Day 11 - Rainy Tokyo Day, Odaiba, Gay Bars & Beyonce

It's now coming close to the end of our trip, we're running low on our list of things to see and do. One thing that was a must - visit the emerging science museum in Odaiba - Odaiba is a man-made island in the middle of Tokyo Bay.

Rainy day in Tokyo

Not sure what this building is, but it was in Digimon!

It's cool because you take the train there that goes through Rainbow Bridge.

The museum we went to was one we heard about that was great for learning about the future. This was a constant theme in Japan - Innovation and preparing for the future. There were tons of robotics and really cool things.

We encountered robots that serve as greeters and information kiosks in malls and hospitals. You can have consistent, constant front desk service no matter what.

There was also a robotic seal that responds to human touch. The seal is used in nursing homes, to help the elderly cope with loneliness and depression.

Robot Seal

However, what was the main attraction and star of the show was Asimo - developed by Honda, it is the most human robot created to this date. Asimo is programmed to complete several tasks on its own - run, kick, jump, and can even sing a song.

The below video describes it must better haha. The technology of Asimo would be great in not only a customer service industry, but in education, and so many more fields.

After the museum we ate lunch at a Chilis in Odaiba - it was actually pretty cool, and had prime property alongside the Tokyo Bay so we had a great view with our lunch. I think we mostly were interested in the view than lunch. We needed a quick bite to head back to Tokyo.

When we got back to Tokyo, we rested at our inn for a bit - soaked our aching feet in the onsen for a few hours and then we were off again. This time, we headed to Shinjuku for dinner. We ate at a sports bar that was very close to Shinjuku Ni-Chome.

Shinjuku Ni-Chome translate's to Shinjuku 2nd ward (or neighborhood) and Ni-Chome is where the gay district of Tokyo resides. Now, being gay in Japan is not a problem. LGBT residents of Japan do not enjoy the same rights as straight people. There is no marriage equality, for example. However, there are also no bans on same sex marriage (some cities such as Tokyo and Kyoto will even do a domestic partner registry). While Japan is LGBT friendly, it's not entirely progressive on the issue as western countries. Most of that is due to the roots of Japanese culture - which is you typically don't discuss personal relationships, so having to talk about LGBT rights means having to bring up personal relationships, which makes folks uncomfortable.

We were advise not to hold hands, kiss, etc. in public not because of Anti-LGBT fears, but because not even straight couples show public displays of affection. A straight couple showing affection is public is often looked down upon, and is considered rude. In Japan, there are essentially two versions of you - a public you, and a private you. The private you is who your family knows who you are, your close friends, etc. Public you is everyone else. The minute you walk out of the house, you have to put on your public face and personality, which is to be respect and keep the peace.

With that context in place, going to Ni-Chome was very interesting. It was like a little oasis filled with LGBT couples. Some holding hands, some were not. Some kissing, and others were not. Some of the bars and shops there cater exclusively to the LGBT community, and some where regular stores and bars. One key thing: everyone was extremely nice. As in all of Japan, local really go out of their way to make you feel special.

It was a Wednesday night so we weren't sure what we were going to find. Our first stop was a bar called Dragon Men. We had some beers, and the music was great. The bartender spoke to us in English and gave us some stories about being LGBT in Japan. He lives in Tokyo with his partner, but they often travel to the US and have talked about living in the US. We joked around that we should trade spots.

We then went to the Tokyo Eagle. So every large city that has a gay district, has some sort of "eagle" club. It's usually dark clubs catering to men who like to wear all leather. However, this was not the case. This Eagle club, was big and filled with bright lights and no leather in sight.

At first glance, it looked like any other club. Except of course for the mural of two asian bears kissing. I tried to get a picture of it, but with lots of folks still in the closet there, picture taking is generally frowned upon. Again, it's that private vs. public personal Japanese work hard to upkeep.

