Chuo-ku Tourism Association correspondent blog

The area around Higashi-Ginza Station is attracting attention from many people with the opening of the new Kabukiza Theater.
The current address is "Ginza", but from the Edo period to 1951, it was a venerable place name called "Kobikicho".
Therefore, it is a little different from Chuo-dori, and there is a Chozubachi with plants and medaka in the alley, making it an area with a very friendly atmosphere where the downtown atmosphere remains.

With old famous shops and shops favored by Kabuki actors, the alley where famous Ochiai chef La Vettela da Ochiai is located is a fierce battleground for delicious shops.

Coincidentally, on this correspondent blog, the Italian "Baffo" I introduced, the pork cutlet "Nishi-e" introduced by Ginzo, the "Tokuuchiyama" introduced by Maritsuki, and the stew "Elbe" introduced by Mapi are all in the same alley.

Among them, the Italian "Vomero" opened in April last year.
It is so popular that you can get a line since it was just opened.

Especially for weekday lunch, you can eat appetizer + focaccia + favorite pizza or pasta + drink, and focaccia is all-you-can-eat, and the price is just 1,000 yen!
It is also very popular with men.

If you enter the open-air entrance, you will see a large pizza oven.
It is a very good atmosphere with the bright and friendly interior, with young staff being agitated.

On this day, I was with two friends, so I decided to order Bongore, homemade sausage raguo and oyster pasta, and pizza margherita with seasonal vegetables.

 First of all, focaccia on the appetizer.
Focaccia is all-you-can-eat, so it's already replaced at this stage.
However, I was surprised that the pizza that came out next was so big!
As expected, not only the pizza baked in a kettle, but also the vegetables on the top are very delicious, and I am worried that I can eat it, but my hands will stretch out.

　

 

As I said, two kinds of pasta appeared.
The chewy and chewy pasta seems to be not raw, but it is delicious that is likely to become sick. The homemade sausage ragu sauce is an exquisite balance with oysters accented with oysters.
Bongole had a firm flavor of clams, and I had a firm juice with the added focaccia.
　

Finally, I am very satisfied with the fragrant coffee!
I'm convinced that you can get a line.

There are many shops on Saturdays and Sundays in this area, but I am glad that Vomero is open all day.
The price is slightly different from the menu on weekdays, but there is also lunch.
And of course, at night, there is also a course that can be enjoyed by two people and a party plan.

 

One of the specialty shops was established in Kibiki-cho gourmet.

Vomero (Vomero)

Ginza 3-12 - 8NKC Building 1F

Ｔel/Fax０３-６２７８-８９８４

 

 

The new Kabukiza Theater, which is less than a month before it opens.
The installation work of the tower in the front has been completed, and the mood is rising above.
   

 

Meanwhile, sooner, the subway Higashi-Ginza Station and the basement of the building were connected, and escalators and elevators were installed, making it very convenient.

 

And gladly, a very enjoyable space called "Kibikicho Square" was born in the basement!

     

This plaza is considered to be in consideration of disaster response, but when you exit the subway ticket gate and go a little further, the space spreads out first, and from the high ceiling, the large Japanese lantern, which says "Kabukiza" is down.
 

There were quite a few people taking a commemorative photo in front of this Japanese lantern, so shooting here may become a staple in the future.

In the back, parasols are lined up on the curb, which is very convenient for meeting or taking a break.
Various shops are lined up on the wall, so it seems to be very spacious, but once the performance starts, I think it will be crowded with many people.

 

You can also go to the rooftop garden and gallery from here, but since the opening has opened, it is still closed now.

 

By the way, what kind of shops are in the square is that first of all, lunch boxes are indispensable for the ticket office, the local information corner, the combination of cafes, general stores, restaurants, and the play.

Above all, at the souvenir shop "Kaomise", there are many items that can only be purchased here, so you can get lost.

 

Starting with goods related to actors and Kabuki performances, we discovered a demonstration sale of Kintsuba once in the theater while stylish packaged rice crackers and sweets are lined up.
Wow, I was glad to be able to eat again.
 

In addition, there is a corner of freshly baked bread next to it.
"Kumatori bean paste bread" has matcha in Ogura and seasonal cherry blossoms, and while thinking that it is not good to eat, it is so delicious that it seems to be going to take it home as a souvenir.

 　　

 

In addition, I highly recommend "Yakimaki Soft Cream" that I thought carefully.
A gem made of soft ice cream and crushed kabuki fried rice cracker.
The sweetness of soft ice cream and the saltiness of Kabuki fried are in no way match.

 

If you get out of this square using an escalator and elevator to the ground, this is exactly the front of Kabukiza Theater.

With so much fun, I'm going to shop here, and I'm going to forget about the time, but please don't forget the start time.

 

 

Now, the "Tokyo Marathon" has become a feature of Tokyo in February.
The course that goes around famous places in Tokyo is very fun for the viewer, but it is very popular for citizen runners because it is a rare opportunity to run in Ginza and Nihonbashi, so it is very popular, and this year's application was 10 times Was there?
Under such circumstances, a classmate who was from kindergarten to junior high school was lucky to run by lottery.

