of the Tokugawa shogunate family and an unparalleled grand cathedral was built. In those days, its precincts covered an area of 826,000 square meters which also contained 48 smaller attached temples and about 150 grammar schools. Moreover, as many as 3,000 priests and novices always resided here as students.
Kameido Tenjin (JR Kameido Station)
Kameido Tenjin Shrine is located east side of Tokyo Metro. It is famous for its Fuji Flower. Kameido Tenjin was built in 1646 to enshrine Sugawara no Michizane, the God of Education.
Meiji Jingu Shrine (JR Harajuku Station)
Meiji Shrine is dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his consort, Empress Shoken. The shrine was completed and dedicated to the Emperor Meiji and the Empress Shoken in 1920. Emperor Meiji was the first emperor of modern Japan. He was born in 1852 and ascended to the throne in 1867 at the peak of the Meiji Restoration when Japan's feudal era came to an end and the emperor was restored to power.
Yasukuni Shrine (Subway Kudanshita Station)
The origin of Yasukuni Shrine was established as Shokokusha in the second year of the Meiji era (1869) by the will of the Emperor Meiji. In 1879, it was renamed Yasukuni Shrine. Yasukuni Shrine was established to commemorate and honor the achievement of those who dedicated their precious lives for their country.
Hie Shrine (Subway Akasaka Mitsuke Station)
In 1478, Ota Dokan constructed Edo Castle on the site of the present Imperial Palace. He also erected a Sanno-Hie Shrine in the compound for a guardian deity of the castle. That was an origin of Hie Shrine. The Shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa began ruling Japan from Edo Castle. He also became a patron of the Hie Shrine and worshipped the deity as the protector of Edo, the old name for Tokyo. The citizens of Edo also had the strongest faith in Hie Shrine, which enshrined the guardian deity of the Shogun. In 1657, Hie Shrine and a large part of Edo was destroyed by fire. However, in 1659, Shogun Ietsuna Tokugawa rebuilt the shrine at its present location. Regrettably, the shrine buildings were burnt down again in the bombing of Tokyo during the Second World War, in 1945. The present shrine buildings were constructed in 1958.
Zojoji Temple (Subway Onariomon Station/Shiba Koen Station)
Zojoji was founded in 1393 as an orthodox and fundamental nembutsu seminary for Jodo shu in the east Japan region. After the start of the Edo Period when the Tokugawa shogunate ruled Japan, Zojoji became the family temple of the Tokugawa shogunate family and an unparalleled grand cathedral was built. In those days, its precincts covered an area of 826,000 square meters which also contained 48 smaller attached temples and about 150 grammar schools. Moreover, as many as 3,000 priests and novices always resided here as students.
Kameido Tenjin (JR Kameido Station)
Kameido Tenjin Shrine is located east side of Tokyo Metro. It is famous for its Fuji Flower. Kameido Tenjin was built in 1646 to enshrine Sugawara no Michizane, the God of Education.
Kanda Myojin (JR Ochanomizu Station/Subway Nezu Station)
This shrine is the chief guardian god of Edo and was established in 730. Local people are very proud of Kanda Myojin Shrine's very long history over 1270 years. Kanda Myojin Shrine is very popular with the local people because they feel that if they worship here it will give them: happy family life, success and prosperity in their businesses, and will help them to find a well-matched marriage partner. Recently, because Kanda Myojin Shrine is not so far away from Akihabara, it has become the guardian of IT business. People can get a lucky charm here called the "Protection and Safe keeper of IT Data", which has become increasingly popular. Every year during the New Years celebrations, many of the engineers and people who run businesses from the area come to Kanda Myojin Shrine and buy this lucky charm.
Finally Sensoji Temple in Asakusa. It is one of the most popular places to go among foreign travelers. (Tobu and Subway Asakusa Station)
Each of those temples and shrines have their own history and roles in the traditional Japanese life. You can learn a part of Japanese religions, culture and tradition through visiting the places.
Saturday, March 5, 2016
Japan Travel Destinations for Bromptoneer (3) - Other special places to go
Other than regular and popular destinations, there are a lot of special places to go for Bonsai lovers, anime funs, and Sumo lovers. Selective destinations of Tokyo and vicinity are as follows:
1. Bonsai Art
(1) The Omiya Bonsai Art Museum, Saitama
Opened in 2010, the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum is the world’s first publicly run museum dedicated to bonsai art. It boasts a collection of more than 100 bonsai masterpieces and bonsai-related artifacts such as bonsai pots, miniature landscape stone called suiseki, books and woodblock prints, etc.
Selected in accordance with the four seasons, about 50 pots of bonsai are always displayed in the garden and some in the gallery.
From JR Utsunomiya line Toro Station or Tobu Urbanpark line Omiya Koen Station, you can reach the Bonsai Art Museum in 3 to 5 minutes by Brompton.
(2) Shunka-en Bonsai Museum
The Museum was built with the ambition to spread Japanese culture, especially Bonsai in a new way to the rest of the world. I wanted to show both the beauty and the severity of nature that is hidden within Bonsai, even just a little glimpse but to a great number of people from around the world. With that thought in mind I was successful in creating this beautiful museum.
