Day 1 - Tokyo - 10th July

10th July

Day 1

Tokyo

 

Well our body clocks are messed up as Colin and I are awake at 4am and then Amy wakens at 4.30am with the sound of sirens outside.  Only one thing for it…….

Pile in Daddy’s bed hee hee!!  Single beds have loads of room well not really!!!  Millie and Yorkie were just too big to be in the bed ha ha!!! 

 

So Colin goes to make a cup of water for me and cup of coffee for himself and then look hey the cups have no handles!!

 

So he puts all his coffee bits and pieces in the cup and comes back with …..

 

a towel round his cup to hold it, so funny!!!  What a tattie boogle!!!

 

So we can’t get a signal on our mobiles so my brainwave was maybe our phones are too old as we haven’t bought new phones for about 4 years.  So we do a search and yes Japan only have 3G network and not compatible for anything less, wow!!  Nothing like feeling out of the loop with old phones!!!  Now that is what I was expecting from Japan mod cons!

 

 

Look what Amy found a nurse Panda biscuit!  But disappointingly for Amy the biscuits have cream in the middle so no likey!!!

 

Amy has a play in the room with Millie, Jemima and Yorkie.  Because we weren’t out of our room by 10am we got a note from the housekeeper through our door to say we notice that you have requested ‘Do not disturb’ on your door so we will not service the room unless you call reception to request service.  Wow they don’t give you long to get up and out in the morning.  But as we left we requested a service from reception.  Our towels are soooooo thin it is unreal so clean ones would be great!!!

 

So we are showered and we are ready to get out and at them but time has ran away with us and it is about 11ish but look at the first crossing we need to tackle, it is massive!!

 

Wow so we are heading to the bank as the hotel gave us directions to Citibank which will give us money hopefully!!

 

These store fronts are massive!

 

I could have got my camera from here do you think??  I’m not sure what I would have ended up with though with a few things getting lost in translation over the hours we have been in Tokyo so far!!

 

A street leading somewhere

 

Busy, busy streets

 

So we see lots of people taking photograph’s of this street but we don’t know why???  Not ones to miss out we take a photo too but I have just done a search and found out this is the Red Light District  ha ha that is funny so everyone is probably thinking why would an 8year old get a photo taken here!!!!  Luckily we didn’t go down it thankfully as not sure what sights we would have seen with the beaddie eyes of Amy!! 

 

We headed to the bank that the hotel directed us to and that only accepts Japanese cards too so the man with the surgical theatre mask on (Colin did shower before coming out only joking!) he directs us to Citibank so round the corner and here we are.  Colin goes in to the ATM and gets a single note of 10,000 Japanese Yen which is approximately £60.  Colin goes into the bank and asks if he can change the big note with the bank teller but you need to have a bank account!!

 

So here we are getting some sustenance that we know what we are getting for Amy!!  Can you guess what we ordered? from our receipt???  So Colin hands over the 10,000 Yen and she doesn’t bat an eyelid so obviously common ground for these notes to be in circulation, wow!!

 

 

Chicken nuggets Happy Meal for Amy, Melon Smoothie for me and Coffee for Colin, I am sure you would have guessed that from the receipt!!!

 

We are sitting at the window and the cabs look old, we thought everything here would be futuristic and technology mad but maybe our perceptions are wrong, especially if McDonald's doesn't accept credit cards??

 

Oh but look the packaging comes in English just no menu in English

 

So it is about 29 degrees C, not sunny but humid and surprisingly the air conditioning is not that great here so Colin has ordered a coffee and is SWEATING!!  Really not the best choice of drink Col really!!!

 

Our view from McDonald’s

 

Awh how cute a Domino’s Pizza Man in a bike/van thing!!

 

So Amy and I pop to the toilet and look they have an all singing all dancing toilet here too and it even has a button to make a flushing noise so you know me never far away from mischief I had to press it!!!  Why would you want to make a flushing noise when you are in the toilet and not actually flush the toilet, weird!!!

 

An alleyway

 

Next stop is to try and tackle the train station again to get to Sensoji Temple.  I had written down directions from the website so it should be straight forward or we thought it would be!!!  Colin had read about a day pass for the trains, metro and buses so we go and get that rather than have to worry about getting new tickets at each station.  Eventually we find the ticket desk and the guy doesn’t speak much English so we point to the advert we had seen advertising the all-day ticket and then aha!!!  2 adults and 1 child, perfect and that works out at the same price Colin had worked out so perfect, okay pay with Credit Card and it is rejected, so pay by cash instead!  So the guy hands us the tickets and the instructions for the tickets but the instructions are all in Japanese, oh well I’m sure there is nothing startling on the instructions hopefully that we need to know about!!!

