Tokyo: Imperial Palace Gardens

This was my first trip in to Tokyo.  I was aiming to go to Tokyo station, and I made it there after a minor train mishap where I got on the wrong line.  I was able to back track and sort it out, and eventually made it!  The first order of business when I got there was to get something to eat - I ate at a little rice bowl restaurant inside the station. I forgot to take a picture of my food, but it was delicious! 

This is the outside of Tokyo station; it is very beautiful.  There were a lot of people taking pictures of both the outside and inside.  I think that it was recently renovated.

 The imperial palace gardens weren't far from the station, and as I began walking there I had to cross a moat.  In historic times, this is where Edo castle stood, and it is the heart of Tokyo.

 I liked this contrast of old vs. new with the skyscrapers in the background.

 There were so many trees in this part of the grounds, it was amazing to think I was in the center of one of the world's largest cities!

 I liked this sign.  I think it is supposed to mean no jogging/running in this area, but to me at first glance it looked like the people were taking off with jetpacks.  (And this is what happens when I travel alone!)

 A pretty bridge over the moat.

 The fence around the moat had a very intricate design.  I wonder how old it is...

 
 Looking back towards the skyscrapers.  The area around the Imperial Palace has a lot of financial businesses, I think.

 This is the bridge that leads into the Imperial Palace.  The actual palace grounds are open to visitors only 2 days a year: January 2nd and December 23rd (the Emperor's birthday).

 Another interesting building - I'm not sure what it is!

 Going this way leads to the east gardens.

The signs in this area told me that there has been a lot of work done to stabilize this large stone blocks.  It is hard to tell from this picture, but each block is about 4-5 feet tall!

 A pretty path in the east gardens.  This lead to a beautiful spot!

 My first view of the east gardens.

 It was a little rainy this day, but everything looked so green and lush!

 I found a nice little waterfall, there were some stairs you could take to go up to the top of it as well.

 On the way back to Tokyo station I came across a fountain park.  It was super cool!

 I liked this "clam" fountain the best!

 My time in the gardens was cut short because they were closing, so I didn't get to see them all.  I will be going back next weekend, so hopefully the weather will be better and I can see the rest of the gardens!

This Week's Menu

A few people have asked about the food here.  It is delicious, and I'm pretty sure I am eating too much of it!  Maybe I will remember to take some pictures of my dinner soon, but in the meantime here is this week's menu at the dorm, where they serve breakfast and dinner.  The translation is sometimes a little strange.  For example, I am really interested to see what "sprinkles" will end up being.  :)

National Holiday Spent in Yokohama

This update took a while to get to, but on Monday it was a national holiday in Japan, so I had the day off from work!  I went in to Yokohama, determined to get to the top of the Landmark Tower!  It cost 1000 yen to go to the top, and the elevator rose almost 70 stories in 40 seconds!

From the top there were fabulous views!  Yokohama is very densely packed!

A lot of the buildings had helipads on top of them.  I guess that is one way to beat the traffic congestion!

 In the distance you can see the summit of Mt. Fuji peaking out from the clouds!  I was so happy to finally get to see it.  There hadn't been many clear days since I arrived, so I was happy to get this view!

 After visiting the tower, I grabbed some lunch and sat on some steps outside the tower/mall area, called Queen's square.  There was a street performer about to begin, so I settled in and watched.  Luckily, street performance is a pretty universal language, so even though I couldn't understand him, it was still pretty enjoyable!  He made a microphone stand and a guitar out of balloons!  I thought that was pretty clever.

 He also played with some fire batons.  I was nervous because there were a lot of little kids running around, but luckily he knew what he was doing!

And, for your "only in Japan" moment of the day: he put a latex glove on his head and blew it up.  Very strange!

 After the street show, I walked around the Minato Mirai area.  This ship is part of a museum that shows the history of Yokohama as a sea port.  In the background you can see a giant Ferris wheel - it is called the Cosmo Clock.  And yes - I went on it! 

Walking around some more, I stumbled on to an Octoberfest!  It was super packed, so I didn't go in, but there was a lot of beer and sausages and some interesting music going on!

 The Japanese Coast Guard.  I don't know why, but I though that this was cool.

 A nice shot of the skyline in the Minato Mirai district. 

 This is the Yokohama bay bridge - I think it is really pretty!  I had some great views of this from the Ferris wheel.

 Another picture from the Ferris wheel.  I don't know what's going on in this picture, but the top of this building really looks peaceful!

So about the Ferris wheel ride: I don't actually like Ferris wheels - but I ignored that and got on it anyway.  It took 15 minutes for one revolution, and about 5-6 minutes in, I remembered why I don't like them!  It was super windy and the gondola was rocking.  But, there were some good views, so it was worth it!

I had a great day exploring this area of Yokohama.  It was along the waterfront, and it was more open than other areas I've been, so it was much easier just to walk around and explore without getting lost.  I think that there is also an art museum in this area, so maybe I will go back to check it out!

