Springing into Singapore and Japan.

[GarrettM]

Have I mentioned how much I love the JR Yamanote line. I think it's gone a long way to ensuring we get extra value out of our JR Passes.

Certainly makes me glad I bought the 21 day passes, and made sure I made the start date our first day in Japan. I almost put a different date as I wasn't sure. But luckily got it right.

Back on the loop line from the Imperial Precinct and up a couple stops to Akihabara.

My goodness, what a sight.



It's a geek's paradise. I suspect probably a pevert's too. But there's also something for the casual observer too.

Started off in the Akihabara Radio Kaikan. 10 storeys off cramped hobby shops, card shops, doll shops, and various other Japanese curios. Tough to get the pram through the hordes but we managed to check out a few levels.

Again I'll let the pics speak for themselves for the most part.

 

[GarrettM]

You can create your own perfect doll though. Seems busty is the way to go.




We then walked around a little more, passing plenty of places displaying this sort of gear.



If anime cough is your thing (it's not mine but I don't judge) this is the place to be.

Japanese cough is a funny thing, in that the country seems so conservative in general, but then has such a well-known cough sub-culture.

I actually found a stick mag in our apartment - under the manuals for all the appliances. They pixel out all the important stuff. I had read that somewhere, but it was funny to see. Very strange.

Of course you have to have large images of bikini clad girls too.



The wife tried to get a pic of one of the girls in costume touting one of the eateries. I think the girl was on to her though.



You can get your electric toilet seat here of course. Next to the rice cookers and heaters.

 

[GarrettM]

So much strangeness. And places to store it!

 

[GarrettM]

By now it was lunchtime, so we found the only place big enough to accomodate our trio.

Carl's Jr! Hardly traditional local fare but what can you do. Burgers were certainly tasty, and bub always enjous chips.



There was a cat cafe upstairs, but they don't allow young children. Seems reasonable really. Supposed to be a relaxing place. We did sneak a few pics from outside though.





There are also owl cafes. Again no kids.

But we found an owl outside. Beautiful creatures they are.



Some more walking around followed.



And then it was home time again.

 

[GarrettM]

Sunday, April 30 was to be our last full day in Tokyo. I had a ticket to go see a football match in the afternoon, but first we were off to check out the Meiji Shrine.

On a Sunday. At the start of Golden Week.
Light crowds then.


That's a big gate.


The main buildings are being renovated and are closed off, but we toured through some of the grounds.



The crows (ravens) here sport serious weaponry. With beaks like that a group of these things could definitely murder.

 

[GarrettM]

The main entry to the shrine lined on the right with covered sake barrels, as tributes to the departed Emperor and Empress.



And on the left side, some of Europe's finest vintners have sent barrels of their own product, in some sort of reciprocal arrangement I think. But I am not sure.

 

[GarrettM]

The Empress Shoken enjoyed wetting a line, so Meiji had a fishing area created for her. Quite a few big carp in there now.

And birds too. I'm no ornithologist, but I think this one is a white one of some kind.



A pavillion.

 

[GarrettM]

The entry to the courtyard.



Plenty more fortunes being dished out to those who seek.



And we even got to see a glimpse of a traditional wedding!



Quite warm under all that I reckon, although no different to a suit I guess. I felt a little bad for the procession with so many strangers in there gawking and taking pics. A lot of people seemed to ignore polite directions to give the wedding party space as they walked through the courtyard. Time and place people.

 

[GarrettM]

We've been looking to get as many stamps as possible for bub. Something she can enjoy when she's a little older, and maybe a collection she can build on in the future. She already enjoys getting them when we do find them. They're hard to find at some temples though.



We then left the temple as we wanted a snack and the wife was keen to find a jumper for the young'un.

So some random Harajuku pics.

Cats up in the cat cafe.



Alf on TV in the little coffee joint.



A bloke walking his cats. Or whatever he's doing.

 

[GarrettM]

Time now for a match report from Ajinomoto Stadium in Chofu, Tokyo, where your correspondent has been taking in the clash between FC Tokyo and Sanfrecce Hiroshima.



It was an enjoyable atmosphere and an on ok game, without too many absolute goal chances.

The most likely moments in the first half both came late, and both through free kicks.

Firstly, Hiroshima had a chance when one of its players was brought down just outside the box on the left. The right foot free kick seemed to be going in until the Tokyo keeper managed to claw it out with a very good save.



Not long after FC Toky had their own free kick. The kick was made by No 6, and although the keeper was stranded, the ball bounced off the cross bar and the Hiroshima defence was able to clear.

On the overall balance of play I think Tokyo were the better side, despite Hiroshima testing the opposition goalkeeper more.

And the home side scored the winning goal midway through the second half. The ball fell to an unmarked player from a corner, and he duly scored with the help of a slight deflection, although I suspect the ball was going in either way.

Hiroshima had one or two chances after that to level, but couldn't do so.

I left a minute or so before the final whistle to avoid the serious rush for the train.

