ÿþ<html> <head> <style type="text/css"> body { background-color:black; color:white; font-family:bookman old style,times roman; font-size:105%} h1 { text-align:center; color:gold; font-family:Monotype Corsiva,times roman} h2 { text-align:center; color:gold; font-family:Monotype Corsiva,times roman} table.big { width:850; font-size:110%} table.left { float:left; width:1; font-family:arial; font-size:50%} table.right { float:right; width:1; font-family:arial; font-size:50%} table.small { float:right; background-color:AA5500; color:black; font-size:60%; font-weight:bold; border:red blank; width:225} tr { vertical-align:top;} td.time { font-weight:bold; width:70} td.odo { font-weight:bold; width:60} p { text-align:left} p.center { text-align:center} p.bottom { text-align:center; font-size:80%} b.gold { color:gold} b.aqua { color:aqua} b.white { color:white; font-weight:bold; font-size:110%} img.v { width:77; border:0} img.h { height:77; border:0} </style> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="d.css" /> <title>Japan -- Day 1</title> </head> <body> <p class="center"> <table class="big"> <tr> <td colspan=2> <h1>Day 1 -- 26th Mar</h1> <td> </tr> <tr> <td class="time">Time</td> <td><td> </tr> <tr> <td class="time">15:30</td> <td> <p> Our flight landed at <b class="gold">Narita International Airport (b0uýV›–zz/n)</b> in the suburb of the Japanese capital. We went through customs quickly, and were happy to be greeted with a lot of signs with <i>kanji</i> ("oW[ Chinese characters). Sight of the familiar kanji was very reassuring in the foreign environment. Soon we sucessfully navigated through the customs and found ourselves in the <b class="gold">Narita Airport Train Station (b0uzz/nÅ™)</b>. </p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="time">16:45</td> <td> <p> <table class="right"> <tr> <td><a href="photos/DSCN3666.JPG" target="blank"> <img class="h" src="thumbnails/DSCN3666.JPG"></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td>CK and his parents on the train to Tokyo.</td> </tr> </table> After getting cash from ATM (¥50,000 sound like a fortune, but was actually only US$500), we boarded the Narita Express Train. The train ran through a suburban landscape, dotted with clusters of tiny Japanese little houses. Gradually the houses got more and more tightly packed, and then replaced by taller and taller buildings. We have arrived at <b class="gold">Tokyo (qg¬N)</b>, one of the most densely populated area on the globe. </p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="time">18:00</td> <td> <p> We got off at <b class="gold">Shinjuku (°e¿[)</b>, and transferred to Metro (the Tokyo underground railway). Our hotel was only two stops and minutes away ... </p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="time">18:15</td> <td> <p> <table class="right"> <tr> <td><a href="photos/DSCN3695.JPG" target="blank"> <img class="v" src="thumbnails/DSCN3695.JPG"></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Room at Tama.</td> </tr> </table> We arrived at <b class="gold"><a href="http://www.tamaryokan.com/" target="blank">Tama Ryokan (YidÅe(™)</a></b> (<i>Ryokan</i> = Japanese-style hotels). We were shown to our two rooms of delicate tatami floor and fragile paper walls, and gingerly we placed our bags away, trying not to break something. </p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="time">19:00</td> <td> <p> <table class="left"> <tr style="vertical-align:bottom"> <td><a href="photos/DSCN3691.JPG" target="blank"> <img class="v" src="thumbnails/DSCN3691.JPG"></a></td> <td><a href="photos/DSCN3693.JPG" target="blank"> <img class="h" src="thumbnails/DSCN3693.JPG"></a></td> </tr> </table> <table class="small"> <tr><td> <b class="white">Shinjuku Railway Station</b> serves 3.64 million people daily, making it the busiest train station in the world. Haruki Murakami's <i>Wind-up Bird Chronicles</i>, the protagonist sat here and observed the faces of the passerbyers. </td></tr> </table> For our first meal in Japan, we returned to Shinjuku, one of the two "downtowns" of Tokyo. Stepping out of the station, we were immediately greeted by the brilliant neon lights, lining both sides of every street. <table class="left"> <tr style="vertical-align:bottom"> <td><a href="photos/DSCN3681.JPG" target="blank"> <img class="h" src="thumbnails/DSCN3681.JPG"></a></td> <td><a href="photos/DSCN3683.JPG" target="blank"> <img class="v" src="thumbnails/DSCN3683.JPG"></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan=2>The yokitori place.