One Year

One year ago at this very time I was wandering Shinjuku tired, hungry, amazed, excited, and in awe. My first time in Japan, my first time off the North American continent, and I was going to have the time of my life. I can't wait to go back!

Sayoonara

Well, I am mostly packed. My suitcase is full and all that is left to do is pack my laptop, cameras, a book, iPod, and assorted items that I am carrying onto the plane with me. It has been an amazing vacation and I cannot thank my boss enough for not laughing at me months ago when I first asked for so much time away from work. I did so many things, learned so much, and met so many people on this trip that Tokyo has become like a second home to me.

So this isn't "Goodbye" Tokyo (and Japan) this is "So long and I'll see you again" because I fully intend to return to my new home some day. But before I go I would like to give a little advice:

1) Things that do not belong on pizza are mayonaise, fried eggs, boiled eggs, sarad (or salad), tuna, and corn.

2) A large drink usually means something bigger than a dixie cup.

3) The person on the other end of the phone cannot see you bow.

Sakura and Sunshine

Thursday was a beautiful and sunny day so I headed back to Shinjuku Gyoen to take more pictures of the sakura. First I went to Tokyo station for one last lunch of curry pork udon.

Lunch




Shinjuku Gyoen
















Many artists were out drawing and painting the scenery.












I took a short video as well.

Sakura

The sky was completely cloudy today and it looked like it might start raining but I headed to Shinjuku Gyoen anyways to make sure that I would leave Japan with pictures of sakura (cherry blossoms). Shinjuku Gyoen was absolutely beautiful, even on a cloudy day, and I wasn't the only one out enjoying the park. Many families and couples were taking the afternoon to sit beneath the trees and enjoy the sakura as well. The pictures turned out fairly well, but I would really like some taken in the sunshine. So if the weather is better on Thursday or Friday I will definitely head back to the park.

Meiji Shrine and fresh air

I was feeling much better today. I had spent the last two days pretty much just sleeping while trying to get rid of this cold. I decided I would go out for a walk in the sunshine and fresh air so I headed over to Meiji Shrine near Harajuku station. It was very peaceful and beautiful with some of the plants and trees finally showing the life of Spring. The area Meiji Shrine (and the attached Yoyogi Park) covers is quite large so I had a good long walk to stretch my legs. Tomorrow, if the weather is good, I will head to Shinjuku Gyoen to get some pictures of sakura (cherry blossoms).










The fish in the pond were huge.

Good times

My friend left Japan today and headed back home to Arizona. He and I agreed that this was definitely the vacation by which all future vacations will be measured. We had a great time seeing the sites, laughing at the little idiosyncracies of the Japanese people and Japanese society, seeing Yoko Ono, meeting and talking with Yoshindo Yoshihara, and being overseas for the first time in both our lives. This definitely was the vacation of a lifetime for both of us.

This is my last week here and after I recover from this cold which I have caught I hope to be out and about for most of the week. The cherry blossoms (sakura) are out so I need to get some pictures before they all fall off the trees. As well I would like to spend as much time as possible soaking up even more Tokyo life before returning home.

I, Robot

Today we went to the National Museum of Emerging Science and Technology in Odaiba. Some of the displays were pretty cheesy. For instance they had a special exhibition about aliens. My friend and I joked that it was probably just a room full of gaijin. A room of gaijin would have been more interesting than the poor attempt at alien themed toys, movie posters, and film clips that they were showing. The only interesting display they had was white table that had an animated display projected onto it. There were sensors above the table that would detect if you touched within the display and would open windows showing larger images and more information.









On the second floor they had an area of displays of robotics and physics.

A picture of a magnet "floating" above a semi-conductor.





A video of a floating mag-lev train.





And of course they had ASIMO the Honda robot.

















Google video seems to be having some issues right now. I have a couple more videos I would like to post so I will try posting them later.