Elizabeth's second full day in Tokyo Oct 2, 2010

Yes, the family is still with me! This is my blog though, not theirs. They need to write their own.

Today we tackled the Tokyo subway system. Before I start, I have to give you some background on the Shanghai subway system, the one we're now used to.

For starters, my reloadable Shanghai Public Transportation Card. I can use this on buses, subways, ferries and taxis. Why the sticker, you ask? So that I can make sure that an unscrupulous taxi driver doesn't take my loaded card when I pay and hand me back an empty card. They all look alike, you know. I also get back my 30 RMB deposit on the card when I return it...in 3 to 5 years, or whenever we repatriate, but that's a whole other story...You do remember the title of my blog, right?

The Shanghai subway system. I know. How many lines do we have in TO? Fortunately, the most difficult thing about this system is figuring out where your terminus is. The signs are bilingual and everyone, even total strangers, are very helpful. Torontonians, take note!

These illuminated bilingual signs of the specific line in each train above every door help as well. If only the buses in Shanghai were this user-friendly.

Now on to Tokyo....

Here's what the Tokyo system looks like

In case you didn't fully appreciate the complexity, here's a detail

Yikes!!!

To make matters even more complicated, there are two companies that operate the subway system! Their lines sometimes overlap, sometimes not. The companies have different signs, different fares...And all this is mostly in Japanese! Imagine that!

Fortunately, we are brighter than the average bears (Just "bearly"! Ha ha, you get it?!? I must be tired.), the Japanese people are helpful, as are our fellow tourists, plus we have two teenage children who know it all.

We figured it out.

Where was I? Right, our day's adventure.

We decided that we would revisit Omotesando and then also see the Harajuku district. Everyone had had enough walking the previous day, which was why we took the subway this day.

I noticed these structures on the street.

This is a smoking "booth" where smokers are encouraged to smoke rather than walking and smoking at the same time.

I loved the illustrations on the booth.

Very informative! I had no idea the lit end is 700 degrees C.

Never realized that before.

The Japanese take anti-smoking to a new level. 

I'll spare you all the shopping the kids inflicted on Rakesh and me. If only we had been spared.

We proceeded to Harajuka Street. I had never seen children used as accessories before.

Think this kid has posed before? I wonder how long it took the mum to get him/her ready to go? Gee, and I was happy if my kids had a shirt on for church, let alone being coiffed and colour co-ordinated. 

Time for a nutritious lunch of waffles with any, ANY, topping that you want. We really enjoyed these waffle stands, perhaps too much. 

More shopping...(suppressed groan)

Another hidden temple on our way to the Shibuya area. This is the Chosenji Temple. I was taking notes.

Little statues...

....wearing scarves???

What are they? Canadian? I wish I knew...

I still have so much to learn.

We continued on to Shibuya, a youthful, trendy area. All of Tokyo seemed that way, though. All the men wore black suits, all the women dressed elegantly, if they weren't Harajuku-types. You'll see later.

Shibuya is famous for having the busiest scramble crossing. 

I think scramble crossings are the best. I love all the action!

Shibuya is also famous for having a statue of Hachiko. Who or what is that? 

Let me tell you the story of Hachiko. Hachiko was an Akita, a Japanese breed of large dog. He was bought as a puppy by a professor. Every day, Hachiko would go to the train station, Shibuya, to greet his master when he returned home from work. Hachiko and the professor continued this routine a year. Then the professor died and obviously did not return. 

***KLEENEX ALERT***

I can't go on. I'm going to let Wikipedia tell the rest of the story while I, I mean you, go get some Kleenex...

Hachikō was given away after his master's death, but he routinely escaped, returning again and again to his old home. Eventually, Hachikō apparently realized that Professor Ueno no longer lived at the house. So he went to look for his master at the train station where he had accompanied him so many times before. Each day, Hachikō waited for the return of his owner.

The permanent fixture at the train station that was Hachikō attracted the attention of other commuters. Many of the people who frequented the Shibuya train station had seen Hachikō and Professor Ueno together each day. They brought Hachikō treats and food to nourish him during his wait.

This continued for nine years with Hachikō appearing precisely when the train was due at the station.

I'm O.K. now...

Nine years! Nine years he kept coming back. Hachiko died in 1935. His body is stuffed and on display at a museum. The statue was erected in 1934 and became a national symbol of loyalty. 

The real Hachiko

Adorable!

The kids had had enough fun at this point, so they headed back to the hotel. Rakesh and I struck out on our own. We found a quiet cafe tucked away in a treed neighbourhood where we had a well-deserved break. No shopping involved.

I thought about ordering this soda

Yeah, baby.

Recuperated, Rakesh and I started walking back to the hotel and caught a protest on the way. The Japanese were demonstrating against the Chinese claim to the Senkaku Islands. Actually, China and Taiwan are both claiming these uninhabited islands in the East China Sea, but that's a whole other post. 

Even when demonstrating, the Japanese seemed polite and well-dressed.

Rested some more back and the hotel, then we all took the subway to the Ginza area for dinner. These are some of the intriguing sights we saw along the way. 

Different styles of architecture all together

Cool window displays

Big crab

Big fish

Ginza was not as flashy and neon-lit as I had expected, but the area had some very chic stores and interesting pedestrian-only side streets.