Every Sunday learn Bonsai under the personal guidance of Kunio Kobayashi at Shunkaen. You use Subway Shinjuku line (Toei) to get off at Mizue Station to reach Shunka-en (7 minutes by Brompton).
2. Ghibli Museum
The Ghibli Museum is the animation and art museum of Miyazaki Hayao's Studio Ghibli, a world famous animation studios. Located in Mitaka, a suburb of Tokyo, the museum is a must-see for "anime" lovers. The museum itself is whimsically designed and many of their famous characters are there, including a life-sized robot from "Castle in the Sky" on the rooftop garden. When you visit, please get off the train (JR Chuo line) at Kichijoji Station or Mitaka Station and take a Brompton ride for 5-10 minutes to reach.
3. Go-karting on public road!
Put your costumes on, play some crazy tunes on loud speakers, and drive around your favorite part of town! Expect a lot of pedestrians and drivers take many pictures of you!
4. Sumo Watching
Let's go to see live Grand Sumo Wrestling Tournaments at the Ryogoku Kokugi-kan, a venue for Sumo regular contests. Three of the six official sumo tournaments that take place nationwide each year are held here, in January, May, and September. Other than Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka (Kyushu) host the tournaments.
5. Game Software Shop "Super Potato" at akihabara
While most stores only focus on what's new in the gaming world, Super Potato is a chain of retro video game stores in Japan filled to the brim with equipment and merchandise for games that you've long forgotten.
The fifth floor of Super Potato has a vintage video game arcade, with a nice collection of old games available to pump coins into while sipping on pop sold in glass bottles. The collection of machines isn't huge compared to other arcades, but there are a nice selection and enough memorable classic games to make it a nice finishing touch to the Super Potato experience.
related article:
Japan Travel Destinations for Bromptoneer (2) - Suburban Tokyo & Vicinity
1. Bonsai Art
(1) The Omiya Bonsai Art Museum, Saitama
Opened in 2010, the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum is the world’s first publicly run museum dedicated to bonsai art. It boasts a collection of more than 100 bonsai masterpieces and bonsai-related artifacts such as bonsai pots, miniature landscape stone called suiseki, books and woodblock prints, etc.
Selected in accordance with the four seasons, about 50 pots of bonsai are always displayed in the garden and some in the gallery.
From JR Utsunomiya line Toro Station or Tobu Urbanpark line Omiya Koen Station, you can reach the Bonsai Art Museum in 3 to 5 minutes by Brompton.
(2) Shunka-en Bonsai Museum
The Museum was built with the ambition to spread Japanese culture, especially Bonsai in a new way to the rest of the world. I wanted to show both the beauty and the severity of nature that is hidden within Bonsai, even just a little glimpse but to a great number of people from around the world. With that thought in mind I was successful in creating this beautiful museum.
Every Sunday learn Bonsai under the personal guidance of Kunio Kobayashi at Shunkaen. You use Subway Shinjuku line (Toei) to get off at Mizue Station to reach Shunka-en (7 minutes by Brompton).
2. Ghibli Museum
The Ghibli Museum is the animation and art museum of Miyazaki Hayao's Studio Ghibli, a world famous animation studios. Located in Mitaka, a suburb of Tokyo, the museum is a must-see for "anime" lovers. The museum itself is whimsically designed and many of their famous characters are there, including a life-sized robot from "Castle in the Sky" on the rooftop garden. When you visit, please get off the train (JR Chuo line) at Kichijoji Station or Mitaka Station and take a Brompton ride for 5-10 minutes to reach.
Put your costumes on, play some crazy tunes on loud speakers, and drive around your favorite part of town! Expect a lot of pedestrians and drivers take many pictures of you!
4. Sumo Watching
Let's go to see live Grand Sumo Wrestling Tournaments at the Ryogoku Kokugi-kan, a venue for Sumo regular contests. Three of the six official sumo tournaments that take place nationwide each year are held here, in January, May, and September. Other than Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka (Kyushu) host the tournaments.
Ryogoku, where the hall is located, is truly the heartland of sumo, and there are many chanko hotpot restaurants serving the same dishes that the wrestlers eat everyday. It is also often possible to see young wrestlers wearing traditional Japanese clothe (yukata).
Next to the Ryogoku Kokugikan, there is the Edo-Tokyo Museum, the best and most interesting museum for travelers who are interested in Japanese tradition and Tokyo's history. This museum shows Tokyo's miraculous transformation from feudal city to modern capital, through city models, miniatures of real buildings and Ukiyoe displays.
While most stores only focus on what's new in the gaming world, Super Potato is a chain of retro video game stores in Japan filled to the brim with equipment and merchandise for games that you've long forgotten.
The fifth floor of Super Potato has a vintage video game arcade, with a nice collection of old games available to pump coins into while sipping on pop sold in glass bottles. The collection of machines isn't huge compared to other arcades, but there are a nice selection and enough memorable classic games to make it a nice finishing touch to the Super Potato experience.
related article:
Japan Travel Destinations for Bromptoneer (2) - Suburban Tokyo & Vicinity
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