24 hour layover in Tokyo

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This is my first travel blog entry, and as such it is my trial run for entering text and pictures so that when I take my next trip, this time to China and Southeast Asia, I will be able to provide credible blog entries. I have enjoyed reading travelblog for several months now in anticipation of this next trip, and am ready to dive in.

Although I presently do not fit the normal profile, being retired and prefering more upscale accommodations (and spelling words correctly), I once was young and adventurous. While a high school senior I treked by myself to the top of the highest mountain in Thailand (Doi Inthanon), sleeping in hill tribes huts along the way. I surveyed the top of the mountain for a radar station, and found that the highest point was actually a ridge over from where King Inthanon was buried. After college I returned to to this mountain to build the road to the top and construct the radar station, where we cut several meters off the top for the radar, so that King Inthanon's grave is one the highest point. After high school graduation I Eurailpassed through 19 European countries in 21 days... but that is another story. For my first blog, I have chosen a rather special trip I took in May-June 2007.

Two years ago I took my three children, Tamara (21), Rosanna (19), and Will (17), for their first rip to Asia. They were born in Belgium, and had traveled extensively troughout Europe, and since our return to the U.S. in 1995, had endured road trips to all 50 states, but had never been to Asia. My wife had lived in Thailand right after we were married right out of college, so was not interested in joining us...it would ruin her fond memories of her time there. I strongly recommend against spending your first two years of marriage with servants who cook and do the washing and gardening!

Anyway, I was born in Thailand, so I wanted my kids to experience this part of the world. So I cashed in 240,000 frequent flyer miles, and booked four round trip tickets from Denver to Bangkok, which allowed for one stop over. I selected Tokyo as I had never visited Japan before. I recognize that 24 hours in a place doesn't do it justice, but my usual practice is to return for longer stays at places I have enjoyed if only for a brief time (hence, my living in Europe for 18 years after enjoying Eurailpassing for 21 days).

As we live in Woodland Park, Colorado, about 2 hours from Denver International Airport, and our flight left at 8:30 AM, we chose to stay at an airport hotel the night before (with the added advantage that the hotel provided free parking for two weeks, which essentially paid for the hotel room). We departed Denver on May 23, 2007, and landed at Narita, Japan at 2:10 PM on 24 May without any night thanks to the International Date Line. After checking all luggage except an overnight bag each (which is expensive, but worth not having to carry luggage on trains/subways), and using the ATM for cash we took the hour long Keisei trainride into Ueno Station. After taking a seat and becoming accustomed to my surroundings, I noted that the pictograms indicated that the seat I was in was reserved for people with crutches, pregnant ladies, and people with bad hearts (I hope I have painted appropriate pictures in your mind). As an older couple approached, I gave up my seat, but they declined...apparently my assumption that they had bad hearts was incorrect. I hope they weren't insulted! At Ueno station we treansferred to the Hirabachi-Ginza subway, which took us to within a block of our hotel...the Courtyard at Ginza (which consumed most of my remaining Marriott points). Although we were tired after the long flight, it was still early, and we were in the heart of the Ginza District. All three kids had different ideas of how to spend the evening. Tamara wanted to sleep. Will wanted to eat. And Rosanna wanted to go to the Kabuki Theater with me. So we had a quick snack and drink at the hotel bar (free to commemorate their grand opening...you will have noted by now that I still try to travel cheaply...a peny saved is a penny that can be spent on the next trip), and Tamara went off to bed. I took Will to a nearby department store, and found their food floor where he was able to satisfy his appetite. Rosanna and I then proceeded to the Kabuki Theater around the corner. Kabuki can last hours, but you can by tickets for individual acts in the upper deck, which in our case was standing room only. It was also very warm...heat rises! Needless to say, we didn't last more than an hour, before heading back to the hotel.

With jet lag, we woke very early, which was fine since the first event on our itinerary was a visit to the Tsukiji Fish market. The girls wanted to sleep in, so Will and I walked the few blocks to the market. I hope I can add some pictures since words cannot describe the sights and smells (pictures can't capture that so you must use your imagination) of an enclosed area the size of several football fields filled with every sort of fresh seafood. We were especially spellbound as they prepared fillets from huge frozen tuna. Come to think of it, it was better that the girls stayed back at the hotel as they do not appreciate blood and guts; especially Rosanna who is a vegetarian. We returned to the hotel to collect the girls for our morining tour of Tokyo. Ginza streets are empty early Saturday mornings, so we window shopped on the way to the Imperial Palace Gardens. The gardens were beautifully manicured. Japanese school girls asked to have photos taken with my kids. The palace moat and walls were a picturesque background.

We then took a subway to Asakusa, one of the oldest parts of Tokyo, where we wandered the Nakamise Dori, a narrow lane leading to the Sensoji Temple, which was founded in 628 to house the goddess of mercy and happiness. The kids bought souveniers in the shops lining the lane. We then returned to Ginza (by now the stores were open), and toured the Sony Building to see what products might hit the American market in the distant future. We returned to the hotel by noon to check out; then took the subway to the Ueno Station. We tried hard to kind a restaurant as most were crowded. I eventually asked some patrons in a noodle shop to reorganize their seating arrangements (two people were occupying tables for four), which they graciously accepted, but our greatest challenge was ordering. I pointed to pictures of various manu items and to dishes that others were eating, but somehow we ended up with plain rice or noodles, without vegetables or meat. We were not particularly fond of Japanese food. After lunch we visited Ueno Park, with its many shrines, pagodas, statues, and museums. We had intended to visit the Tokyo National Museum, but there was a long line to get in, and we had to catch the 2:30 train back to Narita...which we did and caught the 6:30 flight to Bangkok, landing there at 11:00 PM.

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Photos

Tsukiji Fish Market
Filleting Tuna