Tokyo Week 1
|
Date: 2008.01.27
Owner: Cody Smith
Size: 5 items
(54 items total)
|
|
Yasukuni Shrine
|
Date: 2008.01.26
Owner: Cody Smith
Size: 8 items
|
|
Guardian Dog
|
Sake
Booze is a major part of worship in Shintoism. Manishevitz and the Blood of Christ got nothing on this.
|
Torii and Shrine
|
|
We pantomimed taking a picture to a passerby, who turned out to be Korean, and spoke perfect English.
|
Guardian Fish?
|
|
|
|
Koi
This was our first sighting of Koi. Ellie wanted to feed them, but they didn't seem interested in food.
|
|
|
NYE at Shrines
Ellie spends New Year's Eve in Tokyo shrine-hopping and enjoying tasty treats.
|
Date: 2008.01.27
Owner: Cody Smith
Size: 10 items
|
|
Shops
I was too sick to leave the house, so Ellie struck out on her own to explore Yasukuni and Asakusa shrines on New Year's Eve. They have festivals with food, lucky trinkets, and performers.
|
Year of the Rat
|
Awaiting their fate
Takoyaki are balls of batter with (often whole) octopi inside.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fish Cake
Cakes of molded batter were also popular. Hello Kitty was probably the most popular shape.
|
|
|
Five-Storied Pagoda
|
|
|
|
Around Tokyo
Various outings: Harajuku, Roppongi Hills, Shabu Shabu in Ginza, and Kippabashi, and the National Modern Art Museum.
|
Date: 2008.01.27
Owner: Cody Smith
Size: 13 items
|
|
Condomania
This one's for Eric.
|
Harajuku
|
Roppongi Hills at dusk
|
|
View from Mori Tower
Which also contains the only good modern art museum in Japan (that we could find.)
|
Chefs at Shabu Shabu
We met Pat and company for lunch, shopping and coffee in Ginza.
|
You receive thinly sliced raw beef, pork and vegetables, which you dip in a pot of boiling broth to cook.
|
|
|
From the National Modern Art Museum.
|
Unfortunately, modern art ended roughly around impressionism in most museums. There was clearly a strong focus on older work in general, which reminded me of Italy.
|
|
Fake food in Kippabashi
Restaurants often have displays of dishes they serve. And Kippabashi has a plastic version of everything you'd ever want to eat.
|
Fake beer
|
Fake teriyaki
|
|
Fake noodles with bizarre floating chopsticks
|
|
|
|
Visiting the Emperor
Twice a year, the inner portion of the Imperial Palace is opened and visitors are allowed in to see the Emporer. After we waited 20 minutes, he gave a 30 second speech, followed by 5 minutes of cheering.
|
Date: 2008.01.27
Owner: Cody Smith
Size: 7 items
|
|
|
|
Waiting for the Emperor
|
|
So tiny, so far away
They appeared once per hour all day long, massive hoards filing in and out each time. In true, efficient, Japanese style, the flags were recycled between groups.
|
Cheering as the Emperor and family emerge. Video, 6 MB.
|
The palace is utterly surrounded by office buildings.
|
|
Fan shaped moat walls
|
|
|
|
Asakusa
Visit to the shrine and market.
|
Date: 2008.01.27
Owner: Cody Smith
Size: 11 items
|
|
Okonomiyaki Chefs
Okonomiyaki is often described as "Japanese Pizza", but it's a lot closer to an omelette.
|
We ordered both the cheese and bacon versions. Although we rarely bothered keeping left overs, Ellie liked it enough to take the rest with us.
|
The walkway to the shrine, packed with people and flanked by shops of all sorts.
|
|
|
"Gaijin crushed to death by huge lantern"
...the papers would say.
|
Especially around New Year's, classic attire was fairly common. I was very tempted to teach these kimono clad ladies how to throw the shocker.
|
|
Making batter cakes
|
Washing hands
A tradition before praying, and every shrine and temple has a fountain of some sort, usually involving dragons.
|
Jelly with sumo wrestlers
|
|
After taking the picture, a friend of the wrestlers said something to one of them, and the other two laughed. By his hand gesture, it looked like he was making fun of his friend for being shorter than me.
|
|
|
|
