Final Day in Tokyo! (Last entry, day 143)

This is the final entry for this blog! At least until the day when I return to Japan.

The day after the fireworks was the second to last day in Japan for everyone, and the last day would be mostly consumed by packing, travelling, and hanging out at the airport. So, we all kind of split up to do stuff we were individually interested in. I returned to Meiji-Jingu because I had forgotten to bring my stamp book the first time. I got a couple good pictures, but I'll just post the one for now:

Looks like there's something particularly special about that particular tiny bamboo gate. From there, I decided to check out the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. It's not as tall or grandiose as the Skytree, but it's free and is located in a completely different part of the city. It's got two towers, and I believe you can check out the view from either one. I tried to be there around sunset, but clouds moved in and ruined that idea.

From the street.

A small portion of the view, you can get about 270 degrees from either tower.

It quickly started getting dark from there. Next, I planned to check out Harajuku. It's the fashion hub of Tokyo and is known for all kinds of bizarre and interesting trends, as well as a variety of street performers. Because of the tangled mess that is the Tokyo subway system, it was about as fast to walk so I opted to save a couple dollars. On the way over I stumbled upon some of the only homeless people I saw in Japan, except for the guy who went into the konbini near my dorm to read the newspaper every morning. There were more than a few too. Several blocks of sidewalks were lined with little makeshift shanties.

You can't see any great detail, but the sidewalks under this bridge were lined on both sides with little shanties made of plastic and cardboard.

Yodobashi Camera! My favorite retail chain in Japan. I think I talked about this place in a Kyoto post a long while back.

This was just an interesting building. Shockingly, there was a Minnetonka Moccasin store in it! There were also shops throughout Harajuku representing every top of the line designer you can think of.

The train back to the hotel.

This is the final picture I took as I exited the Tokyo subway tunnel up to the hotel room for the last time. I hope you enjoyed this blog! If you liked the photos, I may start up another blog soon dedicated to photography and maybe some other art stuff. If I do I'll put a short informational post on here with a link.

More Tokyo! (Days 141, 142)

The next day, after recuperating in the room for awhile we went to Akihabara. Akihabara is like Japanese nerd Mecca. There are blocks and blocks of buildings with stories and stories of shops that sell comics, books, electronics, figures, and all other manner of geeky stuff. It's also got an element of sleaze, which was an interesting change of scenery after living in wholesome Kyoto for six months. I didn't really get any noteworthy pictures there. It was an overcast day and we were there in the afternoon so the neon signs weren't particularly interesting. You can see a decent picture of it here.

From there, we made a tenuous plan for the next 24 hours that somehow came together perfectly. First, David, Ed, and I decided to check out the famous Shibuya Crossing. Featured in many movies and famous photographs, Shibuya Crossing is like the Times Square of Tokyo. The crossing is placed alongside the busy Shibuya Station and serves as a 5-way intersection. Every few minutes, all traffic is halted, and the entire intersection floods with pedestrians for about a minute. This cycle basically runs at all times, day and night. We took the subway from Akihabara to Shibuya.

I feel like this is nearly the quintessential picture of a Tokyo subway car. I fiddled with the colors so it has a pretty vibrant blue/orange balance that I wanted to convey the artifical light/summer heat dynamic. Wow, I almost sound like a fine arts major.

That's the crossing. This picture isn't amazing, but it shows you the square as the pedestrians cross with the mall in the background.

This panorama is a little more aesthetically pleasing. I set the color saturation from high in the center around the neon signs and giant screens to zero on the edges. I think it creates a neat effect.

From Shibuya, we figured we had just enough time to check out the Sky Tree before close. At 2,080 ft., Tokyo Skytree is the tallest tower in the world and the second tallest structure overall after the Burj Khalifa. It broadcasts radio and television to the entire Kanto region (~50% larger than New Jersey), and is also a hot tourist destination with fantastic observation decks. It's about $20 to get to the deck at 350m, and another $10 to get up to the deck at 450m. Of course, we figured, "What's the point if you don't go all the way?" The lit up view of the city was absolutely amazing. Unfortunately, I didn't lug a tripod with me so I wasn't able to get great photos. (Good nighttime photography requires long exposure times and either a tripod or robotically steady hands) Still, I got a couple worth sharing:

Taken from the lower deck.

