More Christmas Caroling – this time at Ebisu

Christmas is coming and Tokyo is definitely getting into the mood. I snapped this at the Ebisu Garden Place in, well, Ebisu :) Unfortunately my phone ran out of memory space so the clip is only 13 seconds long but it should give you an idea I think. The live concert was pretty good with people clapping along though not many people could sing along since the carols were all in English.

I should say a few words about the backdrop too – every year the Baccarat Crystal Company puts up an amazingly fancy chandelier at the Ebisu Garden Place. This is the same place where they show movies in the summer if you are familiar with that event. The same company also puts up a very nicely decorated (with crystals of course) Christmas tree at the entrance to the Ebisu Garden Place as well.

The place is definitely worth checking out any time of the year but during Christmas time it gets especially festive. Oh, and I recommend the “Sapporo Beer Station” restaurant. They serve many different kinds of beer, if you are into that, but also they serve very reasonably priced food with portions uncharacteristically big for Japan. The overall theme is that of a German beer garden so they serve sausage, etc. but they also have other, fancier fare, such as lamb and sirloin steaks.

Watching movies under the sky – Starlight Cinema 2009

From 17th of July to the 9th of August, Yebisu/Ebisu Garden Place in Ebisu is showing movies in the big open air atrium. I realize this may be a bit late since today (Sunday) is the last day but if you come across this and happen to live in Tokyo go check it out. It is pretty popular and they do have nice movies – some international ones as well as a very nice selection of Japanese movies (though I realize there is only one movie left). I knew about this event since the Christmas time when they used the atrium for a huge crystal chandelier.

  I really like Ebisu – it is such a nice, peaceful place even though it is only 2 minutes from the chaos of Shibuya. There are so many nice places to eat at, from little cafes to an oyster bar to a “fancy” pasta restaurant. Unfortunately, in order to go there, the shortest way for me is through Shibuya, using Yamanote Line which can get extremely crowded. I still think it is worth it though – nothing beats relaxing, listening to the water flowing through the sides of the gentle incline that leads to the atrium.

A stroll through beautiful Ebisu (恵比寿) (part 2)

As promised this will be about the Yebisu Garden Place but I think I will try a new style with this post - more pictures less words :) Oh and before we start, you might notice the discrepancy between Yebisu and Ebisu. Incidentally they stand for the same thing but the sound "ye"（ヱ） is not used commonly in contemporary Japanese so it is instead replaced by the sound "e" (エ). Ok enough with the trivia, onto the pictures....

This is the entrance to the Ebisu Garden Place. Getting there from the station is pretty simple since there is this "Sky Walk" thing, an automated walkway that actually is pretty long so those who don't like to walk much will definitely appreciate it.

These days there are two big attractions added to the Ebisu Garden Place in the spirit of Christmas. The first of two is the Christmas tree. While it is by no means a huge tree, it is adorned by decorations made by crystal maker Baccarat. There is a nice walkway flanked by rows of smaller trees and a little stream of water on the sides.

At the end of the walkway is an atrium which in the summer months holds a big screen where movies are projected for the visitors to watch for free. During Christmas time though, Baccarat provides the space with a huge (and pretty) crystal chandelier.

Of course first and foremost the place is for shoppers and that means not only can you find clothing stores but you can also find stores selling random stuff like Bonsai trees shown here. There are also lots of restaurants including an oyster bar.

Right by the back of the "place" is Westin Tokyo. While it is not situated in Shibuya or Shinjuku one can easily get to Shibuya in 5 minutes (since it is only one station away) while staying in the much more peaceful Ebisu. The hotel seemed very nicely decorated for Christmas and there was even a wedding taking place (you can see the bride in the picture :)).

A stroll through beautiful Ebisu (恵比寿) (part 1)

Ebisu is one of these "gems" that require searching for. You can spend years living in Tokyo and may not even be aware of its existence even though it is just one stop away from Shibuya (渋谷) on Yamanote Line (山手線) and is home to a lots of cool restaurants and stores for those interested in shopping. The Westin Tokyo Hotel is here too for travelers looking to stay a bit outside the hustle and bustle of Shinjuku and Shibuya but still be able to get there in 5 minutes by train.

One of those cool restaurants is Partenope - an Italian restaurant serving pasta and pizza and certified by "Verace Pizza Napolitana" which gives certification to restaurants preparing Naples style pizza. There are only a few of these in Japan and the pizza actually tastes pretty good. The prices are reasonable too which I guess is part of the reason why there are lots of people getting in line to eat here. Making a reservation, especially for the weekends, is really important.

This one was an interesting find... アメリカ橋 - or America Bridge. Apparently the bridge here has been called that since 1926 when it was sent to the US for one reason or another. I think it was built in 1904 though unfortunately my friends and I could not make sense of the text by the bridge (well, it was definitely well above my level of Japanese though my friends who are Japanese could not really make heads or tails of the story either...)

Ok well that's it for now. Next will be the Ebisu Garden Plaza which definitely deserves its own post - you know, with the giant crystal chandelier, the big Christmas tree and all...