#77 - Odaiba

Odaiba is a large man-made island in Tokyo Bay. Today, it is a well-known leisure and entertainment zone, and hosts a number of attractions for tourists. It is also one of the only two places within the Greater Tokyo Metropolitan area where you can access the seashore and which isn't blocked by industry and harbour areas.

Interesting fact: Odaiba is currently one of the proposed venues for Japan's 2020 Summer Olympic games for events such as beach volleyball, triathlon and marathon swimming and gymnastics.

View of Tokyo Bay and the Rainbow Bridge from Odaiba.

Some history

This area was first constructed in the 1850s. Six island fortresses were built as a defense against attack by sea. The name Odaiba (お台場) comes from the Japanese word for the cannon batteries (daiba 台場) which were placed on these islands.

About a century later, massive landfills were used to connect the small islands together, making them into larger islands. The area expanded as a seaport district, but since the 1990s it has developed into a major tourist and leisure area.

Things to see

Odaiba has a lot of shopping areas and restaurants, so it is great if you want to buy a range of things and have a relaxing day out at the same time. Some of these areas are: Decks Tokyo Beach, Aquacity Odaiba, and DiverCity Plaza. As an added bonus, I found these well within walking distance, so it feels very compact and easy to navigate!

Front side of Fuji TV building.

Fuji TV Building

The headquarters of Fuji Television is based in Odaiba. The building itself has a very interesting design, which was created by Kenzo Tange (丹下健三 Tange Kenzo), who also designed the Hiroshima Peace Park.

Events outside.

It is possible for the public to go into the building. There are some exhibits on popular programs. Of course, there is also a shop where you can purchase Fuji TV goods. At the time I went, there was also a lot of events going on outside, such as stalls for prizes, games and food! I also saw some costumed characters. 

Looking up from under the building.

If you want a nice view of the Odaiba area, you can visit the second-highest storey for free. There is also an observatory deck in the ball-shaped part, but there is an admission fee for this bit. It usually costs about 500 yen. 

Ferris Wheel

Another popular attraction is the Ferris wheel. Known as Daikanransha (大観覧車) it stands at 115 metres tall (337 ft), making it one of the world's largest. 

Ferris wheel and entrance
to Pallete Town.

During the ride, you can get some great views of the area, including the Bay and Rainbow Bridge. It takes about 15 minutes to complete one revolution, so you can sit back, relax,and enjoy the sights. 

Although each cabin can seat six people, this Ferris wheel is popular among Japanese couples. In fact, Odaiba as an area is sometimes viewed as a dating place, especially amongst younger generations!

The Ferris wheel is right inside an area called Palette Town, which also has some shops, restaurants, and exhibitions, such as a Toyota showroom!

"Life-size" Mobile Suit Gundam.

One last thing, which is sure to thrill most manga and anime fans, is the giant "life-size" Gundam statue. It can be quite surprising to turn the corner and see it! This mobile suit can be found outside of the DiverCity Tokyo Plaza. Inside the plaza, there is a small shop selling Gundam related goods.

How to get there

There are many ways to get to Odaiba. It can be accessed by the Yurikamome (an elevated train with tyres), using the Rinkai Line, or by boat. You can also cross the Rainbow Bridge on foot.

#76 - Tokyo Tower

Tokyo Tower (東京タワー ) is a communications and observation tower in Tokyo. Standing at 333 metres tall, it is the second tallest structure in Japan (after this tower).Construction was completed in 1958, and Tokyo Tower remains a popular attraction for tourists to this day. I visited in the middle of July, 2013 and loved it!

History

After television broadcasting started in Japan in 1953, it was feared that a lot of transmission towers would be built across Tokyo. In order to prevent this happening and potentially overrunning the city, it was decided to construct one large tower to service the whole area. 

Looking up.

Did you know that, originally, Tokyo Tower was planned to be bigger than the Empire State Building? Unfortunately, due to a lack of resources and financing, this wouldn't be the case. 

