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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.
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.
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.
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.
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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