As the years roll by!!

It happens to each of us every year but as we get older it seems to happen more often. The speed of the year could be a result of short term memory loss (not remembering all the things we have been doing) but it happens. Last Saturday I turned 'go ju roku' and my birthday treat involved cycling around Tokyo. Celebrating a birthday, probably two, in Japan is a wonderful gift in itself but does not fully compensate for being away from loved ones.

Saturday, June 19th, was another memorable day spent cruising the streets and observing busy Tokyo with its crowds, extreme noise, major retail centres, diverse features and small back streets. Leaving Shinagawa at 10.00am and returning at just after 6.00pm equalled eight hours of pedalling. With the temperature around 30 and the humidity high, pedalling up hills was a hot and tiring experience. Once again I found my new acquisition (the bike) a little wobbly to steer, particularly with a load in that very trendy basket on the front handlebars. Although its design features, I fear, are a little less than superior they have no impact on the thrill of the experience. Riding around Tokyo sees us exploring small side streets, indoor malls, main roads, parks, busy shopping precincts and observing different styles of housing. The photos below show areas around Gotanda, quite near to Shinagawa. Very few places are 'non bike' areas so footpaths are busy places with bicycles zig zagging between pedestrians. With a gentle ring of the bell to signal your presence, pedestrians move aside to allow an open passage. It's all very civilised and trouble free. Mums with baby in front and  toddler on the back, women in high heel shoes, old people (like me), school kids, salary men, business men...so many ride bikes. Riding up and down malls and streets you simply park and lock the bike when you need to shop. Outside larger supermarkets there are often designated areas for bikes and failure to observe these areas can result in a fine. The details of the penalties I am not sure of because I can never read the bits of yellow paper placed on bikes by parking inspectors. With all signage incomprehensible to me, I am still hoping to avoid fines!!

Initially we headed north towards Ginza and central Tokyo then circled around Tokyo Tower. We stopped to have lunch and take a brief look around, as this was the first time Steve had been inside the tower. We had the easiest lunch option available, Mc Donald's, then headed back to the bikes. We watched the monkey below performing its tricks to the crowds, accompanied by a loud and excited presenter.  Yet another performance that we could only visually understand. We don't agree with using animals in this manner but it was quite cute, dressed in its kimono and apron.

After a quick visit to a little park adjacent to Tokyo Tower we continued on towards Roppongi. With each ride we are becoming more familiar with our surroundings and confident of our location. Racing along a main road we chanced upon Tokyo Lease Corporation, the company we have selected to secure our lease furniture. Having visited there the week before, I was keen to show Steve inside so we made a quick stop.

This next snippet of information is digressing slightly, but explains some of the processes involved in relocating to another country with a big company. Included in Steve's overseas package is rental and furniture lease, as well as relocation costs. My posting 'One Step Closer!' briefly described packing up in readiness for leaving home. Employees have access to advisers in Australia, the country of their posting and in Singapore. Working together, these advisers ensure a smooth transition for employees. Our relocation advisor in Japan, Sally, had arranged appointments for me with two lease companies.  These introductory meetings gave me an insight into the processes involved in furniture leasing and an opportunity to select the company of my choice. I had not imagined this would be such an onerous chore! Both companies were excellent and it was a difficult choice. The final deciding factor often comes down to who you feel most comfortable with. I chose to work with Naomi (pronounced Noh-mee) Tsukamoto. She spoke very good English and her company had good purchasing power. I negotiated a buy back figure with her to match the other company and the decision was made. Adapting to the Japanese way of doing things has been a little frustrating. With their attention to detail and protocol the processes become quite laboured. Naomi was actually impressed with how quickly our process has moved along, so I guess I was just experiencing Western impatience. Tokyo has huge department stores but not one place where you can select everything. 

Appointments to view furniture in different locations around Tokyo were arranged and the apartment in Yokohama was visited. 

 

Although distances between many places are not great, travelling time can be long. Sticklers for abiding by road rules U-turns are avoided. Long distances are often covered just to get back to where you were when you left, but on the other side of the road!! So far it has taken five long days to reach the stage we are at now.  I think the problem was that our budget was too high and gave us too many options (how sad is that?). Many pieces could be procured at the company's 'second hand' warehouse which helped keep costs down leaving more of the budget available for special items. 

