Tsutankaku (通天閣）

The current tower is the second to occupy the site. The original tower, patterned after the Eiffel Tower, was built in 1912, and was connected to the adjacent amusement park, Luna Park, by an aerial cable car. At the time of its construction, its height of 64 meters made it the second tallest structure in Asia. It quickly became one of the most popular locations in the city, drawing visitors from all over the area. The original structure suffered a fire in 1943which severely damaged it, and rather than repair the structure, it was disassembled and the steel used for the war effort.

After the war citizens lobbied to rebuild the beloved tower. A private company, the Tsūtenkaku Kanko Co. Ltd. was established and Tachū Naitō, Japan's "Father of Towers" was selected to design it. The new, eight-sided structure was opened in 1956.

On the fifth floor observation deck is enshrined Billiken, the God of Happiness or "things as they ought to be." Billiken, a popular American charm doll that came to Japan in about 1910, was enshrined within Luna Park when it opened. When the park was closed in 1923, the wooden statue of Billiken went missing. As a part of an effort to revive the tower, a copy of Billiken was made from an old photograph and placed inside the tower in 1979. The statue of Billiken became closely associated with the tower and is a popular symbol of good luck. Each year thousands of visitors place a coin in his donation box and rub the soles of his feet to make their wishes come true.

The tower is also famous for its neon lights, which change every few years (they were shut off during the oil crisis of 1974–76). Hitachi has sponsored the tower since 1957, and the light designs usually spell out Hitachi advertisements, although one side of the tower is usually occupied by a public service announcement.

Nikon D90   17-70mm F/2.8-4.5G   17mm   
F/10   1/400s   ISO 200

Nagoya Castle

Nagoya Castle was constructed on the orders of Ieyasu TOKUGAWA in order to secure an important position on the Tokaido highway and to ward off attacks from the direction of Osaka. Construction was completed in 1612, and the castle is typical of those built on flatlands. Until the Meiji Restoration, Nagoya Castle flourished as the castle in which the Owari lineage of the Tokugawa family, the foremost of the family’s three lineages, resided.
In May 1945, during the air raids on Nagoya in the Second World War, most of the buildings including the main and small donjons, and the Hommaru Palace, were burned down. Fortunately, however, three corner towers, three gates, and most of the paintings on the sliding doors and walls in the Hommaru Palace survived the fire, and have been handed down as Important Cultural Assets.


Nikon D90   17-70mm F/2.8-4.5G   45mm
F/7.1   1/200s   ISO 200

Window of the old town (京都河原町）

Kawaramachi-dori Street was created at the beginning of the Edo Period with the excavation of Takasegawa Canal and the construction of the bank along the Kamogawa River. During the Edo Period it was called "vehicle road" because of the Aoi Festival parade, which used the northern portion of the road. The portion south of Nijo was called "Sumikura-dori." Since the Meiji Period, government offices and hotels have been built on Kawaramachi-dori, the road has been widened and train lines have been opened - so that it is now a main street of Kyoto. 




Nikon D90   17-70mm F/2.8-4.5G 21mm
F/3.5  1/60s  -2.0   ISO 200