Japanese architect Taichu Naito (内藤 多仲) was responsible for the design of Tokyo Tower. The lattice tower was based on the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. But, when the 90 metre antenna was placed on Tokyo Tower, it overtook the Eiffel Tower to become the tallest free-standing tower in the world at that time! Like its French counterpart, Tokyo Tower came to be a symbol of its city.

Things to do

Tokyo Tower offers great bird's eye views of Tokyo. There are two observation decks: the main observatory at 150 metres, and the special observatory at 250 metres. On a clear day, you can see Mount Fuji! Unfortunately it was a little drizzly when I went, so I couldn't see it. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed looking out across Tokyo, and identifying other buildings and areas I had visited!

A view from Tokyo Tower.

At the time I visited Tokyo Tower, it was becoming late afternoon. I stayed until after the sun had set, and saw Tokyo light up! The views were great and it was a wonderful way of looking back on all the things I had done in Tokyo. 

Looking towards the Rainbow Bridge
 and Odaiba.

Looking up at night.

Tokyo at night.

Finally, underneath the tower, there is a four-storey building called FootTown. Here, there is an aquarium, reception hall, restaurants, convenience stores, and of course - elevators to climb the tower. You can also visit the Guinness World Records Museum Tokyo on the third floor. Also, on the roof of the building there is a small amusement park for children.

#75 - Ueno Zoo and Tokyo Skytree - 16 June 2013

Ueno Zoo

Ueno Zoo is the oldest zoo in Japan. Also known as 恩賜上野動物園 (Onshi Ueno Doubutsu-en), it was founded in 1882 and currently covers about 14.3 hectares of land. It lies in the Ueno Park grounds, which is a large urban park with museums and galleries and other attractions.

There are over 460 species kept in Ueno Zoo. There were animals such as penguins, kangaroos, giraffes, elephants, tigers, hippos, birds, red pandas - the list goes on! However, perhaps the most famous is the panda. Unfortunately, at the time I visited, the female panda was kept inside, as it was thought she was pregnant, and we couldn't see the male through the enclosure (or the people!). The panda has almost become a symbol of Ueno. Even around Ueno train station, you can see statues of pandas, gifts and sweets in the shape of pandas, pictures, images, and so on!

Polar bear!

Japanese bears!

View of art of Ueno Park
from the hotel room.

I spent a long time watching the polar bear. First, it was playing with a floating orange ball in the water. Then, it managed to get the top from an orange cone, and would throw it into the water and chase it like a fish! Other than the polar bear, there were other bear enclosures too. When I was at the zoo, the weather wasn't great, but I really enjoyed looking at the animals!

Tokyo Skytree

Looking up from near the base.

On the same afternoon, I also visited Tokyo Skytree for the first time. Tokyo Skytree (東京スカイツリー) is one of the newest additions to Tokyo's skyline, standing at 634 metres tall, it became the tallest tower in the world, and the second tallest structure in the world (after the Burj Khalifa in Dubai). You can see Tokyo Skytree in the distance from most areas in Tokyo, so of course it has become a popular photo object!

One of the views.

There are two observation decks, with great views across Tokyo. The Tembo Deck stand at 350 metres and spans across 3 floors. There is a souvenir shop and a restaurant, as well as a cafe and glass panels on the floor to see to the bottom (eep!). The Tembo Gallery is at 450 metres. Here, you can walk up a sloping spiral ramp, which circles the tower to give great views.  

Underneath Skytree there are is a large shopping complex and also an aquarium, so it would be easy to spend a long time there! Here you will also find Tokyo Skytree Station (which used to be called Narihirabashi Station) making it very easy to get to Skytree by train. 

#74 - Koraku-en in Okayama City

In May 2013, I briefly visited Okayama city and saw some of the main sights. One well-known place in Okayama is Koraku-en (後楽園) which is known as one of the three most beautiful gardens in Japan. It's really easy to get to: it's about a 30 minute walk from Okayama station, or you can take a tram or bus to one of the entrances.

