Seishun 18 Kippu (青春十八切符)

Seishun 18 Kippu literally means Youth 18 Tickets. Seishun 18 Tickets are seasonal tickets sold every Spring, Summer and Winter which is valid for unlimitted rides to all JR local and Express trains and JR Ferry (Miyajima Island) all over Japan for 5 days.

Tokyo to Ogaki (Gifu Prefecture) reservation ticket for Moonlight Nagara.

The actual Seishun 18 Kippu.

Feedback form for the 5-day usage.

Tokyo to Hiroshima Using Local Train Stations

This data was obtained using Hyperdia.com website. Using the Seishun 18 Kippu, these are the stations that local trains will pass by.

Stop # Station Kanji Arrival Time Departure Time
1 Tokyo 東京 2310
2 Shinagawa 品川 2317 2318
3 Yokohama 横浜 2335 2336
4 Ofuna 大船 2352 2353
5 Odawara 小田原 0030 0031
6 Atami 熱海 0050 0051
7 Mishima 三島 102 102
8 Numazu 沼図 107 108
9 Fuji 富士 121 121
10 Shizuoka 静岡 149 209
11 Hamamatsu 浜松 309 333
12 Toyohashi 豊橋 400 453
13 Nishikozakai 西小坂井 457 457
14 Aichimito 愛知御津 500 500
15 Mikawaotsuka 三河大塚 503 503
16 Mikawamiya 三河三谷 506 507
17 Gamagori 蒲郡 509 509
18 Sangane 三ヶ根 513 513
19 Koda 幸田 516 516
20 Okazaki 岡崎 521 522
21 NishiOkazaki 西岡崎 525 525
22 Anjo 安城 528 529
23 Mikawaanjo 三河安城 531 531
24 Higashikariya 東刈谷 533 534
25 Nodashinmachi 野田新町 535 536
26 Kariya 刈谷 538 538
27 Aizuma 逢妻 540 541
28 Obu 大府 543 544
29 Kyowa 共和 547 547
30 Odaka 小高 550 551
31 Kasadera 笠寺 554 555
32 Atsuta 熱田 559 559
33 Kanayama 金山 601 602
34 Nagoya 名古屋 606 613
35 Biwajima 枇杷島 616 617
36 Kiyosu 清洲 620 620
37 Inazawa 稲沢 623 624
38 Owariichinomiya 尾張一宮 628 629
39 Kisogawa 木曽川 633 633
40 Gifu 岐阜 638 640
41 Nishi-Gifu 西岐阜 642 643
42 Hozumi 穂積 646 646
43 Ogaki 大垣 652 657
44 Tarui 垂井 703 704
45 Sekigahara 関ヶ原 710 710
46 Kashiwabara 柏原 717 717
47 Ominagoka 近江長岡 721 722
48 Samegai 醒ヶ井 725 726
49 Maibara 米原 731 748
50 Hikone 彦根 752 753
51 Notogawa 能登川 801 801
52 Omihachiman 近江八幡 807 808
53 Yasu 野洲 814 814
54 Moriyama 守山 817 817
55 Kusatsu 草津 821 823
56 Ishiyama 石山 828 828
57 Otsu 大津 832 832
58 Yamashina 山科 837 837
59 Kyoto 京都 842 844
60 Takatsuki 高槻 857 857
61 Shin-Osaka 新大阪 909 910
62 Osaka 大阪 913 915
63 Amagasaki 尼崎 920 921
64 Sannomiya 三ノ宮 936 937
65 Kobe 神戸 940 940
66 Akashi 明石 952 953
67 Nishi-Akashi 西明石 956 956
68 Kakogawa 加古川 1006 1006
69 Himeji 姫路 1016 1106
70 Agaho 英賀保 1110 1110
71 Harima-katsuharaはりま勝原 1113 1113
72 Aboshi 網干 1116 1116
73 Tatsuno 竜野 1121 1121
74 Aioi 相生 1125 1128
75 Une 有年 1135 1135
76 Kamigori 上郡 1140 1141
77 Mitsuishi 三石 1152 1153
78 Yoshinaga 吉永 1159 1159
79 Wake 和気 1204 1205
80 Kumayama 熊山 1209 1209
81 Mantomi 万富 1213 1214
82 Seto 瀬戸 1218 1218
83 Joto 上道 1223 1223
84 Higashi-Okayama 東岡山 1227 1227
85 Takashima 高島 1230 1231
86 Nishigawara 西河原 1233 1234
87 Okayama 岡山 1238 1240
88 Kita-Nagase 北長瀬 1243 1244
89 Niwase 庭瀬 1247 1247
90 Nakasho 中庄 1252 1252
91 Kurashiki 倉敷 1256 1257
92 Nishi-Achi 西阿知 1300 1301
93 Shin-Kurashiki 新倉敷 1305 1306
94 Konko 金光 1311 1311
95 Kamogata 鴨方 1314 1315
96 Satosho 里庄 1318 1319
97 Kasaoka 笠岡 1323 1323
98 Daimon 大門 1329 1329
99 Higashi-Fukuyama東福山 1333 1333
100 Fukuyama 福山 1337 1338
101 Bingoakasaka 備後赤坂 1342 1343
102 Matsunaga 松永 1347 1347
103 Higashi-Onomichi東尾道 1350 1350
104 Onomichi 尾道 1356 1357
105 Itozaki 糸崎 1405 1406
106 Mihara 三原 1419 1420
107 Hongo 本後 1427 1427
108 Kochi 河内 1438 1438
109 Nyuno 入野 1442 1443
110 Shiraichi 白市 1447 1448
111 NishiーTakaya 西高屋 1452 1452
112 Saijo 西条 1456 1457
113 Hachihonmatsu 八本松 1502 1503
114 Seno 瀬野 1512 1513
115 Nakano-Higashi 中野東 1516 1516
116 Akinakano 安芸中野 1519 1519
117 Kaitaichi 海田市 1523 1523
118 Mukainada 向洋 1526 1526
119 Tenjingawa 天神川 1528 1529
120 Hiroshima 広島 1532 1535

