Page 67 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Tokyo

WESTERN T OK Y O  65

3 Shinjuku Station
NORTHERN TOKYO worn for Noh dramas, and bags.
The museum also exhibits the
Shinjuku Station
creations of Japanese haute
Map 1 B1–2. couture designers.
WESTERN CENTRAL
TOKYO TOKYO With over two million people
passing through each day, this
is the busiest train station in
the world. As well as being a
Locator Map major stop on both the JR and
See Tokyo Street metropolitan subway systems,
Finder Map 1 Shinjuku Station is the starting
point for trains and buses into
the suburbs. On the Yamanote
Nomura and Chuo line platforms during
Building the morning rush hour (from
about 7:30 to 9am), staff are
employed to gently but firmly
push those last few commut ers
onto the train, making sure the Late 19th-century Western wear,
The Yasuda odd body part is not slammed Bunka Gakuen Costume Museum
Kasai Kaijo in the closing doors.
Building, with The corridors connecting all
its graceful 5 Sword Museum
curving base, is the lines and train networks are
H
one of the area’s edged with hun dreds of shops Sword Museum
I
most distinctive and restau rants. It is easy to lose 4-25-10 Yoyogi. Map 1 A3.
G
buildings. your way in this maze of
A
seemingly identical passages, and Tel (03) 3379-1386. £ Sangubashi
S
it may often be simpler to find stn, Oda kyu line. Open 10am–4:30pm
H
Shinjuku Center Tue–Sun. &
I
your bearings at ground level.
Building

Look for the nearest escalator
or staircase up, and then get A little out of the way, this
–
D
oriented once on the street. museum is full of fine Japan ese
O
Shinjuku Station swords dating back to the
R
文化学園服飾博物館
and East Shinjuku
I 4 Bunka Gakuen 12th century. On the first floor
Costume Museum is an interesting display of
the process by which a
文化学園服飾博物館 sword is produced.
Map 1 A2. Tel (03) 3299-2387. The swords them selves are
 Shinjuku stn, JR, Odakyu, Keio exhibited on the second floor,
Shinjuku, Oedo lines. Open 10am– every detail care fully refined,
even down to the pattern of
4:30pm Mon–Sat. & Bunka Gakuen
burnishing on the blade’s
Costume Museum
Opened in 1979, the museum face. There is also a display
has been building up its of decorated hilts. English
collec tion of costumes expla nations trace the history
and accessories to over, of the sword, and the process es
20,000 exhibits that it of sharp ening, handling, and
holds today. maintenance. Beautifully
Clothing and dyed articles illustrated old Japanese texts
from such countries and explain the finer points of
Monolith regions as Africa, the Middle sword-making. Among the
Building East, China, and India are ancient samurai swords
An imposing exhibited throughout are examples of works
building, as its the year. Western attire by modern master
name suggests, is represented by a swordsmiths, who have
this block has a
pleasant courtyard selection of dresses kept alive the tradition
KDD garden on the typifying fashions of the Ornate sword of refining steel from
pure iron sand,
18th to 20th centuries.
Building north side. handle
Among the permanent painstakingly
items of interest in the Japanese manipulating the carbon
collection are modern court content, then hammering,
0 meters 100
dresses, kosode (short-sleeved and cross-welding the steel
0 yards 100 kimonos), the lavish costumes for maximum strength.
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