Sunday Near Hodogaya Station

I decided that I needed to explore more of what was around the train station close to my dorm.  I had heard that there wasn't a lot of shops, but that there was a supermarket.  I found more than I was expecting!

First, a few pictures on the walk to the station. Crossing over the expressway, there is a little park.  It's a nice little landmark for me to spot when walking around the neighborhood, because then I know where I am!

 Connected to the train station is a small collection of shops, including a couple of restaurants.  I love the plastic food! 

 Not sure what this is, but it looks interesting!

 I stumbled upon a street market/fair.  I'm not sure if this happens every Sunday, or if it was special because it was a holiday weekend.  First attraction was a monkey wearing a dress that did tricks - including walking on stilts!

 Here is a view of the street where the market was on.  I bought a hot dog on a stick and it was delicious!

 There was also a karate demonstration where they broke some boards by punching and kicking.

 This guy broke a lot of boards!

 After I got back to the dorm I went up to the roof where there is a little garden.  Isn't it cute!

 You can see the Yokohama skyline in the distance.  The tallest building is the Landmark Tower, I will share more about it soon!

On the way back from the station I stopped and checked out the supermarket to see what kinds of things they have.  It seems like they have quite a bit of prepared food, so maybe on Friday nights it will be a good place to stop to stock up on food for the weekend.  The 7-11 isn't too bad, but I bet the supermarket will be better!

I got a little turned around on my way back up to the dorm, but I made it eventually - it's not to hard considering if I just keep going uphill I am bound to find it!

Saturday Shopping Adventure

Yesterday I ventured out to do some shopping.  I walked to Hodogaya station, mostly remembering the way!  I live on top of a giant hill, so there are lots of stairs to get down the hill.  The stairs also have a ramp to roll your bicycle down!

Close to the stairs there was a playground - it was super cute!

Here is the train schedule - this side is for weekdays and the other side is for weekends.  I haven't quite figured out what all of the symbols mean for the different types of trains and different destinations.  But the trains are super prompt! 

Tim will be happy to know that preparations for Halloween are also happening in Japan!

I love how I can find yarn everywhere, even in Japan!  This was in the 100 yen shop, where I managed to buy most of the things I needed.

 Apparently you have multiple choices at this train station if you want some McD's!

 Here is my haul from the 100 yen shop.  Some trash cans and bags (for all that gomi separation!), some dishes, chopsticks, soap and a small pot.  I also managed to buy a broom, a pillow a bathmat and some food to eat for dinner!

I think mom would be proud of the haul from the 100 yen shop, all total it came in less than US $20.  The bargain hunter genes remain strong!





The Dorm

Here are a few pictures of my dorm.  It is like a little studio apartment, with a balcony and everything!  There are 4 floors, and about 75 people live here. 

It is 45 minutes to 1 hour commute to the research center.  To commute I need to get to Hodogaya station by taking the bus or walking.  I think they take about the same amount of time.  From Hodogaya station I take the train 3-4 stops to Ofuna station.  From there I can take another bus or walk to the research center.  The bus takes about 15-20 minutes, and walking is about 30 minutes.

First and most importantly, the gnomes made it to Japan safe and sound.  They are hanging out in my kitchen right now.

 This is a view of my main room/bedroom.  My boxes have not arrived yet, so it is pretty bare.

 Here is a view looking the other way.  There is a bed (I need to buy a pillow!) and a desk.  Also, you can see the balcony - it is a pretty good size.

Here is another view of the "kitchen".  It is one burner and a sink with two cupboards.  Across from the sink is a fridge and a microwave.

 Here is the fridge and microwave.  So far in the fridge there is only a bottle of lemon soda!

Here is the hallway from the main room to the door.  Right behind the wall is the stove/sink on the right and the fridge on the left.  After that is the toilet on the left and the sink and bathroom on the right.

The toilet gets it's own room in Japan.  On the wall next to the toilet paper holder is the control panel for the toilet.  Toilet technology in Japan is leaps and bounds ahead of the US apparently.  They have heated seats!

 Across the hall from the toilet is the sink, and then past that is the shower/bath room.  There is a door that closes and then the whole room is the shower.  I haven't tried the bathtub yet.  It is short, but quite deep, so you could sit up in it and soak.  Taking a bath seems to be a big thing in Japan.

 If you are standing at the sink and turn around there is a washing machine.  I haven't used it yet.  All of the buttons are in Japanese, so it could be quite the adventure!

 Next to the door there is a coat/shoe cupboard.

Here are a few pictures I took from my balcony this morning.  I think from the roof it is possible to see Mt. Fuji, so I will have to go up there and look on a day that is more clear.

 The area I live in is very crowded, and this looks to be the typical yard.  Very tiny!

 Some more views looking the other way.

 There is a little garden/yard set up outside the dorm.  It is small, but nicely done!

That's about it for dorm pictures.  If anyone wants to see anything else, let me know and I will take pictures of it for you!