雷門は正式名称を「風雷神門」といい、浅草寺の総門として942年に創建された。江戸時代の3度の火事で消失し幻の門となってしまったが、1960年、松下電器創始者・松下幸之助の寄進により雷門が復興再建され、この時に初めて大提灯が奉納された。それ以来10年に一度大改修が行われ、現在の大提灯は6代目。大提灯を真下から覗くと、提灯の底に龍の彫刻が施されている。「金龍山浅草寺」といわれる通り、龍は浅草寺の縁起に由来している。ぜひ真下で立ち止まって見上げてみてほしい。

The official name for Kaminarimon is Furaijinmon and was built in 942 as the main gate for Sensoji, Asakusa. The gate became an illusive one after it was burned down three times by fire during the Edo Period, but was restored and rebuilt in 1960 by the contribution from Konosuke Matsuhita, the founder of Matsushita Electric Industrial Company (currently Panasonic). The large red lantern appeared for the first time then as a dedication. Major repairs have taken place since then every 10 years and the large red lantern today is the sixth of its kind. When once looks up at the large lantern from directly below, a sculpture of a dragon can be seen at the bottom of the lantern. Precisely as it is called the Kinryuzan Sensoji (“Kinryu” meaning gold doragon), a dragon can be traced back as good fortune for Sensoji. Please do take a look at the lantern from directly below.

正式名称は東京都庁第一本庁舎。丸の内にあった旧庁舎の老朽化に伴い、本庁舎を新宿に移転し1990年12月に竣工。地上243ｍで完成当時は日本一の高さを誇った。デザインは世界的な建築家・丹下健三氏が手がけ、2本の角が生えたような独特のフォルムは東京を象徴する建物になった。地下3階・地上48階から成っており、地上202ｍの45階に展望室がある。展望室は南展望室と北展望室があり、東京タワーやスカイツリー、気候が良ければ富士山も望める。特におすすめなのは北展望室からの夜景で、23時まで利用することができる。展望室は入室無料で、海外からの観光客にも人気がある。

The official name of “Tocho” is The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Buildings was completed in December 1990 and moved to Shinjuku in association with the aging of the former government office in Marunouchi. It stands 243 meters above ground and was the tallest in Japan when it was completed. World-famous architect Kenzo Tange handled the design, and the building, which appeared to have two horns growing, came to symbolize Tokyo as a unique form. The building has 3 floors below ground and 48 above ground, with an observation deck on the 45th floor at 202 meters above street level. The observation deck consist of one on the south side and one on the north, where one can see the Tokyo Tower, the Skytree and even Mount Fuji on a clear day. The nightscape from the northern observation deck is especially recommended and the building is open until 11 pm. Admission is free to the observation deck and it is popular among foreign tourists.

日本を代表する食文化のひとつである蕎麦。特に東京は蕎麦屋が多く、中でも神田エリアは老舗や名店がひしめく。東京に蕎麦が広がったのは江戸時代。幕末の頃には江戸市中に3763軒の蕎麦屋があったと記され、街の広さも人口も今の約10分の1だったことを考えると現代以上に蕎麦屋がひしめき、いかに江戸っ子の生活に根ざしていたかがうかがえる。1884（明治17）年創業の「神田まつや」は、その当時の蕎麦屋の風情を偲ばせる趣のある店構えで、ひっきりなしにお客がやってくる。小説家・池波正太郎が通った店としても有名。手打ち、手切りの蕎麦にやや辛口のつゆで江戸蕎麦を堪能できる名店。

Soba is one of the typical food cultures in Japan. Tokyo especially has a lot of soba restaurants and out of them all, the Kanda area is packed with well-established and popular restaurants. Soba was popularized in Tokyo during the Edo Period. A total of 3,763 soba restaurants are recorded to have existed at the end of the Edo Period, and given that the size and the population of the city was around one-tenth of the current numbers, Tokyo was crowded with a lot more soba restaurants than it is today, which indicates how deeply it was ingrained in the lives of people of Edo. Kanda Matsuya opened in 1884, the restaurant is reminiscent of the atmosphere of soba restaurants of the old time, and unceasingly attracts customers. It is also famous as a favorite of famous writer Shotaro Ikenami. It is a famous restaurant where one can enjoy hand-made, hand-cut Edo-style soba in a slightly saltier sauce.

