Tokyo (Shibuya) [Part I – Hachiko] November 10, 2009
Posted by drutang in Tokyo, Travel.Tags: tokyo, japan, Shibuya, Tokyo-to, Starbucks, Shibuya-ku, moai, Easter Island, 日本, 東京, Tokyo Drift, Fast and the Furious, hachiko, Hachiko: A Dog's Story, Richard Gere, Hachi, Hidesaburo Ueno, University of Tokyo, Tokyo University, Todai, Shibuya Station, Moyai, Nijima, Shibuya crossing, scramble crossing, Tsutaya, 東京都, 渋谷, 渋谷区, ハチ, ハチコ, はちこ, 渋谷駅, 東京大学, 東大
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Shibuya Crossing
Shibuya is one of the most iconic places in Japan. It was predominantly popularized by the movie “Lost in Translation” and “Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift”. Both of these movies showed sections of what some people call, the busiest intersection of the world. Unfortunately, neither of these movies truly tells of the real character, or life of Shibuya. The modern reality is that a lot of people hate Shibuya because it is mainly a high school and college hang out. However, Shibuya is definitely one of the places that tourists should visit in order to understand the various subcultures of Tokyo itself.
The first thing that must be done in Shibuya is to find an exit, or to find a meeting spot. The Hachiko Exit and the Hachiko statue is the most famous meeting spot in Shibuya. In October 2009, the movie Hachiko: A Dog’s Story, staring Richard Gere will be released, retelling the story of Hachiko.
Statue of Hachiko
In 1924, Hachiko was brought to Tokyo by his owner, Hidesaburo Ueno, a professor in the agriculture department at the University of Tokyo. During his owner’s life Hachiko saw him off from the front door and greeted him at the end of the day at the nearby Shibuya Station. The pair continued their daily routine until May 1925, when Professor Ueno did not return on the usual train one evening. The professor had suffered a stroke at the university that day. He died and never returned to the train station where his friend was waiting.
Hachiko was given away after his master’s death, but he routinely escaped, showing up again and again at his old home. Eventually, Hachiko apparently realized that Professor Ueno no longer lived at the house. So he went to look for his master at the train station where he had accompanied him so many times before. Each day, Hachiko waited for Professor Ueno to return. And each day he did not see his friend among the commuters at the station.
The permanent fixture at the train station that was Hachiko attracted the attention of other commuters. Many of the people who frequented the Shibuya train station had seen Hachiko and Professor Ueno together each day. They brought Hachiko treats and food to nourish him during his wait.
This continued for 10 years, with Hachiko appearing only in the evening time, precisely when the train was due at the station.
Commemorating this real story, there is a statue of Hachiko just outside the train station. If you want to see Hachiko himself, you can go to the National Science Museum of Japan in Ueno where his body was stuffed and put on display. The other major meeting spot is at the West Bus Loop where there is a statue of the “Moyai”. It is a gift from the island of Nijima that resembles the Moai of Easter Island. This is generally an easier place to meet people, but it isn’t as convenient.
Tsutaya at Shibuya Crossin (Credit to a friend for the picture)
The Hachiko exit not only provides a quick look at the statue of Hachiko himself, but you can also board an old style train car, and see one of the most famous spots in Japan, Shibuya Crossing. This is a typical scramble crossing, but what you don’t realize is how busy it is. During the day, it is busy, but manageable. At night, once the bars start opening up, the crossing becomes a chaotic sprint to get from A to B. Many tourists will head through taking video of this crossing. It’s not something people enjoy doing everyday. One of the best vantage points of the crossing is at Starbucks, situated in the Tsutaya building on the North West corner of the intersection. Do beware that this Starbucks is extremely popular and always crowded. Finding a window seat can be a challenge in itself. The good thing about this building is that it provides a great way to start exploring Shibuya. Whichever way you go from here, you’ll see different sides of the city, and different cultures.