Taken from the upper deck, almost a mile above the Earth. Sure, that's peanuts compared to Fuji, but then again Fuji doesn't allow you to stand directly over the downtown of the world's greatest metropolis.

At this point, we decided we wanted to go to the Tsukiji Fish Market when it opened the next morning (5:00 AM). However, the buses don't run that early and cabs are too expensive so we were left with the option of walking or staying somewhere near the market. What we ultimately decided, was to stay the night in the cheapest internet cafe we could find near the market. 

After taking the subway to a station near the market, we walked a ways and came to a tall, skinny building, unremarkable among its neighbors. We climbed up a couple flights of stairs to an ugly brown door pocked with flyers. We stepped through and were greeted by the world as seen through a nicotine yellow filter. Just inside the door there was a service counter, behind which a young couple were apparently running things. Ed, in all his brilliance, forgot his passport, but I guess they take Michigan state driver's licenses as valid proof of ID.

After forking over a whole seven dollars each, we were led one by one by to our illustrious accommodations. Each of us was afforded a cracked and beaten pleather chair surrounded by 4 foot tall particleboard with nothing overhead except the distant yellowed corkboard ceiling tiles. It was not quite as spacious nor as private as a bathroom stall, and only marginally more comfortable. I wouldn't call it the seedy underbelly of Tokyo, but this was definitely off the tourist-beaten path. 

On the upside, we got unlimited soda, and they had Melon Fanta which is pretty tasty. There were also tons and tons of tobacco stained volumes of manga. I took a couple back to my cubicle, but was quickly reminded how poorly developed my Japanese reading skills are. After giving up on that, I rapidly drained my phone battery watching videos on my phone and then spent the remaining hours until we left doing my best sleeping person impression.

I mentally noted that despite its decided lack of luster, the establishment we were leaving was still probably the most reputable in the building.

We left well before dawn and made our way to the sushi restaurants near the market. We walked into one that David had picked out, as this was one of the rare Japanese subjects in which I was probably the least knowledgeable out of the group. However, whatever sensibilities I may lack with regard to seafood, I was at least able to appreciate the fantastic food we were served. It wasn't cheap either, the most expensive bluefin tuna ever auctioned went for almost $400 a pound.

Ed got the sample platter.

Both David and I got the Maguro (bluefin tuna) platter. The Otoro (bottom right) was one of the most unique and delicious things I've ever tasted. It had a rich buttery flavor and was unbelievably tender.

Once we were finished eating, the first rays of daylight were just peaking over the horizon. We made the short walk to the fish market proper to take it all in. The Tsukiji Fish Market was at one time Tokyo's best kept secret and only the most informed tourists would be lucky enough to experience this cultural phenomenon. Thanks to social media and the global dissemination of information though, it's now being overrun with oblivious, disrespectful tourists. Because of this, they are trying to move the market to a larger area with broader streets to accommodate all the increased attention. We tried our best not to get in anyone's way and be as respectful as possible, but we unfortunately got to see multiple groups of clueless tourists standing in the middle of busy intersections.

The activity steadily increased while we were there, and we decided to leave pretty early both out of respect for the workers and due to lack of sleep. We returned to the hotel and crashed until mid-afternoon. At that point we headed to the bay to check out the famous fireworks. What we learned is that to get a good spot you either have to know somebody, or buy a ticket 9 months in advance. I guess that's not that outrageous considering that it's one of the best fireworks festivals in the world, and Japanese people tend to plan way ahead of schedule as it is.

Look how far away we are, and yet in the foreground you can see hundreds of people sitting in paid seats.

