Well the weather and food have been great. The last week was a very good week to pack in as much great food as possible. I had Korean BBQ, Teppanyaki (Japanese Steak, helps to lighten the wallet), Mexican, and Yakitori. All in all this was a great trip.
Monday
Teppanyaki Tuesday
Wednesday
Cinco de Mayo
Fly Day Friday
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Monday, May 2, 2011
Tokyo Weekend - April into May
Saturday morning after walking around Yokosuka. After getting caffeinated and feed I headed over to the Costco in Yokohama. Always an interesting experience to go to Costco, a lot like US Costco's but with a lot more people.
After getting a little lunch I walked over to the Yokohama Marina Outlet mall. Hit up another MontBell. After finally settling on a messenger back I headed up to check into the New Sanno hotel.
It is a very nice hotel operated by the Army. Active Duty and DOD Civilians can get rooms for under 100 bucks a night. It is a couple of stops from Shibuya which can get you anywhere else in Tokyo within 40 minutes.
First I headed over to Asakusa and got some pictures of all the crowds out for Golden Week. There is a street on the backside of the area that has a lot of street food places. I got a few sticks of Yakitori and watched as some interesting people walked past. There was one Japanese women that had pink hair, which you really don't see that much. In a sea of black hair that would really show up.
After that I walked back and went through the Asakusa area again and got some night shots that came out pretty good. After going to walk around Shibuya at night I went back to the hotel to get some rest.
In the morning I took a few different trains and went out to Machida where they had a Shrine Sale. Basically it is like a big flee market with a lot of different things for sale. If you like second hand shops it would be a good thing. It was interesting to see and I did pick up a couple of smaller things. It did actually mark the first time that I bartered to get the price lower.
From there I headed back to Yokosuka, and came back to the rain. After being nice up in Tokyo for Saturday and Sunday it was dumping. I had my usual at Nirvana's for dinner. And then went to Church afterwords.
After getting a little lunch I walked over to the Yokohama Marina Outlet mall. Hit up another MontBell. After finally settling on a messenger back I headed up to check into the New Sanno hotel.
It is a very nice hotel operated by the Army. Active Duty and DOD Civilians can get rooms for under 100 bucks a night. It is a couple of stops from Shibuya which can get you anywhere else in Tokyo within 40 minutes.
First I headed over to Asakusa and got some pictures of all the crowds out for Golden Week. There is a street on the backside of the area that has a lot of street food places. I got a few sticks of Yakitori and watched as some interesting people walked past. There was one Japanese women that had pink hair, which you really don't see that much. In a sea of black hair that would really show up.
After that I walked back and went through the Asakusa area again and got some night shots that came out pretty good. After going to walk around Shibuya at night I went back to the hotel to get some rest.
In the morning I took a few different trains and went out to Machida where they had a Shrine Sale. Basically it is like a big flee market with a lot of different things for sale. If you like second hand shops it would be a good thing. It was interesting to see and I did pick up a couple of smaller things. It did actually mark the first time that I bartered to get the price lower.
From there I headed back to Yokosuka, and came back to the rain. After being nice up in Tokyo for Saturday and Sunday it was dumping. I had my usual at Nirvana's for dinner. And then went to Church afterwords.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Mega Meat - Friday April 29th
Friday is the start of Golden Week in Japan, it kicks off every year on the 29th of April for Showa day, the Emperors day. There are a few other holidays over the next week, it is a time where most of the Japanese workers are off and the schools get out. One per trip I like to arrange a met up between the Japanese and American workers to spend time in a non work environment. Burger King has just released a new burger last month. It is made of two Whopper patty's, cheese, bacon, and chicken. Totaling at 1300 Calories and 65 grams of fat we figured there could be little better to bond over. In total we had 8 people hanging out, so when I ordered 8 Mega Meat Burgers at Burger King the woman thought that she had misheard us. It took 10 minutes to put together. It took much less time to eat them, the surprising thing was they were really good and it seemed like there was more room left. So we went out and got Gyro's at a stand down the street. Not the best food night, but it was good to get out. Most people tried to 3DS, which makes you look foolish but can be fun.
