Off to Japan
I'm all packed..
..and ready to go!
As usual, Daddy packed too much
He tied the luggage together with a strap (I helped him push)
Apparently Daddy's never heard of porters
I guided him from my excellent vantage point
I held on tight to his massive ears
I helped by pulling my own luggage
(Daddy helped too)
Before we left I did some last minute shopping
I got a 'plane gift'
That made me happy
Look there's our plane!
Darn, it's Air Canada!
Getting ready for take-off
crash landing
”Oh oh, Mommy's gone to sleep..“
”I'll make sure no-one bothers her..“
”ZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..“
Later Daddy and I watched a movie
Of course the sound didn't work
So I read their lips instead
Dinner at last!
As expected, the food was yucky
..so I decided to sleep through every meal
(snacks too)
ZZzzzzzzzzzz..
Daddy decided to join me
I slept the entire time..
in 87 different positions..
This was my favourite position
(Daddy's too)
When we got to Japan, they took our photo & fingerprints! (we were guilty as charged)
Grandma was at the airport to bail us out
She frisked me right away
We then drove home (we were under 'house arrest')
She showed me her christmas decorations..
..so I showed her my toys
It was very cold in the house..
So I took a hot 'Japanese bath' with Mommy
It was so hot, the lens fogged up
I felt like a boiled egg
That night, we had a good sleep
Unfortunately, I got JET LAG
Heavy duty jet lag..
I was so tired I slept everywhere!
Even in restaurants
Mommy tried waking me..
So did Daddy
Daddy took advantage of my tiredness by eating my food
Here I am after dinner
They used me as a floormat!
I even slept in this stupid contraption
Eventually I awoke..
when I realized I was in a toy store
I wooed the ladies with my music
(Mommy aged significantly on this trip)
Oh boy, Lunch!
What shall I order?
Oh oh, it's all in Japanese
Oh well, the pictures look good
The toilets in Japan are very complicated
Some toilets are less complicated
Unfortunately I've still got a cold
That's why I'm wearing this mask (in Japan, that's what sick people do)
What do you mean smile? I AM smiling!
Ok, time to sleep (again)
It's getting late..
Gotta go home. Here's where I get my subway ticket.
See..
The escalator's not working..
Daddy was stuck on it for hours!
Here I am in Grandpa's favourite chair
It's just like MY favourite chair, only totally different
Daddy says it's made from the hide of 'Barney the Dinosaur'
Welcome to UENO
People shop below the tracks while the train rumbles by (all day long)
Night time too!
Lots of people come here to shop
(some don't shop)
Most just yell
“YOU - SIR! BUY THIS BOX!!”
"YOU! BUY THIS TV!!"
Daddy loves Kaitenzushi!
You take the sushi as it passes by on a conveyor belt
Just like luggage on an airport carousel, except they don't lose the sushi!
Daddy also likes the coffee in the vending machines (they're EVERYWHERE!)
Some buildings don't have walls, just vending machines
Japan has a HUGE subway system (with 42 gazillion stops)
Here's Japan's Subway map
Here's Toronto's Subway map
Here's the nerve centre for Japan's secret nuclear missle program.
(actually, it's where people buy their train tickets).
Here are where the missile silos are hidden (could be the subway fares)..
You pay here (or maybe it's the detonator)
Then you RUN for your train! (or your life)
Along with 42 billion other people..
Here it comes!!
Whew, we made it!
In Japan, most people sleep on the train
Unless they're sick
(Pssst, I'm not sick anymore!)
Here's the Dior store (all the buildings here are lit up)
Japan must have a big electricity bill!
Nightime in SHINJIKU..
..is brighter than daytime
Even the side streets are lit
Here's a random picture of me naked in a doorway
Today we took the train to ASAKUSA
(I helped Mommy buy the train ticket)
We arrived 1 hour later
Asakusa has a lot of history (just like Daddy)
It's home to Tokyo's largest temple, ”Senso-ji“
The sign on top says “FOR SALE, best offer”
Here I am at the front gate
Inside, we saw Buddah..
..and his many followers
He had a nice place
Here's one of his little helpers. His name is Rick Shaw
He offered to pull us around Asakusa
We said ok (Daddy brought his whip)
He passed the cars at 100 kmh
We saw all the famous sites..
..like the golden poop of Asakusa
Afterwards we went to a nearby amusement park
Hi Daddy!
Here I am on a scary helicopter ride
I prayed to Buddah as I passed his temple
This was the last ride of the day
I survived!
Afterwards we went for coffee (it tasted funny)
Then I bought a train ticket home..
..and finally went to sleep.
Today I took a train to meet Mommy's friends
It was a mini-reunion!
They've known Mommy since grade 7!
They say Mommy hasn't changed in 20 years
I'm not sure if that's a good thing
Noah and I shared secrets about our Mommies..
..until we were interrupted by the papparazzi..