I couldn't imagine it since childhood, but I have run a number of full marathons so far, and the Tokyo Marathon is the second time.
That said, I just got sick at the end of last year, and I was very worried, so I decided to go to support my local classmates.

The easiest for both runners and supporters to find is the intersection of Irifune Bridge, which turns to Tsukuda-ohashi Bridge after passing Honganji Temple in Tsukiji.
It's just around the exit of Shintomicho Station.
This place is 2/3rd of the course and has wadaiko performance and water supply points.
It can be said that it is a place to be relieved that you have come so far, and at the same time, to prepare for the last difficulties, such as the up and down of the super steep angle of Tsukuda-ohashi Bridge from here.

　

　　　　　　<Tsukiji Honganji-mae>　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　<Tsukuda-ohashi Bridge>

 

I was listening to the expected passage time from the person himself, so if I thought that I should go a little before because it was cold, when I was walking ahead of the ward office, a classmate who went early said, "I have passed now!" Contact!
I was sorry that I couldn't make it in time due to the difference in touch, but I broke up with the classmates who gathered for a while saying, "If you are in this condition, you will not go in a good time."
If you check it on the website later, the time is 4 hours and 53 minutes.
He said, "I worked hard to get to Irifune Bridge, but after that, I was stuck. I received an e-mail saying "It's a year of yappa."
However, I was relieved to finish safely.

During the race, Shin-ohashi-dori St., and various streets leading there were closed to Chuo-dori Street and Harumi-dori St. in Ginza, Nihonbashi, and I wanted to go right in front of me, but I couldn't go around a big turn, but it was a bit inconvenient, but it was interesting to go through a different route while thinking about a place where I could go like a quiz.
　

　　　　　　　　　　<Iri Funabashi-mae>　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Classmates from Kindergarten

If you can enter next year, we will all be supporting you! Mr. Yoshino!

 

 

When you go up the stairs at Tsukiji Market Station on the Oedo Line, you can see the Asahi Shimbun right in front of you.
There is a security guard at the entrance, and it is an atmosphere that people who are not involved cannot enter, but in fact this building is also a path to the Hamarikyu Asahi Hall, where concerts are often held. The concourse on the second floor to go to the hall has facilities that can be used by the general public, such as restaurants and cafes.

The bookstore in it is BookCumu.

　　

According to Mr. Watanabe, the store manager, most of the visitors are still related to the Asahi Shimbun, and the first thing that comes to notice is books on political, economic, and current affairs.
Although it is a small store with no more than 20 tsubo, humanities books such as Iwanami Shoten, Mizuzu Shobo, and Fujiwara Shoten are lined up in a row unless it is a super-large bookstore such as the Yaesu Book Center.
In addition, in the library and new books, in the Ginza area after Kondo Shoten and Asahiya Shoten are gone, in addition to Iwanami Bunko and Shinsho, which are only available at Kyobunkan, Tsunogawa Sophia Bunko, which contains a lot of Japanese classical literature, Kodansha Academic Bunko, and Chikuma Gakugei Bunko, are piled up books that excite intellectual curiosity.

Above all, in the corner of "media journalism", books on all media, such as magazines, television, and the Internet, other than newspapers, from basic journalism theories of the old days to the latest developments in the IT era, are lined up. It feels like a bookstore inside a newspaper company.
This was a corner where a reporter once advised, "Because it is a bookstore in a newspaper company, if it is small, if you create a corner for media and journalism."
The reporter died early, so it seems that it is also a corner of the memorial.

In addition, of course, we have new books and magazines published by Asahi Shimbun, and back issues such as weekly Asahi and Aela are in stock up until about a month ago.
(Because there are times when you happen to be out of stock or out of stock, be sure to check the stock by phone before visiting the store.)

The business is from 10:00 to 18:00 on Monday to Friday, so it may be difficult for those who work in the daytime, but it is a few "book shops where shelves talk about" that only people who like books can understand.
If you have a chance, please come and visit us.

BookCumu Asahi Shimbun Head Office

5-3-2 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, 2nd floor of Asahi Shimbun
Telephone 03 (3543) 2428

Business hours Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 18:00
Closed Saturday, Sunday and Holidays

 

 

The new Kabukiza Theater, which was less than two months before the opening on April 2.
Despite the announcement of the performance of persimmon dropping, he lost to Danjuro following Kanzaburo last year, and he said that if God does not overcome severe trials, large flowers will not bloom. It looks like
However, "Kabuki" has been continuing since the Edo period, overcoming various critical situations and continuing continuously.
Even though it is a giant star crash, the stars will surely come out again.

The new Kabuki-za Theater, which is the hall of kabuki.
The other day, the seat was finally removed and it was possible to see the whole picture.

　Kabukiza front (from Harumi-dori St.)

