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 .
Showing posts with label museum. Show all posts
Showing posts with label museum. Show all posts
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Nihon - Day 16
Day 16 - Ryogoku
Today started in a bit of a mess. I boarded the subway with the intention of heading to Ebisu but then once on the train I decided to head to Roppongi instead. When we all had to disembark from the train and wait for another one I changed my mind again and headed back to the hotel.
I ate lunch at a little quaint resturant place near my station, serving proper Japanese style meals. I ordered a beef dish and it came with rice in the bowl and pasta salad in another bowl and some pickled veg in another, soup in yet another and a bit of orange jelly on a small plate. It tasted nice and was filling despite it being mostley fat. It was however a smoking venue and after the man sitting next to me lit up I decided it was time to leave.
Headed back to the subway the plan was to visit the Edo-Tokyo Museum in Ryogoku and then onto Ueno Park.
Two stops before Ryogoku an actual Sumo Wrestler got on the train.
After climbing the stairs to level 3 of the museum I purchased my ticket then headed up some more esculators for level 6 of the museum building. All displays were on level 5 and 6 but the entrance is on level 6 the exit level 5.
There were a few exibits that you could take photos of and even some you could get into.
English guides are available at the entrance desk, they will walk around with you and explain the displays in English for you. It is free but I opted not to anyway.
There were displays of old Edo houses and bulidings, little moldels of whole townships. If you are in the right aread at the right time some of the displays change and move. A museum staff member stands there are explains what is going on in Japanese. There is a giant replica of a Edo bridge, and a theatre hall. There is life size maniquinnes of an Emperor and his Queen in traditional dress. There is a rickshaw you can actually sit in, and an old style bike. There are restored cars and a Edo house you can walk around inside of. There is even a replica box of gold you can lift up and see how heavy it is. Many of the displays are interactive and the displays you can photograph are clearly marked by a picture of a camera and it says in English Flash Photography is ok. Most of the museum is pretty dark in an atempt to keep the old stuff in good condition.
I didn't go onto Ueno Park again, after the museum I just headed back to the hotel.
Today started in a bit of a mess. I boarded the subway with the intention of heading to Ebisu but then once on the train I decided to head to Roppongi instead. When we all had to disembark from the train and wait for another one I changed my mind again and headed back to the hotel.
I ate lunch at a little quaint resturant place near my station, serving proper Japanese style meals. I ordered a beef dish and it came with rice in the bowl and pasta salad in another bowl and some pickled veg in another, soup in yet another and a bit of orange jelly on a small plate. It tasted nice and was filling despite it being mostley fat. It was however a smoking venue and after the man sitting next to me lit up I decided it was time to leave.
Headed back to the subway the plan was to visit the Edo-Tokyo Museum in Ryogoku and then onto Ueno Park.
Two stops before Ryogoku an actual Sumo Wrestler got on the train.
After climbing the stairs to level 3 of the museum I purchased my ticket then headed up some more esculators for level 6 of the museum building. All displays were on level 5 and 6 but the entrance is on level 6 the exit level 5.
There were a few exibits that you could take photos of and even some you could get into.
English guides are available at the entrance desk, they will walk around with you and explain the displays in English for you. It is free but I opted not to anyway.
There were displays of old Edo houses and bulidings, little moldels of whole townships. If you are in the right aread at the right time some of the displays change and move. A museum staff member stands there are explains what is going on in Japanese. There is a giant replica of a Edo bridge, and a theatre hall. There is life size maniquinnes of an Emperor and his Queen in traditional dress. There is a rickshaw you can actually sit in, and an old style bike. There are restored cars and a Edo house you can walk around inside of. There is even a replica box of gold you can lift up and see how heavy it is. Many of the displays are interactive and the displays you can photograph are clearly marked by a picture of a camera and it says in English Flash Photography is ok. Most of the museum is pretty dark in an atempt to keep the old stuff in good condition.
I didn't go onto Ueno Park again, after the museum I just headed back to the hotel.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Nihon - Day 13
Day 13 - Sumo!
Sumo tour isn't until 1.15pm so I headed to Tokyo Tower to check out the aquarium instead.
It was very busy and there was a huge line up for the observation deck, thousands of children it would seem.
A woman was playing drums so I went and had a look only to discover she infact had a monkey with her. They did a bit of an act where the monkey did tricks and acted cheeky.
Despite it being so busy there was no one at all in the aquarium. This made it a little creepy with all those fish and eels and little sharks. And the pirahna were huge and followed you when you walked past their tanks (EEEK!).
I went to eat some lunch at the park before getting ready for the tour.
The tour bus came about 10 minutes late and picked me and another woman up from the hotel. We were then driven to headquarters, just down the road. There were heaps of people doing the tour as well as me. We were all seperated into three groups and given an english speaking guide. We then headed for the stadium via 2 trains, our tour guide held up a flag with a fish on it so we could spot him if we got seperated.
After a breif visit to the small sumo museum we settled into our seats and watched some sumo.
Japan's president arrived towards the end and caused quite a stir.
One sumo wrestler was retiring and his bout would be his last. The crowds went crazy and he played up for them. He won his flight!
There was a brief ceremony before the last 3 bouts took place.
Then on the last bout Hakuho Sho came on. The crowd went nuts for the champion, who had already won the series this last fight a mear formality. After a lot of false starts and sycing they went for it and Hakuho Sho won his 62 consecutive bout. He is only 7 away from matching the record!
Afterwards came a very long ceremony where Hakuho-san recieved many many prizes.
When it was all over I headed to the subway alone, luckily there were afew other people who were going to the same place that I could follow.
I headed straight for Family Mart to grab some dinner then back to my hotel.
