Second day in Japan

Shibuya 渋谷

Just so there isn't any confusion as to what's on offer at this establishment:

Breakfast at Denny's. Amber starts off the day the Japanese way, while I remain stubbornly Western in outlook first thing in the morning:

A vending machine in Akihabara 秋葉原 selling Pokémon cards. Alas, it wasn't taking ¥1000 notes:

Approaching Tokyo Tower 東京タワー:

Taking in the view of Tōkyō 東京 from the main observation deck, 150 meters/492 feet up:

Gazing down upon the Reiyūkai Shakaden Temple 霊友会釈迦殿, belonging to one of Japan's so-called "new religions":

Showing off her souvenirs:

The souvenir cup came with the cola float:

Descending via the 600-step outdoor staircase and not the elevator, and learning that my fear of heights was applicable here as well, despite the fencing:

Having lunch at a kebab restaurant in the tower's food court:

Making a wish for Tanabata 七夕 at Zōjōji Temple 増上寺, representative of Japan's "old religions":

 

Inside the Mausoleum of the Tokugawa Shoguns:

Sangedatsumon 三解脱門, the main gate to Zojoji:

You can take the boy out of Taiwan, but in Japan sometimes there's no escape from Taiwanese food and drinks:

At the famed statue of Hachikō ハチ公 outside Shibuya Station 渋谷駅, I was stunned to see a long line of foreign tourists lining up to have their photos taken with the faithful pooch*. Gone are the days I suppose when one could wait for friends while standing next to the statue. I haven't been prepared for the sheer number of 外人 present in the Akihabara and Shibuya areas. I realize things change over the course of 34 years, but I'm hoping we shake off a lot of the Mario Kart-driving hordes as we make away west through the country:

Crossing Shibuya's famed scramble 渋谷スクランブル交差点. Note what was written above (and ignore the fact I was doing the same thing):

Center-gai センター街:

Resisting the urge to buy a Taiwanese 奶茶:

My daughter enjoyed spending some of her money in the Nintendo Store in Shibuya PARCO:

Miyashita Park 宮下公園, one of several new developments since I was last in Shibuya:

The Shibuya Nonbei Yokochō 渋谷のんべい横丁 narrow drinking alley appears to be holding on, but at the same time be in the process of being swallowed up by all that's being built around it:

Our evening ended with an unexpected, but not unwanted, night at the ballpark, courtesy of David and John, two Japan old timers whom I haven't seen since my English teaching days back in the 1990's. The game took place at Tokyo's venerable Meiji Jingū Stadium 明治神宮野球場, originally built in 1926 but now facing demolition at the hands of Tokyo's rapacious developers. The Yakult Swallows walloped the visiting Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles 13-0, but I didn't pay much attention to the contest as I had a far more enjoyable time catching up with David and John, and getting to know their mate Andy:

A fine evening was had by all, and I really appreciated the opportunity to reconnect and reminisce, because that's what old geezers like myself do a lot of these days:

 

Another day of meetups and sightseeing to follow...

*Hachiko may have been the very definition of loyal, but I’m convinced all the tidbits of food he was given by the food vendors set up outside the station also helped lure him back day after day.

First day in Japan

 

Akihabara 秋葉原

For the first time since New Year's Day 2018 I'm back in Japan. It's been a long wait but I can't even begin to describe how great it feels to back here - probably because I've been up since 0400 hours China Standard Time, and I'm still feeling the effects of the quartet of draft beers I quaffed just a short time ago. As I wrote in my previous post, the intention here isn't to write a detailed report on the what I've done and where I've been, accentuated with historical references and expert analysis. Instead, the goal is to each evening post a few photos from that day's activities so that I don't have to spend a long time updating this blog after I return to Beijing 北京 next month. So from Monday, June 19, are a few images submitted for your enjoyment...

Lunch at Haneda Airport 羽田空港 after arriving on time and without incident. The girl ordered a chazuke 茶漬け set, while I kicked this visit off with some unagi ウナギ:

Riding the Tokyo Monorail 東京モノレール from the airport into central Tōkyō 東京. Not the quickest route, but arguably the most interesting way to get into town from Haneda:

Amber and I spent most of the first day in Akihabara:

Our studio apartment for the duration of our stay in Japan's capital, complete with large bathroom, kitchen and washing machine:

Akihabara has changed from the primarily electronics district I knew back in the 90's to the maid café-inundated Nerd Central it is today. I chose not to photograph the legions of young women dressed in their kawaii 可愛い outfits handing out flyers to their various establishments, mainly because there were enough foreigners on the street already doing the same:

My daughter enjoyed going into an arcade to play Taiko no Tatsujin 太鼓の達人, an activity I also enjoyed but which left my aging limbs somewhat exhausted:

 

She also tried her hand (no pun intended) at maimai マイマイ, though she was no match for the hardcore players who brought their own gloves with them to the arcade:

A typical Akihabara street scene. The arcade on the left is the one we spent time in:

For dinner we met up with Jun, an old friend of mine, and his charming daughter Mone, at a yakitori 焼き鳥 restaurant called Teketeke Akihabara てけてけ秋葉原. The food and conversation were equally fine, but in my beer-induced exhaustion I neglected to take any photos of my dinner companions:

To be continued, as my daughter decides what we should do in the largest city on earth...