Meji Jingu Doll Festival

what do you think of this new bigger picture blog format? like? dislike? This weekend was filled with work but today I went to Meiji Jingu to see the doll matsuri.

My Taiwanese roommate Aka moved out. here are some of her shoes

"This annual festival celebrates and thanks dolls for the enjoyment they give their owners. It is said that each doll has a soul, and when it becomes outdated or broken it should be thanked and put to rest. This festival displays over 35,000 dolls sent from all over the Tokyo metropolitan area (and further afield too), who will paid their due respects before being retired. This festival is not only unique in principal, but also the fact that it serves as a doll museum of sorts, with figures from just about every era and aesthetic coming together in one place." - Timeout Tokyo

creepies

who is the red haired dude and who are those twins below?

these two guys wearing the mini shishimai masks on their heads are cool

two inu hariko dolls

there were random dark skinned dolls too, like these dark skinned eskimos.

There was a Hokkaido matsuri in Yoyogi park this weekend. crab legs were $12 and the whole thing was $42

as with most of the festivals in Yoyogi park they have lots of tables filled with people chowing down.

crab donburi

the rockabillies

first time i've seen poodle skirts, bobby socks, and saddle shoes

Statue in Aoyama by Tarō Okamoto. He is most famous for his statue for the World Expo in Osaka in '70 and his huge mural near the inokashira line in Shibuya station.

Not my photo. Tarō Okamoto "Tower of the Sun" became the symbol of Expo '70 in Osaka. It shows the past (lower part), present (middle part), and future (the face) of the human race

Not my photo. Tarō Okamoto "The Myth of Tomorrow", depicting a human figure being hit by an atomic bomb, is near the inokashira line in shibuya station. This work was made for the Hotel de Mexico in Mexico city. It had to be cut into several pieces to be shipped to Japan.

cool painted building near that statue in Aoyama. That's it for this weekend. Time to pick up the pencil and draw away. By the way what do you think of this new bigger picture blog format? like? dislike?