In Transit
30 марта, Соединенные Штаты ⋅ ☁️ 57 °F
This is our first trip to Japan, husband's pick. He's always been interested in Japan since he was a kid (thanks Godzilla and Ultraman). So we're of to do the Golden Route plus Kanazawa and Takayama.Читать далее
Tokyo Arrival/First Meal
31 марта, Япония ⋅ 🌧 63 °F
After a long flight we managed to get through immigration and customs easily and quickly, thanks to the fact we had registered ahead of time with Visit Japan web. Highly recommend, but don't forget toЧитать далее
ПутешественникThought we'd get a picture of the toilet 😁 Like the streets at dusk
Senso-ji by night
31 марта, Япония ⋅ ☁️ 64 °F
The videos show this temple, and the shopping street that goes with it, as always packed during the day. It was pretty lively after eight at night.
Fast facts on Senso-ji
Oldest Buddhist temple inЧитать далее
Asakusa sites and Sumida Park
31 марта, Япония ⋅ ☁️ 64 °F
Going on thirty hours with no sleep, but a few more pictures of Asakusa on a rainy night.
Including:
the Aashi beer building, a very muddy Sumida Park, the Sumida River, Tokyo Skytree wreathed inЧитать далее
Shinjuku and breakfast
1 апреля, Япония ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F
Off to the other side of Tokyo today, despite the promise of rain. Sakura viewing is the main objective, to see the cherry blossoms before they fall. That looks imminent.
So two trains, includingЧитать далее
Why is King Kong so short compared to Godzilla? The movies lied to me. [Sadie]
Shinjuku Gyoen Garden
1 апреля, Япония ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F
This area was originally the Edo residence of a Naito family daimyo (for lack of an easier explanation, a territorial warrior ruler similar to a European feudal lord). The land was granted by theЧитать далее
ПутешественникIt was really nice. Good timing, like I said with the rain and now wind they're really coming down
Shinjuku Gyoen 2
1 апреля, Япония ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F
More of the garden, including the greenhouse
Harajuku
1 апреля, Япония ⋅ ☁️ 59 °F
Next up was Harajuku, after two stops and long walk. Stop one was the Godzilla store, which to Steve's disappointment was a tiny corner section of one large open floor of a mall. After that, the walkЧитать далее
Meiji Shrine
1 апреля, Япония ⋅ 🌧 55 °F
This is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the Emperor Meiji (of the Meiji Restoration) and his wife, Empress Shoken. It has extensive grounds, but was raining so hard we didn't spend as much time exploringЧитать далее
ПутешественникYes, coffee shop then bougie tea. It finally stopped raining late Thursday Japan time
Fancy, Bougie Flower Tea
1 апреля, Япония ⋅ 🌧 54 °F
I saw this place on you tube, and I'm a sucker. For more money than I want to admit, we made reservations at a place called Haute Couture Brunch. Problem was, we couldn't find it because Google mapsЧитать далее
ПутешественникVery pink. Very Boogie. Glad you enjoyed. Almost rivals my Tea at Claridges 10 years ago
ПутешественникIt was something. Sakura tea is how they sold it. In May they hydragenas and it's all blue and purple
Shinjuku by night
1 апреля, Япония ⋅ 🌧 52 °F
Someone, not me, wanted to see Shinjuku at night, so up we went by train. Went out the wrong station exit so had to walk around the massive station outside in the rain.
It was pouring, mobbed, cold,Читать далее
ПутешественникIf at first you don't succeed... And tomorrow after all...
Senso-ji by Day
2 апреля, Япония ⋅ 🌧 48 °F
First, some administrative tasks, aka shopping for things we need, that we will need like a suitcase. First stop the legendary Don Quixote. It was okay. Breakfast same as yesterday. Finally got aЧитать далее
Art and Anime
2 апреля, Япония ⋅ ☁️ 54 °F
After lunch we headed off to the Sumida Hokusai museum. Best known in the US for the Great Wave of Kamakura, he was a prolific artist in different media. He published several drawing manuals withЧитать далее
Imperial Palace East Garden
2 апреля, Япония ⋅ ☀️ 61 °F
This was an accident. We just wandered in just before closing time. The official palace is closed to visitors except for a few days a year, as the imperial family lives there.