Again, I was not situated for low-light photography, so I didn't get many great pictures. Actually, less than halfway through the show I decided to go into the mall. I was shortly joined by everyone else. We ate some food court chow and watched the new Mission Impossible. I have no regrets. If you are ever planning on seeing the Tokyo Bay Fireworks, reserve a good place waaaaay ahead of time or don't bother going.

Fuji-Q and Tokyo! (Days 139, 140)

The day after we climbed Fuji, we were all pretty exhausted. Stephen was getting a cold and Ed was feeling the after effects of altitude sickness, so they went on ahead to Tokyo while David and I went to Fuji-Q Highland! Fuji-Q Highland is a roller coaster theme park situated at the base of Mt. Fuji.

As I may have said in an earlier blog, I genuinely believe Japanese people enjoy waiting in lines. Americans dread standing in line, we cross our arms, impatiently tap our feet, and occasionally exchange looks of exasperation with our fellow prisoners as we fend off feelings of existential dread until finally it's our turn. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Japanese people take the opportunity to socialize, play games on their Gameboy 3DSes, Playstation Vitas, and smartphones, and generally enjoy being part of a group. It's a symptom of a collectivist society, individuals are more comfortable when part of a group. As one of my professors put it, Japanese kids almost always go to school even when they're sick, not because they're so dedicated to academia, but because they're more comfortable being part of the group than they are sitting in bed at home. Anyway, the extremely tangential point I'm getting to is that Japanese theme parks are a bit of a slog for Westerners since 5 hour long lines aren't at all strange.

We went on a weekday afternoon and still, the lines for all of the coasters were over an hour, with some being 3 or 4 hours. Consequently, we only rode about half of them before heading to Tokyo. Unfortunately, I didn't take many pictures, but I did take a few.

This ride had its own pizza parlor. Kinda weird.

I guess you can't tell from this angle, but this is the steepest rollercoaster in the world with a 135 degree drop. 

This is just fantastic advertising. 

Side note: This sign was near the "Ee Ja Nai Ka" (ええじゃないか) ride which was probably my favorite rollercoaster ever. I mean it was just a really awesome coaster, but it's kind of a weird name as Ee Ja Nai Ka is a phrase associated with a sort of spontaneously formed social movement that occurred at the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate and directly preceded the restoration of the Emperor (Meiji) as head of state. The phrase loosely translated means, "So what?" or "Who cares?" and was associated with growing resentment and defiance of the failing shogunate. It was sort of a hedonist, counterculture movement and was definitely more flower power than coup d'etat. I'm sure you're all very interested in 19th century social movements, but I suppose I'll move on anyway.

From Fuji we took a rapid express (much slower than Shinkansen) to Tokyo and by the time we checked into our hotel room it was well past dark so we pretty much just crashed.

Pretty early the next morning we got up and headed to Meiji Jingu, the spiritual shrine of the aforementioned Emperor. Emperor Meiji is arguably one of the most important people in Japan's history. During his reign the caste system was abolished, universal elementary education was established, and the country underwent industrial revolution. It's really unknown how much influence he had over these events though, as it's suspected that the men that put him in power and enacted these policies were acting autonomously i.e. not at the Emperor's direction.

Looking into the courtyard.

The main hub of the shrine is pictured in the center. Any closer than this and you couldn't take pictures.

The garden surrounding the shrine was at least as splendid as the shrine itself. Massive trees blanketed the entire grounds.

From Meiji-Jingu we just wanted to walk around Tokyo a bit and take it in, so we wandered around Shinjuku where our apartment was for awhile. One thing that sets the downtown apart from other major cities of the world is the vibrant signage and advertising all over everything.

It looks even crazier at night.

Godzilla stopped by, but he's gotta be on his best behavior since they made him tourism ambassador of Japan.

You may have noticed I edited most of these photos. It's hard to resist the urge to play around in Photoshop. This was taken just before sundown. The bridge is called the "Rainbow Bridge" but it's not all that colorful.

Did I mention Japan has a Gundam? There's a little 15 minute or so show that plays roughly every hour after the sun goes down. Really only its head and a couple other small parts move, but I honestly think that's pretty impressive considering it has to do it multiple times a night all year round.

