After visiting the Tabata Bunshimura Memorial Museum last time, I decided on a whim to extend my visit to the Shinjuku Museum of History. What connected these two seemingly unconnected museums on this day was this stamp rally event “Ryunosuke Akutagawa and Osamu Dazai” (I’m afraid the link is broken because the exhibition period has already ended.)
It was a light overcast in the morning and the heat was easing, but when I got off the train from Tabata to Yotsuya, it was so hot and sunny!
This is JR Yotsuya station and the station building. The people coming out from the lower left is the concourse of the station.
For some reason, I have to make a slight detour to get to my destination, the museum. We will pass by a brand-new skyscraper near the station.
Still, it’s kind of hot!
I turned the corner and up the hill, and then I saw it.
Climbing up a bit and looking back, from the other side.
This is a building that most people will tilt their heads to see what it’s all about, but a few will recognize “that”.
Yes, “that” is located on the first floor.
A new service location opened by Ricoh (PENTAX) after the discontinuation and withdrawal of Ricoh Imaging Square Tokyo in Nishi-Shinjuku, PENTAX CLUB HOUSE. On this day, a few days before the opening, the lights are still off, but only the signage seems to be already up and running.
*Oh, by the way, the camera I brought today is not PENTAX, as it happens.
It might be a little crowded for a while after the opening, so we’ll visit when the time is right. Today I only took a picture of the outside of the building.
By the way, did you know about this? I am ashamed to say that I did not know it. What kind of scenery looks like the streetscape of The Core of Tokyo, located in the center of the city on the west side of Yotsuya Station?
This is what it looked like.
A very ordinary, low-rise residential area. Even if you were told that these photos were taken in Suginami or Nerima, no one would be able to tell them apart.
In the photo below, the radio tower of the Ministry of Defense in Ichigaya is a unique feature, but without it, the scenery would be described as an ordinary “quiet residential area”.
After walking for about 10 minutes under the blazing sun through these alleys, our destination suddenly appeared in the middle of a residential area.
It is the Shinjuku Museum of History.
I was so relieved to have arrived at my destination, and most thankful for the shade and air conditioning, that I couldn’t help but let out an “oh”. It was so hot that I almost forgot why I had come here.
This is it. Akutagawa and Dazai. This is a special exhibition by three facilities in Mitaka, Shinjuku, and Tabata that connects these two great writers in different ages and styles.
No, I don’t say that like I know what I’m talking about, I’m just running an errand for an acquaintance. I stamped the sheet I received and completed the mission anyway! The receptionist congratulated me, saying, “Today is Kappa Memorial day (if you don’t know the name, please refer to the previous article), isn’t it?
After I had a chance to relax, I had some time to look around the museum and found some interesting temporary and permanent exhibits, which I will talk about later when I have a chance.
I walked back to Yotsuya Station, but this time I walked along Sanei Dori Street in the shade of the buildings, instead of going through residential alleys.
I had no idea there was such a local shopping street-like main street in the middle of the city center. It was Sunday and many stores were closed.
I thought I came to know well about almost of Tokyo city area after living here for so many years, but what the heck. I was really surprised to find that there are still many towns that I don’t know at all, such as Tabata and Yotsuya, and that I am still living without realizing that I don’t know anything about them.
It was my friend’s help with the stamp rally that started the whole thing, but it was a whimsical walk on Sunday that made me realize once again how many new discoveries you can make when you take a completely different course of action from your usual one.
Still, it was hot.
Equipment used this time: Lumix G99, Leica DG12-60mm
