Bikes, Buds and Plastic Ebi

So here it is, our final day touring Japan. Sunday the 19th of August. It seems like only yesterday that we were meeting Hachiko the dog bleary eyed and frightened. Tokyo seems so familiar now. What to do on our last day? We have a list and most things were crossed off. We did want to return to Ueno Park to see if the lotus buds had finally blossomed. Oh yes, and the plastic food....



On our way to the train station Jen and I did a few errands. One of which took us past this bicycle parking lot. It is a good example, if a bit small (!). We have seen mutiple storied lots, jammed full of bicycles. The bike culture in Japan is amazing--but I am still not sure about this riding on the sidewalk thing.



Here is a good shot of our kind host/tourguide/interpreter/chef/friend/sister



I can't remember if plastic food has been mentioned at all in our blog. Almost every restaurant in Japan has a display outside full of plastic models of the food it serves. The plastic models are extremely realistic, and are true replicas of the meal you will receive.

Here is the display in front of Subway.






Doesn't that look tasty? I especially like how the shrimp are pre-dipped in special sauce!

But where does all that plastic food come from? The gang was willing to humour me and so we visited the area of town that speciailizes in kitchen/restaurant supplies. The stores that handle the plastic food are amazing--but it ain't cheap. A plate of noodles can run you 10 000 yen ($100)! I bought a skewered shrimp wrapped in bacon (sorry Jo).




Kitchen District. Those tea cups are actually balconies!



You gotta love Japan!


Back to Ueno, a park we visited some weeks ago (!) on a rainy afternoon.



The lotus blossoms are bigger, but not quite open yet. Too bad, the fully open flowers must be gorgeous. It was not a wasted trip, however, as the scene is still beautiful.



Jenny G and the Lotus buds.





This is the last shrine we were to visit. And a good one to end with. It is stunning--covered in gold, surrounded by a 400 year old fence structure. We sat inside for a bit, enjoying the quiet and the ancient decor.







Did I mention Sunday was hot? It was so hot even my eyes were sweating!

After Ueno, we hit the nearby old black market area. After the war, when goods were in short supply, this area developed into a thriving black market. They say today it retains some of that old seediness, but it just seems like another busy shopping area.





We closed out our day with a nice supper among friends in Nakano. Thoroughly exausted, we returned home to the Arms.

Imagine all the Sweet Potatoes

Saturday the 18th, perilously close to the end!

This day we (Karen, Koki, Jo, Jen and I) headed off in the direction of Koki's town Kawagoe. We made a stop, however, in Saitama to visit the John Lennon Museum. This is close to Yoko Ono's hometown, and she is largely responsible for this stunning museum. I think even the non-fan would be impressed. She has donated a large quantity of memorabilia including the famous New York City t-shirt, guitars, song notes, a Sgt. Pepper's outfit.... Jen says it was one of the highlights of Japan for her (she has been a fan for years!).



A good shot of friends!



The Saitama train station won an architectural design award when it opened.




Here we are grabbing a bite before museum-going.



No photos allowed inside the museum--but, John and Yoko are willing to pose with you for a few shots!







After the museum we hopped back on the train and completed out journey to Kawagoe. It is, from what I can tell, a small city and has a section of town that is very old. This is where we headed. We did some touring and some shopping. It is very picturesque. Jen and I wished we had had more time to explore--it got dark way too soon!



The main old shopping street in Kawagoe.



There are so many amazing old buildings here.




Next we hit "Candy Alley" where Koki treated us to some traditional Japanese sweets. These are made from sweet potatoes and are rather yummy.





Looks yummy, no?




I was so happy to spot another outlet of this store! I am thinking about applying for a Canadian franchise--how do you think it will go over? And no, it isn't a Viagra depot you twisted little monkeys, it's dicount electronics of course!



On the train back into Tokyo we picked a rather exciting car. We were joined by a rather confused and upset cicada! It did some swooping and shrieking before Koki the Cicada Hunter grabbed it and held on to the next stop!