To Tokyo

I'm going to start posting some more stories and pictures. These posts will be back dated (I was very busy in Japan and didn't really have time to blog :[

Now:

Today was our first trip in to Tokyo with our language partners. Michael and I set out with our new pal Koujiro to travel to a couple different parts of the (very large) city.

Our first stop was Shibuya station. Having heard the story of faithful dog Hachiko in Japanese class, I felt that it was necessary to visit the famous statue outside the station.

Hachiko (ハチ公), the faithful dog.

We checked out the intersection near this statue: "scramblecross" is what Koujiro called it. Apparently it was famous too. Afterward we grabbed some udon at a shop that we passed then hopped back on the train.

The signage on the other side of "scramblecross".

We took the Yamanote Line about half way around its loop course to Akihabara. For anyone who isn't into this kind of thing: Akihabara is a center of anime, manga, gaming, and general "otaku" culture. The whole place is packed full of anime/manga shops, game shops, camera and electronics shops... wow. On the top floor of Yodobashi Camera we found this little treasure:

Thats right. USB controlled tachikoma.
No idea what it does.

All sorts of wild sights to see in Akihabara. Street music performances. Random dances. People in costumes all over the place. Maids handing out flyers... wait what? Yes.

Just like that.

When we were done with Akihabara (for the day, definitely going back), we got back on the Yamanote in the clockwise direction and headed for Tokyo station. Tokyo station has been around for a while. When Japan was first starting to industrialize and coal powered trains were connecting cities, Tokyo station was there. Big brick building in the middle of towering skyscrapers. The old building is basically just sitting on top of a modern train station now. They are currently restoring the exterior so the whole thing was covered in canvas this day. Hope to get a picture of it later.

There's Tokyo Tower in the distance.

Anyway, our purpose in coming to tokyo station is the Imperial Palace. We're getting there pretty late so we didn't have time to see the gardens. This place is beautiful. Literally an island garden in the middle of the city. Promised myself I had to come back here and make a day of it.

The view across the moat. Wow.

City outside of the wall.

Well it was time to head back to Atsugi. So we headed back to the train and called it a day. What a day indeed. Longest post yet I think. Giving myself a medal for that.