Day 13 - Thursday 9 April - Tokyo
Didn't get a good sleep last night. Stubie was very sick and didn't sleep well :(
Slept til 8:30, but then taking care of Stubie and organising breakfast and trying not to hold up Nat and Andrew too much. So not a good morning. Got out the door around 11:30 with Nat and Andrew and we walked up to the Sony building to look at all the shinies. Then came back to the hotel to pick up the random camera and see how Stubie was going.
Headed out again, this time trying to find the other Shimbashi station for the Yurikamome line. Got sent on a very convoluted route by the underground signage. Found the station eventually and caught the elevated driver-less train over the Rainbow Bridge out to Odaiba.
Nat saw a building with Sega on it so went on a mission to find it. I saw a building with Golden Arches on it and went on my own mission heh. They actually got back very quickly because they needed entrance fees just to get in.
After lunch walked down to the Statue of Liberty clone and looked out at the Rainbow Bridge, before walking through the Star Trek-like promenades between the buildings. I came back early while the others continued their day on their own.
Got back to the hotel, and then went out with Stu to the doctor to get some more medication to replace what he lost. Expensive loss that was :( Hopefully he'll have a better night tonight.
That was at Harajuku. Went for a little walk to find somewhere to sit down in the big park, but no seats were to be found after ten minutes walking :( Ended up sitting in a gutter just outside Meiji Jingu shrine. Seriously Japan, what's with the lack of seating around?? It's one major gripe I have with this country.
Had a very quick look at the shrine, then came back to Harajuku and caught a train up to Shinjuku. We actually arrived there at 6pm. So getting through the busiest station in the world at the busiest time of day. Was pretty crazy :):):)
Followed the signs to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building, and the north tower observation deck. It was just getting dark so got to see all the pretty lights. Smsed Andrew to see if they wanted to join us, so they came over from Tokyo as well. Ended up being up there for two hours - whoops!
Came back down and Nat wanted to go to Sizzler (we told her we'd passed one on the way to the towers). So we went and found that. Strangely enough it was quite probably the healthiest meal we've had all trip! Heaps of vegetables that we'd been missing out on by eating at fast food places and generally eating badly. Natto ate heaps more than Stu which was scary heh ;)
And finally wandered back here very late...
Steps walked today: 19417
Photos taken by me: 158
Photos taken by Stu: 47
Slept til 8:30, but then taking care of Stubie and organising breakfast and trying not to hold up Nat and Andrew too much. So not a good morning. Got out the door around 11:30 with Nat and Andrew and we walked up to the Sony building to look at all the shinies. Then came back to the hotel to pick up the random camera and see how Stubie was going.
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Fujiya Building, Ginza
Headed out again, this time trying to find the other Shimbashi station for the Yurikamome line. Got sent on a very convoluted route by the underground signage. Found the station eventually and caught the elevated driver-less train over the Rainbow Bridge out to Odaiba.
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Rainbow Bridge from the train to Odaiba
Nat saw a building with Sega on it so went on a mission to find it. I saw a building with Golden Arches on it and went on my own mission heh. They actually got back very quickly because they needed entrance fees just to get in.
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Nat and a Cat :)
After lunch walked down to the Statue of Liberty clone and looked out at the Rainbow Bridge, before walking through the Star Trek-like promenades between the buildings. I came back early while the others continued their day on their own.
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Statue of Liberty and Rainbow Bridge
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Odaiba promenade
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Plane coming into land at Haneda airport, with the Telecom Building and the Flame of Freedom
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Fuji TV Headquarters
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Daikanransha - one of the world's largest ferris wheels, 115m high, at Palette Town
Got back to the hotel, and then went out with Stu to the doctor to get some more medication to replace what he lost. Expensive loss that was :( Hopefully he'll have a better night tonight.
That was at Harajuku. Went for a little walk to find somewhere to sit down in the big park, but no seats were to be found after ten minutes walking :( Ended up sitting in a gutter just outside Meiji Jingu shrine. Seriously Japan, what's with the lack of seating around?? It's one major gripe I have with this country.
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Tori at entrance of Yoyogi Park, Harajuku
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Sake barrels? in Yoyogi Park
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Meiji Shrine in Yoyogi Park
Had a very quick look at the shrine, then came back to Harajuku and caught a train up to Shinjuku. We actually arrived there at 6pm. So getting through the busiest station in the world at the busiest time of day. Was pretty crazy :):):)
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"Eye" in Shinjuku subway area. Given the sheer numbers of people walking past this,
I was impressed to be able to get this photo at all!
Followed the signs to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building, and the north tower observation deck. It was just getting dark so got to see all the pretty lights. Smsed Andrew to see if they wanted to join us, so they came over from Tokyo as well. Ended up being up there for two hours - whoops!
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Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office
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Moorise over Tokyo from the Metropolitan Government Office
Photo by Stu
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Park Hyatt Hotel (where they filmed Lost in Translation)
Came back down and Nat wanted to go to Sizzler (we told her we'd passed one on the way to the towers). So we went and found that. Strangely enough it was quite probably the healthiest meal we've had all trip! Heaps of vegetables that we'd been missing out on by eating at fast food places and generally eating badly. Natto ate heaps more than Stu which was scary heh ;)
And finally wandered back here very late...
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Station signs in Shinjuku station. I'm kicking myself I never got a recording of the train
announcements that told you which lines to get for which trains..!
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This is the emptiest we ever saw a Tokyo train!
Steps walked today: 19417
Photos taken by me: 158
Photos taken by Stu: 47
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