Asahi Beer Headquarters, Then & Now

Above, the Asahi Beer Hall with the Tokyo Skytree in the background at left. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Asahi Shimbun has some "then and now" photos of the Asahi Beer headquarters next to the Sumida River along with a history of the brewery.

It starts with:

To some, it appears enticing, like the frothy head of a beer. To others, it resembles a “golden poop.” But one thing everyone has to agree on is that there’s a massive metallic-looking piece of art sitting atop a building in downtown Tokyo.

Today, the Asahi headquarters, known as the Asahi Beer Hall, is known for a building that resembles a mug of beer and the "golden flame" sculpture.

To see more, go here.

"It Looks Like A Turd"

During lunch yesterday, I showed Allie my photos from last December's trip to Japan. When she came to the photos of the Asahi Beer Hall in Tokyo, she looked at "The Golden Flame" sculpture and asked, "What is that? It looks like a turd."

I told her that's what a lot of people call it: "The Golden Turd."

It is amusing that she came to that conclusion without any prodding by me.

What The Heck Is That? Asahi's Golden Flame

Above, Asahi Beer Headquarters and Hall in Tokyo.

Text and photos by Armand Vaquer

One of the interesting things about visiting Japan is seeing their unique architecture and art.

Above, Nakamise Avenue shops and shoppers.

One such item is the Asahi Beer Headquarters and Hall in the Sumida section of Tokyo. It is just across the Sumida River from Asakusa. Asakusa is a main tourist draw in Tokyo with its Nakamise Avenue shops for all kinds of Japanese goods including Japanese dolls, toys (I've bought some kaiju toys there), yukatas & kimonos, candies, swords, knick-nacks, porcelain, fans, lacquer ware, leather goods, art and other items. Asakusa has many restaurants ranging from sushi to Denny's.

Above, the "golden flame" of the Asahi Beer Hall is seen from an Asakusa street near Nakamise Avenue.

A part of the Asahi Beer Hall is the "golden flame" sculpture (or, kin no unchi, which is Japanese for “gold turd”) that was created by the French designer Philippe Starck. People seeing it for the first time ask, "What's that?" Many think it looks like a turd (hence the term, "golden turd"), sperm or, as some Godzilla fans think, a golden version of Hedorah (the "Smog Monster").

At night, the golden flame is lit up and can be seen for miles. It is just a little bit down the Sumida River from where the new Tokyo Sky Tree Tower is under construction.