Date: Feb 4&5, 2007
Who? Laura, Elspeth and Becky
Info: We finally got around to checking out Tokyo. Elspeth and I woke up early, hopped on the shinkansen, which picked Becky up in Hamamatsu and we spent a sunny weekend in the big, busy city. Unfortunately, I got REALLY sick (soon after getting off the train) and felt like I was going to pass out the whole weekend. Perhaps that's why my thoughts on Tokyo are a little jumbled. Anyhoo, it's not one of my favourite places in Japan but it was good to explore. Sorry about the captions for this entry but the weekend is kind of a blur.
Elspeth and I made sure we were sitting on the left-hand side of the train so we'd have views of Fuiji-san!
Tokyo National Museum...which is actually lots of museums in a small area...which turned out to be too many museums after a while...so we decided to go somewhere a little more interesting...
Welcome to Snoopytown. So many Snoopys...
Harajuku. Where the heck are all the people? I was so confused...it was so empty...
Of course, we had to check out the crazy kids in their crazy Harajuku outfits. Maybe I've been living here long enough...or perhaps it's because Nagoya girls seem to be very outrageous and high-maintence but they didn't seem all that crazy. Gwen Stefani would be disappointed.
Meiji Jingu
Asakusa - my favourite place in Tokyo. Interesting (although touristy) shopping street leading up to a famous shrine.
GIANT sembei. I actually stopped to think about how I could get this home without breaking it....
Scary, scary dogs.
Senso-ji
So the hostel I found was really quite nice. We had a room for four to ourselves and it was super clean and quiet (at least until drilling woke us up in the morning). The bathrooms looked kind of Swedish/modern/ikea and it was only $30 CAN a night.... but the corridor down the hall from us did look very Prison Break...that fencing is the only thing separating the cell-like dorms from the elements.
Laura (thinking): "I'm going to be sick. Please just take my picture so that I have some proof I was here this weekend."
Elspeth: "Smile, damnit"
The result (below)
No trip to Tokyo is complete without visiting Shibuya. Oddly, I still felt like there were less people than the last time I was here...
We were in a hurry to find dinner so I wasn't able to go into the Maple Leaf Bar. Next time, eh.
Here's some video of the intersection.
4 comments:
That intersection video is CRAZY!! People like ants, just swarming everywhere and going in everywhich direction! Though it must be very annoying to have to be a driver in Tokyo...
I can't believe you managed to resist one of the little Japanese-style CharlieBrown characters... Snoopy looks adorable!
WHA?!?! That isn't the Tokyo I know. Maybe they got warning of you guys coming or something?
Looking at your pictures saddens me that you guys didn't see it so action packed (how I like my cities). I am sure if you guys go again, during a holiday, you will see.
So how goes teaching? Renew your contract?
I pictured big bright lights... an entire city that looks like Times Square. Having enough pedestrians to require their own light at the intersection fits the stereotype well enough though. How long does that light last for? I pity the old lady stuck in the middle when it all changes again. :S
Glad it's all going well. Talk to you soon.
Fil
Tommy - hey! how's it going? Don't be mad, it's just that Tokyo is not my kind of destination. I prefer hanging out in an onsen in a small town and hiking through the mountains to see monkeys..that's what my next post will be about!
Hope things are going well, and yes, I renewed my contract for another year!
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