Tuesday, June 21, 2005

Japan May/June 2005 Yokohama

Yokohama is about 30mins bullet train ride from Tokyo, its my next favourite city after Hiroshima. Yokohama is Japan's second largest city. It has one of the biggest chinatown in Japan, located in central Yokohama. In the Chinatown of Yokohama, there's altogether 8 "dragon" gates. here's 2 below.





Yamashita Park- a public park at the foot of the Yamate hill, its also one of the famous park facing the harbour front and also the business district area.



The Yamashita Rinkosen Promenade is a nice waterfront promenade connecting Minato Mirai 21 with Yamashita Park



Marine Tower in Yamashita Park. 106 meter tall lighthouse



Nippon-Maru- a passenger ship which served on the Yokohama-Vancouver/Seattle and other routes from 1930 to 1960, is docked in front of Yamashita Park



Harbour view Park Bay Bridge .The Harbor View Park is a public park located on top of the Yamate hill, offering a nice view of the Bay Bridge


sleeping kitty

Japan May/June 2005 Hakone

Hakone- is part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, less than 100 kilometers from Tokyo. Famous for hot springs, outdoor activities, natural beauty and the view of nearby Mt. Fuji

Everything is expensive here, even the locals who come here are treated as tourist. There is a circuit which you can take in Hakone, it will cover most parts of hakone by railway, cable car, ropeway, ship and bus ride for a 1 day pass. I had tried to start off early for this day but still its not good enough, because i end up with not enough time to visit some places.

Unfortunately when i was at Hakone, it was very cloudy, i didn't get to see Mt Fuji at all. but i was impress with the place, it was very countrylike and the air here is very cold and fresh. A must place to visit definately.



First destination- Gora Park, it was a very long way up to Gora park, the path leading up is soooo steep.....Japanese old ladies and man really amazed me, they are super strong in climbing staircases and steep pathways. I have so many "O-ba-san" walking pass me. :O







This tree is everywhere in Gora Park, its very beautiful


Inside the ropeway



This place is call Owakudani - the area around a crater created in the last eruption of Mount Hakone 3000 years ago. Sulfurous fumes, hot springs and hot rivers can be experienced on a walk around the area. Eggs, boiled in the naturally hot waters, are said to prolong one's life by seven years . you have to climb all the way up to see the sulpur production. There's eggs boiled in sulpur. taste like ordinary eggs. but its all black.




Last section of the circuit, taking the Pirates Ferry Ship across the Ashi Lake, its beautiful!!!
Lake Ashi (Japanese: Ashinoko) was formed in the caldera of Mount Hakone after the volcano's last eruption 3000 years ago. Today, the lake with Mount Fuji in the background is the symbol of Hakone.


tingy having a good time. he's not afriad of the captain!!

Japan May/June 2005 Miyajima

Miyajima - literally called "shrine island" has been celebrated as a sacred island , is the most beautiful place in japan in my opinion. It is an island on its own, i have to catch a ferry to Miyajima. The place is so country like and quiet. The small island was stunning, people are moving slowly, there are deers everywhere, and its so peaceful and quiet. Its so unlike Japan.
When arrive, it was almost sunset, the Miyajima residents are returning home from their hard day work in the mainland. The children are home and the place is quiet. I had to go there the next day again early in the morning (which i don't mind at all) to see the famous Itsukshima Shrine, where the Torii stands right in the water.

sunset shots near the jetty





Oops....me again
This is a very hard shot to take..........guess what, i think the deer wants its picture taken as well............:)))


The next morning.......................




Its amazing.......there are deers roaming around everwhere..........



Beautiful morning



Off to the famous Itsukshima Shrine. The shrine, which is partially constructed over water and features the famous floating torii gate, was first constructed in the 6th century










Shopping streets in Miyajima




Famous snack in Japan- Momiji Manju redbean paste. For Miyajima, the shape comes as a maple leaf.






Heading back.......................Tingy in the ferry...................

Japan May/June 2005 Tokyo

Tokyo- spend the longest time here. my accommodation was 6days long and it was outside the city. So i had to travel a bit to get into the city inside and also the accomodation room size was the smallest i ever get in the whole trip. the entire room size just fits my height and this was a Single B. I couldn't have imagine what does Single A looks like.

it was a friendly nice backpackers place and i'm contented with it, can't expect much in Tokyo if the accomdation paid is consider cheap. i had to stand outside of the room to take a picture.







Roppongi Hills is one of the most expensive areas in Tokyo, alot of expats lived there and its very Amercian style, very modern apartments, shoping malls, very unlike Tokyo city itself. There's a very strong flavour of western culture here. It is a city within the city
I found a mini showroom!!!!