Overall it was a pretty enjoyable experience.


Here's Socceroo Nathan Burns, an unused substitute for FC Tokyo.


The visiting fans were vocal.



I had a funny moment at half-time. The only thing close enough for me to buy from the vendors was some KFC. My limited Japanese is enough for me to say I want to eat a particular thing, or buy it. But I can't read anything, except for the odd but of out of context katakana, which is almost useless.

So I decided on the 4 piece chicken box, and pointed to what I assumed was it. I paid the 1100Y listed as the price and walked away.

It wasn't till I was almost back at my seat that the poor lass from the vendor caught me, apologising profusely for having to bring me my change.

Turns out I'd only purchased a box of fried potato pieces, for half the money I had handed over.

I'd read that merchants were known to chase customers down in order to return money, but this was the first time I'd experienced such a thing.

I felt bad for the girl. I also felt bad because I'd really felt like that chicken after a couple of beers. But it's probably for the best I had to settle for the potato.

 

[docjames]

Just wanted to say i'm really enjoying the TR including the commentary and especially all the photos.

 

[GarrettM]

Just wanted to say i'm really enjoying the TR including the commentary and especially all the photos.

Cheers. I'm almost two weeks behind now, and unlikely to catch up anytime soon.

Still have Kanazawa, Fukui Dinosaur Museum, Osaka/Kyoto, Hiroshima, and now Fukuoka to go. Plus some random musings and other observations.

 

[GarrettM]

Monday April 30 and it's time to leave Tokyo and head to Kanazawa. That means a ride on the Hokuriku Shinkansen Line, and this beast.

View attachment 97302

As Mugatu said when seeing Zoolander's Magnum look for the first time, "Dear God. It's beautiful".



But it's in between services and they shunt it out of the way for a different loco to use the platform.

View attachment 97303

And while I'm snapping pics of this baby, her twin sister arrives!

View attachment 97304

Meanwhile over on another platfrom the ugly step-sister in this family is being shunned.

View attachment 97305

 

[GarrettM]

No pics of on board. It's not really that interesting.
Aside from the menu I mean.

I know mouth feel is a genuine culinary term, but it still makes me laugh.



Ok. On this trip I've eaten whole cooked smelt, chicken hearts on a stick, beef tongue, beef sinew, unspecified tendons, the liver of something I didn't quite catch, and assorted roe of various fish. But I have to draw a line somewhere, and this is it.



Can also buy souvenirs of the train, and as I am uber-touristy I did.

A Hakutake keyring for me, and a Hello Kitty towel for bub. This cat merchandises EVERYTHING!

 

[Magpie10]

Thanks great read so far. Travelling with toddlers certainly has it challenges, who would have thought getting food would be one of them...

 

[GarrettM]

Monday May 1.
Kanazawa, or as we came to think of it, the City that Could Have Been.

Some background. We were heading to an AirBNB in the Nomachi precinct. We'd asked a few days in advance for the exact location and instructions for access.
MrsGM said she received an email with the details, and had saved images so everything should be ok.
But the link she was sent didn't work, and somewhere along the way I misunderstood what she had told me. So the night before when she asked me if I wanted to look at the instructions I said no because I figured I'd read them on the train.

All this meant when we arrived, we had no info on where we needed to go, and no ready internet to contact the host. We got online at the station, and she sent a message to our host, but we had no idea when we'd get a reply.

So we had to fork out another $240 for a night at Hotel Kanazawa. We were both furious at each other. Me, because I try to plan things to avoid these sort of mishaps, and felt it could have been avoided. And her, because she swears she explained to me fully the information we did and did not have, and I ignored her. I guess the truth is in the middle somewhere.

Turns out we got a reply from the host minutes after paying for our room, which was highly aggravating. But the damage was done.

Oh well.

 

[GarrettM]

Anyway, the hotel was ok. Nothing special, but also nothing to complain about.
Right next to the strain station, with views of the city.

 

[GarrettM]

We went to find a restaurant that had been touted in the Lonely Planet, but the building was clearly under renovation or something, so it was a no go.
But we found a place we thought was called A Shoobie Doobie, although now i am not so sure as can't seem to find it online or on a map.
It was a strange fusion sort of place, with one cook and only one waitress. Guess Monday's are quiet.
Food was ok though. A cheeseburger pizza, snow crab pasta, vegetable sticks, and of course a beer.

 

[ermen]

I am enjoying your comprehensive TR

 

[GarrettM]

More updates to take my mind off our God awful housing situation...

Kanazawa Tuesday May 2.

Check out of our hotel and taxi to our AirBNB in Nomachi. This is in an older building, with a semi-traditional screen divider between the rooms. Also, the toilet is right off the kitchen. Seriously I could have sat on it and reached out to eat breakfast. Needless to say we'd be taking our meals elsewhere.

The bedrooms...





The kitchen and dining. That's the door to the bathroom there. The toilet is to the left of the dining chair.



Our quaint little neighbourhood, which we didn't really explore all that much.