"First Impressions" a Tokyo Travel Page by dancinbudgie

We arrived in Tokyo after taking the night flight from Sydney...I don't know why I thought we would all sleep through the night and wake up refreshed and ready to go! First of all, I had tried to save money by not getting a seat for the baby (he was under 2 at the time), which was a HUGE mistake! There were no spare seats to put him in, so he was on either mine or Grant's lap all night...very uncomfortable! Then, i hadn't factored in the excitement of the kids...Anyway, we arrived all of us feeling worse for wear, and after exiting customs got straight on the bus for the city. Big mistake-really big! I knew that it would take a couple of hours, but exhaustion made me stupid, and so I didn't stop to get the kids breakfast first. So now we were tired AND hungry. We finally arrived at our Ryokan, only to be reminded that check in was not until 2pm...that breakfast was REALLY looking good by this stage, a bit of lingering would have timed things perfectly! These were all little glitches that I brought on myself, which made me cross into the bargain! Hmmn...tired, hungry AND cranky! Not looking good so far-but things did get better.We left our luggage and wandered up to Ueno Park. I had hoped to get the timing right for cherry blossoming and couldn't have done better! Ueno was a mass of blossoms...a truly spectacular sight! The food smells from the stalls was torture, and spying something familiar to the kids (yakitori), we indulged. So... blossoms out, stomachs full,fresh air blowing away the cobwebs...it was beginning to look up. When check in time came there was a very special treat in store for us...the toilet! I have never in my life come across anything so high tech thats purpose is solely to do with a persons bum(maybe I just don't get out enough)! I had heard rumours of the wonders of Japanese dunnies, but was totally unprepared for the extent. The signs on the control panel were in Kanji, so it took some experimentation to find out what was what, but we persevered! I have rarely seen Grant so fascinated...he was particularly struck with the way the stream of water would hit him in "just the right spot", no matter how he positioned himself! I am extremely regretful at not taking at least 1 photo, but I think it has to be experienced rather than viewed!

We stayed in Tokyo for four nights, and during our stay visited all the 'hotspots' (details below in the travelogues). Getting to most of the destinations meant the subway, and getting to the subway involved a walk through Ueno Park. We witnessed cherry blossom partying at all hours, and Grants mental image of shy, reserved Japanese was forever shattered. I had been witness to simple 'after work bonding' sessions back in the 80's, so was under no such illusions! There was never a single blossom tree without a blue tarpaulin under it no matter how early we came through. Each tarp was manned by one or two people in the mornings (saving the good spots), and by the time we walked back in the afternoon or evening, things were in full swing! I have always loved to see people let their hair down...but can anyone tell me please if cherry blossoms really smell like sake! its the only scent I could distinguish! Kam-pai!

Japanese meals are beautiful!...I'm not talking taste here, I'm talking presentation. The simplest of vegetables becomes a work of art, and you almost feel bad about disturbing it just to satisfy your stomach! We did however, and discovered a whole world of new taste sensations! Years ago when I stayed in Japan, I had lived and worked with a bunch of mad Canadians (mad in the best sense of the word), and socialised mainly with them. Great people...but I was having so much fun with them that I didn't take advantage of the opportunity to experience japanes culture, including the cuisine. Staying in Ryokans on this trip altered that, as breakfast and dinner was included in the rates, and there was no menu...what was served is what you ate. Having no choice in the matter ( and usually being starving from days spent sightseeing) meant that we all ate things that we ordinarily would not have thought to try. Breakfasts became a favorite of mine...so much so that I have tried in vain to approximate them back here in Oz, and there are many mornings when I long for a 'real' breakfast. Vegemite just doesn't cut it for me any more!