Month: June 2013

More stories to tell, more pictures to show, but today is all about laundry!  This picture sums up our feelings about Japan.

These are random pictures from along the way.  You know you can count on wordy me if you need further commentary…

We leave tomorrow..

 

So we had been warned that many Japanese do not speak English and that we should familiarize ourselves with letters and numbers etc.  Of course I said psshaw ’cause I knew better right?!  Wrong!  Many flight hours were lost on bad Bruce Willis movies when I could have done a little advance prep.  Joe’s team hired an interpreter for a few days just to make sure everyone was on the same page.  One of many lessons learned… 

But what the Japanese do do is animate everything in some form or another.  Here are a few that caused me to pause, laugh, pull out my camera.  Some may require you to click on to the photo to get the full picture.  Hope they make you laugh as well.  

 

 

 

 

  

Heads Up (haha no pun intended to coincide with the post title) – Photos from the day are loaded at the end of the post. 

Tokyo is in a word, massive.  If I understood Professor Ryan correctly, the population of Tokyo is equal to Philadelphia, NY, Boston, Chicago, maybe also DC…combined!  (Don’t quote me on this as I’m operating on diminished sleep).  And this population is spread out for miles and miles.  To go from one side of the city to the other is relatively easy as the subway is incredibly efficient, but the other side of the city could be the equivlent of Philadelphia City Hall out to the suburbs, think Downingtown, not Narberth.  One of the ways to give perspective to what “massive” looks is to view the city from TMGO – the Metropolitan Governmant Office Observatory.  So I’ll take you there..

(Escaping our hotel on “the peninsula” requires one to cross The Rainbow Bridge.  I opted to walk just to get some perspective and take some pics.)

The Observatory at the TMGO is on the 45th Floor.  It is free to visit and like all things I have observed thus far, there is an orderly system to access and exit the elevator up.  I took a bunch of photos, none are duplicate views, to give a sense of the size of the city. 

From the TMGO I headed farther west to Mt Takao National Park.  Not sure how this popped on my radar as something to see, but it was very well worth it.  It was about a 45 minute train ride (above ground as opposed to the subway) so I was able to see life in the suburbs from the train window.  Would love to ask the question as to what is more desirable living, city or suburbs, but I’m not sure if that is appropriate.  Also wanted to take pictures but felt I may be the “stupid American” taking pictures of people’s laundry drying outside.  House after house had an elaborate set up for laundry drying in a very small area.  Needless to say there is no big Sears Washer/Dryer set up happening in this country.  

Up Mt Takao I went on a chair lift to the equivalent of a base camp, from which you walk almost 2 miles farther to the top.  Besides the mountain itself, I marveled at the ages of walkers – very young to very old, and the shoe selection.  Yes there were the perfectly equipped true hikers but predominantly the people were dressed in sandals, heels, flats, carrying umbrellas in the up position.  Just another day.  The pics are pretty self explanatory.  Not sure that Joe Ryan could have handled the heights from the chair lift or the guardless trail.   

Ended the day eating Korean barbeque with Joe’s Open Table team, bowling, and then wandering through one of the gagillion arcades.  We all stopped and cheered on a young guy using the dance machine…and a few of Joe’s co-workers jumped in from the sidelines.  Where was my camera??!!  Wonderful group of co-workers.

Still have not mastered how to insert photos in a more efficient way so I just load them all in at the end of the post.  If anyone has a tip, I’m all ears.

 

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After a swim in “my pool”, we spent Sunday roaming neighborhoods again and even revisited the Imperial Gardens. I think what we missed on our first visit is the appeal of “what is not there”, and that is noise, and people, and movement. While no Longwood Gardens, this open space is surely a respite for the city’s citizens.  Dinner was with 2 of Joe’s co-workers which signaled a change in movement for us as well – time to pack up as we would move hotels in the AM

Monday – Reluctantly we left behind a luxury hotel and headed to a more realistic “work” hotel.  Realism…highly overrated.  We are now staying in a man made peninsula area called Tokyo Bay.  If you know Tokyo at alI, I am looking out the window at the Rainbow Bridge, and the very modern Fuji Building can be seen from another window.  Very touristy area, think Hello Kitty on steroids – all shopping and glitz, no temple or shrine in sight.  Joe has met up with his co-workers and his training has begun.  Little miss feel sorry for herself needs to reset the compass and come up with a game plan.  Unfortunately plans for a day trip to Mt Fuji will not happen as the weather plays a part in the trip and the next few days are scheduled to be fairly stormy.  No worries, there is NO shortage of amazing things to see, just have to add a few logistics to get back across the bridge.

Happy Father’s Day Dad and Cheers!

So mesmerizing to watch that it is tourist attraction and the prime time seats are in a Starbucks on the 2nd floor of a department store.  The Japanese take their street signs very seriously, no jaywalking here!  But when it’s time to move, they move, and make it look elegant. We sat and marveled through 2 light changes.

 

We spent the rest of the afternoon in various shopping districts which sounds kind of lame but it is a visual treat.  The people, the clothes, the advertising, we were absorbed for the day.  We did make a pilgrimage to the Lost in Translation Park Hyatt only to be told that the bar did not open until 5:30. We’ll catch up with Scarlett Johannson and Bill Murray next time we’re in town.  Dinner was sushi…the kind of place where you eat what you are served.  Joe loved it and I considered myself very brave for indeed eating everything I was served. We ended the night watching the US Open live at midnight.  Okay now lots of pictures to upload, enough with the chatter.  Apologies in advance – have not quite mastered how to upload the pictures.

Saturday AM – We started with a run for no other reason than it was 6AM and we were wide awake.  I also contend its a great way to see a city but that’s a debate for another day.  Our hotel is just outside the Imperial Palace so we ran the perimeter of the gardens.  The current climate is “swamp” at best and the Americans were in a full sweat within 110 yds; the locals were running in tights and long sleeved shirts.  A nod to modesty or lunacy I’m not sure.  We owe the gardens another visit as neither one of us was wowed.  Shower, shave, Aqua Velva, and I will admit to a Western b-fast, we set out on our travels for the day.  First stop the subway to get us to the Meiji Shrine.

Not sure what I expected but in some ways Tokyo is like any other city, lots of people, lots of motion, even a very organized homeless population, and yet everything is novel.  Is it the language barrier?  Maybe.  Well we conquered the language barrier at our first destination with our 5 new friends, Kumimi, Chiharu, Yuki, Miki, and Natsumi.  They approached Joe at the entrance to the Meiji Shrine and asked to be our tour guides.  Their mission, to practice their English and put their class instruction to practical use.  We so hope they read the blog as they completely set the tone for the day, the trip.  They walked us through the history, ceremony, and protocol  needed while visiting the Shrine.  Needless to say Mr. Ryan passed with flying colors, his wife not so much.  As part of our “tour”, they presented us with a bread sweet that was one of the innovations of the Meiji emperor – wrapping a plum paste with Western style bread.  Mrs Ryan was very successful in gobbling this treat.  We participated in a ceremonial cleansing, bowing at the gates, tossing coins in a wishing well complete with a series of bows and 2 claps.  Additionally we happened upon 2 formal wedding ceremonies; I was so fascinated I forgot to take pictures.  Reluctantly we said goodbye to our friends but not before they gave us another gift, 2  fans.  Joe Ryan fanning himself during the day is truly a Kodak moment.  Have to take a time out and figure out how to upload pics on the fly.