 As we prepare to move to our permanent apartment, we believe we now have the essentials (pots, pans, cutlery, glasses, cooking implements, kitchen appliances, TV, DVD player, lights, lounge suite, office furniture, beds for guests, cot, sheets, doonas, pillows, towels, hair dryer, tables, chairs ..........etc etc) under control as well as the extras (silk Persian rugs, Persian hangings, Asian furniture, ornamental pieces...... etc).  It was quite ridiculous really, I felt like a kid in a lolly shop. Bek's contribution on one of the days was a lifesaver because she made decision making for 'indecisive' me a lot easier.  

I think the Persian rugs were a pretty impressive addition. Two of them are over thirty years old and one is seventy years old. The silk rug below is over 30 years old and far nicer than the photo shows. It has a very defined nap and looks different from every angle. With two and a half million knots it took over two years to create. The second rug was an extra that I particularly liked, it is silk and wool. I imagine it will look great in the kitchen area at home.

At the completion Steve's appointment in 18 months we will have the option to buy selected pieces. So, with family in mind, this has been an interesting process.The remainder of our day was spent observing, eating and just enjoying our surroundings. The freedom of choice and opportunity to cover long distances makes bike touring such a wonderful experience. Japan is such a mixture of features- so technologically advanced, such a fashion trendsetter but also displaying such naivety. Housing that is so simple and uncomplicated, rules that hold such a huge population together but then regulations in certain areas that seem so lax. On the whole the Japanese people seem so less driven by materialistic needs and wants. I find their grace and patience quite humbling, their naivety refreshing....a society so very different to ours. 

At the end of the day I returned to our apartment with sweat pouring off me, absolutely exhausted but totally invigorated. Seeing, tasting, smelling, breathing the essence of Tokyo, this is the type of touring and exploring that I really love!! As I secured the bike in the underground car park with the three Ferraris, Lamborghini, Rolls Royce and the more common Alfa Romeos I knew that I had done what I really enjoy doing-cycling around on my daggy Japanese bike-stopping when I wanted to-eating ice creams!! 

 My day had passed quickly and I was once again ready to fall into bed.......which had been my ultimate aim anyway. Why????.........because tomorrow was the day the Thompson Clan were arriving!!!

Shinagawa!

Before arriving in Japan I really had no idea what it would be like to live here. Quite surprisingly I have adapted to urban living and the changes that Tokyo has thrust upon me! Prior to moving to new living quarters in Motomachi, Yokohama I decided I should share a some details on Shinagawa. Our current address is at Apartments 33, about a 5 minute walk south of the Shinagawa Station. 

Shinagawa is one of Tokyo's 23 wards and is located in the south east section of the city. Not only is Shinagawa Station one of the main stations in Tokyo, it is also Japan's oldest railway station. Like all places in Tokyo, most of the bustle occurs in the areas adjacent to and above the station. It is where you find most supermarkets, restaurants/cafes and department stores.

When travelling on the trains most people use a card, rather than buy a ticket. You have a choice of a Suica or Pasmo card. Steve and I have Suica cards, which we paid a refundable 500 yen deposit on initially. Steve also has a monthly ticket included, so during the week his trips are included in that cost and then on the weekends he uses a separate balance which he charges as necessary. The photo below shows the machines used to top up either card. Fortunately they have an English button to talk you through the process. It is so simple to charge your card. As you go through the turnstiles you swipe the card, see how much the fare was and the balance still available on your card. I leave my card in a little purse with my yen and simply swipe the card whilst in the purse. Too easy!! If you don't have enough credit you simply recharge. The card can also be used in vending machines throughout the city and on buses.

The area around Shinagawa station is one of the fastest growing business districts of Tokyo. It has undergone a complete redevelopment in recent years, so that it now has more high-rise buildings than anywhere else but Shinjuku and Otemachi. Several major Japanese companies have their headquarters or a major branch here; Sony, Canon, Panasonic, Japan Airlines, Mitsubishi, Docomo to name a few.

In the post, 'I saw a fly', I showed a night view of the skyscrapers from our apartment window so I have only included a day shot here. I must add, as Melbourne is in the midst of a very chilly winter, the temperature in Tokyo at the time of this shot was 31 degrees.

The 23 wards of inner Tokyo have a population of 13 million but the total population of Tokyo is a staggering 33 million. Shinagawa covers a fairly large area, 22.7 square kilometres, and has a population of 350,000. It has a population density of 15,800 people per square kilometre or, in terms I can understand, 247 acres. In layman's terms that's 64 head to the acre. That's a lot! Yokohama, which has a similar population to Melbourne, should be far more relaxed!! The population of course will be more concentrated, as Melbourne, with its sprawling suburbs,  covers a far greater area.