Yokohama Chinatown - April 28th
The weather has just been great, not from the aspect of recovering from a sun burn. After work I headed up to Yokohama to buy a new jacket from MontBell, it is very orange. After that I tried a restaurant in China Town called Dalian, very good. They serve a Black Sesame chicken dish that is up on the list of best foods I have eaten.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
TonKatsu Yokosuka - April 27th
Well after the spread at the BBQ place Tuesday night combined with the large rain drops I decided to forgo the gym this morning. There is also a bug going around work right now that I think I picked up, so the extra sleep helped a bit.
For dinner I met up with a few coworkers and went to the Tonkatsu expert. The way that he prepares the food is a show in and of itself. Very good, sad that I have not been back in a few trips. It is very difficult to get a seat and when the place is full he is closed.
For dinner I met up with a few coworkers and went to the Tonkatsu expert. The way that he prepares the food is a show in and of itself. Very good, sad that I have not been back in a few trips. It is very difficult to get a seat and when the place is full he is closed.
B BBQ Tuesday - April 26th
Before the sun came up it was off to the gym, you have to offset the amount of great food here somehow. By the time I left the gym the sun had come up and stayed up unimpeded for the remainder of the day.
For dinner a few coworkers and myself headed up to Chinatown in Yokohama for Brazilian BBQ of all things. It is called the Travesso Grill and is located in a building called "China Square". It was interesting to see the different ways that we approached the meal and how the Japanese handled it. For the Japanese it was a great time to get out and try a lot of different meats grilled well. For us it was a challenge, probably speaks to the weight difference between our countries. The train ride was nice and packed. I opened the window in the middle of the train and received the look of scorn by one of the passengers. Perhaps it is a challenge to see how hot and sweaty it can get before someone cracks and opens a window.
For dinner a few coworkers and myself headed up to Chinatown in Yokohama for Brazilian BBQ of all things. It is called the Travesso Grill and is located in a building called "China Square". It was interesting to see the different ways that we approached the meal and how the Japanese handled it. For the Japanese it was a great time to get out and try a lot of different meats grilled well. For us it was a challenge, probably speaks to the weight difference between our countries. The train ride was nice and packed. I opened the window in the middle of the train and received the look of scorn by one of the passengers. Perhaps it is a challenge to see how hot and sweaty it can get before someone cracks and opens a window.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Monday - April 25th
Started the day by going over to the gym and working out. This helps set the tone for the day, and it flew by at work. After work I enjoyed some of the sun, before crashing to wake up on Tuesday for more fun in the gym.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Easter - April 24th
As much rain as was here yesterday was answered in sunlight. There was not a cloud in the sky the entire day. I went for a walk to find the large metal sculpture that is in Yokosuka. With a little help from Google Maps I found it. Very impressive views from there, you can see Yokohama and Fuji and the same time.
The next spot I decided to get roasted a little bit by hanging out on the beach in Kamakura. I used sun screen, however I didn't reapply it on the normal schedule. So I am slightly red currently, consequences that are soon visited. For lunch I had pizza at an "Italian" restaurant in Zushi. I was good, but different. Went to church on base and then had CoCo Curries for dinner.
A much slower paced day, which is good not sure if I could have done two Super Tokyo Tours back to back.
The next spot I decided to get roasted a little bit by hanging out on the beach in Kamakura. I used sun screen, however I didn't reapply it on the normal schedule. So I am slightly red currently, consequences that are soon visited. For lunch I had pizza at an "Italian" restaurant in Zushi. I was good, but different. Went to church on base and then had CoCo Curries for dinner.
A much slower paced day, which is good not sure if I could have done two Super Tokyo Tours back to back.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Super Tokyo Tour IV - April 23rd
The adventure started out like all of the previous by catching an early train to Shinagawa. The forecast was for rain and it was heavy at certain times. Leading to around the last half of the day going around in wet socks and shoes. Anyways back to the timeline.
