Blog focusing on Japanese suburbia and food. Email: dancrowther@gmail.com
After reading a friends blog the other day, I realised that after being in Tokyo for a while (4 years) your perspective changes and many strange, funny or unusual things become the norm.
It's for this reason that my blog posts have virtually ceased. Although this was primarily a 'photo-blog', I've been putting photos on Facebook these days, as it's easier, and all in one place.
It seems a shame for a blog to die, but if I can think some new angle for this site, maybe I'll continue posting stuff.
It's for this reason that my blog posts have virtually ceased. Although this was primarily a 'photo-blog', I've been putting photos on Facebook these days, as it's easier, and all in one place.
It seems a shame for a blog to die, but if I can think some new angle for this site, maybe I'll continue posting stuff.
We're going to Hong Kong on Thursday for a short trip. This will be a good chance to take some pictures, eat and bond with the family.
Well, we didn't go to Oiso Prince Hotel due to the typhoon that hit Japan last week.
Unfortunately there was a bad earthquake in Niigata (again) that's caused a bit of damage and ripped apart a nuclear waste facility. This road won't be driven on soon either.
Today I renewed my license at the Fuchu Drivers License Center. Because I had two fines for illegal turns last year, I had to sit through a 2 hour lecture on drink driving and speeding. The whole process took 4 hours of my day off. I've heard people actually have to take a day off from work just to renew their license!
Because I rode to the center with my cap on, the new license photo sucks as I have flat hair and bloodshot eyes.
In other news, I'm going to Kanagawa Oiso Prince Hotel for Japanese Marine day weekend and then to Hong Kong in September.
I'll probably be stuck in Tokyo for summer vacation, so will hit Tokyo Summerland, Beer gardens and Akihabara frequently.
Find me on Facebook and we can beer up together!
Because I rode to the center with my cap on, the new license photo sucks as I have flat hair and bloodshot eyes.
In other news, I'm going to Kanagawa Oiso Prince Hotel for Japanese Marine day weekend and then to Hong Kong in September.
I'll probably be stuck in Tokyo for summer vacation, so will hit Tokyo Summerland, Beer gardens and Akihabara frequently.
Find me on Facebook and we can beer up together!
I should really post some photos of our recent trip to Shikoku. Before I do that though, let me give you a brief rundown about the island.
Shikoku (四国, Shikoku meaning"four countries" or *death country* LOL) is the smallest and least populous (4,141,955 as of 2005) of the four main islands of Japan). This is a good thing for me, as I also come from one of the least popular land masses, Australia. Getting away from the over-populated metropolis of Tokyo is nice once in a while. Coincidentally, Shikoku is shaped like Australia.
Click http://www.supertravelnet.com/map/1/187_9004_5.jpg here for a map of Shikoku.
Click http://www.bugbog.com/images/maps/australia_map.jpg here for Australia.
Brisbane and Naruto share similar places when overlayed.
Shikoku (四国, Shikoku meaning"four countries" or *death country* LOL) is the smallest and least populous (4,141,955 as of 2005) of the four main islands of Japan). This is a good thing for me, as I also come from one of the least popular land masses, Australia. Getting away from the over-populated metropolis of Tokyo is nice once in a while. Coincidentally, Shikoku is shaped like Australia.
Click http://www.supertravelnet.com/map/1/187_9004_5.jpg here for a map of Shikoku.
Click http://www.bugbog.com/images/maps/australia_map.jpg here for Australia.
Brisbane and Naruto share similar places when overlayed.
Something has happened with Blogger and all my setting , logins and help are in Japanese. Im confused.
I might have to start a new blog or keep mucking around with these settings. Anyone know how to get back to English blogger while surfing in Japan?
Hawaii and LA Pics as promised...
Have you heard of Fuji Safari Park?
It's like a zoo, where you drive your car through the animals habitats.
Pretty cool, but I can't imagine the animals appreciate a constant traffic jam right in the middle of their crib.
