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| May 6, 2003, LAX |
Departing the country |
Tokyo Narita, a SARS alert |
Shuttle bus counter |
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| Tokyo Narita, May 7 |
Vendoland everywhere |
More vending at Narita |
Awaiting our shuttle bus to the hotel |
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| Rice paddies |
Tokyo Bay |
Driving ranges are everywhere among the concrete |
Another driving range |
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| Tokyo Disney! |
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Another theme park; the name escapes me |
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| Getting closer to downtown |
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Right near JR (Japan Rail) Shinjuku station |
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| View outside our room at the Shinjuku Prince Hotel |
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Beer in the vending machines on our floor |
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| We can finally rest! But we're so hungry... |
... so we venture out to Kabukicho (an area near our hotel) for grub... |
... and find -- what do you know -- sushi |
What do you think this restaurant specializes in? |
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| After exploring Kabukicho awhile, we realize it's a red-light district |
Murals adorn many buildings |
Our bathroom was tiny |
Our toilet was, um, complicated |
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| Nightstand (the console controls a radio and the lights) |
Family entertainment... |
... on a morning show |
Thursday, May 8: Looking down from our room |
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| Another view from the room |
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That's a fraction of the people who cross during rush hour |
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| Skyscrapers near our hotel |
A major JR line passed by our hotel |
Starbucks were everywhere (thank goodness) |
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| Zoikes! How do I use this? Japanese-style public facilities (you have to squat) |
Huge mural above the JR Shinjuku train station |
Train ridin' |
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| Near the Imperial Palace |
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Gate guards near the Imperial Palace |
Diplomats with police escorts near the palace |
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Swans swim in the moat in front of the Imperial Palace |
Gas stations are wedged between high-rises in Tokyo |
Tokyo Tower (a replica of the Eiffel Tower) |
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| Hideki Matsui of the Yankees, live on TV at 7 a.m. |
The bright lights of Shinjuku were beautiful at night |
Our favorite conveyor belt sushi joint |
The both of us could eat for 1100-1200 yen (about $10) |
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| From train to subway -- we were pros at navigating at this point |
Friday, May 9: Entrance to Tsukiji Fish Market, a wholesale market |
Fished packed and ready to go |
The fish market was winding down by 7 a.m. |
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| Huge tuna were everywhere |
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| There were things you didn't think were edible |
Shrimp tempura udon (noodles) hit the spot on a cold morning |
A small regular coffee at Starbucks set you back 250 yen (about $2.30)! |
Outside the JR Shinjuku station -- we passed by this every day (but multiply the people by 100) |
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| This taiko drums game was in every arcade |
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A typical shopping center |
(Pretty) tourist traps in front of the Senso-ji shrine |
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| Senso-ji shrine in an area of Tokyo called Asakusa |
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People would wash their hands before praying |
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| At Senso-ji shrine, looking back toward the entrance gate |
Aoi Marushin, a tempura restaurant in Asakusa, near Senso-ji shrine |
See the X-Men 2 ad painted on the steps? |
Saturday, May 10: Another shopping center near JR Nakano station |
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| My second cousin, Kaoru |
Following Kaoru to his flat |
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| Sunday, May 11: My uncle, Minoru (blue shirt), met us at JR Shinjuku station to escort us to Haramachi |
My uncle, Minoru (pronounced Mee-no-roo), as we wait on the train to Haramachi |
My uncle was a hoot (we soon found out he likes beer and sake A LOT) |
Is he trying to get us drunk? He keeps buying us beer! |
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| The train ride from Tokyo to Haramachi was 3 hours |
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Haranomachi station, 5 minutes from my aunt's house! |
My uncle, who at this point was sauced, socialized with everyone |
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| My aunt, Sachiko (sah-chee-ko) |
My uncle |
Cousins Mika (left) and Kanako |
Family dog Lucky |
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| Aunt Sachiko wanted to take me to my grandmother's grave |
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| Straightening up |
I was in grade school when my grandmother died; I'd met her once |
My uncle pours water on each headstone |
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| Off to dinner at Kaoru's mom's restaurant (far right) |
Then my aunt takes us to meet my great aunts |
Great aunt Hanako, of whom my mom is very fond |
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| Aunt Kyoko |
Sachiko and Kyoko |
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My uncle seems to be in a constant state of drunkenness |
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| One last family portrait |
Escorting us to the train station |
The train hugged the seashore |
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| Monday, May 12: More exploring, now in Akibahara, an electronics district |
OMG it's a Club Sega! I'm in heaven |
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| "Put the gun back here." |
An elaborately networked soccer game |
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Tuesday night, May 13: Yomiuri Giants vs. Yokohama BayStars, Tokyo Dome |
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The teams have their own bands and cheering sections |
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| OMG and cute cheerleaders in pink! |
According to the BF, Lathan played for the Yankees last year |
All of the vendors were cute young women |
Stand and cheer |
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Outside JR Shibuya station, one of the busiest intersections in Tokyo |