Blogs from Akasaka, Tokyo, Japan, Asia
November 11th 2011
8.11. Dumaguetesta Manilan kautta Hong Kongiin Lähdin vilkutellen kentälle pankkiautomaatin kautta, koska osa jäi vielä maksamatta Liquidiin. Olin säätänyt siten, että selviän kahdelle ATM nostolla, 10 000 pesoa per nosto eli maksimi. No eka nosto oli sitten 100 pesoa vaikka hakkasin siihen viisi nollaa. Kaksi viimesistä taisi sitten olla desimaaleja. No olin kentällä hyvissä ajoin ja otin vielä kahvin terminaalin ulkona olevassa baarissa. Sisällä kentällä ei ollut yhtään mitään. Kun lento oli alkanut, niin olin tosi huolissani. Mun kädet puutuivat täysin ja ihoa alkoi kihelmöimään ja mua nukuttamaan. Laskeutuessa mun oikea jalka(jossa joku tulehdus) alkoi ihan kunnolla jomottamaan. Ihon kihelmöinti ja unisuus ovat ensimmäiset lievät oireet sukeltajantaudista. Pelästyin ihan kunnolla vaikka kaiken pitäisi olla pinta-aikojen suhteen kunnossa. Kai se on k... read more
June 22nd 2011
I ♥ Tokyo. This is the greatest city that mankind could ever envisage. Clean, quiet, beautifully engineered, runs as smooth as a silk kimono, history effortlessly intertwined with modernism. Everything just works. It's as if the Japanese have worked out a way of transferring a Sim City game into real life Cars don't roar on the perfectly constructed roads, they purr. The pedestrian crossings sing a little tune as you cross them. The metro does too when the train is leaving. The streets look like they've just been paved, the parks newly planted. In fact, it's almost as if the whole city was only built yesterday. We often found ourselves surrounded by a skyline of large modern buildings, mostly constructed from sheets of earthquake-proof glass, which does make for a mostly grey view, but it ... read more
Asakusa, Sensoji Temple, Nakamise Shopping Street
Published: November 5th 2011Asia » Japan » Tokyo » Akasaka
November 20th 2010
We spent the afternoon wandering around the Asakusa Temple area - really fantastic on a Saturday afternoon! Lots of people and lots of things to see.... read more
June 2nd 2010
Mood- Inspired A delay for our first day/s update but we have been adjusting. Well first off we had very low expectations of how our international flight with Jetstar would be, {mainly due to negative feedback from friends past encounters}. However we were pleasantly surprised, staff were nice seats were comfortable. So many half-cast japanese kids on the plane and western partners that were fluent in Japanese. Really inspired to take lessons when i get back. We landed in Narita Tokyo and it was like an episode of The Amazing Race we had a strict curfew to be at the hotel before 9pm check in closed. On the way to the airport shuttle we stopped at the toilets, mind you I had read about the complexities of the Japanese toilet system prior but nothing prepared me ... read more
January 27th 2010
oLes vacances finissent avec cette dernière escale. C'est une courte escale mais elle est quand même très intéressante. Tokyo est une ville de 34 millions d'habitants mais tout est extrêmement propre et ordonné. Pas de trafic, pas de papiers qui trainent, tous les gens qui marchent dans une direction gardent le même coté du trottoir. Interdit de fumer dans les rues, il y a des fumoirs spéciaux. Les gens respectent la signalisation pour piéton respectueusement. La culture et le modernisme se retrouvent un peu partout, on peut voir des kimonos au travers des vestons cravattes et des styles gothics lolita. Pas beucoup de jeans et t'shirt, les gens sont tous habillés à la dernière mode assez branchée. La ville prend des allures complètement différente entre le jour et la nuit avec des lumières à en plus ... read more
August 22nd 2009
This is a dedication of sorts to those friends and family members that made the 7000 mile journey to Japan. Not only did our visitors provide a break in the monotony that comes with living overseas, but they provided just the catalyst we needed to get out and see Japan. We didn't need much motivation for some of our ski outings or trips abroad, but when you're getting ready for your 20th temple or shrine, it sure helps to have the enthusiasm that comes with first timers. And our visitors were just the necessary prod. They started arriving in March with Susan and Todd. Please see an earlier blog for our adventures with them. One thing to add about their visit though. We were probably the wildest with them, and with good reason. None of ... read more
March 6th 2009
What have we been up to since my last blog entry? One thing, really: shopping. We have shopped in Roppongi. We have shopped in Shibuya. We have shopped in Harajuka. We have shopped in Ginza. We have shopped in Akihabara. We have shopped in Sunshine City (an ironic name, really), a 60 floor building of restaurants, offices, cinemas and - can you guess? - shops! And believe it or not, I, the Queen of the Trafford Centre myself, have actually grown a little bored of shopping. I know, it was a shock to me too. But, don't worry, Mark is still going strong; I think he could peruse the endless aisles of manga quite happily for all of eternity. Yesterday was our well-needed break from Tokyo commerce, which coincided with blue skies and sunshine (our first ... read more
If you knew Sushi, like I know Sushi................
Published: December 7th 2008Asia » Japan » Tokyo » Akasaka
December 4th 2008
Tokyo, Tokyo, Tokyo and our last stop in Japan, it's been amazing in every way, it's been more that we could have wished for. Japan has something for everyone, the walkers, the talkers, the doers and the don'ters! It's a techie's wildest dream and a technophobe's vision of beauty just as long as they stay away from any of the big cities, we are neither techie's or phobe's and at times we have had trouble opening a handleless sliding door or flushing the toilet, it's worse when it's a handleless sliding door in a toilet. Tokyo is an incredible city cramming some of the best bits of Japan into one place including Mt Fuji! So arriving and exploring Tokyo it seemed very familiar, rather like visiting an old friend. We were old hands walking into the ... read more
November 28th 2008
Ameyoko Market - Akasaka, Tokyo, Japan Located under the Yamanote line tracks between Okachimachi and Ueno Station, Ameyoko Market proves to be a fun spot to check out while learning a little history as well. The name "Ameyoko" is a short for "Ameya Yokocho" (candy store alley), as candies were traditionally sold here. After the close of WWII, "Ame" was associated with "American" and the site became one of the best known black markets in Tokyo. Although no longer a place to buy illegal good and knockoffs (outdoors at least...), Ameyoko is definitely a thriving center of commerce. The stalls and shacks that line the streets sell everying...clothes, bags, cosmetics, fresh fish, dried food, skinned frogs, live turtles, whole pigs heads, chicken's achilles tendons/slices of lung/types of tripe/stomach lining, and spices. While walking down one street, ... read more