However, one thing I did notice was that no matter what country you are in - Beyonce is always queen in gay clubs. We heard so much Beyonce while in those clubs, we were wondering what hit Japanese songs we would hear, but instead heard lots of familiar songs.

We talked to a few other foreigners, some were in school in Japan. It was nice to hear their perspective.

Since the trains close at midnight, we went back to the inn early. One more item we got to check off our list!

Here is the snapchat feed from the day, I think it adds a little more to the post:

Day 10 - Imperial Garden, Asakusa, and the Skytree

This next day was another busy, jam-packed day as our time was winding down! We had only a few days left and we were about realizing it was almost time to go back home. This was also a very fun day indeed!

So we begin by going to the Imperial Gardens at the Emperor's palace. The palace itself is not open to the public, but you can stroll through the gardens. It's a nice oasis in the center of busy Tokyo. The area surrounding the garden is popular with runners as they can run around and generally not be disturbed by traffic. Entrance to the gardens are free and it's a great spot to go and find some inner peace.

I can't really describe the beauty of the gardens. It is a text book example of a Japanese garden - manicured lawns, with special attention to detail, lots of calm moving waters, and smooth stones. It is quiet in the gardens, everyone is out and enjoying the nature.

They have some stations throughout the garden that are great spots for resting and cooling down. You can learn more about the gardens, what kind of rituals are held there, and buy some ice cream. On this hot summer day, we definitely wanted some ice cream!

The gardens were very nice to enjoy. Part of our trip also had a relaxation aspect to it, so it was a great moment to sit and just let the view relax you. There's something about lily pads and smooth rocks that bring zen to you. With the towering skyline around you, it felt as if you were in a small, remote island with all of the world's worries outsides the gates.

We hopped on the metro and began our trip to Asakusa. Askusa is a very magical place in Tokyo, it's surrounded by modern age, but it a very traditional part of the city. It's also home to one of the most famous shrines in all of Japan - Sensoji Temple.

This temple is dedicated to the Kannon, the Goddess of Mercy, and is Tokyo's oldest temple. When you arrive, there are large gates called the Kaminarimon, or the thunder gates, that you enter through. these gates are very famous, but were under renovation for the Olympics.

Entrance to Sensoji temple

The actual temple

While we were walking around the shops and stores lining the street up to Sensoji, we stopped and grabbed lunch and some souvenirs. The streets are very traditional, they're not paved but have a nice gravel to them. It brings you back to traditional times, but with the Skytree looming over you.

Old Japan meets new Japan!

Beautiful pagoda

The temple

on the way into the temple

Inside of the temple

We went and go our fortunes, and it turned out I had some bad fortune! Good news, if you tie it to a fence you'll get the fortune removed!

As we were done with Sensoji, we were walking back to the main gate of Asakusa when some one came up to us and asked if we needed a ride somewhere. He was wearing traditional Japanese clothes and said he would give us a nice ride with a great view, and learn some more history. Then he points to his ride - a rickshaw.

Josh and I thought, what the heck, when in Rome. So we took the man up and he gave us an awesome ride through Asakusa. During the ride, he pointed out restaurants to try out - some where over 200 years old!

We were so worried that we would too heavy for him, but he managed us very well. He would stop at various points of interest and show us the history behind certain buildings. It was a very touristy thing to do, but it was actually a lot of fun. We were able to get a view of Asakusa we didn't think we would get. check out the video below:

He dropped us off where we began and gave a good tip on how to get to the Skytree. We hopped on the metro and went off to the Skytree.

We even got a cute picture!

The Tokyo Skytree is the tallest tower in the world, and the second tallest building after the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. When you arrive, you just stare up and look at the Skytree. It it so tall and huge! Inside is a "Skytree Town" which has various shops and restaurants to eat at.

Tokyo Skytree

We went walking around and bumped into something so exciting - a Pokemon Center! It was a store dedicated to all things Pokemon. I wanted to buy everything in there. Sadly, this is also when my camera battery decided to die.

