the view down from our hotel room balcony: a panda riding a dolphin |
in Ueno Park before 8am, a line for the zoo is already forming |
Birds of Japan: heron in marsh under cherry blossoms |
We met David and Tom for more Tully's Coffee, and drank it by the pond |
morning cherry blossom pond reflections |
Birds of Japan: a crane and its reflection |
David and Gina talking, surrounded by coffee cups |
Tom, spectating in front of a temple |
this pond is really pretty |
park maintenance tools, including many straw brooms |
the first two kanji mean 'Ueno'; beyond that, i couldn't tell you |
a fish! |
Tom and David were thinking about going to the zoo today, but given that line, maybe no |
red bean croissant, sesame red bean bun, and red bean donut, courtesy of a Ueno Station bakery called Delifrance |
Gina, on the subway to Hiro-o |
our second bakery of the day, i guess third if you count the coffee shop |
Gina, waiting for Sarah and Dana outside Truffle Bakery |
a dog in a bike basket |
Wall art: a pixellated space invader-y guy on a wine bottle |
walking around the neighborhood with Sarah and Dana |
tile art of a tree |
the four of us are in this neighborhood to visit the Jewish Community of Japan synagogue |
me, in front of the synagogue |
cornerstone of the synagogue's newish building |
inside the synagogue, possibly a photo of an older version of the building |
a tall building covered in a large amount of scaffolding |
our first bus ride in Japan, to Shibuya Station |
the Shibuya scramble crossing |
poster near Shibuya Station |
an arch which apparently appears in a video game i haven't played |
we get lunch in the basement of the Parco mall |
menu at restaurant known for vegan lunch sets |
my lunch: vegan kara-age and gyoza set |
a large number of pedestrians, prepared to scramble |
selfie sticks out, it's scramble time |
on the train west to Mitaka |
riding an escalator at Mitaka Station |
our pre-tour discussion of the Ghibli Museum |
outside the Ghibli Museum |
ticket window Totoro |
robot trooper on the roof |
exterior of museum building |
Totoro watches us stand in line |
time to go in (no photography in the museum, but it was neat!) |
hanging out on the roof with the Laputian robot trooper |
we walk back towards the station |
taking a break to hang out in a park near the museum |
we have met up with Catherine |
flowers by the river in Mitaka |
the river, surrounded by plants |
heading back east, to the Shibuya area again |
we meet up with David and Tom, and eventually wind up in a hot pot restaurant whose name we never learn |
hot pot is occurring: it's a little spicy |
many whole spices we have removed from the hot pot |
Tom and David, bemused |
finally on the subway back to Ueno Park |