Japan 2016

Japan Spring 2016

First day, getting there. SeaTac to our hotel in Shinjuku

We took the Skyliner train into the city, about an hours trip.

This train is not crowded..

Our room at the Citadines Shinjuku. Not a bad room. The Toto brand toilet is dangerous. It features small plastic spray nozzles that pop out w powerful jets of water to wash nether regions. The directions are in Japanese. It was not immediately clear how to turn them off. I got soaked trying.

Shinjuku at night. We ate dinner in a small smoky bar, sitting on tatami mats at a low table. We don't really fit. They brought us both beers. Probably Mina's first. Some drunk old guy chatted Mina up. As far as we could tell he was telling us he traveled to space... or something. Sticks of grilled meat for dinner. I kindly finished Mina's beer. We bought Takomaki on the way back, balls of dough with octopus inside. Sort of like a fish round pancake but covered with sweet Kupie mayonnaise, bull dog sauce and dried bonito flakes. Unlike most foods that seem weird on first sight, these were as bad as they sound and got tossed. Good night sleep.

Second day - Isetan department store and Kinokuniya book store, Meiji shrine, Harajuku and the Robots

We didn't try the "friendly young"

Mina about to buy her first Pocari Sweat.

Six floors of books we can't read.

Roof top of the Isetan dept store.

Getting married at Meiji shrine

Mina at Meiji shrine.

Shooting Bart at Meiji shine.

Bento picnic and naps near Meiji shrine

Duo -selfie near Meiji shrine w great sun glasses

Harajuku, kids shopping to look cool.

" The Mountain of Seattle"

Waiting for the Robot Cabaret

Shibuya Starbucks

Tuesday National Museum of Japan, Ueno and the Yanaka neighborhood

Ueno station selfie

OHanami in Ueno park- cherry blossom viewing rules. We broke most of them.

Park bench people watching

The National Museum

Me and the National Museum mascot.

Nice wall the National Museum. There's other things here too...

My favorite part of the museum, umbrella storage!

Yanaka neighborhood. Old temples, Zen monasteries' and Buddhist graveyards

Bikes..

Brooms

More brooms

Bikes and brooms!

Bikes w/o brooms!

Golden Gai behind our hotel burns. Its an area of dozens of small bars in old shack like building. Lots of fire trucks and news helicopters. Smoke in our room.

Wednesday - Yokohama and the Momofuku Cup of Noodles museum

The outside of a Don Quixote store, the Japanese Walmart

Yokohama

Mina @ Yokohama Chinatown all you can eat dim sum.

Resting

Here we are. The Ando Momofuku Cup of Noodles museum. A totally goofy place.

The man himself, Momofuku. He's holding chicken ramen. I'm pretending I am.

Momo, says never give up! Note he's keeping good company, Einstein, Babe Ruth, Emperor Hirohito, Sir Isaac Newton. They all wish they'd invented instant ramen.