Tokyo

From Hiroshima, we took the bullet train from Hiroshima up to Tokyo, a distance of some 500 miles, and which took only 4 hours.  I had pre-purchased the tickets and they were waiting for us at our hostel when we checked in, so at least that part was easy. Nothing in Japanese train stations is all that clear, but we did manage to find the correct platform without too many problems.  So many bullet trains pass through, though, and they go so quickly, that we accidentally got on the 7:58 train rather than the 8:01.  This was only problem because our reserved seats were taken, but after about 20 minutes we were able to get off at a stop and reboard the correct train a few minutes later.  Once that was done, it was nice to relax in the airline-style seats.  On the train, there isn't anything about it to underscore the "bullet train" aspect, but it does go fast, so fast you really can't see much scenery.  And the stops are quick, too:  We timed a few, and they were only in stations for 2 minutes and 30 seconds.

In Tokyo, we found our hostel and set out for LEGO Adventure Land, a small LEGO park, but fun for a few hours.  When we first arrived, it was pretty empty, so we had the rides and attractions to ourselves.  By the time we left it was getting busy, but one thing in its favor is that it is indoors -- and air-conditioned!

In the Ueno district we visited the National Museum of Nature and Science which features a dinosaur, alot of fossils, and some beautiful gemstones.  The coolest exhibit there is a 12-minute film shown in 360 degrees.  Viewers stand on a clear glass floor and so are completely immersed in the movie.  It was all in Japanese so we aren't exactly sure what it was about, but it was a neat effect.  We also visited not only the "Statue of Liberty", but also the International Library of Children's Literature where we recognized some familiar book covers.

The Tokyo Skytree claims to be the tallest observation platform in the world, and we bought tickets to the 350th floor, 350 meters high. The day was pretty clear, and Mt Fuji was visible through the haze.  I enjoyed the view, and tried not to think about earthquakes.

We continued exploring and found both the Japan Folk Crafts Museum and a nice playground.  The slide wound from on top of a roof down to the playground, with a spiral stairs to run up to the top.

Also in the neighborhood of our hostel was the ancient Buddhist temple of "Senso-ji", which includes several shrines and a 5-story pagoda.  The temple opened in 641 A.D., although was bombed during WWII and later rebuilt and dedicated to peace.

  

After walking many more miles and soaking up more of Tokyo's ambience, including popping into a few stores, we visited the Edo-Tokyo Museum, an interactive exhibit illustrating Tokyo (originally known as "Edo") through the ages.  The original castle was built in 1457 and during the Edo Period (1603-1868) grew into onto the the largest cities in the world.

On Wednesday evening  in Japan, or Tuesday night in the United States, we boarded the plane for the trip back across the Pacific.  We landed in Chicago on Tuesday afternoon and caught a bus up to Wisconsin. Now to re-set to right time zone!