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Another early start, we were up and out shortly after 6am, to see if we could get a sight of Mt. Fuji before the clouds formed - and we were lucky!
The mountain is incredibly imposing and domintaes the skyline, it also demands attention of anyone not used to it being there. The view over the lake at such an early hour was so beautfiful and peaceful and made a serene start to what we knew would be far busier later in the day. Another amazing sight was to watch clouds forming from the vapour rising from the mountain woods. It was awesome to watch the clouds form, lift from the trees and rise into the sky like smoke, before they drifted off to join the others.
After breakfast, whch was a Ham, Lettuce, Scrambled Egg, Fried Egg and Tomato sandwich in a freshly cooked bun (delicious), our generous hst took us up into the mountains to try and geta view of Fuji from above the clouds. Unfortunately by then the mountains were enshrouded in cloud and visability was down to the levels of Wednesday. As a result we came back down the mountain and then decided to
leave Hakone for Tokyo, so that we could spend the afternoon in the big city as the forecast for central Tokyo was better.
We arrived in the most populous city on earth (it now has a population of 35 million) just as the clocks struck midday and after the coolness of the last three days in the mountains the humid heat hit once again. We dropped off our bags and headed for the Japanese Metro. Now the London Underground & Paris Metro are easy to understand, but the Tokyo Metro is more difficult, with most stations having multiple lines running through them and some of the stations having more than a dozen exits, so finding your way around is more than a little fun!
Still, we found our way to the Tokyo Tower - a huge TV mast in the city centre along the lines of the Eiffel Tower. It rightly claims that it is taller than its Parisian countepart, however the tallest observation point is considerably lower than in France, with a maximum observation level at 250m. Anthony went with me to the lower point at 150m, but he didn't like the noticeable sway on the tower
The mighty Fuji
Rising into the morning skyat the lower height so opted out of a trip to the top. I went up and actually found the sway less noticeable there.
In the evening we headed out for Shinjuku, however by now it was pouring with rain. Like before it was the warm, just drops from the sky rain and not the cold, wind blown rain that whips into your face and chills you to the bone. So we made our way to Fuji, a karaoke bar! After a beer, I took the mic and sang - so that was one more thing we wanted to do on our trip to Japan and we've done it. In Japan it is taken as a serious business and some of them really give it their all, with performances the likes of X-Factor auditions. It was a great night out and a brilliant end to our first day in Tokyo.
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Gill
non-member comment
Stability!
Lego, Knex or Meccano its still doesn't look stable enough to stand let alone climb up! Very brave of you looking down through the glass floor. Have you been followed about in Tokyo or are Western faces more abundant in the big city? Enjoy the experience, soak up the atmosphere and be prepared to tell all on your return. Gill x