The deliberation is which platform to get on our train at so there are metro lines and JR lines and our first train is on JR line, so we hummed and hayed for about 20 minutes and think we have sussed it now so let’s get going….

 

Tickets to be checked to let you into the station

 

And then wow look at the signage and people, feel like information overload already!!!  Ok that has only taken us an hour to get our tickets and find the platform!!!

 

Here is our train, just let’s hope and pray we are on the right one!!!

 

 

 

And we were, hooray first leg of the journey complete!

 

Next we need to go on the Ginza line

 

We just stop for a minute to grab some water

 

Perfect water we are thirsty!!!

 

So we are walking along to the Ginza line and notice these are low ceilings even for us so Brian (my darling brother is 6ft 3”) you would just have a constant sore neck if you lived here, ducking down all the time!!  Even the beds are just big enough for us length wise and our bath in the hotel is perfect size for Amy!  They are just little toots here though so Brian you would feel like a GIANT!!!

 

 

My big bro and I when Brian and Nicola (our wonderful sister-in-law and Auntie) came over for New Year 2011, love and miss you lots Big Bro and Big Sis xxx

 

 

Here is Amy cooling off with her bottle of water waiting for the metro heading towards Asakusa

The girls on the metro

 



 

Oh Amy that doesn’t look comfortable but she was determined to stretch up and reach the handle for holding on in the metro train!!

 

 We get out of the metro station and our first view is of this big horn but we don’t know what it is so I have just done a google search.  This is the Asahi Brewery buildings and the horn looking sculpture is called the Asahi Flame 360 ton flame made by submarine construction techniques maybe that is why it doesn’t look like a flame they were looking through their periscope building it??  So it says that the locals call it the ‘Golden turd’ and the building next to it the Beer Hall which is shaped like a pint of beer is called the ‘Poo building’ I don’t think they like it much then???  The pint of beer with its frothy head looks cool though and it is supposed to be one of Tokyo's most recognizable modern structures

 

And there is a view of Skytree Tower, the tallest tower in the world at 2,080ft high!  It has an observatory and restaurant up there but we are just happy to have seen it fully after seeing glimpses of it on the train yesterday!

 

This canopy could be turned into Fremont Street in Las Vegas and I am sure Tokyo could wangle some magic with its technology to make it bigger and better than Vegas don’t you think rather than plain canopy roof!!

 

And this was the reason for making our big trek through Tokyo to see all of the area of Sensoji Temple which is a Buddhist Temple, the oldest in Tokyo and is one of Tokyo’s most colourful and popular temples in Tokyo.  Just wait this is only the Thunder Gate the entrance into the grounds of the temple.  The massive paper lantern is painted in vivid red and black tones to suggest thunderclouds and lightning

 

The girls under the lantern at least Amy wasn’t scared of this thunder and lightning ha ha!!

 

And this was what was underneath the lantern but it was so wide I couldn’t get it all in that was how big the lantern was, absolutely massive!!

 

Through the Thunder Gate and then there were wow loads of little stall/shops down the sides and just loads of people!!  This is 250 meters of shops called Nakamise

 

The other side of Thunder Gate

 

We walked through the people maze and took a breather out as we spied this view of Skytree Tower from one of the little side streets but then Amy spied something that she fancied with her money she got from Grandma and Grandpa….

 

It is a little monkey which sucks its bottle on its hand, a Monchichi monkey.  So as a child I had a monkey similar to this which made Amy even more keen to buy it, mine was a Chic a boo monkey which sucked his thumb rather than bottle but maybe that isn’t PC anymore, who knows??  I have just done a search on the internet and Amy and I have spent some time looking at Chic a boos online, bringing back memories for me and it says that Chic a boo monkeys were one of the top toys of the 80’s, wow now I feel old!!!  Thankyou Grandma and Grandpa, love and miss you lots xxx

 

And then look what is ahead of us the Temple

 

Loads of stalls selling orange lantern flowers

 

and the plants but gosh the noise from these sellers was piercing and who knows what they were telling us as they only spoke in Japanese

 

The five tiered Pegoda

 

Skytree Tower with the Asakusa town buildings and temple all in one shot, pretty impressive really, old and new!!

 

Selfie with the Pegoda so a really helpful lady comes over and asks if we would like a photograph taken now we are standing in front of some amazing buildings the Pegoda and the Main Temple so we say yes please and look at what she has taken ………….

