6/03/2013

Trip to Tokyo (Feb 2, 2013)

We went to Minami-Senju (南千住) for the eel rice. It was still early so we went back to the station and took a rest at McDonald's. Then we ate at the super expensive store called Obana (尾花). The meals cost us 10,000 Yen! (5,500 for the bigger meal box, 4,500 for the smaller one). 

Photo: People waiting in line at Obana

Photo: Eel rice

Photo: Two meal boxes of eel rice

Then we went back to Ueno and headed for Kyu-Iwasaki-tei Teien (旧岩崎邸庭園) via Shinobazunoike (不忍池).

Photo: Shinobazunoike

Photo: A sign saying that the Teien is 100 meters away

Photo: View of the Kyu-Iwasaki-tei Teien

Photo: View of the Kyu-Iwasaki-tei Teien

Photo: View of the Kyu-Iwasaki-tei Teien

At the gift shop we met an old man over the counter who talked to me a lot. He used to work for US military news agency and speaks English fluently. Our next stop was the campus of Tokyo University nearby.

Photo: The famous Yasuda Auditorium (安田講堂)

Photo: A beautiful hallway on campus

One of the purposes of this trip was to pay tribute to the British architect, well known as father of modern Japanese architecture.

Photo: Inscription of a brief biography of Josiah Conder

Photo: The statue of Josiah Conder

Photo: J. CONDER

Then we took the subway from Hongo 3-Chome to Ueno Onakacho (via Oedo Line). We ate dinner at Starbucks (to use up the remaining 700 yen in each of the Suica Card) and then Jody went to 0101 Department Store for some shopping, and I went to Bookoff (second-hand bookstore chain) and bought three books for reasonably low prices. 

We planned to buy more "omiyage" (お土産) for our family and friends, but most of the stores at Ameyokocho were closed. This marks the end of our trip to Tokyo. We went to the airport early the next morning.


Trip to Tokyo (Feb 1, 2013)

In the morning, we could see the Skytree in the eastern sky.

Photo: Morning view from our hotel room window

Photo: The expressway is close to the hotel

We walked to the Ueno Park. This was the second time I visited Ueno Park, but the first time I had an idea of who Saigo Sakamoto was when I saw his statue in the park. I'd read stuffs on Japanese history before the trip.
 
Photo: The statue of Saigo Sakamoto

Photo: Echizen (越前) daffodils

We then visited the National Museum of Western Art. I like the symbol, very clean and neat, and the museum is fully represented in it.

Photo: The symbol for the National Museum of Western Art

Claude Monet: Morning on the Seine

At a corner of the Ueno Park, you can find the statue of Noguchi Hideyo (野口英世), a famous Japanese bacteriologist. You can also find him on every 1000 Yen banknote.

Photo: The statue of Noguchi Hideyo

Photo: "Pro bono humani generis" at the base of the statue (for the good of humankind)

On another corner of the park, you can see the statue of Dr. Bauduin, a dutch military doctor who urged the local government to build a public park, i.e. the Ueno Park we see today.

Photo: Statue of Dr. Bauduin

After that, we went to the Starbucks in the park and took a rest. Then we visited the Toshogu (東照宮), a Shinto shrine of the Tokugawa clan. 

Photo: The torii of Toshogu

Then we left Ueno park, and went to 0101 Department Store. Then we ate dinner at a store called "Tokyo ushi-chikara" (東京牛力). 

Trip to Tokyo (Jan 31, 2013)

It was the day that we checked out VF Shiodome. After breakfast, we left our bags at the counter and told the staff we'd fetch them later in the afternoon. It was kind of them because we had checked out.

The first attraction was the Old Shimbashi Station (旧新橋停車場), now a museum with exhibitions. 

Photo: The Old Shimbashi Station

Photo: The reconstructed platform

Photo: Mile Marker Zero

Photo: They really did a good job in reconstruction

We ate oyadon (親ドン) at a restaurant near the business buildings of Shiodome.

Photo: Our lunch

Then we went to eat Japaneses-style desserts at Tsujiri (辻利 or 都路里) until almost 3 p.m. and headed for the big clock at the Fuji TV building, designed by the famous Japanese animator Miyazaki Hayao (宮崎駿). 

Photo: The big clock by Miyazaki Hayao

After that, we fetched our luggage at the hotel and took the subway to Ueno. We checked in at the hotel in Uenol, and walked around Ameyokojo. We ate takoyaki in the market, and walked to Matsusakaya Dept Store and bought a vegetable box and an inarizuji (稲荷寿司) box. 


Trip to Tokyo [東京之旅] (1/30/2013)

The two-day pass was still valid until end of this day. We went to Ginza again. Basically, Ginza is an area centered on Chuo Dori (中央通り) and divided into "Chomes" (丁目). There is an Apple Store at the 3-Chome. There is also a famous stationary store called Itoya (伊東屋) near the Apple Store. 

今天是使用二日券的第二天。我們又跑去銀座。基本上,銀座是以中央通為中心,並且分成好幾個「丁目」。在三丁目有一家蘋果專賣店,附近還有一家專門賣文具的歷史老店伊東屋。

Ginza 3-Chome [銀座三丁目]

Apple Store at Ginza [銀座蘋果專賣店] 

Itoya at Ginza [銀座伊東屋]

There is a landmark of the origin of Ginza. The story goes like this: In 1612, the Tokugawa Shogunate set up a mint for silver coins here. It was called Ginza-Cho (銀座町) or Shinryougae-Cho (新両替町) then, and renamed to Ginza in the second year of Meiji (1869).