Mori Tower - 54-storey skyscraper named after the company and company president that built it. It was very cloudy because it was raining that day



Mori Garden



Roppongi Hills Arena - new headquarters of TV Asahi.




Harujuku is Tokyo's teenager town, a shopping and entertainment district for the young and trendy.

Takeshita Street- this is where all the younsters dressed up gothic and parade around on Sunday. These costums cost alot and you can get them at this street. It is very crowded on Sundays and there's even a big SNOOPY store!!!!






$ 321 SGD !!!

she dresses up like some comic character i think


i wonder who's prettier :)))

Meji Shrine Torii- said to be the biggest torii made from wood. Meiji Shrine (Meiji Jingu) is a shrine dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his consort, Empress Shoken. Emperor Meiji was the first emperor of modern Japan.




Asakusa- This place is famous for its temple -Sensoji Temple. The legend says that in the year 628, two brothers fished a statue of Kannon, the goddess of mercy, out of the Sumida river, and even though they put the statue back into the river, it always returned to them. Consequently, Sensoji was built there for the goddess of Kannon. The temple was completed in 645, making it Tokyo's oldest temple.
Again, when i was there, it was raining.

Sensoji Temple Kuminarimon Gate (this is only the front gate)






Sensoji Temple Nakamise Street - a very long street leading to the temple. 200 meters


Main temple




Ueno - This place actually has a zoo and i hate to say this, but this zoo is cruel to animals, all the cages are so small and the habitat for the animals are terrible.



Polar bears with no cold environment for them, its all fake surrounding which looks like ice.


Panda bear stuck in a small cage. Look at its unnatural surrounding.



Kangeroos locked in a small cage, no where for them to hop and roam about.


Hard rock Cafe in the Ueno Train Station.


Ebisu- one of my favourite place in Tokyo, when i stepped out of the train station, i thought i have return back to singapore. There's tall apartments behind the train station and the roads look so much like singapore style. This place has alot of western flavour too, feels very homely and sophisticated. There's a beer musuem which shows how beer is been made and there's also a beer bar that sells the local Ebisu beer.
Yebisu Garden Place is built on the former site of a beer brewery, where the still existing Yebisu Beer brand had been brewed since 1890

Marionette Clock Square




Chateau Resturant at the Garden place (look at the high rise apartments behind)

Garden Place Beer Station



Garden Place Central Square

The Beer Museum Yebisu commemorates the original brewery, displays exhibits about the history and science of beer brewing in Japan and the world and offers beer tasting.
Beer Musem Tasting Lounge



My yummy snack and beer. The beer taste really smooth


Different types of Ebisu beers on display






Odaiba is like the bays of Tokyo, you have to catch the Yurikamome train across the Rainbow bridge to get to Odaiba. This is another very interesting place to go, unfortunately, when i was there, it was raining heavily. i didn't get to the alot of sights.


Yurikamome train


Rainbow Bridge in the day




This is a really hard shot to take, it was raining and i was carrying my umbrella, protecting my camera from the rain and have to take the shot with my hands steadily. This is the best shot that came out from the rest, unfortunately, Mr Rain decide to hit my lens while i press the shutter. :(((

Odaiba beach


Part of Palette Town, Venus Fort is a shopping mall in the style of a 18th century South European town. This place is truly unique, especially the ceilings.






Mega Web is a Toyota showroom, where you can view and touch Toyota's newest models






Expo 2005 Aichi Mascots



Kiccoro(refers to Forest Child) on the left, light green color. Morizo ( Forest Grand Father ) in the middle and ME!! on the right.

This is the headquarters of Fuji Television, one of Japan's private, nationwide TV stations.Fuji TV Building

DECKS is a shopping mall_waterfront_ 1

115 meter tall ferris wheel

Zojoji Temple was built in the year 1393, and was moved to its present location in 1598

Tokyo Tower at the back of the temple

Tokyo Towers, 333 meters. It was completed in the year 1958 as a symbol for Japan's rebirth as a major economic power, and serves as a television and radio broadcast antenna and tourist attraction

Shinjuku Station Times Square

Metropolitan govt office

Marunouchi Tiffany&Co

The current Imperial Palace is located on the former site of Edo Castle, a large park area surrounded by moats and massive stone walls in the center of Tokyo. It is the residence of Japan's Imperial Family.

Nijubashi, two bridges that form an entrance to the inner palace grounds. The stone bridge in front is called Meganebashi (Eyeglass Bridge) for its looks. The bridge in the back was formerly a wooden bridge with two levels, from which the name Nijubashi (Double Bridge) is derived

Moat

Palace Guards

Me and Tingy in the Palace East Garden