Blogs from Tokyo, Japan, Asia - page 259

Well, Ive been in tokyo now for a few days and have used the time to take one-day excursions to some fantastic sites. First up was Mt. Fuji. It is about a 2 hour bus ride from Tokyo to Shimodo-Yoshida where there is good viewing of the mountain. I grabbed a Japanesse pastry and a bottle of water and boarded the bus. I had the entire back area to myself with the nearest passenger 8 rows in front of me. I took off my shoes and sox, hit play on the MP3 player and wathed the Japan countryside roll by. I woke up about 2 hours later and outside the window is this gigantic image of Mt Fuji. I then find out from the bus driver that I missed my stop so I get off at ... read more

In the interests of being technological and up to date and all that, I feel that I have to spend a few minutes writing about the wonderful megalopolis we're currently winging our way around at lightning speed. With only 4 full days here and so much to see there's little point wasting much time sleeping, and we currently have a spare few minutes in our tightly planned itinerary so I thought I would do the first up-to-date blog of our travels so far. In only 2 days here is a list of the stuff we've seen and done - I'll keep it very tiny (in true Tokyo style). *Mount Fuji - from the 45th floor of the municipal government building *The Tokyo department store, Isetan, and its ceremonial opening - feeling like royalty as every staff ... read more

I woke to rain and cold as I prepared for my morning stretching (a must for my bad back). After my "western" breakfast which consisted of a hard boiled egg, some toast and tea, I adjourned to my room to prepare for my visits to the various temples and shrines that Nikko is most famous for. To my luck, the rain had subsided so I could enjoy a leisurely stroll through amazing gardens, shrines and temples. The cloudy skies coupled with the glistening created by the earlier rain made the gardens come alive with sweet smells. Being the ever wise businessman, I purchased a "combination ticket" to the many attractions. From the Rinnoji Garden and Temple which featured three large gold buddah-type statues, to the Tosyogu Shrine (whose entrance features a huge stone torri and finally ... read more

Cherry blossom season is Japan is truly beautiful. It lasts a short time and the locals certainly make the most of it. The term Haname has basically come to mean drink all you can under the shade of a cherry blossom tree. So, when in Rome… The Kiwi contingent celebrated Hanami at Yoyogi Park in central Tokyo. We had a great afternoon with a big group of people from all over the world, talking, laughing and of course drinking. We were even entertained by a roving group of Japanese belly dancers. A great afternoon was had by all, especially Storm who has now sworn off sake. Shortly after Hanami season Sarah returned to New Zealand to pursue her own adventure. So now it’s just me! ... read more

Voila, elles sont　arrivees, les fleurs de cerisiers Les Japonais sont tous dans l'espace. Sous le moindre cerisier en fleurs se pressent des passants avec leur telephones portables pour prendre des photos et les envoyer directement par mail. Dans les allees des temples, ils s'installent sur des baches, des nattes, des sacs plastiques, et regardent les fleurs. Les hommes d'affaires en costards, les "Office ladies" en tailleurs, les ecoliers , les mamies en kimono... tout le monde s'y met. Pour le plus grand bonheur des marchands de fritures, brochettes, sucreries en tous genres qui se sont installes devant chaque parc depuis quelques jours, en attendant que les fleurs apparaissent. C'est assez particulier, mais ca donne une ambiance tres conviviale. A bientot depuis Kyoto ! Dine et Seb... read more