April 17, 2006
Welp, yesterday was my first full day in Tokyo, and I have to say this place is great. (Also realize that when I say "yesterday" it refers to "today" back home since it's already the 18th here. I'm 13 hours ahead.) It's another early day for me since I'm still trying to force myself to adjust to the time over here.
Yesterday started my tour, and I saw a good amount of stuff. Like today, I was off to an early start yesterday so most everything was closed when I got up, so I had to wait around for things to open. I stopped over at Tokyo Dome City first thing and looked around a bit, then took a look around the Akihabara area. When things started opening up I headed back over to Tokyo Dome City and started checking out things there. There is a rollercoaster there that actually runs around above the facility, through the center of a ferris wheel, and over/through one of the buildings. I opted to take a ride on the ferris wheel, and got some nice shots of the city.
I also checked out a horror house called "The 13 Doors" which seriously fucked me up by the time I reached the end. One of the scarier points was when I keyed to open one of the doors, this goon thing came swinging out of a curtain next to it trying to grab me. I didn't go through the door initially since it didn't open all the way and I was asked not to touch anything, so the thing retracted back into the curtain. I also spent some time watching it since I was amazed at the fluidity of its motion. When I finally figured out that I was supposed to push the door open, I keyed it again, the thing popped out, and I went through the door. Of course I jumped the first time it swung out and tried to grab me, but that was nothing compared to walking through the door and watching that goodamned thing swing back out of the curtain, climb over the railing, then chase me into the hallway. Well hey, that explained the fluidity of its movements, however I was a little preoccupied with getting the fuck out of that hall.
After Tokyo Dome City, I decided to head over to the Imperial Palace and its gardens. Before coming to Tokyo I did some research on when things I wanted to visit would be open. I thought I'd done adequate research into the hours of things, but apparently not so much. I'd discovered before coming here that Mondays are like Sunday in the states in that very few things are open. Unfortunately, that included a few things at the start of my list. The Palace gardens were closed, so I checked out the park across the street and the fountain park next door.
Another highlight from yesterday was my visit to Koishikawa Korakuen Gardens. First laid out in 1629 by Tokugawa Yorifusa and completed by his successor Mitsukuni, the garden is one of the oldest in Tokyo. The gardens incorporate Chinese features, and sprawls over and through lakes, hills, fields, and wooded areas. Several man-made structures dot the landscape as well, including a temple in which Mitsukuni enshrined his wooden statue.
My plans today are to check out the Edo-Tokyo Museum, Yasukuni Shrine and other places, and to re-visit the places that were closed yesterday. I'm also going to get my rail pass issued today. As a result of riding the rails everywhere I've been walking my ass off since arriving here. I'm definitely getting my exercise.
Since arriving in Tokyo, there are a few things I've noticed. One of the strange sensations of visiting a foreign country for the first time is the realization that everything is drastically different, but somehow most of it is the same. I've also discovered that the stories about vending machines in Tokyo is true. They are everywhere. You can't walk a block in this city without seeing at least three vending machines, which contain anything from tea to coffee (cold AND hot), to juice, cigarettes, beer, and alcoholic beverages. I bought some saké from the vending machine in my hotel lobby last night, and had a can of coffee this morning. The obsession with vending machines is strange. Last night I stopped in a small restaurant for dinner, and sat down prepared to give my order. The person behind the counter gestured to the front corner of the restaurant, which housed a vending machine. You put your money into the machine, press the button of the meal that you want, and it prints a ticket. You then give the ticket to the host, and he brings it to the kitchen to get your meal prepared. I guess it's an efficient way of doing things, but certainly unique.
Anyway, that's it for now. I'm hopefully going to be transferred to an internet-capable room today, so I might be able to post some pictures soon.
(16:17)
Search :: Previous Entry :: Next Entry