Why am I doing this? I don't know. I have plenty of other more important things to do, but perhaps it is time for me to learn what a blog is. I hope it isn't a nuisance. I hope it does something useful though at this moment I have only a vague idea of what it might accomplish. One nice thing is that I can babel on without my wife telling me to be quiet (as long as I am not playing music).
In fact, I deal with travel books, books in English, and you can find info on them on the website. But, on the blog I think what I really want to do is to develop some information on a nice, old, unfamous, small area of Tokyo. Iriya is a district that is a part of shitamachi (old downtown). Japanese are attracted to the area only a couple times per year when there is a festival. Uptown foreigners who work in major companies and embassies seldom come to Iriya.
Have you heard of Iriya? The Hibiya Line subway stop after Ueno. To the left is Uguisudani (Nightingale Valley) now has more love hotels than birds, except for crows. To the right a few minutes walk brings you to Asakusa. Once the theatre and commercial center of Tokyo; now living off of history. And in back of Asakusa, Yoshiwara .... sordid remains of the famed "entertainment" district, very busy but seldom mentioned. And further back is Sanya, where day laborers sleep indoors when they can, rough when they lose their youth, are injured or drink too much. That area is changing some as hostels learn to attract foreign backpackers.
We will welcome posts by anyone who has info to add and perhaps we will become organized enough to be of some real help. Cheers
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