Riverwalk at night.

A final look at the Riverwalk complex in Kokura, Kitakyushu.

More details can be found in the previous posts

For those of you who don't know Kokura, nowadays it has been merged into Kitakyushu.

It was the secondary target for the first atom bomb, but good weather over the primary target, Hiroshima, spared it.

It was the primary target for the second atom bomb, but bad weather meant the secondary target, Nagasaki, was chosen.

Happy New Year of the Tiger

This is the bottom half of a huge painting titled "Mukai Tora" (Welcome Tiger)
The painting is 4.3 M high, and was painted by Sato Koetsu in 1959.
It hangs in Kokura Castle.

Inside Riverwalk

Some shots from inside the Riverwalk complex in Kokura.

For details see yesterdays post.

I recently learned that the Jerde Partnership that designed this complex have designed a new city centre for my hometown of Coventry. Could be interesting.

Riverwalk at Kokura

Riverwalk, designed by the Jerde Partnership. is located in Kokura, Kitakyushu.

Opened in 2003, the complex houses shops, cinemas, auditoriums, museums, and TV studios.

The color scheme has the following meaning.
Brown for earth
Black for rooftiles
White for plaster
Red for lacquer
Yellow for ears of ripening rice.

The Jerve Partnership has designed several other multi-use complexes in Japan, including Namba Parks in Osaka, and Canal City in Hakata.

Aakeido. Japanese shopping arcades.

Kyoto City

Covered shopping arcades can be found in most Japanese towns. In the big cities, where most japanese now live, the arcades tend to be glitzy and are likely to have global brands such as McDonalds. In many ways they look like duty-free shopping areas in airports, and consumption as identity is prevalent.

Hakata, Fukuokoa City

In the smaller towns, that continue to depopulate, the arcades can often be like a ghost town, with few people and many shops closed permanently. They tend to be funkier and have stores that sell local products and household goods etc.

Motomachi, Kobe

Kochi City

Kokura, Kitakyushu.

Ohnomichi, Hiroshima Prefecture.