Originally Posted by Sangetsu
Real Japan is probably like anywhere else. This week was a typical "real Japan" week for me. Sunday I went to a street festival with my girlfriend in Nihonbashi. The street festival showcased the police and safety services from Chuo Ward, so there was a police recruiting stand, and a display of fire trucks and safety equipment nearby. A marching band from the nearby high school played Sousa marches, between which traditional songs were played on a PA system.
Besides the public safety service booths, there were booths selling the usual festival foods and souvenirs. Children tried to pick up goldfish from tanks using paper nets, and old people tolled rope hoops onto wooden posts to win prizes. Several sumo wrestlers from nearby Kinshichiro set up a wrestling ring in the middle of the street, and put on a few demonstration matches, and allowed challengers of all ages a chance to fight a real sumo wrestler.
After our stroll, we took the bus to Toyosu to eat dinner at HB (Huntington Beach) Grill along the waterfront. The restaurant is part of a large shopping complex and is located next to a dog park. We ate at an outside table, and many of the nearby diners were sharing their dinner with their dogs.
The next morning we took the train to Oiso Beach in Kanagawa prefecture. We didn't go to the beach, we went hiking on nearby Mt Koma. My girlfriend tends to overpack, so my backpack weight about 30lbs. After a 90 minute climb we reached the top of the mountain and enjoyed spectacular views. We could see from Tokyo to Mount Fuji, and everything in between. There was a park on the mountain top which was crowded with families enjoying the day. We got lunch from a hot Cup of Noodles vending machine, and Coca Cola from glass bottles.
The hike down the other side of the mountain was another 90 minutes, but more difficult because the descent was very steep. My legs were numb by the time we finally reached the bottom. It was a further 2 kilometer hike back to the train station.
We took the train from Oiso Beach to Yokohama so we could stop at the Sports Authority store at Jack Mall. We ate dinner at McDonald's and shopped at the Disney and Snoopy Town stores. We finally got home at around 10pm.
The next day we went to the Tokyo Disneyland Resort. As it was a weekday, the train was packed with commuters and high school students. Despite the fact that it was a weekday we found long lines at the gates at Disneyland. October is the best time of year to visit Disney, and the Halloween parades are very popular.
We had lots of fun at Disney. We enjoyed several of the rides, and had meals at the best restaurants at the park. After the Electrical Parade we decided to go home. We stopped by the main gate to the park to watch the 8:30 fireworks, but it began raining shortly after the fireworks began. The rain became a violent storm, with strong wind and spectacular lightning. We were lucky enough to be under the roof around the main entrance, but many people got soaked.
The next day (yesterday) I had a dental appointment at Kamiyacho (near Tokyo Tower). I rode my bike to the appointment, passing through Ginza and it's shoppers and tourists, past Yurakucho, and then through Marunouchi toward the Imperial Palace. The palace was crowded with school-trip students and the usual bus loads of tourists. I rode by bike through the crowds, and then turned on Sakura-dori and rode toward Tokyo Tower (visible in the distance). I passed through the national government buildings with numerous police officers standing guard outside the various entrances.
I stopped at the 7-11 near the Russian Embassy to get something to drink, and then shopped in a used bicycle shop for about 20 minutes as I had some time to pass before my appointment.
The work at the dentist's office took only a few minutes, so I rode over to Tokyo Tower and bought some souvenirs in the gift shop. I got some onigiri and a coke, and took a break at a small shrine located across the street from the tower.
I headed back toward Shinkawa, riding more easily as the trip was mostly downhill. I took a detour at Marunouchi and decided to check out a used camera shop that was supposed to be in the Otemachi area. I couldn't find the shop, so I continued on to Akihabara to another shop that I know of. I then went to Yodobashi camera to buy some film and developing chemicals. I couldn't find the stuff I wanted, so I left the store empty handed.
As I was riding, I got a call from the Ward Office telling me that I needed to get an extension for my ARC card. Luckily I had my passport in my bag, so I headed to the Ward Office. Luckily there was no line at the Foreign Residents window, so getting the extension took only a few minutes.
This morning I am back at home getting ready for the day. There is a speech contest today, and I have a couple of students who have entered it, so I have to go in early and listen to their speeches and give them a few pointers. Today is a slow day, with only 2 classes (I love Fridays), so I plan to go and do a little shopping when I get off. My girlfriend and I are planning on doing an all-day hike on Sunday, so I want to pick up a few things for the trip.
My life in Japan is not all that different from my life in America.
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