We walked to Ueno station today, stopping to clean our glasses at the free automatic spectacle cleaning machine outside the chemist. The Japanese are so clever at design, and they have a gadget for everything and a service for everyone. For instance, in the station there is an ostomy facility, there are special traffic facilities for the blind, and there are rooftop gardens for children.
Anyway, we then caught the train to Nippori station and walked to the Asakura Museum of Sculpture. This used to be the home and studio of the famed sculptor, Asakura Fumio, and his sculptress daughters. He designed the structure himself and it is truly beautiful. Very traditional in a lot of ways with tatami mats, sliding screens, a beautiful goldfish pond with the biggest koi carp I have ever seen, and traditional garden surrounding it, and traditional furniture, yet very Western in others due to the vast bookcases and the large rooms, and very original with its rooftop flower and vegetable garden, its wood- like balustrades and its skylights. It is truly a centre of peace cut off from the outer world, in spite of the fact that it also served as a private art school. Many of his sculptures are displayed, such as his famed, " Grave-keeper", depictions of his daughters and his marvellous cats (he had about 10!)., but one can also see his sketches, paintings and photographs of his work. In the museum, one has to wear socks, which are lent to visitors, avoid touching the walls and exhibits, and not take any photos, but photos are allowed at the outside rooftop and entrance. I am so glad we did not miss out on this museum, but wish I could have taken photos. It was beautiful.
After the visit, we wandered around the neighbourhood back streets, visiting the many graveyards and cemeteries, peering into local hoses and gardens, and visiting the myriad of artisan shops and stalls dotted around. A walk in this area is a great way to see a suburban side of Tokyo. We also had afternoon tea at a rather nice cafe with both Japanese and Western drinks and cakes and desserts, eavesdropping on a couple who seemed to be in the process of stealing a design for a flowing top. We got the giggles at Americans of Japanese descent trying to communicate with the waiter by using Pidgin English and sign language. We had a really brilliant afternoon. Very photogenic, relaxing, interesting and informative.
Back at Ueno station we enjoyed wandering around the gift shops and admiring the truly gorgeous flower shops. They really have such a huge variety of plants for sale and creative arrangements. Inspiring!
Tomorrow we catch the bullet train to Kyoto. A new adventure!
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