1st stop TOKYO

We rode the bullet train, Shinkansen from Sapporo back to Tokyo. The train from Sapporo was not a bullet train. Our seats were outside the green car because it was fully booked and we would not have been able to have seats together. It was approximately a 4 hour ride. We transferred to the bullet train and had two roomy seats in the green car. It was a very comfortable ride, smooth and very fast. There was no food service on the train other than a snack cart. Fortunately we knew that and were able to grab some bento boxes at the station in Sapporo. We picked up a few more snacks and drinks at the transfer station. Jorma was a little disappointed that I had the window seat but also that much of the ride was through tunnels (under the ocean!). When we were outside the tunnel, there was high plexiglass blocking the view. I did see a rainbow right before sunset though so that was cool.

Our train ride ended back in Tokyo at 19:04. Have I mentioned that sunset is around 17:10 pm here? Sunrise is super early but so is sunset. We had a little over .5 miles to walk to our Air BnB in Asakusa. It was dark but Jorma had no problem navigating us to our apartment. We were able to get in easily (not always the case). The apartment is a very similar layout to the first apartment we stayed in. One difference is that there are two windows, one is a sliding door to a balcony, SO NICE! We walked into the living/sleeping area and both beds were made up- a futon and a twin bed. I took the twin bed and although I think it is a better bed, neither of them are great.

One of the things I love about Japan so far is that they always separate the toilet into its own room. And there is always a washlet (bidet). I think the toilet should always be separated.

We are not as close to a train station here but we are close to a pretty busy area so we can easily walk to shopping and restaurants. And of course Family Mart.

Jorma keeps commenting on how quiet it is here. It truly is. There are large apartment buildings in every direction but almost no noise on the streets. It seems to me though that the Japanese can be extremely quiet but they also have places that are very loud such as discount department stores (Don Quixote and Bic Camera). There is always loud music and speaking throughout Don Quixote. It is so chaotic and overwhelming in there. But they pretty much have everything so you probably have to go in there at some point.

We explored the Asakusa and Akihabara neighborhoods on Sunday. We walked towards and around the Senso-Ji temple. It is Tokyo's oldest temple. It is a very busy tourist area. We also saw the Nezu shrine that was very beautiful with the orange colored gates. In both areas many young people were dressed in the ritual or traditional dress. The girls are very beautiful and many of them were doing photo shoots. I love seeing the young people exploring their culture and history.

We found some yummy ramen and had some small beers with it. We were directed upstairs to sit. We were asked to remove our shoes before walking up the very steep steps. The upstairs was very cozy but we had to sit on cushions on the floor. Jorma said that was the longest he had ever had to wait for a bowl of ramen! It did seem like a long time. We had the cozy upstairs to ourselves for a bit which was nice. We enjoyed our ramen and then had to stand up and navigate back down those steep steps with our stiff legs, backs and hips. Nothing like sitting on the floor to make you feel almost 55!

Yesterday (Monday) I had a disappointing experience attempting to take a combo Body Pump and Body Combat class. It was pouring rain so I decided to take an Uber (taxi), I didn't want to be drenched when I got there. But I got there and was told multiple times that I couldn't join the classes because the facility was members only. I was using Google translate to explain that I was an instructor visiting the area and was hoping to take both classes. I nicely asked if I could speak to a manager but was told that he was not at his desk. I knew the name of the instructor, Daigo so I asked if I could speak to him. He came down to the front desk and I asked him if I could attend his classes. He said yes and also said yes the front desk and walked away. I waited for a few minutes until the front desk guy came back and told me again that I could not participate in the classes, it was for members only. As Jorma and I were leaving he spoke in English to say he was sorry he could not help me and wished us a nice day. He was sincere in his desire to help us.

We took the train a few stops to another facility that had a Pump class later at 15:25. It was only 11:15 but we wanted to be sure I would be able to take the class before we planned our whole day around it. I was told the same thing, class is for members only. Next time I might ask if I can buy a pass for 7 days. I am going to try yet another club today that has a 30 minute Combat at 12:15 and a 30 minute Pump following. Fingers crossed that I can get in.

After the second rejection from a fitness club we walked around and explored in the rain. There are umbrellas for anyone to use everywhere. Our apartment had 20+ umbrellas at the door for anyone to take. When you go into a shop or restaurant you leave your umbrella at the door. You may or may not get the same one when you leave.

I was pretty hungry by the time we left the second gym so we went looking for some food. I mentioned onigiri (not from a combi store) so we were searching for that. We found a restaurant close to our neighborhood that had a set, soup+ onigiri+ drink. On our way to the restaurant we saw a bakery/bread shop that had seasonal pumpkin shaped melon bread. Good thing I decided to try one because there was a queue for the restaurant. We waited in the rain for 40 minutes to get inside and place our order. The soup and rice balls were yummy. The serve yourself cold green tea was also very good. We did some more walking and exploring. We ended up back at the Rox mall near our apartment. We did some shopping at Gu, Uniqlo and Don Quixote before coming back to our apartment to regroup.

Walking around exploring here makes me very tired. I had to take a nap when we got back. I believe it is the stimulation of walking in a crowded city combined with everything being in another language. I do find it interesting that so many signs and branding are in the English alphabet. Wouldn't it be so weird to have signs and product labels in the Japanese alphabet in the US?? In addition, most businesses play American pop music. I do find it so interesting. In contrast, it is pretty challenging to find someone that speaks English here.

I like it here and could spend more time here. I would definitely need to take some online Japanese language classes. I would have a tiny flat and a bicycle and a train pass. It would be fun to continue to explore and try all the amazing foods. I would love to meet some locals and learn more about their culture.

One more observation and I feel sure this is true for most people of any heritage. The toddlers and the elders are adorable!Read more