Seeing Obaachan and Ojiichan a million miles from home
We ate a late breakfast, and lounged until early afternoon (Andrew slept from about noon until 2:30pm). We set off at 3:00pm to meet Taka's parents. Monday they are flying back to the US, so Andrew had one more night with his Obaachan and Ojiichan. Of course, Andrew has no clue that he is seeing them anywhere out of the ordinary. To him, Alec's house is right around the corner (I want to go see Alec's new house) and Aidan and Corbin, Marco or Alex can come over to play anytime of day.
We took the subway (with only one transfer!) to Shimbashi station, to meet the Torimotos outside of the Yurikamome line to the island of Odaiba.
A few snippets from my tourist Japan book about the island of Odaiba... (and a photo from a tourist website, showing Odaiba view from the Rainbow Bridge)
"Prepare to be hit by the 22nd century! With space age buildings, electric cars and fantasy shopping malls, Tokyo's newest district is futuristic and surreal. Built on reclaimed land in Tokyo Bay, a monorail links Odaiba to the mainland. Watch out too for the silent couples. As the site of the world's largest Ferris wheel, it's also a popular, if not compulsory, dating spot."
"Daiba, literally meaning "fort", refers to some of the man made islands in the Bay of Tokyo, which were constructed in the end of the Edo Period (1603-1868) for the city's protection against attacks from the sea. During the extravagant 1980s, a spectacular redevelopment of the islands into a futuristic business district was started, but development was critically slowed down after the burst of the "bubble economy" in the early 1990s. It was not until the second half of the 1990s, that Odaiba developed into one of Tokyo's most interesting tourist spots and the highly popular shopping and entertainment district, which it is today. Further development of the area is still underway."
About Aqua City
"An entertainment and shopping paradise with a major mall, movie theaters, games, diverse services, and unbeatable views of Rainbow Bridge and Tokyo Harbor. With its seventy or so restaurants, this single location offers one of Japan's most comprehensive selections for the gourmet."
The restrooms at Aqua City also had the button-laden toilets. *smile* So I couldn't resist snapping a picture to share. The silver button at the right of the handle is a "powerful deodorizer". What a great idea! And there is even a volume control on the flushing sound music. *grin*
And then there was playtime at Toys R Us (where it was OK to try out the bikes by riding them around the bike aisles)...
We took the subway (with only one transfer!) to Shimbashi station, to meet the Torimotos outside of the Yurikamome line to the island of Odaiba.
A few snippets from my tourist Japan book about the island of Odaiba... (and a photo from a tourist website, showing Odaiba view from the Rainbow Bridge)
"Prepare to be hit by the 22nd century! With space age buildings, electric cars and fantasy shopping malls, Tokyo's newest district is futuristic and surreal. Built on reclaimed land in Tokyo Bay, a monorail links Odaiba to the mainland. Watch out too for the silent couples. As the site of the world's largest Ferris wheel, it's also a popular, if not compulsory, dating spot."A map of Odaiba
"Daiba, literally meaning "fort", refers to some of the man made islands in the Bay of Tokyo, which were constructed in the end of the Edo Period (1603-1868) for the city's protection against attacks from the sea. During the extravagant 1980s, a spectacular redevelopment of the islands into a futuristic business district was started, but development was critically slowed down after the burst of the "bubble economy" in the early 1990s. It was not until the second half of the 1990s, that Odaiba developed into one of Tokyo's most interesting tourist spots and the highly popular shopping and entertainment district, which it is today. Further development of the area is still underway."
The monorail stop (this line is completely computerized, by the way; there are NO drivers) for Aqua City
About Aqua City"An entertainment and shopping paradise with a major mall, movie theaters, games, diverse services, and unbeatable views of Rainbow Bridge and Tokyo Harbor. With its seventy or so restaurants, this single location offers one of Japan's most comprehensive selections for the gourmet."
The restrooms at Aqua City also had the button-laden toilets. *smile* So I couldn't resist snapping a picture to share. The silver button at the right of the handle is a "powerful deodorizer". What a great idea! And there is even a volume control on the flushing sound music. *grin*
Futuristic Fuji Television Building
And then there was playtime at Toys R Us (where it was OK to try out the bikes by riding them around the bike aisles)...Notice the first two bikes are Thomas bikes! The first one, a tricycle, has a handle that actually allows the parent to turn the front wheel.
posted by Rachel :-) | 9:00 PM
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