Travel diary
Shiny Japan 2005
Day eleven - August 17
Ryogoku and Yokohama
Ryogoku was a rather silent place and despite some orientation problems after getting off at the JR station Ryogoku it was not too hard to find the Tokyo Edo Museum. It rather looked like a school or a train station from outside but honestly, how should a museum actually look like?
I didn't expect that I would be 2 hours inside. Museums might sound boring to some people but I was surprised how many interesting things were exhibited there. At the ticket booth the personnel kindly explained all one needs to know about tickets and locations (since there was no obvious entrance) and it was time to move upwards by the escalator that led me to the inside of the building.
Most interestingly were the fine made model figures and buildings representing old Edo everyday life. If you view them through a zoom lens you can actually see every detail. I was really astounded about the technique. My eyes couldn't stand very long looking through the lenses though.
After learning about Kabuki and the history of Edo I went to a nearby park where only an Ojiichan was sitting on a bench. Never have I felt a more silent place in Tokyo before. There was a breathtaking silence mixed with a sense of beauty.
Next to the museum was another one. The Sumo museum... it was only one room next to the sumo stadium and because entrance is free, I thought "why not" and had a look. Photos of the sumo ringer were inside and some apparel. It might be not worth it to come all the way for this museum but if you come to Ryogoku by chance, give it a try.
Tokyo isn't really famous for good and cheap food at the same time. It was time for Japanese McDonald's. Eating the limited Club Hamburger while sitting next to an English conversation teaching a student and hearing Japanese voices was a new and interesting experience for me. And frankly, the food isn't too bad for 540 yen each menu.
It was late in the afternoon but it was time to hit the road to Yokohama. Asking the station master whether he could tell me the advantages of a Yokohama free kippu he was only able to show me his guide... the price was quite the same as 1 round trip ticket to Yokohama but the trick was that you seem to be able to get off on every station at the local JR line there. I was unsure, so I still used a single ticket.
Getting off at Yokohama Station I was far away from any tourist attractions. Not even having a decent map it was hard to find my first stop, the landmark tower, even though a tower should be seen from quite a distance.
In a convenience store -- they didn't sell maps unfortunately -- three local girls tried to help me poor tourist. After copying their map they tried different ways to explain the way for me (other guests were nearly completely ignored) till they came up with: "Turn left twice till the other konbini like ours and then you'll see the tower" or the like. It was really kind of them and after about an hour of walking on foot I finally found it.
The 69th story of the landmark tower observatory deck is said to be the highest all over Japan. Taipei 101 was really higher but this view was awesome too. The sky was bright and the city of Yokohama seemed never fading away in the distance. I was also able to see the beautiful sunset... never miss out a sunset on an observatory tower if you have the possibility!
Walking over Sakuragicho (business district?) to the beach it was getting darker and the best shots could be taken before the sun was disappearing. There was a foot walk next to the sea and I walked all the way from Sakuragicho to the park next to Chinatown. Watching the ships coming and leaving in this port city reminded me how far away I actually was from home. Because I can't go to the sea at my home country (no sea at all) I really miss being there.
I walked up and down at the flamboyant Chinatown (where even Rickshaws were seen) till I ended up in a restaurant eating 叉燒飯 - Rice with duck Canton style. It was maybe the best food till then on my Japan travel. The personnel (maybe the boss' daughter) was really cute trying to reply Mandarin to me. I can imagine that some people don't know speaking Chinese anymore at all when growing up in Japan.
21:00 was the time to go home. The rapid trains to Tokyo were really practical. Sleeping and writing e-mails on my keitai were my only activities on the train. ;)
Back in the hotel I chatted a bit with Melanie from the states who was in a hurry packing her baggages and Japanese children's books for the trip back to the states on the next day. Even though it was midnight we were still in the lobby and she was waiting for her laundry in the washing machine.
Shiny Japan 2005
Day eleven - August 17
Ryogoku and Yokohama
Ryogoku was a rather silent place and despite some orientation problems after getting off at the JR station Ryogoku it was not too hard to find the Tokyo Edo Museum. It rather looked like a school or a train station from outside but honestly, how should a museum actually look like?
I didn't expect that I would be 2 hours inside. Museums might sound boring to some people but I was surprised how many interesting things were exhibited there. At the ticket booth the personnel kindly explained all one needs to know about tickets and locations (since there was no obvious entrance) and it was time to move upwards by the escalator that led me to the inside of the building.
Most interestingly were the fine made model figures and buildings representing old Edo everyday life. If you view them through a zoom lens you can actually see every detail. I was really astounded about the technique. My eyes couldn't stand very long looking through the lenses though.
After learning about Kabuki and the history of Edo I went to a nearby park where only an Ojiichan was sitting on a bench. Never have I felt a more silent place in Tokyo before. There was a breathtaking silence mixed with a sense of beauty.
Next to the museum was another one. The Sumo museum... it was only one room next to the sumo stadium and because entrance is free, I thought "why not" and had a look. Photos of the sumo ringer were inside and some apparel. It might be not worth it to come all the way for this museum but if you come to Ryogoku by chance, give it a try.
Tokyo isn't really famous for good and cheap food at the same time. It was time for Japanese McDonald's. Eating the limited Club Hamburger while sitting next to an English conversation teaching a student and hearing Japanese voices was a new and interesting experience for me. And frankly, the food isn't too bad for 540 yen each menu.
It was late in the afternoon but it was time to hit the road to Yokohama. Asking the station master whether he could tell me the advantages of a Yokohama free kippu he was only able to show me his guide... the price was quite the same as 1 round trip ticket to Yokohama but the trick was that you seem to be able to get off on every station at the local JR line there. I was unsure, so I still used a single ticket.
Getting off at Yokohama Station I was far away from any tourist attractions. Not even having a decent map it was hard to find my first stop, the landmark tower, even though a tower should be seen from quite a distance.
In a convenience store -- they didn't sell maps unfortunately -- three local girls tried to help me poor tourist. After copying their map they tried different ways to explain the way for me (other guests were nearly completely ignored) till they came up with: "Turn left twice till the other konbini like ours and then you'll see the tower" or the like. It was really kind of them and after about an hour of walking on foot I finally found it.
The 69th story of the landmark tower observatory deck is said to be the highest all over Japan. Taipei 101 was really higher but this view was awesome too. The sky was bright and the city of Yokohama seemed never fading away in the distance. I was also able to see the beautiful sunset... never miss out a sunset on an observatory tower if you have the possibility!
Walking over Sakuragicho (business district?) to the beach it was getting darker and the best shots could be taken before the sun was disappearing. There was a foot walk next to the sea and I walked all the way from Sakuragicho to the park next to Chinatown. Watching the ships coming and leaving in this port city reminded me how far away I actually was from home. Because I can't go to the sea at my home country (no sea at all) I really miss being there.
I walked up and down at the flamboyant Chinatown (where even Rickshaws were seen) till I ended up in a restaurant eating 叉燒飯 - Rice with duck Canton style. It was maybe the best food till then on my Japan travel. The personnel (maybe the boss' daughter) was really cute trying to reply Mandarin to me. I can imagine that some people don't know speaking Chinese anymore at all when growing up in Japan.
21:00 was the time to go home. The rapid trains to Tokyo were really practical. Sleeping and writing e-mails on my keitai were my only activities on the train. ;)
Back in the hotel I chatted a bit with Melanie from the states who was in a hurry packing her baggages and Japanese children's books for the trip back to the states on the next day. Even though it was midnight we were still in the lobby and she was waiting for her laundry in the washing machine.
posted by airone at
17:22
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