.and our swooning fans
We were surprised by the adulation
I got to mingle with my fans..
..and parental units..
Then the reunion ended.
I had a great time with Mommy's friends
(though they left me exhausted).
P.S. They had so much fun, a few days later, they got together AGAIN!
I'm not sure what they were selling
Mommy bought something here (It only gave her a few minutes of happiness)
I love eating in Japan..
Every meal is a surprise..
Oh boy, dead EEL!
That's better..
Fire truck sushi! (must be hot)
Remember my little green bucket?
(I used it 2 years ago)
It's a lot smaller now.
I got Christmas presents! Mazel-Tov!!
Wow, this is even better than Chanukah!
Thanks Grandma!
Choo, choo!
I love the holidays!
I hope I don't lose my marbles like Daddy
Here's the train to Ikebukuro
Mommy took me there to meet her High School Teacher
Her name is Ueda Sensei. She was very nice
She thought I was a happy little boy
Daddy tagged along for the ride..
..and to record our EVERY movement
..like this.
Here's a man with no head
Mommy & Daddy went out for dinner..
..WITHOUT me!
They had a “KAISEKI” dinner
That's a fancy multi-course dinner..
..served by this lady
They had 11 courses!!
Here she bows with respect
Today was MY turn for a Kaiseki meal
It was a multi-course lunch..
..with lots of dishes. It was so fresh, they moved
(I had my own selection)
We ate on the floor in our own little room..
..and were served by this little lady (she was camera shy)
Lunch was delicious!
In fact, it was absolutely purrrrrfect!
On the way home we saw a 2 car pile-up
I've heard of parallel parking before.. but never vertical!
Here I am on a train to ODAIBA (next to the manga character)
(Remember the LAST TIME I was there..
..I met a pretty girl)
This time, I met a pretty cool robot!
His name is ASIMO.. He moves just like me
(maybe not as fast)
He lives here, in the Museum of Science & Innovation
(also called “MIRAIKAN”)
I really liked it here
There was a world of things to see..
..and fun things to do
Afterwards we walked outside
It's very pretty here
And the buildings are interesting
Almost as interesting as this guy
He juggled 3 swords, balanced a pole and rode a unicycle
Japan is an interesting place.
Tonight I went to bed early
..because tomorrow I'm taking the bullet train to Great Grandma's!
She lives up north in the countryside
It's very pretty at Great Grandma's.. [April/07 photo]
Although there's no internet there..
..just this rusty See-Saw [April/07 photo]
The trip there was fun
At first I watched the bullet trains arrive
They came in all shapes & sizes
Some had small noses, like Mommy..
..and some had long noses, like Daddy
Here's my 'bullet train' (also called “Shinkansen”)
I really liked it
It went really fast
I liked the view outside
..better then the view inside
I also read..
..and showed Mommy around
Eventually we arrived at our destination
I said goodbye to my young friends..
..and old ones
And in a flash, they were gone
Finally we arrived at Great Grandma's
It was a lot colder than I remembered it
..with lots more snow.
Still, we found ways to keep warm
Like this heater..
And Grandma's table- it was heated under the blanket!
So I spent time there..
..lots of time
But my favourite spot to keep warm..
..was in this big pot of boiling water
Here's Daddy impersonating a lobster
I used to bathe here as a baby
But now I'm all grown up
Afterwards I cooled off in this bucket
Thankfully, there's no picture of Daddy in it
Here's my bedroom
The blankets were heated!
So I spent time there as well
..with my favourite Mom
I also spent time with Daddy
Mommy thinks he's a real prize
Every morning I wake up..
..and do a jig
(to keep warm of course)
I then do flips..
..and I'm ready to start my day
..But first I have my morning pee
I always wear my toilet slippers
In Japan, you never wear household slippers in the bathroom!
Time for breakfast!
Mmmmmmm, Noodles..
My favourite!
((not my favourite))
Ok, what's next?
Excellent!
Mommy had me guard the food platter..
That's like having the fox guard the henhouse
(I took that one)
Afterwards, my cousin came to visit
Her Daddy came too. He checked me out
He even let me use his phone
..since mine doesn't work here
He wears funny hats (I bet he can spin on his head like a top)
He owns this Japanese Inn
It has real hot springs baths!
The water comes from underground..
..and is heated by the earth's crust
Daddy & I think that's cool
or HOT, depending on where you're sitting
Ok, time to go!
Afterwards, I watched my cousin make 'sticky rice'
(so did the other guests at the Inn)
They had to kill it first
Still, it was delicious!
We then walked back to Great Grandma's
The roads are kept clear..
..from water that's pumped up from hot springs
It was snowing hard!
Still, it didn't stop this man from using his bicycle
He's 105 years old and he still rides his bike
Everyone here is over a hundred years old.
They're in great shape 'cause they shovel all day
Like this woman..
It's GREAT GRANDMA!
..SHE'S SHOVELLING THE SNOW OFF HER ROOF!
