While we were eating, the convention center next to us had something going on. It had to do with trains as I saw tons of stuff for sale. So we checked out and ended up spend 2 hours there!
1st floor had mostly merchandise and some rides.
Rides needed tickets. You had to purchase on the 2nd floor. When we got there, there were tons of control trains and stuff. Too cool.
Jacob was even shown how to operate a train!
This was my first time REALLY exploring Akihabara!
Some of the stores opened up at 11:30, so we kept exploring.
We came upon Tam Tam and it was open. In retrospect, it was a good store. It had tons of car models. I figure there would be other places offering, but there wasn’t as much.
I also didn’t find another place that had tons of Tomica Vintage Limited Neo cars.. This place had a huge selection!!!
The more I looked, the more I saw and it was amazing.
We ate at a small Japanese food truck spot!
There was a Shinkansen festival, but I will make an individual post for that. After that, I saw Mandarake’s store and we went to go check it out!
So we were in the Ginza part of Tokyo. I wanted to bring Jacob here because this was also kind of a toy focused trip too.
Hakuhinkan Toy Park is known.
SL stands for Steam Locomotive. There is a full size replica at this location, hence the name.
Shimbashi district is busy!!!
For this trip, I really wanted to experience a few different lines. I was planning to use the Shonan Monorail (which looks awesome), to get near Enoshima Island, but Satoshi-san drove us instead.
Thursday
Haneda airport to Tenkubashi station
Tenkubashi station to Keikyu-Kamata station
Keikyu-Kamata station to Tobe station
Tobe station in relation to Yokohama station.
I checked in, then went to Takashimacho station (subway station)
Takashimacho station to Shin Yokohama (Blue Line subway)
Shin-Yokohama station to Tokyo station (Shinkansen)
Tokyo station to Akihabara station (Yamanote line)
Akihabara to Yashio station (Tsukuba Express)
Yashio station to Kawagoe station
Break down:
Yashio station to Minami-Nagareyama station (Tsukuba Express)
Minami-Nagareyama station to Kita Asaka station (JR Musashino line)
Kita Asaka station to Asakadai station (walk)
Asakadai station to Kawagoe station (Tobu Tojo line)
Kawagoe station to Musashi-Takahagi station (Kawagoe line)
After my meet up, I took the last train home.
Kawagoe station to Ikebukuro station
Ikebukuro station to Shinagawa station (Yamanote line)
Shinagawa station to Yokohama station (Keikyu line)
Friday
Shin Yokohama statoin to Tokyo Station via Shinkansen
Tokyo Station to Minami-Urawa station via Keihintohoku line.
Then from Minami-Urawa station to Yoshikawa station via Musashino line.
To get back to Shin Yokohama, I went in reverse.
At Shin Yokohama station, I went to Refresh 60 via Blue line
After my visit, I went to Yokohama station.
My plan was to experience the Enoshima monorail, but Satoshi-san picked me up and we drove to Enoshima Island. Satoshi-san then drove me to Shinagawa station so I could go to Shinjuku station. I used the Yamanote line.
After my dinner with Original JDM guy, I left Shinjuku station for Tokyo station via Marunochi line.
Since our dinner over ran the time, I was ony have a few minute to get to Platform 9 with a few items. My luggage was in storage and I don’t think I would have made it!
This was my Sunrise Seto experience which is the last night train in Japan. I would be getting off at Okayama in the morning.
I had enough time to buy an eki ben and set up. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get a shower card.
The trip was overnight.
Saturday
Now was the back track. I was suppose to be in Fujinomiya by the end of the day, which is in Shizuoka. I unfortunately left my luggage at Tokyo Station, so I would eventually overshoot Shizuoka and go directly to Tokyo AND THEN BACK TO SHIZUOKA!!!
Anyways, time to head back that way.
I took the Shinkansen from Okayama station to Shin-Kobe station.
At Shin Kobe Station, I wanted to see Gigantor statue, so I I had to go to Sannomiya Station via Subway Seihan-Yamate line
I then had to jump trains. Sannomiya station bottom (where subway is) and head outside on top, to get on the JR Tokaido Sanyo main line.
then reverse steps.
Shin-Kobe station to Kyoto station via Shinkansen
Kyoto station is huge, so I explored Escalator mountain.
Not only that, Kyoto station is one of my favorite because of Escalator Mountain!
After that, I had to visit the Fushimi Inari shrine, this is the famous Torii Gates. You have to take the JR Nara line (D) to get there.
I bought a few things around Kyoto station and waited for the Shinkansen as I was heading to Tokyo.
Once there I had to change really quick and get on the Shinkansen again to Mishima station and then go to Fuji station from there.
Sunday
After the meeting, Okuni-san dropped me off at fujinomiya station.
Then Fuji station to Mishima station via Tokaido main line
I met with my aunt there, to get a few things. Then I jumped on the bullet train for Shin Yokohama station
The Sutro Baths is at the edge of San Francisco and the Pacific Ocean.
Sutro Baths used to be a saltwater swimming facility that was burned down in 1960s. In recent years, the Lands End parking lot was made and the Lands end outlook building was built. There are trails that go along this area.
There is a set of stairs going down to the Sutro Baths remains along with a cave.
People always like to go on the structures.
Next to the Sutro Baths and above the cave, is Point Lobos. Very nice place to take pictures.
Then stairs leading to the trails and parking lot.
Another Tall structure to check out in Tokyo!!! After Reiyukai shakaden hall, we go to Tokyo Tower.
I asked Jacob if he wanted to go up and he said wanted to. So we paid for our tickets and went up .
It was kinda cool to hear this tidbit of “urban legend”. I guess this baseball was found during the remodeling.
Reiyukai Shakaden Hall is this space ship looking temple. It is a branch of Japanese Buddhism (from what I understand). Besides a prayer hall, there are a few amenities and even free Japanese lessons.
I was hoping to check this out, but unfortunately they were closed. This might have been due to the holidays that were happening at the time, Oban Festival and Mountain Day.
Nonetheless, I took pictures of Jacob infront of it.
On the back side, there was drums and music going on. This was also part of the festival. We checked it out, but did not want to intrude.
After settling things at our place in Iidabashi area, we went to Shinjuku. I wanted to show Jacob Godzilla’s head!
As my son is goofy, I loved how he had fun there.
