Squampton.ca
Living Out Of A Suitcase
東京 Tokyo
Roppongi Hills Mori Tower (六本木ヒルズ森タワー)
Aug 29th, 2010
The crown jewel of the Roppongi Hills urban development, this 54-story skyscraper rises up above the waste and detritus that roam the entertainment district’s streets at night. The building itself, as well as the district it’s located in, has had its fair share of incidents over time.
Roppongi (六本木)
Aug 26th, 2010
“You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious.”
Tokyo Travels: Odaiba
Feb 17th, 2009
As I’m still recovering from food poisoning, including a lovely trip to the hospital today, here is another installment from our trip to Tokyo last December. This time it’s from Odaiba.
Originally this man-made island was built to defend the capital city (then Edo) from foreign sea attack, way back in the 1800’s. Today it is a popular tourist attraction for Japanese and foreigners alike. Like most popular areas in Tokyo, the best time to visit is at night.
Tokyo Travels: Asakusa
Feb 14th, 2009
I figured while I’m away in Tokyo right now, I’d get around to posting some photos of my last trip to Tokyo, which was only 6 weeks ago. Asakusa is one of the most popular places to visit in all of Tokyo, by Japanese and foreigners alike. And for good reason. Big temples, a 5-story pagoda, and about 100 tiny stalls lining the main street which are great for picking up souvenirs.
We visited just before New Year’s Eve, so the whole area was even more crowded than usual. People come to pray and bathe in incense smoke, the latter of which is used to cleanse the body and promote good health. Check out the video here, or in the video box on the right.
Tokyo Tower At Night
Jan 31st, 2009
I’d been to Tokyo Tower before, but never at night. Boy, was I missing out on some spectacular views! The lineup was huge, easily over 500 people, but the line moved pretty steadily. Definitely well worth the wait.
Back in Tokyo
Sep 20th, 2007
Took the night bus from Akita for a 4 day trip to the city that never sleeps. I know that motto belongs to NYC, but having been to both cities it's safe to say that Tokyo wins :P
Heading to the Tokyo Game Show with a couple of guys from Gotfrag.com, who are flying in from the States for the convention, so it should be a little messy. Film at 11.
New photos and videos
Aug 15th, 2007
Back to work this week as all of Japan suffers from an August heatwave. This time of year is the Obon Festival, where people return to their hometowns and pray to their ancestors. School is out for everyone, and many people have a week or two off of work. 18 have drown in the past 2 days as people hit the beaches, rivers, and lakes.
Posted about 250 photos of my vacation to Flickr today, along with a couple videos to YouTube. There’s still a few more pics and a video or two I have to post, but I need to to some video editing first. The photo on the left is of Shinjuku Station in Tokyo. The busiest train station in the world, over 3 million people travel through it every day. It took me an hour (and about 6 phone calls) to meet up with my friend Yumiko outside the station last week!
Hopefully I’ll find time to give a full account of my vacation later on this week. Hope everyone is doing well, talk to you later.
Off to Tokyo
Aug 6th, 2007
Spent the past two nights back in Akita to watch the Kanto festival, one of the best in northern Japan. Yesterday afternoon we staked a claim on a piece of curbside real estate so we could see it up close. The thing that's different about Kanto is that the teams don't parade past you, you get to enjoy one group. Saw one burst into flames and come crashing down, I'll put the video up when I get back :)
Just waiting on the Shinkansen, getting ready to depart to Tokyo. Haven't seen my family down there for 13 years, so it should be a fun week. ひさしぶりよ！