Kichijoji and then Home

5/30/16

Today we took the eight hour train trip back to Tokyo, then the local to Kichijoji. 

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Kichijoji is a more or less suburban area of Tokyo though it is very much a city in its own right. There are department stores, a shopping street and wonderful restaurants and entertainment. Our hotel room was tiny. The bathroom was a pre-fab affair so small that I could reach across the room and retrieve a towel from a shelf on the opposite side of the shower. 

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 We met up with the Takanishis later for our last dinner in Tokyo. We had unagi (freshwater eel) at a nice place near our hotel. Yoshio had scoped it out earlier and then rented a small wheelchair ramp so Dina could access it.
After, we went to a little pub for Mojitos. In the morning the Takanishis took us to Narita. Our goodbye was bittersweet. We were sorry to be leaving Japan, but happy to be going home.
A great trip.

Atomic Bomb Museum and Ropeway

5/27/16

Today we made our pilgrimage to the Nagasaki Atom Bomb Museum. Some people know Nagasaki as the place where the United States dropped a nuclear bomb in 1945. The end of World War 2 was a crazy time in history and there are many arguments as to whether the bomb should have been dropped or not. My personal opinion is that we should not have dropped it. Japan was already on its knees and the bomb was dropped in an act of experimentation and vengeance. That being said, what's done is done and we can learn from our mistakes. The museum seems modern and somewhat sanitized. We went to Hiroshima 13 years ago and the old museum there, built by the survivors of that atomic blast, is very graphic and emotional. This museum is not at all like that. It shows the destruction like a science project. It is sanitized.

Outside the Bomb Museum

The Fat Man Replica

After visiting the museum we wandered until we found a great little lunch place. We both shared a box lunch.  We had heard some good things about the Nagasaki Rope-way so we headed over on foot to try it out. At the top were great views of the city. Unfortunately, it was socked in so visibility was limited.

More in Nagasaki

5/27/16 

Couple of Salts

Out to the Island

Gunkanjima

This morning I went to Gunkanjima. It is an old coal mining operation on a now deserted island. Since it looks like a battleship it has the nickname "Battleship Island". The island is semi-famous for having had the James Bond movie Skyfall partly filmed there. The trip out was nice. A sunny warm day and an ocean breeze. However, the crew was compelled to keep a running dialogue going over the PA system all the way out and back. When they ran out of things to say, music was played loudly over the PA.  It was good to finally get off the boat and walk the island. I have to say, it looks a little like the south side of Chicago.

American Tourist

House of Captain Glover

Nice Waterfall

Glover Mansion

Crazy Inclined Moving Ramp

After I got back to the hotel, Dina and I found the bus to Glover Garden. This garden is amazing. Created for the Scotsman Thomas Blake Glover, it sits on a hillside high above Nagasaki. The views of the city and the grounds are breathtaking. Not really. The Grand Canyon is breathtaking. But this is really great.

Go West Young Man...

Dry Water Feature

Nagasaki Day Two

5/25/16

Dejima

Today we walked to Dejima which is very close to our hotel.  Dejima is a man made island in Nagasaki harbor. It was constructed to isolate the foreign traders and keep Christianity from spreading to the community. There were, mostly, Portuguese and later Dutch traders allowed in Nagasaki. There are many buildings still standing or renovated with artifacts from the European merchants living there.

Amazing Store Found in a Non-descript Building

Later we walked to the harbor and made a reservation to take a boat to Gunkanjima tomorrow. Unfortunately "Battleship Island" is not accessible so Dina could not go.

We had refreshments on the harbor and went to Chinatown for food. We had a local noodle dish called champon. We had left our computer mouse in Osaka so we headed out to the local shopping area for a replacement,  "Computah Mousu" worked well for describing what we needed. We found one in a crazy department store electronics department. The department was on the 5th floor and the ceilings were very low. The space was brightly lit and it seemed as though all of the devices were talking at once trying to get your attention. We got an early night since I had to get up early to go to Gunkanjima.

It Makes Me Hungry,

On to Nagasaki

5/24/16

In the "lobby' of the Shinkansen

Our Train Pulling in

Today we got on the Shinkansen to Nagasaki. The Shinkansen, Japan's "Bullet Train", feels like an aircraft screaming down the runway for take-off. It feels very frenetic, shaking and making noises like it is trying to get airborne. It never takes off though. Just zooms along at take-off speed. Out of curiosity, I downloaded an app to my phone to clock the speed. About 185 mph. 

Breakfast

Very Accessible Bath

These are all over Nagasaki

Arriving in Nagasaki in the pouring rain, we proceeded to the bus terminal at train station. There were no handicap busses going to our hotel. Since we were already soaked we decided to walk the fifteen minutes to our  hotel. The rain was warm and tropical. Along the way a Japanese woman offered Dina her umbrella. A nice gesture that Dina declined. 
We discovered that our room was in a traditional Japanese bath house. It was large, comfortable, and came with lounge-wear. we were encouraged to wear the pajamas around the hotel and into the dining room which we did.

Back to the Castle and Tsuruhashi

5/23/16

Today we went back to Osaka Castle. Dina hadn't seen it and I wanted to have a second look. There is an eight floor museum and lots to see around the grounds. We met three men from Korea and had a wonderful time talking with them on the top floor cat-walk. With the city of Osaka in the background,  and a cool breeze blowing we discussed work, politics, culture, and family.  After exchanging cards we went our separate ways. Minutes later one of the guys returned with a charm for each of us. He said he felt like we had made a connection. I felt it too. It was very touching.

Google Maps;
Where Would We be Without You?

Go Ahead, Eat it! How bad can it be?

When we left the castle our intention was to go to Nara Park. There are tame deer in the park and it is supposed to be a very beautiful and tranquil place. However, when we were changing trains in Tsuruhashi, we realized we had stumbled into Korea town. I had read about this on the tourist sites and people had raved about it. We started walking around and before we knew it hours had passed. We ate lunch and then decided to make for Nara. When we got back to the station, the agent told us the elevator was too small to accommodate the scooter. Since we already had a big day, we decided to head for the hotel.

Kim, Park, Lee, and Dina on Top of the Castle

Lifesize Terminator with a
Handful of Kimchee

Osaka Castle From the Park Grounds

Strongman of Koreatown

Good Thing we Studied Katakana.
Thanks Tristan and Shizuka!

Osaka Castle

5/20/2016

Yesterday I rented a bicycle from the local bike kiosk. The concierge got all the info for me. I walked ten minutes to the kiosk, stuck in my credit card and grabbed the last bike. In the States, I would be wary of renting a bicycle from an unattended kiosk. Here in Japan, where everything works as it should, the bike was in perfect order. The tires were full of air, the brakes and shifter worked flawlessly. Google maps got me to the castle but since I had to ride and navigate, it took me about 40 minutes.

The castle is pretty amazing. It was built in the 16th century as a temple then converted to a defensive castle. I took the stairs up to the eighth floor. There is a museum on each floor so I took my time and caught my breath while checking out the exhibits.   Even though it's only 100 feet high, there is a commanding view of Osaka from the outside catwalk.

One of the Outer Defensive Towers

My Little UMEGLE Bike

Outside of the Main Castle

On the Grounds