Japan Stimulus Package

Finally it just arrived minutes ago! Contained in a green envelope from Hanyu City Hall. Taroukun's plan is really good. Hehehe... I know a lot of Japanese don't like this idea but it's still worth I guess. No where on Earth would give you 12,000 just for doing nothing. Only here in Japan. Now the next task is filling this up and send it right away. Thank you Taroukun. :-D

Have A Break, Have A Very Spicy Kitkat

Nestle Japan produces this rare kind of Kitkat chocolates stuffed with chili pepper. Wana have some? My Japanese friend said that this tastes sweet and very spicy. A unique approach to the term "unique flavor." Wanna have some? Taken in Karuizawa Prince Hotel souvenir shop.

Food to Go

Just ignore the sign "Casual Frozen Foods." Just wondering how they distinguish formal and rugged frozen food. This vending machine in one of the stops along the expressway is a good source of hot food suited to relieve your hunger. Just insert bills or coins then push the desired food. Offered frozen auto-microwavable food are takoyaki, yakisoba, hotdog on buns, karaage chiken, fried rice-rice balls with fried chicken, grilled rice balls, french fried and bean-filled taiyaki.

After two minutes, whalahhh! Instant meal on the road!

Good for two people but I consumed everything.
Not very delicious but this is the closest real food you can munch along the long expressway.

Fresh Veggies

My friend told me that there is a nearby farm in the southern part of Hanyu that sells cheap veggies. It was really cheap. We passed by this afternoon as we were enroute to Bamiyan to eat dinner. So what did I purchase?

Two (2) packs of brocoli worth 200 yen at 100 yen per pack which was around 300-400 grams. But what can you vividly see in the image above are stalks of parsley, red lettuce and spinach (ほうれん草). Well, the old lady was kind to give it as a compliment straight from her veggie plots. Literally hand-picked, and real fresh. Why? I told her that we are English Junior High School teachers in Higashi, Minami and Nishi Junior High Schools in Hanyu. And while talking to her, a student passed by on a bike and waved at us. Then she gave us a lot of veggies as compliments. Now, my problem is how to consume all of this. With all of this, if I buy this in the grocery, this will cost me around 700~800 yen.

