Kamakura

June 29, 2010

What's not to like about Kamakura or mini-Kyoto as it's called? Nothing! At one point the capital of Japan, Kamakura is now home to a good many deal of shrines and tourist shops. Check out the pictures below for an idea of our day trip before our Tokyo Night Quest began. . .


The first of many photos (thankfully not posted for your sake) of Peter eating his way through Kamakura. Here we are at the nato shop . . . mmm fermented soy bean.



Our first temple stop, the Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu Shrine.


We came a day early for the festival but we got to see the Christmas Bamboo Tree getting decorated!


The giant Buddha - Japan's 2nd largest - and greenest as that is what happens to bronze when it sits outside all day for hundreds of years!


My favorite temple of the day - Meigetsu-in. Famous right now for it's endless blooming hydrangeas.


Our first bamboo forest and hopefully not our last. This too was on the grounds of my favorite temple.


Kencho-ji Temple - the oldest Zen training monastery in Japan with the best ceiling art to prove it! (The painting may not have been from 1253 when the temple was built . . . ahem.)


After visiting shrines all day we spent the evening looking for the elusive Love Hotels in Tokyo's shadier districts. Turns out they aren't so elusive at all. Check out the deserted front desk and the vending machine hotel room selection. (And NO we didn't stay!)

Cultural Differences Abound

June 28, 2010

Peter and I decided to stay one more day in Tokyo proper to see all the cultural differences of Japan before we leave the Tokyo area. We headed off to Odaiba, one of the man made islands off the coast of Tokyo. (It is still connected by roads and monorail and people do live there.) After laughing ourselves silly with Japanese quiz show like games we then headed down to the AKIHABARA district.

Dun Duh Duh Dunnnnn . . .

This is truly the land where all geeks unite: endless anime stores, electronic stores, cheap eats and some good ole fashioned sex shops. What more could one need?



A quick shot of a Maid Cafe girl on the streets. Maid Cafes are a huge phenomenon here in the Akihabara district! And just as they sound they are nothing more than waitresses dressed up as maids - and not even scandalous French Maids at that!


Believe it or not that really is an ad for an ear cleaning salon! Who would have guessed?


One of the many anime shops in the Akihabara district.


Japan is getting serious with the Green Movement with electronic crying polar bears of course. All I can say is that they best be using energy efficient light bulbs for those tears!


View of Tokyo from Odaibi - the man made islands in the port of Tokyo.


Peter and I hang gliding at Sega's Joypolis on Odaiba - all I can say is 3 stories of 3D madness and then some!


Nothing but watermelon goodness at this food store!


Peter racing through the ninja challenge at muscle beach. What a stud!


Suck the balls up with a tube and catch them in your bucket game. Japan is really giving Chuck-E-Cheese a run for their money.


The slipper throwing game - sort of a shame you don't aim at people.


Turns out behind this giant cat was a giant store full of all things cat.

Peter arrives

June 27, 2010

Peter's first full day in Tokyo! Sarah, Peter and I headed off into the concrete jungle to see some old sights to us but new to Peter: Shibuya, Harajuku and the Meiji Temple. They were all equally as good the second time round and I am now a proud owner of banana Tupperware - just what everyone needs! We finished off the night at a different izakaya for dinner complete with my new found favorite, fresh blocks of tofu with ginger and soy sauce. Yum!


One of my favorite prayers I saw hanging. Again I was too cheap to buy my own prayer so sorry if anyone I know falls terribly ill.


Prayer wall as Meiji Temple: in this photo the plaques are written in Japanese, Chinese, German, Spanish, English and Korean.


Sarah and Peter rocking out in the fierce taiko drumming arcade game.


The 3 amigos in front of Hachiko statute. This little dog, Hachiko, use to meet his master at the Shibuya station everyday after work and as the story goes, Hachiko still continued to show up at the train station everyday at the same time even after his owner died.



June 26, 2010

Sarah I spent the morning catching up on our To Do Lists (I now have 3 hostels booked) before rewarding ourselves with a trip to the beer museum. By the time we got done drinking it was time to meet Peter at the train station and then rush over to the vegan restaurant The Loving Hut to meet more friends. The night only got better when it ended in karaoke! Nothing like making a fool of yourself in front of loves ones!


Tommy, Christina, Chris, Sarah, me, Peter and Blair belting out tunes in the karaoke bar. Too much fun, especially when singing Lady Gaga.


Peter and I outside the 10 story karaoke bar. Filled with hundreds of karaoke rooms and yet people still had to wait to get in!


Inside the beer museum - who knew beer didn't get widely popular in Japan until the 60's?


Sarah and I at the Yebisu Beer Museum.

Take me out to the ballgame . . .

June 25, 2010

Today was a variety show! I started the morning in Asakusa visiting the Asakusa Kannon Shrine with Joseph. It's like a circus out front with a whole street lined with stalls selling food and knick knacks. From there we wandered back to Ueno where we food Kappabashi (the restaurant supply district) and the motorcycle district. Score! From there I met up with Sarah and we went to the Tokyo Giant's baseball game. The stadium is immaculate and their fans are something else, giant banner, flag wavers and bands all in the stands! We spent a quiet night at a friend's house before finally making our way back home.


What well organized fans!


