June 1, 2009

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The Grand Meiji

June 1, 2009 in Current Events | No comments

Today was the walk to end all walks I think. Started with the skyline of Shinjuku which pretty much looks like this:

shinjuku

Pretty incredible! Lonely Planet says that Shinjuku has the most skyscrapers of all Tokyo and I believe it. I went for a stroll which took me quite a bit away from probably the biggest subway/train station I have ever seen. Shinjuku station is floors of malls, restaurants, pubs, deli’s, posh restaurants, fashion. The place is divided into east and west. East is a rather incredible place with a variety of interesting elements. Have to be seen to be believed. West is the land of what my daughter calls “skyscratchers”. So many that almost defy belief. Some are shaped strange and have hotels on various floors. Others are just awesome.

Then I left there and decided that Tokyo is the land of differences and went to Meiji-jingumae. This is where the restored Meiji shrine sits in a beautiful, peaceful and rather longish up and down hill walk. Check it out!

meiji-jingu

You cannot take photographs past the gate you see above so this is the best it gets. What can I say about the park? Lonely planet described it as the most peaceful spot in Tokyo and I believe it.

Then coming home I got mixed up and did not do the stations right and had to walk about 1.5 miles back to the hotel. Oh well, today was a day of walking. Feet are tired, body is tired; but I feel good!  Tomorrow is it for me and I come back home to work, family, stuff. I think stuff is going to get more significant but family always rules. I bought some momentoes at the shrine for the wife and kidlets. Wife will appreciate; kids will not. They always want more.

Contrasts – Shinjuku to Meiji-Jingu

June 1, 2009 in Current Events, Ideas | No comments

My Lonely Planet book tells me that today I will see soaring skyscrapers and wondrous serene parks with reconstructions of ancient temples faithfully executed. I’ve come up with a simple way to plan the day out which works for me each day. First off, I need the day pass on the Metro. For just 700 yen, it cannot be beat as a tourist value. I’ve also learned how to exercise the various and sundry routes. Look at the routes and trains below.

Wow! That’s a lot of places and a lot of lines that go all over the place. It took me a day or so to get myself familiar with how to get around but some practice on the system pays off. Now I can plan out the trip.  Anyways, here is what I do:

  1. First I need coffee in the morning so I call room service. I’m pampering myself a bit so this is a nice indulgence.
  2. Then I look at the Lonely Planet guidebook and my trusty subway map and target an area. I’ve picked geographies that are closer to each other in Tokyo. Like first day it was Yuen and Asakusa. Then next day a bit south around Akihabara and the Tokyo Imperial Place.
  3. Next I plot out what trains I will need to take. I try to consider all the stops I want to make so I can see what goes where. This saves me a bit of confusion time.
  4. Next, another cup of coffee over breakfast :)
  5. Then, its time to prepare. I suggest a daypack or shoulder bag to carry needed stuff. For me its, glasses, guidebook, subway map, pen and paper. I try to write down what I see but am not too good at that part.

If you stay at the ANA Hotel, the nearest Tokyo Metro station is merely yards away. Walk out the Level 2 lobby entrance, walk down the street, voila! On the train its fun. I sacrificed my seat to two older Japanese women and they laughed, blushed, and bowed and took the seat. Riding the subway is just fun. All announcements are in english, train names are in both, each stop is numbered. Can you say, “cannot get lost?” Well, you can and I have here. I got all turned around and a kindly policeman showed me that a subway station was only about 100m away. I thanked him effusively for his kindness to stupid tourists. He just smiled and in almost collegiate english informed me that they were used to such questions and that no question is stupid besides the one not asked.

So, in essence, that’s how I do Tokyo each day. I pick an area, plot its location on maps, research it a bit. But I always change in mid-stream which makes the travel more like what I told my friend Todd at work. “We blindfold ourselves and hop on the next subway”. I wish Todd could be here. I missed the last chance to do Tokyo with him January of this year.