I wanted to wind down my window and touch some animals but the rangers are pretty strict and are on the look-out for people getting out of their cars, since a guy was eaten by a bear a few years ago! Here.
There were some good photo ops on the way home as the light was superb :)
We went to Australia for a couple of weeks of Summer!
Here are some photos from the trip.
From the top, Brisbane City buildings, the new art gallery and art, our transport (Suzuki), Woodford folk festival and mum's cat.
Good Afternoon!!
It's time to go to work!
Kokubunji has become a dangerous place, so let's not take any chances.
See you on the train ;)
It's time to go to work!
Kokubunji has become a dangerous place, so let's not take any chances.
See you on the train ;)
Ageha Sunrise - 6-02am
Well, it's almost been a month since my last post, possibly marking the laziest point in my 3 year blogging career. Sometimes you need a break from interest so you can become reaquanted and motivated again. I won't promise any more regular posts though sorry.
This week one of my favorite bloggers appartently OD'ed and his blog has gone offline which is a shame. But everyone needs a break from the internet sometimes...it's healthy ;)
Last weekend I went to club Ageha with some friends, students, co-workers and random Australians. It was a blast and a great way to say goodbye to summer. I've never had a bad night at Ageha. I always end up talking to randoms around the pool, soaking up the atmosphere, coz most people are really friendly and chatty there IME.
Now I've gotta figure out how to handle winter again.
Lounge Room Floor and Window
On Monday night after the rain cleared, I noticed a nice light streaming into the loungeroom. As I walked outside, a wicked sunset emerged!
Today's gonna be HOT and 95% humidity WTF! That must be pretty close to mist or rain.
Please smack me upside the head and give me the motivation to take some photos.
In this weather I don't feel like doing anything. I can't beleive I'm saying this but I'm kind of looking forward to the cooler weather!
Here a photo a taken of me at a little dance party when I was back in Australia.
The rest of the photos are here. Click on the 'Triggerhappy' Album.
Please smack me upside the head and give me the motivation to take some photos.
In this weather I don't feel like doing anything. I can't beleive I'm saying this but I'm kind of looking forward to the cooler weather!
Here a photo a taken of me at a little dance party when I was back in Australia.
The rest of the photos are here. Click on the 'Triggerhappy' Album.
Yesterday, just after I heard about the Steve Irwins death I got ready for work and was heading out the door when my eyes came across this:
It's a Crocodile Hunter toy helicopter I bought in Nakano about 2 years ago. I'd like to collect the whole set now, to remember him.
It's a Crocodile Hunter toy helicopter I bought in Nakano about 2 years ago. I'd like to collect the whole set now, to remember him.
The Crocodile Hunter, Steve Urwin is dead. :(
An Australian icon, he was killed by a stingray barb while filming a documentary on them.
Australia mourns the loss of this local hero.
Rest in peace Steve.
I was just reading over DJ mag's Top 100 poll and was surprised at how many of them I've seen! from 1996 to 2006 is about 10 years of clubbing for me...OMG!
Here's a list of some of the DJ's I've seen...
Tiesto :)
Carl Cox :)
Dj Keoki
Andy Whitby
Thrillseekers :)
Blank and Jones :)
Dumonde
Cosmic Gate
Junkie XL
Lisa Lashes
Slacker
Armin van Helden
Krafty Kuts
Above and Beyond :)
Yoji Biomehanika
Ken Ishii
Josh Wink
2 Many DJs
DJ Sammy
Scot Project
Anne Savage
BK
M.I.K.E (Push)
Fatboy Slim
Fergie
Timo Maas
Pete Tong
James Holden
Nick Sentience
Christopher Lawrence
DJ Craze
Roger Sanchez
Paul van Dyk :)
They're just the one's from the top 250.
Ultrasonic
Chemical Brothers
Sharkey-Hixxy-Scott Brown
Crystal Method
Aphex Twin
Tim Deluxe
LTJ Bukem
Ian Pooley
not to mention all the Australian DJ's ...
