In the morning it rained hard in Tokyo but it stopped in the afternoon. After the dinner, I went out to take a walk to Azabujuban Street which was one of the oldest shopping center at Metropolis. I have never been here after dark since the summer festival on the street about ten years ago.

Many vehicles parked along the street although it was very narrow. There were many imported luxury cars. I was wondering what kind of people were driving these cars and for what purpose they did come to this street. As it was rather late in the evening, many shops were already closed including "Mamegen" a very famous beans cake store.

A grocery store looked like the one in Manhattan, New York. It displayed greens and fruites just in the same way as of in New York. A tailor was only one small store which was open.

The exception was a big size food store. It was crowded with many customers. It had the same atmosphere as of in Manhattan. Although it was late in the evening, customers came continuously. It was announcing repeatedly through speakers the store was open from 7 o'clock in the morning through 11 o'clock in the evening. Comparing with a big store very near to my home which is open only from 10:00　through 20:00, the store are making extraordinary service to customers. Furthermore, its goods are priced rather low.

Azabujuban street was a typical shopping street with furniture and interior stores specialized for Japanese style houses. But most of them are gone. It changed to a street like down town streets in New York.

The Bon Festival(the Buddhist festival praying for the dead and the ancestors) in Tokyo will start from tomorrow. When I came back to Hijirizaka in Mita, I found out that all preparations for the lantern illumination were completed. The lanterns will be lighted up from tomorrow evening. Several uniformed men were guarding the lanterns at the dark street.

Back to Calender