Super View Odoriko to Shimoda

Day 1 in Shimoda: My husband, no matter where we go, wants to go the beach. Three summers ago, on our first trip to Japan with the kids, he insisted on going to the beach. I looked at him thinking (Okay…I didn’t just think that I might have actually said it) “Really? We are going to fly all the way to Japan so we can go to the beach???” I don’t recall Japan for being known as a beach destination. I am glad he insisted though. We ended up going to Miyakojima Island in Okinawa for about a week and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay. The sand was white and fine as perfectly bleached flour and the water a heavenly blue. We had a meal plan, breakfast and dinner, at the Miyakojima Tokyu Hotel and the food was amazing.

So when he once again insisted on a beach vacation while in Japan, I didn’t put up too much of a fight. As nice as Okinawa was I did not feel like flying to Okinawa again. (By the way, if you buy your domestic air ticket while still in the States, it is so much cheaper than buying air once in Japan.) I opted for Shimoda on the Izu Peninsula instead; a 2hr and 40min train ride from Tokyo Station.

The people who man the rail ticket office in Japan are very competent and full of information. One of the things they tell you is that you don’t need to buy tickets for your young children if they don’t take up seats. They don’t just mean infants…they are fine if a child is 6 if he or she does not sit in a seat but instead sits on your lap. There are also two types of tickets, reserved and unreserved. Obviously it makes more sense not to buy tickets if you have young children if you are taking the unreserved car. No one is guaranteed a seat so if you get to Tokyo Station and you are the first one on the train you get the seats. I thought about doing that until the ticketing agent talked me into taking the reserved train to Shimoda. He sold the Super View Odoriko train to me; he said “ The Super View is a beautiful train! For just JPY 700+ you get to ride on a really nice train. The regular Odoriko is old.” He said I still didn’t need to buy tickets for the kids and I decided to take the risk. (I believe there is no child fare.) As it was, round trip tickets for adults cost JPY 25,000+ (almost $300 with the current horrible exchange rate).

Since it was drizzling in the morning we decided to take a cab from Roppongi to Tokyo station instead of the subway. After the girls’ revolt yesterday, we decided making them walk through the rain with their umbrellas and rolling backpacks would not go over too well. We arrived at Tokyo Station almost an hour before our departure time. What to do with your time at the station is not really a problem. On B1 there is a large number of food stores selling a vast variety of goodies. It was heaven! I stocked up on snacks and lunch food for our train ride. Things were looking good!

As we boarded our train to Shimoda, I was glad I didn’t buy tickets for the kids. The train was fairly empty. It was Tuesday and the Japanese schools do not let out for summer vacation until July 20. In our car we had perhaps 6 others besides us – lots of empty seats. And the train was beautiful; lots of large windows which stretched from the top of the car to below the hand rest of the seat. Not many more people got on at the later stations (Shinagawa, Yokohama etc) and we rode in luxury all the way to the last stop, our destination, Izukyu Shimoda.

At the station, we learned that the hotel operated a free shuttle and lucky us, the shuttle was waiting at the station. The ride to the hotel wasn’t long but the road steep and curvy. The hotel was set on top of a hill and nothing else on the hill except for the hotel. The beach was all the way down across a narrow road. The setting was pretty…it isn’t Kauai but it’s quite nice.

My mother’s friend, who is also the widow of our former pediatrician in Tokyo, was a member at a vacation club which operated a hotel nearby, Hotel Japan. She invited us over to her hotel which had nice pools and a water slide. It also straddled two of the nicer beaches in Shimoda. We walked down to one of the beaches and had a great time playing in the surf and sand. There were quite a few surfers in the water. We had a great afternoon and were glad that we came to Shimoda.

The girls had their first ofuro/onsen experience – public bath/hot springs. The bath at Hotel Japan was very nice – large, zen like dressing room with massage chairs! And a large public bath with a manmade waterfall for a view. The girls had fun but found the bath temperature way too hot. I did too so we didn’t soak for long at all. The public bath is an interesting concept…everyone strips, scrubs a lot outside of the bath and then takes a long dip in scalding water. Obviously the Japanese find it soothing and calming. Personally with two kids and one of them with no control over the hand held shower head spraying everyone nearby, it wasn’t a soothing experience at all. One of the older women in the bath was definitely displeased we were there causing some commotion.

