Archive for August, 2009
Shibuya Crossing
Well the next morning we put on our walking shoes again and headed out towards Shibuya station, to witness the world’s biggest pedestrian crossing outside the Hachiko exit. All I have to say is, good lord. For a Sunday morning the place was utterly full of people just hanging out, and of course, crossing the [...]
Omotesando to Harajuku
The next order of business was to make the relatively short walk from Omotesando station, along Omotesando street to Harajuku station, and the entrance to Yoyogi Park and the Meiji Shrine within. No problem. Omotesando is the 5th Avenue of Tokyo. Tons of Mercedes and Porsches and other high dollar cars lined the streets as [...]
Meiji Jingu
Well, at last we come down to it, the last major sight we’d see in Tokyo, The Meiji Jingu, or Meiji Shrine. Built to remember the Meiji Emperor, who as you recall, opened up Japan to the rest of the world in the mid 1800s, it occupies a large portion of Yoyogi Park, which is [...]
Mt. Takao
(note: I may split this post up, and with more detail later…) Today we started our day trips out of the city. Rather than get breakfast at the hotel, we opted for a little (again, pseudo-Italian) bistro/cafe place up the street from the hotel. We shared a mediocre-at-best panini or whatever you call it. Meh. [...]
Observation: Where Are The Bugs?!
One thing we noticed, was that there was a surprising lack of insects about, especially for the first part of July. Normally, I would have expected to be assaulted by mosquitoes, flies, various types of bees or wasps (yellow jackets!) or to see at least a cockroach or two scurrying around on the street. Especially [...]
The Hakone Loop, Part. 1: Getting There….
So I skipped something from yesterday’s entry, before we went to the totally excellent Himawari Sushi, we had to go to the Odakyu Sightseeing Center in their section of Shinjuku Station. Luckily this part was really straightforward. Find the big Odakyu building (not the HALC!) go in, and look for the counter marked “Sightseeing Service [...]
The Hakone Loop, Part 2: Up the Mountain
So we got on the bus for Moto-Hakone, which would finally get us to where the real scenery was. The bus ride up was uneventful, mostly locals getting off fairly close to Hakone-Yumoto. By the time we reached Moto-Hakone, we were the only ones left! The road up the mountain is pretty wild. Lots of [...]
The Hakone Loop: Part 3, Moto-Hakone and the Old Cedar Highway
We got off the bus at Moto-Hakone, and stopped to take in the beauty of Lake Ashi, and the majesty of Mt. Fuji in the distance. We’d spotted the tip of Fujisan here and there on the train to Hakone-Yumoto, but it was more visible over the Ashi valley now. Wow. A few of the [...]
The Hakone Loop, Part 4: Lake Ashi
Once we got to the end of the old cedar highway, we had to walk the rest of the way to Hakone-Machi, and find the sightseeing boat docks. It was a bit of a walk, but not bad. We found ourselves going through an open air exhibit of some kind, that I think we were [...]
The Hakone Loop, Part 5: The Ropeway and Cable Car
Having exited the shuttle bus at Owakudani, we were now in a totally different world. Surrounded by rocky landscapes and sulfurous smoke, we were in the volcanic area, ready to hop on the ropeway. Basically you’re riding in a little pod suspended by cables some 100′s of feet in the air. The Mrs. wasn’t too [...]