This is Part I of a III part series. Tune in next week for Part II.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hachikō
このblogは英語のblog。もし私の英語は難しい、日本語のquestionは大丈夫。
2009 Tokyo Motor Show November 3, 2009
Posted by drutang in Japan, Tokyo.Tags: 2009 Tokyo Motor Show, メッセ, Chiba, Chiba-ken, concept, concept car, concept vehicle, FT-86, FT86, japan, Kaihin Makuhari, Makuhari, Makuhari Convention Center, Makuhari Convention Centre, Makuhari Messe, Messe, MiEV, Mitsubishi, Mitsubishi MiEV, Mitsubishi PX, Mitsubishi PX MiEV, Motor Show, PX MiEV, Super Tenere, tokyo, Tokyo Convention Center, Tokyo Convention Centre, Tokyo Motor Show, Tokyo-to, Toyota, Toyota FT-86, Toyota FT86, Yamaha, Yamaha Super Tenere, 千葉, 千葉県, 幕張, 幕張メッセ, 日本, 東京, 東京モーターショー, 東京都, 海浜幕張, 海浜幕張駅
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2009 Tokyo Motor Show
The 2009 Tokyo Motor Show is being held from October 29 until November 4 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba. As of posting this, there are only a few days left until the end. This year, due to the economic downturn that started in 2008, the show was left in limbo up until this past summer. There are less than half of the exhibitors in this year’s show compared to the last show in 2007. In 2007, there were over 240 exhibitors, and this year it’s just over 100. This is a significant decrease, and it shows. The event space is more open, and reduced. There are no longer any outdoor exhibits, and they only make use of the convention centre’s main hall. The North Hall and central Exhibition Hall are no longer used. The outdoor element in the central plaza is also discontinued for this year. It’s a bit of a shame that there are only two foreign car makers present at this show, but it was still a great show to visit.
Toyota FT-86 Concept Vehicle
The first thing to do when heading to the show is to actually head to the show. Makuhari Messe is a huge convention centre, and without the North Hall being open, it’s a bit of a walk to the main entrance. From there, there are three major halls to visit: the East, Central, and West halls. Each one has its own group of manufacturers. This year, the West Hall was occupied by Honda, motorcycle manufacturers, and various other parts companies. The Central Hall had Toyota, Subaru, Mazda, and a special Car of the Year Japan exhibition. In the East, Nissan and Mitsubishi had large displays while the Gran Tourismo and Tomica moved into the main hall from a side hall two years ago. The amount of space needed was dramatically cut down, but there was always a lot to see.
Mitsubishi PX MiEV Concept Vehicle
With the European and American companies opting to not go to the show, the Japanese companies made up for it with their concept cars. The theme was the environment. It was great to see so many hybrids and electric vehicles. They even displayed various walking machines similar to the Segway, but seated versions. All of the cars were busy with photographers taking as many pictures as they could. Toyota and Honda were one of the busiest exhibitions. There were also several “race queens” at each booth modeling all of the cars. While the size of the show was reduced, the number of girls showing the vehicles was the same, proportionately. Interestingly enough, each maker seemed to choose their women based on their overall theme or target audience. Some chose women in their 30s, and some chose women in their 20s. Some had more elegant clothing, while others made their girls look trashy. Image is everything, and as long as it fit, anything would go.
Yamaha Super Tenere Concept Vehicle
Unfortunately, this year was a bit small. Many people say the Japanese show is no longer an “international” show. While I agree that it isn’t as grand as before, it’s also a tough year. With other cities being more important, it’s natural to think that the Shanghai show will be bigger. Will it always be bigger? I’m guessing that in the future, the Tokyo Motor Show will increase again as the auto makers make more money and have the ability to display their cars at more shows. It’s a little expensive, but if they want to keep their business in Japan, they’ll have to keep at least a small presence at these shows.
Tokyo Motor Show Information:
Official Site: http://www.tokyo-motorshow.com/en/index.html
Official Site (Japanese): http://www.tokyo-motorshow.com/index.html
このblogは英語のblog。もし私の英語は難しい、日本語のquestionは大丈夫。
Maps November 1, 2009
Posted by drutang in Japan.add a comment
Starting this week, I’ll be adding new maps to go along with my older posts. I won’t be reposting my old posts, but I’ll be updating this post and making it the top post whenever I make a new map, or whenever I update one significantly. Hopefully this will help you to understand each area that I describe in my posts, and maybe you can find it helpful if you ever visit one of these places.
