the nightwalker went out on a friday night : August 2 2024

it has been a while since i have walked this long.
it was such a pleasant night after all, something this nightwalker would not miss an opportunity of.
a night like this comes rare these coming days, either it is too humid or it rains.

sumida river banks

let me start directly at the point i felt betrayed the last time i did a night walk around this place.
this nightwalker could still remember how frustrating that day was, one after another, something went amiss.
you can just read about that in here, i think that was a pretty good read too.

by the river sumida this nightwalker sat down and wept: July 26 2024

at least today we are of at a pretty good start, the river banks were accessible.
it is very evident in those skies how good i felt; blue and calm.

it was also evident in the waves of how good the breeze was.
was scary to get near the river edge even, it's as if a huge sea creature will come out anytime and swallow me whole.
at least that sos sign on the highway road beside me was reassuring, though i'm pretty sure i won't be able to call for help when something does swallow me whole.

i finally reached this unpaved road design, more like paved to resemble nature at the very least.
this area is something new to me actually, i wonder what else to discover here.
saw a bright thing in the distance, i wonder what that could be.

sakurabashi

it was the bridge of course, a very brightly lit one.
i mislabeled this in the previous post i shared, this is actually the sakurabashi, a footpath bridge.
and it has a very good view of tokyo skytree, by this time i'm pretty sure you have known this tower by heart.
and i am still mystified of it's beauty till now, that meant that this tower will still be heavily featured in the coming posts.
now it was in this bridge when i was rained on the last time, no rain this time, a very good sign.

now where do i go next?
i looked at google maps and decided to go near a shrine.
it was closed, so i continued walking along this side of the river till i reached an open area.

sumida park

a clearer view the tower came in sight.
it looked so close but it was still so so far, i had no plans to go that way.
it was an urban area, the mall where the skytree was built on is the only good thing in that area, as far as i know.
i zoomed a bit, ニッポンがんばれ！ was clearly written, this must be a nod to the japanese athletes currently competing in the olympics, a cheer to do their best.
japan surely has great support for athletes, everyone is rooting for them, best of luck japan!

there were many people in this park, some where playing with fireworks.
they must have missed the fireworks held here weeks before, or they wanted more.
i stayed for a bit to enjoy these kids from afar, kid's innocence are just so fun to watch.
i was once like them too, this brings back an awful lot of memories.

sumida river walk

just across towards the river is another foot path.
it was built directly under a train track and is another way to cross the river which is open until 10 pm.

the view on this foot bridge was amazing to say the least.
those bright lights are nothing but amazing, and seeing amazing things improves your mood.
well it sure did mine, i was ready to hopscotch this bridge, if not for the other pedestrians i would have already did.

half-way, i saw an egret resting on the other side of the bridge; it could be a crane but it sure had a big body and long legs.
it just amazes me how large animals manage to stay alive in tokyo, they will be killed to extinction if it were in another city: killed by the pollution or killed by the people.
this bird was just there in all its glory for all to witness.

this bridge was not spared by people and their locks, unfortunately.
i guess i am not the romantic type but padlocks is not something i want to get associated with love, it just does not work for me.
to each his own i suppose.

sensoji

i have featured this buddhist temple in lots of entries already.
but this is my first time to show the old edo styled side streets.
those yellow lanterns does complete the illusion of getting transported to old japan.

surprise surprise, a view of the inner gate of the temple.
it still looks great no matter how many times i have seen this structure.

asakusa shrine

aside from the much bigger and more famous buddhist temple, the complex actually had a shinto shrine at the side.
this was established since 1649, and is designated as an important cultural asset since 1951.
this shrine is often overshadowed by the big and lavish temple beside it but this structure shines on the simplicity and calm nature once you enter the ground.
buddhism and shintoism were once mixed together in the past, reading on this shrine's history still mentions the discovery of the kannon fished from the sumida river as if having the same origin as the sensoji temple.

shibaraku statue

as i headed to the back side parking lot of the sensoji temple, i noticed this quite prominent and well lighted statue.
it was a statue of a prominent kabuki actor, Ichikawa Danjuro IX, depicting as the main character in the kabuki play he was famed for.
shibaraku was the title of the kabuki play.
i just found it interesting to see something not related to religion around this temple complex.

my nightwalk did not end there, i actually proceeded to the nearby ueno park.
strolled for a bit, sat by the fountain area, and then my phone died.
although i am quite familiar with this area for i have walked in here for numerous times, i decided to just ride the train back home.
there was no more music to enjoy on my ears as i walked.
this nightwalker apparently needed music.

it has been a long walk and a very enjoyable one.
hope you had fun walking with me.
as always, AMPING KANUNAY! 気を付けてね！