We stayed in Shinawaga, one of the 24 wards within Tokyo, which is our base and from there took day trips out to the various wards, with the exception of one night where we headed out to Hakone, south east of Tokyo, for the onsen (hotspring) experience.
TOKYO
Our first stop .. Harajuku. I was told this is where the Harajuku girls hang out but there was just a handful when we were there. Nonetheless we enjoyed our walk in Yoyogi Park and some road stall 12inch sausage :)
PLEASE CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE :)
Some Harajuku goth ..
Entrance of Meiji Shrine
Next ..
Hakone is a 1 1/2 hour away from Shinjuku by Romancecar, an express train. Hakone is a part of the Fuji Hakone National Park and the whole area is interconnected with the train, cablecar, ropeway, cruise ship and buses. We bought a JPY5000 pass (each person) which allows us to hop on any of these mode of transportation. We spent two days and a night there and the hotel where we stayed had a natural onsen which I enjoyed very much .. but I think not so for my son. He tells me he is not used to see older naked men .. lol. We were to see Mount Fuji .. but unfortunately visibility was so poor, we missed it completely. A good reason to return .. huh?
This is the town of Hakone-Yumoto where the train terminal is. This is a tourist place so there are a lot shops and restaurants and of course hotels. It is just so nice to walk up this street lined up with so many attractions.
Is this the Yumoto River? The scene is just behind the town of Hakone-Yumoto Station.
On our first cloudy day .. by the ropeway
Ropeway over the Owakudani. As you approach this valley .. the unmistakeable sulphur odor... ummm
On our second day, we decided to re-do the circuit again but unfortunately it rained ..
The wind was so strong, swaying our car over a 300 feet over the foggy volcanic valley. It was quite scary.
and our stopover at the Owakudani Station was an experience to be remembered. Wen insisted on going out to experience the high winds .. I was so afraid he would be blown away.
Exhilarated from the wind and wet from the rain..
Me? safe, dry and contented :) . . as we continued our ropeway trip to Lake Ashi
Cruise ship across Lake Ashi.
Shoreline scenes of Lake Ashi
Port of Arrival .. Hakone-machi
Our trip to Hakone was disappointing as the rain did not permit us to do the walks we so wanted and of course, we did not get to see Mount Fuji.
Back to Shinagawa .. next day visit to Tjukiji Wholesale Fish Market, Japan's central wholesale market. Out of the Tokyo train station, just follow the fish smell and you won't go wrong. We went not really for the smell but we read that the sushi is really fresh and they were right !
Our chef ..
After Tjukiji, we proceeded to Asakusa, to see the 'old' Tokyo. This is Kaminarimon Gate, entrance to the Sensoji Temple, the main attraction of Asakusa.
There are many visitors including the Japanese themselves and there are always the ever-ready tourist guides .. Never got to know his name but he is so charming and spoke impeccable English that we decided we needed a guide :)
So off with Kei, our rickshaw guide around the Sensoji Temple and the neighboring lanes ..
Kei .. hard at work ..
One more photo before we end the tour
There were many tourists in the main hall of the temple, including westerners; some taking photos, some making wishes for a better life ?? More reading on this very popular tourist destination .. Sensoji Temple, Tokyo's oldest temple. For more majestic splendor of the Sensoji, click here.In every temple, a common sight is an area of water tank where visitors purify themselves by washing their hands (do no evil) and rinsing their mouth (speak no evil) BUT caution this water is not fit for drinking :)
Click picture to read Warning Sign.
The surroundings of Sensoji Temple
Bonsai exhibition .. this is the first time I have seen flowering bonsai plants.. so pretty.
I think this is the highlight of the visit . . a 800m walk of shops, shops, shops of souvenirs, titbits, icecream, and all things Made in Japan !
We spent the rest of the whole day here .. lots of see, eat and enjoy.
Next .. off to Yokohama, Japan's second largest city, next to Tokyo (so i just found out :) and probably the largest port in Japan?
You see what I mean? Views from the Landmark Tower, Tokyo's tallest building
A walk in Yamashita Park .. it was much colder and very windy here.
Chinatown in Yokohama
More walking the next day .. to Kawagoe. I am so glad I found out abt this charming old town of 'past centuries'. Walking down Kurazukuri Street, you will find many little temples and shrines, just off the streets.
You can't help but feel the quiet and tranquility of each of these temples.
Everything is so neat and all in its right places.
There are lots more we saw at Kawagoe. Lunch at one of the restaurants was so yummy and home-cooked. We enjoyed the hospitality of the owners of the restaurant. You can't miss the candy lane of Kashiya Yokocho too.
Our next destination was Shinjuku where all the main shopping belt of Tokyo. By then I felt I walked 100km :)
Even though, we did not speak Japanese, it was still fairly easy to get around. At every train station (which by the way is the way to move around), there is always a tourist information station manned by guides who are more than helpful esp. to foreigners. I can see that if there is a test to be taken for 'knowing how to use the trains', I will pass this test .. and above average :) You just have to understand the system, do it several times over and you will get used to it. Be prepared though, that Tokyo is not really for the faint-hearted. There are lots and lots of people around all day long. It can be quite stressful but still you will manage because the Japanese are just sooo polite. There is rush BUT there is no push and that makes a lot of difference.
I hope you enjoyed reading this little vacation with my son. I hope to make another trip to Japan but this time to Hokkaido .. let's see :)
liz xo
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