Today is the last day of a 三連休 (three-day weekend).
(Click here to read why Friday was a holiday).
As I mentioned in an earlier post (Click here to read it), we paid a visit to our family grave on Friday…then we went to the 「アンパンマンとやなせたかし展」 (”Anpanman & Takashi Yanase Exhibit“) at the 日本橋三越本店 (Mitsukoshi Dep’t Store head store in Nihonbashi, Tokyo).
Here are some photos I took:
Advertisement for the exhibit near the store
"Roll-panna chan" has a split personality. She can turn on her friends.
Some of the main "good guys"
They've become bugs!
「カキクケコちゃん」って！ Funny name!
「だいこんやくしゃ」 His name sounds like "Radish-actor"...but it means "Bad actor"
The "Hamburger Kid"
After we left the exhibit
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Yesterday the weather was really nice in Tokyo. Clear sky, comfortable temperature…perfect weather. So we walked around downtown and stopped in a few stores to get my kids some things that they need for the new school year.
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Yesterday’s weather was perfect…but today’s rainy and very windy. And a bit cold.
It’s too bad because today’s the Tokyo Marathon!
It started at 9:05AM this morning in 新宿 (Shinjuku, Tokyo) and is still going as I type this.
I’m watching it live on TV. It’s scheduled to end at 4:30PM.
The finish line is in お台場 (Odaiba, Tokyo). As of 3:20PM (when I writing this), about 26,000 runners have crossed the finish line…there are still about 9,000 people running it.
It’s too bad they didn’t hold the marathon yesterday when the weather was so much better!
Anyways, I mentioned the Tokyo Marathon in a post a few days ago. (Click here to read it.)
At the beginning of the marathon all 35000 people were crowded together
浅草 (Asakusa) is one of the many parts of Tokyo that I like alot.
It’s a 下町 (traditional downtown area). Famous for the 雷門 (Lightning Gate), 浅草寺 (Sensouji Temple), and the numerous excellent 祭 (festivals) that are held there.
(Click here to read a post I wrote about 浅草 (Asakusa)).
Starting today, for the next few weeks, there will alot going on in 浅草 (Asakusa).
Today (March 18): 金竜の舞い (Golden Dragon Festival).
This is held every year on March 18. I have been to this festival a few times when the date fell on a weekend. I have to work today, so I can’t go this year…but, if you can make it—I recommend it. Click here to read about it on my Festivals In Tokyo page.
Sunday, March 22, 2009: Tokyo Marathon.
An annual international marathon with runners from all over the world racing through the streets of Tokyo.
The course brings them past the 雷門 (Lightning Gate) in 浅草 (Asakusa).
Late March – Early April: 花見 (Cherry Blossom Viewing).
This traditional event is done all over Japan. One popular location is near the 隅田川 (Sumida River) in 浅草 (Asakusa).
(Last year, I wrote a few posts about 花見 (Cherry Blossom Viewing). Click here to read one.)
Sunday, April 12, 2009: 白鷺の舞い (White Heron Dance).
A famous 浅草 (Asakusa) festival.
「白鷺の舞い」 (White Heron Dance)
Saturday, April 18, 2009: 流鏑馬 (Horseback Archery).
An exciting ancient Japanese archery display that involves the archers shooting arrows at targets while riding a galloping horse.
(I have seen 流鏑馬 (Horseback Archery) a number of times. Last year, I wrote a post about the 流鏑馬 (Horseback Archery) at 浅草 (Asakusa). Click here to read it.)
There are plenty of other great festivals in 浅草 (Asakusa) throughout the year. But these are the ones that are coming up.
Have you ever been to any of these festivals in 浅草 (Asakusa) before? Will you attend this year? Did you already know about these events?
My oldest daughter plays the trumpet in her Jr. High brass band.
Today her school’s brass band participated in the annual 東京都中学校吹奏楽コンクール (Metropolitan Tokyo Junior High School Brass Band Competition).
She did excellent!
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After that, we went to 東京ドームシティ (Tokyo Dome City).
It’s an amusement park and shopping center next to the Tokyo Dome (which is the home to the Tokyo Giants baseball team. And many concerts and events are held here, too) and the very tall “Tokyo Dome Hotel“.
Here’s a short video of the area behind the Tokyo Dome:
And here’s another short video I took while looking out a window in the shopping center:
When I walked past the Kentucky Fried Chicken there, I noticed the Col. Sanders statue out front.