Thankfully, our phones are also cameras so I was able to continue there. The Skytree was a really cool building. We did not go to to the observation deck as there was already a 30 minute wait, and it was a bit expensive. After being in the observation decks of Tokyo Tower and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, we felt like we had a good view of Tokyo from high up.

Walking around the stores was pretty fun, there was even a store dedicated to all things Gundam! I'm a huge Gundam fan so this was exciting for me. We then came across a Cold Stone Creamery and they had some amazing ice cream.

Gundam! 

We saw everyone's ice cream and all the cool flavors, so we had to try some. Just like here in the US, they sang a fun song while making our delicious treat.

We then made the trip back to the hotel, we soaked in the onsen for a bit then decided to go and grab dinner. Sadly, no pictures as my battery was charging and I was worried my phone would die while we were out.

Overall, it was an exhausting day as we travelled all over Tokyo. For dinner, we had a Japanese style hamburger - called hamburgu and it was so delicious. It's essentially a bun-less burger, cooked with veggies. We've decided to cook that at home.

More to come!

Day 9 - Tokyo Tower, Japanese Diet, and a Romantic Evening

This next day is probably one of my most favorite days of the whole trip.

Mostly because this was the day we did the things I wanted to do hehe.

It even ended with a nice romantic evening. I do like to stress that when you are traveling with your significant other, make sure you make room for a date night or nice romantic dinner. It made the trip so very special.

I digress so what made this day to special - I got to visit two things: Tokyo Tower and the Japanese Diet! As a geek, this touched on so many levels of my identity that I could not contain it all in. I'll try and channel it for this post.

So let's begin with Tokyo Tower. Yes, it does look like the Eiffel Tower in Paris. In fact, the architecture took his inspiration for this tower from the Eiffel tower. As such, Tokyo Tower is taller by 13 meters. This tower is 332.9 meters (or 1,092 feet) tall and serves as a communications tower, and a tourist destination. It's the second tallest building in Tokyo, after the Tokyo Skytree.

On our way to Tokyo Tower

As we started the trek to Tokyo Tower, I was so excited I was sure I would scream when I saw it. I did not scream, but I did do a little jump. Even though I was seeing it in person, I  had known Tokyo Tower from all of the manga and anime I would enjoy. You see, Tokyo Tower, much like the Eiffel Tower, is present in Japanese pop culture.

Getting Closer!

Tokyo Tower was the backdrop for the final battle of the first season of Cardcapture Sakura (one of my favorite anime's) and was very present in Digimon. It's featured in so many more anime, including Sailor Moon, that was I just over the top when I saw it. I thought to myself: "wow. I grew up watching anime that featured this great tower, and now here I am in front of it".

I had to stop myself from running to the tower, I wanted to be there so bad! I stopped myself when I saw two teenage western girls dressed in kawaie clothes running to the tower with the mom behind them. I decided I would not act like a teenage girl, though I did think the mom was cool for letting bringing them to Japan. The girls were so excited the whole time and it was so adorable. It was funny cause they were like "thanks mom! You're the best" and the mom was like "You're obsessed with this cause of  cartoon?"

The base of the tower.

So when you enter in Tokyo Tower, you take the elevator to the observation deck. They had a special going on with a One Piece exhibit (I don't like One Piece, but it's popular) so we skipped the One Piece exhibit and went straight for the observation deck.

Riding the elevator to the observation deck gets you pumped up for the entire visit. There are windows in part of the trip up so you can see the view as you rise. When you get to the observation deck, the view is breath taking.

As Tokyo Tower is around the center of the city, you can see all of Tokyo. Buildings as far as the eyes can see. You can see all of the usual landmarks: Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, Roppongi, the Skytree, the Imperial Palace, etc.

The fun fact with Tokyo Tower is that there is a shrine in the tower! I love that they have this very modern tower, but keep their traditional culture in the tower. Many people come to pray when they need to do something major - big presentation to your boss, sealing  a deal, or about to profess your love.

