Photo TR: BD Goes to Tokyo!

[BigDipper 80]

I know I covered Kyoto a few posts ago, but I dug up a few more worth sharing:

One of the roads leading up the hill to a temple. I loved that there were places like this preserved in Kyoto- everywhere else has pretty much been wiped out and replaced with new stuff.

I don't know why, but I didn't expect Japan to be as mountainous as it was. I guess everyone just thinks of Mt. Fuji and not much else...

This castle reminded me of EPCOT.

I love bullet trains. So sleek.

You cannot escape Pokemon in Japan. They are on every train and around every corner. It's a total national obsession.

There were more people in this store than there are in a subway car at rush hour.

If you know who this is, then congratulations! You play Pokemon.

The area around Hamamatsucho Station seemed interesting... I wish I could have explored the area around the bay more.

I feel like this is Ueno, but I can't remember. I'll just tell you that it's Ueno and you won't know any differently.

And here's Ueno Station. Home of the Hard Rock Cafe. And one of the few stations in Tokyo not buried in a maze underneath a department store.

I love how "lack of space" is not a phrase that the Japanese seem to understand. No room for a highway? That's fine, we'll just run it between the buildings!

 

Also, the next person to say that Cedar Point is out of room, just look at this and stop talking.

And now, for a quick and interesting "detour". As I've mentioned, I was staying in a little rural town called Hanamigawa just outside of Chiba and commuting to Tokyo every day. I thought it would be interesting to share a few pictures from this little town to perhaps help you get a feel for the life of an "average" Japanese person not living in the giant city next door.

I'm sure I got strange looks for taking photos of a town in the "middle of nowhere". To the Japanese, this place is basically a bedroom community for those who work in Tokyo. Although it's not very flashy, I think that it's always interesting to see the perspective of the people who actually live and work in the city that I'm touring.

I've mentioned that Hanamigawa is considered "rural", and here you have it... the only open field in all of Japan! I'm only (slightly) kidding, of course. I truly think that the American concept of rural would completely boggle the minds of the Japanese. Kansas would make their heads explode.

I liked this just because it was a barber shop, and an interesting shape.

Another street in the area surrounding the train station.

Here is the actual station that I commuted from every morning. If you find yourself taking the Sobu Line to Chiba, hop off at Shin-Kemigawa and walk around!

A dark interior shot.

Even the smallest towns have pachinko parlors!

A standard Japanese house. A lot in this neighborhood looked like they had been built fairly recently.

I meant to post this with the bullet train, but I just dug it up. It's hard to keep track of a thousand photos! Anyway, this was the bento box I bought for the ride to Kyoto. Delicious, of course!

[simon8899]

It's always kinda funny to me to see Japan Disney parks. Disney started with animated movies, an art which is now done perfectly in Japan - while Disney sadly nearly completly abandoned this art to computer animation...

 

How did you come along with english in Japan?

[PKI Jizzman]

Loved every photo of this report. I really can't wait to go to Tokyo some day.

[BigDipper 80]

How did you come along with english in Japan?

Actually, while I was there I was taking an intensive language course, so I learned a bit of Japanese while I was there. But honestly, even if I had known nothing, it would have been pretty simple to get around, since all of the trains are in Japanese as well as English. That being said, knowing some basic phrases like "how much does this cost", "please", "thank you", and being able to count is very helpful and also courteous. I's recommend trying to at least learn how to read hiragana so that you can understand some of the signs. It doesn't take long to pick up.

[BigDipper 80]

This is a bit of a shameless plug, but I wanted to share my excitement with everyone! One of my photos from this thread was the winner of the Cleveland Plain Dealer's annual travel photo contest! It's nice to see that my hard work behind the lens has paid off.

 

 

You can read the article HERE if you feel like it.

 

There will be a few more updates in the near-future. I've been incredibly busy at work, but I hope to finish up this TR soon! Or at least before TPR actually leaves for Japan in June.

[SharkTums]

^Love it, and love Japan! Congrats!

[Nrthwnd]

One can never see too much of Japan.

 

Congrats on the photo win and thanks for

sharing your tour.

 

Arigato gozaimasu.

[BigDipper 80]

^ and ^^ Thanks! I probably got some strange looks at work when I got that call and had to try and muffle my explosion of excitement!