Spring Time!

Finally, I stopped using my kerosene heater and since I ran out of fuel too. Spring is finally here. Today, March 20, 2009, marks the official start of spring (春/haru). Today is a national holiday in Japan and it's called shunbunnohi (春分の日).

Season for hanami (花見) or cherry-blossom viewing across Japan especially in the western region has already begun and starting today, it will start in the Kanto region (関東地方) including Tokyo, and our very own Saitama Prefecture (埼玉県).

Classes in Junior High and all schools in Japan are about to end next week.

The hiring and firing season has indeed started.

Immigration clean-ups like foreigner harassment by the immigration police will start, especially in train, subway and bus stations all over Japan. Foreigners in Japan should be accustomed to this line, "Sumimasen, gaikokujintourokushoumeisho wo misete kusadai." すみません外国人登録証明書を見せて下さい。It means, "Excuse me, please show me your Alien Registration Card."

Freight and residence-transfer freight companies will be circulating all over Japan as many people will move because of new company assignments and new jobs. Just try to observe and count how many Sagawa, Yamato, Duck, and Pelican vans and trucks can you see from town to town and city to city that move.

Bounenkais (忘年会) are here and everywhere. Companies, especially like us in the academe will carry out this tradition of thanking each and everyone for their hard work over bottles of beer, sake (酒), shouchuu (焼酎) and endless plates of cheap grass in expensive fees ranging from four to five thousand per head.

Supermarkets will be flooded with ume (梅/plum) and umeboshi (梅干/dried plum) as spring season is its harvest time.

Season of rains start and insects start bugging you around.

The last saga of kafunshou (花粉症) or pollen allergies will take its toll on people for the last time.

Well, thank God it's spring.

Learned How to Ski

Last Sunday, me, Ernest, Mr. Harada and his son, went to ski in Prince Hotel Ski Center in Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture. We set off as early as 630 in the morning from our place in Hanyu. I was actually a bit scared with mixed feelings of excited and worry that I might get injured in this 2nd skiing trip of ours. My first skiing trip was still in Nagano, but since we did not have a good instructor then, I still wasn't able to ride the ski or even walk on it. Luckily our good friend from the city hall, Mr. Harada taught us how to ski, just like little kids do here. Hahaha...

Along the way, upon reaching the vicinity of Karuizawa, we rented skis that mushroomed beside the highway. The ski rent was only 2,000 yen for the whole day. The ski entrance was also about 2,000 yen (discounted), a bit cheap because Mr. Harada brought some discount coupons from his previous ski trip in other Prince Hotel resorts.

I was really nervous. Totally scared since I don't have any insurance on the first place. And given the fact that if I was injured, my trip to Hiroshima this end of the month would be in total peril. And may also cause my job. Anyway, thank God everything went smooth as expected.

First thing to do before skiing is to do some sort of stretching for five or so minutes. Try to flex especially your ankles and knees since those are the most vulnerable parts of your body when maneuvering the skis. We first wore the right side of the ski and practiced walking for about 10 minutes. Then, removing it, and wearing again the left side, and then another 10-minute walk. Then the reality, wearing both. We were always told the hachi position (八) of our skis, as this position will prevent you from further sliding and could take some control over your ground.

Then we went on foot and changed location to a more challenging yet easy slope. Then the slide of my life. It took me endless fall to finally able to master how to balance. In the middle of the skiing session, I lost my confidence and I somehow got tired and a bit scared. Furthermore, I was hungry, so it was a mixed feeling. But I managed anyhow.

We took lunch. Afterwhich, rode on the ski lift. Scary. I tried the Mt. Takao lift last autumn and it felt like having a vertical horizon. The difficult part was getting off on the ski lift since you have to go further. Thus, I collided with another female cute snowboarder. Hahaha. Actually, a bit embarrassing. Well, I carried on and finally had my balance. And eventually lost my fear.

