Three Museums and a Square.

Friday the 17th.

Jen really wanted to visit the JCII Camera Museum. The Japan Camera Industry Institute was established in order to maintain and improve the quality of Japanese cameras. This collection is made up of almost 4000 cameras! They possess one of only a few original Daguerreotype cameras (the world's first camera 1839), the first digital camera prototype and tons of other cool cameras. Jen was freaking out. Entire displays traced the development of the camera, all in Japanese (!), from the humble beginnings all the way up to the Nikon D40. It was really interesting.

Ironically, you could not take any pictures.

This oldie was set up outside, no doubt to satisfy the desire to photograph.

Say "Cheese".

Hey! Don't move-the exposure takes 10 minutes!

After the camera museum we took a couple of subways out to the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo. Well, almost--we had to walk for about ten minutes. We ate boxed lunches in the adjacent park and then had cool iced coffees. Only then did we head inside. Oh my god. There were so many people. A sea in fact. A sign indicated that it was an 80 minute wait just to get in! Not interested in standing around for that long, we bailed.

Instead, we headed for the Tokyo-Edo Museum.

The building resembles the OCAD table top building.

This museum was great. Lots of quality displays, artefacts and lots of english signage.

The theatre displays were particularly good.

Just 5 more minutes....

The Lonely Planet was made a liar once more, as it promised the museum was open until 8pm. In fact, it closed at 5:30 much to our dismay. We ended up rushing through the last sections of the museum and Jen was ushered out of the building last--a fact she is quite proud of.

From there, yes our day continued, we went to Shibuya to experience the controlled chaos one last time. When I first saw it, I wanted to have a coffee in the window of the 2nd story Starbucks overlooking the square. So, we bought iced coffees and actually scored a window seat. It was great. You cannot even imagine the scene. Every time the lights change thousands of people cross the intersection. Seriously, thousands.

Shibuya station is at the top left--check out the crowd building on the corner.

GO!!!

Imagine being in that cab?

This is what it looks like from a crowds-eye perspective.

Two wheel touring.

Thursday was the day that my desire to go bike riding was indulged. On the bus to the onsen the previous day, Joanne spotted a bike path she had never seen before and so decided perhaps we should explore it. It was fantastic. No cars, just bikes and pedestrians. Which is pretty much how bike riding goes here in Japan--you ride your bike on the sidewalk!! It makes for some interesting (harrowing) walking. I have come to accept it here, but when I get home I will return to cursing anyone riding on the sidewalk--after all, it is called a side-walk, not a side-ride!




When you stop riding, the breeze stops, therefore, stop in shade!

Plenty of storage, no need to wear backpacks.

Maximizing airflow!

Jenny loves her new sunglasses.

Along the way we came across a bamboo garden in a park. So idyllic.

Also along the way, we passed an historic village recreation. What was marked post office in Japanese was not in fact a post office as Jen found out trying to mail a post card! We went in and toured around. This lonely lotus flower was blossoming in the back of a pond.

The bike ride was a lot of fun--we rode about 10km roundtrip, which like the humidex, when it's this hot feels like 25km! It was definitely a highlight.

Hotter than yesterday!

The beauty of having five weeks is that you can go hardcore and then take rest days. That's what we did on Tuesday. We spent the morning chilling out, blogging, drinking coffee and then went to Starbucks to meet Karen for some more coffee. After that Jen, Jo and I went to UniQlo to do a bit of shopping. From there we caught the free bus to the onsen--a hot spring spa where you lounge in different hot pools, saunas and have a thorough scrub.

On Wednesday it was back to touring mode. We swung by Meguro and visited the Nature Study Park, which preserves the rainforest flora of the Edo Plain. It was gorgeous--so lush and quiet and in the middle of Tokyo!




Taking a quick break from turtle watching.



Flowers = butterflies, bees and hummingbirds



A chilled out Joanne.



This pond was full of crawfish!


