Japan 2011

Introduction

There’s more English and people seem more friendly, or maybe it's that I'm more relaxed and comfortable here than last time? Qoo is all but gone, just at McD. Smartphones are huge here already - Keitai seem to be for Jr high kids and middle agers now. There was a BBC World interview at the Ryokan and the interviewer even yoinked my comment to use in a question.

Tokyo

Things were much easier this time. There’s a bit more English and I know my way around Ueno better than I remembered. All the old faves, St. Marc Cafe, Beard Papa, The Okinawa Shop, etc. are still here.

a wide street with stores on one side and Ueno Station on the right

a cup of foamy coffee and a croissant in a wrapper

Shinjuku Marui Men has eight floors of manliness and is really high end. I was still wearing my runners that got soaked in the rain on arrival. Wolfman Brs. employees were great and friendly, but the packaging was so crazy I forgot to take a picture of the boutique... I will do so when I return.

Tokyo Tower is pretty cool - it shouldn't have been such a low priority.

tokyo tower lit vermillion orange at night

a view of tokyo at night with paths of light where major streets cross

a selfie in front of the night view of tokyo

a panorama shot of the night view of the city through a grid of windows

Mos Burger sucks!

mos burger signs on the front of the buiding

a plain looking cheeseburger, a half and half bag of rings and fries, and a fountain soda on a tray

I felt obligated to go to Akihabara, but really enjoyed it.

large buildings with logos and vertical japanese text

retro video game consoles on a shelf, mostly pc engine variants

a stack of famicom game consoles for 6980 yen each

I still really love Ueno - sorry I ditched my old runners in the park garbage! I did buy some new purple ones in the Ameyoko market though.

a painter at his easel overlooking the pond in Ueno PArk

the pagoda lit up at night reflects on the water

Kyoto

There isn’t as much English here as in Tokyo, but there’s a lot more smoking, in restaurants even. The ryokan is very basic, but has a pretty good location.

The entrance to a home with a sign reading Yahata and a flag that reads guesthouse

I booked a morning bus tour that took us to a few key sights.

Higashi Honganji Temple

temple building from a distance with a crowd gathering

a view looking up at the wooden entry gate

a large outdoor fountain that resembles a flower

Nijo Castle

metal pillars support a metal door, both having rivets across their surfaces

a carved stone wall and part of the moat

a diagram of the ninomaru palace floor and how metal clamps move to create sound to alert of intruders

the wooden flooring itself with the metal clamps showing

Kinkakuji Temple (Golden Pavilion)

the temple from a distance is also relected in the water of a pond

a close up of the top floors of the temple. The bronze phoenix ornament is visible on top

It was a good idea and I had a great brunch afterwards at Karafuneya Coffee.

a cup of coffee and a plate of waffles topped with scoops of strawberry ice cream, sheets of mochi, whipped cream, and sliced almonds

I also made it a point to visit Fushimi Inari Shrine, but I could only do one side of the torii gate walk. It was a really great time though. It's an incredible sight.

one of the main shrine buildings with the wall blinds open and people seated inside

a man performs a sword demonstration inside the buiding

three people in white robes ascend a set of stairs further into the temple grounds

a stone lantern surrounded by a vermillian orange and black fence

selfie in front of the start of the tunnel of torii gates

a dark stone torii among the wooden vermillan ones

a lantern and a stone fox at a gap in the path of gates

a corner of the tunnel of gates from the inside. Text is written verically on the pillars of each one in black

the tunnel of gates bend around a corner in the distance

a weathered base of one of the gates. Metal rings loosely surround the wood.

a stone torri gate amongst lanterns and small stone posts

small wooden torii gates for writing prayers on

a stone fox on a large base wears a red bib

a view through a stone torii to several vermillan wooden ones

a crowd between two of the shrine's buildings

a taiko drummer with a crowd in the background

the main shrine building at the top of stone steps

lanterns line both sides of the main walkway

I took a few photos of the area I stayed in as well. It was pretty close to Kyoto Station, so it was convenient to get around.

a bicycle shop with many bikes out front

a building lit by many hanging laterns at night next to a stone torii gate

a garage door half-closed with the back end of a car sticking out

A healthy conbini breakfast of coffee and an eclair and a last look at the Kyoto Tower before getting on the Shinkansen.

kyoto tower with some buildings in front

the nose cone and front windows of a shinkansen

Miyajima

Miyajima was great - my fave pic is from there so far. The tempura was soggy though.