We stayed for dinner at Hotel Japan and ended up having a kaiseki type dinner, Japanese style multi-course menu. It was a nice experience but I had not planned on such a nice dinner (it wasn't really our choice). We were planning on simple meals during our stay at Shimoda...well that was a budget breaker.

An Easy Day…View of Tokyo From Tocho and Tempura at Shinjuku

Day 13 in Tokyo: Tomorrow we take off for Shimoda on the Izu Peninsula for a beach getaway…and none too soon. Our younger daughter was in full revolt. She did not want to walk anymore. She refused to leave our serviced apartment this morning. It took a lot of coaxing. Our girls are growing up wimpy in the American suburbs. They get chauffered around everywhere. They complain of their legs hurting. Yes we are walking a lot and we are out all day and it is hot and humid…I do feel for them but shouldn’t they be stronger than they are???

We decide on a mellow day and visit Tocho, Tokyo Municipal Government Offices, which are actually at least two huge skyscrapers in Shinjuku. From the 45th floors of the North and South Towers, you can get a 360 view of Tokyo. On a clear day, which it wasn’t today, you can see Mt. Fuji. Even on a cloudy day, it’s an impressive view. The entrance to the observatories is free.

For lunch we visit my favorite tempura house, Tsunahachi in Shinjuku behind Mistukoshi department store. I make it a point to visit it every time I visit Tokyo. The best place to sit is at the counter where you can watch the tempura being fried. The tempura is served as it is done to you…talk about fresh! Our chef has been working at the restaurant for 50 years! He started when he was in junior high school. It is hard to find tempura like this in the States, certainly not in the Bay Area where there isn’t (as far as I know) a restaurant that specializes in tempura. (see restaurant recommendations in Tokyo)

http://www.metro.tokyo.jp/ENGLISH/TMG/observat.htm

Into the Future at Miraikan in Odaiba and Pigging Out at the Imperial Viking Sal

Hands On Model of Email



View From Front of the Train

Day 12 in Tokyo: I don’t know…but the kids are really acting badly. Despite that challenge, we decide to brave the potential weekend crowds at Miraikan, the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation in Odaiba.

From Roppongi, it isn’t hard to get to but it isn’t cheap to get to Odaiba. If you take the Oedo Line (which is expensive to begin with) you can get off at Shiodome and take the Yurikakome Line (which is very expensive). You see why as soon as you step onto the Yurikakome train. It must have taken billions to construct the train infrastructure (to a man made reclaimed land with lots of huge buildings with wasted space) but it is a cool ride and the view is quite nice. Get off at Fune-no-kakagukan stop (by the way, the Museum of Maritime Science is a really nice museum) and walk about 5 minutes to Miraikan.

(A side note on differences in culture perhaps. I asked when we got off how to get to Miraikan and the station agent told me the way. However when we got outside and started walking, we saw a street which looked like could be a cut through. I asked another family walking the same way if we could get to Miraikan this way… I do speak Japanese and the father understood my question but his response in Japanese was “It is our first time..” He did not say yes or no. He did not say that they were headed to the same place but that they weren’t sure they were going the right way, he just said it was their first time. Totally unhelpful. We decide to continue on our way anyway and of course we see the same family entering Miraikan just a little ahead of us. Strange…)

We ended up spending a little more than 3 hours at Miraikan. It has so many interesting exhibits. One of our girls’ favorites – a physical, hands on model of how an email is sent through the internet. Black and white balls represent the binary code used and you can decide which address to send it to, the message and run to the address and receive the message. Cool!!

Another exhibit they liked was the full scale mock up of the Japanese deep water sub, only one of four in the world that can dive 6500m! We also loved the mock up of the International Space Station. The girls were very interested in the sleeping quarters (the astronauts sleep standing up) and the toilet (you need to strap yourself in!). We also enjoyed a show of a full size robot called Asimo. The most impressive thing that Asimo can do, in our opinion, was run. Very strange!




