Visiting Ueno and Asukasa

After making a brief trip back to the hotel, we were then off to another area of town, Ueno. The area is known for its park, museums and markets, and is the eastern-most hub of central Tokyo. Ueno Park, which so happens to be the oldest and largest park in the city of Tokyo, is regarded as being one of Tokyo's most beautiful. There are temples, shrines, pagodas, a pond, a zoo,and some museums.

Now I must admit, during this trip, we have not had the time to really soak in a lot of the cultural elements such as the gardens and many museums. I guess this would be a definite reason to make a return visit!

But anyways, we did a bit of shopping in this area, and then headed over to Asukasa.

Asukasa was about a 2 minute train subway train ride to the west.

Many people are drawn to the area by Sensoji Temple, the Five Storied Pagoda and the traditional Nakamise shopping arcade. Just as a bit of history on the temple, it dates back to 645, but with the original destroyed in the air raids of March 10 1945, today's building is a 1958 reconstruction. The Five Storied Pagoda was built in 1973 and amongst others, it stands in honour of comedians! It's 53.32 meters high, reinforced with concrete and steel, and like all pagodas, running down the centre is a giant pillar of Japanese Cypress tree wood. Around this, the five stories are loosely packed, resulting in a highly flexible structure able to withstand earth tremours. Nakamise Shopping Arcade. The street is lined with colourful, lively stalls selling traditional knick- knacks, festival foods and rice crackers. This is definitely the place to come to if you have to buy a number of gifts for people back home.

There were other strips for shopping as well, running perpendicular to the Nakamise shopping arcade. Here, one would find shoe shops, men's and women's apparel (both contemporary and traditional), as well as a plethora of eating places.

Praising the Lord with Jesus Lifehouse Intl. Church

This morning (Sunday morning... this blog is being written Monday afternoon however... computer crashed yesterday) I woke up around 5 AM. My sleeping habit the last few days has been horrendous. I believe this is due to our extreme exhaustion after excursions. So I had a little time to kill before heading off to church. I did a bit of reading, and checking the news on-line.

I took the train to get to the next stop (about a half-mile away). I could have walked, I guess, but I'm at the point right now that if I can get somewhere without using my legs, I'll go that route! The directions that I received from the church website were good and I had no problem getting there. As a matter of fact, I made it to the church 45 minutes early. Service started at 11:30 (not use to a late morning service starting time), and I arrived at around 10:45. Fortunately, I met a couple, from Canton, Ohio (imagine that... meeting nearly 6000 miles from home), that made me feel at home with there welcome. They've been in Tokyo for nearly two years and are active with the church. I also had a chance to meet the pastor, Rod Plummer. He was birthed out of the Hillsong church in Australia. God had placed on his heart, about seven years ago, a burden for Asia, and especially a burden for Tokyo. God is moving in Tokyo. There are currently churches in two different locations in Tokyo, one in Osaka, and there's now a Lifehouse church in Bejing, I believe. Service was cool. It was done in both Japanese and English. Rod, of course, spoke in English and there was an interpreter who translated the message in Japanese. Praise and Worship was short, in comparison to Crusaders (my church), but effective. They sang a few Hillsong songs.

I didn't take any photos during the service, one, because they don't allow it (I don't understand that, by the way), and two, I was enjoying the service! But if you want to check the entire message out, I believe that you can go to www.jesuslifehouse.tv/category/centraltokyo/ to either watch the taping or listen to the audio. The message title is "We are a 'Polaroid Picture' of the Future."

Experiencing Harajuku and Shibuya

Yesterday, we toured two more parts of town, Harajuku and Shibuya. Harajuku, located about a 10 minute train ride west of the station closest to our hotel, is considered the top, fashionably faddish, trendiest area in Tokyo. The weekends are typically the time when the teenagers converge on this area for shopping, as well as various street performances. Fashion is high priority in this area. The shops sell a variety of goods ranging from hip-hop culture to the British punk rock look.

I found it interesting that this area was a place where young people could make their voices heard and demonstrate their talents without feeling ostracized. And I must say that as we walked, we passed a few singers and musicians that were in fact extremely talented, and possibly waiting for that next big break. I think this is an avenue, or opportunity, for many of the young people that we saw to be noticed by potential record executives who may be passing by on vacation as well.

