TOWER RECORDS LIVES!... IN JAPAN

The entrance of Tower Records in Kyoto,
on the 9th floor of OPA Building,
 in Shijo Kawaramachi (Kyoto's shopping district).

Remember the days when Tower Records ruled the roost? It was like going to a supermarket, except what you were buying were classical CDs, with forty-seven different versions of Rachmaninov's Third Piano Concerto to choose from! 

Tears were shed when the chain closed in USA (I've actually been to the famous San Francisco outlet near Fisherman's Wharf and the Lincoln Centre outlet in New York City) and the two outlets in Singapore (Pacific Plaza and Suntec City) both pulled down their shutters for good.

The good news is that Tower Records lives again, but in Japan. Actually it never closed down in the Land of the Rising Sun. Digital downloading has yet to catch up in a big way in East Asia, so physical CD recordings are still selling, but for how much longer? 

There are far more classical CDs here,
than in HMV Oxford Street, London. 

Empty spaces, Empty corridors.
One thing Tower still persists in doing is
to play heavy metal at highest possible decibel levels.
Are they trying to drive customers away? 
(Not that they needed help anyway.)

Neatly arranged CDs, but not in any
discernible or alphabetical order.
In the one-hour or so I spent at the classical section,
I was the only person browsing. A sign of the times?

The music section of Kyoto Yodobashi,
massive department store near Kyoto Station.

More CDs on display. CDs in their Japanese pressings
retail at surprisingly reasonable prices.
Most reissues go at 1000-1200 Yen plus tax.

A selfie for the family. My son had never heard
of Tower Records in all his life.
That's how bad the CD retail industry has become. 

THE COLOURS OF AUTUMN Part 1

The garden of Sanjusangen-do Temple.
You can't take photos of the Buddhas with thousand arms,
but you can of the beautiful foliage (28 Nov 14)

Pianomania has been away for a while, which explains the absence of reviews between late November and early December. And this is the reason: a short week-long vacation to Kyoto, Japan to see the autumn colours. Here are some of my best pictures. The visions simply defy words, so I shall not comment further, except as to state where these beautiful trees may be found.

The solitary tree near the entrance of
Nishi-Honganji Temple. (28 Nov 14)

Nishi-Honganji Temple.

The path of Zen to Ryoanji Temple.

Is it possible to have five different shades
of leaves on the same tree? Ryoanji Temple (29 Nov 14)

The rock garden of Ryoanji Temple.

Fallen maple leaves, caught by a rock. Ryoanji

The pond of Ryoanji

Can't get enough of Ryoanji

Fallen petals at Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion).

A more rugged landscape
at Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion). 

The garden of Ginkakuji (29 Nov 14)

THE COLOURS OF AUTUMN Part 2

A sea of vermilion, along the Path of Philosophy,
near Nanzenji Temple. (29 Nov 14)

More ridiculously beautiful pictures of autumn leaves in Kyoto, Japan. Winter is about to arrive, and there is a sudden chill when the temperature drops from 12 to 2 degrees Celcius. The trees just don't know it yet, but they soon will. In the meantime, its paradise for photographers.

The view from the Hondo of Kiyomizudera Temple,
of the Pagoda of "easy births". (30 Nov 14)

Kiyomizudera floating in a sea of maples.

The garden of Kodaiji Temple. (30 Nov 14)

Has a picture of a ditch looked this beautiful?
Outside Tofukuji Temple (30 Nov 14)

More of Tofukuji 

The covered bridge at Tofukuji,
viewed from another covered bridge.

When it snows petals....
Near Kasuga Taisha Shrine, Nara (1 Dec 14)

The splendid and free
Yoshikien Garden, Nara

Another beautiful ditch, Yoshikien Garden

Autumn scene, Yoshikien Garden

Spring water, Gioji Temple in Sagano (2 Dec 14)

Last blades of autumn, Shoren-in (3 Dec 14)