Bec, Bianca and Tin's Voyage of Japan
Summer holidays!!! Semester one was over zomg so fast >.< style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Day 1
We met Binkz at Haneda airport... it was very hard finding each other >.< style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">
Day 2
Tin didn't want to go to Tokyo Tower for some reason - and I wasn't complaining cos I'd already been so we head off to the World Trade building near Ginza to get a view of the city.
It started raining that day.
Next we popped off to Ginza, luckily it was a weekend so they blocked off the main road so that we could all prance around.
To Tin's delight we bumped into the Nissan showroom only to find there was a bigger one elsewhere! So off we plop to visit the GT-Rs and the Fair Ladys.
After lunch we return to main Ginza, passing the Kabuki theatre, and wander around the rich-ass shops in the area. And finally to my delight the Sony building!! where you get to touch and see the latest and up and coming Sony products.
Day 3
Binkz and I go to Harajuku!!! Where we found a whole manner of strange and wonderful things for relatively cheap prices. There are many small stores there with very interesting and different goods. It's not like Sydney where there are so many of the same stores in different places.
I lost my earrings there T_T
We were also lucky cos on that day there was some sort of festival going on... so we got to see some dancing and some mad massive pole waving which fascinated Binkz XD.
After lunch (apparently the best Japanese meal for Bianca =S) we wander around looking for Binkz's Bape store (Ape shall never kill ape!) - we got lost hehe and had to ask some policemen?crowd control? people several times... then it started raining again...but we got there!!
Exhausted...we went home.
oh and Tin was watching some boxing thing.
Day 4
I go to Yokohama!! I wanted to see a Chinatown in Japan but the others didn't so I went my merry way in the pouring rain. It's not so far south of Tokyo, good for a day trip.
It's nothing like Chinatown in Sydney...the buildings are much more 'chinese-y' - some of them almost to the extent where there's just too much chinese decoration. The side streets are chock-a-block FULL of small eateries and restaurants... very very nice feel. The food isn't what i'd call cheap... and whilst i was there i only saw ONE Chinese BBQ place... maybe I just didn't wander around the right areas...
There were heaps of souvenir shops - all of them sold panda themed goods. In Japan, China equals panda. There were also heaps of chinese grocery stores - with lots of Lee Kum Kee on sale!!! But I didn't find what I was looking for cos they tended to sell I THINK Shanghai tastes rather than the Hong Kong dominated stores in Sydney.
After Chinatown I wandered around one of the shopping areas in Yokohama...can't remember what it was called...the Queen's Mall?? There was a massive Pokemon store there...and a Snoopy store XD and then I met up with Chris - an ICS student living in Yokohama. He was kind enough to take me to another popular shopping place, due to restrictions in time we then returned to the main Yokohama area. The main street was surprisingly narrow - but it was busy as hell all the same.
We had some very delicious sushi, Chris showed me some square watermelons and then I hopped off home whilst Chris went to his own informal birthday party hehe.
I do believe Tin and Binkz went to the Imperial Palace that day... and somewhere else
Day 4
Akiba!!!!
I think Akiba is quite interesting, there tends to be more people wandering around alone than other places in Tokyo i've observed. Akiba is also filled with nostalgia... we encountered so many old school characters there, games as well - there's a large second-hand market in Akiba. From figurines to old old old games like Atari it'll be there. If it's truely old to the point of collectiblely rare then it won't be cheap.
To find what you're looking for be not afraid to wander the side streets and go upstairs to find stores - it's perfectly normal and it's the best way to enjoy the real atmosphere of ANY place in Japan - the side streets.
I digress. The electronics. Why would you visit Akiba without buying something electronic?? Japan is cheaper that Australia anyway in terms of electronics prices, but in Akiba...the price of electronics that were popular a year ago are reduced. Except at the few electronic departments that have opened there - but there you can get your things duty free. There are more brands and obviously some are cheaper than others - there's so much of them they put them out in crates outside stores to sell.
Oh and there's the er...adult side of Akiba that's not so hidden. We found a (at least) 5 level store full of costumes and the like.
Maid cafes!! Sometimes you bump into one or two going to work in their outfit - or maybe they're just cosplayers lol. Again the side streets are where there are maid cafes. We spotted a couple giving out pamphlets at the station. Tin went to get one lol. APPARENTLY girls can enter too... but we didn't.
Day 5
Tokyo Dome day!!
