Wooohooo! The McIntosh's take to Japan! Big city Tokyo here we come!
I hadn't been in Tokyo since orientation....10 months ago! The family and I spent much time looking at train maps and agreed on a random station to meet. It was the station closest to our hotel. Everyone gave me this horrified look that I wasn't going to meet my parents at the airport and hold their hands on the way in. On my train ride in I was starting to get nervous that they would get really lost and we would NEVER find each other. However, we meet randomly on the platform in Tokyo station. It was perfect!
Our first hotel was call "Sakura something" (Cherry blossom). We staying in the dormitory style rooms. It was full of backpackers...we met some interesting people! (normal street in a city-note the lack of anything green and growing).
On our first day in Tokyo we went to the Imperial gardens...
Outside the gardens:
The whole family:
Just the garden:
We also went to a temple...name long forgotten...
and Tokyo tower...
On day 2 in Tokyo it rained. Our plans were to go see the kids who dress up like anime characters but with the rain they wouldn't be out. We decided to head over to Ueno park just to check it out and go to the National Museum.
When we got to the park we realized there was a matsuri (festival!) It was an ice festival. A little late in the year we thought but it was fun to watch. there was ice sculpting and beet mugs and martini glasses made out of ice. There was a giant snow pit where kids where having snowball fights and making snowmen.
Ice sculpting:
There were different beer cans and liqueur bottles frozen into giant blocks of ice. It made me feel like I was back at one of the ice castles and there would be frozen fish in the walls.
We finally made it to the museum. It was full of amazing art, old scrolls, armor, kimonos, calligraphy sets and pottery. It was a great museum.
I hadn't been in Tokyo since orientation....10 months ago! The family and I spent much time looking at train maps and agreed on a random station to meet. It was the station closest to our hotel. Everyone gave me this horrified look that I wasn't going to meet my parents at the airport and hold their hands on the way in. On my train ride in I was starting to get nervous that they would get really lost and we would NEVER find each other. However, we meet randomly on the platform in Tokyo station. It was perfect!
Our first hotel was call "Sakura something" (Cherry blossom). We staying in the dormitory style rooms. It was full of backpackers...we met some interesting people! (normal street in a city-note the lack of anything green and growing).
On our first day in Tokyo we went to the Imperial gardens...
Outside the gardens:
The whole family:
Just the garden:
We also went to a temple...name long forgotten...
and Tokyo tower...
On day 2 in Tokyo it rained. Our plans were to go see the kids who dress up like anime characters but with the rain they wouldn't be out. We decided to head over to Ueno park just to check it out and go to the National Museum.
When we got to the park we realized there was a matsuri (festival!) It was an ice festival. A little late in the year we thought but it was fun to watch. there was ice sculpting and beet mugs and martini glasses made out of ice. There was a giant snow pit where kids where having snowball fights and making snowmen.
Ice sculpting:
There were different beer cans and liqueur bottles frozen into giant blocks of ice. It made me feel like I was back at one of the ice castles and there would be frozen fish in the walls.
We finally made it to the museum. It was full of amazing art, old scrolls, armor, kimonos, calligraphy sets and pottery. It was a great museum.