...many 'interesting' nights.
Here's a list of some of the DJ's I've seen...
Tiesto :)
Carl Cox :)
Dj Keoki
Andy Whitby
Thrillseekers :)
Blank and Jones :)
Dumonde
Cosmic Gate
Junkie XL
Lisa Lashes
Slacker
Armin van Helden
Krafty Kuts
Above and Beyond :)
Yoji Biomehanika
Ken Ishii
Josh Wink
2 Many DJs
DJ Sammy
Scot Project
Anne Savage
BK
M.I.K.E (Push)
Fatboy Slim
Fergie
Timo Maas
Pete Tong
James Holden
Nick Sentience
Christopher Lawrence
DJ Craze
Roger Sanchez
Paul van Dyk :)
They're just the one's from the top 250.
Ultrasonic
Chemical Brothers
Sharkey-Hixxy-Scott Brown
Crystal Method
Aphex Twin
Tim Deluxe
LTJ Bukem
Ian Pooley
not to mention all the Australian DJ's ...
...many 'interesting' nights.
Crocadiles
The Dreamworld wildlife experience has a lot more animals than I remember last time I went. These crocadiles were HUGE and must've been 7 metres long! There were tired and didn't move much. Because the weather was cool, they couldn't conduct a feeding session. Apparently they only feed them when it's above 25 degrees.
We could touch the baby crocadiles though...they feel like a lizard!
The FlowRider Machine
The FlowRider is an artificial wave machine, which can be used for surfing or body boarding.
There were quite a few people using it...even in winter! It looked fun and I wished I'd brought swimmers.
Im in Australia!! It's cool but not too cold.
Looking forward to catching up with everyone!
Here
are some random pics...
Scully
My cousin, Lara.
Church
Riverbank Lights on the Brisbane river.
Looking forward to catching up with everyone!
Here
are some random pics...Scully
My cousin, Lara.
Church
Riverbank Lights on the Brisbane river.
View
This is the view of the new apartment we'll move into at the end of August. It's bigger, closer to the station, newer, higher, more secure and more expensive.
It's called Chiyozuru Building, but I've named it 'Cheer-of-zulu'...let's get tribal!!
Lounge Room
Unlike the bedroom, the loungeroom has plenty of natural light from a window and sliding glass door. There are also plenty of powerpoints and aerial sockets.
Tiny Balcony
I can't seem to much time being spent here as the space is really small. A place for clothes drying and plants I reckon.
Kitchen
The kitchen is small but neat. Everything seems new! Not much storage space.
Bedroom
This room is actually pretty dark and quiet. Important for sleeping. There are no fly-screens in this room which could be a problem.
New KitKat i-Stick
I found this new KITKAT in the freezer section of my local convenience store and bought it! The idea of KITKAT icecream was really appealing.
Twin Bars in Foil
Similar packaging to the regualar KITKAT. i-Stick is written in 'ice', to appeal to customers during the sweltering summer months.
Frozen rich choc KITKAT!
The chocolate isn't icecream but really rich dark chocolate. This is a little disspointing considering the package says Ice Stick and it's sold in the freezer section.
It's a little too sweet for me and being dark chocolate, it's quite bitter.
Super-Equipped Bike
This bike has multiple carry satchels and umbrella holder and if you look closely on the other pic...a compass!
Umbrella-toting rider with gloves!
This lady was riding in full sunshine with gloves and an umbrella. She's prepared for anything!
Well, thanks to Yuki for the first photo suggestion! - Umbrellas or 傘 'kasa' in Japanese. I took one photo today and will try post a collage of 'kasa' so long as this rain persists.
While looking for a sofa on Sunday, I also snapped these sad looking street cones or 'witches hats'.
