Japan
This is my belated entry of pictures and stories
from Japan (June-July 2005)
Since returning, I have been smitten with Apple-itis. I am writing this on a new Powerbook, listening to tunes on a new iPod, and blogging on iBlog. Therefore, here is an iPlug. Welcome to Japan...
Since returning, I have been smitten with Apple-itis. I am writing this on a new Powerbook, listening to tunes on a new iPod, and blogging on iBlog. Therefore, here is an iPlug. Welcome to Japan...
Our first day in
Tokyo:
Smoggy, hot, and gray. And you can barely see Tokyo Tower!
Time to hit the air conditioned malls with my sister Mari:
we see that Engrish is in full effect.
We step outside that evening to a gorgeous (in japanese, Go--jes) view of Tokyo Bay. The Rainbow Bridge connects Tokyo to the futuristic tourist and shopping area known as Odaiba. The Daiba (meaning fort) were large man made islands built at the end of the Edo Period (1603-1868) to protect Tokyo from attacks by sea. Now, one has been converted into a popular area for couples, tourists, and those hunting down a bargain. Tokyo Tower is the reddish orange spike in the distant right.
We start the next day at the train station. Mari and Mom wondering which track to take:
A typical day in the trains. The Yamanote Line circles Tokyo and hits all the major districts and arrives every 2-3 minutes. What was really amazing was that the hundreds of trains that encircle and bisect the city were all on time to within seconds.
(Please don't take my camera!)
We arrive in a popular shopping district called Harajuku. Famous for its teeny-bopper fashion at Takeshita-Dori, top brand name stores at Omotesando, and the illusive Kos-Play-Zoku, Mari and I marvel at the fashion...
The weird
clothing at the Takenoko store may be for the cos-play zoku. This is a group
(gang??) of middle school and high school girls that dress in elaborate costumes
and congregate in Harajuku on the weekends. Unfortunately, i couldn't get any
pictures. So...more elaborate than like the guys in the pictures above? Mari
and i made a joke of "roar-ing" like lions when we saw the 80's glam-rock
look.
That evening we met up with cousins and grandparents on my mom's side. Unfortunately, our grandmother wasn't doing so well, and she couldn't really speak, but it was nice to see everyone. My little cousin Tomo grew so much (he's now runs a successful restaurant and drives a fat benzo)!! The last time I saw him, he was about 10 years old.
Left to Right, clockwise from the bottom: Cousin Tomo, me, aunt Atsuko, grandfather Kenji, grandmother Keiko, mom Ayako, sister Mari, cousin Yuki, and new cousin in law David-san! (congratulations!)
The next day we are off to Iwate on the Bullet Train (Shinkansen) to visit my dad's side of the family. The train below is the E2 series, J4 line Yamabiko servicing Tokyo to Morioka in Northern Japan. Its max speed is 170 miles per hour!
A few hours later, we are in the Iwate prefecture, maybe 250 miles north of tokyo, in the town of Ishidoriya. My father's family are farmers. A view of their house:
Aunt Setsuko harvesting cucumbers:
And uncle Norio packages them up. Note the clock in the lower right...it is 5:30am!
While later, grandma talk to her son in the US on cell phone:
Mari is enjoying the clean air and green, open, rice fields. The air is much cooler and cleaner in the north, compared to Tokyo. It is less humid, less muggy, and more comfortable to us northern californians.
Mari learns about tractors
During the day, more family arrives:
This is our x-punk rocker aunt Junko from sendai (who still rocks purple hair), and her brother Norio (who runs the farm). They are both older siblings to my Dad.
And my second cousins Izumi (left) and Shu (right). Izumi and Shu love to download music, and play on line games, and are into american and british rock bands. The last time I saw them, they were practically babies. Wow have they grown up!
(fyi...chocopie's are to die for!!)
That night, I meet up with my very good friend and cousin Kazuhiko. We are the same age, and we have fond memories of going to school together in Japan, causing trouble, catching frogs, hunting down the kabutomushi (Allomyrina Dichotoma: http://beetlegate.hyperlink.cz/beetles-sides/Allomyrina_dichotoma.htm ) and building and racing electric cars. We are now Ojisan (older men) and are onto other troublesome behavior. Kanpai!!
And we have a huge feast. Everybody "peeeace!" (this is what the japanese do in front of cameras, throw out the peace sign).
Left to Right, Clockwise: Uncle Norio, me, cousin Kazuhiko, cousin Shu, aunt Tomoko, grandmother Tama, aunt Setsuko, aunt Junko, cousin Izumi, Mari, Mom.
And since it is the 3rd of July, we need to celebrate Independence day, so how bout some fireworks!