Following the tower, we decided to walk around for a bit and head to the Japanese Diet Building. The Japanese Diet is Japan's parliament. It's the seat of government, and where the decisions are made for the country's inhabitants.

The Diet building doesn't look like traditional Japanese architecture, it's inspiration came from pyramids. As we walked around the government district, we noticed how calm it was. We went to go sign up for a tour, and saw some protestors outside of the building. Democracy in action!

Japanese Diet

We walk in to sign up for a tour, show our passports and the officer hands me a piece of paper that says "Diet tour in Japanese only. No English Tours. Sorry. If this is okay, please sign below". We figured, why not, and we signed the paper.

No photography is allowed inside the Diet, but they have a special area you can take pictures of some of the important pieces.

As a government geek, I was so excited to see what was going on. Parliament was in session, but we did not get to see any debates. However, we did see some press conferences going on and several members of parliament walking by.

Where members sit, small chair for staff

The Emperor's Seat

The Prime Minister and his party.

While the tour was in Japanese, we were able to follow along and listen to the instructor. It's funny how you may not understand a language, but from the body gestures and clues we figured when it was time to move to the next section.

The tour lasted about an hour. Most of the AC is turned off as only part of the building was in use, but it was still a good break from the heat. As we were leaving, we did get stopped by the police as a motorcade crossed by. Here's to hoping it was the Prime Minister!

I'm standing in front of the Diet.

We went back to the hotel, soaked in the onsen for a bit, and then we went walking to find dinner. Here's the thing with Tokyo - it's home to 9.2 Million people. Thus, it is a culinary capital. It is filled with food from all over the world. It has more Michelin star restaurants than any other city.

So when you walk for dinner, your options are endless. Not only do you have Japanese food, but western, European, Chinese, Indian, all over the place. To help decide where to eat, you just need to look at the menu and decide how much you want spend.

Well, for some reason, Akihabara (where we're staying) is full of Italian restaurants. So we decided to have some pasta. It was actually a very romantic setting. Couples everywhere, candle light tables. Very nice.

Josh looking cute in this picture. 

The food was delicious as well. I'd never thought I'd have some really good Italian food in Japan, but I sure did! Following our meal, we walked for a bit looking for a place to drink. I did a quick google search and found a wine bar in Ueno, only one stop away.

I love Tokyo at night. 

We hopped on the metro and followed the directions to this wine bar. The wine was named: "Wine Bar Petit Ma Cherie" a French-inspired wine bar, it was down the street from the Centurion Hotel Ueno, a very exclusive luxury hotel.

This place is huge!

We walked in and noticed how small the room was. It was very cozy, however it was so romantic. Only one other couple was there. We ordered a bottle of wine (thanks to Google translate for the help) as the bottle game with some snacks.

We had some delicious red wine from France, and the snacks were delicious. It was like a little potato salad, an orange peel dipped in chocolate, and some sort of rice pilaf.

We had a great, broken English-Japanese conversation with the bartender. She was so excited to be meeting Americans, and was wondering how we found her little bar in the middle of Tokyo. We just said "google" and she was so happy.

We reluctantly left, as we knew we had to go go back and get some good sleep for the next day. We really wanted to stay and continue chatting, but we had so much to do. We will return one day!

After an amazing day and night, we promptly fell asleep when we got to the hotel. Tokyo at night is so beautiful. The streets are clean and safe, and the nights all around give it a very distinctive glow. Our adventure continues, but our time is running short!!

Our memory of the day!

Day 8 - Kyoto to Tokyo, and Akihabara

After a good night's rest, we woke up and packed and got ready to leave. We were still pretty exhausted so we took the train back to Kyoto station. It was time to make our trip back to Tokyo.

So we got to Kyoto station, bought our tickets for the bullet train, and then went to get breakfast. We ate at a little french restaurant inside the station, it was actually pretty good.