在銀座有一個關於銀座發祥之地的地標。故事是這樣的,1612年,德川幕府在此地設立的銀幣的鑄幣廠,當時叫做銀座町,也叫做新両替町。明治二年(1869年)改名為銀座。

The landmark of the origin of Ginza [銀座發祥之地的地標]


Street view of Ginza [銀座街景]

In November, the 15th year of Meiji (1882), arc lamps were installed in Ginza [明治15年(1882年)11月,銀座設立了弧光燈]

We ate lunch at a restaurant called Rengatei (煉瓦亭), established in the 28th year of Meiji (1895).

我們在一家叫做煉瓦亭的餐廳吃中餐。這家店創立於明治28年(1895年)。


The sign board of Rengatei [煉瓦亭的招牌]
 
Rice with scrambled egg [蛋炒飯]


Photo:  Deep-fried pork [炸豬排]

The lady at the counter said this cash register had been used for 50 years, and was still in service! [收銀機的女士告訴我們這台收銀機已經使用50年了,而且還在繼續使用中。]

After lunch, we took a walk towards the 8-Chome. On the 4-Chome, we saw the famous landmark of Ginza: the Wako building.

午餐後,我們往八丁目方向前進。在四丁目看到了銀座地標:和光大廈。

The Wako building [和光大廈]

Pedestrians crossing Chuo Dori [中央通上的行人]

A concept car in exhibition at Nissan [日產概念車展]

Nenrinka, a shop specialized in Baumkuchen at Matsusakaya Department Store [在松阪屋百貨的年輪家,專賣年輪蛋糕]

After that we headed for Ochanomizu (御茶ノ水) by the Kanda (神田) River. The JR rail tracks are parallel to the riverbank so the you can see passengers at the platforms on this side of the bridge. We planned to visit three sacred places here:  St. Nicolas Cathedral (ニコライ堂), Kandamyojin (神田明神) Shrine, and Yushima Seido (湯島聖堂) Temple.

之後我們前往御茶之水,在神田川旁。JR鐵軌與神田川平行,可以看到月台上的乘客在等車。這裡我們打算參觀三個聖地:東京復活大教堂、神田明神,以及湯島聖堂。

Ochanomizu JR Station on the right, Kanda River in the middle with Hijiribashi (聖橋) the arch bridge across it [右邊是御茶之水JR站,中間是神田川,以及橫跨此川之聖橋]

Signs on one end of Hijiribashi [聖橋一端之標示牌]

First we made for St. Nicolas Cathedral, or Holy Resurrection Cathedral in Tokyo (東京復活大聖堂). It's the first Japanese Orthodox Church.

我們先去東京復活大教堂,這是日本第一個東正教的教堂,又稱「尼可萊堂」,紀念聖人尼可萊(Nicolai; 英文為Nicolas)。

St. Nicolas Cathedral [東京復活大教堂]

St. Nicolas Cathedral [東京復活大教堂]

St. Nicolas Cathedral [東京復活大教堂]

The view across the Hijiribashi, JR Station on the left [從聖橋看位於照片左邊的JR車站]


Then we walked across the Sacred Bridge (Hijiribashi) and headed for Kanda Myojin, which is a guardian god of Tokyo.

接著我們走過聖橋,來到神田明神。這個神社又叫做神田神社,但神田明神才是正確的稱呼。這個神社供奉了東京的守護神(有點像台灣民間信仰的城隍爺)。

The Torii (鳥居) of Kanda Myojin [神田明神之鳥居]

The front gate of Kanda Myojin [神田明神正門]


The main structure of Kanda Myojin [神田明神主要建築]

Then we went to the Yushima Seido (a Confucius temple). A very desolate place with far less worshipers than Kanda Myojin. 

下一站我們來到湯島聖堂,其實就是日本的孔廟。這裡有點荒涼,參拜的人也比神田明神少很多。


Yushima Seido [湯島聖堂]

Some living creature on the roof [屋頂上的動物]

 Some living creature on the roof [屋頂上的動物]


Dachengdian (大成殿) in Chinese is the name for the main structure of a Confucius Temple [孔廟的主建築都叫做大成殿]


The statue of Confucius [孔子像]

A student who wants to pass an exam or a person who wants to succeed is more likely to visit this place [想要考試合格工作順利的人應該會比較想來這裡參拜]

On Hijiribashi, the intersction of JR Line and Marunouchi Line (Tokyo Metro) can be clearly seen [在聖橋上可以看到JR線與東京地鐵丸之內線交錯]

We then went to Tokyo Station. This architecture had just been through the process of renovation, in preparation for the centennial celebration (1914-2014) next year.

接下來前往東京車站。這個建築才剛整修過,為了明年的百週年慶。(補充說明:台灣的新竹火車站2013年才剛慶祝過百週年慶,比東京車站還早一年)

Tokyo Station [東京車站]

We had arranged to meet my cousin YT (she was a university student in Tokyo and would be graduating in April 2013) at Yurakucho (有楽町) so we took JR there. We could have walked there but it was too cold outside in the evening.

我們約好要跟表妹YT約好在有樂町碰面(她在東京念大學,將於2013年4月畢業)。其實可以走路過去的,但傍晚實在太冷了,所以搭JR過去。

Bic Camera at Yurakucho, a consumer electronics chain in Japan [有樂町的必苦開麥拉]

We ate dinner with YT at a restaurant called "Jonathan". I finally got my kindle paperwhite which I ordered and sent to her place. After dinner, we parted with YT at the station and took JR back to Shimbashi, from where we walked through the underground tunnels to the hotel.

我們在一家叫做強納森的餐廳吃飯,我終於拿到我的kindle了。我是先在網路上訂購並寄到表妹家。晚餐後,我們在車站分別,我們搭乘JR回去新橋站,然後走地下通道回到旅館。

My Kindle Paperwhite before unwrapping [拆封前的kindle]