Shiokawa reunion in Tokyo

From the 2nd to the 4th, I slept at my great-aunt's place in Tokyo. My grandmother also came down from Tochigi and stayed at my great-aunt's place, which allowed us to spend a few days together before I go back to Canada.

On Tuesday, we went to see the Tokyo Sky Tree, which at 634 meters, is the tallest tower in the world. We didn't go all the way up because you had to pay an additional fee and we deemed that the view at the top wouldn't be much different than the view at the first observatory station, the Tembo Deck (350 m).

My grandmother (left) and great-aunt

On Wednesday, we went to see the newly restored Tokyo Station. A large part of the station was destroyed by firebombings on May 25 and June 25 in 1945. They've now rebuilt the rooftop domes, returning the station to its pre-war condition.

For lunch we ate a delicious meal at Sembikiya, Japan's oldest fruit shop. Sembikiya selects and then sells delicious fruit... at ridiculous prices! But if you're paying that much money, you're guaranteed that the fruit will be delicious.

If converted to Canadian dollars : 263, 72 $ !!! (for the whole fruit basket)

Thankfully, our lunch wasn't as expensive as the fruit basket ; ) We paid about 20 $ for our lunch which consisted of : avocado BLT sandwiches, fruit, and a fruit sundae. (and the fruit were dellllicious!)

Our lunch

After having satisfied our tummies, we went to see Nijubashi, two bridges that form an entrance to the inner palace grounds of the Imperial Palace.

And before going back home, we took a peak inside the Imperial Hotel. I don't even want to know how much it costs to spend one night there.

The outside view

On Thursday, my great-aunt prepared this breakfast for me : D

After breakfast, we went for a short walk.

And then, alas, it was time to say goodbye. When I return, I'll still skype with my grandmother and write letters to my great-aunt, but it's not the same thing as being in Japan and being able to spend time with them. However, I'm grateful for the year I spent with them. And my relatives are so happy that I am learning Japanese. When I came to Japan with my father three years ago, I couldn't speak much Japanese and so communication was limited. But after one year in Japan, my Japanese has improved greatly and we can now carry on long conversations. My grandmother even wrote to me in a letter: "Above anything else, what makes me the happiest is that you studied Japanese" (I know the sentence is a bit weird but it's often very difficult to translate from Japanese to English). I agree with my grandmother. Above all the experiences I've had in Japan, being able to speak with my relatives has been the most rewarding one.

Onuma Park

On Wednesday, I didn't have to go to school with Kim so I went to visit Onuma Park, which covers 90.83 square kilometers. I didn't really follow a route, instead taking a trail here and there. But I got some nice pictures : )

Mt. Komagatake (behind the trees)

Hakodate

On Tuesday, after classes (Kim teaches English at different schools in the Oshima district), we hopped on the train to Hakodate.

We didn't have much time to spend in Hakodate but we saw the two most visited places in Hakodate: Fort Goryokaku and Mt. Hakodate.

Fort Goryokaku : Instead of trying to explain in my own words, I'll simply post a picture that explains it all:

The governmental hall of the Republic of Ezo (located inside the fort)

To be able to see the star shape, you have to go the top of the Goryokaku Tower.

Goryokaku Tower

Can you see the star shape?

The mountains you see in the distance are the coast of Aomori, the northernmost prefecture of Honshu

After that, we went to eat soup curry! It was delicious! If you like curry, it's a safe bet to say you like soup curry as well.

Tummies satisfied, we walked up the hill to the ropeway departure station and took the ropeway to the top of Mt. Hakodate. And witnessed the superb night view of the city below. There were also thunderstorms visible in the distance, which made it even more dramatic.

I even managed to capture some lightning (near the right corner)

Otaru

On Sunday, we took the train (from Sapporo) to Otaru. To give you a better idea:

Otaru is a popular tourist destination. The city's most famous landmark is the Otaru Canal, which is featured on many of the postcards in Otaru's souvenir shops.

Otaru is also known for its arts & crafts and glass industries. In the town, there are tons of glass shops where you can buy beautiful bowls, cups, etc.

A woman working with glass

Here's a more historical landmark: the Temiya line, which was originally constructed as a part of the Horonai Railway, the first railway in Hokkaido.

And all of Hokkaido is known for its fresh seafood, so you can find many markets selling seafood in Otaru.

Grilled scallops: they were the most delicious scallops I've ever tasted in my life! : D

After visiting Otaru, we took the train to Mori, where Kim lives and where we'll be staying for the next week. And for supper that night, we had miso ramen, which is a staple in Hokkaido.

miso ramen

Sapporo

Greetings from Hokkaido! : D

I flew out on Friday and met up with my friend Kim in Sapporo, on the island of Hokkaido.

Back in Tokyo, the summer heat is still lingering but up here, the temperature is already lowering to 10-15 degrees, and it gets quite chilly at night. But it feels refreshing to not be constantly hot and sweaty. And it makes me feel a bit at home, because it's about the same temperature in Winnipeg as well.

On Saturday, we visited Sapporo and pretty much all the famous places and landmarks Sapporo is known for.

The Clock Tower: the symbol of the city
(It's actually of American design and is one of the few remaining Western-style buildings in Sapporo)

Sapporo TV Tower

A fountain in Odori Park

Picture taken from the observation deck of the Sapporo TV tower:
This gives a better idea of the size of Odori Park,
 which spans across 13 blocks in the middle of the city

Kim, expertly roasting our lamb
(For lunch, we ate jingisukan, which is a Mongolian style barbecue with cut lamb and vegetables)

A visit of Sapporo would be incomplete without visiting the Sapporo Beer Museum, right? : )

A very, very old beer

For supper, we went to Susukino, the red-light district of Sapporo, and ate Mexican food.

Taking the streetcar (tram) in Susukino

We had also planned to take the ropeway (cable car) up to Mt. Misen, but due to thunder, the ropeway was closed. Instead, we rode a ferris wheel which overlooked the city and then went back home.

With Kim

Striking a pose at the Beer Museum