4 October 2009

Random bits in Tokyo

Not the best title for last post on my Tokyo trip I have to admit... ^^;


Final post on my Tokyo Trip this year. There is no specific focus on this post, just some bits and bobs that I haven't mentioned in other posts (many of them are actually for the last two days of the trip). Just thought I would bring them together for the finale.


Shiodome (汐留) - a really modern and developed district in Tokyo with a lot of offices. We were only passing through here so we could board the Yurikamome to visit the Gundam in Odaiba.


At the base of the Nippon Television Tower we have encountered this strange looking clock. Looks a lot like those in Hayao Miyazaki's works (e.g. Howl's Moving Castle), right? Well, it turns out that this clock is indeed his design afterall!


The clock "performs" with music at the times shown above. According to the sign the 1000 one only happens on Sundays and Thursdays.


Standing beneath the giant fantasy clock - we didn't know about this clock before coming to Shiodome. Didn't get to see a performance, but it's definitely worth checking it out if you have the time!

Here's a YouTube video I've found recorded at 1800:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-E1oqrPNTo


Remember in Tokyo, you stand on the left and walk on the right for escalators, which is opposite to other places I've been. Are they the same for your place too?


There are drink machines offered in some train platforms, and once you've finished your drink (or the train has arrived and you need to discard it), you can dispose it in one of these machines and get some cash back. If I recall correctly I think it's about 10 Yen per cup.


St Mary's Cathedral. I am not religous, but the boyfriend of my sister's friend, who joined us the day prior to Tsukiji and the Gundam, requested to see this for his architecture research. It is located in Mejiro area.

He is a Japanese overseas student studying Architecture in mainland China, and despite my previous post on English education in Japan, his English is actually fairly good - I could chat with him in simple English!


Can't remember what this is, but I think it is the bell tower.




No matter how you look at it, it sure is an unusual looking building.


Sometimes I really am impressed at how people park their vehicles in such narrow spaces o_o


Bicycles are a common form of transport in Japan. They do make good use of space by having them parked above ground as well :o


Soba noodles made with 100% buckwheat. Normal soba noodles are usually made of a mixture of buckwheat and flour. These 100% buckwheat ones are a bit more expensive, and we had these on the top floors of Takashimaya deparment store, Shinjuku.


Mobile ramen stalls do exist, but they only seem to come out at night.


Each district seems to have its own no smoking (or "do not drop cigarette butts") sign on the ground. This one is a bit more ordinary. Others, such as the one seen in Musashino, are a bit more interesting.


The small shrine on the roof of Takashimaya department store. T'is the same photo at the beginning of the post.



The roof of Takashimaya department store has many plants and seats, giving it a very calm environment for families and children to chill around for the weekends.


Some rhetoric signs in Japanese and English spotted in trains as a message for people to maintain good manner in the public.


Dorayakit (銅鑼焼き) - just as meronpan is Shana's favourite snack, the dorayaki is Doraemon's counterpart.


A glimpse at the train operators from the door window, when the train is about to arrive on a station.




That ends my coverage on my one week Tokyo Trip way back in June. It has been a fun trip to go, and I'm sure I will make another visit someday; there simply is too much stuff to explore even within Tokyo itself! Places such as Akihabara and Tsukiji are repeated visits, but I never got bored of returning to those places. I hope you have enjoyed reading my posts on it, and to finish it off I have included the summary list of my coverage below:

  • Chilling in Yokohama
  • Yokohama and Ramen Museum
  • Whole Day in Ikebukuro
  • Akihabara 2009 Day Trip
  • Nakano & Akihabara
  • Tsukiji Fish Market
  • Gundam in Odaiba
  • Tokyo Tower
  • Random bits in Tokyo

  • 8 comments:

    1. Holy fuck that Miyazaki clock is awesome!

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    2. Nice buddy! Thanks for the pictures! I'm hoping that clock is only once or twice a day, because if it's on the hour, that would get really annoying working anywhere near that building. haha. Still awesome though!

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    3. I seriously want to try ramen at one of those stalls...
      Not to mention food from those other types of food carts as well!!

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    4. Regarding the escalators:
      In Malaysia, people don't really care which side to stand or walk, we just stand/walk as long got some space on it... T_T

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    5. That clock is awesome o.o
      And the japanese can park like that because they all have innate drifting skillz xD

      It's always so delightful how the cities look so clean and slick there, and how the suburbs have a homely, traditional feel.

      Saaiiigh, I wish I were well-funded enough to go to jpn once in a while.
      That's it, I've decided, I'll strive to become an english teacher in japan >.>

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    6. @ Snark:
      That clock sure is awesome I tell you! We never knew about it, so it came to us as a really cool surprise!

      @ Apt-1B:
      The clock performs at 12:00, 15:00, 18:00 and 20:00 (10:00 too for Sunday and Thursday) everyday for about 3 minutes. I think the first few floors are shopping areas, and the nearby buildings are a fair distance to the clock so it won't disturb the working people too much I hope.

      @ gundamjegutykai:
      My mother and sister tried one before, and I did hear that it's great! Didn't get the chance to try them myself but would love to in the future!

      @ BD77:
      There's no specific rules on which side to stand or walk in Malaysia? How interesting... ^^;;

      @ Ningyo:
      lol drifting skillz... ^^;

      Indeed cities and suburbs can have a large contrast, but they don't ruin the image that they represent overall.

      Haha, going to Japan as an ALT is a viable way - English is quite on demand in Japan especially of recent times ^^

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    7. Thanks for showing us those tidbits!

      Over here people actually always wait in the escalators.Most people are terribly lazy <.<

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    8. @ Blowfish:
      I am glad that you like those little tidbits!

      For escalators, I don't mind if people simply stand on one side. What I don't like are those who stand on the other side or even occupying the whole width of it, blocking people from behind to walk through -_-

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