Nothing to look at behind us, no Pegoda, no Temple just some of the stalls behind us, oh well at least my selfie arm had got the Pegoda in our photo as she didn’t!!!  It was funny as Colin and I looked around and went any shot would have got something in or turn the camera on its side and we would have got the Pegoda but no nothing!!!!  So funny but one positive at least she got the 3 of us in or should I say the four of us with Chico monkey!!

 

 



 

We walk towards the main Hall as it is called but is the Temple and we see smoke coming from something burning and it smells like incense sticks

 

People were waving the smoke over themselves and we weren’t sure why but it is believed that the smoke has healing powers.  The lighting of incense sticks symbolises a sacred offering and a way to honor Buddha

 

Wow this is the main Temple, it is massive!!

 

The ceiling paintings

 

Not so keen on this ceiling painting

 

This was inside, beautiful and then ….

 

throw money into the grate area and make a wish!  So we did!!

 

 

Bronze Hokyoin-to which was erected in 1761

 

The gable end of the temple

 

Beside the Temple were gardens with a beautiful waterfall

 

and massive Carp in the pond

 

Yogodo Hall which had a large queue of people waiting to go in so we went to read the sign to see what it was all about.  Inside there are 12 Buddha’s each representing a particular year of the oriental zodiac cycle and statue of Bodhisattva Kannon.  We didn't know what year we were so we headed on

Colin is a rat - are charming, honest, ambitious, and have a tremendous capacity for pursuing a course to its end. They will work hard for their goals. They are easily angered but maintain an outward show of control

I am a rabbit - are the most fortunate. They are smooth talkers, talented, ambitious, virtuous and reserved. They have exceedingly fine taste and regarded with admiration and trust

Amy is a Dog - have all the fine qualities of human nature. They have a sense of duty and loyalty, they are extremely honest and always do their best in their relationship with other people. Dog people inspire confidence in others and know how to keep secrets

Wow that is interesting!!!

 

Awh look what label Amy has found on her Monchichi monkey, cute!!  Amy says we just need an ‘a’ added onto the end!

 

The troops looking at the Carp in the pond

 

Hashimoto Temple in the grounds of the gardens near the Main Temple

 

This appeared to be a worship area but nothing was in English

 

Another temple to worship Sukunahikonano-mikoto the guardian of women

 

All the sites seen so we are heading back to the shopping area, we need a sticker and magnet!!

 

Skytree Tower selfie

 

A small shopping precinct

 

The lanterns reminded me of the 3 legs of man!!

 

 

Similar I think and for the non-Manxies following the blog the three legs motto

'which everway I am thrown I will stand'

Certainly being using that strength over the past 3 months and we will continue to follow this motto in our new adventure down under!!

 

A shop selling Samurai swords!!

 

The eatery stalls look interesting but no thanks we are not willing to try!

 

Oh look we could buy some fish, these are too small to eat so I presume they are for pets??

These ladies look stunning in their Kimono outfits and the traditional shoes too which are just planks of wood which wouldn’t think they would be very comfortable



 

Heading back to the metro station, last look at the buildings

 

Not before we stop for some ice-cream first though!

 

 

Lots of random flavours on the menu!!  Shame Sweet Potato has sold out eh NOT!!!

 

So Colin orders the ice-cream and then gets told to stand next to another till to wait for the order there was nobody else in line, so okay then so we get the chocolate ice-cream for Amy and then she tells us that we have to eat it in the shop, not allowed to eat it outside of the shop and if we leave the shop then we have to walk with it and don’t stop walking, how bizarre is that so we stand in the air conditioning wondering why eating ice-cream appears to be a dirty secret!?!?  Just another anomaly from Western life!

 

 

We walked along the river to the metro station

 

They had bulrushes growing on the side of the river and on the pavement?!

 

Now look at this futuristic looking boat coming along the river, it might start flying in a minute ha ha!!

 

Looking back along the river to see the Beer Glass, Flame, Skytree Tower and the spaceship looking boat!

 

The back of the boat looks like aliens should be coming out of it!!

 

We spotted some toilets thankfully Amy and I didn’t need as we weren’t too sure how good our aims were, ha ha!!  Certainly shows the difference between McDonald’s and public toilets, all singing and dancing or hole in the ground!!

 

We walk along a bit and here is another temple

 

So we were not sure what the water resembled here at the entrance to the temple but google is a wonderful thing!!!  This is the Purification fountain, you are supposed to take one of the ladles provided, fill it with fresh water and rinse both hands. Then transfer some water into your cupped hand, rinse your mouth and spit the water beside the fountain

 

Look what we saw outside a restaurant umbrella holders, umbrellas are common accessories for shade and/or rain!!

 

So we are on the subway and the rings remind Colin of Muscle Beach so he re-enacts the guy that we saw but Colin didn’t actually swing he just pretended to for the camera!!!

