Japan 2011- Leave Tokyo

Today involves taking a flight out of Haneda and landing in Shin(New) Chitose. At Shinagawa, there is the convenient train line that takes you to the airport. Alternatively, you could go to Hamamatsucho and catch the monorail, as we did 5 years ago. We retrace the steps of our first trip back in 2001. Remembering back to that time, there was a very attractive japanese girl in the same car as us. Strange how little details like that come to mind.


We arrive at Haneda a few hours early so we can walk around the terminal and grab a bite to eat. This 747 will ferry us the 1.5 hour flight to the island of Hokkaido. I have never sat up there before, but I booked my seat on the upper deck near the window. Here's a couple of pics from my viewpoint while in the skies above Japan.


Off in the distance, the Tokyo Sky Tree can be seen from our departure gate

When completed later this year, this structure will become the tallest man-made object in all of Tokyo

One of a few shots that I was able to shoot was this one of Tkyo Bay. Rainbow Bridge bisects the picture. Just below the bridge is Odaiba and the Fuji Televisions studios. Fuji is open to the public and tours are free. If you are3 lucky, you might ctach a show being taped. One time I was present when they were taping a samurai drama starring Yukie Nakama

Japan 2011-Arrival at Tokyo

My previous trips were solitary RogueDogue adventures. This time around, I am accompanied by many of the same friends I traveled with 5 years ago, and them some. Touched down in Narita. Im waiting for a few friends. My friends A nd J are arriving from the city on United in about 30 minutes. Our friend R from souther California will not be here for at least another hour. Later, in Hokkaido, we will meet up with J's sister V and her friend D. This will give me time to exchange for some yen. The rates suck!!!! But, what can you do. By the time arrive one thats coming to Tokyo today are here and its already gotten dark around 5:30pm




We arrive safely and quickly at the JR Shinagawa station. Its around 7:00pm Sunday night and there are still a number of people stirring around the station.

Its cold so wwe make our way across the intersection and down the street toour accommodations. This complex houses a number of Prince hotels, restaqurants and an aquarium

Looking back at the staqtion,

Previously, I had visited a row of ramen shops under the station tracks. Something new has cropped up next door. The theme for tonight is rice bowls

We settled for the first store at the beginning of the row. I ordered a set which included a pork and chive bowl, pork soup with some veg, and gyoza. The chive flavor was too heavy ande I regretted my choice Others fared much better than I did. I should have stuck with ramen
Thats about all for today. We have an early morning as we head to Sapporo

Fooooooooooggggggg

The city is well known for its fog. Over the past few days, we have just the first appearance of it this year. This wather condition was preceeded by 2 unusually warm days that hit the city. The white stuff is not as thick as dense as could be. I have lived here long enough to bare witness to a truly foggy, almost white out, situation.
Shadows and undefined objects move through the pea soup that envelopes all. Clarity and sharpness are not apparent until you are on top of something. Or, something or someone is on top of you. Aside from the ambiance that it lends to the city, it lends an air of mystery that makes for great thrillers and detective novels.

Down here by Ghirardelli Square, you cant even see a hint of the bay. Or for that matter, the next intersection where there is a cable car turn around.

On The Job-Vallejo St Parking Garage, Chinatown

I find myself having to travel to the Chinatown area on business. There are 2 parking garages on Vallejo St thats around the corner from Stockton St. One is a structure with alot of blind curves and narrow parking slots that sits atop a police station. I parked at the one on the southern side of the street. This has an open area that looks out over the street and onto Chinatown and North Beach. Below, Coit Tower is ever so prominent sitting atop the hill


Down the street and just past Columbs is a church. It looks like its going through some renovations as scaffolding obscures the facade.

Looking north, we see another church that looks like its going through some renocations as well. This one located at Whasington Square, a few blocks away. The square is home to the North Beach Festival

A number of shops and restaurants line Stockton as well as the streets and alley ways that branch off of it in this area. Chinatown butts right up to North Beach and the Asian shops give way to Italian ones.

This direction of Stockton as well as the pic above leads to the Stockton St Tunnel. The egress opens up to Union Square and the shops of downtown. This particular intersection is at Stockton and Broadway.

Akihabara to open up to pedestrians again

In some areas of Tokyo, streets are closed off to automobile traffic on Sundays and opened up to the average street walker. Shinjuku, Ginza, and Akihabara were some of the areas that participated in this tradition. Akihabara had ceased this closure about 2.5 years ago but are set to start it back up again. Beginning January 23 and running for a 6 month trial, Akiba visitors will once again flood Chuo dori between the hours of 1300-1700 on Sunday

The practice came to a halt when a man drove his truck into the unsuspecting crowd gathered on a June Sunday. He later jumped out and began to stab passerbys. Many were injured and several people were killed during the rampage.