I have been on a mission this summer to visit neighborhoods in Tokyo that I have never visited before.  I want to expand my urban view of my adoptive home.  Where are those interesting hoods?  So, after a bit of searching I set my sights on the old neighborhood of Minowa.

Minowa lies only a few stations from the bustle of Ueno, but it might as well have been on the other side of the Tokyo border.  There was an old covered mall left over from the Showa days.  Tight narrow alley ways lead away from the shopping mall.

Between the buildings coming down and the new ones going up laid a wonderland of geometric interactions with it’s inhabitants.

Wander

Wander

Click

Click

And it all fits nicely into a square.

I was fortunate to have a bit of family in Tokyo the other day.  I don’t get to play tour guide to my adopted city often so I always look forward to showing people my focus on the town.

Bodiiin over at MyKriteek.com put up a 90 second critique of one of my image.  It is refreshing to have a quick and concise critique of my work.  Big time respect to Bodiiin over there for thinking to put it on his site.

http://mykriteek.com/the-banana-peel-by-jacob-schere-here-and-ther

I had never been to Kagurazaka before venturing there today.  I had heard that it was a bit of an old part of town, but what really got me to want to make a stroll around is when I heard that there are more French restaurants there than anywhere else in Tokyo.  I  enjoyed the little backstreets, that alternated between little bistros and exquisite Japanese places.

And finally after a beautiful Galette stuffed with cheese, mushrooms and tomatoes I was treated to my favorite coffee, a noisette.  yummy!