Starbucks opened a new concept store in Tokyo to celebrate their 40th anniversary. So the first stop was the Otomesando B-Side Starbucks. The interior was done very well and it felt more like a place where you could get some amount of studying or work done over that of a traditional SB location. This location can be reached just off the main street that is by Meiji shrine entrance.
After going and enjoying breakfast and coffee the walking portion of the day began. We walked through the Meiji Shrine. There was a wedding party going around getting their pictures taken before the cermony. The rain made it such that you needed to move quickly from covered area to covered area.
After walking out of the Shrine we went over to an area that sells a lot of vintage Tee Shirts. The only downside was that the shops stock Japanese sizes and they opened at 11. At the very least you can take the private railway out of Shibuya and it is on the first stop.
We made our way to Ginza to go to the Sony building. This is basically a big showroom for their upcoming technology and the current lineup. 3D factored very heavily into all of the their strategy.
For lunch we had Katsukura, which is the same place that I had down in Kyoto. Easily the best Tonkatsu I have had. Lunch specials are also hard to beat. While walking to the train station we got caught in an absolute downpour. There was around an inch of water running over the sidewalks, hence the wet socks. We finally made to the train station and made our way to Asakusa.
A quick walk through the Shrine/Temple and it was over to Kappa Bashi Dori. One of the guys bought a Japanese knife that he got engraved. The whole area is a great place for anyone who enjoys cooking, lots of ideas you can get from all of the equipment for sale.
Then it was time for the standard Akihabara stop. Doughnut plant, Yodabashi, etc. To finish off the out of Yokosuka activities we headed down from Akihabara to Sakuragicho and walked around Landmark Tower.
After a very full and humid train dinner was at Nirvana and now its off to bed. The one major thing that I noted as I traveled around was that lack of people. Easily there is probably a tenth of people out in the normal places. A lot of electrical things have been shutdown to support the lowered production capabilities of the TEPCO. It all is very interesting.
Starbucks opened a new concept store in Tokyo to celebrate their 40th anniversary. So the first stop was the Otomesando B-Side Starbucks. The interior was done very well and it felt more like a place where you could get some amount of studying or work done over that of a traditional SB location. This location can be reached just off the main street that is by Meiji shrine entrance.
After going and enjoying breakfast and coffee the walking portion of the day began. We walked through the Meiji Shrine. There was a wedding party going around getting their pictures taken before the cermony. The rain made it such that you needed to move quickly from covered area to covered area.
After walking out of the Shrine we went over to an area that sells a lot of vintage Tee Shirts. The only downside was that the shops stock Japanese sizes and they opened at 11. At the very least you can take the private railway out of Shibuya and it is on the first stop.
We made our way to Ginza to go to the Sony building. This is basically a big showroom for their upcoming technology and the current lineup. 3D factored very heavily into all of the their strategy.
For lunch we had Katsukura, which is the same place that I had down in Kyoto. Easily the best Tonkatsu I have had. Lunch specials are also hard to beat. While walking to the train station we got caught in an absolute downpour. There was around an inch of water running over the sidewalks, hence the wet socks. We finally made to the train station and made our way to Asakusa.
A quick walk through the Shrine/Temple and it was over to Kappa Bashi Dori. One of the guys bought a Japanese knife that he got engraved. The whole area is a great place for anyone who enjoys cooking, lots of ideas you can get from all of the equipment for sale.
Then it was time for the standard Akihabara stop. Doughnut plant, Yodabashi, etc. To finish off the out of Yokosuka activities we headed down from Akihabara to Sakuragicho and walked around Landmark Tower.
After a very full and humid train dinner was at Nirvana and now its off to bed. The one major thing that I noted as I traveled around was that lack of people. Easily there is probably a tenth of people out in the normal places. A lot of electrical things have been shutdown to support the lowered production capabilities of the TEPCO. It all is very interesting.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Kamakura Friday - April 22nd
Finally made it back over to Kamakura for dinner. The thing that is striking is how few people are out, now given it was later in the evening. I had a Korean dish for dinner and then it was time to prepare for the next Super Tokyo Tour.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Thursday - April 21st
More and more people are rolling back into town. It was extremely quiet on Monday, but over the week it has gotten much louder at night. The bars are back in full swing. Hopefully this means that some of the restaurants will open again.
