Takeoff from Taipei's Songshan Airport on a cloudy day with the Taipei 101 building sticking out in the background.
Showing posts with label Tokyo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tokyo. Show all posts
2011 Taiwan Trip: Taipei Back to Tokyo
April 4, 2011 was our last day in Taipei ending our week long trip to Taiwan. On this day our flight was in the afternoon so we still had the morning to explore a little bit of Taipei before we left.
Takeoff from Taipei's Songshan Airport on a cloudy day with the Taipei 101 building sticking out in the background.
Takeoff from Taipei's Songshan Airport on a cloudy day with the Taipei 101 building sticking out in the background.
2011 Taiwan Trip: Flight from Tokyo Haneda to Taipei
On March 28, 2011, as a continuation of the almost one month long trip that I took with my mom when she visited me in Japan while I was studying there, we flew to Taiwan for a 1 week trip.
I booked the hotel and flight package from Rakuten Travel and it was surprisingly cheap. The 7 nights, 8 days package including the airfare cost 140,000 yen (US$1400) for 2 people. That is like 70,000 yen (US$700) per person for 7 nights in a hotel and the airfare!
The airline in the package was All Nippon Airways and the flight was from Tokyo Haneda airport to Taipei Songshan instead of the much farther Tokyo Narita airport. Because international flights from Tokyo Haneda airport are usually targeted to business travellers, the flight tickets are usually much more expensive, thereby making this hotel and flight package even more of a deal!
Historically, Tokyo Haneda airport was designated for domestic flights while Tokyo Narita airport was designated for international flights. At the time, they changed the laws to allow for short distance international flights to Asia at Tokyo Haneda airport so an international terminal was newly built.
The brand new international terminal at Tokyo Haneda airport.
I booked the hotel and flight package from Rakuten Travel and it was surprisingly cheap. The 7 nights, 8 days package including the airfare cost 140,000 yen (US$1400) for 2 people. That is like 70,000 yen (US$700) per person for 7 nights in a hotel and the airfare!
The airline in the package was All Nippon Airways and the flight was from Tokyo Haneda airport to Taipei Songshan instead of the much farther Tokyo Narita airport. Because international flights from Tokyo Haneda airport are usually targeted to business travellers, the flight tickets are usually much more expensive, thereby making this hotel and flight package even more of a deal!
Historically, Tokyo Haneda airport was designated for domestic flights while Tokyo Narita airport was designated for international flights. At the time, they changed the laws to allow for short distance international flights to Asia at Tokyo Haneda airport so an international terminal was newly built.
The brand new international terminal at Tokyo Haneda airport.
The JR East Railway Museum in Omiya in March 2011
During the week at the end of March when me and my mom were visiting the Tokyo and Yokohama area, on March 25, 2011, we took a day trip to the northern suburbs of Tokyo, to Omiya in Saitama Prefecture to visit the JR East Railway Museum.
Now normally visiting a railway museum would seem like a dull experience for people who are not railway fans but this museum seemed designed to cater to everyone of every demographic.
One of the reasons is that railways are to Japan how cars are to America. Railways are embedded in the ordinary life in Japan and also in the cultural psyche. If one lives in a large city in Japan, he would most likely take the train to go to work or to go shopping and if he was to do any domestic traveling, he would probably also take the train to get there.
In fact, one of the high speed Shinkansen rail lines in Kyushu was opened on March 12, 2011, one day after the 3/11 earthquake/tsunami disaster, and as a result, all the opening ceremonies were closed and an excellent heartwarming commercial produced to advertise for the Kyushu Shinkansen was not aired on TV. (Its popularity exploded on the Internet and it ended up winning international awards for advertising)
The entrance of the railway museum, because of the ongoing power shortage caused when all nuclear reactors were ordered to be taken offline following the nuclear disaster, the opening hours were cut short to 10 am to 4 pm.
Now normally visiting a railway museum would seem like a dull experience for people who are not railway fans but this museum seemed designed to cater to everyone of every demographic.
