Maria went to Japan (Part 1)
Crossposting from Facebook, because yeah I am lazy.
Arriving in Osaka
At KIX, the cold greets us. Long train ride to Osaka JR Station, where the overnight bus to Tokyo is supposed to park somewhere and pick us up at 12 mn. After wandering for a few hours, we decide to have dinner and wander some more. ¥860 definitely whets your appetite.
With charades, a smattering of Nihongo, and an understanding of broken English, we find our bus and settle in for the overnight trip to Tokyo.
OH HAI TOKYO Konnichiwa!
Day 2: Yebisu Garden Place
Arrived in Tokyo at 8 AM. Proceeded to be mystified by the ticket machines at the Tokyo Station. Finally forced to ask Information on how to get to Okachimachi Station, where our humble hotel is located.
Getting off the train was the easy part. We proceed to find our hotel using only the address. Apparently, house numbers in Japan follow some strange pattern. Asked four people; one of them was nice enough to call up the hotel for directions. Armed with their crudely drawn maps and vague remonstrances as to the hotel's general direction, we wandered around for an hour. With heavy strollers in tow.
Found the hotel at last, and since check-in time was still around 3 PM, we left our bags at the reception and took a lowly hooker's bath at the hotel washroom. With hygiene firmly pushed out of our minds, we set off for the first place in our itinerary: Yebisu Sky Gardens. Took along an English subway map from the reception for good measure.
In the evening, I discover that the Hostelworld reservation I printed out contained step-by-step directions to Okachimachi Hotel. How's that for absent-mindedness?
*click thumbnail for bigger picture
Day 2: Meguro, Tokyo
A trip to Meguro to see cherry blossoms along Meguro River and Meguro Parasite Museum (don't ask me why ask my cousin who's into this weird sort of thing).
Day 2: Akasaka Sacas
After going back to the hotel and checking in, our evening itinerary involved two TV stations in Akasaka and Roppongi Hills.
Akasaka Sacas is the area in Akasaka, Tokyo, Japan, where the TBS Broadcasting Center and the site of the "Akasaka 5-chome TBS Development Project" stand.
Day 2: Roppongi Hills
Gourmet cuisine and breathtaking views abound within Roppongi Hills. This is also where TV Asahi Headquarters, one of Japan's private, nationwide TV stations is situated.
Day 3: Tokyo Dome
Started the day with a trip to Tokyo Dome. Debated on whether to ride the roller coasters. Saw the Lupin Shop and the cherry tree near the sidewalk.
Seems that there was a baseball game in the afternoon, since that early, people were camping out at the ticket booth. I deduced it was a baseball game since the line included mainly males and families who would be interested in the game, not your typical Tokyo teenagers lining up for a grand concert.
Day 3: Imperial Palace Gardens
We elected not to reserve a spot on the Imperial Palace tour, particularly as our experience last December in Seoul has given us our fill of Far Eastern temples and castles. In short, umay na kami sa castles, temples and palaces. What struck me about this place was the wide open spaces right smack in the center of Tokyo. And also that the gardens were a designated evacuation center in case of earthquakes. Talk about multi-purpose.
Saw a lot of joggers during the morning, until right before lunchtime. It was that cold. And our first encounters with the fat, friendly pigeons, who were curious and unafraid. No feeding the little feathered critters, though.
Day 3: Ueno Park
Hanami season is upon us. If you have gentle notions of fragile cherry blossom petals floating on the breeze and blanketing the disused, abandoned forest path, Ueno Park will completely disabuse you of that.
The cherry trees are still stunning, and hundreds, nay, thousands of people seem to think the same thing. Hanami involves celebration, in Asahi and Kirin-fueled style, and people arrive early to reserve their places by laying down blue plastic mats. Then everybody proceeds to get plastered over warm sake and takoyaki. The strangest thing I saw (and was too shy to take a picture of) was a grown man wearing a Stitch suit. Yep, as in Lilo and Stitch. Had the opportunity to get invited over by a group of rowdy Jap boys, but they were kind of drunk.
We spread a couple of A3 papers that had maps printed on them, and we had hanami, local-style. Club sandwiches and Kirin milk tea... which, BTW, is extremely addictive.
We met a lovely Pinoy couple who offered to take our pictures. We returned the favor. At last, some familiar faces and voices.
Day 3: Asakusa
Location of the quintessential old Tokyo landmark, the Kaminarimon.
Touristy spot. Big lanterns. Souvenir shops. Old Japan has never been so boisterous! And filled with Caucasians.
Day 3: Ginza
The bright, stylish district of Ginza. With its upscale shops and trendy citizens. The Spring fashion rage among here seems to be varied. For ladies of a much more sophisticated slant, a coat in a neutral color with impeccable detailing, and a dress underneath, sometimes in feminine floral print to counter the severity of the coat. Dark stockings with small details, like dots, flowers, stars, stripes. And heels. Boots, booties, or pumps. They had to have heels. Men of the same age in dapper business suits, of course. And clear umbrellas.
For the girls, denim jackets and shorts with stockings and boots, or a frilly, lacy, flowery, ruffled dress. Men in distressed jeans and leather jackets.
Ginza is synonymous with POSH!
Day 3: Shiodome
Last stop for hectic day three. Six out of six places :P
I included this stop to see Nippon TV because well this is where the NEWS ZERO studio is. Unbeknownst to us, the offices close at around 8:30 PM. Tch.