For work I met up with a coworker and had an excellent Thai meal. This time I didn't go with anything spicy and it worked out much better. I guess that I am just not built to handle Thai spicy.
For work I met up with a coworker and had an excellent Thai meal. This time I didn't go with anything spicy and it worked out much better. I guess that I am just not built to handle Thai spicy.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Caught up - April 20th
Well finally got a good night of sleep and was able to make it through the entire day without a brain lapse moment. Besides a little bit of wind being outside was great today. After work I walked around for a couple of hours to further help in the acclimation process.
Started planning the next great Tokyo tour tonight.
Started planning the next great Tokyo tour tonight.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Rain - April 19th
The forecast had called for rain and it came as predicted. I ran over the 7-11 and bought an umbrella, which didn't top me from getting my pants wet. The next time I went outside the rain had gone and the sun had returned. It was like that for the remainder of the day. I walked around 7 miles after work in hopes that it would help me adjust to the time. Only time will tell.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Tired - April 18th
I am still on UK time or somewhere in between. So a short post. I have noticed that fewer people are out and about. While going through grocery stores I have noticed that there is probably around 30 percent of what is usually out for sale. The meat selection is also reduced. Hard to put a concrete reason as to why, but perhaps it is related to all that happened.
There was an earthquake this morning, however I slept through it. The earth continues to move around as things settle out. There was a massive amount of energy released during the quake and it stored some of that in other places.
There was an earthquake this morning, however I slept through it. The earth continues to move around as things settle out. There was a massive amount of energy released during the quake and it stored some of that in other places.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Return to Nippon - April 17th
Well it feels good to be back. Had my favorite meal and now am attempting to stay up as late as possible to reset my body clock quickly. Well back to the details of the day.
The guy who sat next to me on the flight graduated in Mechanical Engineering from WSU in 84. We had a good talk about Cougar athletics and discussed the best and worst moments. Always good to run into another Coug.
All in the all the flight was smooth and we made good time. We landed at 1447, then we taxied for 17 minutes before getting to the gate. What happened was that we came in on the newest runway and our gate was on the exact opposite side of Narita, got to see so different areas. However there is a bus which departs south at 1530, so I was motivated to move expeditiously through the airport to try to get to the bus. After getting off the plane I walked past everyone to get through Immigration first, then I waited for the baggage to come out. By having business class my bag was the 7th to come off the belt. I grabbed that and hurried to Customs gave them my slip and headed to check in. There was someone from work who was waiting for people on the flight, he told me that if I hurried I could make the bus in the parking lot. I got to the bus just as they were closing the cargo areas. So I got checked into the hotel by the time the next bus left the airport. It is always good to move with a purpose.
Of course one of the stops that I had to make was Starbucks. Just like the US stores there is a broad selection of Tea Lattes, although they are heavily advertised here. The Earl Grey one is definitely in the drink rotation while I am here.
I recently replaced my netbook with a laptop, and it is a much better experience. For basic web stuff netbooks are great, but for any photo or video stuff they suffer greatly.
The guy who sat next to me on the flight graduated in Mechanical Engineering from WSU in 84. We had a good talk about Cougar athletics and discussed the best and worst moments. Always good to run into another Coug.
All in the all the flight was smooth and we made good time. We landed at 1447, then we taxied for 17 minutes before getting to the gate. What happened was that we came in on the newest runway and our gate was on the exact opposite side of Narita, got to see so different areas. However there is a bus which departs south at 1530, so I was motivated to move expeditiously through the airport to try to get to the bus. After getting off the plane I walked past everyone to get through Immigration first, then I waited for the baggage to come out. By having business class my bag was the 7th to come off the belt. I grabbed that and hurried to Customs gave them my slip and headed to check in. There was someone from work who was waiting for people on the flight, he told me that if I hurried I could make the bus in the parking lot. I got to the bus just as they were closing the cargo areas. So I got checked into the hotel by the time the next bus left the airport. It is always good to move with a purpose.