This Kabukiza was built in 1889, centered on Ouchi Fukuchi, against the background of the movement of theater improvement, and initially had a Western-style exterior view.
However, the Imperial Theatre, which opened in 1911, was completely Western-style, and it was rebuilt in a Japanese style palace style to counter this.
However, it was burned down due to an earth leakage in 1921, and was temporarily suspended due to the Great Kanto Earthquake during reconstruction, but it was reopened in January 1925 with the appearance of Momoyama-style.

At this time, there is a program of "New Construction Completion Early Spring Opening Exhibition", but the appearance on the cover is quite similar to the current one.
By the way, the performers are Ieyasu Tokugawa's fifth generation Utaemon Nakamura, and the lion's Kyogenshi Ukon is the fifteenth generation Uzaemon Ichimura.

　 　

Later, in May 1945, it was burned down by air raids.
It was restored in 1951 and continues to the present day.

So, when I first heard that Kabukiza would be rebuilt, many people would have thought, "What will happen to a building with such a history?"
I'm one of them.

I thought that if I felt uncomfortable with modern design, the pleasure of seeing Kabuki would be reduced by half, but as expected, Mr. Kuma Kengo said, "I will make use of the current form as much as possible."

Certainly, if you think carefully, even when you are a teenager, you will be short of breath if you run up with a dash (especially the steep stairs from the 3rd to the 4th floor are grown up in a narrow house in a downtown area and used to it. It was quite hard), and the structure of a building that is very difficult to say barrier-free.
It is also true that there were various problems during the day and night replacement, such as the narrow entrance of the subway, which was crowded with many people and the road could not pass.
I wondered if rebuilding could be inevitable, but since the construction started, I was expecting and anxious, and I couldn't help but look up every time I passed nearby.

First of all, I wondered what would happen when the tower building attached to the theater was built, but as the fence in front gets lower little by little, when I saw that characteristic Momoyama-style roof frame, I was really excited!
The civilization hall side can now be seen first, but although the entrance of the props has changed a little, I was happy that it has hardly changed.
Rather, the separate building where the restaurant was included, which was added later, disappeared, and it was almost like the photo that my father took in 1975.

　

　　Kabukiza Theater in 1975　　　　　　　As of February 3, 2013

 

Also, despite the large theater in the building, the unique atmosphere that looked like an old playhouse has been reproduced.
It's good to be clean, but the shop where various items lined up like turning the toy box upside down is an exciting atmosphere that can't help but think, "Oh, I came to Kabukiza to see the play." It was indispensable.
In addition to nostalgic foods such as Anmitsu, Monaka's Cobb ice cream, Kintuba and puppet grilling, various goods of the actors are lined up, but there was also "Left Danji Colon".

And in the corridor on the third floor, photos of the deceased actress were lined up, and I thought, "I wanted to see the 15th generation Hazaemon, who was born earlier and was said to be a beautiful son of life." .
If a similar corner is set up in a new theater, you may not be able to do it by looking at the photos of Kansaburo and Danjuro.

But even if such an actor will never come out again, there are a lot of actors, including their two sons, who are looking forward to the future.
Kabuki, along with the new theater, will change little by little, but I think it will continue to give wonderful excitement to many people.
　 　

　　From the Showa-dori side　　　　　　From the Tsukiji side　　　　　　　　　Yokomen on the Tsukiji side　　　　　　 

 

 

 

The cold is even worse this winter.
Many people have caught a cold and went to the hospital.
Recently, it seems that there are many hospitals that decorate paintings so that patients and visitors can relax even a little, probably because of the idea of art therapy.
However, as in St. Luke's International Hospital, it is rare that there are two "art galleries" itself.

According to the gallery guide, it is "a place where mental communication between patients and their families and medical staff is born with art", and "providing a space where patients can be healed and calmed, and improving the body from the mental point of view It is aimed at art therapy that leads to mental improvement."

The first gallery is located in the restaurant entrance on the first floor of the main building, and the second gallery is located in the corridor between the main building and the old building on the second floor, but both have plates written by Mr. Hinohara, and not only paintings, but also books, sculptures, crafts, etc. are displayed.

Under such circumstances, Shonoro Yamanaka's exhibition will be held at Gallery 1 from February 4 (Mon) to 9 (Sat), which is an annual exhibition.

Shonoro Yamanaka, a painter from Hatchobori, is a person who gently draws small animals such as cats and dogs with a delicate touch with pastel.
He did not receive special education in painting, but he happened to draw cats at home for rehabilitation, and this became his main business, and he became a painter after the age of 40.

Yuko Emon, a former NHK announcer who died of cancer, is also in charge of illustrations for the picture book "Rabbit's Yuc" that emphasizes the importance of life and the affection of brothers.

Many people have become fans by being healed by Mr. Yamanaka's work, which is bright as a hint and delicately depicts the love of small animals, and this time, I think that it will surely soften the hearts of many people.

Shonoro Yamanaka Works Exhibition

St. Luke's First Gallery (1st floor of St. Luke's International Hospital)
February 4 (Mon) to 9 (Sat)
9:00 to 17:00 (last day is 16:00)