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The Streets of Tokyo


by Robert George, Jan 2, 2003 | Destinations: Japan / Tokyo
Japanese salarymen are expected to show devotion to the company by working long hours, often six days a week. So, a sunny lunch hour provides a welcome opportunity for a little R&R.

Japanese salarymen are expected to show devotion to the company by working long hours, often six days a week. So, a sunny lunch hour provides a welcome opportunity for a little R&R.

Image © 2002 Robert George
Japanese salarymen are expected to show devotion to the company by working long hours, often six days a week. So, a sunny lunch hour provides a welcome opportunity for a little R&R.
Buddhist monks in training walk the streets of Japan collecting alms as a means of practicing humility. Clothed in traditional robes and bowl-shaped rice straw hats to shield them from the temptations of the flesh, they provide an element of stark contrast to the materialistic world of contemporary urban life.
Amid the dazzling array of glitzy department stores in downtown Tokyo, neighborhood vendors still peddle their wares in open stalls on the sidewalks.
In a culture where conformity and group consciousness are key, many of Japan's youth strive to express their individuality. Contemporary fashion offers a creative way to show a little style and escape the confines of their school and office uniforms.

A story told with photos.


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In Japan, children are treated with the utmost care and attention. The literacy rate in Japan ranks among the world's highest, and the infant mortality rate is among the lowest. Despite its population density and astronomical cost of living, Japan provides excellent 'quality of life' for its children.

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Every year on November 15, Japan celebrates Shichi-Go-San--Children's Day. Dressed in their very finest garments, girls and boys aged three, boys aged five, and girls aged seven, go with their families to nearby shrines, where they line up, sometimes for hours, to await their turn to be blessed by the presiding priest. After the blessing, the child is presented with a gift of long sticks of candy called chitose-ame, "thousand year sweets," wrapped in ornate bags decorated with cranes and turtles, both symbols of longevity.

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The Tokyo district of Rygoku is home of one of Japan's most famous Sumo wrestling facilities. Sumo wrestlers train very strenuously for their six annual basho tournaments, and must consume up to 10,000 calories a day to achieve and maintain their enormous stature. When they're not in training however, they can be seen strolling the city sidewalks wearing blue and white cotton robes called yukata.

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In contemporary Japan, urban architecture is an eclectic juxtaposition of old-world traditional, post-war Bauhaus, and ultra-modern futuristic styles. And sometimes--it's a combination of all three!

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