Sorry for the lack of posts recently, but Japan is in the middle of a really long rainy season and I haven't been motivated to take pictures :(
So, in order to make this website more interactive, I'd like you to send me an email. Please make a suggestion about what I should take a photo of next!! What would you like to see? This is your chance to dictate the future photographic direction of this blog (a little ;)).
dancrowther@gmail.com
So, in order to make this website more interactive, I'd like you to send me an email. Please make a suggestion about what I should take a photo of next!! What would you like to see? This is your chance to dictate the future photographic direction of this blog (a little ;)).
dancrowther@gmail.com
Cookie Monster (CM) a.k.a 'Party Slut' dropped into Tachikawa school during a recent party and proceded to wreak havoc.
Left Side
It seats one big person...just. Under that seat is a cavournous space for storing drinks, a helmet, weapons, oil, food, etc
Yamaha 'Remo-con' Jog Z II
This is my true motor sports beast the 50cc Yamaha Remocon Jog ZII!!
It's really zippy and is great for getting around. Journeys under an hour are preferable due to the upright seating position. It beats any car at the lights, as the acceleration is super responsive. It's economical too, as 350 yen fills the tank and parking isn't a problem!
Z-II
This scooter is a 2 stroke, which means it has a high power to weight ratio. This is good because I weight about 90 kilograms and my tall stature means there is considerable wind resistance when riding around. Therefore, I need the power! Unfortunately 2-stroke engines don't last as long as 4-strokes. See here for more info.
Odometer, Speedometer and Speed/Oil warning lights.
All the right dials to keep you safe and informed!
This is yet another newly released KitKat from Nestle Japan.
In this particular version, the 5 year anniversary of Universal Studios-Japan is being promoted with a special limited edition and designed variation.
The front design is a starry night dream sequence design with the USJ Logo prominently featured.
As mentioned by Poh Hua Bin (The SixthSeal), the new standard of double individually wrapped packaging can be witnessed again, however in this edition there is some kind of advertisement and internet link provided. (www.usj.co.jp/kitkat)
The main difference in this version is the chocolate press design and color. They have used milk and dark chocolate and incorporated a swirl patten with the outside layer of chocolate. It tastes like a regular KitKat, which was a nice change as I have usually only partaken in the 'special' edition flavour recently.
New 'Annin' Kit Kat (Taken with Sketchy cell-phone)
Well this first of 2 new summer kitkat's isn't so good. Annin is a Chinese dessert with the consistency of jelly, and appearance of coconut, however it tastes like medicine. Yup, specifically kids medicine. I can't recommend this chocolate snack unfortunately. The new adzuki bean kit kat is great though and I'll post pics soon!!
"Container" Sculpture
This cool sculpture is made from 4 orange containers. That values it around $10 000 not including labour.
Yokahama Street Racers
On Sunday, we went to Yokohama to watch the annual dragon-boat races on the Yamashita Park Waterfront. On the way back there were half a dozen street racers showing off their cars on a bridge near Minato Mirai.
HotDog Stand
On the way to the park we munched on a german dog. The beer looked tempting too, but I'm broke and thus didn't partake.
500 Yen Thai Curry @ Thai Tara - Kokubunji
Today started out nicely with a cheap lunch at Thai Tara, a great value, no frills restaurant in Kokubunji, Honcho. On weekdays they throw in coffee as well, for just 500 Yen! I practice my Thai with the old man who runs the place, but he's going deaf and is usually too busy for more than a few words.
Then we went to Inokashira Park in Kichijoji because it was a kick-ass day weather wise.
Dog Ok! Inokashira Park
At this cafe, Dog's are allowed service. How do they read the sign though?
Ice Cream city
Today was about 28 degrees and it seemed everyone was eating icecream. Did you know horses like ice cream? Just ask this one.
For Golden Week we stayed at The Andaman - Langkawi, Malaysia.
This place is beautiful and set amidst a 5 million year old rainforest. There is so much animal and plant life, the insects at night are VERY loud, but you get used to it.
