New Year's biggest event in Japan: Hakone Ekiden

Ekiden is a long-distance relay road race which is very popular in Japan. Especially, New Year's Hakone Ekiden in which twenty university teams participate is the most exciting. It takes place on January 2 and 3. On the first day the race starts in front of Yomiuri Newspaper Company's Tokyo head office at 8:00 am and finishes at Lake Ashi of Hakone in Kanagawa Prefecture. It takes nearly 6 hours. On the second day they run from Hakone to Tokyo. The distance from Yomiuri's head office to Hakone is 108 kilometers and the course is divided into five relays. So, each university team has to choose 10 strong distance runners.
Every year I go to Hodogaya station to see the 9th relay and the Kyobashi area to see the 10th relay.

This is the film which I took in front of Hodogaya Station. The 9th runner of Nippon Sport Science University is in the lead of the race.

On the roadside drummers are beating Japanese drums to cheer the runners.

In the Kyobashi area of Tokyo many people are waiting to see runners along the Ekiden course.

Here comes the top runner, the tenth relay runner of Nippon Sport Science University that finally won the race for the first time in 30 years.
Written and posted by Mitsutoshi Masunari; mitch68canada@yahoo.co.jp

Chrythanthemum Exhibition at Sankei-en Garden

Hello, dear followers of my blogsite! I went to Sankei-en Garden to see Chrysanthemum Exhibition and enjoyed it very much. So, I'd like to post some pictures for you to share them.

These are all made of chrysanthemums.

These two are miniature chrysanthemums.

I also enjoyed Japanese pampas grass.

Water birds are comfortably floating.

Three storied pagoda in the garden.
Posted by Mitsutoshi Masunari
mitch68canada@yahoo.co.jp

Yokohama Honmoku Pier

This tower was built in 1986 and has a function of a lighthouse. It is named Yokohama Port Symbol Tower which stands at Honmoku 'D' Pier of Yokohama Port. Its height is 58.5 meter. It sends messages and signals to passenger ships and cargo boats which enter and leave Yokohama Port for their safety. I went up to its observatory.

It was Friday afternoon.

You can see Yokohama Bay Bridge in the middle of this picture.

Another picture from the ovservatory.

Then I went down to the foot of the tower. This is a cargo boat APL. It stands for American President Lines.

Admiral Togo and Flagship Mikasa

I had a chance to visit Mikasa Park for the first time since April 2011, so I took many pictures there.

Mikasa was a battleship which was built in the United Kingdom and brought to Japan in 1902.

People who engaged in the construction of Mikasa in England.



Launching Ceremony

Heihachiro Togo(1848-1934) was an Admiral who led Japanese Navy at Russo-Japanese War(1904-1905). At the time of the war Mikasa was used as a flagship.

Admiral Togo

The stem of Mikasa

I posted only a few pictures which I enjoyed at Mikasa Museum in Yokosuka. You will be able to enjoy more if you go to the museum.



Finally, Tokyo Station was unveiled!

Tokyo Station was built in 1914.

Because of rain and wind the station building had been eroded, so it underwent a cosmetic surgery. Tourists who came to Tokyo couldn't see the building during the surgery.
Then Tokyo Station was unveiled.

I hope you to enjoy the station building. In the vicinity of the station, there is Tokyo Central Post Office.

Your airmails to Japan are collected here and distributed from this post office.

Then, I saw a colorful bus, parking near Tokyo Station. 
What do we believe? Yes. We believe Japanese atheletes to win as many gold medals as possible in London.

A temple full of flowers in Kamakura

Meigetsu-in Temple aka Hydrangea Temple is in North Kamakura. This temple is usually quiet but at this time of a year there are full of visiters.Do you know why?

It is because we can enjoy hydrangeas at this temple.

At the backyard of this temple there are irises. 

A stone statue of Jizo with red costume.

A dry landscape garden and Mitsutoshi

British House Yokohama & Rose Garden

This structure was built in 1937 and used as an official residence for British Consulate General. In 1969　it was sold to Yokohama City prior to the closure of British Consulate of Yokohama in 1972.
Now it is used as a public hall for Yokohama citizens.

This was a bedroom of the second floor.

This is a backyard of the house.

In front of the house we can enjoy beautiful roses.