Even though it was close by, owing to the insane heat we took the metro to Tokyo Tower. It is an Eiffel Tower look-a-like. However, it was built in 1958, is red and white and is 13m taller than Paris'. We were going to go up, but the line was a bit long.

After the tower we toured the area known as Roppongi. We sought out some contemporary art galleries, but they were closed as this week is a Japanese holiday.

Then we were attacked by one of Tokyo's many roving mad robots!!!

This is Maman, in front of Mori tower. This is a new development that has transformed the neighbourhood. It is very fancy, full of fancy shops and fancy restaurants--too fancy for us.

Awww, aren't we cute?

Four weeks and counting.

Monday the 13th.

Our last day with our more-than-worth-it JR Passes.
Also, our last opportunity to ride the amazing Shinkansen.

Another day solo for me and Jen. We decided that we should visit Nikko. According to the posters we've been seeing for weeks now, "Nikko is Nippon". (Nippon is Japan). And if it's good enough for UNESCO to designate it a world heritage site, it's good enough for us!

Also, Phil, Julie and the girls were off to the airport today to fly home. Seems hard to believe that their two weeks are already up!



This is the Max Yamabiko--a double decker shinkansen that was attached nose to tail to the Tsubasa, another bullet train. They separate at a certain point on the route. On our way home we actually had tickets for the Tsubasa.



Nikko is set in yet another idyllic forest park. Giant trees, butterflies and cicadas--oh the cicadas. You know how at home you hear one, and it's pretty. A true sign of summer. Here, it is a chorus, a cacophony, an incessant buzz that you learn to tune out. It is really quite incredible.



This 1650 five story pagoda was rebuilt due to natural disater in 1818 and has no foundations. Inside there is a free-swinging pendulum pole that helps maintain equilibrium during earthquakes.



An ornate gate to a mausoleum.

Hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil. This is part of a series of monkey reliefs adorning the Sacred Stable. Not sure if this is the originator.

This is the precinct of the Tosho-gu shrine dating to the middle of the 17th century.

Us in front of the main shrine.

Shin-kyo bashi. A bridge to celebrate Shodo Shonin who established a hermitage in Nikko in 782. Note the foundations are actually torii.

On our way home that night, rightfully bushed, we had an amazing view of Mt. Fuji. It really is an imposing mountain.

What a View.

Sunday the 12th.
Two days left on our unlimited Japan Rail Pass.
Julie and Phil's last day in Japan.
Nobody wanted to join Jen and I on our trek to Mt. Takao.
What? Climbing a mountain in 35 degree weather doesn't appeal to you?
Wimps.




It was hot. Hotter than yesterday. But then, we say that everyday. Straight shot on the train out of Musashi-sakai (our local) station. Technically, still Tokyo. The scenery is gorgeous. And the mountain steep. Do not leave home without your sweat towel!



Us at the top.



Us at a torii.




Us at a shrine.

Sweet staring contest. I would have won, but he made me laugh!

Some huge trees on the trek down Takao-san.

Our uneducated assumption is that these are prayers.

There's a whole lot of city out there. Did you know that the equivalent of the entire population of Canada lives in the Greater Tokyo Area? Think about it. It explains a lot.

Swans, Sweat and Meat-on-a-Stick!

After our whirlwind tour in the south everyone decided that a chill day was in order. Some went shopping, some napped and read, and still others blogged (me). Later on in the afternoon we all headed to Kichijogi as Sophia had been promised a ride in the swans.



Who's the lucky uncle?



Somehow I missed lunch and so I grabbed some yakitori (meat on a stick) from this park-side stand. According to Joanne it is very old--and trust me, the dirt under that awning has been collecting for quite some time!! Oh ya, the meat was delicious.




Swan time!



Looks like fun no?

NO!!! Just kidding. But as my sweaty brow betrays, it was insanely hot under that swan's wings, and the peddles were clearly designed for people whose legs are half the length of mine!

Cut from the same cloth!?

All smiles for ice cream.