Dru
MAPS:
Amanohashidate (Top 3 Views of Japan) October 27, 2009
Posted by drutang in Japan, Travel.Tags: Amanohashidate, Amanohashidate Station, bath house, beach, Bridge in Heaven, chair lift, Chionji, exercise, ferry, Hiroshima, iPod, japan, Japan views, Japan's Top 3 Views, kyoto, Matsushima, Miyajima, Omikuji, onsen, Pacific Ocean, picnic, run, sand bar, Sea of Japan, Sendai, sento, swim, swing bridge, tokyo, Top 3 Views, 天橋立, 宮島, 広島, 日本, 日本三景, 松島, 温泉, 京都, 仙台
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Amanohashidate
Amanohashidate is one of Japan’s Top 3 views. Along with Miyajima and Matsushima, it is considered beautiful. In my previous posts, I have mentioned both Miyajima and Matsushima. I was awestruck by the beauty of Miyajima and let down by Matsushima. For the third year in a row, I went to visit one of Japan’s Top 3 views. This time, I went with no expectations at all. I was looking for a nice relaxing day and to just explore a remote area of Japan. Getting to Amanohashidate is much harder than Miyajima and Matsushima. Miyajima is difficult because you have to take a ferry. Matsushima is difficult because it’s located outside Sendai. Amanohashidate, however, is located far from Kyoto, and Kyoto is the nearest major city. In fact, Kyoto is closer to the Pacific Ocean, and Amanohashidate is located on the Sea of Japan coast. If you are travelling from Tokyo, expect to travel for roughly 5 hours. Bring a fully charged iPod and you’ll be okay.
Traditional way to view Amanohashidate
Amanohashidate is famous because it’s a 3 km sand bar. Translated, Amanohashidate means “Bridge in Heaven”. The most famous thing to do, when visiting Amanohashidate is to venture up one of the nearby mountains, stand with your back facing the sand bar, and look at it from between your legs. This gives the impression that the sand bar is actually in heaven, or heading to heaven. You can do this on both sides of the sand bar, and it isn’t too expensive to head up. When you do head up, be sure to take the chair lift. It’s one of my favourite things to do in Japan. These chair lifts are not like your traditional ski lifts. Rather, they are simple chairs with almost no safety features whatsoever. It can be a little scary at first, but it’s such a peaceful ride that you’ll feel almost as if you were floating in the chair. Unfortunately, the views of the sand bar aren’t great from the chairlift. If you head up from Amanohashidate station, you’ll have a little luck as the top of the hill has a small, and I really mean small, amusement park. It’s probably great for kids, but for adults, it’s nothing special. You can easily spend an hour just relaxing and taking your time wandering the area.
Omikuji
When you finish looking at the sand bar and get tired of seeing the same static views, Chionji is the only notable temple around the station. It’s somewhat large for the population, but it isn’t bad. I’d say it’s worth checking out, and don’t worry about time. If you arrive on the late train, you’ll still have plenty of time to walk around the entire area as the first trains back to Kyoto aren’t until around dinner time. The temple itself, however, isn’t special. The main point of interest is probably the omikuji, fortunes. They come in small wooden fans which are pretty cute, and I’ve never seen them in that form before. From there, you can take a look at a type of key/lantern. Located next to the bridge leading to Amanohashidate is a key that looks similar to an Egyptian Key. Of course, it doesn’t look the same, but this key is supposed to bring luck for ships. Many people climb into it and enjoy a picture with it.
