CALMNESS

AS I mentioned before, there is a beautiful mosque named "Tokyo Camii & Turkish culture centre" in Yoyogi-Uehara, Tokyo. I have been interested in this place since I was a student, because it seemed very unique to us and I didn't know there are many Muslems living in Tokyo then. According to a staff from Tokyo Camii, there are about 120 thousand Muslems living in Japan. Quite a lot than I expected.


Here is open to everybody, except for praying time.
it is said, that this mosque has been originally built in 1938 by Kazan Turks who had moved to Japan. the reason of their migration was foundation of Soviet Russia in 1917 and it made Turkish migrate to different areas of world. Then some of them also have made their livlifood here in Japan. the bidg was renovated in 1986, so it is nearly 20-year-old.

those who are praying here are business-men, students, or others from Islamic countires including Indonesia, Pakistan, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Tukey and countries in central asia, too.

Japan is often thought as homogeneous country.

But I think it is changing with times for sure.

IN A LINE

I like to see people waiting in a line on platform.
especially standing in neat row like a photo above(at Yoyogi-Uehara on Odakyu line).
"IN A LINE" - is seen at busstops, stations, or every scenes in our daily life.

this is pretty ordinary thing to us, but i have realized it is our very unique character after I have lived in Moscow nearly 4 years ago.

There was almost nobody waiting in row at metro stations, bus-stops or other public places. i feel that is complete disorder at the very first time,
but i've begun getting used to it. Moreover, I've realized in that way, society still works, and it is quite OK.
(as well as in Beijing, Shanghai in China)

people tend to think that the society they 're belong to is the only and most common one if they keep living in the same place for a certain period.

but it's not true.
Common-sense in a society is not a common-sence in the neigbor society.
very simple, but sometimes easy to forget about it.

PIECES of PEACE

THESE pieces of work are all done by dry- lacquer. this weekend, I visited an exbition of my cousin's husband in Yoyogi-Uehara, SHIBUYA.

They are both lacquer workers, based in KANAZAWA, capital of Ishikawa pref. Lacruer is familiar to us as lacquer-bowl often used for Miso-soup in our daily life. Also, it has been used for Buddha statues for many many years.

pieces of work above are all made by using Lacquer.

pretty interesting that all those lovely pieces were born by such an ancient technique, but they look modern,too.

taking over ancient method creates smth new.

(the area where the gallery located is quite calm, even not so far from the centre. Especially, there is a beautiful mosque! named Tokyo Camii & Turkish Culture Centre. great place to know Islam, see inside the mosque.)