The picture above is a classic example of a newbie skier. Legs are in the awkward hachi (八) position. The rear is a 45 degree slope of around 500 meters downward. So I was really careful when this picture was taken as the area on my left side, which is a few meters, is another 30 degree 100-meter slope. The snow-capped mountain on the back draft is Mount Asama, which is still emitting smoke since it had a small eruption in the past months.

This picture was taken on the parking lot outside of the ski resort.

Me, Ryo Harada, Mr. Harada's son, and Ernest, fellow Hanyu ALT.

I can't wait for our next skiing trip. My 2nd winter season in Japan has been very memorable since I was able to accomplish another task which many tropical-dwelling people find it hard to do, and that is skiing on a snowy mountain. Or perhaps, I might try snowboarding next time. Nah, I should master skiing first. :-D

Introducing OPM to Japanese Students

I was requested by the head English teacher to introduce another English song to the students to their listening comprehension. But instead of introducing American English songs, I thought of why not introducing OPM (Original Pilipino Music) to my Japanese students. Afterall, I am very proud to say that our songs in English are real world-class in terms of quality of lyrics, voice of our very own singer and a medium accent that is easy to understand. Well, the song is Rivermaya's 214. Below is the clip and lyrics. Both in English and Japanese. I had difficulty in translating the lyrics in Japanese because of the poetic nature of the song. I had to literally translate some of the lines. I hope it's correct. Let me know then if there is something wrong.

Rivermaya - 214
I
Am I real?
Do the words I speak before you make you feel?
That the love I've lay for you will see no ending?
Well if you look into my eyes then you should know
That there’s nothing here to doubt nothing to fear
And you can lay your questions down 'cause if you'll hold me
We can fade into the night and you'll know

CHORUS:
The world could die and everything may lie
Still you shan't cry 'Cause time may pass
But longer than it'll last I'll be by your side

II
Take my hand
And gently close your eyes
so you could understand
That there's no greater love tonight than
what I've for you
Well if you feel the same way for me then let go
We can journey to a garden no one knows
Life is short my darling tell me that you love me
So we can fade into the night and you'll know

Repeat Chorus


III
Forever by your side.
I want you to know the world could die and everything may lie
Still you shan't cry ‘cause time may pass and Everything wont last I'll be by your side
Forever by your side
Forever by your side
So you wont cry.

リバーマヤ　－　２１４
作曲者：リバーマヤバンド
曲名：２１４

I
僕は本物ですか
僕の話す言葉を君は感じますか
君への僕の愛は終わらない
もし僕の目を見たら分かるはずだ
心配する事も疑う事も何もない
ただ僕を抱きしめて一緒に夜へ消えるだけでいい

くり返し

人類が無くなって色な嘘を言う
ただ時間が経つだけだから君が泣かないほうがいい
でももっと時間が掛かったら僕は君の側にいる

II
君に分かるように僕の手を取って君の目をゆっくり閉じる
今夜の君への愛に勝るものはない
もし君も僕と同じ気持ちなら、そのままでいて。
秘密の庭へ一緒に旅しよう
人生が短いから僕に愛するの事を教えて呉れる
そうすると君は僕達が夜へ消える事が出来ると分かるよ
くり返し

III
君の側に何時までもいるよ。。。
人類が無くなって色な嘘を言う事を分かって
ただ時間が経つだけだから君は泣かないほうがいい
すべての事に永遠はないのだから僕は君に側にいるよ。
君の側に何時までも居るよ。。。
君の側に何時までも居るよ。。。
君が泣くしないの為。。。


リバーマヤバンドは全員フィリピン人と１９９３年に結成しました。バンドのジャンルはalternative, rock, pop　ミュージックです。最近アルバムは東南アジアには打って出ました。

Hanyu Marathon 2009

Participants from different cities, municipalities, private entities and educational institutions all over Japan participated in the annual Hanyu Marathon. Seen above are the first runners to dash the city's oval field. They represent different universities all over Japan.

Participants in cosplay. Wearing the taimenko snacks.
A comic relief for a freezing early spring morning.