The keg girls - beer on tap straight to you. Not like you can't bring your own beer in either, you just have to exchange the can for a cup.


Our fantastic seats - only $25 bucks.


The real reason we don't feed birds.


Asakusa Kanno Temple - note Joseph and I striking our Japanese poses.


Kappabashi. The fake food mother-load, and this stuff is NOT cheap! Guess what my mother is getting for a souvenir?


Talk about weird Japanese food, here is Blueberry Cheesecake Kit Kat bars. They also have such classic flavors as Green Tea, Cherry Blossom, Raspberry Passion Fruit, and Chilli Pepper.

When in Rome . . .

June 24, 2010

When in Japan . . . go to Disney Land (well Disney Sea technically). Today was nothing more than a day to goof off and ride roller coasters! After a blissful day in the sun we met Claire and went to a packed local izakaya called Andy's. He's the only foreigner allowed to buy fish in the world famous Tsukiji Fish Market. Today's bad news - my camera broke and I lost a few photos. The good news - this happened in the tech mecca and I had a new cheap Cannon within hours!



Joseph, Sarah and I outside the Arabian Court in Disney Sea.


Check us out on the Tower of Terror! Do I look like terrified?



Joseph, Sarah and I in front of the main port, the Mediterranean Harbor.



June 23, 2010

Today I stood up the Imperial Palace - take that dolphin killers! I didn't have the heart to stroll through the Imperial Palace Grounds in the dumping rain so I ditched my tour and headed back to Ueno to see the now open Tokyo National Museum. It was a great leisurely, DRY day. Sarah, Claire and I spent the night in making vegan stir fry goodness and vegan mug brownies. Yum!


Yours truly in front of wood block print of Mt. Fuji.

I really liked the wood block art. That and I lost most of my photos of the museum in the great camera bust of 2010.

At least I didn't lose this photo: soo cool - samurai armor.

kimono like you own it

6-22-10

A day in Tokyo madnesses and then a day off. Today was an off day and I headed to Lake Kawaguchiko with my new friend Joseph from South Korea. It was a fabulous day spent riding cruisers around the lake, visiting the most amazing kimono museum and hiking up a small mountain. My quickly snapped photos don't even begin to do the kimonos justice, but the Itchiku Kubota Art Museum houses 45 kimonos made by Itchiku himself. His art is so amazing that the Smithsonian in New York changed their rules to allow art from a living artist to be displayed back in the 80's. (He died in 2003 and his apprentices are now finishing his 80 piece planned kimono collection.) I just wish I could I express the detail in each kimono - but if you it gives you a sense - it takes a year to make a kimono, dyed over 30 times, hand painted as well, stitched in some places and textured throughout.


Joseph and I with our newly rented cruisers! Thank goodness our ride was flat because I needed earplugs for the brakes!


I totally took this picture illegally just so you all could see what multiple land scape kimonos look like. There are 2 more kimonos that make up this amazing ocean scene, but someone was coming.


Another photo illegally taken of the most amazing kimonos I have ever seen. I just wished I could have snapped a shot of the Mt. Fuji inspired kimonos!

We stumbled upon the Herb Festival on our ride complete with herb gardens and little old Japanese ladies.



My view while riding around the lake! Jealous much?


One of the sleepy, little towns along the lake that we passed through.


The cute little bunny is about to light the raccoon on fire - no joke - according to legend. Check out the flint in the bunny's paws. This is the story of Mt. Kachi-Kachi - a viewing spot we hiked up today.


The Bell of Tenjo - it says your wish will come true if you ring the bell while watching Mt. Fuji. That is Mt. Fuji right behind the clouds - just like the pics! LOL You can't win them all.

Japan = bright shoes and weird food

6-21-10

After another wonderfully relaxing morning, I set off to visit the Tokyo National Museum in Ueno Park. I, however, failed at doing any research into the museum and was quite shocked to find the museum closed on Mondays. Whoops. I still had a great time wondering around the park and visiting the Ameyayoko Market. From there I headed over to Shinjuku to take in the view of Tokyo for free from the government buildings. Not only was today a great day, but I also didn't get on one wrong train even with multiple train changes! Watch out Japan - here I come! Or more accurately, watch out Kawaguchi-ko - here I come tomorrow!



Apparently I came just a tad too early to see the lily pad flowers in bloom in Ueno park.


There is flame burning inside that dove that was taken originally from the fires created in Hiroshima when the atomic bomb was dropped. I think there are 3 such peace fires burning in Japan. And no you can't blow it out - there is safety glass around the flame.


Ameyayoko Market in Ueno. A regular bizarre.


I can't tell if it is $25 a peach or $25 for 5 peaches. Hmm . . .


A slight idea of the fashion in Tokyo. It turns out brands make items specifically for sale in Japan only such as bright purple Merrell hiking boots and neon green Columbia day packs.


I found this LOVE artwork randomly walking around Shinjuku, but I happen to know this is the famous American artist Robert Indiana as I once owned a painting of his. (It was taken in the pseudo-divorce.)


The view from the 45th floor of the Metropolitan Government Building.


Vegetable Granola - I wasn't sure whether to eat it for dinner or breakfast. I went with dinner and it proved to be a good decision, but then again when is cereal ever a bad decision?