9/15 - Japan Day 8

The last full day in Japan.
I decided that today would be the day I finally go someplace I've wanted to go since my arrival: The Tokyo National Museum. This is the largest and oldest museum in Japan, and had the largest collection of Japanese art in the world. It was amazing how old some of the artifacts were in this museum. I enjoyed seeing ancient weapons and scrolls from times gone by. I also loved seeing some of the artwork, like a 300 year old painting of Mt. Fuji (see attached picture). There was a nice outside garden that was worth a stroll once I was done in the main museum building.
From the museum, I walked over to Ueno Park. This park is the largest park in Tokyo, with a zoo, a temple and several museums located within it. There was also a scenic pond, Shinobazu Pond, that was nice and clear on this super hot day.
I also took the train to Tokyo Station so I could purchase my ticket for the train to Narita Airport tomorrow.
There were a few things I would have liked to see still, but I think I managed to see about 80% of what I really wanted to see. I really think Kyoto was the highlight of this trip though! I loves all the temples I saw and my stay at the Ryoken Montonogo was beyond expectations. It's time to relax and get ready for trip home tomorrow.

9/14 - Japan Day 7

I had quite the wake-up call this early morning! Around 2:30am, a 5.1 earthquake hit a few miles off coast. I guess it felt more like a 4, here in Tokyo, but it was the biggest one I have felt in many years. I was able to go back to sleep relatively fast again, so that was good. Once it was time to actually get up, I went out to see a few more sights.
My first stop was going to be the gardens of the Imperial Palace, but I accidentally got on the wrong train and found myself near the Tokyo Municipal Building in Shinjuku. The TMG building has 2 towers, both with observation decks on the 45th floor - and access is free. I went up and had a wonderful birds-eye view of Tokyo (see picture).
From the TMG building, I traveled to the Ginza district. The Ginza is the premiere shopping district of Tokyo and has all sorts of shops and department stores. You really could spend all day in one of those department stores. They sell EVERYTHING! After seeing the Ginza, I finally went to the Imperial Palace. I was surprised at how little people there were in the East Garden! I went back to my hotel and ate at the 2nd restaurant they have, and it was good too. You would really be surprised at all the different foods I have eaten on this trip. Tonight I had pumpkin soup, some fish dish I don't remember the name of and more veggies than you could shake a stick at (that's such a strange saying!). Tomorrow is the last full day I have here, so I have to do some research before I head out in the AM. This trip certainly has been a blast and an real eye opener.

9/13 - Japan Day 6

One last partial day in Kyoto.
Woke up this morning to monks chanting as they walked the street outside my Ryoken. Then later, the staff came up, took away my bed and set up the table for breakfast, which was pretty damn good too. Checked out after breakfast and walked to the Yakasa Shrine on my way to the bus stop. My bus was in the Gion district, famous for Geisha's. I knew that firsthand because as I was walking to my hotel yesterday, I walked past a rickshaw carrying a Geisha. Once in Gion, I hopped on a bus and headed to Nijo Castle. Nijo was built in 1603 as the official residence of the first Tokugawa shogun. It is an elaborate building with elaborate woodcarvings and paintings on sliding doors. There was also a large sprawling garden behind the castle, which was great to walk. From there I went to Kinkaku-ji. This is one of Japan's most widely photographed tourist attractions, because of the Golden Pavilion. Built in 1397, and converted into a temple in 1408, the Temple's top floors are covered in gold leaf and make an arresting site - especially on sunny days like today.
After that, it was time to call it a day and make my trip back to Tokyo. I hopped on the Shinkansen and made it back around 7pm. Going to go have a beer and call it a day. My feet really hate me by now and have made the later part of the day somewhat painful. Not sure what I'm going to do tomorrow yet, can't wait to find out!

9/12 - Japan Day 5 (Kyoto)

I was right, no Internet in Kyoto.
Hopped on the Shinkansen (Bullet Train) early in the AM and was in Kyoto by 10am. It was a little difficult finding my bearings at first, so I did what I do best - got lost. Eventually got myself turned around and walked to Samjusangendo, the largest wooden building on Japan. Inside were 1001 wooden statues of the deity Kannpn. From there. I walked to Kiyomizu-dera. It was built in 798 and is one of Kyoto's most famous landmarks. It was a beautiful place to see, perched high on Mount Otowa. From there, I walked through the historic district of Higashiyama to the Ryoken I would be spending the night at. A Ryoken is an old style Japanese bed & breakfast. This place was absolutely amazing and the highlight of my trip so far! At check in, I had to leave my shoes in the front area and change into slippers. My room was small and had a table in the center about a foot tall and no bed. At dinner time, a girl began bringing me food, 2 dishes at a time. It was all amazing. I don't even know everything I ate, but it was a great meal. It went on for almost 2 hours before it was finished. After slightly recovering from dinner, it was time to use the bath. A room I had all to myself for half an hour with a relaxing wooden hot water bath, it was great! When that was over, I changed into the bath robe they gave me and made my back to my room. They had just finished setting up the bed and it was time to get some shut-eye.