Future me note: I didn't know about tempura tendon back then and thought it was always supposed to be crispy.

I had to take a ferry to get there, and it provided some great sights.

pagoda and buildings on the distant shore

selfie with torii gate and shore in the distance

The torii gate is stunning. I really love this shot.

the torii gate with the sun starting to set in the background and reflected on the water. the shore is visible on the left and there are mountains in the background

The main attraction.

the torii gate in the water with mountains in the background

The Shrine

the main shrine buiding from the front with a wing on each side

an area of the shine interior lit by a row of large hanging paper lanterns

After sunset

the torii gate lit in the dark with lit stone lanterns in the foreground

a line of lit stone lanterns along the shoreline with city lights in the far distance

Hiroshima

The streetcar was good to use and it’s easy to get to Peace Park.

a fountain at the entrance to Peace Park

a view through a curved sculpture of the bomb dome

It’s pretty understated. When you get there it really has an impact though, especially the children's memorial.

chains of paper cranes piled at the foot of a statue of a woman carrying a child

a close view of the chains of paper cranes of many colours

a plaque reads: MEMORIAL MONUMENT FOR HIROSHIMA, CITY OF PEACE (MEMORIAL CENOTAPH FOR THE A-BOMB VICTIMS) Erected 6 August 1952. LET ALL THE SOULS HERE REST IN PEACE FOR WE' SHALL NOT REPEAT THE EVIL.
This monument embodies the hope that Hiroshima, devastated on 6 August 1945 by the world's first atomic bombing, will stand forever as a city of peace. The stone chamber in the center contains the Register of Deceased A-bomb Victims. The inscription on the front panel offers a prayer for the peaceful repose of the victims and a pledge on behalf of all humanity never to repeat the evil of war. It expresses the spirit of Hiroshima-enduring grief. transcending hatred, pursuing harmony and prosperity for all, and yearning for genuine, lasting world peace.

a statue on a three-sided base near a series of cubicles filled with chains of paper cranes

The Bomb Dome was really impactful as well.

the bomb dome building from a distance. it is only stone walls with the metal frame of a dome at the top

looking up at the main part of the building

The museum being closed both days was a drag - no Yoko Ono (The Road of Nope).

a poster for Yoko Ono 2011 The 8th Hiroshima art prize The Road to Hope July 30 to October 16, 2011

museum sign The road of hope Yoko Ono 2011

the entranceway to the museum with the gate closed

The place I stayed at was great, even if they got my name wrong.

a small house with plants out front and signs for Ryokan Sansui

Osaka

Something about Japan's major train stations that surprised me is just how huge they are, as well as how many stores and restaurants are incorporated.

Man with short beard and hair wearing glasses looks out a train window

South gate building listing several stores such as daimaru, uniqlo, and pokemon centre osaka

After I checked in, I took a local line out to some place (Sakai Ward) called like Thunder Bay where the air smells like the battery recycling place out near Leslie St. in Toronto to get some Japanese work boots. Total transit pwnage!

two pairs of japanese work boots. One cloth, one pvc/nylon

Then I went to a family steak house restaurant. There was also a booze vening machine nearby.

When I got back to my local station, I found Super Potato completely by accident! I was hoping to find out where it is. Osaka's version of Akihabara is called Den Den (Electricity) Town.

sign in a subway station showing the den den town exit

a statue of solid snake inside super potato

a taito station arcade at night with at least five floors

The Glico guy is in every bit of footage I've ever seen of Osaka I think.

a giant poster of a young man dominates one of the area buidings

My room looks out over the Dotonbori Canal.

looking down the canal and walkway with buildings on each side. one of the buildings includes an oval ferris wheel

the view in the other direction includes the local don quijote store

Yo, Toronto PATH, how come you don't have nice decor like this?

an indoor walkway looking like stone masonry decorated with reproductions of paintings

Osaka Castle is well worth a visit.