Of course one of the stops that I had to make was Starbucks. Just like the US stores there is a broad selection of Tea Lattes, although they are heavily advertised here. The Earl Grey one is definitely in the drink rotation while I am here.
I recently replaced my netbook with a laptop, and it is a much better experience. For basic web stuff netbooks are great, but for any photo or video stuff they suffer greatly.
Very Quick Turnaround - April 16th
Well after getting back from the UK on Tuesday evening, I got a call saying that I was needed in Japan. After sorting out all of the details, I got my flight setup and finished unpacking and then packing again.
I used Miles to upgrade to Business Class for both ends of this trip. Originally it showed that I was wait-listed for the upgrade. When I got to SEATAC there was no line for check-in. When using the Check-in machine it told me to contact a United representative. What had happened was the my Business Class ticket had cleared and I was all setup. So I got to use the short security line getting through and into the Red Carpet Lounge in record time. It took my 15 minutes from the curb to my seat on online.
The flight leaves in a couple of hours so now it is just time to sit back and enjoy some Top Gear on Netflix.
I used Miles to upgrade to Business Class for both ends of this trip. Originally it showed that I was wait-listed for the upgrade. When I got to SEATAC there was no line for check-in. When using the Check-in machine it told me to contact a United representative. What had happened was the my Business Class ticket had cleared and I was all setup. So I got to use the short security line getting through and into the Red Carpet Lounge in record time. It took my 15 minutes from the curb to my seat on online.
The flight leaves in a couple of hours so now it is just time to sit back and enjoy some Top Gear on Netflix.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Travel Completed - February 11th
The plane was brand new. This is the first flight I have been on with the lay flat seats in business class. My seat was facing backwards so it was an interesting takeoff and landing. I could see the wing and engine bouncing with each bump. The gentleman I was sitting next to was a retired Boeing engineer. He had worked on the fly by wire systems on the 787. It was pointed out to prevent from losing all control of an aircraft you have to project where the turbine blades will go when the engine breaks apart. Our seats were right in the kill zone, at least it would have been quick. However air travel is extremely safe and we arrived at SEATAC a little ahead of schedule, despite being delayed at Narita for de-icing.
Photos:
Photos:
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| 2011-02-11 |
Friday, February 11, 2011
Narita Snow? - February 11th
I got a taxi from Bryan's to where the bus picks people up on base. With no house phone or working cell phone I had to use Google Talk. Worked very well, as do most Google products. Of course the taxi was waiting for me by the time I got down to the lobby. A quick stop at Starbuck's and I was ready to go. The bus ride only took an hour and a half today slept the whole way.
After wandering around the mall for an hour we checked in and had lunch at a great Korean place in the mall. Then it was through security and into the lounge. The snow has really picked up. Soon back to the Northwest.
After wandering around the mall for an hour we checked in and had lunch at a great Korean place in the mall. Then it was through security and into the lounge. The snow has really picked up. Soon back to the Northwest.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Silent Tokyo Tour - February 10th
I have found out a new thing today. If you are traveling alone in Japan you likely will not have an English conversation all day. I have people try to talk to me in multiple languages which were not mine. Good times.
Nothing too new on this trip, just hit up Akihabara, Asakusa, Roppongi, and then Yokosuka. I did go to the top of Roppongi Hills this time, very nice day for it.
Packing and then travel tomorrow.
Photos:
Nothing too new on this trip, just hit up Akihabara, Asakusa, Roppongi, and then Yokosuka. I did go to the top of Roppongi Hills this time, very nice day for it.
Packing and then travel tomorrow.