This area is also reminiscent of scenes of Woodstock! Tokyo's hippyville would be a better description! From the clothing, to the long hair, to people sitting (not on grass, but on gravel!), in a trance, mesmerized by the music that is blaring from a band shell, to even the open alcohol, cigarette smoke, incense smoke and plethora of peace signs sewn into fabrics and on hats, the hippy movement is definitely in Tokyo.

There were also some cool murals that I took some photos of. Again this is just another symbol of freedom and expression through the arts.

I believe that the youth throughout America need similar avenues of expression, whether through music, the arts, dance, or whatever the talent may be. But there will be gratification that comes through the expression of that talent or gift. Not only that, but it will keep kids out of trouble as well.

Walking through Harajuku, we then stumbled upon Shibuya, which I must say, is like Michigan Avenue, but even more active! Waves of young people on the streets moved in and out of name brand stores that you would see in any upscale area of the U.S. It's a newer area in Tokyo, with a much cleaner and safer reputation than that of Shinjuku. It's also famous for NHK studios, and the 1964 Olympic Gymnasium.

One thing's for certain, Japanese culture is definitely wrapped up with high fashion, trend setting, and "bucking" against anything considered conservative. And it's even been said in one of the tour guide books that we've been using that Tokyo use to mimic the trends of the world, but now Tokyo is setting the trends for the world. I can definitely see that being the case, especially with the younger generation. Shopping is more than a hobby in Tokyo; it seems as if it's a way of life. I, myself, find it hard to comprehend because I'm not a shopper. I hate malls, and typically only frequent them on an as need basis. If I need a pair of pants, then I'll go. If I need a new shirt, then I'll go. But I'll only go if it's a dire situation. Even as a youngster, the mall was not my idea of fun. But nonetheless, shopping is sport in Tokyo, especially Shibuya!

Walking to another subway station, we were able to take a few photos of some of the shops at night. In this area, inventive architecture, as well as ingenious usage of lighting is on display. One thing that did come to mind is the lack of signage in this area, as compared to Shinjuku. The buildings definitely seemed to work together well (except one in particular which looked like Darth Vader's habitat). So it was definitely another good day in Tokyo. We were able to "kill two birds with one stone," having the ability to see two distinct areas in the same day.

Another Fatiguing Day

I must be extremely honest with you. My legs are definitely fatigued. My calves feel as if someone took a mallet and was beating them constantly for 4 hours straight! I believe that if I could tally the distance that we have covered, in only less than three days of being in Tokyo, I would have to say that we’ve walked approximately 15 miles! This would include the walking between areas that we wanted to visit, but also the underground walking at the train stations! I believe yesterday we walked for about 10 minutes underground just to get to our train that would take us near the Shiba area.

So, if you are ever in Tokyo and are planning to do some touring throughout the city, be prepared to do a ton of walking. I’d strongly suggest walking shoes, drinking plenty of water to avoid serious cramping, and get in shape before making the trip! I don’t think I’ve walked this much since 1999, my last year in college!

World Trade Center

After leaving Tokyo Tower, we tried to make our way over to the World Trade Center. But I must say, this was the first time during the week that we really became lost! Unlike the orthogonal city planning of Chicago, Tokyo is the antithesis of that! Instead of walking towards it, we were walking 45 degrees away from it! When we finally felt that we were walking in the wrong direction, we stopped underneath an office building canopy and whipped out the maps. A gentlemen assisted up as best as he could, telling us the general direction that we needed to be heading into. Oh, I forgot to mention that 5 minutes after leaving Tokyo Tower, the Lord decided to open the skies over Tokyo, and a steady rain fell for the next half-hour and then off and on after that.

But we did eventually make it to the World Trade Center. The building height is 152 meters (196 meters to the top of the roof top antenna). At the observation level, we were able to view the entire city, 360 degrees. All of the photos that I took were night photos. So the images aren’t the greatest, or at least, not as good as I wanted them to be. But I think they can still tell the story of how massive and how dense Tokyo really is. During the day, when skies are clear, one could see Mt. Fuji in the distance. Other prominent views are of course of Tokyo Tower which is about a mile away, and Tokyo Bay, which seems to be a stone’s throw away. The bay is currently in the process of redevelopment.

