Frankfurt Cityscape — Germany Business Trip Journal 2　フランクフルトの街並み ― ドイツ出張記 2

Guten Morgen!
Ich bin Tomotake Ichikawa, der Inhaber von 1basketry.
(Good morning! I am Tomotake Ichikawa, owner of 1basketry.)

Having fully shifted into “Germany mode” the night before,
I woke up early at my hotel in Frankfurt.
Fortunately, I felt almost no jet lag and was relieved to start the day with a clear head.

Before breakfast, I thought, since my stay in Frankfurt was short,
I should take a walk and explore the city.
With my camera in hand, I set out to wander wherever my steps led me.

Around Frankfurt Central Station, trams were running everywhere throughout the streets.

The early morning sunlight illuminated the bridges and buildings,
and the structures appeared almost like sculptures in their quiet beauty.

Walking south from Frankfurt Central Station, you come upon the River Main, which flows through the city.
As I continued walking and the morning commute began, I started to see more and more people riding bicycles in every direction.

This is the pedestrian crossing button.
“Signal kommt” means “the signal is coming,” in other words, that the light will soon turn green.
Below it reads “Bitte berühren,” which means “please touch.”
Now, let me return once more to the city streets and continue my walk.

A kiosk in the square.
After that, I stepped into a supermarket called “REWE.”

Please take a moment to watch Frankfurt on this early morning.
(Music begins to play.)

After finishing my enjoyable morning walk, I had a simple breakfast,
returned to my room, and packed my belongings.

Then, to board a long-distance train, I made my way once again to Frankfurt Central Station.

The station’s official name is “Frankfurt am Main Hbf,” meaning Frankfurt Central Station by the River Main. The phrase “am Main” lingered with me, evoking the quiet image of the river I had just seen.

To be continued.

＊

In the next journal,
I will finally reunite with a German maker I have long hoped to meet again.

Please look forward to it.

— Bis bald. (See you soon.)

Tomotake Ichikawa

___________________________________________

“The One Table” Special Exhibition
European Baskets We Discovered in Germany

2026

February 19 (Thu), 20 (Fri), 21 (Sat), 22 (Sun), 23 (Mon, Holiday)
26 (Thu), 27 (Fri), 28 (Sat)
March 5 (Thu), 6 (Fri), 7 (Sat)

Open | 11:00–16:00

In-store | 1basketry, Minami-Senju, Tokyo

*Answer to the previous journal (Germany Business Trip 1) quiz*

It was a cigarette vending machine!

Although this is no longer a sight you would see on station platforms in Japan,
this particular machine had a certain artistic presence, and I found myself naturally taking a photo of it.
In Germany, I also noticed people smoking on the station platforms.