Ikebukuro, Japan
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Holiday Inn We stayed at the Holiday Inn in Ikebukuro, a district of Tokyo. The hotel itself was very nice and upscale. And it was about a three minute walk away from the Ikebukuro subway/train station.

The majority of people in Japan don't own a car. Their main source transportation is the subway, train, or bus. Because of this, mass transportation here is relatively cheap, fast, and easy. The subway/train routes are color-coded and usually have English translation next to each stop.

Tokyo Tower Here's a picture of the Tokyo Tower. Looks like the Effiel Tower in France, except it's not quite as tall. We went up to the midway point of the tower. The very top is reserved for radio/TV broadcasting.

Tokyo Tower view This is the cityscape from the tower. As you can imagine, Tokyo is a pretty crowded place; lots of buildings and structures squeezed together. The weather was pretty good for winter; the skies were a bit gray at times, but it didn't even rain or snow once while we were there.

Tokyo Tower view Another shot from Tokyo Tower. Some kind of construction area is under that colorful tent. Living in Southern California most of my life, it's hard to imagine looking out a window and seeing nothing but buildings and skyscrapers without end. The freeways (or do they call it express ways?) in Japan are pretty narrow; most of them are either 2 or 3 lanes max.

Imperial Palace The entrance to the Imperial Palace of Tokyo, where the Emperor and his wife resides. It was closed off to the public that day, so we couldn't go in to take a look. The area around the Palace is essential an open park. Which is impressive considering that land space, especially in Tokyo, is so limited. I guess being an emperor does have some advantages.

CONTINUE...

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