Group shot! Happy 3rd of July!
We leave Iwate, and head to Gifu to watch cormorant fishermen. Stay tuned for Part 2!!
Smoggy, hot, and gray. And you can barely see Tokyo Tower!
Time to hit the air conditioned malls with my sister Mari:
we see that Engrish is in full effect.
We step outside that evening to a gorgeous (in japanese, Go--jes) view of Tokyo Bay. The Rainbow Bridge connects Tokyo to the futuristic tourist and shopping area known as Odaiba. The Daiba (meaning fort) were large man made islands built at the end of the Edo Period (1603-1868) to protect Tokyo from attacks by sea. Now, one has been converted into a popular area for couples, tourists, and those hunting down a bargain. Tokyo Tower is the reddish orange spike in the distant right.
We start the next day at the train station. Mari and Mom wondering which track to take:
A typical day in the trains. The Yamanote Line circles Tokyo and hits all the major districts and arrives every 2-3 minutes. What was really amazing was that the hundreds of trains that encircle and bisect the city were all on time to within seconds.
(Please don't take my camera!)
We arrive in a popular shopping district called Harajuku. Famous for its teeny-bopper fashion at Takeshita-Dori, top brand name stores at Omotesando, and the illusive Kos-Play-Zoku, Mari and I marvel at the fashion...
The weird
clothing at the Takenoko store may be for the cos-play zoku. This is a group
(gang??) of middle school and high school girls that dress in elaborate costumes
and congregate in Harajuku on the weekends. Unfortunately, i couldn't get any
pictures. So...more elaborate than like the guys in the pictures above? Mari
and i made a joke of "roar-ing" like lions when we saw the 80's glam-rock
look.That evening we met up with cousins and grandparents on my mom's side. Unfortunately, our grandmother wasn't doing so well, and she couldn't really speak, but it was nice to see everyone. My little cousin Tomo grew so much (he's now runs a successful restaurant and drives a fat benzo)!! The last time I saw him, he was about 10 years old.
Left to Right, clockwise from the bottom: Cousin Tomo, me, aunt Atsuko, grandfather Kenji, grandmother Keiko, mom Ayako, sister Mari, cousin Yuki, and new cousin in law David-san! (congratulations!)
The next day we are off to Iwate on the Bullet Train (Shinkansen) to visit my dad's side of the family. The train below is the E2 series, J4 line Yamabiko servicing Tokyo to Morioka in Northern Japan. Its max speed is 170 miles per hour!
A few hours later, we are in the Iwate prefecture, maybe 250 miles north of tokyo, in the town of Ishidoriya. My father's family are farmers. A view of their house:
Aunt Setsuko harvesting cucumbers:
And uncle Norio packages them up. Note the clock in the lower right...it is 5:30am!
While later, grandma talk to her son in the US on cell phone:
Mari is enjoying the clean air and green, open, rice fields. The air is much cooler and cleaner in the north, compared to Tokyo. It is less humid, less muggy, and more comfortable to us northern californians.
Mari learns about tractors
During the day, more family arrives:
This is our x-punk rocker aunt Junko from sendai (who still rocks purple hair), and her brother Norio (who runs the farm). They are both older siblings to my Dad.
And my second cousins Izumi (left) and Shu (right). Izumi and Shu love to download music, and play on line games, and are into american and british rock bands. The last time I saw them, they were practically babies. Wow have they grown up!
(fyi...chocopie's are to die for!!)
That night, I meet up with my very good friend and cousin Kazuhiko. We are the same age, and we have fond memories of going to school together in Japan, causing trouble, catching frogs, hunting down the kabutomushi (Allomyrina Dichotoma: http://beetlegate.hyperlink.cz/beetles-sides/Allomyrina_dichotoma.htm ) and building and racing electric cars. We are now Ojisan (older men) and are onto other troublesome behavior. Kanpai!!
And we have a huge feast. Everybody "peeeace!" (this is what the japanese do in front of cameras, throw out the peace sign).
Left to Right, Clockwise: Uncle Norio, me, cousin Kazuhiko, cousin Shu, aunt Tomoko, grandmother Tama, aunt Setsuko, aunt Junko, cousin Izumi, Mari, Mom.
And since it is the 3rd of July, we need to celebrate Independence day, so how bout some fireworks!
Group shot! Happy 3rd of July!
We leave Iwate, and head to Gifu to watch cormorant fishermen. Stay tuned for Part 2!!
Posted: Wed - August 17, 2005 at 07:02 PM
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Published On: Jul 15, 2007 11:24 PM
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Published On: Jul 15, 2007 11:24 PM