Swing Bridge
Heading to Amanohashidate, you’ll have to cross a bridge. This is a famous point for photos. It’s an old swing bridge that opens up many times a day to allow the tour boats to pass. It’s nice for photos, but after you’ve seen it once, there isn’t much of a point to wait for it a second time. When you do cross the bridge, you’ll be on Amanohashidate. This 3 km sand bar is easily traversed by bicycle, but if you feel up to it, feel free to run across. It appears to be somewhat popular for locals looking for exercise to run up and down the sand bar. You could also go for a nice swim as the beach is quite beautiful. The water is very clean and there are various showers located along the beach. Do note that the showers are turned on during the summer season only. Also, be aware of traffic. The sand bar is closed to cars, but motorcycles up to 50cc are allowed and maintenance trucks may travel along the sand bar on weekdays. Located in the middle, there is a small shrine and various haiku passages. A famous Japanese writer was inspired to write several haikus while in Amanohashidate. If you didn’t bring your own bicycle, don’t worry. Just rent one from one of the many souvenir shops next to Chionji Temple.
One of the last few things you can do is to take a boat ride to the northern shore. While I never did this myself, it looks nice and it’s a good way to burn time. The other is to head to the sento. There is a nice looking sento located next to the station. A sento is a Japanese public bath house. The prices for bathing in this sento are a little expensive, but apparently there is a free foot bath in front of the sento. If you need to pick up some gifts, Amanohashidate is famous for its black bean snacks. While this is not for everyone, it is an option, and some of them are delicious. They also have a few varieties of sake and shochu. Amanohashidate also has a regional beer, but I never tried it.
Beach on Amanohashidate
Other than that, there really isn’t anything to do. I’d suggest bringing a picnic and enjoying it on the beach. Amanohashidate feels very remote and other than a few souvenir shops and touristy restaurants, there isn’t much to do. Once you’ve seen the sand bar, that’s it. Unlike the other two Top 3 views, there is much less to do here. I do feel that it ranks in at number 2 compared to Matsushima, but by and far, Miyajima is still the best. The best thing to do is to make the most of your time when you are in Amanohashidate. Enjoy being out of the big city. Relax at the beach. Read a book. Talk with your friends. Enjoy a beer on the beach. Do everything that you should do when you are on vacation, mainly relax!
Amanohashidate Information:
Japan Guide: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3990.html
Wikipedia (minimal information at best): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanohashidate
Wikitravel (the best guide, but still not great): http://wikitravel.org/en/Amanohashidate
Official Site (Good information on events and tours, but no information on the sites themselves): http://www.joho-kyoto.or.jp/~center/english/shop/amanohashidate/
このblogは英語のblog。もし私の英語は難しい、日本語のquestionは大丈夫。
2009 Formula 1 Fuji Television Japanese Grand Prix October 13, 2009
Posted by drutang in Sports.Tags: tokyo, japan, kyoto, Shizuoka, Fuji, Motegi, racing, Grand Prix, Japan GP, osaka, F1, Fuji Speedway, Japanese Grand Prix, Japanese, Gotenba, Gotemba, Formula 1, Formula One, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Red Bull, Toyota, Honda, Nagoya, 日本, 東京, 京都, フジ, Suzuka Circuit, Mishima, Suzuka, Mie, Aichi, cars, f1 car, Japan Grand Prix, Japanese GP, figure 8 circuit, race, Kintetsu, Shiroko Station, Suzuka Circuit Inou, Suzuka Circuit Inou Station, shuttle bus, grandstand, world sporting event, ferris wheel, amusement park, Motegi Twin Ring, roller coaster, Sebastien Vettel, Jarno Trulli, McLaren, 愛知, 鈴鹿, 鈴鹿ｆ１, 車, 日本GP, 静岡, 名古屋
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Welcome to Suzuka Circuit
On October 4th, 2009, Japan hosted it’s annual round of the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix. For those of you who have been reading this blog, last year, I also attended the Japanese Grand Prix. This year was a little different. After two years at Fuji Speedway in Shizuoka, the Japanese Grand Prix moved back to its traditional home of Suzuka Circuit in Mie Prefecture. Mie is located south west of Tokyo. The closest major city is Nagoya, but you can still access Kyoto and Osaka from Suzuka. By and far, the easiest and most common way to reach the circuit itself is to leave from Nagoya.