 

Here is Amy counting how many stops we need to get off at Roppongi Station for the next part of our adventures today!!  

 

Here is our train, this feels a newer station with the barriers at the doors

 

Here is well the monkey started off being called Chico as that was what my monkey was called but Amy has changed its name to Narita after the airport in Tokyo and Chico is her middle name along with Colin’s middle name he has chosen of Shinjuku which is the suburb of Tokyo we are staying in, wow what a mouthful Narita Chico Shinjuku Anderson!!!  Anyway she is relaxing on the subway!!

 

Here we are at Roppongi suburb, we’ve done well on the subway no wrong trains!!

 

View of Tokyo’s TV Tower

 

Roppongi is supposed to be the nightlife area but it is certainly Westernised with Wendy’s, TGI Friday’s and Outback Steakhouse, those were the ones we spied anyhow!!

 

But then look not Poundland or Dollar Shop it is 100 Yen shop, bargains to be had I am sure!!!

 

But this is why we have stopped off at Roppongi for tea!

 

And look they have webcams showing from the different Hard Rock’s around the world now out of those 5 different destinations we have not been to Mumbai but the other 4 we have, wow!!

 

Colin ordered Red, White and Blue burger with Kirin local beer and ….

 

Amy had Cheeseburger without the cheese!!!  I had Haystack Salad, it was yummy!!!

 

I have never noticed the local picture with badges before we went to Hawaii and now this one is of Mount Fuji

 

Golf Messe shop!

 

Ferrari store!!

 

Oh yeah dream on Colly remember your unemployed but hopefully not unemployable!!!

 

Bit tricky doing this selfie as I had Amy on my back too, anyway it was only part of me missed off!!  I got the TV Tower in and didn’t drop Amy off my back so got the two most important things done!!

 

We popped into a 7 Eleven , convenience stores that have become familiar to us during our travels around the States and look what I found Walker’s Shortbread and Chocolate Chip Shortbread at that my favourite biscuits (before I became wheat free!) and reminds me of home as look……..

 

Aberlour, that is just over 10 miles away from where I was brought up in Elgin

 

Food for sale, eh not hungry thanks!

 

We got a few bits and pieces for breakfast and snacks but then as I was packing the bags up Colin was asked to stick his hand in a box for a free prize draw from what we can gather anyway.  So he won a bottle of juice, not sure what flavour but well done Col!!

 

There we are normal stance for selfie taking and the TV Tower in the background!  That is us heading back to the hotel now, so back on the subway

 

Ok here is our train, do you think it is rush hour or something.  So Amy is told ‘just go with it Amy we have only 4 stops to go and we will be close to the hotel’.  In Tokyo at certain stations they employ people with brush type things to push people into the trains to get the doors closed so here we are thinking this might be the station, eeeek!!  It is 18.25hrs so is this still rush hour or is this train always this crammed and if we wait for the next train will it probably be just as bad??? 

 

So we jump on this train and oh my word I went into the train with my arm out to help Amy find a space and then I didn’t have enough room to get my arm back by my side so my arm hung around Amy’s head, thankfully my camera is normally in my hand or else we just wouldn’t have been able to capture these crazy moments we were experiencing!!!!  Colin couldn’t get all of Amy and I in as he was so restricted with space too!

 

It probably is just like how Sardine’s feel I presume?!  And then we got to the next station and people were just pushing forward to try and get out and then more people would get in and try and squeeze themselves into spaces that normally people just wouldn’t think would fit their body shape but one positive is that everyone that we have seen are all slim build or else you would have no hope, I am probably the biggest size out of all the women we have seen during our time so far in Tokyo!!! 

 

This is just hilarious so my arm is still hanging around not able to go by my side so I thought I would make use of its higher posture and take a pic from above!!!  Hilarious, look how squished Amy is the poor thing but we just couldn’t stop laughing!!!

 

It just didn’t ease up even after three stations as more and more people kept on coming on the train, no handles available to steady yourself but you didn’t move anyway with the movement of the train just by pure compactness, this is certainly an experience we will never forget of Tokyo!!

 

Here we are we have a bit more room now!!!!

 

The ‘we have survived’ photo as we were coming up the escalator!!!

 

Wow and just look at this a Blood Donor Clinic Room just like a shop on the pavement, you could look in and see people giving blood, wow!!!

 

Here we are back at familiar ground and guess what ……….

 

it is raining again!!!

Well what an exciting, interesting and bizarre day!!  We certainly feel like aliens in a completely different culture and completely different way of life!!  Great to experience Tokyo though and all its anomaly’s!!!