She's 83 years old and she still shovels the snow off her roof!
Afterwards she chopped down trees with her bare hands
On our first day here, there wasn't much snow
(this view is from my window)
..but then it snowed
..and snowed..
..AND SNOWED!!
Everything was buried..
Even the car!
That made me happy..
You see, Daddy's supposed to leave today..
..and now maybe he can't 'cause he's snowed in!
Well NOT IF GRANDMA CAN HELP IT!
She desperately shovelled for hours..
..AND HOURS!
NOTHING would stop her from getting Daddy home!
And with one last scoop, she was done!
Sadly, it was time to say goodbye
Grandma got Daddy to the station on time.
Look, there's Daddy's train!
Look, there it goes! (without Daddy)
You see, Daddy got on THIS train (the wrong one).
He went the wrong way, lost his reserved seat and had to stand the whole way back!
Eventually, Daddy made it here..
to SHIBUYA
He's stayed here for 2 nights before flying home
Shibuya's a busy place at night..
..and during the day
This crosswalk is especially busy
In fact, it's the busiest crosswalk in the world!
When the lights turn green, everyone crosses at the SAME TIME, in all directions
This was Daddy's hotel
It had a great view of the city
You can even see SHINJIKU in the distance
Here are the names of the buildings
Here's the view from LEFT to RIGHT (1/3)
CENTER VIEW (Shibuya below, Shinjiku in the distance) 2/3
View to RIGHT (Harajuku in the distance) 3/3
(View below)
Daddy took the train to GINZA on his last day
He was the only one without a phone
He had no trouble finding the place
He just asked this guy for directions
There were lots of buildings..
..and places to shop
This store is even older than Daddy
Daddy bought lots of great souvenirs
He also saw parks..
..and places to park
Cars rotate on the platter (like a cd), then park in the stall
The stall then rotates like a ferris wheel and stacks the cars overhead
It's so efficient, they laid off all their parking attendants
Daddy found a quaint 'revolving sushi' restaurant (Kaitenzushi)
He ate everything you see.
It's a quiet restaurant located under this peaceful bridge
At the end of the day, Daddy headed back to the hotel..
..packed his bags..
..and flew home (yes, he got on the right plane).
I'll really miss Daddy.. I won't see him for 2 weeks :-(
After Daddy left it took 2 days to clean up his mess!
This is where Daddy sat. There were lots of crumbs here.
Grandma was very happy with Daddy gone. We spent even more time together.
Hooray!
We played in the snow..
..and made angels!
She even let me play with scissors!
Don't worry, I didn't cut myself like Daddy
She also gave me lots of junk food!
Take THAT, Daddy!!
My chopstick skills have improved..
Now I can use TWO at the same time
Eventually it was time to leave the countryside..
I said GOODBYE to Great Grandma, who was still shovelling snow from the rooftop
..and I boarded the train back to Grandma's
Unlike Daddy, we got on the right train.
Back in Tokyo, I rushed to read the paper..
Except the cat pee'd all over it!
So I went outside to neuter the cat
Meeeee-OOOOW!!!!!!
Later Grandma took me to a 'train graveyard'
They let kids play in old decommissioned trains here (before they sell them to Toronto's TTC)
Remember Mei from my last trip to Japan?
(she was the first girl I ever slept with)
Well, I SAW HER AGAIN!!
In fact, I travelled halfway around the globe to see her
Just like old times, we walked together..
And shopped together..
We hung out at the frozen food section. It was really cool.
We also ate sushi together
..at my favourite 'revolving sushi' restaurant (Kaitenzushi)
The sushi came ON A BULLET TRAIN! (really fast food)
This is the best restaurant EVER!
Unfortunately, I spent more time watching than I did eating!
(My waitress didn't mind)
After our visit, I took the train back to Grandma's
Mommy didn't take any pictures of me on the train, so I'm posting this instead. Use your imagination.
Actually, these pictures were taken at Toshimaen Amusement Park
We were the ONLY ONES THERE! (can you find us?)
..so I kept going on the rides
..HUNDREDS of times!
This was the BEST DAY EVER!
Except for THIS DAY!
This was the day we went to the RAILWAY MUSEUM!!
They had lots of displays
My favourites were those I could play with..
Look, I built this train out of Lego!
Some trains were REALLY BIG..
..and some were really small..
(or maybe the conductors were really big)
All in all, this was the best museum ever!
In fact, this was the BEST VACATION EVER!
But sadly, all good things must come to an end.
So after 30 days in Japan, I was packed up and dragged to the airport..
..then put on a plane
Exhausted, I slept the whole way home
When we landed, I RUSHED OFF the plane..
..LOOKING FOR DADDY!
I was mobbed by my adoring fans..
But THEN I SAW DADDY!
I rushed down the ramp to greet him..
He was SO HAPPY to see me!
IT'S GOOD TO BE HOME.