After a quick change back at our place, we headed for dinner. Tonight we were celebrating our older girl’s birthday with a nice dinner and it also happened to be July 4. We were splurging and I booked us a table at the Imperial Hotel’s Viking Sal. I thought a buffet would be more festive and fun for the girls. No wait for food and if the girls kept moving around, no one at the restaurant would think that strange. The downside to a buffet, besides overeating, is that the girls get to choose what they eat. Our younger can be counted on to eat veggies, smoke salmon, fruit and pasta. Our older one does eat pasta but kept coming back to the table with white bread and dinner rolls and sliced cheese. Ughh!! Not only in terms of nutrition but expense! This being the Imperial, we were not getting much of a break for the kids. Kids are charged $50+ for 4 and above. Bread and 2 sliced cheese definitely do not cost $50!!

The atmosphere was nice and the service wonderful. We had a table with a view but I was disappointed by the food. It was fine not amazing and for how much you pay, I expected a little more. I had toyed with the idea of teppanyaki but I decided that the food would be good but the atmosphere at a teppanyaki establishment too adultish in the evenings and so, Viking Sal it was.

http://www.miraikan.jst.go.jp/en/

Toy Shopping in Ginza – Hakuhinkan and Fun at a Park

Day 11 in Tokyo: Today is our older girl’s birthday. She wanted to go to a toy store (she actually said Kiddy Land again but we talked her out of it) so that’s where we headed. Hakuhinkan is a large toy store located in Ginza. It is about a 5-10minute walk from the Ginza station. It has 5 floors of toys. Kiddy Land used to be like that but Kiddy Land now actually has just 1 floor devoted to toys and the rest of the floors are miscellaneous branded products. Still fun to visit but it isn’t really ‘Kiddy’ Land anymore.

Adding excitement to the day was a visit to the store by what looked to me like the old ‘Ultraman’. I think he was a much newer character but of course I would not know! There are a lot of toys the kids can play with in the store…a definite fun stop for all kids.

On Saturdays and Sundays, the main street in Ginza closes to traffic. It’s a wonderful time to visit Ginza. It is freeing to be able to walk down the wide streets. There is a festive air when pedestrians rule the streets.

After lunch, we visit Toyosu Park which is right next to LaLaPort Shopping Mall which houses Kidzania. Again, it’s our older girl’s birthday and that’s the park she wanted to visit. We tried to talk her into Hibiya Park which is close to Ginza but no go.

It turned out to be a good call. The park has a lot of fun play structures, including a wading pool for the itty bitty set. There were so many kids at the park probably because it was a Saturday. Our girls really love kids and they had a great time.

After dinner the girls enjoyed hanabi – fireworks on the balcony; an exciting finish to a fun birthday.

http://www.hakuhinkan.co.jp/contents/english.html

Kidzania Mania Again! And Birthday Celebration

Day 10 in Tokyo: Ok…one might wonder, really? Is there a need to go to the same place twice??? I get it but our girls really like Kidzania and I sort of think of Kidzania as a fun yet educational outing; plus they get a lot of Japanese. One would think that the zupervisors, as they are called, get paid by how much they talk because they yap continuously. I must admit I get impatient watching them explain to the kids…I’m usually thinking to myself “Just get on with the task already!!” (definitely not the spirit of Kidzania and Japan…)

The girls loved it and it may have been one of their favorite Kidzania days. Both girls loved playing photographer or as they call them in Japan – cameraman. They both had huge smiles on their faces (it also may be because they get to tote around and use real SLR cameras – we don’t let them touch ours…) They got to be vets, couriers, manicurists, mechanic and emts – they learned CPR and performed it many times on a dummy!

By the way, if as a parent you get bored watching your kids have all the fun, you can leave them in Kidzania, as long as one adult in the group stays behind, and venture out to the mall. I did just that and got some shopping done at Kinokuniya bookstore next door.