Even though the station area is the hub of Shinagawa, it's amazing how far you can cycle and still be in Shinagawa. Unlike Oimachi and Kawasaki to the south and, of course Shibuya and its surrounding wards, Shinagawa does not appear to have any really big retail outlets. Grocery shopping can be completed near the station but prices are high. For speciality shopping it is necessary to catch a train or, of course, if you are a masochist there is always the bike.

Yesterday in the heat and humidity I took off in search of a few items. I returned with a drying rack and plastic dish strapped in Harriet's seat on the back and my front basket had 2 bottles of wine, plastic containers, my umbrella, water bottles and hand bag. Yes, I know..... baskets on bikes are very daggy, but guess what?  In Japan they ride bikes for a purpose not just pleasure. The advantage for me ......... saves wearing out my shoes so quickly and keeps me fit and trim!

My new acquisition, the bike, does not handle quite as well as my normal bike. It's a bit wobbly, feels like it could break if I do anything too radical and has skinny little tyres. I seem to be on the verge of an accident/crash more often than not. In its favour, it does have 3 gears and I do like the easy to use locking device. When out and about you usually just stop wherever, lock the bike and leave it but sometimes it can be a bit tricky. At a supermarket in Oimachi I had to sit and wait for a parking spot. I squeezed in and on my return my poor bike was totally jammed in and trapped by a gazillion other bikes.  I patiently moved bike after bike and finally created enough space to reverse out.  As I moved past all the other bikes I had to be careful not to cause a 'dominoe effect' disaster. Oh the trials!!

It is compulsory to have your bike registered and road worthied twice a year, but not to wear helmets. If you don't register your bike you will find it has been impounded. I have noticed the bike traffic officers are quite vigilant. Once impounded many people just go and get another one, rather than pay the fine which is often more than the bike's value. My 'gem' of a bike, with its above mentioned features, still cost the equivalent of $345 with the baby seat. No cheap K-Mart options that I could source, and to think I sold my old Malvern Star for $10 at our clearance garage sale before leaving.

Isn't it a beauty though??  

I know I will be the envy of everyone with this set of wheels under me!!

For such a high population it is amazing to see how day to day living just ticks along. The streets are clean and tidy, rarely do you hear a car horn tooting, bicycles move smoothly along with cars and pedestrians on roads or footpaths, trains run like clockwork (almost always) and no one ever yells. What's wrong with the place?

 

The scenes below were taken at some of the eating places around the Shinagawa Station. We had a work 'team building' event at TY Harbor Brewery last week. The food was delicious and we ate way too much.

The scenes below were captured as we walked home. At least we got to walk off some of those calories.

The photo above is out the back of the Shinagawa Station. To return to the apartment from TY Harbor Brewery we had to go through the station so as to cross all the tracks, which effectively divide the place in half. There was another way but it was twice the distance.

Steve and I can be seen enjoying a Korean barbeque at another resaurant opposite the station.

The bibs were a good idea!!

Of course if you don't want to eat out and you don't want to cook there is plenty of fresh, pre-packaged food available at quite reasonable prices.

Packaging in all shops is extreme. Every bottle at the supermarket is wrapped in protective wrapping and goods are often double bagged in paper then plastic. I try to remember my own shopping bag and a quick "I-i-e" and hand wave usually avoids another flood of packaging.

Vegetables and fruit are astoundingly fresh but quantities are small and all individually wrapped in cellophane, often with sachets of silica gel enclosed. A packet of beans may contain 12-14 beans and cost about $2-50, carrots come in packets of 2-4, potatoes 4-6 and so on. I do like the way many things seem to be colour co-ordinated, that appeals to someone who likes to hang her washing out with colors together and matching pegs!! All the greens are together, then the reds, yellows etc. It often looks very artistic.

 

I hope you enjoyed this brief outline of Shinagawa, the place where we began our Japanese journey.  Fortunately Steve's train trip to work from Motomachi, Yokohama will be about the same as it is now. He works in Tsurumi which is right on the southern border of Tokyo, in fact I think it is actually in Yokohama. The only noticeable difference will be the crowds on the train because trains heading into and out of the city at peak hours are absolutely packed.

To the Top of Tokyo Tower

One day last week, while the breadwinner was at work, I borrowed a bike from the apartment and went cycling. As a lady of leisure it has become a pastime that I really enjoy. You can cover a lot of territory and certainly see and get the feel of many places. My first port of call was Tokyo Tower. The photo below shows the road I went along to get to the tower.

