Ueno Park to Shibuka and Mitaka (on foot and by subway, bus, and train): Gina and i wake up early due to lingering jet lag, and meet David and Tom for coffee, which we drink by the pond. Then we get on the subway to Hiro-o, where we meet Sarah and Dana, and walk to the Jewish Community of Japan, the synagogue in Tokyo. After touring the synagogue, we have lunch in Shibuya and take the train to Mitaka, where we have tickets for the Studio Ghibli Museum. The plan is to meet up with Catherine, David, and Tom for ramen near Ebisu. The meeting up works, but the ramen doesn't, and the five of us wind up at an extremely miscellaneous hot pot restaurant.
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 |