An unexpected blessing

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bicycle, Fussa, Japan, river, shrine, Tama, Temple, Tokyo

Exploring Fussa by bike or on foot had been high on our priority list since arriving in Japan in December. The previous Sunday we conducted a 6 mile practice run since we hadn’t ridden our bikes in 9 months or so and we definitely are out of shape. Also, exploring Fussa would entail 4 miles just getting from home to the gate and back. Checking the weather, not just for rain/wind/temperature but also for air quality – levels of PM (particulate matter) and yellow sand – we chose Saturday for our adventure.

Having received “Grace” tattoos

Cherry Blossoms Begin Blooming

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cherry blossoms, flowers, Japan, nature

Wow – in 2 days the Cherry Blossom limbs have gone from bare to budding! Here are some shots of cherry blossoms beginning to bloom in my neighborhood

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Firewalking

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Buddhist, ceremony, culture, custom, firewalking, Hiwatari-san, Japan, Mt Takao

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It was a blustery, dusty March day when we boarded the train to attend the Mt Takao Firewalking Ceremony. Later we heard that the blowing “dust” was actually red/yellow sand blowing across the Sea of Japan from China. Tokyo was engulfed in a yellow-looking cloud and some weather reports urged people to stay indoors (oh well…). Although the wind was still blustery, the air seemed clearer in the mountains when we arrived in Takao. We walked through the streets enticed by the different aromas of foods being cooked/grilled, many on  grills/stoves outside the little cafes. It was only a short 15 minute walk from the train station to the “arena” ( a large square roped area about 20 yards square, but with no permanent seating).

People were standing 3 or 4 deep waiting for the ceremony to begin. We climbed a small hill to have a better view, but we still had to stand behind 3-4 rows of people but at least we were on an incline and could see better. Our friend Danny pointed out the line of spectators waiting in line to do the firewalking. The line began down the hill at the arena (about 50 yards downhill from us) stretched up the hill

A Bicycle Adventure

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Akishima, bakery, bamboo, bicycle, flowers, garden, home improvement, Japan, Sunday. orchids

With bicycles polished and tires pumped up and ready to go we set out on our first bicycle adventure together. Initially we thought we would just ride on base, since most Japanese are off on Sunday and it seems to be the busiest day “outside the gates.” Whether it was the sunny weather or just the opportunity to ride the bikes, we were feeling pretty indestructable and decided to leave the base and ride down to Cainz Home Improvement Center (like Home Depot, Lowes)

The ride was wonderfu

Odaiba and Palette Town

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Ferris Wheel, Fort, Fuji, Odaiba, Palette Town, Rainbow Bridge, Tokyo, Toyota, Venus

Venus Fort light show

Fountain at Venus Fort Mall

Paula and ferris wheel

Fuji TV Building

The final stop on our tour was Odaiba, a man-made island just over the Rainbow Bridge from Tokyo built in the mid 1800s to protect Tokyo. The bridge was completed in 1993 and is named for the many brightly colored lights that illuminate the bridge at night. The island has interesting attractions and shopping venues.

We crossed over the Rainbow Bridge in our tour bus on the expressway. But you can also walk, ride the train, or ride over the bridge on a regular (not expressway) road. We couldn’t help noticing a large futuristic-looking building with the sphere/globe built near the top of the building, and were told this was the corporate headquarters of Fuji Television. Also of note was an extremely large Ferris Wheel, 115 meters tall (377 ft) probably the largest one I have ever seen. Each car of the ferris wheel holds 6 people and it takes 15 minutes for the wheel to make one complete revolution.

We visited the Toyota Mega Web which contained a showroom with different models of Toyotas including a very tiny one-person car and some really unique cars designed to accommodate individuals with disabilities. We also saw a demonstration of a kind of individual, stand up transport device that spectators could try out. I would have loved to try, but not knowing Japanese and so, unable to follow the verbal directions, I might have found myself in Tokyo Harbor. So I just settled for sitting in the one person car. Finally we visited Venus Fort, an upscale shopping mall, designed with an Italian theme. The ceilings were painted like the sky so that you had the feeling you were walking the streets of Rome! Not only was the decor incredible, but we were there in time to view the “light show” that occurs several times a day – it was definitely unique. We had a wonderful lunch at an little Italian cafe and then headed back to the bus. Next adventure – Mt. Takao Firewalking Ceremony.

“Rollin’ on the River” and Hama-rikyu Gardens

As our tour group walked toward the Sumida River and Tokyo SkyTree, another interesting sight caught our attention.  It was a rather unusual architectural feature atop one of the buildings across the river.  This “feature” was gold and had an odd shape with the most frequent guesses being a sweet potato and carrot  (you would have to see the huge carrots in Japan to understand).  Our tour guide finally put an end to the speculation by telling us

Guess what this is!!!

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Tokyo

For those of you who don’t already know…what is the “thing” on top of the building on right???? What’s your best guess?

FOR ANSWER, SEE NEXT BLOG ENTRY!