One of the reasons is that railways are to Japan how cars are to America. Railways are embedded in the ordinary life in Japan and also in the cultural psyche. If one lives in a large city in Japan, he would most likely take the train to go to work or to go shopping and if he was to do any domestic traveling, he would probably also take the train to get there.
In fact, one of the high speed Shinkansen rail lines in Kyushu was opened on March 12, 2011, one day after the 3/11 earthquake/tsunami disaster, and as a result, all the opening ceremonies were closed and an excellent heartwarming commercial produced to advertise for the Kyushu Shinkansen was not aired on TV. (Its popularity exploded on the Internet and it ended up winning international awards for advertising)
The entrance of the railway museum, because of the ongoing power shortage caused when all nuclear reactors were ordered to be taken offline following the nuclear disaster, the opening hours were cut short to 10 am to 4 pm.
Tokyo and Yokohama During the 3/11 Disaster
I visited Tokyo and Yokohama from the March 23 to March 27, 2011 when my mother came to visit me in Japan during the spring of 2011. This is a continuation of our trip that started in Osaka on March 10, 2011, one day before the biggest disaster to hit Japan in recent memory occurred. After visiting the Kansai region, we went to Okinawa and then flew back to Fukuoka, stopping at Nagasaki for a day before spending a couple of days in Hiroshima. Afterwards we took a night bus (never again) to Tokyo on March 23, 2011.
At this time, it was my first time back in Tokyo after I had left in 2006 when I was as an exchange student at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies.
Because the Tokyo area was moderately affected by the earthquake/tsunami/nuclear disaster (the 3/11 disaster), many foreigners living in Tokyo at the time were hysterically leaving for home via their embassies or for "safer" areas like the Kansai area or even places like Hong Kong because paranoia over radiation concerns. Instead because we had already booked and planned everything, we decided that it was safe to visit and it was indeed safe during our time there. In addition, there were less crowds!
The only odd thing that happened was that due to all the nuclear reactors being in shutdown mode as a precautionary measure, there were fears of a power shortage so in order to conserve energy, the train operators decided not to turn on any of the lights inside the trains during the overground sections. It felt weird to be riding the JR Yamanote Line in the dark with only sunlight coming through the windows.
The Nakamise-dori in front of the Sensoji Temple in Asakusa.
At this time, it was my first time back in Tokyo after I had left in 2006 when I was as an exchange student at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies.
Because the Tokyo area was moderately affected by the earthquake/tsunami/nuclear disaster (the 3/11 disaster), many foreigners living in Tokyo at the time were hysterically leaving for home via their embassies or for "safer" areas like the Kansai area or even places like Hong Kong because paranoia over radiation concerns. Instead because we had already booked and planned everything, we decided that it was safe to visit and it was indeed safe during our time there. In addition, there were less crowds!
The only odd thing that happened was that due to all the nuclear reactors being in shutdown mode as a precautionary measure, there were fears of a power shortage so in order to conserve energy, the train operators decided not to turn on any of the lights inside the trains during the overground sections. It felt weird to be riding the JR Yamanote Line in the dark with only sunlight coming through the windows.
The Nakamise-dori in front of the Sensoji Temple in Asakusa.
Bird's Eye Views from Tokyo-Hiroshima Flights
Due to 3 internships at 3 different times of the year and 1 field research in Tokyo, I have taken the flight from Tokyo Haneda to Hiroshima more times than any other route that I have previously flown. In total, I have this segment 8 times on both Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways including one time on one of the first Boeing 787s ever delivered.
There are various reasons why I choose to take the plane over taking the Shinkansen (high speed rail) and the main reason is cost. Shinkansen tickets are expensive (15,000 yen one way, $180~) and are never discounted while if you book airplane tickets more than 1 month in advance, the price can be as low as 11,000 yen, $133~.
The Shinkansen takes 4 hours from train station to train station and the flight takes 1.5 hours so if you add in access time, the time required is around the same.
The side benefit of taking the flight is that you get to see spectacular bird's eye views of Japan ^^
In this post, I complied the pictures I took from various flights that I had taken.