After a fun but exhausting day at Kidzania, we went back to Roppongi to meet friends at a park near Roppongi Hills. We’ve dubbed it the slide park because there are so many slides. The park is a lot of fun. The kids definitely had fun – they were so dirty with mud all over them (from running and sliding up the hill) to prove it.

We went back to our place and ordered in pizzas from Pizza Hut. The pizzas are just OK but we did get a chance to try interesting flavors that one would never find in the States. We finished the evening with cake for our older girl’s birthday (her actual birthday is the next day). All in all, a great day.

Edo Tokyo Museum, Yasuda Garden

Day 9 in Tokyo: A friend of mine from high school came to visit me this morning. It was so nice to see her after so many years and catch up. She and her family were living in the States but her husband got transferred to Tokyo. Lucky for me I got a chance to see her.

Following a quick lunch in our room, we made our way to the Edo Tokyo Museum. Our initial plan was to go to the Fukagawa Edo Museum but when I checked on its website to make sure I knew how to get there, I found out it was closed for renovation since last July and will reopen mid-July. Unfortunately for us, we will not get to visit it this time around.

The Edo Tokyo Museum is at Ryogokyu station on the Oedo line or the Sobu line. From where we were, it was one shot from our station and the museum was right next door to the Oedo line station.

Admission is JPY600 for adults and I thought it was well worth it. The outside of the museum looks strange but the space inside of the museum is wonderful. Large volume coupled with dim lighting and large scale models made for a serene and beautiful setting. I loved it. The kids enjoyed all the interactive portions of the museum. Our girls had fun playing the traditional instruments used in kabuki, riding on an old fashioned bicycle and rickshaw, making a call on a really old telephone etc…

(Warning: There is a section on World War II and the bombing raids over Tokyo which prompted my 6 year old to ask a lot of questions about the war.)

The museum has a lot of interesting and beautiful exhibits. I would recommend it. You can see art and science museums in many places but you won’t find a museum on Tokyo anywhere else.

After spending nearly 2 hours, we took a short snack break and walked a couple of minutes to the Yasuda Garden. It’s very small but has a nice little pond with koi, turtles and ducks. It also has quite a few stone bridges and a vermillion wooden bridge spanning the pond. It’s not a must see at all but if you are looking for a quiet place for a break outdoors, why not, it’s free and nearby.

On our way to the Yasuda Garden, we came upon a group of junior high students with their teacher shaking down trees with long sticks and gathering little red fruit that fell onto the tarp placed below. It looked like a lot of fun and we were also curious about the fruit. They called it ‘yama momo’ which translates to mountain peach. The fruit is red with little bumps. The students offered some of the fruit for us to taste. It tastes very fragrant and the ones we had were just slightly sour. My 5 year old loved them.

http://www.tokyoessentials.com/edo-tokyo%20museum.html

Kiddy Land-Search for Beyblade, Omotesando’s Famous Crepes, and Jido Kaikan

Day 8 in Tokyo: A bit of a sad day today. My mother, my sister and her boys left today to go back to the States. We had about 4 ½ days in Tokyo together…the girls especially are missing their cousins already.

On the boys’ last morning, they wanted to do some more shopping so we all descended on Kiddy Land once again. The boys knew exactly what they wanted…the latest fad in Japan…Beyblade – expensive little suckers. I don’t get it, but then I am not an 8 year old boy. Even my older girl wanted one for no good reason until I talked her out of it.

Lunch was quick at a nearby kaiten sushi – conveyor belt sushi. Not great but quick and easy since the boys had to leave for Narita. We stayed in Omotesando and decided to indulge in Japanese style crepes. The crepes have been popular for so long here and they are good; filled with fruit, whipped cream, ice cream and many other toppings of your choice.

A sort bus ride to Shibuya found us once again at Jido Kaikan. The girls cannot get enough of it! They both wanted to do wood working again. This time my older girl made a boat. She sawed some of the pieces herself! The younger one made a box. They also spent time making more arts and crafts, slime and water color painting. We always have to pry them away from Jido Kaikan!