Next time: Shibuya Crossing, Sky Tree, and other stuff!

Fuji-san (Days 137, 138)

Day 137 was pretty much all transportation. We took a bus from the hostel to Kyoto Station, then shinkansen (bullet train) from Kyoto Station to Mishima Station (south of Mt. Fuji), then a charter bus from Mishima Station to Yamanakako (lakeside town ENE of Mt. Fuji) and then walked about a mile to our guest house.

An outlying neighborhood of Kyoto, taken out the window of the shinkansen.

One of the more "rural" areas we passed by on shinkansen.

As I said before, the shinkansen took us as far as the south side of the mountain. We then took a bus around the mountain to the northeast side, to a small town called yamanakako. Then there was about a mile or so long walk to our guest house with all of our luggage. The guest house was awesome. I have some pictures on my phone that I may put on a later post, but none in my camera. We slept on traditional futon (bedrolls) on tatami and it was surprisingly comfortable. The bathroom was the best part though. In traditional Japanese houses the room where you bathe and use the toilet are separate (seems kind of logical if you think about it). As such, the entire bathroom is dedicated to cleaning yourself and just has a drain in the middle of the floor. Our bathroom had 4 shower heads and a huge tub in the corner. You basically scrub yourself clean in the shower and then soak in the tub for awhile. It's supremely relaxing, especially after long days of traveling, hiking, and mountain climbing.

Unfortunately, we couldn't find anything online about bus service to the mountain trail from our lodging. So, the next morning we got up early and walked all the way (10 km) to the nearest train station to take a train to the nearest bus hub to take a bus to the mountain's fifth station (about halfway up the mountain). Fortunately, the walk was very scenic. Here's a couple pictures, but they don't really do it justice:

The intensely weird train we rode to the bus hub.

Note the decidedly normal looking conductor.

So, we took a bus about halfway up the mountain (pretty much everyone does this unless they're masochists or something). Finally, we started our climb. There are 10 stations (numbered 1-8, 8.5, and 9) and you start from the fifth station. At the 6th station I donated 1000 yen to conservation for the mountain and got a sweet pin.

Even from the start point we were up in the clouds. This is somewhere above the 6th station.

This is a bit higher, probably above the 7th station. Vegetation is sparse.

I believe this was above the 8.5th station. Maybe change the sign to say "fallen rocks?" This looked really ominous.

This looks like pictures sent back from the the Curiosity Rover doesn't it?

Very near the summit. The clouds parted for a moment. We passed the rotted remains of a hut at one point that was completely smashed by a boulder. We later learned that was 9th station. Hopefully no one was inside at the time. At this height the lack of oxygen was really apparent. I was breathing like I was sprinting and I was moving very slowly.

This is the gate at the summit. There's about 20 more steps before you're actually on top.

Looking right from the previous picture.

The shrine at the summit. You bet I got that stamp. It was 1000 yen (~$8). Usually they're 300 (~$2.40). Honestly though, I would have paid pretty much any amount for it.

Panorama of the caldera at the summit. Oh, by the way, Fuji is a volcano if you didn't know.

Victory!

Looking over the edge.

From here, we started to descend. We didn't linger long at the summit, as we didn't want to be descending in the dark and Ed was struggling with the thin air. We got him a can of oxygen, but he was still a little loopy. 

Stephen and I were dumb though, and we wore stupid shoes. I mean, I didn't have any proper hiking boots, but I knew I was climbing Fuji so I should have bought some. The descent is supposed to be fun filled for prepared climbers, as it's just a bunch of crushed pumice. With the proper shoes you can slide down the mountain in under two hours. With sneakers, your shoes get destroyed and you have to stop every 100 feet to dump rocks out of them. So, the descent took us about 3 hours, except for David who went ahead and had enough time to eat a meal at the 5th station while waiting for us. Still got a couple awesome panoramas though:

Panorama taken from the slope a few hundred feet down.

Panorama taken from very near the 5th station at sunset.

That's all for now folks. Next time, Tokyo!