Yasukuni Shrine
2 апреля, Япония ⋅ ☀️ 57 °F
Yasukuni Shrine was established 1869 by Emperor Meiji to honor those in service to Japan who were killed in the Boshin War (1868-1869). Now, it's a shrine to commemorate all Japanese who served inЧитать далее
Ueno Park
3 апреля, Япония ⋅ 🌙 52 °F
Ueno Park, including the statue of Saigo Takamori, "the last true samurai". Takamori was an early leader in the Meiji Restoration, but later believed the government was betraying the country so joinedЧитать далее
Tokyo National Museum
3 апреля, Япония ⋅ ☀️ 61 °F
Shortened day today due to the observance of Holy Friday, when we went back to our apartment mid day for a time of quiet and contemplation.
That aside, we making a dry run to Tokyo Station to findЧитать далее
Tokyo National Museum 2
3 апреля, Япония ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F
Paintings by the Zen Buddhist monk Sesshu Toyo, a portrait of daimyo Oda Nobunaga, and a helmet belonging to (I think, didn't take a picture of the plate, but it made sense historically when I sawЧитать далее
Tokyo Skytree
3 апреля, Япония ⋅ ☁️ 61 °F
Tokyo Skytree, tallest broadcasting tower in the world and third or fourth tallest structure. Great views, but hideously crowded especially getting back down. We did get to see Mount Fuji by sunset.Читать далее
ПутешественникSeeing Fuji was a stroke of luck. Kind of looks like the Lonely Mountain from the Hobbit, or with the red backdrop, Mount Doom
Shitennoji
4 апреля, Япония ⋅ ☁️ 64 °F
Back on track. Literally, we left for Osaka on an early shinkansen. Too cloudy to see Mount Fuji. It was a rainy, chilly day, which got worse weather wise.
Arrived, dropped bags, looked around, ateЧитать далее
Lunch Interlude
4 апреля, Япония ⋅ 🌧 64 °F
We had our first Osaka specialty, okonomiyaki. It's a savory pancake containing a wheat batter, cabbage, and a variety of other things, based on the diner's or chef's choice, cooked on a flat grill.Читать далее
Dotonbori by Day
4 апреля, Япония ⋅ 🌧 66 °F
Osaka is called the kitchen of Japan, and people come here to eat. One of the draws is Dontobori, filled with restaurants, food stands, and shops.
The official mascot these days for the area isЧитать далее
Dotonbori by Night
4 апреля, Япония ⋅ 🌧 63 °F
It's a whole 'nother ball game when the lights go down.
Featured food: takoyaki, deep fried, soft octopus fritters with a rich brown sauce
And no, we didn't get any of those super cute pastryЧитать далее
Osaka Castle Park
5 апреля, Япония ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F
Just the park, not the museum inside, even the castle was built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Hideyoshi is an interesting historical figure, a man who rose from the peasant class to all but unite and ruleЧитать далее
Easter
5 апреля, Япония ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F
Harisutosu Fukkatsu! Jitsu ni Fukkatsu!
Christ is risen! Indeed He is risen!
Happy Easter from Osaka's Evangelical Lutheran church.
I'll get back into order soon, I know I'm lagging a few daysЧитать далее
ПутешественникFirst off Bon Voyage! And thank you for the TSA situation report... I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that it will be all over and sorted out by the time I have to shove off in 2 months. Crazy about your plane, but in the end everyone is safe and what you didn't know didn't hurt you 😁 ORD is ORD, but not a good place to try Chicago Cheesecake. Nothing is good enough to try in any airports... Finally, you forgot "Star Blazers". Much more higher on my pecking order That Godzilla and Ultraman 😀
ПутешественникI'm sure it will be. And I watched Star Blazers.