The guest runner, Ms. Eriko Asai, a gold medalist marathoner of the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

Hanyu City's Mayor, Mr. Kawata, waiting to fire the signal for the start of the marathon.

Excited runners await the starting line just seconds before the official start.

Press Release: Miss NTT 0033 Pageant 2009

Last February 22, 2009, NTT Communications Life Support Co. Ltd., successfully staged their Miss International 2009 and Miss 0033 2009 pageant. This is inline with the company's goal in promoting their 0033 mobile services and also to foster good relationship among foreigners in Japan. The event was held in the Culture Hall of Ichikawa City and it was participated by 20 beautiful lads representing Thailand, the Philippines, Nepal, India and Kazakhstan. Seen on the picture above (from left to right) is Ms. Yuwaret Ruengri (Ms. Thailand - Japan 2009), Ms. Marina Chokanovna Baimukhamedova (Ms. International - Japan 2009), Ms. Rosy Shrestha (Ms. Nepal - Japan 2009), and Ms. Mariye Annete Roa (Ms. Philippines - Japan 2009).
Congratulations to all the winners!

Biyaheng Kansai

A Little Late Post....


Biyaheng Kansai

Napadpad po ang inyong lingkod noong nakaraang Disyembre sa kanlurang bahagi ng bansang Hapon. Ito po ay dahil sa kagustuhang makatipid ng pamasahe at dahil sa sabik na sabik na umuwi, sinubukan ko ang sumakay sa Cebu Pacific sa Kansai. Mula Saitama to Tokyo, Tokyo to Osaka, Osaka to Kansai International Airport (KIX), KIX to Manila and finally to my hometown Davao City (vice versa). Kung hindi po dahil sa Cebu Pacific eh malamang pangatlong taon ko na ito na hindi nakauwi sa aking pamilya sa Davao City. Alam po natin na dito sa Japan, pag may okasyon kagaya ng obon (お盆), summer vacation, pasko, at Golden Week, ang ticket po ng eroplano ay napakamahal. Noong nakaraang pasko, ang karaniwang ticket ay naglalaro sa 100,000 hanggang 140,000 depende po sa haba ng balik. Suma total po ay ang biyahe ko at umabot lamang po ng 72,000 yen, kasama na po yung Manila-Davao-Manila ko na pamasahe. Kasama na po dito ang aking round-trip na pamasahe ng tren mula Saitama to Tokyo, overnight bus mula Shinjuku to Osaka at ang Airport Limousine Bus mula Osaka to Kansai International Airport. Nakakakaba po ang bumiyahe sa isang lugar na hindi ka pa nakakapunta lalo na at ang dami kong tinahak na sakay. Sakay sa tren at bus, lakad dito, akyat doon habang karag-karag ko pa ang aking mabigat na maleta laman ang mga pasalubong. Ang biyaheng iyon ay hindi para sa mga mahina ang loob at ayaw ng adventure dahil napaka mendokusai (面倒臭い).

Along the way, nung pasakay ako ng bus sa Shinjuku at 11PM that night, may na meet akong Pilipino. Isang Nikkeijin (日系人) na taga Kouenji, Tokyo. Nawala po ang aking kaba nung alam kong may Pilipino akong kasama. Iba po talaga ang mga Pilipino. Unang pagkakakilala pa lamang ay feeling close na masyado at talaga naman pong nagtutulungan lalo na sa oras ng kagipitan. It saved my day. At least may kausap ako habang naghihintay sa bus at sa kalagitnaan ng biyahe. Maganda ang bus na sinakyan naming. Double-decker. May CR sa loob and I was able to stretch my legs. Along the way, may nakilala po kaming French na taga Saitama. I thought na ako lang ang taga Saitama na bumiyahe patungong Osaka. Isa po sa mga katangian nating Pilipino na maipagmamalaki natin ay yung pagiging bihasa natin sa wikang Ingles. Sa lahat ng pasahero ng bus, tatlo lang kaming gaijin (外人) at magkakatabi pa talaga kami. Ayun, kwentuhan ng ilang mga minuto sa biyahe bago natulog. Of course, in English! There were about 5 or 6 stops along the way. Nakarating po kami sa Kyoto around 6AM and what I saw was almost all small, old, yet beautiful buildings and structures.

