While waiting for a train at Omiya Station in Saitama, an announcement said that someone jumped in front of a train and therefore the trains into Tokyo were delayed. This is a problem from time to time in Japan. To discourage this type of behavior the victim’s family is charged with clean up. This is thought to put guilt on the person before they decide to commit suicide. The JR rail system runs like clockwork, so any disruption affect many travelers across the system.

We eventually headed towards Shinjuku to transfer to the subway on our way to Roppongi Hills and the Mori Tower. The Mori Tower is a grand piece of contemporary architecture. It leaves a large footprint of earthly bound shops and other money making locals, but the high reaches of its glass spires leave one struck. At the top of the tower is an art museum and a sky view of the whole city. The elevator ride up to the 52nd floor only takes a few seconds popping the ears of all the occupants along the way.

The Mori Art Museum had an exhibition on Le Corbusier, an modern architect who had major influence all over the world. Not only did he practice architecture but he also kept up his practice as a painter and sculptor throughout his life. Le Corbusier sought to make modern architecture human and designed with he goal of constructing human-orientated environments in densely populated urban cities. He feared the metric system because he thought that it would make measurements unrelated to the human body. His early principles of architecture included the use of pilots, rooftop terraces, free floor plans, horizontal strip windows and free facades. All of these were made possible because of modern construction materials and techniques. Towards the end of his life he moved away from large urban planning and built a small hut house for him and his wife, Yvonne. he lived out his life there swimming out to sea at age 77 never to return.

After the art exhibit we walked around the sky view. Buildings in Japan are not excessively tall because of the threat of earthquakes but ate still tall nonetheless. The contemporary glass construction of the Mori Tower allows one to feel almost suspended over Tokyo and the rest of the world. As I sat on a bench I wondered if the glass would hold if I ran into it full barrel. I assumed it would but the thought “What if it didn’t?” sent shivers throughout my body.