It rained sporadically, but the heat was never too intense. I don't remember sweating at all. It was just nice to escape the concrete of Tokyo and chill out for a few days.
The following are random pictures from our stay.
This place is beautiful and set amidst a 5 million year old rainforest. There is so much animal and plant life, the insects at night are VERY loud, but you get used to it.
It rained sporadically, but the heat was never too intense. I don't remember sweating at all. It was just nice to escape the concrete of Tokyo and chill out for a few days.
The following are random pictures from our stay.
This building still isn't finished!
Here is a photo from a year ago when we came (at the same place).
Daniel Internet!!
Even though I found 'Daniel' internet, I thought It'd be best to stay away from the WWW for a few days! I didn't miss the internet, but I did check NBA playoff scores at the hotel business centre.
The Andaman - Malaysia
The lobby was THE most amazing I have ever seen in a hotel. The lighting is beautiful and creates a very calm atmosphere as you walk into the hotel. There is very soft Malay instumental music playing, but overall if was very quiet and hardly any staff to be seen. (I think the staff must use a special pathway or just keep a low profile for the comfort of guests.)
Plain Grey Metal Phone
Malaysia has many different types of public phones. This one is 'coin' only.
KitKat - Fruit Parfait ! !
As Japan finally enters Spring-time, a new seasonal KitKat has hit the shelves!
Fruit Parfait flavour is not bad at all. The first flavour one notices is banana. The outer chocolate seems to be some banana milk blend.
Individually wrapped KitKat Fingers
As usual, each twin wafer is wrapped in its own foil wrapper. The colors reflect the spring change, and there are many flowers blooming in Tokyo, just like this:
Rainbow speckled, banana choc fingers!
This close-up shot shows the colourful fruit flecks within each bar. They provide a fruity sweet flavour. Between each wafer is a thin layer of strawberry flavoured paste/jam. Fortunately they have managed to keep the sugar levels down, so it's not too sweet.
Try one today!
Ticket Machine -- -- 200Yen
This ticket machine gives access to a wonderful park, right in the middle of Shinjuku. For 200 Yen, you can access beautiful forest, grassy banks and ponds. Being right next to the hustle and bustle of Shinjuku makes it even more appealling. I went on my day off and sat in the sun for an hour!
Access Card
Like many places in Japan, your ticket is an 'access' card which in turn opens a security turnstile. You cant keep the card :(
Clouds - I spent ages cloudgazing today
The clouds were moving very quickly and the intermittent rays of sun and shade was quite relaxing. In the clouds, I saw dogs, santa, and food. In this photo, I saw a satanic duck quarreling with a koala.
Deserted open grassy spaces
There were hardly any people here. I found 30 yen on the ground. Mostly I wondered who took care of the gardens. They must employ at least 10 or 20 permanent gardeners. I wonder if they grow any secret plants in the forest.
As a young child, I used to enjoy various cartoons for their entertaining characters and amusing storylines. These days I'm more amused by what I recognise as racial, ethnic , and social stereotypes portrayed in the cartoons I have loved for 20 odd years.
In particular it is Warner Brothers cartoons that I have noticed the most blatent stereotypical characters. Here is a rough breakdown of the things I have noticed, with my now enhanced, mature PC radar.
Pepe Le'Pew
As a child, i never realised this character was the common American viewed stereotype of French men; smelly and exhibiting intrusive, aggressive seduction behaviour! These days, such behaviour may be considered stalking or sexual harrassment.
Bugs Bunny
I always thought BB talked like a African-American using semi-ebonics, however I have come to realise that his voice is very New York like, a combination of Brooklyn and Bronx accents.
Porky Pig
The stuttering fat kid lacking confidence.
Foghorn Leghorn / Yosemite Sam
Both these characters exude traits of southern Red Neck Americans. Apparently Foghorn was based on a Senator Claghorn, "a blustering southern polititian" from the 1940's."
These are my favourite FL quotes:
"That dog's as subtle as a hand grenade in a barrrel of oat meal."
