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As we decided to forgo a trip outside of Tokyo, T and I decided to make the most of our ‘’staycation” and see the sights we’ve not yet done in the city. On the agenda for today: Tokyo Tower.
What many consider to be the focal point of Tokyo, the Tokyo tower is situated just past Zojoji Temple, one of the largest in Tokyo.
The small figures above are found on the left side of the shrine. Each has its own red knit cap and pin wheel. Each cap has been hand knit and many a different styles and in different conditions.
Just across the street is the Tokyo Tower. Picture the Eiffel Tower in bright orange.
Although the clouds rolled in during the late afternoon, we were able to get some shots from the Special Observatory while the sky was still blue. You’ll notice that Tokyo goes on as far as the eye can see in almost all directions. It is sprawling and enormous.
The views were pretty spectacular. The lines equally so. In the end, we opted to hike down the stairs only to find a small amusement park on the roof of the base building.
Yes, those children are riding giant bears. No, I really don’t know why. To say it was a strange little amusement park would be a massive understatement.
Following the tower we wandered over to Shimbashi for our favorite sushi while taking in the sights along the way.
For anyone who is planning on visiting Tokyo a note on Sushi: One of the best sushi place’s we’ve found is actually under the train tracks between the Shimbashi and Yurakacho stations. The sushi melts in your mouth.
And now a quiet evening of Olympic watching.
Up tomorrow: Still deciding, you’ll just have to wait and see!
Growing up motorcycles were for Hells Angels, Evil Knievel, Fonzie, and Peter Fonda. They were always dangerous high powered machines for rebels, lunatics, and punks, that my dull, button downed soul would never consider riding on, let alone driving. To be honest, I only learned how to ride a bike at the age of 25.
And yet…
Living here in Japan you can’t step outside the front door without seeing a motorcycle, motorbike, or scooter buzzing past. They’re everywhere and used by everybody from the mailman, to the ramen delivery guys, and even little old ladies, so how hard could they be to drive? While in Thailand on honeymoon M and I had the chance to ride on the back of a few bikes, but never mustered the courage to try driving ourselves.
Still the thought never left my mind, as I’d often joke that I wanted to try riding a Honda Super Cub while living here. For a little history, the Honda Super Cub is the world’s best selling motorbike/motorcycle of all time, FACT.
Granted it has about as much horsepower as a golfcart, but from an economic, emissions, and ease of riding standpoint it is one of the finest machines ever built for mass consumption, plus I think it looks really cool.
To my surprise, M not only listened to my babbling, but set us up to ride for my birthday. On Saturday morning we set out after breakfast to Akasaka to the Japan Bike Rental shop. M managed to find them on Google. When we first arrived we both explained we had no experience riding and if possible would appreciate a brief tutorial. Ron and Pete didn’t hesitate for a minute to help, especially for my bike as it actually has a 3 speed manual transmission requiring a little bit of coordination to operate.
Yet after a couple of laps around the block, I actually got the hang of handling the gears and how to maneuver the bike thanks to the guys help. Soon it was M’s turn to give her scooter a try and she too managed to get the hang of it within 15-20 minutes of practice and more expert tutoring.
And yet…
We really weren’t sure we could handle the mean streets of Tokyo. As if Ron and Pete hadn’t already done enough in getting two novices riding, they kindly suited up and offered to take us around the block on a quick tour to give us some real road experience. What we all imagined would probably end up being a trip to Starbucks down the corner and back, turned out to be a impromptu guided tour of central Tokyo that lasted the better part of the afternoon.
To say it was one of the best birthday gifts I’ve ever had would be an understatement. By the time we pulled up back to the shop I was hooked and oddly enough, so was M.
A morning of misgivings and fear has now turned to genuine enthusiasm, so much so that the two of us have been looking online at Vespas and Super Cubs. Now I’m not sure either of us will purchase one any time soon; nevertheless I wouldn’t rule out the two of us riding again in the future.
Special thanks to the guys at Japan Bike Rentals http://www.japanbikerentals.com as they took care of all the details with helmets, gloves, and bikes in perfect working order. On top of that Ron and Pete not only taught us the basics, helped us safely navigate through Tokyo, and showed us some sites we’d never had the chance to visit, but they were a lot of fun to hang out with. So when in Tokyo and in need of a bike, check them out, you won’t be disappointed!
Has spring sprung in Tokyo? Our walk yesterday would suggest that yes, it has..
I have no idea what the majority of these are, but they are quite nice.
The colors were so bright, it was really amazing.
So yes, it seems spring has sprung.
Tomorrow is the first day of another busy month for us. We’ll be celebrating Gremlin’s 4th birthday, heading to Hiroshima and having all sorts of adventures in April. Stay tuned!
