Nihon - Day 17

Day 17 - Staying Local

Today is miserable again, but will be my last full day in tokyo so I decide to set out anyway.

I headed to the river again today but turned left, as I noticed last time I came out this way that there was a park near by, and into Hama-Rikyu-Teien (detached palace garden) This garden use to only be for the Shogans.

I wandered past a european style garden, very small, and between two large buildings with the most gorgeous statues in it.

At the gate I was keenly offered a device that looked much like an iphone and would be my electronic guide to the garden. The lady set it up so I could wander and the guide would pick up on the sites and start automatically when I was in range of the site to tell me the significance. All the sites were numbered and I was given a map so I could follow where I was going.

After my auto-tour I headed back to the hotel via the Pokemon Centre, which I stumbled across on my way to the garden. This place is simular to the tamagochi place in Harajuku but much larger and busier.
I found my pokemon, despite not knowing its name and it being one of the older original creatures, I even found a squirtle for my bro. This place is a must for any pokemon fan.

Lunch was via Family Mart and was a yummy mushroom pasta dish. I then headed out again.

I headed to Tokyo tower via the garden on the other side of Zojoji Temple, and the cemetary.
The first attraction I went to was on the ground floor and was about extinct and endangered animals (I think). It was filled with cute statues of these animals. There was information all over the place but the only english was the name of the animals. The last room had school childrens colour in on the walls and a box for donation. I put some coins in and a man gave me a sticker sheet to thank me for the donation.

Next I headed to the 3rd floor for the wax museum, having picked up a discount coupon in Aqua City. The whole thing was kinda creepy with its low lights and this life size displays looking at you. Not realistic enough for you to think that they are the real person but creepy enough to totally come alive in a horror movie and kill you.
The first room had people from movies, then in the next room historical figures and great artists and inventors, old leaders (including Ho Chi Minh) and Jesus and his diciples even madam Tussaud was there. The final room held legends of Rock N Roll.

I headed back to the room to sort my stuff and make sure I had everything before leaving tomorrow .

Nihon - Day 4

Roppogi Hills

Before I start the day I just have to add that I am loving my thredless t-shirts!

Spent a long time getting ready to go out today, but finally at 10.45am I'm off to Roppongi Hills.

The complex itself, made of several buildings, is far more confusing than the subways.
I walked around for ages and stumbled across a giant rose, near a lookout over Tokyo, stunning.
I was trying to find the Spider on the map out in the garden when I suddenly noticed he was right there! Hovering above me! How could i have missed him. I am stoked that I found him though, or should that be she... looks like she is carring some eggs way up there.

I wondered into another building and found the Mori Art Museum. Great this was on my list to see. There was some amazing pieces in there, each room had a different one.
There was one room that had a paper mache over head, covering the whole room so you had to duck in places to get through the room. There were a few holes in it and people were poking their heads through, so i thought i'd give that a go, and wow! Through the holes was a winter wonderland with white trees.
Another room held a huge perspect tank with millions of dandilion looking bits being blown around like a soft wave, I would imagine this was signifying snow. It was beautiful.
Then my favorite piece was the water pond. It was white and round and there were water bottles suspended on the ceiling. Every few minutes all the water bottles would let out a single drop on water, into the pond. Simple, elegant, stunning!

After the art museum I headed to the City Sky View and wow is Tokyo big! You walk around the sky view to see every side of Tokyo.

Then I headed off to find some lunch and you will never guess. I ended up at a German bar and grill, haha, with a German beer. Well i thought it was funny anyway.

After lunch i did a bit more shopping, sent my postcard off and headed down to the garden attached to the centre. Many people in this complex speak rather good english. I found my prizes for the colouring in contest I am running at work back home.

Headed home around 4.30pm, stopping by a grocery store on the way to pick up some fruit (oh how i have missed fruit) and something for dinner.

Nihon - Day 3

Harajuku (part 1)

Today it is raining!
the weather report says it should be all day and gives a typhoon warning for Okinowa.

I decided to scope out Harajuku today, see what its like before heading there on sunday for people watching. Despite the fact that this is my first time on the train system on my own, transfering between two different train company lines, it turns out its not that difficult!

I had a little issue finding the english button on the JR ticket machine, but some random (very helpful) buisness man stopped and helped me out. He even wrote my stop down in english and asked the man at the gate what number stop I was to catch the train at. Super helpful!

People are so quiet on the train, and i noticed the no phones sign. People back home would probably just ignore this. The trains are also so clean, as are the train stations. If fact while I waited for my train a cleaner scrapped up something that was stuck to the floor, then wipped the area clean again, Amazing!

Harajuku was great!
Although I was a little dissappointed Kiddy Land has now closed, I was relieved to find out from the girl at the information booth that it would have a reopening tomorrow! Even managed to score an invite to the opening...... not that i will be going, could you imagine all those kids!

I had a look in the 100 Yen shop and the tamagochi shop, where you can connect your tamaggochi to a machine and ....... well i don't know what it does exactley, but I hear this is simular to the pokemon shop too.
I saw the louise vitton, channel, issey myaki, and other big name shops. Had a good look in this gorgeous gothic lolita shop called Kithards. There was so much stuff I could have filled my wardrobe with had money been no object.

Stumbelled across Togo-Jinja, which has a beautiful moat around a ornate pagoda, like something in the final scenes of a romanitc japanese movie. I was a little lost at this point but found my way back to a place i knew, past a gorgeous chocolate shop that was painted like dripping chocolate.

I bought a few things here. I got myself a cool purple skull mug (plastic), a headband with a cool mini-hat and skull detail on it. Some miniture things, A laughing puimkin man (its halloween time in Harajuku!), a little cat thing from a gumball machine, lollilies for the kiddies back home and some things for my sister.

I don't think however that I will ever walk again! My feet are covered in blisters from these new bloody shoes, that I thought i had broken in but obviously not. If I could have done the day over I would have worn the same shoes i had been wearing the last few days again.
New shoes = Bad Idea!

The train trip back is even easier as I now know where I am going. I did miss my connecting train but in next to no time another one came, so no loss there, no wonder there are no seats in the subway, you would have to get up pretty much as soon as you had sat down.

I stocked up on food at family mart on the way back to the hotel, not intending to leave my room again today.

So now I sit in my room watching kids shows eating dinner, and drinking a beer from the vending machine in the hall, wondering what i will do tomorrow (if anything with all these blisters)