For Grandma

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 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.

Nihon - day 15

Day 15 - Accidently Odaiba

Had a minor panic attack about having so few days left in Tokyo, despite the really bad cold weather I headed out anyway.

The plan was Daimon station but I just kept walking, wanting to see what was ahead in this neighbourhood. I saw on a map that the bay was close by, so I kept walking.
I came apon the ocean. Though it was raining madly and cold as hell it still looked nice. I walked around the bay noticing a train station and wondering where it went. I saw the rainbow bridge ahead and wondered if I could get there, the guide book says you can walk across it to get to Odaiba.

I walked to the bridge and noticed you could not get on it from here, but then there was another train station. What is the harm in getting on and seeing where it goes? Turns out it was the un-manned train to Odaiba. Goody! The guide says you had to catch it from Shimbashi, which turns out is the last stop on the mainland, but there are heaps of other stops.

Still the weather is horrible and all my photos end up dark. Seems the statue of Gundum was taken down some time ago, but I found the statue of Liberty. I walked from one end to the other and made it to Aqua City! A shopping centre and went in search of food.
When I came across a steak place playing Dropkick Murphy's I knew this was meant to be!
Sizzling steak with garlic sauce and I even managed to order a plate of rice in Japanese. YAY!

I bought a few things for the etsy shop at the 100 Yen store and had a look around Fuji TV then with the cold seeping into my skin chilling me to the bones headed back on the un-manned train to the hotel.

Ramen is on the cards for dinner tonight, a lovely big bowl of broth and noodles, oishi!

Nihon - Day 14

Day 14 - The day of rest!

So I have not been sleeping well at night, so I decided to take today off.
Weather suited a day off, its cold and raining.

So today is about take-away from Family Mart + beer of course and TV.
I did manage to catch an old black and white movie that was in English.

The Japanese new programme, Every, is doing a segment on non-japanese lolitas in Harajuku. I have noticed this too. There are HEAPS! more non-japanese walking around than Japanese Lolitas now, kinda dissappointing when you go there on a sunday just to see them.

Hakuho Sho was on TV too, with Sly Stallon. Sly said they needed to do something Sumo-ish and got into a sumo stance, but Hakuho-san just picked him up like he was nothing. Sly looked a bit surprised and I had to laugh.

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.

Nihon - Day 12

Day 12 - Doll Burning Ceremony

I headed out on a cold and windy day and took the subway to Ueno Park. The stop was not far away from the park at all.

Walking around the massive park, I took many photos and found Kiyomizu Kannon-do admist all the temples and shrines that call the park home. The monks were busy in preperation for the ceremony to be conducted later that day, but it was still early so i headed to the Ueno Park Zoo.

The zoo entrance has a machine to purchase your ticket from. Awsome! Just put your money in Y1000 and press the button relating to the ticket you want to purchase. Then the lady at the gate stamps your ticket as you enter. EASY!
As soon as you enter the zoo there is displays holding maps of the zoo in many different languages. I grabbed an english one.
The giant pandas weren't available but I did see some gorgeous little red pandas instead. Some of the cages seemed a little disproportioned.

I wandered out of the zoo and back to the park. I had a quick look at a brilliant water feature before I realised the time and headed back to Kiyomizu Kannon-do.

I got there shortley after the ceremony had started and the monks were sitting around the table chanting and blessing the dolls. Two other men prepared the vessel the dolls would be burnt in. After about 20 minutes or so the monks then got up and led a procession to a table in front of the vessel. The monk in the middle lit some incense and prayed to the goddess Senju Kannon (of mercy). the dolls were placed in the vessel and a rag on a stick was douced in kerosine and placed inside with the dolls. The rag was then lit and the flames soon grew. The other monks lit incense and offered their own prays then moved off from the table. As the flames ingulfed the dolls more people came to the table and gave the two men their dolls to be placed in the flames, then grabbed a pinch of the incense and lifted in to their forheads before placing it in the already burning incense lit by the monks. They then moved out of the area to let more people in.

It was actually a moving ceremony and I hope those people offering their dolls for fertility get waht they are praying for.

For dinner I was going to try Yakatori but decided to buy something at the Family mart and sit in my room instead. All that smoke made me very tired. I bought a lovely pasta chicken and chilli dish that the man heated for me and two beers, only cost me Y602. Sweet!