There are various reasons why I choose to take the plane over taking the Shinkansen (high speed rail) and the main reason is cost. Shinkansen tickets are expensive (15,000 yen one way, $180~) and are never discounted while if you book airplane tickets more than 1 month in advance, the price can be as low as 11,000 yen, $133~.
The Shinkansen takes 4 hours from train station to train station and the flight takes 1.5 hours so if you add in access time, the time required is around the same.
The side benefit of taking the flight is that you get to see spectacular bird's eye views of Japan ^^
In this post, I complied the pictures I took from various flights that I had taken.
Tokyo Haneda to Hiroshima 787 Flight
After doing internships in Tokyo from mid-February to April, it was time for me to once again head back to my university in Hiroshima to start the second last semester of my graduate program.
Although there aren't many "upsides" to studying in such a remote place as Higashi-Hiroshima (our school campus is not actually in Hiroshima city), I was lucky that All Nippon Airways (ANA) scheduled their brand new Boeing 787 "Dreamliner" airplanes for the Tokyo to Hiroshima route. If I am not mistaken, the only other two routes that ANA currently (April 2012) uses their 787s for are the routes from Tokyo to Okayama and Tokyo to Frankfurt, Germany.
Last summer, when I was doing an another internship in Tokyo, I took the plane back to Hiroshima and I was lucky enough that the plane used the "correct runway" so that in going eastbound, the plane flew right over Tokyo in a counter-clockwise direction and I could see the entire city from a bird's eye view. Unfortunately, I didn't bring my camera that time so I could not get any pictures.
This time I brought out my camera just in case we used that "correct runway" and surely enough we did and the resulting photos are a result of ignoring all the warnings about not using any electronic devices during takeoff!
The Boeing 787 at the gate at Haneda Airport Terminal 2.
Although there aren't many "upsides" to studying in such a remote place as Higashi-Hiroshima (our school campus is not actually in Hiroshima city), I was lucky that All Nippon Airways (ANA) scheduled their brand new Boeing 787 "Dreamliner" airplanes for the Tokyo to Hiroshima route. If I am not mistaken, the only other two routes that ANA currently (April 2012) uses their 787s for are the routes from Tokyo to Okayama and Tokyo to Frankfurt, Germany.
Last summer, when I was doing an another internship in Tokyo, I took the plane back to Hiroshima and I was lucky enough that the plane used the "correct runway" so that in going eastbound, the plane flew right over Tokyo in a counter-clockwise direction and I could see the entire city from a bird's eye view. Unfortunately, I didn't bring my camera that time so I could not get any pictures.
This time I brought out my camera just in case we used that "correct runway" and surely enough we did and the resulting photos are a result of ignoring all the warnings about not using any electronic devices during takeoff!
The Boeing 787 at the gate at Haneda Airport Terminal 2.
Crazy Food Adventures in Tokyo
During this summer (August 2011 - October 2011), I stayed in Tokyo because I had an internship with a company called Nikken Sekkei (a.k.a. architectural firm in charge of designing the Tokyo Sky Tree), but I was in the urban planning/town planning division.
After studying in the mountainous suburbs of Hiroshima where there isn't much choice in eating out unless you like "family restaurants", McDonalds or okonomiyaki, I decided to explore what kind of tasty food Tokyo had to offer with total disregard for the price (to certain limits!).
Most of the pictures where taken with Mr. Blurrycam (iPhone 3GS) while a select few were taken with a real camera (Canon Powershot S80).
My meal on the 4.5 hour Shinkansen train ride from Hiroshima to Tokyo.
Stewed pork with some sort of teriyaki sauce. 6 pieces of pork in total!
Cost 1000 yen.
Quite expensive in my opinion.
After studying in the mountainous suburbs of Hiroshima where there isn't much choice in eating out unless you like "family restaurants", McDonalds or okonomiyaki, I decided to explore what kind of tasty food Tokyo had to offer with total disregard for the price (to certain limits!).
Most of the pictures where taken with Mr. Blurrycam (iPhone 3GS) while a select few were taken with a real camera (Canon Powershot S80).
