こんにちは

One thing you can definitely not say about Japan is that is has some gray and boring cityscape. For us Europeans it might be a bit unusual at the beginning, but here in Asia everything is a bit more playful and particularly brighter and flashier. Colorful is trendy, and the more eye-catching the better. The Japanese society is known for some modest restraint, but this is not true for advertising and billboards, and it is seems that people are allowed to let off steam here. Be it on television or in magazines, on posters or screens: Colorful is the key! This vitalizes the world and also everyday life, and unfortunately there seems to be no escape from it. But it will provide you with nice photo opportunities over and over again.

So today we will take a little look at those obvious, shiny and outstanding world of billboards and signs. Every time I go to Tokyo I can easily sink in and get lost in those sea of colors and lights. I am a cityboy myself but now I am living in a rather mid-sized town which has some slower flow then the place where I come from. I do enjoy and like it, but deep inside myself there is this longing for some flashy action.

So just lean back and enjoy the little picture collection today....

Even from a distance, you can't miss this beer advertising on top of the roof, and just below there is a giant billboard for the oldest amusement park in Tokyo's Asakusa district. It looks rather calm and charming in comparison to all those screens and modern billboards. And an advertising which features pandas is always a hit.

The Glico Man in Namba, an entertainment district in Osaka, is one of the most famous landmarks in the city and well-known throughout the country. Framed by countless other neon signs, it never seems to get dark in this part of town.

And since Namba can also do beer, you can't miss this huge Asahi beer commercial display either. As I just mentioned there is no way that it will ever be dark here, so I wonder how people who live or always hang out around here will finally be able to wind and calm down.

Just look what that display looks like, when it is all up! I guess I need a beer right now.

At this store in the Teradomari fish market, you can see from a distance what is on offer here. Fish and all kinds of seafood are in Japan an almost daily part of the kitchen. With thousands of kilometers of coastline and limited inland resources, this is the natural thing to do in this island kingdom, and I must admit that the Japanese cuisine is simply great. You sometimes might need to show some courage when facing some new dishes, but so far I have more or less elegantly passed or bypassed every food test in Japan. And I am still up for new challenges.

Chinatown in Yokohama has an of course a strong Chinese touch, making it even more colorful and dazzling than this area already is. Cuteness often seems to matter more than anything else here in East Asia, even if the advertising message might arouse some suspicion in anyone still thinking clearly.

Are you ready for your first fish kiss ?

Shibuya crossing - Day or Night, this part of Tokyo never takes a break and is always flooded by myriads of people. Businessmen, tourist or nightcrawlers -all kind of people make this area of the city one of the most lively and busy places. I love just hanging out and watching the crowd and the scenery. It is really stimulating and somehow uplifting. And it definitely brings me in the right mood for exploring more of the outstanding metropolis.

Tokyo doesn't sleep at night either. Here is a typical street scene in Shinjuku. With so many signs, I'll leave aside whether your own makes any sense at all. Colorful, bright, flashy is the motto in the whole country. You don't have to like it, but you can't avoid it. The best thing to do, as so often in life, is to watch and smile at everything that disturbs you. Fortunately, in your own house, you can turn off the lights and the TV, and you don't have to play every game offered.

Thanks a lit for stopping by today, I hope you could enjoy today's little picture show. The next post will be a bit greener and feature some nature again. Japan is a country with real contrasts that always energize and reactivate me, even after a long time of being in the country. And since I like it, I will never get tired of looking around for another adventure.

またね　Matane (See you later)

[//]:# (!pinmapple 35.699648 lat 139.775057 long Don't you see the colors? d3scr)