Tokyo Photo News October 2014

From October 10 to 12, Tokyo-made agricultural and marine products, alcoholic drinks, and special dishes of foods created with Tokyo-made materials were on sale in the heart of the business district, Marunouchi. Famous Tokyo chefs sold their special dishes out of kitchen cars along Marunouchi Naka-dori Street, which was transformed into a 300-meter-long pedestrian mall. On Gyoko-dori Street stretching from Tokyo Station to the Imperial Palace, edokiriko faceted glass, wood carvings, and other traditional crafts were displayed and sold in a showcase of “Tokyo cuisine and traditional culture” for the crowds of Taste of Tokyo visitors.

(October 10, 2014)

On October 11 and 12, the 7th annual Tokyo Grand Tea Ceremony was held at the Hamarikyu Gardens, which were once “daimyo gardens” of the feudal lords (daimyo). This large-scale tea ceremony is part of the Tokyo Traditional Arts Program that aspires to broadcast the attractiveness of traditional Japanese culture to people both inside and outside of Japan. The event provides Tokyo residents and overseas tourists with an opportunity to casually experience and enjoy tea ceremony traditions and rituals. Various special tea settings were established for the event, including “Tea Ceremony for Beginners” and the “Nodate in English” (a nodate is an open-air tea ceremony). Over 20,000 visitors came to the event in these two days.

(October 12, 2014)

On October 20, the event “ Let’s Discuss with the Governor! in Koganei” took place in Koganei City, which is geographically located near the center of the Tokyo Metropolis. This was the first such symposium held for the purpose of direct discussion between Tokyo Governor Yoichi Masuzoe and the citizens of Tokyo on the main issues and tasks that the Tokyo Metropolitan Government is facing. The theme of the symposium was “Hospitality and service for foreign visitors in preparation toward the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games”. Discussion with Tokyo residents revolved around topics including the Tokyo Metropolitan Government policies focused on creating an environment to realize comfortable and safety stay for overseas visitors. Training of “Hospitality Volunteer”, who will be able to communicate and provide directions in English, was introduced as one example of the measures.

(October 20, 2014)

On October 31, crowds of costumed young people gathered in Shibuya for the annual Halloween excitement. The Shibuya Crossing became increasingly congested beginning at 9 PM, but traffic control undertaken by 200 special mobile police from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department prevented any major disorder. This year’s Halloween took place on the Friday before a three-day weekend, and many young people enjoyed the Halloween night through to dawn the next day.

(October 31, 2014)