日本の「国技」ともいわれ、数々の名力士や大一番を生み出してきた大相撲。一説では1500年以上の歴史があるといわれている。古来より神事や、力比べのために相撲が行われていたが、今日の大相撲のように職業としての「力士」が登場したのは江戸時代初期といわれている。現在では、東京・名古屋・大阪・福岡で年６場所が開催され、東京の両国国技館では１月・５月・９月の３場所が開催されている。力士の中でも最高峰が「横綱」。本場所幕内取組前に行う横綱土俵入りで露払いと太刀持ちを従えて見事な四股を踏む姿は壮観である。

Professional sumo wrestling, which has been called the national sport of Japan, has spawned many famous sumo wrestlers and hot match. One account states that its history spans over 1,500 years. Sumo wrestling has taken place during Shrine ritual as well as for contests of strength since ancient times, but sumo wrestlers as professionals, as we know them today, are said to have emerged in the early days of the Edo Period. Six tournaments are currently held in Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka and Fukuoka in one year and three of the tournaments take place in January, May and September at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo. The highest ranked among the sumo wrestlers is the Yokozuna. Before the match of the Makuuchi (top division in sumo wrestling), the Yokozuna performs ring entering ceremony called “Dohyo-iri” that is leg raising and stomping on Dohyo (the sumo ring) with “Tsuyuharai” as usher and “Tachimochi” as sword bearer at his side. It's magnificent.

たいやきは、100年以上前から日本人に親しまれている。諸説あるが、1909年頃に麻布十番の浪花家総本店が発明したという説がある。たいやきは、鯛の形をした鋳型を使い、そこに小麦粉の生地を流しあんをのせ、さらに上から記事を流し型で挟んで焼く。たいやき通の間では、一尾ずつの型でひとつひとつ焼く一丁焼きを「天然もの」、一度にたくさん焼ける型で焼いたものを「養殖もの」というらしい。『めでたい』という縁起を担いだとも、鯛は庶民の口に入らなかったからともいわれるが、あの何とも愛らしい鯛に日本人らしいセンスが感じられる。

Taiyaki, bream-shaped pancake, has been popular among the Japanese for over 100 years. While various theories exist, one tale traces it back to Naniwaya Sohonten in Azabu Juban inventing it around 1909. A mold shaped like a sea bream is used to make Taiyaki. A batter made out of flour is poured into the mold and red bean paste is placed, and then the batter is poured again on top of it and cooked. Taiyaki aficionados apparently call those that are made one by one in a mold as Tennen (wild) and those that are made in a mold that make many simultaneously as Yoshoku (farm-raised). It is said to bear the meaning of good luck as sea bream in Japan is called tai, which is part of the word medetai (auspicious), and it was also because seam breams were too expensive for the masses, but in any case, the sensibility of the Japanese people can be felt in that extremely adorable look of the sea bream.

今や東京を代表する観光地となった秋葉原（アキバ）。アキバを象徴するムーブメントとして、“OTAKU”カルチャーは日本のみならず世界中で知られるようになった。また、毎回50万人以上を動員するともいわれている『コミックマーケット』が開催される東京ビッグサイトなどもあり、東京は“OTAKU”カルチャーを世界に発信する中心地である。「コスプレ」は、自作のコスチュームで好きなキャラクターになりきってイベントに参加したり、WEBを通じて多くの人に披露することも楽しみの一つとなっている。最近では海外のファンたちが日本のキャラクターのコスプレをするなど世界中で楽しまれている。

Akihabara (Akiba) has become a leading tourist site in Tokyo. The “OTAKU” culture, which is a movement that is emblematic of Akiba, has become well-known, not just in Japan, but also around the world. TOKYO BIG SIGHT is also located there, which is said to attract over 500,000 people to COMIC MARKET (COMIKET) every time. Tokyo transmits “OTAKU” culture to the world and is the center of it all. Cosplay includes participating in an event by wearing a costume one has created and becoming a character one wants to be, and one of the enjoyments of it is also to show this to numerous people via the Internet. It is be enjoying by people around the world today, with many fans overseas dressing up in Japanese characters in cosplay.

東京の名所、物産、文化… バラエティ豊かな“東京名物”を手のひらサイズのフィギュアにしました。

“TOKYO FIGURE MIYAGE” is the miniature figures of famous Tokyo institutions!