Hotel Unizo Asakusa Taito

... us a little since nothing else was nearby. That was okay though, the gardens took longer then the entry makes it seem so it was in the latter parts of the day, and the heat had taken its toll. So, we headed for the closest subway station.<br><br>This station was even more confusing then the last, and we spent a good while just trying to figure out HOW to get back to the hotel. After realizing we'd need to switch lines at least 3 times, we bit the bullet and ...

... museum! I couldnt take my camera inside, but I took some pictures of the outside. After that, I walked to the Omotesando-Dori. A district full of shopping boutiques, restaurants, and cafes. I didnt buy anything, but just walking through there makes the day fun. It reminds me of the Magnificent Mile back home. I couldn't have asked for a better rainy day.

... because I could get the cheapest fare to the nearest Yamanote line station (Ginza) and then connect from there using my JR pass. Another handy tip! I arrived a little early so I made for the Metropolitan Government Building to take a look out of the free observatory which is 663 feet and 46 floors up! This offers a stunning view over Tokyo, the skyline littered with high rise buildings. The best view in the house was cleverly guarded by a cafe, so I ...

... one and then the other discussing how if we had millions of pounds then what would we buy - entertaining stuff! By the end of this the lack of sleep was catching up with us and we couldn't tech it up any more so we trained it back to the hotel and got a bit of shut-eye. Now we're off to find a dinner of sushi and then to get a good night's sleep for an early start of sight-seeing tomorrow. No photos yet as the weather is ****, but watch this space.

We were glad to check out of this hostel and took the train to Tokyo Station. There we got rid of our luggage and went to eat something. Later on we went to Akihabara again to pass some time before we took the first train to Hachinohoe short before 6 PM. Three hours later we changed to a train bound for Aomori. Finally at 10:45 PM we got on board of the sleeper train and were on the way to Sapporo.

... Ryan gnawed on what he described as a soggy hampocket. Contrast this with the dinner we shared with a group of about 7 Cal alums arranged by Kazuo where we sumptuously dined on the finest fried potatoes (best in Japan according to Kazuo), succulent shrimp, creamy chicken, and Kobe beef. The meal also came with some excellent beer and whiskey, which the consumption of probably contributed to our willingness to agree to our next culinary adventure: fugu. Fugu is the poisonous Japanese ...

... secured, we head to Tokyo station, step outside and walk the short distance to see the walls of the Imperial Palace. We spend some time resting at the water fountain park nearby and watch dusk come over the city. Back to the trains again and head to the neighborhood of Shibuya which is refered to as the Times Square of Tokyo. We are not dissapointed. This is the Tokyo we think of from the movies: hundreds of people crossing the street at every light change and ...