The Oedo international market at the Tokyo Kokusai Forum.
The S.O. and I went out all the days of this weekend riding somewhere on the train. On Saturday she went up to a shrine sale-while I went up to Yokohama. I walked around Landmark tower, through the shops, out around the Nihon Maru ( a tall ship that does not do much these days but sit in Lock #1 across from Yokohama’s Landmark tower). I also went to the Yokohama Maritime Museum. Those activites, however are for a subsequent post-so please stay tuned!
On Sunday’s , every 3 weeks or so, they have a huge antique market at the Tokyo International Forum, which is a large convention center across from Yurakicho Station-and easily accessible from Tokyo Station. Since decision time for me is rapidly approaching-and its driving me nuts-I wanted to get out and see things while I still may have the chance.
Make decisions about other situations, or about spending other people’s money? No problem-piece of cake. Approach a Y in the road for my own life? I hate it!
But I digress.
We got on the train and headed north to Tokyo. Come on aboard with us!
Upon arriving at Tokyo station had us heading outside at the Marunouchi south exit. I had tried in vain to convince the S.O. there was another way-I knew there was-but her sense of direction is simply terrible. So out we came by the Tokyo Central Post office:
Down parallel to the tracks we went until we found the forum. Did I mention that it is cold outside? Nonetheless, the market took up the whole space between halls A-D and E-H.
Tokyo Kokusai Forum.
And the market in all its glory:
Lots see and buy-at Tokyo prices!
Did I bring up the fact that it was cold outside?
The S.O. immediately went to work. There is no amount of dishes and china pieces that she won’t look at and here there was a lot of ground to cover:
I, on the other hand enjoy going to look at the old books and magazines. One of the great things about this type of market is that there are always people trying to sell old magazines, old books and in this case a fair amount of stuff from World War II -or before:
This is the Mainichi-Shinbum Sunday Magazine-from October 29, 1939. (Showa 14 Nen).
I guess you have to be a history geek like I am to really appreciate this. First of all, if you can read Japanese, you will immediately notice that the Japanese script at the top is “backwards”. Evidently before the war, and during it-when Japanese was written horizontally it was read from right to left. That is the exact opposite of what is done now. ( Left to right-but when its written vertically, it is read top to bottom, right to left. I have no idea why that is.)
Anyway-it was pretty cool. Pictures of Hitler inside; an “interview” with Stalin; interesting pictures and stories of the “action” in China. A map of the Japanese Empire with Korea and Formosa with Japanese flags over them-plus Manchukoku. Pictures of what are now cities in Northern China with train service and signs in Japanese.
I should have bought it but they wanted 3000 yen for it-too much IMHO.
Meanwhile-the S.O was still scouting the dishes:
They just don’t do it for me. But she likes them, which is why we have them all over our place. In the meantime, I was getting colder and looking at the manga and art:
Look closely-you will see Atomu(Astro Boy), my boyish, blog symbol, second from the top on the left. Or Chibi Mariko-chan on the top right. And other comic heroes-all in and around. Cool!
There were also movie magazines. Some of more mature readers will recognize Robert De Niro from the Deer Hunter:
From March of 1979-I was 21 years old when this was printed.
On the far left is a magazine about Space Cruiser Yamato-a popular cartoon series in the 1970’s here. Plus the geisha on the red record above.
Or looking at posters:
It says Watanabe’s presents! It is an ad for caramels!
This has to be from 1954 or 1955. After that I’m not sure I know of anyone who would use the Comet as an advertising gimmick-given their innate ability to fall out of the sky!
The S.O. was still making her rounds-but finally the cold was getting to me. I called her 3 times on her cell phone- she did not hear it in the crowds.Finally I went in one of the halls to get warm-where I came across this plug for the 2016 Olympics:
Beats the hell out of doing it in stinking commie land Beijing!
By now I had enough. Found the S.O. and bribed her by buying her a small hibachi if she would go with me to a Starbucks. Warmth at last! After that it was back to Tokyo station to board the Tokaido line for Yokohama-for more shopping and dinner!.
Platform 9 at Tokyo station!
Across the platform the nice train to Isu was boarding:
Why can’t they get trains like this in the US?
Complete with hostess to welcome you aboard!
She sure looks happy about it!
Tomorrow ask me about the cat art we bought!
Ja ne!