When we got off in Osaka at 8AM, we were totally clueless where to go. There was plenty of time. We arrived 8AM and our Cebu Pacific flight was at 8PM that night. So we decided to consume our McDonalds Coffee coupon that was given to us and ate our breakfast. Afterwhich, the French guy left and began his vacation in Osaka. Me and Kuya Peter were roaming around where to find the nearest station for the Airport Limousine Bus. Napakadali pong bumili ng ticket dahil automatic. One-way is around 1,300 yen. Umabot po ng isang oras ang biyahe. According to some of my friends, its easier to travel via bus rather than a train when going to Kansai International Airport dahil marami pong norikaemasu (乗換えます) papunta sa airport. Ang view po ay napakaganda. Crossing from mainland Honshu going to the reclaimed land (埋立地・umetatechi) was a like a scene from a movie. The area was very wide and beautiful. From the expressway (高速道路・kousokudouro) above, you can see the entire Osaka and the approaching airport in its beauty. Upon arriving, we ate lunch again and had plenty of coffee at Starbucks. For coffee lovers, the coffee is refillable at 120 yen per cup. Just don’t throw you cup or else you won’t get refilled. Internet service around the airport is also free and really fast. The airport complex is easy to navigate and there are plenty of shops. There is even a Lawson convenience store inside. Habang naghihintay, ang dami kong Pilipino na nakita Karamihan taga Kansai area siyempre. Ako lang po ata ang pinakamalayong pinanggalingan. The plane left almost an hour late because it was a little delayed from Manila. (Ahem). When I came back it was the opposite, from Osaka, I was the only gaijin riding the bus. Scary but I was able to survive and finally arrived Shinjuku at 7AM and finally arriving at my home by 830AM. Taihen deshou? To sum it up, my travel was more than the usual travel experience. I have seen and set foot on the major city in the West which is Osaka, and the world’s most advanced floating airport, Kansai International Airport. Furthermore, acquainted with one random Filipino and a random French guy. And of course, saved a lot of money!



Article originally published in March-April 2009 issue of Jeepney Press under Achi Kochi column.

Tour Guiding in Tokyo 101

Tour Guiding 101

It was a chilling Friday morning when we embarked for Narita Airport to fetch my fellow ALT’s sisters and his 8-year old niece for a 2-day vacation before going back to Canada. From our place in Hanyu City, Saitama, we got of in Ushida Station along the Tobu-Isezaki Line then took the Keisei Line bound for Narita. The snow fell that day and trains were slightly delayed but we got just in time. It was my first time to be a tour guide to fellow foreigners.


Narita Airport
Upon arriving, we hurriedly left their huge luggages in the storage counter on the 4th floor of the airport. The entire six luggages amounted around 4,000 yen. Then we ate lunch in one of the Japanese restaurants in the airport. This time, we had them try authentic Japanese ramen. We ordered seafood ramen they liked it. We explained to them that when eating ramen in Japan, making a sipping sound is a custom to show courtesy to the chef that the ramen is delicious. Well, they find it weird, but the heck, they tried it. Everything was consumed up to the last noodle.



Ameyoko
After our lunch, we immediately rode the Keisei line and went to Ueno. They said they wanted to see fish and seafood stalls here in Tokyo. Though Tsukiji is the best recommended place here in Tokyo, Ameyoko, in between Ueno and Okachimachi, is probably the easiest way to take a glimpse of this kind of scenery. We just had a short stroll.


Afterall it was drizzling and it’s difficult to shop either. They were amazed to realize that fish products and fruits sold in Ameyoko are very expensive compared to Canada. Try to imagine one stick of sliced pineapple at 100 yen. And five pieces of one pack of dried cuttlefish is around 3,000 yen. Of course, this is Japan, and price is always equated to its freshness. After the stroll, we had coffee in a nearby Starbucks before going home.