“KFC” (or 「ケンタッキー」 (“Kentucky”) as it’s known here) in Japan usually have a near life-size statue of Col. Sanders out front. He is often dressed to fit the current season.
Here’s a picture of him from last X-mas:
And here he is today (he’s wearing a Japanese 半被 (Happi coat)…which is a common sight at Japanese summer festivals):
Tokyo Dome City has a few food courts. At lunchtime, we went to the smallest one and ate at an excellent bread shop.
Here’s a short view of that food court:
The “McDonalds” that you can see in that video gets pretty crowded. So they have something I’ve never seen before…for customers who want their food for “Take out” can go through the “Walk Thru Gate” (as opposed to a “Drive Thru”). I was also surprised that the sign for it was written in English:
There’s a wild roller-coaster ride at the Tokyo Dome City that goes through a building.
Here’s a video of it:
In alot of restaurants in Japan, there’s a display out from that shows realistic, plastic models of the menu items.
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Yesterday it stormed real hard and there was flash flooding.
Parts of the Tokyo sewage system became flooding and six workers were sent to repair it.
The current was so strong that they got washed away. One man escaped to safety, but two men have been confirmed dead.
The other three are missing, as of today, and feared dead.
When we left Tokyo Dome City today, we walked past 神田川 (Kanda River) on the way to the train station. As we did, we saw the Tokyo Fire Department and Police divers searching the river for the three missing men.
It’d be a miracle…but I hope they find them alive.
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Japan has vending machines that sell nearly anything!
From vending machines here, you can get rice, beer, cigarettes, flowers, eggs, candy, cola, tea, coffee (hot or cold), magazines, newspapers, stamps, condoms, underwear, telephone cards, train tickets, bread, etc, etc…
Here’s an 傘の自動販売機 (umbrella vending machine):
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Today my 「SUICA 定期券」 (I.C. monthly train pass) expired, so I had to get a new one.
When I first came to Japan, the train lines sold 磁気定期券 (Magnetic monthly train passes).
(This photo is from “JR East”‘s website. It’s not a photo of an actual pass…the name on it is “Tarou Higashinihon (East-Japan)”).
This pass would be inserted into the ticket gate like a regular ticket (and it would come out the other side). The customer would pay for either a one-month, three-month, or a six-month pass between any two stations. Then it could be used between those stations as many times as the owner of the pass wished…until the expiration date (at which it had to be renewed). The three and six month passes offered a greater discount.
If the pass owner went past either of the two stations on the pass, he would pay the fare difference in cash.
But a few years ago, Japan introduced a new Intregrated Circuit (I.C.) card (some countries call it a “smart card”).
The one’s issued by the main train line are green and called “SUICA“. Other train lines, subway lines, and bus companies all use the pink “PASMO” card.
The two are interchangeable…meaning either card can be used to pay for JR train lines, other train lines, subways, buses, as well as some vending machines and shops and restaurants near train and subway stations.
The SUICA card:
This card can be charged at station machines and used by swiping it at the train or store or vending machine sensors.
It doesn’t even need to be removed from your wallet.
But it can also be used, as I do, as a 「SUICA 定期券」 (I.C. monthly train pass). In the same way as the magnetic train pass that I mentioned above, this card can have a 1, 3 or 6 month pass between two stations.
What makes it better is that it can be quickly swiped as you enter the station and if you go past either of the two stations…it takes the fare balance from the funds that the card owner charged it with.
The 「SUICA 定期券」 (I.C. monthly train pass):
(Once again, this pic is from J.R.’s website)
It’s called “Suica” for a few reasons…スイ (“Sui”) is kinda like “swish” in English. A swiping sound. And カ (ka (or “ca”)) can be easily seen by Japanese as an obvious abbreviation for カード (card). Also, スイカ (Suika) means “watermelon” in Japanese…and the design on the card is train tracks in a circular pattern on a green background. It looks like a watermelon logo.
On the card, the name “Suica” is written with the “ic” a different color…because it’s an “IC” card.
Get it?
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At the subway station, I saw this advertisement for the 「東京マラソン２００９」 (Tokyo Marathon 2009):
It reminded me of “SF Runner“, so I took a picture of it so he could see it.
Tokyo Five 
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