 At 333 metres Tokyo Tower is 13 metres taller than the Eiffel Tower and is the world's tallest self-supporting steel tower. It was completed in 1958 symbolising Japan's rebirth as a major economic power. It also serves as a television and radio broadcast antenna and tourist attraction. Visitors can ascend to the main observatory at 150 meters and the special observatory at 250 meters to get a bird's eye view of Tokyo.  Under good weather conditions, Mt Fuji can be seen in the distance. An aquarium, wax museum and several more attractions can be found on the ground floors of the tower. Tokyo Tower's current height is not high enough to adequately support complete terrestrial digital broadcasting to the area. A taller digital broadcasting tower known as Tokyo Sky Tree is currently planned to open in 2011.

As the day was sunny and the skies were clear, the views were really excellent and I could just see Mt Fuji in the distance. It really only presented as a lump on the horizon though, nothing to get excited about. The views reinforced once again the extent of the Tokyo sprawl. For a fee of 1420 yen (about $18.50) I gained entrance to both observation decks. It was well worth the money. Our trip to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building and its Observation Deck had been free but I think I got a better view of the waterfront from Tokyo Tower.

It was pretty cool standing on the see through glass deck and also ascending in the elevator to the special observation deck.

After descending the tower I decided I would take a look at the Wax Museum for an extra 500 yen. As the photos show this was a really good exhibition. I was pretty impressed with Yoda and Chewie!

I had a lovely chat with Einstein. I found we had a lot in common, not just our IQ but also our lack of intelligent conversational opportunities throughout the day. We discussed formulas and solutions to issues in the world and, quite importantly, the possible effects of smoking a pipe on his health!

I finished off my day's outing cycling over to the wharf/port area and criss crossing my way through the Shinagawa area. As the railway stations tend to separate areas quite significantly, I found  it a bit tricky navigating my way around the Shinagawa Station to get back to the apartment. After lots of riding up and down I successfully found a way and returned home satisfied with my day's touring.

Tourists in Tokyo!

Like true Tokyoites, we were determined to make the most of our weekend (June 5-6th) so it was on with the walking shoes and on with the sunnies. The weather was fantastic; sunny and about 25 degrees. Of course, every single person in Tokyo (an expansive area and so densely populated) had the same idea. Fortunately many people tend to head out of Tokyo, so it only left about ten million or so.

Steve was not home from work till quite late on Friday so we began our weekend with a quite walk around the Shinagawa Station area and soup and noodles in one of the many Noodle Bars off the sidewalk. As seems to be the norm these days we fell into bed and slept like the dead (it must be all the pavement pounding and the struggle to understand and be understood). The scales are certainly showing that we have both lost a couple of kilos somewhere!

On Saturday we had to hang around the apartment awaiting the delivery of our new bank cards. Once delivered we headed off armed with our yen, Suica card and map of the Tokyo railway system. This complicated piece of artwork  is aimed at simplifying an amazingly complex railway system which runs in multiple lines above and below the ground. Astoundingly this complex system appears to run like clockwork. Trains run on time (to the minute), ticketing is effortless unless you confuse the machines by clocking in then clocking out straight away because you have forgotten something. A problem soon solved by a visit to the ticketing office adjacent to the turnstiles. When you consider how many people pass through each station every day it makes you wonder why Melbourne can't get it right. Whilst travelling on a train phones must be on silent and announcements ask you not to speak on your phones, so even though trains are often very squishy they are relatively peaceful!

We decided our first stop would be the Tokyo Government Building located in Shinjuku. We caught the correct train and arrived safely in yet another railway station. This one was big and almost required a packed lunch for the journey to the chosen exit.  Departing this massive station saw us walking long distances under ground through tunnels that left us dumbfounded. By the time we reached daylight we felt that maybe we had turned into rabbits!!

The Tokyo Government Building houses the headquarters of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government which governs not only the 23 wards, but also the cities, towns and villages that make up Tokyo as a whole. The building consists of a complex of three structures, each taking up a city block. The tallest and most prominent of the three is Tokyo Metropolitan Main building No.1, a tower 48 stories tall that splits into two sections at the 33rd floor. It was this building which we went to the top of to get a glimpse of the skyscrapered sprawl called Tokyo. Entrance to the Observation Deck is free and is renowned for offering an excellent spectacle. As it was a clear day the view was impressive as the pictures show.

