Uploaded July 2020 | Updated September 2026, 6 days ago
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I had a ride from the center of youth culture of Japan to the center of otaku culture of the world. I mean from Shibuya to Akihabara. Bike is the best mode of transport in central Tokyo. Let me share what it is like.
Music: J.S. Bach - Suite No.4 in E flat - II. Allemande by European Archive (ED)
#tokyo #japan #cycling
Instagram: instagram.com/koji_planet_tokyo
Twitter: twitter.com/kj_planet_tokyo
I had a ride from the center of youth culture of Japan to the center of otaku culture of the world. I mean from Shibuya to Akihabara. Bike is the best mode of transport in central Tokyo. Let me share what it is like.
Music: J.S. Bach - Suite No.4 in E flat - II. Allemande by European Archive (ED)
#tokyo #japan #cycling
![Kids Triathlon in Kawaguchi, Japan [iPhone 4S/HD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/IBp3NAAa6iQ/mqdefault.jpg "Kids Triathlon in Kawaguchi, Japan [iPhone 4S/HD]
A kids triathlon was held near my place on a hot summer morning, in which about 300 local fourth to sixth-graders swam 50 m, rode a bike 4 km and ran 1 km under the scorching sun. The suntanned kids got excited about the competition and fully enjoyed the last event of their summer vacation.
- Shot in 1080p full HD with an iPhone 4S on Aug. 26th, 2012")
![Koinobori ~Japans Childrens Day~ [iPhone 4S/HD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/InIc36oPCyg/mqdefault.jpg "Koinobori ~Japans Childrens Day~ [iPhone 4S/HD]
The Chinese myth goes that brave carps could transform into dragons when they climbed up rapid falls. In Japan, based on the legend, we put up Koinobori, or carp-shaped streamers, in the sky from April to May 5th, Japans Childrens Day, hoping the children will rise like a dragon.
The spring sky was decorated with a lot of colorful carps even in urban areas like Tokyo when I was a kid, however, now you hardly see them swimming in the sky in cities filled with buildings. Fortunately, a Koinobori event takes place every year in my city, Kawaguchi. Nowadays a lot of cities hold this kind of event and fly Koinobori. You can enjoy them even if you dont have enough space to put them up in your garden.
- Shot in 1080p full HD with an iPhone 4S on May 5th, 2012")
![The Tokyo Skytree Illumination for Christmas [iPhone 4S/HD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/IvpPUcTaWCw/mqdefault.jpg "The Tokyo Skytree Illumination for Christmas [iPhone 4S/HD]
As the first Christmas event since the Tokyo Skytree completed, the worlds tallest TV tower is being illuminated in different colors from usual. Five illumination types are prepared and they change depending on the hour and the day. You can enjoy the special spectacle of lights from the sunset to 11 pm until Christmas. On every weekend, you can see the 1995 LED footlights changing their colors at 8 pm and 9 pm.
Tokyos new landmark lights up winter nights quietly and warmly.
- Shot in 1080p full HD with an iPhone 4S on Dec. 7th, 2012")
![Sudden shower, Kawaguchi, Japan [iPhone 4S/HD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/IzgOqBMsm4w/mqdefault.jpg "Sudden shower, Kawaguchi, Japan [iPhone 4S/HD]
Here in Japan, as in many other Asian countries, you often encounter sudden showers, especially in summer afternoons. The rains seem to be intensifying with climate change in recent years. Do not forget to check the weather forecast and take an umbrella with you when it is necessary during your stay in Japan.
- Shot in 1080p full HD with an iPhone 4S on May 28th, 2012")
![Cat Street, Hot Spot for the Young at Harajuku, Tokyo [iPhone 4S/HD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/J2vpzqn3YGs/mqdefault.jpg "Cat Street, Hot Spot for the Young at Harajuku, Tokyo [iPhone 4S/HD]
Ura-Harajuku, which literally means back streets of Harajuku, is an area where you can find a lot of small fashionable boutiques, beauty salons, cafes and restaurants. It is also called Ura-Hara for short. Cat Street and its branches are one of the most bustling streets in the area. You can see young people dressed up and enjoying shopping there.
There was a river once where now Cat Street is, but the river was covered over for the development of this area when Tokyo Olympic was held in 1964. This is why the street is winding.
According to my friend whose birthplace was beside Cat Street, when he was a kid, the area was not like what it is like now, but was a typical old residential area. However, as he grew up, a lot of stores opened around there and it became a popular place among the young.
It would be fun to stroll around with imagining what the fashionable streets were like once.
- Shot in 1080p full HD with an iPhone 4S on Jun. 24th, 2012")
![Curious Alley at Ginza, Tokyo [iPhone 4S/HD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/JSdTDsx9ab8/mqdefault.jpg "Curious Alley at Ginza, Tokyo [iPhone 4S/HD]
When you explore an old town, you often find it like a maze with alleys. Ginza, the most luxurious district in Tokyo, is also an old town like it. Going away from glamorous streets and down alleys, you would see another face of Ginza.
Sometimes you come across a curious alley like the one in this video. Walking along the gloomy alley, you have to cut through a modern cafe and end up finding a small shrine sitting at close quarters.
- Shot in 1080p full HD with an iPhone 4S on Jun. 14th, 2012")
![The Tokyo Skytree [iPhone 4S/HD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/K1ZDXD66yjo/mqdefault.jpg "The Tokyo Skytree [iPhone 4S/HD]
The Tokyo Skytree, 634m high and the worlds tallest TV tower, has been completed finally. The Tokyo Tower, built in 1958 and 333m high, is no longer tall enough to cover all the broadcasting area and a new 600-meter-class tower is needed for the city filled with skyscrapers.
- Shot in 1080p full HD with an iPhone 4S on Mar. 27th, 2012")