 

Let's press on with some more views around this expansive city!

Tokyo Skytree! The second-tallest structure on Earth! I didn't get the chance to go up, though. It had just opened, so it was impossible to get tickets.

Asakusa was a neat little remainder of what life in "old Tokyo" may have been like. If you look in the upper left-hand corner, you may be able to make out an S&S Space Shot. If I'm not mistaken, the oldest roller coaster in Japan is at that park.

Traveling west back to Shinjuku to visit the Tokyo Metropolitan Building's free observation deck.

It is absolutely impossible to describe how massive Tokyo is. It sprawls off in every direction, and you can't see the end.

That big park is where the Meiji Shrine is located, for those trying to orient themselves.

The hotel from Lost in Translation! If you're a Tom Hanks fan...

If you squint, you can see the silhouette of Mt. Fuji in this photo.

Back on the ground, with a look at some of the skyscrapers next to Shinjuku Station. That one cocoon-looking building is, conveniently enough, nicknamed the Cocoon.

Shinjuku really comes alive as the sun sets.

This delicacy is okonomiyaki, which literally translates to something like "whatever you want", and it's literally just that- a bunch of meat and veggies fried up like a pancake. It's typically an Osaka specialty, but we had stumbled across a little place in the basement of on of Shinjuku's buildings. It was cramped and we had to take off our shoes because it actually had tatami floors! Sometimes discovering little holes in the wall that mainly serve locals are the best surprises of any trip.

By the time we were done with dinner, the sun had set completely, and the streets of Shinjuku were bustling.

Lots of random shops and such.

This was just sitting in a storefront window. Yeah, I don't get it either.

Japan has an obsession with crepes, it seems. But that's ok, as they are (of course) incredibly delicious.

One final shot, this time of one of Shinjuku Station's 200(!) entrances. I've still got more to share as I sift though my thousands of photos and discover more gems, so stay tuned!

[jedimaster1227]

Boy do I miss Japanese strawberry cheesecake crepes... Boy do I miss Japan...

Edited April 30, 2013 by jedimaster1227

[RoCo]

I can't tell you how much I am loving this thread. MOAR! (Onegaishimasu! )

[BigDipper 80]

Just a few more updates! I'm sad that this TR is nearly over, but I'm glad that so many of you have stuck with it over these past few month.

I'm not sure how I completely missed uploading any Harajuku photos earlier...

I wish I had more time to walk around Harajuku. Lots of cool new buildings and upscale fashion.

This is probably every foreigner's favorite store in Japan. Unfortunately, you aren't allowed to take pictures inside.

Even though everyone thinks of Tokyo as this high-tech metropolis, a lot of the city is very... well-used. I can't say "dirty" because you could eat off the street here, but it's clear that the Japanese are more concerned with economy than solid buildings.

The McDonalds in Japan are awesome. They will not screw up your order and they are incredibly efficient. If they still have them, I HIGHLY recommend the "yogurt flavored milkshake" on the 100 yen menu. Most oishi milkshake EVAR.

Takeshita Street. Right across from Harajuku Station.

More Pokemon ads on the Yamanote Line.

Random photos inside a grocery store in the town I was staying.

Pennsylvania beef. Because we Americans all know how great Pennsylvania beef is.

The cool thing about Japan in August is that it's festival season, so wherever you go there are likely to be people celebrating. This was at a local festival in my "hometown", and there were stands selling delicious yakitori and other delicacies as well. It's cool to go way off the beaten tourist track and experience parts of a culture usually reserved for the locals.

I can read "tsukushi"... but then I have to stop. Anyone here know kanji?

These adorable elderly women did a synchronized folk dance. Very cool to watch.

An overview of the festival stage.

By this point, all the drummers were drumming and the dancers were dancing when the entire town lined up and did what I can only assume to be the Japanese version of the Locomotion, as they snaked around the stage dancing to a song about harvesting rice. It was incredibly awesome.

There's probably going to only be one more brief update of Chiba and its monorail before I put this thread to bed. I hope that you've all enjoyed this... significantly different look at Tokyo and its culture! Stay tuned!

[Nrthwnd]

Thanks for all the great photos!

 

It's making my upcoming TPR Tour to Japan,

all the more anticipated.