Our day was spent getting on and off trains, walking amongst the crowds and enjoying all the new sights and sounds. Many of the buildings are quite impressive and some of the architectural features beautiful. Roppongi, Shinjuku and Shibuya certainly have their fair share of tall buildings, flashing billboards and crowds.

The scene below is typical of the many streets that make up the maze of the city. Streets are rarely labelled and it is very easy to end up walking in circles.

Sadly the level of homelessness is increasing and it is quite common to see boxes like these set up on the sides of busy freeways and sidewalks in all areas. As you travel on the trains you  see  makeshift shelters on the edges of parks and along  the railway lines.

 Just above these makeshift homes was this beautiful piece of architecture.

I am thinking of getting an outfit like this. I think I could get away with it, don't you? Steve fancied if I was dressed like that, then maybe, the most suitable car would be the Fiat X19 that he was drooling over. Dressing like a Harajuku could be more me!

We finished the day off having tea at an Indian Restaurant in Ebisu and then headed off home. We decided to get off in Gotanda as we had seen a place where you could buy a really cheap, but nice, Californian wine for 498 yen (about $6.35). It does me until I can source something better. Steve bought large cans of Suntory Rich Malt beer for about $1.80 each. Too good to pass up. From Gotanda back to Shinagawa is was about 20-30 minutes, a walk we have done a few times now. For the rest of the evening we were entertained by the apparent rigmarole associated with a very simple traffic incident. It required 4-5 police cars, an ambulance and many others with torches, flags and witches hats.

On Sunday having been woken by the alarm, an earth tremor which shook our beds, (did the earth shake for you?) we decided to borrow some bikes from Apartment 33, where we live, and take another look around Tokyo. We headed out of Shinagawa towards Tokyo and made our convoluted way to Roppongi Hills. At first it was a little daunting on the roads without helmets but we soon fell into the rhythm. Once there we realised we could have cut off a significant amount of miles taking a more direct route. Never mind it just meant we saw more! The first point of interest on our journey was Japan's answer to the Eiffel Tower, the Tokyo Tower. Built in 1958 this broadcasting tower is 333 metres high. Views of the entire city from the 150 metre high and 250 metre high observatories can be enjoyed. On this occasion we did not stop and do this. We had some serious pedalling to do.

We arrived in Roppongi quite hot and just cruised around all the streets investigating. Roppongi is renowned for its exciting nightspots and having some of the largest building complexes in Japan. It is quite a popular area for expatriates to live.

The scene below is typical of the many intersections we had to negotiate on our bikes. I didn't take this photo but have added it because it was a scene Erica and I had been intrigued with. This particular location is Shibuya, famous as a fashionable shopping district of Tokyo, with department stores and shopping malls filled with boutiques. It is the trendy area for Tokyo's youth and is where fashions and trends get started for all of Japan. It gets particularly crowded on the weekends. It was such fun riding our bikes amongst the crowds and we got quite proficient at maintaining a consistent and constant speed. By swapping between the sidewalk and the road we could avoid many red lights.

Whilst in  Shibuya we visited an Environmental Expo and rode around Yoyogi Park. Yoyogi Park was very beautiful and obviously a very popular place for a variety of groups to meet. There were enclaves of artists, musicians, photographers, families, entertainers, cyclists, vocalists.... you name it they were there.

Check out the hairdos on the Elvis look alikes who were performing with their ghetto blaster directly next to a Rock'n'Roll group with their own music going. 

These girls were practising their dance moves in front of big mirrors. They are known as Kawaiis, innocent girls aged between about 16 and 20 years old.  Kawaii is an adjective in Japanese meaning " pretty; cute; lovely; charming; dear; darling; pet". They spend an awful amount of time preparing! I really wanted to see where all the Harajuku meet but today that spot was not to be found......something for another trip!

 Our day continued in pretty much the same vein and we eventually returned home hot, exhilarated, exhausted and glowing!! It had been fantastic fun!! We had spent a total of seven hours on the bikes and the day had passed without drama, except for two hours when we were lost. I actually question whether you are really lost when you know where you are but can't get home! Using maps on the IPhone was not much as we both seem to have lost our sense of direction since arriving here. I am sure it must have something to do with living in the Northern Hemisphere. Sounds a reasonable excuse to me!

Our evening was spent with an assortment of Apartment 33 residents at the monthly party hosted by Saito San, the manager. The focus of this get together was to sample a variety of sakes from the Northern Honshu area.  I do quite like sake!! Can't drink too much though, it might become a habit. Food was also provided, so no cooking that night! Damn...