The rest, soon
Arriving in Osaka
At KIX, the cold greets us. Long train ride to Osaka JR Station, where the overnight bus to Tokyo is supposed to park somewhere and pick us up at 12 mn. After wandering for a few hours, we decide to have dinner and wander some more. ¥860 definitely whets your appetite.
With charades, a smattering of Nihongo, and an understanding of broken English, we find our bus and settle in for the overnight trip to Tokyo.
OH HAI TOKYO Konnichiwa!
Day 2: Yebisu Garden Place
Arrived in Tokyo at 8 AM. Proceeded to be mystified by the ticket machines at the Tokyo Station. Finally forced to ask Information on how to get to Okachimachi Station, where our humble hotel is located.
Getting off the train was the easy part. We proceed to find our hotel using only the address. Apparently, house numbers in Japan follow some strange pattern. Asked four people; one of them was nice enough to call up the hotel for directions. Armed with their crudely drawn maps and vague remonstrances as to the hotel's general direction, we wandered around for an hour. With heavy strollers in tow.
Found the hotel at last, and since check-in time was still around 3 PM, we left our bags at the reception and took a lowly hooker's bath at the hotel washroom. With hygiene firmly pushed out of our minds, we set off for the first place in our itinerary: Yebisu Sky Gardens. Took along an English subway map from the reception for good measure.
In the evening, I discover that the Hostelworld reservation I printed out contained step-by-step directions to Okachimachi Hotel. How's that for absent-mindedness?
*click thumbnail for bigger picture
Day 2: Meguro, Tokyo
A trip to Meguro to see cherry blossoms along Meguro River and Meguro Parasite Museum (don't ask me why ask my cousin who's into this weird sort of thing).
Day 2: Akasaka Sacas
After going back to the hotel and checking in, our evening itinerary involved two TV stations in Akasaka and Roppongi Hills.
Akasaka Sacas is the area in Akasaka, Tokyo, Japan, where the TBS Broadcasting Center and the site of the "Akasaka 5-chome TBS Development Project" stand.
Day 2: Roppongi Hills
Gourmet cuisine and breathtaking views abound within Roppongi Hills. This is also where TV Asahi Headquarters, one of Japan's private, nationwide TV stations is situated.
Day 3: Tokyo Dome
Started the day with a trip to Tokyo Dome. Debated on whether to ride the roller coasters. Saw the Lupin Shop and the cherry tree near the sidewalk.
Seems that there was a baseball game in the afternoon, since that early, people were camping out at the ticket booth. I deduced it was a baseball game since the line included mainly males and families who would be interested in the game, not your typical Tokyo teenagers lining up for a grand concert.
Day 3: Imperial Palace Gardens
We elected not to reserve a spot on the Imperial Palace tour, particularly as our experience last December in Seoul has given us our fill of Far Eastern temples and castles. In short, umay na kami sa castles, temples and palaces. What struck me about this place was the wide open spaces right smack in the center of Tokyo. And also that the gardens were a designated evacuation center in case of earthquakes. Talk about multi-purpose.
Saw a lot of joggers during the morning, until right before lunchtime. It was that cold. And our first encounters with the fat, friendly pigeons, who were curious and unafraid. No feeding the little feathered critters, though.
Day 3: Ueno Park
Hanami season is upon us. If you have gentle notions of fragile cherry blossom petals floating on the breeze and blanketing the disused, abandoned forest path, Ueno Park will completely disabuse you of that.
The cherry trees are still stunning, and hundreds, nay, thousands of people seem to think the same thing. Hanami involves celebration, in Asahi and Kirin-fueled style, and people arrive early to reserve their places by laying down blue plastic mats. Then everybody proceeds to get plastered over warm sake and takoyaki. The strangest thing I saw (and was too shy to take a picture of) was a grown man wearing a Stitch suit. Yep, as in Lilo and Stitch. Had the opportunity to get invited over by a group of rowdy Jap boys, but they were kind of drunk.
We spread a couple of A3 papers that had maps printed on them, and we had hanami, local-style. Club sandwiches and Kirin milk tea... which, BTW, is extremely addictive.
We met a lovely Pinoy couple who offered to take our pictures. We returned the favor. At last, some familiar faces and voices.
Day 3: Asakusa
Location of the quintessential old Tokyo landmark, the Kaminarimon.
Touristy spot. Big lanterns. Souvenir shops. Old Japan has never been so boisterous! And filled with Caucasians.
Day 3: Ginza
The bright, stylish district of Ginza. With its upscale shops and trendy citizens. The Spring fashion rage among here seems to be varied. For ladies of a much more sophisticated slant, a coat in a neutral color with impeccable detailing, and a dress underneath, sometimes in feminine floral print to counter the severity of the coat. Dark stockings with small details, like dots, flowers, stars, stripes. And heels. Boots, booties, or pumps. They had to have heels. Men of the same age in dapper business suits, of course. And clear umbrellas.
For the girls, denim jackets and shorts with stockings and boots, or a frilly, lacy, flowery, ruffled dress. Men in distressed jeans and leather jackets.
Ginza is synonymous with POSH!
Day 3: Shiodome
Last stop for hectic day three. Six out of six places :P
I included this stop to see Nippon TV because well this is where the NEWS ZERO studio is. Unbeknownst to us, the offices close at around 8:30 PM. Tch.
The rest, soon