Since this is a travel day for us, not too many pictures or videos because we were hauling luggage around. By now, our luggage has gotten a lot heavier, and we were carrying additional pieces as we were loading up on souvenirs.

I will say though, Kyoto station is one of the most beautiful train stations I have ever been in. The architecture is amazing, and the building itself is massive. There are multiple floors, multiple entry ways, there are multiple train lines running through, and it is so beautiful. The top floor is an observation deck, we stopped there for a bit to relax since we had time to kill before our next train.

Kyoto Station

Kyoto Station

Kyoto tower in the distance, from the Kyoto Station Observation Deck

While we were waiting on the platform for our train, I remember getting a little teary eyed. It was Sunday so lots of folks were beginning to head back to work and school. One thing I did see was a family on the platform all talking to one kid, who was dressed up. The were talking and hugging and taking photos.

A train arrived and the kid, who was probably a college kid, but he did look very young, gave a big hug  and a bow to everyone. He grabbed his bag and got on the train, and he went to the window. His family was waving and wiping tears from their eyes and soon the train was off (trains in Japan typically only stay at each station for less than 30 seconds, that's another topic!).

As they family watched the train disappear after the curve they start walking back to the stairs. Even though I didn't understand, I knew a good bye when I saw one. It was a big nostalgic and made me a little home sick. The train was bound for Tokyo and guessing how he was dressed, he was going to school or to work for a big company.

Saying good bye is always hard. Even after several years of living away from home, it still is hard to say good bye. Having the whole family out - parents, siblings, grand parents, and probably even cousins, looked like they were all very proud of their loved one who was off to do fun things in Tokyo.

Our train pulled up next and it was our turn to get to Tokyo. We got a special train, this one was an express training that had only two stops before getting to Tokyo. I was really excited to see how fast this one could go.

While it looks confusing, it's actually easy to read.

No pictures or videos of this train, again we had a lot of luggage and only about 30 seconds to hop on the train.

When we arrived in Tokyo, we were in the infamous Tokyo station. This building is huge and a major transit hub in Japan. So many rail lines, subway, metro, and other train stations stop there. There are bus terminals, and a lot of cabs on the surface. It is a major place to be.

Fortunately, we had one other stopped after we got to Tokyo. We were staying in Akihabara - or electric town. This part of Tokyo used to be where folks could go and buy just about every electric part possible. It is now a massive center dedicated to manga, anime, and geek culture.

It's essentially geek capital.

Akihabara Tokyo

This was a cool building - just an electronics store though!

We were staying in the Dormy Inn. A Japanese style hotel with an outdoor, rooftop onsen. It also had free breakfast in the morning. While I didn't get any pictures of the Inn, you can check it out in the following link: https://www.hotespa.net/hotels/akihabara/

The rooftop Onsen was the best, especially after a long day of walking.

From the above website, not my photo.

So after we check in, and drop off our stuff. We go exploring to find a place to eat. Well, we happen to come across a British Pub. We figured it'd be a good place, after a long day of travel. It was here we met some fellow westerners and started a night on the town.

After some food and pints, we all decided we had to do karaoke. After all, we were in Japan! So off we were - two Latinos, a Norwegian guy, an Australian guy, and an Irish guy off to sing some songs.

After our two hours of Karaoke, we went to finish our drinking in Roppongi. Roppongi is a part of Tokyo were many westerners stay. It's definitely more for foreigners, with signs in English and popular American chains present - TGI Fridays, Hooters, Carl's Jr. Our friends were excited, Josh and I felt indifferent. We could eat all of those in America.

Anyways, we ended up having some beer in TGI Friday's because it was still open, when typically other bars were closing for a Sunday night. It was time to say farewell, we went off our separate ways but I'll always remember that great time we all had together.

Tokyo Tower at night - preview for our next day.

We got back to the Dormy Inn and fell asleep - the next day was a big day - we were going to Tokyo Tower!