Check out this street scene from the Ginza district of Tokyo in 1964. As you can see, a prominent English sign welcomes visitors to the Olympics. My mom took this slide when she and a friend made a last minute side trip from Nagoya to see the Olympics in Tokyo.
But what really catches my eye here are the funky round structures.
Take the Mitsubishi tower on the left. It reminds me of Macau’s Hotel Lisboa or the former Sands of Las Vegas. And then there’s that other circular structure just to the right of Mitsubishi Electronics.
I’m also captivated by the vehicles. Just look at that cute pick-up truck that’s making a turn at the English Ginza sign.
The night scenes my mom took of Ginza appear even more spectacular. Bright colorful neon juxtaposed against the dark sky makes it seem like a still from a 1950s noir flick. But when I scanned those slides, the whiteness from the Mitsubishi tower appeared overexposed. If I find better photos of this area at night, I’ll be sure to post one.
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