Tin heads over there to train at the Judo place nearby so Binkz and I tag along. Tokyo Dome isn't just a stadium there's also an amusement park and and shopping centre around it. We see an awesome looking rollercoaster that winds up and around the building... it was fuuuuun.
We had our photos taken while were on the ride... Tin's expression on those photos are gold!
The architecture around Tokyo dome is quite interesting. The Dome itself that day had a baseball event. Saying Japanese people love baseball is an understatement. Most people were decked out in baseball regalia, and there were many many stalls selling more merchandise.
Tin goes to do his training whilst Binkz and I shop!!
Day 6
Tsukiji fish markets!! I only wanted to go cos it's highly likely they'll move it once they develop the surrounding areas. Didn't get to see enough of the place to get a real feel of it... but I ate some yummy salmon - expensive yummy salmon... but the green tea ice cream was the best I have ever tasted in my life!!
Off we go to Odaiba/Tokyo Bay, I can't quite remember why it was on the itinery...i think there was supposed to be some sort of car museum thing there...
Nevertheless we hop on the monorail and make our way there, coincidently the NHK headquarters is also there and they had some kind of event going on. The building is quite unique - I wanted to climb up to the top of it but it was very very hot that day.
That night we meet up with Mune - an exchange student who went to UTS for a year - in Shibuya for Izakaya... Binkz covered her face the whole night!!! Okinawa made her SOFT!!
T'was nice meeting up with you Mune!
Day 7
Ahhhh today was the day... I had put off climbing Mt Fuji cos I believed the weather was bad... but little did I know that this day was going to be way worse.
We bus from Shinjuku to the 5th Station of the most popular track up Fuji-san the Kawaguchiko trail. I do not recommend - will explain later.
We mass FujiQ - an awesome looking amusement park - on a clear day you can see Fuji-san. Today wasn't the day.
We arrive at the 5th station probably around 8pm. We muck around...taking photos and such. There was a cafeteria but it was closed...so bring your dinner. There are also shops where you can buy last minute gear, souvenirs (for later) and a climbing stick that you can use - I got one ^o^.
At around 9pm maybe? we start climbing. The track between the 5th and 6th station isn't difficult - it's kindof like doing Duke of Ed for those that know. 6th to 7th station was a little more challenging but rewarding all the same when we got to the 7th. But it was only one of the 7th stations...from then on it was very very difficult...the steep incline is nothing like the ones in the Blue Mountains that I had climbed (very similar to the Blackheath walk - Evan's Lookout for those that remember).
We were practically picking our way up and over rocks and boulders and then steep inclines. As we ascend the ground alternated between gravelly and rocks...all the while being steeply inclined.
At each seventh station are huts where for people to stay overnight - they tackle the mountain over two days...smart but expensive.
The track between the first 7th station to the last 8th station was very tough to me. That and the fact it starting POURING. At first it was only drizzling...but it got worse and worse.
The last leg up the mountain from the last 8th station was hell. We were all soaked to the skin and the wind was blowing strong. Due to the popularity of this particular track there was a queue to the top...which meant without moving much we got even colder.
Tin was the first to turn back... Binkz managed to urge me on until we saw the top of the mountain!! We saw the lights of the hut that was the top of Fuji-san!!!
But it was never to be... it was so friggin freezing standing there waiting for the queue to inch forward we had to turn back.
The road was so gravelly and we wanted to go inside so badly practically slid down the mountain back to the last 8th station. Tin was already inside drying off. He was able to stretch his legs cos he got there before the place got full (and he paid 4000yen or something).
Binkz and I were only allowed to sit when there were free seats and we bought something from them. Not that we minded... we bought something warm straight away. Unfortunately the ground where we were sitting was wet...so our feet were freezing. It was about 3am.
As the hours dragged on the rain lessened and people started to leave. Binkz and I were allowed to sit near the coals to try to warm up and dry off. I don't think we'll ever recover from our soaking. I sat so close to the coals my pants caught on fire...there's a hole there now lol. Our group were the last people to leave - we had to clear out by 10am - the hut's checkout time.
I can't remember what time...maybe around 8am we start sliding our way back home. At least the rain stopped. The down way route was a faster zigzag pattern, the road was all gravel so we slid our way down.
We were about an hour and a half away from the 5th station when Tin got sick of it all and powered up ahead. Binkz and I slowly trundle our way back. We died.
All written by Bex.
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