Shiba-Tokyo Tower

Today we journeyed over to an area of town called Shiba. Besides a number of temples that are located within the temple, probably the main attraction of the area, and possibly within the entire city is the Tokyo Tower. The tower, considered to be a “knock-off” of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, soars above the ground to a peak height of 333 meters, or if my math is correct, 1098.9 feet. The metric system conversion can still be confusing to me! But at this height, The Tokyo Tower is actually 13 meters taller than the Eiffel Tower. The free-standing structure weighs about 4,000 tons, which is much lighter than the Eiffel Tower, thanks in part to advances in steel manufacturing and construction technology. The tower is painted orange and white to abide by Civic Aeronautic Law. The Tower transmits 24 broadcast waves (14 analog and 10 digital). Underneath the tower is a multi-use building that houses a wax museum, souvenir shops, restaurants, art gallery, Guinness World Records Museum, an aquarium gallery, and amusement park / roof garden. 176 flood lights are installed throughout the tower to illuminate it at night. It is lit with an orange light in the winter months and white incandescent light in the summer. The Main Observatory where my photos of the city were taken is only 150 meters above the grown, which is less than half the height of the tower. There is a Special Observatory at 250 meters for an additional fee. We decided not to go higher just to save time. And besides, we were heading to another observatory later on with much better views.

Businessmen - Long Hours and Up to No Good

It’s not uncommon to see businessmen leaving office buildings around 10:30 PM, sometimes even midnight, just to head straight to the local bar to get scummy drunk. We saw this all while we were walking to the Roppongi area. Street after street, we came across drunken men in suit and tie, walking with a slight lean to their gait. A few of them were even talking to young girls that could have been less than half their age. We even saw Goshen girls on the street. That was crazy. I thought they only existed in the movies. But again, it wouldn’t be uncommon to see the businessmen shuckin’ and jivin’ with the women after work. At times, I just felt like saying, “Don’t you have a wife and kids? Don’t you have somewhere to be?... Like asleep! Don’t you have to be up and back to work within the next 5-6 hours?”

Crazy.

Roppongi Nights

The lively area of Tokyo at night is the Roppongi District. Full of restaurants, bars, and clubs, this area is the rendevous point for foreigners. Being located in the area where more than half of the national embassies are, it’s definitely the place of the melting pot. You’ll find Australians, Europeans, Arabs as well as Africans throughout this area. One person that we talked to was from Ethiopia, and had been in Japan for three years. She had studied Japanese and currently works two jobs- one doing acting and performances during the day, and the other working as a waiter at night. She says she really misses home (Ethiopia), but has to work. We didn’t dig too far into her business, but we assumed that she was probably sending money back to family. And this may be the reason for being in Japan for a lot of people that we saw, if they weren't working for the government. I assume some opened restaurants, others, bar and grills, just to make ends meet and send money back home. There is an extensive contingent of Nigerians in the area that you will definitely hear from while walking the streets. Most of them work as “street teams” for clubs, attempting to solicit your business for the club that they work for. It definitely can be irritating at times, but usually they’ll back off if you tell them where you’re going. But it was cool, and rather tamed because it was a Thursday night (remember, Tokyo is 15 hours ahead of central time). But I’m assuming that during the weekend, it could get pretty wild and packed with people.

Off to Shinjuku!

Our first destination for touring was the Shinjuku District. It’s about 1.8 miles northwest of where we are staying (Akasaka). We took the Marunouchi Line subway train to get to Shinjuku Station. It was about a 12 minute ride on a train that was extremely packed, hot and humid! From businessmen, to school children, to the casual rider, all were crammed into the train. In a society where the average height of men is about 5’-7”, my friend Len definitely stood out in the crowd, towering at a mesmerizing 6’-4”! HAH! There was a situation that one of the young girls book bag was actually stuck between the doors and Len assisted in pulling it out of the doors. He was not only the tallest dude on the train, but the Marunouchi Line “Super Hero of the Day”!

When we arrived at the Shinjuku Train Station, what we experienced was nothing short of utter chaos. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many people in one place at the same time. I’m talking about waves, and waves, and waves of people… going in about 8 different directions at the same time! Madness! I had read earlier in the morning that Shinjuku Station has approximately 2 million people passing through it everyday. I must say, we did have a bit of trouble finding the actual gate that we needed to exit through to get to our first destination. One thing that is extremely confusing is the fact that there are multiple train lines that are owned by different companies. There’s no monopoly on the subway system.

But we eventually weaved our way out to street level and just began to walk. I had printed a sheet out earlier in the morning with a few destinations, along with directions, but somehow the sheet was misplaced, so we were literally trying to “feel our way around.”

What we found was Tokyo is no different than any major city in the U.S., in regards to the "hustle and bustle" of the city life. From the honky horns of taxi, to the people walking at warp speed at times, I could literally close my eyes and feel as if I was on Michigan Avenue in Chicago.

