Koban Archives - JBRish.com

NOTE: This is part of a serialized narrative of a 2015 Japanese vacation. Please see below for links to previous postings.

Our group had a very busy first day in Tokyo especially considering the traveling involved the day before. To wrap up our day, we strolled a bit through the Ginza section of Tokyo.

On the way, we passed this modern-looking clock/sculpture portrayed here in a black and white image of Taro Okamoto’s Young Clock Tower.

Okamoto's Young Clock Tower

We walked through the Ginza Mitukoshi department store where a master craftsman metal artist was creating a teapot as we watched.

Teapot craftsman

We noted some of the intersections had a multitude of crosswalks and once the traffic stopped, people walked across the street in many directions including diagonally. Look at all of the crossing lanes in the picture below!

A Multitude of Crosswalks Even Diaagonally

The unique building below is a Koban or Japanese “Police Box” (as they are some times called) located at the Sukiyabashi Traffic Square. When it comes to “Police Boxes,” this is sometimes referred to as the Jewel of the Ginza Strip because of its location and probably the cost of the real estate upon which it is built! One article suggested that there are 6,509 koban throughout Japan (see this link)

Sukiyabashi Traffic Square Police Station - Koban

It was a long day and our troop was very tired, but happy and full of wonder as we pondered all that we had seen and done. We were a little rag-tagged, but were heading back to the hotel to rest and prepare for the next day.

Here was the scene from our hotel window upon our late afternoon return. The Tokyo Sky Tree has a prominent place at the rear!

Looking East from our Hotel Window in the Afternoon