Suzuka's famous Ferris Wheel
The biggest difference between Fuji Speedway and Suzuka Circuit is the owner. Fuji is ultimately owned by Toyota, while Suzuka is owned by Honda. The two car giants of Japan competed for the rights to hold the Japanese Grand Prix for the last three years. From this year, the plan was to alternate between Fuji and Suzuka. Next year’s race was supposed to be held in Fuji. Unfortunately, due to the downturn in the economy last year, Fuji decided to not hold the race in 2010, so Suzuka stepped up and will hold the race in Japan for the next few years. Many of the drivers were very happy about this, but what about the fans and the Japanese people themselves? While a lot of people don’t really care, race enthusiasts were always happy to hear that Suzuka won the race. It is one of the very few figure 8 circuits in the world, and the only one on the F1 calendar. It is steeped in history that, while not as old as Fuji, is more prestigious.
Crowds heading to Suzuka Circuit on race day.
Accessing and retuning home from Suzuka Circuit is very easy. From Nagoya, it’s a simple reserved express train from Nagoya Station to Suzuka Circuit Inou Station. You can also purchase reserved tickets to get back to Nagoya. While this may be a little expensive compared to the regular trains, it guarantees that you’ll have a seat, and when you return to Nagoya, that may be very important. When you do reach the station, it’s very easy to find your way to the circuit. Just follow the groups of people and you’ll be fine. While it may be different in future years, be sure to pick up a map and ask the staff for some information to make sure you know your options. If you want to play it safe, just return to the same station. The second option is to take the Kintetsu trains to Shiroko Station. It’s about 5 kilometres away from the circuit, or an hour walk. There is a shuttle bus, but it can take up to an hour to wait for it. Many people enjoy a nice walk in the countryside to get to this station. To reach it, you must also walk past the Inou. The main advantage of walking to Shiroko is that trains come more often than at the Inou station. When leaving Nagoya, don’t worry too much about buying tickets. You can easily buy them at the main entrance as there will probably be a table set up for selling return tickets. Just be sure to know which tickets you need before leaving.
Hundreds of photographers both professional and hobbiests hard at work.
When entering Suzuka circuit itself, it’s evident that Honda’s circuit company knows what it’s doing. It has held the F1 event and other major world sporting events for years. The F1 event itself is very similar to the one in 2008, but there are noticeable differences. The first is that the party is slightly bigger, yet more compact. In Fuji, everything was spread out a lot more. Suzuka’s main entertainment area was behind the main grandstand, and there wasn’t a lot going on outside of that area. Of course, you can always buy the basic souvenirs around the course, but there were fewer opportunities to do so. However, buying food was ten times better in Suzuka. The options were slightly limited, and it wasn’t the cheapest food in the world, but it was good and reasonable for a world sporting event. The major plus is the number of activities that are available for children. There is a large ferris wheel, and other various amusement rides that are centred for children. Suzuka, being Honda’s signature track, has a better amusement area compared to Motegi. There are various boat rides, and roller coasters. There was a go-kart track, but this was closed to add more space for exhibitions. Overall, I’d prefer Suzuka over Fuji, and most Japanese people would tend to agree. Fuji’s major advantage was being close to Tokyo.
Race Winner: Sebastien Vettel
Looking at the race, it was your typical F1 race. I had the chance to enjoy the event during qualifying for the first time. It was a nice event, and qualifying made walking around the main areas easier. It was extremely busy on race day, so if you can enjoy the Saturday qualifying, be sure to do your shopping then; don’t wait until race day or things will be sold out. Qualifying was riddled with accidents, and the race itself wasn’t that exciting. In typical F1 fashion, there were several passes on the first few laps, but after that, it was a war of attrition. Everyone kept circling the circuit and any passing was done in the pits. By the end of the day, Sebastian Vettel won the race with home team Toyota’s Jarno Trulli in second. Bringing up the last spot on the podium was McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton.
このblogは英語のblog。もし私の英語は難しい、日本語のquestionは大丈夫。
Suzuka Circuit Links:
(English – Note that this site has only information on the facilities) http://www.mobilityland.co.jp/english/
(Japanese – Note that this site has information on events) http://www.suzukacircuit.jp/
(Wiki) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzuka_Circuit
(Official F1 Website) http://www.formula1.com/