Looking across the river towards Koraku-en, which is on the island.
You can see Okayama Castle on the right-hand side of the river, just to the right of the bridge.

Koraku-en was order to be constructed in 1687 by a feudal lord, and it was finally completed in 1700. One of its main purposes was to entertain important guests. Nowadays, anyone can enter for a small entrance fee to enjoy the beautiful garden. Nearby, there is Okayama Castle (岡山城 Okayama-jo) which is also known as "Crow castle" due to its black façade. It can be also seen from inside the garden, which adds to the garden's scenery.

 

This pond is called Sawa no Ike (沢の池 "Marsh Pond". The three small island built in it are supposed to be based on the scenery around Lake Biwa in Kyoto!

 There is one special feature of Koraku-en that is quite unique for a Japanese garden. Usually, plants and other points of interest are placed in a specific order, so that the garden entertains people when walking around. But, at Koraku-en there are spacious lawn areas. It makes it very reminiscent of a European garden! The lawn area covers about 18,500 square metres (the area of the whole garden is roughly 133,000 square metres).

Picture of the garden map,
showing the different areas.

Of course, Koraku-en still has many things to see, such as plum groves, small hills, ponds and streams, maple leaves - and so on! I have only visited once, but I was told that the scenery within the gardens changes drastically from season to season.

I really enjoyed walking around Koraku-en. It is a great place to spend a sunny day out with friends or family. I saw a lot of people having a picnic or playing ball games. The weather was good too, although I do remember getting a little sunburnt(!).

#73 - Mountains and molehills

Added to the World Heritage List on June 22nd, 2013, Mt Fuji is perhaps one of the first images people think of when they think about Japan. Not surprisingly, Mt Fuji is a mountain. But it's not the only one in Japan.

Did you know that about 72% of Japan is mountainous? There is a mountain chain on each of the main islands. This was surprising for me to hear at first!

Sendai, or rather in Miyagi Prefecture, is bordered to the east and the west by the Ou mountains (奥羽山脈 Ou-sanmyaku). This is the longest mountain range in Japan which stretch for 500km. In fact, from most areas in Sendai, I could easily see the mountains in the distance. Whenever I would travel by Shinkansen to Toyko, I would always see the mountains in the distance. It got a little comforting knowing they were there (which later shocked me when I moved to Okayama, as it is terribly flat, thus no mountains). The Ou mountain range includes several well-known mountains, so for this entry, let's talk about Mt Zao.

Mount Zao

Mount Zao (蔵王山 Zao-san) lies on the border of Miyagi Prefecture and Yamagata Prefecture. It is the most active volcano in the north on the main island of Honshu and is 1841 metres high. It is a complex volcano - a volcano with more than one feature.

My photograph of the crater and view.

One of these features is the Okama crater (御釜 Okama). This crater was formed by an eruption in the 1720s and it contains a lake. An 'okama' is a traditional cooking pot which this crater is said to resemble. However, the crater and lake are also known as the "Five Colour Pond" (五色沼 goshikinuma) because the lake changes colour depending on the weather.

Me and Okama - it was very windy!

You are not allowed to go down to the crater, so you have to view it from a neighbouring peak called Kattadake (1758 metres). Actually, you can drive up to this part, which has a parking area, but the last part is a toll road so you would have to pay about 540 yen. When I visited at the beginning of June, 2013, a friend kindly offered to drive. It is also possible to get there by bus or by ropeway from Zao Onsen.

The shrine.

At the top of the Kattadake peak, there is a small Shino shrine. I'm not sure of the name of it, though I did buy some small charms. I also can't remember if I had my shrine book (my shuin-cho) with me to get a stamp. I have a feeling I forgot to take it, though. Also, there is a visitor centre here, where you can get some snacks (and of course there are toilets!).

Overall, Mount Zao is a great place to relax. A lot of people enjoying hiking around the area and you can see some great views!

