Nakano | Dog Eaters

A Showa era feeling in the new Reiwa era

Posted on 04.15.19 under Nakano, Renga Zaka

The Showa Era was the reign of Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito) from December 25, 1926 until his death on January 7, 1989. World War II and the modernization of Japan is also encompassed during this period of time.

Heisei Era followed and will end on April 30, 2019 when the Emperor Akihito of Japan is set to abdicate and will transition into the Reiwa era. Crown Prince Naruhito will take the throne on May 1, 2019 and the Reiwa era will start.

The kanji characters for Reiwa are derived from the Man’yōshū, an eighth-century (Nara period) anthology of waka poetry. The headnote attached to a group of 32 poems (815–846) in Volume 5 of the collection, composed on the occasion of a poetic gathering to view the plum blossoms.

English translation:

It was in new spring, in a fair (“Rei”) month,
When the air was clear and the wind a gentle (“wa”) breeze.
Plum flowers blossomed a beauty’s charming white
And the fragrance of the orchids was their sweet perfume.

Nakano at twilight

Posted on 12.11.15 under Nakano

The rains came, the skies cleared, the winds blew from the south…

Saturday Night in Tokyo

Posted on 11.29.15 under Dustin Wong, Junko Wong, Mamoru Sato, Nakano, Takako Minekawa, Tokyo, Uncategorized

It started in Nakano, a place known for Nakano Broadway, a mecca (wait, is that still a positive description?) for Otaku with its vinyl figures, manga, anime cells, maid bars, maid costumes, and all that good stuff.

Nakano Sun Plaza reminds me of the Tyrell Corporation in Blade Runner.

Not nearly as majestic, though — and where are the flying cars? It’s almost 2019…

We had dinner with Jessie, the daughter of my mentor, Mamoru Sato, a sculptor professor at the University of Hawaii, Manoa that advised me to become an art major. This was one of the biggest turning points of my life. We babysat Jessie and Dustin together — they were born just a couple of months apart.

I worked on Mo’s commissions throughout the years I was a student at UH.

Peter Brown (1955-1981) did jump through hoops, but not the usual hoops… I took this photo with his camera, turning the tables.

Signage in “ura” Nakano. The “ura” parts of the major centers (Shinjuku, Shibuya, Harajuku, etc) can be some of the most interesting.

Then I drove Jessica to her hotel in Shibuya and Dustin and Takako back to Wakabayashi, Setagaya.

I think they used this intersection in “Fast & Furious — Tokyo Drift.” Obviously, not going to race in this part of town. There would be more than a few traffic fatalities.