Before I go...
By now, you've read up to my last full day in Japan. Next, I'll tell you about the crazy time I had getting out of there! Until then, let's look back on my wonderful journey...
...with pictures!
I'll use links to avoid crashing anybody's systems.
Except for this one.
That's part of a poster on the wall at Narita Airport. ^_^
On the limousine bus, on the way from the airport to the ryokan, I took some video clips. Also took videos at dinner, baseball...took quite a bit of video, come to think of it. I apologise if the screencaps are a little grainy. Still shot quality is better, but that's hard to do when you're moving. Or cooking. Or...you get the idea.
Pretty sure this is the Rainbow Bridge. Could see Tokyo Tower, as well, but I have better shots of that from when I went there, which I'll post later.
Here is Fuji TV studio. The arrow is pointing to what I think is the teeny, tiny, mini-Statue of Liberty. styxonline said there was a story behind the statue, but has yet to tell me what it is. When I find out, I'll let you know. ^_^
EDIT: According to styxonline, "The story goes there isn't only one Statue of Liberty that was made, but there were a few. The one you have in NY is much larger than the others. I did some research, and it looks like for two years, the French statue was sent to Japan to stand in Odaiba to celebrate France Year (??) and bonding between the two countries. After she went home, the French goverment made another statue of bronze, and sent it to Japan as a permanent gift. (Of course, they can't leave their statue with us forever.) So it's maybe the third (??) Statue of Liberty in the world."
The Hotel Fukudaya, the ryokan where I stayed.
The hotel's entrance garden.
My room.
More of my room - tv & lamp. Anybody know what anime I was watching? (I have no idea!)
More of my room - tea set with cushion.
Dinner, Day 1 - "mon-jya" & "okanomi-yaki" (the latter is the lighter-coloured one).
Took some video clips on the Jingu-bashi. Here is a screencap of me getting free hugs.
And one of Kei-jin by the phone booth.
A still shot of Kei-jin posing with tourists.
(I think the gal in the red might be cosplaying Ruki from Gazette. If so, she did a great job!)
Torii gate - entrance to the Meiji Shrine.
Not Bridget Fonda - bridge on the path to Meiji Shrine.
Wine casks - Meiji Shrine.
Doorway - Meiji Shrine; this is the one I walked through when I did my major face-plant. :P
Visitors wait to cleanse themselves at the purification fountain - Meiji Shrine.
Screencap of the wedding procession we saw at the Meiji Shrine.
Harajuku! This is the entrance to the Takeshita-Dori.
Me in front of Takenoko, Harajuku.
The portable shrine in front of Daiso, Harajuku.
Pikachu Boy! Cutest kid ever. Harajuku.
Yakult Swallows mascot - Jingu Stadium.
Swallows pitcher Kazuhisa Ishii interviewed on the big screen - Jingu Stadium.
More coming soon!
...with pictures!
I'll use links to avoid crashing anybody's systems.
Except for this one.
That's part of a poster on the wall at Narita Airport. ^_^
On the limousine bus, on the way from the airport to the ryokan, I took some video clips. Also took videos at dinner, baseball...took quite a bit of video, come to think of it. I apologise if the screencaps are a little grainy. Still shot quality is better, but that's hard to do when you're moving. Or cooking. Or...you get the idea.
Pretty sure this is the Rainbow Bridge. Could see Tokyo Tower, as well, but I have better shots of that from when I went there, which I'll post later.
Here is Fuji TV studio. The arrow is pointing to what I think is the teeny, tiny, mini-Statue of Liberty. styxonline said there was a story behind the statue, but has yet to tell me what it is. When I find out, I'll let you know. ^_^
EDIT: According to styxonline, "The story goes there isn't only one Statue of Liberty that was made, but there were a few. The one you have in NY is much larger than the others. I did some research, and it looks like for two years, the French statue was sent to Japan to stand in Odaiba to celebrate France Year (??) and bonding between the two countries. After she went home, the French goverment made another statue of bronze, and sent it to Japan as a permanent gift. (Of course, they can't leave their statue with us forever.) So it's maybe the third (??) Statue of Liberty in the world."
The Hotel Fukudaya, the ryokan where I stayed.
The hotel's entrance garden.
My room.
More of my room - tv & lamp. Anybody know what anime I was watching? (I have no idea!)
More of my room - tea set with cushion.
Dinner, Day 1 - "mon-jya" & "okanomi-yaki" (the latter is the lighter-coloured one).
Took some video clips on the Jingu-bashi. Here is a screencap of me getting free hugs.
And one of Kei-jin by the phone booth.
A still shot of Kei-jin posing with tourists.
(I think the gal in the red might be cosplaying Ruki from Gazette. If so, she did a great job!)
Torii gate - entrance to the Meiji Shrine.
Not Bridget Fonda - bridge on the path to Meiji Shrine.
Wine casks - Meiji Shrine.
Doorway - Meiji Shrine; this is the one I walked through when I did my major face-plant. :P
Visitors wait to cleanse themselves at the purification fountain - Meiji Shrine.
Screencap of the wedding procession we saw at the Meiji Shrine.
Harajuku! This is the entrance to the Takeshita-Dori.
Me in front of Takenoko, Harajuku.
The portable shrine in front of Daiso, Harajuku.
Pikachu Boy! Cutest kid ever. Harajuku.
Yakult Swallows mascot - Jingu Stadium.
Swallows pitcher Kazuhisa Ishii interviewed on the big screen - Jingu Stadium.
More coming soon!