My meal on the 4.5 hour Shinkansen train ride from Hiroshima to Tokyo.
Stewed pork with some sort of teriyaki sauce. 6 pieces of pork in total!
Cost 1000 yen.
Quite expensive in my opinion.
Tokyo Walks 2011 - Tokyo Station to Odaiba
On Sept. 19, 2011, I walked from Tokyo station to Odaiba because:
My route. If it wasn't for my iPhone, data and Google Maps, I would have gotten lost. I am convinced that Tokyo is one of those places where a smartphone is really necessary for finding directions and not getting lost. Google Maps calculated the time for walking at 1.5 hours, but it actually took me 2 hours and I walk pretty fast...
View Tokyo to Odaiba in a larger map
- I enjoy "urban hiking"
- I wanted to see how far Odaiba really was by foot, to put the distance on a human scale
- I wanted to see if there was anything in between all those man-made islands
My route. If it wasn't for my iPhone, data and Google Maps, I would have gotten lost. I am convinced that Tokyo is one of those places where a smartphone is really necessary for finding directions and not getting lost. Google Maps calculated the time for walking at 1.5 hours, but it actually took me 2 hours and I walk pretty fast...
View Tokyo to Odaiba in a larger map
Archi-neering Design Exhibit 2011 - Tokyo
I was walking around the Tokyo station/Marunouchi area after work when I stumbled upon this exhibit in the Marunouchi Building.
Apparently, the 24th World Congress of Architecture was being held in Tokyo and for this convention, they decided to put some exhibits for the public to see.
What caught my eye, other than the large "Genki FOR JAPAN" banner" was the Archi-neering Design Exhibit. It was a showcase of unique works in archi-neering (a new concept combining architecture and engineering design) featuring scaled models of real buildings.
The main exhibits were put on display in the "Marucube", the spectacular atrium inside the unspectacular dull looking Marunouchi Building.
Apparently, the 24th World Congress of Architecture was being held in Tokyo and for this convention, they decided to put some exhibits for the public to see.
What caught my eye, other than the large "Genki FOR JAPAN" banner" was the Archi-neering Design Exhibit. It was a showcase of unique works in archi-neering (a new concept combining architecture and engineering design) featuring scaled models of real buildings.
The main exhibits were put on display in the "Marucube", the spectacular atrium inside the unspectacular dull looking Marunouchi Building.
Tokyo Walks 2011 - Monzennaka-cho, Nihonbashi
On a very hot day on Aug. 17, 2011, I did some "urban walking" from the "shitamachi" (下町) (old traditional) areas of Tokyo to the business centre of Tokyo in Nihonbashi.
I started from the Monzennaka-cho (門前仲町) area.
The entrance to the Tomioka Hachiman Shrine.
I started from the Monzennaka-cho (門前仲町) area.
The entrance to the Tomioka Hachiman Shrine.
Tokyo Walks 2011 - Tokyo Sky Tree
On August 16, 2011, a very hot and humid day, I ventured out to see the Tokyo Sky Tree site. The Tokyo Sky Tree is the "New" Tokyo Tower and the purpose for its construction is for the digital television broadcasting. It is scheduled to open next year in 2012 with a height of 634 meters. I heard that they were going to charge people 3000 yen per person to visit the tower! (That's insanely expensive)
Tokyo Sky Tree and the Asahi Beer Buildings as seen from Asakusa.
Tokyo Sky Tree and the Asahi Beer Buildings as seen from Asakusa.
Tokyo Walking Pictorial: Imperial Palace, Hibiya, Government Areas
I started the walk from Tokyo Station and walked along the moat of the Imperial Palace towards the National Diet Building (Parliament), and ended in front of the Prime Minister's Residence.
Inside the Tokyo International Forum. This building is one of the rare non-blocky buildings in Tokyo.
Studio Ghibli Art Musuem
(Updated: July 13, 2013 with high resolution photos)
On June 29, 2006, my friends and I visited the Ghibli Museum. The museum (aka. Mitaka's Forest Ghibli Art Museum) is located in the suburbs of Tokyo. It is about 15 minutes by train on the JR Chuo Line (aka "Suicide Line", the line alignment is almost totally straight) from Shinjuku Station.
