From Edo to Now

Last weekend we set off to Asakusa - a must see sight that all guide books lay their buck heavily on. Its a part of Tokyo that is supposed to hark back to old Edo period of yore (1600's something) - the age of samurais and shoguns.

As you emerge from Asakusa station the feel is different. A quasi Kyoto feel where you begin to imagine the smell of dank wood and incense. Or start hearing the clang of swords of hot blooded samurais.

There are throngs of people heading towards or coming out of the Sensoji shrine - a five minute walk from the station. You enter the imposing Kaminarimon gate (Thunder Gate) - with a giant red lantern hanging from it like a big red paper apple....

......Onto Nakamise Dori - a crammed shopping lane leading upto the main shrine. The narrow lane bubbles with activity as tourists and devotees mingle facelessly. From samurai swords and kimonos to fluffy 'kawaii' dog dolls and yakitori (grilled snacks) - it is the free spirited shoppers' playground.

At the shrine itself the Throng is busy. A big incense cauldron with smoke curling up from its core stands in the centre of the courtyard, as a focal point for both the devout and the curious. Devotees draw the smoke to themselves with short sweeps of their palm. Tourists wander gaping, gawking or just trying to get the best angles.

From the shrine we branched off into a lane on the side to see what lay in the shadow of famous Sensoji.

Tokyo, unfailingly offers you a platter of contradictions when you are seeking none or expecting nothing. You can be sure that for every yin there is a yang waiting to counter it, not allowing you the safety of generalisations.

A few minutes of walking through quaint roads, you are surprised by 'Roku' (Block 6) - formerly Asakusa's famous entertainment district.

The story obviously took a twist somewhere down history and nowadays the theatre at the corner seemed more like a 'watering hole' for Tokyo's lechrous .....

One things for sure. In Japan porn blasely coexists with the ordinary with not a twitch of remorse. Nothing clandestine about it - just a casual acceptance , as if it were another harmless art form one could chose to dabble in. I have seen risque posters and funny toys sitting side by side in otherwise perfectly family settings. Here at the theatre, large glossy posters of over- endowed under- dressed beauties, brazenly basked in the sun. While you steady yourself from a bout of prudish horror, families with young children are quite normally walking past as if a Disney movie were showing .

Further down there were more vices to pick from. Pachinko parlours (that very Japanese gambling obsession), betting booths (horse racing) and video game parlours all noisily lured the Weak Willed.

By this time, Asakusa seemed like a long forgotten apparition that had only existed in our imaginations. That was Edo period - this the Here and Now.

By now we could also hear a beat pulsating below the gravel we walked on.Loud music was playing in what seemed like a courtyard crammed with people watching something in the arena. We stepped in. There was a bunch of youth twirling on their mini bikes showing off how good they were with just a pedal and two wheels (video posted at the end of the post). Twisting and twirling youths with perms and bandanas were enjoying their moment of glory as their young friends watched with admiration and who knows even envy. Tokyo's brash youth was venting hormones in the vicinity of Sensoji's ancient wisdom. One of Tokyo's many clashing worlds.

We wound up our walk with a stroll down Kapabashi dori - a kitchen wholesale area - where one can find anything from a sushi knife to a 'flying pan'! The huge stone chef atop a building at the end of the road watches sternly everyday, crowds of chefs and kitchen loving amateurs rummaging through the goodies to pick out the right tool for the trade.

One walk .Three disparate worlds (old Edo, Vice Lane and Kitchen alley). Wonder if 'schizoid' quite describes this city.