Shinjuku
Our stroll of Shinjuku was quite interesting for them. Here, the things they only see on TV and magazines are now right in front of their eyes. The bustling people, the noise of pachinko stalls, the enticing food displays on restaurants, the sometimes annoying tissue-marketing gimmicks in front of station exits, the sight of everything black (i.e., the salaryman), and the Japanese taste for fashion.


Everything was so overwhelming from tall buildings, massive people walking, to running commuters who want to catch the train and few sightings of homeless people. We decided to have lunch at this entertainment district near the famous “sanchoume” area.


Good thing about most Japanese restaurants in central Tokyo is that there are displayed samples of the day’s menu, whether real or fake food.

Luckily, I can read most of the kanji of the menu and I was able to explain how these menus taste like and what its ingredients are. After deciding, three of us ended up ordering the same menu, stir-fried pork and vegetables set meal (niku yasai itame teishoku) and the other one ordered Japanese-style curry. My friend’s sister didn’t like the curry very much. Japanese curry is almost soup-based and not stew type nor dry like Indian and the taste is also different compared to Persian/Thai curry. The difficulty with having a child to be touring with is if the child can eat what is only within the menu. Our little girl ended up ordering katsudon. And the problem is that, she won’t eat using rice bowl and of course too impossible with chopsticks So, we requested for a plate and fork and spoon just for her to eat. Apparently, she liked it. So it was a relief.

After eating, we went to the neighboring 100-yen shop to experience shopping for 100-yen a piece of anything. Our kid bought “kawaii” gloves colored pink and some kawaii stickers. Afterwhich, we set-off for Shibuya.


Shibuya
When we got-off from the station, there were a lot of cause-oriented labor groups who flock the area doing some consultations and giving free warm food to some homeless people. The sight was pretty odd because a few meters away from the area, there was a semi-luxury restaurant catering food to middle-class Japanese.


The flock of weekend afternoon people was overwhelming. The kid we were touring with said from the top of Starbucks that it looked like the Japanese walked like penguins. Indeed, it was. You can see majority of people either in suits or weekend’s best black dresses.

The two ladies were amazed with how vibrant Shibuya is and how lively its streets are especially the Hachiko Crossing. After taking some pictures and perking the afternoon with a cup of brewed coffee, we head out for Imperial Palace.

Imperial Palace Grounds
Using the Yamanote Line, we got of at Yurakucho Station and walked further for 10 minutes, until reaching the park. If you love strolling, jogging and brisk walking, this place is for you. A lot of people are running within the vicinity, perhaps, in preparation for Tokyo Marathon.


We reached the Statue of Kusunoki Masashige and took a lot of pictures within the area. After a few minutes of walking, we reached the Imperial Palace fortress. The famous Nijubashi Bridge was a picturesque view while behind it is the Imperial Palace. The view of the bridge was breathtaking. It was about 4PM when we reached the site and we were not able to go further near the Palace to take a picture since entry near the bridge is only up to 4PM.

Funny thing about our trip was we stumbled upon a woman who kept on talking to the Palace guards in English and I became her accidental interpreter. It was almost 430PM when we left the site and head towards Tokyo Tower. From there, we took the Mita Line from Hibiya Station to Shibakoen.



Tokyo Tower

It was my nth time in Tokyo Tower since my previous office was just three blocks away from Tokyo Tower, and from time to time way back then, I kept on going to Tokyo Tower. I wasn’t thrilled at all but touring some friends with me is a worth experience. We did not go to the observation deck since it was cloudy and we just bought a lot of souvenirs in the ground floor. All of us ate the same dinner, Kyushu Ramen while our little girl ate McDonalds. After a couple of picture-taking sessions within the area, we left and rode several trains way back home.


The following morning, we took the Sky Liner Line of the Keisei Railways in Ueno Station. It was a little fast since it only took us less than an hour to reach the airport.

I was glad that my old knowledge of Tokyo, the use of its rail system and its famous spots that they might find interesting, helped me with my instant tour guide task.