Unfortunately, you are NOT allowed to take pictures inside the museum, only outside, so that is what I have.
Also you can't just show up and buy tickets at the museum, if you are in Japan, you need to buy your tickets in advance from a Lawsons convenience store using their electronic ticket machine. If visiting from overseas you could either buy them from overseas (check official website) or if you know Japanese or some Japanese or if you are able to copy the name of the Ghibli Museum onto a piece of paper, you could go to the Lawsons convenience store and ask a clerk (using a lot of hand gestures?) that you want tickets to this museum. But be warned, the museum is kind of popular and may be fully booked a week in advance.
On June 29, 2006, my friends and I visited the Ghibli Museum. The museum (aka. Mitaka's Forest Ghibli Art Museum) is located in the suburbs of Tokyo. It is about 15 minutes by train on the JR Chuo Line (aka "Suicide Line", the line alignment is almost totally straight) from Shinjuku Station.
Unfortunately, you are NOT allowed to take pictures inside the museum, only outside, so that is what I have.
Also you can't just show up and buy tickets at the museum, if you are in Japan, you need to buy your tickets in advance from a Lawsons convenience store using their electronic ticket machine. If visiting from overseas you could either buy them from overseas (check official website) or if you know Japanese or some Japanese or if you are able to copy the name of the Ghibli Museum onto a piece of paper, you could go to the Lawsons convenience store and ask a clerk (using a lot of hand gestures?) that you want tickets to this museum. But be warned, the museum is kind of popular and may be fully booked a week in advance.
Views of Tokyo's Skyline
(Updated: July 11, 2013 with high resolution photos)
Tokyo's skyline is surprisingly filled mostly with low-rise buildings and in this post I'll show the skyline from 3 different locations at 3 different times.
On March 6, 2006, while my friend and I were biking around with no destination in mind from our university dormitory in Arakawa-ku in Tokyo, we stumbled upon the Tokyo Bunkyo Civic Center near the Tokyo Dome area. At the top of the civic center was a free observation deck!
A view of the Shinjuku skyscrapers.
The Sunshine City building in Ikebukuro.
Looking towards the Sumida River (I think).
Facing Ueno, the green space is Ueno Park.
Tokyo Dome City (Its right next to the Bunkyo Civic Center).
On March 7, 2006, during one of our many many trips to Akihabara, I took these pictures on the top floor of a new office building near the station.
From Akihabara looking at the Chuo Line towards Ochanomizu.
Akihabara's main street.
On May 29, 2006, we were invited to a conference featuring World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz at the Foreign Correspondence Club of Japan (FCCJ) by one of our university lecturers who was an active journalist and an FCCJ member. In addition to listening to an interesting speech, I also got nice views of Ginza from the Yurakucho Denki Building where the FCCJ was located.
The speech.
The press.
Looking towards Imperial Palace (green roofed buildings), from the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan (FCCJ) at the Yurakucho Denki Building.
The Tokyo International Forum building.
JR Yurakucho Station with the Shinkansen passing through.
Looking towards Ginza.
Tokyo's skyline is surprisingly filled mostly with low-rise buildings and in this post I'll show the skyline from 3 different locations at 3 different times.
On March 6, 2006, while my friend and I were biking around with no destination in mind from our university dormitory in Arakawa-ku in Tokyo, we stumbled upon the Tokyo Bunkyo Civic Center near the Tokyo Dome area. At the top of the civic center was a free observation deck!
A view of the Shinjuku skyscrapers.
The Sunshine City building in Ikebukuro.
Looking towards the Sumida River (I think).
Facing Ueno, the green space is Ueno Park.
Tokyo Dome City (Its right next to the Bunkyo Civic Center).
On March 7, 2006, during one of our many many trips to Akihabara, I took these pictures on the top floor of a new office building near the station.
From Akihabara looking at the Chuo Line towards Ochanomizu.
Akihabara's main street.