A very interesting tid-bit that I had noted earlier in the morning through some research that I had done was the fact that the Island of Japan was the "meeting place" of four major tectonic plates, or fault lines. Hence, the earthquake activity in Japan is pretty high. Fortunately, we haven't felt any tremors as of yet. But it is not uncommon for the richter scale to have some modest activity about once a month. That being said, in terms of the architecture, we found that the skyscrapers were not very tall at all. The major reason for that is in fact being located in an earthquake active zone. But apparently, buildings are beginning to be designed taller since engineering and technology are making it more acceptable to go higher.

Anyways, after about 15 minutes of walking in the wrong direction, we found out that our first destination, the City Government Building, was actually to the east. It was about 7 blocks away.

On our way, one thing that really stands out is the amount of signage and billboards that are on buildings... physical signage and electronic.

Another thing that was kind of odd and took some getting use to was walking on the left side of the sidewalk. In Japan, traffic flows on the left side of the street, and likewise, pedestrian traffic stays to the left also. So it made me wonder once again, is the entire world driving and walking on the wrong side of the road, or is it America that has it twisted? Something to take a selah on... basically think about it for a second.

So we finally made it to the Government building. We then ascended to the 45th floor to the Observatory, which was free. Free is always a good thing. We were able to get a good panoramic view of the entire city for the most part. The one thing that we were anticipating seeing while up there was Mt. Fugi. But unfortunately, due to it being a partly cloudy/overcast day. We weren't able to see it. But we were able to see a mountain range in the distance that would be in front of Mt. Fugi. If you take a look at the photo, you can see the mountains. One thing to note is the height of the tallest peak in this mountain range, which is almost 1600 meters high. If we take in consideration the height of Mt. Fugi, which is a bit more than 3700 meters high, you can kind of get a feel for how high the mountain peak would be in this photo. That's roughly more than double the height of the mountains that you see in the photo.

After leaving the observatory, we then got something to eat. And besides, my feet could use the break. The highlight of the meal was an older lady being tickled by my struggles using chop sticks! Fortunately, I was bailed out of prolonged embarrasement by one of the waiters with fork and spoon in hand. But I didn't appreciate him going back in the kitchen and talking about my inability to work with the sticks... I heard a cluster of laughter shortly after he returned to the kitchen. I didn't care though... I was eating my rice with pride... much faster than the old lady could ever eat!

We then headed to an area in Shinjuku called the Kabukicho Entertainment Area. It was definitely sensory overload with tons of signage. But now we add to the madness the notorious ringing of slot machines and game rooms, as well as the "adult entertainment spots." What was so crazy to me was how this area, which attracts a lot of kids to the game rooms, arcades, bowling alleys and cinemas, could be so inundated with pornography, peep shows and prostitutes. We have to pray for Kabukicho. It definitely was an experience.

After walking through the Kabukicho area, we then entered an area of that seemed older. The street was very narrow and it still seemed to be busy, but different. I was telling Len about how there's a difference between the "alley" of the Tokyo, and the typical "alley" in the U.S. In Tokyo, the "alley" still functions, with small shops and booths open for retail. In the U.S., alleys are filled with garbage, debris, rats and squirrels. My point is, it is very evident, in a city with a lot of people, that every square inch of real estate is used to its maximum.

We then stumble upon my first Christian church siting. We really didn't know the exact location of the church building itself, because the signage was on the side of a building with a business in the front. But it was an interestingly good site to see. I then saw about 3 more churches while were were making our way back to the congested area of town.

On our way back, we encountered our first Shrine. I did take some video footage throughout the site of the shrine, but I can't upload it due to the size of the file.

But that was our day for the most part, it was fun, but tiring at the same time. I'll write more later on about what we did that night. Which was another interesting time. But until then, peace, and God Bless.

Minor Setback by Blogger.com

For those of you that were anticipating a blog yesterday, unfortunately, my blog was temporarily suspended for alleged “spamming violations”. This was an absolute bogus claim, and in no way, shape or form was I spamming the internet. Google, who is the parent company of Blogger.com, has an automated “spider” that crawls through all blogs, and if it detects a certain percentage of outbound links within the blog, it will automatically shut the blog down, until further inspection by someone from Blogger.com.

So in the meantime, I’ve created another blog, same name, slightly different URL. But you won't see any hyperlinks to other sites anymore. I'm not trying to give them an excuse to shut me down again. They can’t hold me down… MAN!!