9/11 - Japan Day 4

It was Sumo Wrestling Day!
Today was one of the days I looked forward to the most while planning this trip. I love attending sports events, so watching a day of Sumo wrestling seemed like a great day - and I was right. A sumo wrestling match takes no more than 5 minutes once the wrestlers hit the ring. More time is actually spent warming up than actually wrestling. You have to have an amazing sense of balance to sumo wrestle, because your opponent will slap, shove, twist and try to pick you up to get you to land outside the ring or touch the ground first. The average length of the actual wrestling bout takes no more than 7 seconds. I was at the Kokugukan Arena in Ryogoku for about 6 hours and saw as many as 40 matches today. Very glad I did this visit!
Tomorrow I'm off to Kyoto on the bullet train. I have decided not to go to Hiroshima on this trip and spend a little more time in Kyoto. I was feeling a little rushed and decided to just chill and enjoy Kyoto at a slower pace. Might not get Internet there, so the next update might be in a few days.

9/10 - Japan Day 3

Remember when I said yesterday that I'd adjusted to Japan time? I was wrong! Woke up this morning at 3:30am and couldn't get back to sleep. I decided today would be the perfect day to visit the Tsukiji Fish Market. This is the largest fish market in Japan and one of the largest in the world as well. Left the hotel around 5am By 5:45 I was walking into the warehouse. I missed the sign for the entrance on my first attempt, and accidentally stumbled upon the Tuna auctions, which was cool. Eventually I found the market and had a great sushi and rice meal for breakfast (picture below). After a couple hours walking around the market and surrounding area, I made my way to Hama Rikyu Garden. This was a nice, peaceful & large park over 300 years old. From the park, I boarded a riverboat cruise to the Asakusa district. Once in Asakusa, I walked the streets for a while until I arrived at Sensoji Temple. This is Tokyo's oldest and most popular temple, founded in 628 A.D. After 10hrs of walking around, my feet were killing me, so I made my way back to the hotel for a little rest. I had a good meal at the hotel's restaurant and decided to call it a day and soak my poor sore feet. Overall it was a great day, hot too (it was 85 degrees before 6am!!). I saw some great sights and enjoyed an hour long boat cruise as well.
Tomorrow - Sumo Wrestling (I'll be watching, not wresting)

9/9 - Japan Day 2

My first full day in Tokyo.
I was so tired last night that I had absolutely no problem getting to sleep and woke up adjusted to Japan time. Around 7:30 I left the hotel and went to the JR train station. Because I have a Japan Rail Pass, I don't pay to ride this metro rail to get around Tokyo. Unfortunately, when I got to the station, there was nobody there to let me through! I walked around and tried again at 8am and someone was there this time. I traveled to Harajuku station and walked to the Meiji Jingu. This shrine was built in 1920 and is surrounded by a beautiful park. I walked around the shrine and park for a while and then decided to walk around the neighborhood by the shrine. I got soooooo lost! By pure luck, I happened across Harajuku station and decided to go visit another historic area. According to the map I had, it looked easy enough to find Asakusa, an area that has been described as a "walk back in time". Well, I got off at the stop I thought was the right one, but this was for Asakusabashi, not Asakusa. I promptly got lost again and about 40 minutes later found My way back to the station! I forgot to mention that it was in the 90's today and I probably lost 5lbs in water before noon. I went back and rested for an hour at the hotel, which was awesome! In the afternoon, I spent several hours walking around the neighborhood around my hotel (yes, I got lost a 3rd time). I did get to see a neat little parade/celebration while I was lost, so that was cool. After that, I was finally totally exhausted enough to call it a day. Not sure what I'm going to check out tomorrow still, maybe the fish market, if I wake up early enough.

9/8 - Japan Day 1. (sorta)

I just flew in from LA and boy are my arms tired!  But seriously, this was one long exhausting trip!  It is almost 4am (LA time) which means its almost 8pm here.  I had absolutely no problems finding the hotel, and I now plan on staying up a few more hours to get on Japanese time.  Well, not much else to say right now, will post more later!