On May 29, 2006, we were invited to a conference featuring World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz at the Foreign Correspondence Club of Japan (FCCJ) by one of our university lecturers who was an active journalist and an FCCJ member. In addition to listening to an interesting speech, I also got nice views of Ginza from the Yurakucho Denki Building where the FCCJ was located.
The speech.
The press.
Looking towards Imperial Palace (green roofed buildings), from the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan (FCCJ) at the Yurakucho Denki Building.
The Tokyo International Forum building.
JR Yurakucho Station with the Shinkansen passing through.
Looking towards Ginza.
Tokyo University of Foreign Studies ISEP Program Certificate
I finally received my certificate from my school's student exchange office. Normally I wouldn't post something like this, but I was surprised by the quality of this certificate. Even the woman at the exchange office was surprised at the quality, she said these were the fanciest certificates of completion that she had ever seen.
Liberal Democratic Party Gift Shop at Nagatacho
(Updated: July 11, 2013 with high resolution photos)
On July 11, 2006, my friend and I were walking around Nagatacho in Tokyo which is the government nerve centre of Japan (kind of like Capitol Hill in Washington, DC or Whitehall in London, England) and by chance we stumbled upon the headquarters of the Liberal Democratic Party...
What happens when you visit the headquarters of the party that has ruled Japan for 50 years straight (excluding a few months in the 90s)?
You go straight into the gift shop to buy Japan-style propaganda...
(Background story: My friend said, since this is Japan, there *must* be a gift shop in there, so after some hesitation, we asked the police officer in our broken Japanese if there was a gift shop and he said yes and let us in!)
Prime Minister Koizumi plush doll, 500 yen...
Koizumi 2006 Calendar, 100 yen...Koizumi propaganda posters (2x), 70 yen each...
Owning the most "unique" Japan souvenir there is...Priceless.
(Actually the people who worked at the gift shop were quite surprised to see foreigners shopping at the Liberal Democratic Party gift shop and some of the gifts were actually quite good. I bought some Made in Japan woman's pocket make-up mirror for family members which had a nice Imperial family crest on it and as a bonus for all the things that we bought, the staff gave each of us a 2006 Imperial family calendar!)
On July 11, 2006, my friend and I were walking around Nagatacho in Tokyo which is the government nerve centre of Japan (kind of like Capitol Hill in Washington, DC or Whitehall in London, England) and by chance we stumbled upon the headquarters of the Liberal Democratic Party...
What happens when you visit the headquarters of the party that has ruled Japan for 50 years straight (excluding a few months in the 90s)?
You go straight into the gift shop to buy Japan-style propaganda...
(Background story: My friend said, since this is Japan, there *must* be a gift shop in there, so after some hesitation, we asked the police officer in our broken Japanese if there was a gift shop and he said yes and let us in!)
Prime Minister Koizumi plush doll, 500 yen...
Koizumi 2006 Calendar, 100 yen...Koizumi propaganda posters (2x), 70 yen each...
Owning the most "unique" Japan souvenir there is...Priceless.
(Actually the people who worked at the gift shop were quite surprised to see foreigners shopping at the Liberal Democratic Party gift shop and some of the gifts were actually quite good. I bought some Made in Japan woman's pocket make-up mirror for family members which had a nice Imperial family crest on it and as a bonus for all the things that we bought, the staff gave each of us a 2006 Imperial family calendar!)
Tokyo Imperial Palace Tour
(Updated: July 7, 2013 with high resolution photos)
These pictures were taken on March 7, 2006.
To visit the Imperial Palace grounds, we needed to make a reservation (free) on the Internet in advance. Otherwise, the only other day that the palace grounds are open to the public are on the Emperor's Birthday on December 23. The tour was about 1 hour long.
The meeting centre where we were given information about the tour.
These pictures were taken on March 7, 2006.
To visit the Imperial Palace grounds, we needed to make a reservation (free) on the Internet in advance. Otherwise, the only other day that the palace grounds are open to the public are on the Emperor's Birthday on December 23. The tour was about 1 hour long.
The meeting centre where we were given information about the tour.
