Sapporo and Hakodate

Hello all!

We are now in the homestretch of our little trip. We flew from Kyoto to Sapporo and met up with our dear friend Holly! Sapporo's entertainment district was certainly brightly lit. We ate dinner at an Indian Restaurant run by a very nice Indian fellow who talked with us for a very long while.

The next day we travelled to Hakodate. This is the Japan that I think no one ever sees, or even knows is there. The town is laid out like Newfoundland, or really any sea town. It also feels more like Canada the more I am here.

It contains a great number of 18th and 19th century buildings which are some of the only ones that survived in the entirely of japan. (This is because great earthquakes and fire-bombing ravaged the architecture in the rest of the country.)

As a result of this history that remains intact, Hakodate is home to some fascinating historical museums - some which take the name of history lightly.

These costumes were provided by the Historical Town Hall in Hakodate. They provided us with jewellry and hairpieces as well. It was interesting and slightly silly.

We hope to continue this fabulousness in our remaining days in Japan.

Kyoto Stuff

Sorry about lack of posts and pictures. Kyoto is wonderful, but we haven't really been doing a lot of picture-worthy things. Additionally I am too lazy to transfer the few pictures we do have.

We visited Nara and fed the deer - the hilarious tame deer. We visited the temples up there and climbed about half a mountain on the way back at Fushimi inari.

One of my favourite things about Japan is the rate of stray cats living in Shrines. We found the most melodramatic tomcat who had gotten himself "stuck" on the roof of a small altar at Fushimi inari.It took Adam, myself, and a nice Japanese guy to coax him down.

The next day we went touring the city on rented bicycles - which ws the greatest thing ever. If anyone reading this ever has a chance to be in Kyoto - renting a bicycle for sightseeing is the way to go. We saw Kiyomizu shrine, Fuji Castle, and another temple which was holding a gathering of some buddhist religious leaders at a formal ceremony. It was really pretty to watch!

Yesterday we made our way to Iga-Ueno for the Ninja museum. Considering the train ride and the beauty of the park where it's situated, it was surprisingly underwhelming. The tour was wonderful, but short, and the kitsch was a little too much. The town is clearly aware that the museum is their only tourist draw and they are milking it.
Adam and I spent most of dinner discussing how it could be improved - because it could be so good!

Today is our last day in Kyoto - then it is off to Hokkaido!

Kyoto

After a long Shinkansen train ride we arrived at our Ryokan. It's a cute little place with a very nice family running it. Pictures will come later.

Kyoto station is only two blocks away, and some of the major temples only just across the street. Also a Starbucks and a french bakery about a stone's throw away. I love it here.
It is about a block away from the place I stayed last time I was here and that has helped in no way in being able to navigate this space. Oy.

Spent most of today in Sanjo - a little shopping district north of us. Then we went to Pontocho - an old Geisha/Entertainment district. It was beautiful! We went to see a performance put on by the still-practising Geishas and their apprentices down there. Afterwards we stopped in at an English pub for a half pint and then to Kappa Sushi for dinner!

Still more navigational errors! But we're learning... and then easing the pain with a small nightcap from the local convenience store. I love Japan.

Studio Ghibli Museum and Akihabara

Today we visited the Studio Ghibli museum in a little town just outside of Tokyo called Mitaka. I couldn't take any pictures in the museum, which is a shame, because it was AMAZING. I want to live in the studio Ghibli museum. Imagine a cross between Alice in Wonderland and a nature conservatory and add some French Provence decor and you basically have the inside of this wonderful building.

Despite the total absence of English words, except in the little info guide we got, the museum was fascinating and informative. It seemed to be an attempt to teach young children about how animation works. Most of the exhibits were interactive, and there were even replicas of artists' workplaces. AWESOME.



Next we visited Akihabara, the electronic district of Tokyo. Despite big hubub from most of teh guidebooks and from my understanding of the Otaku (nerd) culture, it was actually kind of a disappointment. The highlight of your trip: running into a prop replica of Darth Vader in the basement of a department store!

Tokyo National Museum and Harajuku

Tokyo National Museum was excellent. Informative and beautiful and even had enough English for us to know exactly what's going on!
The buildings were absolutely beautiful and we loved it.


Harajuku is a shopping/fashion district for the young and the weird in the heart of Tokyo. It was covered in Crepe stands and T-shirt stores. We got gifts for some of you!

Sensoji Temple and Shibuya District

We went to Senso-ji temple this morning - one of Tokyo's oldest buddhist shrines. It was enormous and took up almost three city blocks including all of the smaller shrines, temples and tombs.

A small middle-aged fellow approached us and asked where we were from. We did not have to answer much after that. He was simply too happy to practise all of his english on us without asking so much as an occasional yes or no. He actively dicussed Japan's internationality, its problems with fraud, and the Nagano and Calgary Olympics. What else he talked about I'm not sure, he tended to mumble and his English wasn't perfect, and he punctuated every clause with "you know?".

We then moved on to the area directly south of the shrine, called Nakamise-Dori. It is a road which is covered in shops, some of the genuine Japanese culture sort, others of the somewhat 'tchachke' variety. We came across some beautiful fabrics for my mother! (You just wait to see them, mama.)

Next we visited the Shibuya distrcit, which we did in the evening - since Shibuya is a nightlife district. Imagine, if you will, the most pele-mele of shops, tiny noodle houses, restaurants, store complexes, and you'll have the main streets of Shibuya. It was amazing. You know Shibuya, by the way, if you have ever seen Lost in Translation. The great big pedestrian crossing in that movie is the crossing from the train station in Shibuya.

Exhausted after being lost three times on our way home, I fell asleep the minute we got to the hotel.


After only one full day, we can see how one can be Tokyo'd-out rather quickly. The city is interesting, and busy and vibrant; but difficult to navigate and rather bewildering. The metro system is so vast, complex and at times entirely redundant, that we have been lost three times on it already.















Today: The National Tokyo Museum!

Toyoko Inn

After a very long day of airplane rides, train rides, and confusing subway stations, we finally made our way to our Hotel.

The lights to not work unless you put your hotel key fob in a little hole in the wall! We were very confused and in the dark for a while!
The shower and sink both use the same tap, which is not as inconvenient as you would think!

It is as small as it looks. But it has everything we need. Japan ho!

Today: Asakusa - old town discrict with a temple and a nice quiet shopping district.

Japan ho!

On Our Way

With just five more minutes waiting at the gate for our flight to Tokyo, Adam is taking advantage of every second with a quick nap on a newly purchased pillow!

We are all kinds fo excited, but a very little sleep has ill-prepared us for what will be close to a 24-hour day.

I only hope we survive!