A famous Ginza landmark, the Wako Clock Tower

We had dinner at another well-known Ginza spot, the Mitsukoshi Department store. Well, not the store itself, but a restaurant in the building. It was a teppanyaki restaurant, the type where your meal is cooked in front of you on a big, flat iron grill the size of a small table. You've seen this before, I know you have.

Ah, yes, you did know what I was talking about. 

This was not our dinner, thank goodness, there was tofu on the grill. Blech.

This was our "amuse-bouche" 

(I wonder how you say that in Japanese?)

Crunchy, vinegary vegetable salads of some sort

Followed by...

garlic cooked in front of us for our...

beef and...

prawns

Bon appetit!

Happy, or what?

Dessert was...different...traditional, I guess. The Japanese do bake, but we didn't have that kind of dessert.

Shaved ice to which one added red beans. Yep. At least I can say I tried it. 

We took the subway home. Vivian was feeling strong. It must have been the been the beef.

We got the subway a little distance from the hotel so we could see a bit of the area.

Goofin' around...

I told you we were staying in a nice neighbourhood!

More to come!

Friday Funny Oct 22, 2010

Happy Friday, everyone. This week is a two-fer...two funnies for the price of one! They complement each other. You'll see. These were taken in our local mall's public bathroom.

You have to plan in advance as there is no toilet paper in the individual stalls. 

You better know your body well!

This is what you're supposed to do after....

I love this! Sounds like an OCD's dream come true!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Elizabeth's first full day in Tokyo Oct 1, 2010

Yes, the family is still with me! We had a wonderful night's sleep and then headed down for breakfast.

 Japanese style breakfast buffet

I still preferred the hard boiled eggs and freshly baked little croissants

The Patels set out on foot to a well-known street called Omotesando. I had an extremely knowledgeable former native of Tokyo tell me, in wonderful detail, all the places we should go and, especially important, what would interest teenagers. It's always about the kids, isn't it? 

Hare and Vivian's first stop

Apparently you can't get good quality Dr. Pepper in Shanghai.

Poor deprived dears.

Hare had an adverse reaction after having gone so long without his favourite cherry cola.

Audio-kinesthetic sculpture near our hotel. Mesmerizing!

I like that the Japanese put their magazines in bondage so you can't read them in the store.

Intriguing little French restaurant down an alley. 
Note all the empty wine bottles. Not my doing. 

Bike "garage" a few feet from restaurant.
Everyone has their own slot.

Raccoon god outside a restaurant. We haven't seen a live one yet in Asia.
Yes, those are coins on his little stone head.

Manhole cover. It's the little things that make a difference.

Bus stop sign. 
Japan seems to put an emphasis on cute. It makes me think of some of my former students.

Dog size-ism! 
Golden Labs of Tokyo, speak up! 
Speak, boy, speak! 

Guess what these are?
Tape dispensers! Adorable!
The Japanese really do take cute to a new level. 

We stumbled upon a 3M store on Omotesando. I at first thought it was an installation art piece. 

Hare, momentarily stunned into silence. 
This does look like an art installation though, doesn't it? 
Hare looks like he's a part of it.

Vivian in Post-It note heaven.

Moving along, we left the 3M store and ducked down a side street that we later learnt (typical of me!) is famous-Cat Street. I am not making that up. See below, shamelessly lifted from another site:


Cat Street (キャットストリート) is a well known shopping street that runs through the Shibuya and Harajuku areas of Tokyo, Japan. The street is famous for it's hip youth oriented fashion shops and cafes as well as being a popular place for people watching. Cat Street crosses Takeshita Dori and Omotesando Dori in the Harajuku area.
The path that Cat Street now follows used to be a river or stream bed. Legend has it that the street got its nickname from the fact that a lot of cats used to wander around the street.


Now we all know something we didn't before, unless you're from Tokyo...or well-traveled..or well-read.

A restaurant on Cat Street

Residential lane off Cat Street. I could handle living here.

Adorable erasers on display at Kiddyland, a very popular toy store. Vivian and I spent an hour in there. 

So cute it hurts.

We explored more of Cat Street and the surrounding area, poking our heads into various stores. Hare and Vivian preferred the second-hand, oops! Pardon me, "vintage" stores, while I leaned more towards housewares stores and bakeries. I know, but I miss my baked goods! China is not a country that bakes. Trust me. 

On our way back to the hotel, we saw more interesting buildings. 

A building-sized mosaic

These buildings seemed to be typical of Tokyo-narrow, with outside, uncovered stairs. Rakesh guessed that this kind of construction might have something to do with earthquakes. I think he may be right. Tokyo doesn't have huge skyscrapers like Shanghai.

Green wall, literally. 

Hare's had enough fun at this point. Good thing we were on our way back to the hotel!

We stumbled upon this temple/shrine on the way back. No idea what it was called. It didn't seem unusual  though to have these temples/ shrines tucked in between modern buildings.

Headstones? Monuments? 

Your guess is as good as mine, unless you're from Tokyo...or well-traveled...or well-read.

Indiana Jones crossing

We made it back to our hotel neighbourhood and popped into a local high-end grocery store for snacks.

Vivian decided not to go with the mini-fish snack. 

First family dinner in Tokyo and we made it Italian.

I got a lovely piece of cake for dessert. 

Mmmmm....cake (insert choking on drool noises here)

I was happy. Time for bed.