My original plan for this morning was to visit a Ninja Museum which I had mistakenly believed to be in Ueno Koen, a park famous for its Zoo, Science Museum and other tourist attractions, located a short distance from the ryokan. But alas, after getting blank looks from everyone I asked about it, some further research revealed its location to be in another Ueno Koen, in Mie prefecture - miles away from anywhere along our intended route.
After much wailing and gnashing of teeth from my would-be ninjaka children (Yes, I had stupidly told them about the museum before I'd done all the research) we ate a Japanese style breakfast at the ryokan, checked out, bought some souvenirs in the Kaminarimon markets and headed for the subway
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At Tokyo Central Station we met up with Taka, a friend from my JTB Tour-guiding days in Sydney. He took us to a delicious buffet lunch then had us taste the fruits of his new venture - desserts made out of sweet potato. The product has been developed in the southern island of Kyushu, where Taka hails from, and he plans to market it in Tokyo, then hopefully in Sydney.
The fact that my finicky children tried them at all was amazing - but they actually liked them and said so too, much to Taka's delight.
After lunch we caught the shinkansen (bullet train) to Shizuoka for our next adventure - to see Hirohisa & his family.
On the train Lewis spotted a couple with a cat in a cage so he headed over to see what their story was. They had been living on England and had just come back home to Japan with their cat in tow.
Once we got to Shizuoka we were met at the station by Hirohisa Fukuyama, my "brother from another mother" - he is the son of my host parents when I did my exchange year in Fukui back in 1985. The same age as me, he is now married with a young daughter and lives in Shizuoka.
Tokyo to Shizuoka
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Shizuoka, Japan
Other Entries
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1Are we there yet?
Oct 022 days priorSydney, Australiaphoto_camera6videocam 0comment 0 -
2Digression...
Oct 022 days priorSydney, Australiaphoto_camera0videocam 0comment 0 -
3Are we there yet? YES!
Oct 031 day priorAsakusa, Tokyo, Japanphoto_camera4videocam 0comment 0 -
4Breakfast at McDonalds
Oct 031 day priorAsakusa, Tokyo, Japanphoto_camera3videocam 0comment 0 -
5Tokyo Bay Reunion
Oct 031 day priorTokyo, Japanphoto_camera5videocam 0comment 0 -
6A Rickshaw ride, then sushi for dinner.
Oct 04earlier that dayKaminarimon, Asakusa, Tokyo, Japanphoto_camera10videocam 1comment 0 -
7Tokyo to Shizuoka
Oct 04Shizuoka, Japanphoto_camera9videocam 0comment 0 -
8Shizuoka
Oct 051 day laterShizuoka, Japanphoto_camera6videocam 0comment 0 -
9Shizuoka
Oct 062 days laterShizuoka, Japanphoto_camera15videocam 0comment 0 -
10Shizuoka - Fukui via the "Scenic Route"
Oct 073 days laterIga-Ueno, Mie, Japanphoto_camera9videocam 0comment 0 -
11Scenic Route to Fukui...
Oct 073 days laterFukui, Japanphoto_camera4videocam 0comment 0 -
12Fukui
Oct 084 days laterFukui, Japan, Japanphoto_camera11videocam 0comment 0 -
13Angus & Lewis experience a Japanese School
Oct 095 days laterTakefu, Fukui, Japanphoto_camera15videocam 0comment 0 -
14Hokuriku High School Reunion
Oct 095 days laterFukui, Japanphoto_camera10videocam 0comment 0 -
15Paper Making
Oct 106 days laterFukui, Japanphoto_camera4videocam 0comment 0 -
16Off in different directions
Oct 117 days laterFukui, Japanphoto_camera8videocam 0comment 0 -
17Farewell Fukui and on to Osaka
Oct 128 days laterOsaka, Japanphoto_camera9videocam 0comment 0 -
18Guuzen (coincidence!)
Oct 128 days laterOsaka, Japanphoto_camera1videocam 0comment 0
2025-02-07