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The scene is set. I’m seated at the table, surrounded by eight guests whom we’re hoping will give generously. The main course is done. Plates have been cleared and desserts have yet to be served. The Museum’s indefatigable Head of … Continue reading
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In the past, well… almost four months now, I’ve been spending a lot of time with birds. Specifically, ornamental chickens… Bantam Cochins, to be exact. Though also jumbo quail, fantailed pigeons and paradise whydahs. [The latter are a species of … Continue reading
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I wanted to write a song about Ginza, Tokyo, Japan. And I wanted to write a song that was laced with yearning and melancholy, but still upbeat; an epic electronic dance number, that went on and on and attained epiphany, … Continue reading
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The Port and Historic Waterfront in Hakodate also contains a high concentration of historic buildings from the city’s Meiji, Taisho and Showa eras, and is well-worth a walk. The highlight of the historic Waterfront is the Kanemori Red Brick Warehouses … Continue reading
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Motomachi 元町 is the erstwhile Foreign Settlement in the Treaty Port city in Hakodate. Even today, it contains many examples of well-preserved buildings from the Treaty Port era. Like the other foreign settlements we’ve encountered on the Japanese leg of … Continue reading
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So just when I thought I was done with the second China-Korea-Japan leg of my Grand Tour of the East, I find myself in Hakodate, in Japan’s northern-most island of Hokkaido. Hakodate was THE very first treaty port in Japan, … Continue reading
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So inevitably, I have arrived at the epilogue to Part II of my Grand Tour, on the Treaty Ports and Imperial Cities of China, Korea and Japan. 15 glittering cities of the Far East – Hong Kong, Macao, Canton, Amoy, … Continue reading
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The other historic grand hotel in Tokyo – and the one I actually stayed at – is the Tokyo Station Hotel. The Tokyo Station opened its doors in 1914 – it was built by the same architect that designed the Bank … Continue reading
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The Imperial Hotel is THE grande dame of the hospitality scene in Tokyo. It was built in the Meiji Era – the first Western-style hotel in Japan, built to cater to European visitors. It opened in 1890 but unfortunately, burnt down in … Continue reading
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The Imperial Palace in Tokyo stands on the foundations of the former Edo Castle, which has existed on the same site since 1457. In 1868, the Meiji Emperor moved from his Imperial Palace in Kyoto to the Edo Castle, renaming it … Continue reading
Dream Of A City 