#72 - Sendai Castle and Date Masamune

Castle Ruins

The first time I visited Sendai Castle was in the middle of April 2013. At the time, there were a few cherry blossom trees in bloom still, but it was at the end of the season so they looked rather poorly. I went with a fellow teacher and her student.

Unfortunately, due to time and other events, the castle no longer stands. Actually, it would be more accurate to call it castle ruins, and now only the foundation walls remain. Actually, the real name of this area is called Aoba Castle (青葉城 Aoba-jo) because it was built upon Mount Aoba.

Castle walls

There are a few ways to reach the castle, but whenever I went I always chose the same path. Its fairly easy to get to. You can get a bus in more-or-less a straight line from downtown Sendai and get off at the International Center. From there, cross the road to Sendai City Museum. If you walk behind the building, there is a tiny path which you can walk upwards towards the castle ruins.


It is completely free to visit the castle. In fact, I ended up visiting several times, sometimes during the day and sometimes at night. From the top of the castle walls, there is a great panoramic view of Sendai city. To the left you can see mountains and the large Sendai Daikannon - a great white statue of the Japanese Buddhist Bodhisattva Kannon which is 100 metres tall - which overlooks the city. To the right of the view on a clear day, you can see the ocean near the Sendai port area. On the castle grounds, there is also a Gokoku Shrine (護国神社 Gokoku-jinja) as well as a large statue of Date Masamune on horseback.

View of central Sendai from the castle ruins.
Unfortunately I didn't manage to get a photo of the whole view.

Date Masamune

Speaking of which, who is this? Date Masamune is a well-known historical figure in the Sendai and Tohoku region. You can see his figure on a whole plethora of souvenirs from Sendai. He was a daimyo (大名) - a powerful territorial lord - in the region, and helped to found the modern-day city of Sendai. 

Me and a bust of Date Masamune.

Rear of the statue of Date Masamune
on horseback at the castle.

Date Masamune is also known as the "one-eyed dragon" (独眼竜 dokuganryu). This is because he had an infection of small-pox in his right eye as a child which caused him to lose his eye. How he lost it, though, is unclear. Some sources say that he plucked it out himself.

Another symbol of Date Masamune was his famous crescent-moon shaped helmet. This won him a fearsome reputation. Actually, I have noticed that the figure of Date Masamune, or a similar design, is often used in anime or games (for example, Samurai Warriors). 

I also found out that the design of this helmet was the inspiration for Darth Vader's costume! 

#71 - Golden week in Kyoto - 28 April to 3 May 2013

Golden Week is a period of time in Japan where many public holidays fall in a very short space of time. Some companies close for this week. For most people, Golden Week (sometimes known as GW) is almost a week of holiday. Of course it goes without saying that this is the travel period! Flights, trains, hotels; everything will be fully booked (and expensive!). Make sure to book in advance!

I took this opportunity to go to Kyoto for a week. During that time, I managed to visit a lot of different places, and it remains one of my favourite holidays. I could write a very, very long entry about it all, but I think I will choose a few of the highlights.

Tourist map I found using a web search.
It shows the locations of the more popular spots.

Kyoto

Kyoto (京都) is in the central part of the largest island of Japan (Honshu 本州). About 1.5 million people live there, making it the seventh largest city in Japan. It was formally the imperial capital city of Japan for over a thousand years, so there are many impressive buildings. Of course, this makes it a popular destination for tourists. Many people try to spot geisha in the Gion district. I also tried, but failed.

It is very easy to get around Kyoto as a tourist. There are frequent buses that go throughout the city and stop at, or near, popular and historic sites. So, buying a day pass is great!

Kiyomizu Temple

Kiyomizu Temple (Kiyomizudera 清水寺, which means "pure water temple") is a Buddhist temple and a UNESCO World Heritage site. There is a wooden stage which reaches our from the main hall, which is about 13 metres above the hillside. This is maybe one of the most well-known views in Kyoto. Also on the site, there is a small love shrine with two stones placed 18 metres apart. It is said that if you can walk from one stone to the other with your eyes closed, then you can have good luck in love. Someone can help you walk between the stones, but it is then believed that someone will have to be an intermediary in your love life too.