Exterior

the top of the castle towers over trees in the foreground

a flag noting the castle's 80th anniversary

osaka castle's five above ground stories framed by trees

The View

the treed grounds with osaka in the background. ornate posts meet at the corner in the foreground

from the front, mostly trees are in view with the city in the distance. a golden fish ornament is visible on a lower roof

a zoomed-in view of city buildings and a bridge

Interior

art pieces of the golden fish with a dragon's head and a golden tiger

Architecture

a japanese flag is displayed outside the entrance gate

the entranceway to the grounds creates a torii-like gate in the surrounding wall

a sideview of an outer wall. The stone blocks are carved so that there's a curve to the outside of the wall

I finally found a traditional toilet! No, I didn't need to use it (yay)!

a tiled washroom stall with a small porcelain trough in the floor

Umeda Sky Building

a close view from the ground shows the walkway and escalators that lead from a high floor to the rooftop

the entranceway features metal and glass accents resembling flags flying in wind

a view looking up that includes the metal entrance accents

"Thunder Bay style" subway

a drab underground walkway with a wavy multicoloured line decorating one wall

Local, ltd. express, and airport express trains.

a train platform with multiple trains on various tracks

Hallowe'en decorations here started on the 1st I think. I'm somewhat surprised that they don't all say Harrowe'en.

a store window display includes a stack of three jack-o-lanterns wearing a witches' hat and an image of a bat in the background

There's the Uniqlo store in Osaka Station.

a small black store with uniqlo in white letters and a large letter U near the entrance

Mount Koya was a nice change from the city. All the train stations should have these slips to tell you your platform.

a paper slip reads: Koyasan (15:00). Take the train from platform No. 3 and transfer for Koyasan Gokuraku-bashi at Hashimoto stasion (sic). The time and platform number have been written in.

a sign for koyasan showing it's 867m high

the funicular that takes you up has a red car and many stairs

Okunoin Cemetery

a meticulously bricked walkway with stone lanterns and trees on either side

a tall grave marker with statues of two male figures

a square gravestone with text marker stones, stacked stone blocks and a circle with kanji on top. the kanji is reproduced in stone in front of the base.

an aged metal gate marks the space for an old stone marker made of a series of stacked stone shapes

an old stone torii gate leads to a pair of old stone buildings fenced off by stone posts

A random canine appeared!

likely a dog looks to the right as it stands in a wide walkway leading over a bridge to a flight of stairs and a torii gate. There are vermillion railings on the bridge that match the torii

It was even better as the sun set.

a stone lantern and a small tree with red leaves frame gravestones

stairs lead to a raised section with a lit stone latern and several small buildings and stone markers

white stone steps lead to a raised section with white stone pathways, many dark unlit lanterns, and a white dome

a line of lit stone lanterns on a path in the distance, partially hidden by large trees

a line of several lit stone lanterns along the edge of a path at night

Thanksgiving turkey!

Glico guy at night.

The view from my room's "breakfast nook" was pretty great.

a row of slim buildings along the Dotonbori canal on an overcast day

the same row of slim buildings along the Dotonbori canal lit up at night

sliding doors lead to a small room with a table and two chairs and a curtained window

The guy at the ryokan figured out my best route to Kawaguchiko - awesome!

a typical japanese room with tatami mats, a low table, and sliding paper doors.

I had a small breakfast before checking out and was glad I did!

a small muffin and a carton of grape juice

a sign advertising a new tuna muffin combi for 250 yen at McDonald's

Kawaguchiko

It took half the time I thought it would to get here since I took one train and a bus instead of multiple trains. Thanks again Kaneyoshi Ryokan!

a cloudy sky over a train with cartoon versions of mt fuji painted on it

I splurged a bit and my hotel room was well worth it.

hotel suite living room with a western table and four chairs and two couches with a coffee table between them

hotel suite bedroom with two queen size beds and a small table and chair near a window

hotel suite bathing room with tiles on all walls and floor, a deep tub, and a faucet and mirror for washing

A pretty nice view of Fujisan on my first morning here. I got up way too early though.

Mount Fuji with a haze covering the lower portion

After a relaxing day, I went to the local mall.

tex mex products by old el paso and others, including various hot sauces

various juice drinks including Qoo in pouches

vitamin drinks with an alien promotional character

I decided on pizza for dinner, even though it was a bit pricey.

a pepperoni and mushroom pizza served on a wooden peel

Dessert was the special "Hallowe'en" selection at Baskin Robbins, that ended up matching my outfit LOL!

a placemat featuring the hallowe'en ice cream menu

some type of freebie I got next to my ice cream cup

my ice cream is purple and brown and so are my clothes

The road up the mountain is closed due to weather, so I hung out at Kawaguchiko Station with some locals who volunteer as information guides and had a great time anyway. There were also some weird products for sale.

a small sign points to mount fuji with a small illustration of it

There's a cigarette machine in the hotel lobby. The weirdness on the right side is facial recognition so it compares you to your ID!