Sumo tour isn't until 1.15pm so I headed to Tokyo Tower to check out the aquarium instead.
It was very busy and there was a huge line up for the observation deck, thousands of children it would seem.
A woman was playing drums so I went and had a look only to discover she infact had a monkey with her. They did a bit of an act where the monkey did tricks and acted cheeky.
Despite it being so busy there was no one at all in the aquarium. This made it a little creepy with all those fish and eels and little sharks. And the pirahna were huge and followed you when you walked past their tanks (EEEK!).
I went to eat some lunch at the park before getting ready for the tour.
The tour bus came about 10 minutes late and picked me and another woman up from the hotel. We were then driven to headquarters, just down the road. There were heaps of people doing the tour as well as me. We were all seperated into three groups and given an english speaking guide. We then headed for the stadium via 2 trains, our tour guide held up a flag with a fish on it so we could spot him if we got seperated.
After a breif visit to the small sumo museum we settled into our seats and watched some sumo.
Japan's president arrived towards the end and caused quite a stir.
One sumo wrestler was retiring and his bout would be his last. The crowds went crazy and he played up for them. He won his flight!
There was a brief ceremony before the last 3 bouts took place.
Then on the last bout Hakuho Sho came on. The crowd went nuts for the champion, who had already won the series this last fight a mear formality. After a lot of false starts and sycing they went for it and Hakuho Sho won his 62 consecutive bout. He is only 7 away from matching the record!
Afterwards came a very long ceremony where Hakuho-san recieved many many prizes.
When it was all over I headed to the subway alone, luckily there were afew other people who were going to the same place that I could follow.
I headed straight for Family Mart to grab some dinner then back to my hotel.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Nihon - Day 7
Day 7 - Ghibli Museum
Finding the museum was easy enough. The JR lines are a little difficult to navigate as there is almost no english and I don't have the numbers for the stations.
The outside suburbs of tokyo look a little more like the rest of asia, but Mitaka is beautiful with its expansive greenary.
The museum itself is amazing, a true gem of arcitechture. It looks like its been half eaten by the forest, with the over grown garden on the roof and the creepers across the walls.
The line up was very long and i waited with many others in excitement for what was to come. The people at the front checked to make sure everyone had tickets and let a few in to the counters to exchange their passes at a time. The ticket you recieve in exchange for your pass is a little marvel, 3 frames of footage from actual movie reels set in a beautiful laid out cardboard housing.
I wondered over the museum which has no structure in how you can visit the displays. Each room filled with a little more wonder than the next. The catbus room made me envious of all those under 12 who could climb all over him. The baby cat bus room was also cute, where you could wear a baby catbus over your head and wonder around the room.
Then up stairs in the garden you find the robot gardian from laputa watching over the museum.
I headed back down to the ground floor to check into the cinema to watch the short film being shown. Your ticket is stamped (only 1 viewing per person) and you line up ready to go in. The doors open and the little cinema in the ground fills up. Just before the movie starts the little windows close and the moon in the ceiling lights up. The movie Mei and the Baby Cat Bus was a sweet little film about a girl who befriends a baby cat bus by giving it carmels and is taken on a journey to see all the different cat bus's.
After the movie I headed to the strawhat cafe, but the line up was too long and the sitting room at a minimum. So i decided to walk back to the station and head back to the hotel.
In a last minute decision I decided to get of at Shinjuku and catch the connecting subway to Ikebukuro.
The backstreets here are laided with gaming rooms. I didn't end up locating the aquarium but had fun checking out all the different places that make this the geek-girl central. I had lunch at a cute little place, no one spoke english, and ate my fill of chicken stir-fry, broth and rice.
I am so tired by the end of this day that I never had dinner.
Finding the museum was easy enough. The JR lines are a little difficult to navigate as there is almost no english and I don't have the numbers for the stations.
The outside suburbs of tokyo look a little more like the rest of asia, but Mitaka is beautiful with its expansive greenary.
The museum itself is amazing, a true gem of arcitechture. It looks like its been half eaten by the forest, with the over grown garden on the roof and the creepers across the walls.
The line up was very long and i waited with many others in excitement for what was to come. The people at the front checked to make sure everyone had tickets and let a few in to the counters to exchange their passes at a time. The ticket you recieve in exchange for your pass is a little marvel, 3 frames of footage from actual movie reels set in a beautiful laid out cardboard housing.
I wondered over the museum which has no structure in how you can visit the displays. Each room filled with a little more wonder than the next. The catbus room made me envious of all those under 12 who could climb all over him. The baby cat bus room was also cute, where you could wear a baby catbus over your head and wonder around the room.
Then up stairs in the garden you find the robot gardian from laputa watching over the museum.
I headed back down to the ground floor to check into the cinema to watch the short film being shown. Your ticket is stamped (only 1 viewing per person) and you line up ready to go in. The doors open and the little cinema in the ground fills up. Just before the movie starts the little windows close and the moon in the ceiling lights up. The movie Mei and the Baby Cat Bus was a sweet little film about a girl who befriends a baby cat bus by giving it carmels and is taken on a journey to see all the different cat bus's.
After the movie I headed to the strawhat cafe, but the line up was too long and the sitting room at a minimum. So i decided to walk back to the station and head back to the hotel.
In a last minute decision I decided to get of at Shinjuku and catch the connecting subway to Ikebukuro.
The backstreets here are laided with gaming rooms. I didn't end up locating the aquarium but had fun checking out all the different places that make this the geek-girl central. I had lunch at a cute little place, no one spoke english, and ate my fill of chicken stir-fry, broth and rice.
I am so tired by the end of this day that I never had dinner.
Friday, September 17, 2010
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.
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.
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