</td> </tr> </table> We made our way to a small side street nicknamed <b class="gold">Shomben Yokocho</b>. Despite its unappetizing reputation, the street was famous for its tiny eateries, each had only a few seats around a counter. We first stopped at a <i>yakitori</i> (skewer) place, where we had skewers of chicken meat/liver, green chili peppers and mushrooms, all washed down with beer and plum <i>sake</i> <table class="left"> <tr> <td><a href="photos/DSCN3687.JPG" target="blank"> <img class="v" src="thumbnails/DSCN3687.JPG"></a></td> <td><a href="photos/DSCN3680.JPG" target="blank"> <img class="v" src="thumbnails/DSCN3680.JPG"></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td>The noodle place</td> <td>Shomben Yokocho</td> </tr> </table> <table class="small"> <tr><td> <b class="white">Shomben Yokocho</b> (Piss Alley) got its named from the drunks who used to relieved themselves on the street. With a new public restroom, the stench was gone, but the reputation was more difficult to wash away. Nevertheless, time has slowly changed the horrible name from derogatory to endearing. </td></tr> </table> (rice wine). The yakitori looked and smelt wonderful, but was a bit over-seasoned and on the salty side. After that, we walked a few steps to a noodle place for some fried noodles and dumplings, which earned the approval of Emily's Mom. </p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="time">20:40</td> <td> <p> <table class="right"> <tr style="vertical-align:bottom"> <td><a href="photos/DSCN3692.JPG" target="blank"> <img class="h" src="thumbnails/DSCN3692.JPG"></a></td> <td><a href="photos/DSCN3694.JPG" target="blank"> <img class="v" src="thumbnails/DSCN3694.JPG"></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Lanterns.</td> <td>Emily & Mom.</td> </tr> </table> After dinner, we strolled the crowded streets of Shinjuku, packed with teenage girls wearing miniskirts and tons of make-up, as well as groups of young men dressed like <i>yakuza</i> (Japanese gangsters; East Shinjuku was known to be a yakuza hotspot). For our safety, we did not take any pictures but watched politely at a distance. </p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="time">21:30</td> <td> <p> We returned to the ryokan, where the landlady was rolling out our beddings. Soon we were sleeping soundly on the tatamis. </p> <p style={text-align:right}><a href="d02.html">next day</a></p> <td> </tr> <tr><td colspan=2> <hr> <p class="bottom"> <form name="nav" method="POST"> <div align="center"> Jump To: <select name="xfer" size="1"> <option value="../../private/index.html">CK's Home Page</option> <option value="index.html">Japan Trip</option> <option value="d01.html" selected="selected">Day 1</option> <option value="d02.html">Day 2</option> <option value="d03.html">Day 3</option> <option value="d04.html">Day 4</option> <option value="d05.html">Day 5</option> <option value="d06.html">Day 6</option> <option value="d07.html">Day 7</option> <option value="d08.html">Day 8</option> <option value="d09.html">Day 9</option> <option value="d10.html">Day 10</option> <option value="d11.html">Day 11</option> <option value="thoughts.html">Thoughts</option> </select> <input type="button" onclick="location = ''+document.nav.xfer.options[document.nav.xfer.selectedIndex].value;" value="Go!" /> <div style={font-size:75%}> (These pages were developed with Internet Explorer and may not align correctly in other browsers.) </div> </div></form> </p> <p align="center">Created on 9th Jun 2009. 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