The Global Seed Vault on Svalbard archipelago way up near the North Pole is not in Japan, nor have I ever been there. It is however a very cool post-apocalypse place, an insurance policy for the Earth and human-kind in the event of rampant global disease or massive nuclear fallout, and as such belongs on a site mostly about ruins as much as anything. The entrance.
Weekly Links
TIME– Photos of the collapse of Detroit. NewsWeek– Headless in Tokyo- why are Japan’s leaders so weak? NewsWeek– Learning to live with Radical Islam. -Fareed Zakaria. Mike’s Blender– Mike’s take on Nichitsu ghost town. TED– The haikyoist Miru Kim explores the ruins of NYC in the nude- here she talks about it at TED. She calls it ‘urban exploring’- the name more widely accepted for this activity. Not the name I give it normally- since my explorations are often not urban.
Silent car park of the demolished Sun Hills hotel
The remnants of the Sun Hills Hotel in Kanagawa lay hunkered down and spartan on the banks of Sagamiko lake, the blank concrete foundation of a proud edifice that never once opened to the public, hosting only the village’s truanting kids and vandals before it was unceremoniously torn down. Now just its 2-story underground car park remains, haunted by chirping crickets and families of hikers on sight-seeing breaks. Sun Hills car park.
Deathwatch
It’s a beautiful day already. The sun is up and dawning like a golden rip in the pewter and orange sky, leaking rays of light across the blue ocean and bridge. Everything is still. It’s a beginning, the start of a new day. Strange thing is, everything that matters is already over. The man lies pinioned to the grindstone of the bridge, door heavy over his slack frame, I’m kneeling here beside him, and the kid has gone for coffee and bagels. We’re all ready, in our places, but there’s nothing left to wait for. The salt sea breeze rubs … Read More
Kasai Rinkai Power-Kiters
At the edge of Kasai Rinkai park off Tokyo Bay there’s a narrow sliver of sand-bar land perfect for kiting. Stunt kites soar and rip through the air like carbon-fibre assassins, paper-kites ruffle and chuckle in the wind, ‘let’s go fly a kites’ sputter and trail their ribbon-dangled threads behind them as their owners race their dogs and kids against the wind. Then there are the power kiters- packing the 2 and 6 meter squared kites- a rare breed in Japan where such goods can only be bought via the Internet, ordered from other countries, kites with enough drag to … Read More
Melon Cream Soda
Sometimes you just need a melon. Here is an example of a time you might need a melon: You’re hungry, and thirsty, and want to eat a melon. That’s the appropriate time. For the rest of the time- let’s enjoy Melon Cream Soda! Melon Cream Soda.
The National Art Center, Roppongi
The National Art Center in Roppongi is a funky-chic blend of high-tech glass panelling with a utilitarian ethos that denies the standard limitations of space. The exterior ripples like a breaking wave, its sliced-and-diced stylings constantly catching refractions from the sun, remaking its contours in blotches of dizzying light. Inside there are islands of cone-shaped concrete capped with coffee shops attainable only by bridges from upper floors, coming together within the wave-like facade in a cavernous lobby to create the idea of a wide open space comprised of a series of intimate and distinct areas. UFO rising.
DragonBall Z Key Chain
And lo, let there be Dragonball Z. Dragonball Z is some kind of Pokemon copy, with weird powers being stored inside little balls that folks keep in their pockets. I’ll admit I don’t know anything about the genre- but that doesn’t preclude me from buying some of its bits and pieces. Also I know there is a Dragonball Z movie coming out- seems a Hollywood version so you get more bang for your ball. This is another keychain you can win! Winnable.
Weekly Links
Wall St. Journal– Logo for the Stimulus plan io9– Website with stuff about Watchmen and sci-fi art. Grinding– Abandonments and cool urban art. Contamination Zone– Great urbex site of 21 year old woman in London, lots of asylums. The Jay and Jack Podcast– Father and son team recap and discuss episodes of LOST- great if you’re a fan. David Shrigley– Cool art.
Behemothic hotel, abandoned like a beached whale
The Shin Shu Kanko Hotel in Nagano is a leviathan beast, 3 whale-sized buildings interlinked by encircling roads, interior corridors, underground passages and a long bridging escalator. The largest of the 3 is seven stories high with easily 100 rooms along its spine, with huge onsen, function rooms, izakaya and a hall. The smaller two add about another 50 rooms each, clutching up to the hill in back and spread like wings around the main complex. All of it empty, trashed, and creaking in the wind. Shin Shu Kanko looking up.