Image search results - "shinjuku-ku" - JAPAN PHOTOS by Philbert Ono

Image search results - "shinjuku-ku"

Several groups perform along the main road on the east side of JR Shinjuku Station. This is in front of Isetan Dept. Store.

A large crowd watches as the crowd-pleasing drummers bring a bit of Okinawa to central Tokyo.

Many women drummers also perform. Shinjuku Eisa Matsuri, Tokyo

Shinjuku Eisa Matsuri, Tokyo

Also see the video at YouTube.

Hand drum

The cherry blossoms lining Sotobori Moat also look stunning from the road, Sotobori-dori in front of Kagurazaka.

Infectious Okinawan beat. Shinjuku Eisa Matsuri, Tokyo

People in a long line waiting to enter Canal Cafe to either dine or rent a rowboat.

Canal Cafe is right below the cherries. But notice empty tables despite the long line.

Empty rowboats too.

Cherry trees along the Sotobori Moat. Formerly a moat of Edo Castle, this canal stretching from Iidabashi Station to Ichigaya Station along the Chuo Line.

Dancing in front of JR Shinjuku Station, East side

Rowboats and low-hanging cherries.

The end of the moat is also a good viewpoint.

Smoking dragon dance

How it looks from the end of the moat.

Very popular festival and well-worth seeing.

The moat is parallel to the Chuo Line. View from Shin-Mitsuke Bridge. 新見附橋

Also see the video at YouTube.

Sobu Line passes through.

Chuo Line passes through. 中央線

Also see my YouTube video here.

Photographers who love trains and cherries flock here.

Canal Cafe

Sotobori Park on the other side of the moat. 外濠公園

A main thoroughfare to Kabukicho.

Neon lights of Kabukicho.

Pork restaurant.

Godzilla amid Kabukicho's neon lights.

The life-size Godzilla head on Hotel Gracery's rooftop in Kabukicho, Shinjuku.

Godzilla head is on the 8th floor.

8th floor.

Godzilla's roaring schedule.

There it is, the life-size Godzilla head.

Very impressive.

Smoke emitters inside the mouth.

When it's showtime, the lights turn red.

Godzilla's roaring time. On a rooftop in Kabukicho, Shinjuku.

Godzilla roaring and spewing smoke and fire from the mouth.

Godzilla's claw on the roof edge.

Street below as seen by Godzilla.

Godzilla relief at the base, destroying the National Diet Building.

Godzilla relief

Site of the old Koma Theater.

Robot Restaurant

As the climax of the 37th Kagurazaka Matsuri Festival, the Kagurazaka Awa Odori Dance was held on July 25-26, 2008, from 7 pm to 9 pm. These photos were taken on July 25, 2008. Crowd at Bishamonten.

The Awa Odori is held on Kagurazaka's main street called Kagurazaka-dori, a sloping road near Iidabashi Station. 神楽坂阿波踊り

Eighteen awa odori dance troupes danced this night.

These dancers head to the starting point.

The starting point was here, at the foot of the sloping Kagurazaka-dori near Iidabashi Station.

The local Kagurazaka Awa Odori troupe is Kagura-ren. かぐら連

Kagura-ren かぐら連

Unusual to see a woman drumming a big taiko drum.

Flute players

The Kagura-ren dancers proceed up the sloping Kagurazaka-dori.

Kagurazaka Awa Odori Dance 神楽坂阿波踊り

だむだん連

Damudan-ren has an easily-recognizable kimono design pattern. だむだん連

I always see this guy at Awa Odori in Tokyo.

Hyottoko-ren

Kagurazaka Awa Odori Dance

The street is not so crowded for the most part.

Crowd interaction.

Would you believe a Daikon-ren? Yes, eating it is good for your body. だいこん連

Kagurazaka Awa Odori dancers

The street was most crowded in front of Bishamonten temple, the focal point of Kagurazaka.

Kaguazaka Awa Odori dancers in front of Bishamonten temple. 毘沙門天

Also see my YouTube video here.

Kagurazaka Matsuri poster

Shinjuku Gyoen is near Shinjuku Gyoen-mae Station on the Marunouchi Line. This is Shinjuku Gate, one of the three gates to the park. Admission 200 yen.

These pictures were taken soon after the garden gates opened at 9 am in early April 2010 when it was overcast.

From morning, people spread their picnic mats to claim their spot under or near the best cherry trees.

Map of Shinjuku Gyoen. It's huge with a variety of Japanese and Western gardens, not to mention thousands of trees.

Shinjuku Gyoen has about 1,500 cherry trees.

Shinjuku Gyoen had its beginnings as the estate of the Naito clan, a retainer of the Tokugawa shogun.

Former Imperial Rest House (Kyu-gokyusho), an Important Cultural Property. This Western-style building was where Imperial family members rested while visiting the garden.

About the former Imperial Rest House in Japanese.

Garden management office.

What the new greenhouse will look like.

Tamamo Pond

Cherry tree at Tamamo Pond.

Part of the English Landscape Garden which is mainly a grassy lawn.

Next to the English Garden is this French Formal Garden.

French Formal Garden is not yet colorful in early April.

A flower named after the International Herald Tribune.

French Formal Garden

A cluster of weeping cherry trees.

Sakura roof

This is the tree which caught everyone's eye. It actually has flowers in three colors. All on one tree.

Everyone commented on how a single tree could have three different colored flowers.

Multi-colored cherry blossoms, Shinjuku Gyoen.

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden

Naka-no-ike Pond (Middle Pond)

How it looks in May with azalea.

So many cherry blossoms. It can take hours to see them all.

Cherry blossoms along the pond, Shinjuku Gyoen.

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden

Another distinguished building is this Chinese-style Taiwan Pavilion (Goryo-tei) built by Japanese in Taiwan in 1927.

You can enter the Taiwan Pavilion for free. Enter from the back.

About the Taiwan Pavilion.

Inside the Taiwan Pavilion, Shinjuku Gyoen Goryo-tei. Today it's an open-air lookout deck.

Originally, it was not open-air.

Great panoramic view from the Taiwan Pavilion.

Pine tree in the pond in front of the Taiwan Pavilion.

Bridge over the Kami-no-ike Pond. (Upper Pond)

Traditional Japanese Garden at Kami-no-ike Pond. (Upper Pond)

Large camellia bush next to a cherry tree.

Amazing tree sprouting another trunk after being cut down.

Here and there is a plaque like this in front of a large tree asking you what kind of tree it is. The answer is under the top flap.

I spent 3 hours walking around this garden. Would've taken longer if the sky was blue.

Hanami picnickers have to be well-behaved since alcoholic beverages are not allowed inside Shinjuku Gyoen. No bicycles, no badminton or games, no musical instruments or karaoke either.