a fairly typical cigarette vending machine

a sign describing how to use the face recognition. At the bottom there's an illustration of a tadpole with a cross through it

Relaxing in the room and taking occasional pictures of Fujisan as the clouds change.

mount fuji - the top is hidden by clouds

mount fuji - the top is hidden by bright clouds. There's a forest in the foreground

mount fuji - the top is hidden by swirling clouds. There's a forest in the foreground

I went back to the BBQ place (Teppan-Ann) for dinner and it was even better the second time.

plates of beef, onion, and peppers with a tomato salad and a drink on a table near a grilling brazier

the waiter smiles and makes an ok gesture

Third time's the charm as today is mostly clear. I took some great shots this morning right up until checkout.

A little bit of cloud moving in.

More sun but also more clouds.

Finally!

mount fuji in bright sunlight with a bit of cloud behind

The Hotel Regina is definitely recommended.

selfie from my hotel room balcony with mount fuji in the background

The bus ride to Tokyo was a fast three hours, with quite a few interesting sights along the way.

Tokyo (Again)

I had a bit of culture shock getting back to Tokyo, since I'd been zenning out for three days in Kawaguchiko.

There were also some autumn festival activities happening in Ueno when I got back.

a line of people in festival dress walk down the street while a costumed person on stilts waves to onlookers

There's so many weird little things to see everywhere you look.

a store called ufumufu with two cartoon characters of black children

I went back to Marui MEN to get a ring they had transferred from another store in my size. I said I would take a photo of the boutique…

Dinner with Amiel, our work contact in Japan. I was tempted to apply to replace him on an eighteen-month contract with Amex.

a filipino man in a plaid shirt with short dark hair

Wandering around Shinjuku.

buskers play music on a corner of the sidewalk

large billboards for uniqlo clothing items on topof a building

the streetscape is full of coloured lights and signs

small signs in a vertical stack show the many small bars within one building

More epic packaging.

But wait... there's more!

something wrapped in branded tissue paper in a sealed plastic pouch

The ring I didn’t buy was huge.

a larger silver ring of a wolf's head and neck ruff

Wandering around Ueno

Ameyoko Market

a crowd at one of the entrances to the market

pineapple and melon on a stick for 100 and 200 yen respectively

Okinawa shop

the outside of the shop has items on a table

spam with an image of spam sashimi on it

Taito Station Arcade

The main floor has a lot of prize machines.

pingu and pinga plush toys in a crane game

a floor with machines with women on them and a sign that says warning only men

I did play a bunch of games though.

There's a Silent Hill game!

you stand in the cabinet with a canopy overhead

screenshot of the character pyramid head about to end my game

Space Invaders help you recycle.

recycling bins with space invaders on them

More Ueno wandering.

an old derelict building is dwarfed by apartment towers around it

the sign for a ramen shop that uses what looks like a mop to represent the noodles

My favourite cup noodle (Chili Tomato) for lunch.

I went to Sol Amigo for dinner.

employees wave in front of the restaurant sign

the interior is decorated with tex mex decor

the drink menu is large and says ram instead of rum

Electronics store browsing.

I grabbed some breakfast to go and chilled in Ueno Park for a bit.

a sign on a building reads helvetica bold

the top half of skytree in the distance behind trees

a can of boss rainbow blend coffee and a pastry called look

a small uniqlo store just outside the market

Dinner in Shinjuku with Kenjiro.

a display window with mannekins at uniqlo

an ad for ultra speed internet featuring ultraman and a black man

We went to Tsunahachi Tempura.

the menu reads please give a real tempura to me skilled

a white bearded man next to a slightly taller japanese man

More Ueno exploration.

There are probably a thousand tiny bars here and I finally saw some street art.

a set of signs on the side of a building for many small bars

a mural of mount fuji with multicoloured rays coming from behind it

Takeya, a great discount store in a purple building with a grocery floor.

a tall purple building with very few windows

vacuum sealed precooked hamburgers and cheeseburgers

The main shopping street in Ueno and the entrance to the market.

the corner of the main street near the market entrance

a row of bicycles parked outside McDonald's

an old store with a sign that reads adult movies next to newer buildings

newconstruction right next to existing buildings

The streets and back alleys are all so clean!

the same alley looking the other way there is no littler or fluids on the paved alley

The owner of Ryokan Sawanoya wrote a book, so I bought a copy and asked him to sign it.

the owner showing his signature in the book