JAPAN 2019
TOKYO ASAKUSA
First day in Tokyo went to Asakusa. Traveling the Japanese rail system is really amazing. This is the way trains should run so clean and efficient. Best thing we did was to buy the JR Pass. It handles all the major rail lines in Japan even the Bullet trains. Sometimes though it is useful to take the minor rail lines to reduce the walking to the JR Rail Stations. Luckily they are relatively inexpensive. Asakusa is different from Takashima Daria where we were staying, in that you can see some of the architecture of the old culture.
We discovered as we were walking from the Rail Station that we were near the Hostel where Will stayed when he visited Japan a few years ago. We tried to stop by on our way to the Senoji Temple but weren't able to get inside. Senoji is a very popular Buddhist Temple built in the 7th century. When we arrived, the place was bustling with people. At the main Temple there was a worship service going on and we made an offering of coins that we tossed into the offertory and made a wish for Lauren who was not able to join us on this trip.
We actually had approached Senoji from the back and went back through the shops that line Nakamise shopping street. The main entrance is Kaminari Gate it is the first of two large entrance gates built more than 1000 years ago and Nakamis shopping street leads for a couple of blocks to the second gate that gives entry to the main Senjoi grounds
SANJOI TEMPLE
We left the temple through the Kaminari Gate and headed toward the Sumida River thinking it would be nice to have a cold beer at the Aishi Beer Tower where they have the craft brewery and restaurant for the Asahi brewing company. Unfortunately for us it is only open in the evenings. We instead found a traditional Yakitori restaurant and grilled some meats for lunch that we cooked on a hibachi grill at our table and we drank ice cold Asahi beer. Our first restaurant experience in Japan was delicious
After lunch, we decided to walk around Sumita Park which is a riverside park that stretches along both sides of the Sumida river and is a popular cherry blossom viewing area. The cherry blossoms are beginning to bloom and their pink flowers are showing but the branches are not heavy with blooms like they will over the next couple of weeks. In the park were lots of locals spreading their blankets out and having a family picnic along the river and there were children playing in some amazing play area with the equipment made of wooden logs with all kinds of places for kids to crawl climb and hang from. It made me wish i was a kid again so that i could enjoy the adventure of exploring the playground.
SUMITA PARK
DEMPOIN TEMPLE, Asakusa
It was very quiet and very few people were there, but on the grounds there was a couple in full kimono wardrobe having their engagement photos taken in the Temple grounds. We had seen quite a number of people in traditional kimonos while at the Senjoi Temple but i had thought it was just part of the tourist attraction. I later found out that during the cherry blossom season that young couples who are engaged this time of year follow the tradition of doing engagement photos in the park and temples wearing the colorful kimonos.
We found our way to Dempoin Temple which is nestled in Sumita Park. At the Temple people go to a basin with wooden ladles and ceremoniously pour water into their hands using the ladles to pour water into the palm of the hand, then drink from the hand and then wash the hand in preparation of giving a prayer.
We left lunch and went back to Shin Nakamise shopping streets that run perpendicular to Nakamise Street to do some widow shopping and to circle back to the Hostel where Will had previously stayed. This time we found someone there and Will talked with them about his prevoius stay. They were so happy to see Will and invited us in while Will reminised with the employee of the Hostel. We met an older Japanese lady who was staying there visiting family who has lived the last 40 years in the Bay area in California and always stays at the Asakusa Oasis Hostel when she is in town. It is a very quaint place and it would have been a better place to stay than where we are staying due to its proximity within Tokyo.
They recomended that we go to the Cultural Tourist Information Center and go to the top of the 8 story building to get a panoramic view of this part of the city. It was a great view and we were able to look down and see the Layout of the Senjoi Tempel below.
One of the most touristy things we did while in Japan was go-kart racing in the big ol' city of Tokyo! We were able to feel like we were in a Mario Kart fantasy in bustling Tokyo while dressed up as video game and manga characters.
Our crack racing team then chooses their racing chariot and their starting pole position before begining the race.
We started driving through the streets of the city with all the traffic while we are sitting 2 inches off the ground driving at 35 to 40 miles per hour so we feel like we are travelling at 60 mph as the sights on our peripheral vision whip by. Sitting in the open cart with the cars and trucks on the rod towering over you is a real rush. The real fun is waving to the people on the side walks and at the intersections and generally making fools of ourselves and watching their reactions. It was great fun and the locals seem to enjoy the crazy tourist on the karts.
Sinjuku, Tokyo
We had dinner plans to go to Sinjuku which is the red light district of Tokyo with the nightlife and entertianment for the night. After leaving Sinjuku station we passed into the entertainment area through the Kabukicho which is a bright gate lit like a Las Vegas sign and is the gateway to Frontier Street which is the main street into the entertainment district. The whole area has an entirely different feel that is buzzing with activity of the tourists and young people out for the evening adventure. There are barkers in front of the brightly lit neon clubs trying to get you into their establishment.
ROBOT RESTAURANT
We continue down the street looking for the landmark for the Robot Restaurant and find it down the street a couple of blocks.
We are ushered in past two giant robot statues into a bright hallway covered in shiny, reflective surfaces.
This room looks like a glitter factory exploded and it was so violent that it caused a unicorn to vomit rainbows all over the walls
We are sent up an elevator into a holding lounge with a bar and food. A entertainer dressed in a robot suit enters the club and starts playing Disney tunes. The room is filled with tourists and only one or two Japanese faces can be seen in the group.
We are led down one, two, three, four and finally five floors of stairs into what feels like a small airport hanger which is lined on both sides by tiered seating. They bring us our preordered dinner which is a bento box with some sushi. The sushi was good quality and Will and I enjoyed it very much. Chris is not a sushi eater and there was no tempura so we ate his meal.
The show starts and the music starts with tiako drummers riding on gigantic robots. The energy is high and the dancers are engaging and energetic.
It is absolutely insane we are all three struck with a look of WTF did we experience! It was truly bizarre but strangely entertaining.
The main show is like Fern Gully meets Pacific Rim except the forest people have giant dragons and animals of folklore that they are riding to fight the crackling robot pilots.
We gave our drink tickets to a group of twenty something foreign tourists that were already well lubricated for the night and Will let them know about a club where they could drink all night for a single price. They enthusicstically bade us goodnight and we left for our apartment for the night. By the end of the day we had walked over 15 miles and were worn out
TOKYO - DAY 2
Day 2 in Tokyo. We had an authentic Japanese breakfast of rice, egg, diced chicken and mismo. You put the raw egg into the warm rice to cook the egg and mix in the other ingredients. It was not my preference. I think I prefer to have mellon bread, or the hot pork buns for breakfast that you can get at the convienience stores..lol.