Photos:
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| Silent Tokyo February 10th |
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Kurihama, Kamakura, Enoshima, Yokohama, Yokohama February 9th
After the vacation starts another vacation. I didn't meet my goal of leaving Bryan's place by 600, I actually got to the train station around 830. I decided instead of heading back to Yokosuka to instead go to Kurihama and then transfer to the JR Line. After the transfer I could ride the train right to Kamakura.
After I left the train in Kamakura I went to Starbuck's for breakfast. I really do enjoy coffee shops that have real mugs that you can sit down and enjoy the handcrafted drink.
I then walked up to the Kenchoo-ji a temple around a mile away from the station. At the very top there is a temple and then a view point. I made my way to the top, and then kept climbing. At some point I thought about turning around, but just kept going. After around 4 miles I was finally back to the station, always moving forward.
I then rode the Eoden line to Enoshima. My previous time to the island was during a weekend and the train was very busy, this time everyone got a seat. After a quick walk to the Island I went to the top and down to the caves on the far side. I wouldn't recommend the caves, check the pictures you will be 500 Yen ahead. On the way back there was a side path that I had seen on my previous trip, so I took it. Turns out it is how all the supplies get to the top, just a regular road back to the bottom of the island.
After getting back to Kamakura I transferred to the JR line. I was planning on going back to Yokosuka and walking around there. Instead, I ran up to the platform and hopped on the first train that I saw. This was headed to Yokohama, as soon as the doors closed I realized that the train was heading away from where I wanted to go. No worries the plan just changed a little. I went to UniQlo in Yokohama and tried on sports jackets. Then I got onto the Keikyu line back to Byran's apartment, the timing worked out well I got back just before him.
We had wanted to go the a Brazilian restaurant in Yokohama on Saturday but he was a little under the weather. We decided today was the day and headed back to Yokohama. The Restaurant is in Chinatown and is great. It is an all you can eat place that has high quality options. Servers walk around with meet on swords and cut you off pieces as you request. The only downside is the price, but a great experience to have once in a while.
At Yokohama I had never seen so many people on the platform. We went to the last car and then realized as the train was pulling in that we need to be two cars ahead. We ran and were the last two people on. It was as full as any train I have been on here. Fortunately most people departed at Kamiooka.
Photos:
After I left the train in Kamakura I went to Starbuck's for breakfast. I really do enjoy coffee shops that have real mugs that you can sit down and enjoy the handcrafted drink.
I then walked up to the Kenchoo-ji a temple around a mile away from the station. At the very top there is a temple and then a view point. I made my way to the top, and then kept climbing. At some point I thought about turning around, but just kept going. After around 4 miles I was finally back to the station, always moving forward.
I then rode the Eoden line to Enoshima. My previous time to the island was during a weekend and the train was very busy, this time everyone got a seat. After a quick walk to the Island I went to the top and down to the caves on the far side. I wouldn't recommend the caves, check the pictures you will be 500 Yen ahead. On the way back there was a side path that I had seen on my previous trip, so I took it. Turns out it is how all the supplies get to the top, just a regular road back to the bottom of the island.
After getting back to Kamakura I transferred to the JR line. I was planning on going back to Yokosuka and walking around there. Instead, I ran up to the platform and hopped on the first train that I saw. This was headed to Yokohama, as soon as the doors closed I realized that the train was heading away from where I wanted to go. No worries the plan just changed a little. I went to UniQlo in Yokohama and tried on sports jackets. Then I got onto the Keikyu line back to Byran's apartment, the timing worked out well I got back just before him.
We had wanted to go the a Brazilian restaurant in Yokohama on Saturday but he was a little under the weather. We decided today was the day and headed back to Yokohama. The Restaurant is in Chinatown and is great. It is an all you can eat place that has high quality options. Servers walk around with meet on swords and cut you off pieces as you request. The only downside is the price, but a great experience to have once in a while.
At Yokohama I had never seen so many people on the platform. We went to the last car and then realized as the train was pulling in that we need to be two cars ahead. We ran and were the last two people on. It was as full as any train I have been on here. Fortunately most people departed at Kamiooka.
Photos:
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| Kamakura, Enoshima, Yokohma, Yokohama - February 9th |
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