My panorama of Kiyomizudera.

There are also lots of things to see within the temple grounds. For example, there is the Otowa waterfall. At one point, the water is divided into three streams by a structure. Each represents something different: long life, academic success and love. Using a cup on a long stick, you can drink the water and receive good luck. But apparently, if you drink from more than one, you are considered to be greedy. I waited in line to do this. The line was long! I drank from the middle one. I'm still not entirely sure which type of fortune it represented, but I hope it was love.

Kiyomizudera has great views during cherry blossom season and also during autumn, where the leaves turn red.

Kinkaku-ji

Kinkaku-ji (金閣寺 Temple of the Golden Pavilion) also known as Rokuon-ji (鹿苑寺 literally, "Deer Garden Temple") is a Zen Buddhist temple which is covered in gold leaf. This is one of the most visited sites in Japan. As soon as you enter the gardens, you can see the pavilion across a large pond. The gardens are also lovely to walk through. I really enjoy looking at nature and plants, so I found it very relaxing. At one point there was a bowl near some small statues, with people throwing money into it, trying to get good luck if you get your coin inside. I did it three times! There is also a tea garden, where you can try green tea (matcha 抹茶) which is a famous type of tea from Kyoto.

Kinkaku-ji and pond.

Ginkaku-ji

Ginkaku-ji (銀閣寺 Temple of the Silver Pavilion) is one of my favourite places. It is a Zen temple in the east of Kyoto. It has a garden which has a quiet atmosphere which includes a moss garden and ponds, and a unique dry sand garden. The trail also leads partially up a hill, so you are able to see across the grounds and a view of Kyoto city behind it. The atmosphere was so relaxing and the plants and gardens were beautiful. I really want to visit again and again (or, when I am rich in the future, I can create my own garden like it!) 

Although it is called the "Silver Pavilion" it is not actually covered in silver.
It is believed that the name came to make a contrast with Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion.

Fushimi Inari Shrine

Looking down through some torii gates
at Fushimi Inari.

The Fushimi Inari Shrine, or Fushimi Inari Taisha (in Japanese, 伏見稲荷大社) is an important Shinto shrine which is famous for its rows upon rows of vermilion torii gates. These gates follow various trails which lead all across the mountainside, so it is a great place for a mini-hike. It doesn't take so long to get into the first part of the area, but if you want to follow the trails to the summit it can take a couple of hours or more (depending on how you are at walking steps!). 

Inari is a Shinto god of rice, fertility, and also business and commerce. The red torii gates are actually donations to the shrine from individuals or companies. On each one, details of the donor are written. Foxes are thought to be the messenger of Inari, so there are also many fox statues found in the area (as indeed for any shrine dedicated to Inari). The word in Japanese for fox is kitsune きつね. According to beliefs, foxes are said to enjoy eating friend tofu. Seeing as there was a small place to eat on the mountain, I ate kitsune udon, which is thick what flour noodles topped with deep-fried tofu. Delicious!

To get here, you would have to go south of Kyoto City. You can get there by train (there are two trainlines) and then it is a short walk to the shrine. 

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So, there you go. Those were some of my favourite places in Kyoto. This is definitely not an extensive list of things to do in Kyoto by any means. If you have any questions or want to know anything, let me know! I hope you enjoyed reading about Kyoto!

As a last note, I want to mention shrine books. They are called Shuin-cho (朱印帳) in Japanese. At most shrines and temples, you can get a stamp or seal (shuin 朱印) written into your book. It show the name of the temple or shrine and the date and often has red stamps symbolising the place or other things. It usually costs about 300 yen for a stamp, and you can see the priest or priestess writing the stamp with an ink brush. During my time in Japan I managed to complete at least 3 of these books! They make great souvenirs! If you are spending time in Japan and like visiting temples and shrines, I recommend getting a book!