"That boy's as strong as an ox, and just about as smart."
"You look like two miles of bad road."
"Nice girl, but about as sharp as a sack of wet mice."
Speedy Gonzales
The fastest mouse in all of Mexico. Speedy's cartoons have come under fire in recent years for their alleged stereotypical depictions of Mexicans and Mexican life. Mice in the cartoons are usually shown as lazy, womanizing and hard-drinking, while Speedy wears a huge sombrero and sometimes plays in a mariachi band.
Smile of Mother
From Marui Department Store in Kokubunji. It says okasan arigatou - 'mother thankyou'.
Don't forget Smile of Mother day on 14th of May ;)
Machida Crew
These are staff and students from Machida school. This time of year is very busy for teachers in Japan, because the official school year draws to a close around now. It's a good excuse to party and enjoy a beverage. Unfortunately, I won't be teaching Senka next year, so good luck everyone. Remember guys, when it comes to speaking in English, "don't think... FEEEEEEL''.
Tiesto Live @ Ageha!
On monday a few of us went to see Tiesto at Ageha. It was awesome, and the crowd were super friendly! This is a video to help you imagine the atmosphere. (No animals were harmed in this video, only synapses)
On monday a few of us went to see Tiesto at Ageha. It was awesome, and the crowd were super friendly! This is a video to help you imagine the atmosphere. (No animals were harmed in this video, only synapses)
French Bretagne Milk Kit Kat!!
I stumbed upon this magnificent chocolate creation today. It's a milk white chocolate KitKat with a recipe based in the Brittany region of France, famous for sweet butter cakes. Im not usually a big fan of 'white' chocolate but this baby has a gorgeous flavour.
These are some very pleasant and kind students of mine.
After the lesson I was invited to enjoy some beautiful pork and watercress nabe and beer!!!
Thank you so much!
Apple Kit Kat ! !
I was lucky enough to receive a souvenir from Nagano from a kind student of mine. It's apple flavored KitKat. I could never imagine apple and chocolate morphing well. This version is ok though, and the flavouring is weaker than some of the other Kitkats, so you can still enjoy the chocolate. I think Nagano is famous for growing apples. I wonder how many apples went into this sweet.
Thanks Yuriko!
Museum of Contemporary Art - Tokyo MOT
Yesterday, I went to MOT in Kiba, East Tokyo. It was pretty cool and very quiet! Im off to work now, but I'll update and put up pics later tonight. There were some cool artists work including Andy Worhol!!
Today I went to Tama Zoological Park on my day off. Needed some exercise and I got it. The park is huge and there are heaps of animals to see, including a section just for Australian mammals! The following photos are random shots I took in no particular order.
The park is only 600 yen and pretty close to Tachikawa. Hardly anyone was there today except for a few elementary school groups.
The lion park within the zoo is a highlight and credit to the keepers. The elephants and cheetahs looked bored shitless though.
On Saturday night, old mate Elmo dropped into the Tachikawa ECC Party. He was all over the place but went missing by the time we went to karaoke. He's such a rascal! Look forward to seeing him at the next shindig.
Disney Sea was the target destination for Saturdays Japan Foundation Day Holiday!
What better way to spend the day, than in a magical make-believe world. Disney sea works for me with many different 'lands' or zones to maintain interest.
Unfortunately, I forgot to charge my camera battery before going and I only got 10 shots from my digi-cam. Anyway...here are the ones I took.
Not only is it raining again, it's snowing!
This is an image of a cool Tokyo live web-cam. http://tokyosky.to/
Updates every few minutes and gives a good indication of the weather where I am.
Sakura (cherry blossom) Kit Kat
The KitKat continues to evolve with the seasons here with the introduction of a sakura kitkat. It's a sweet, pink version, and tastes a little like cherry. Not a bad flavour, as passionfruit kitkat still holds the title of 'worst flavour incarnation'. See here.
Spring can't come soon enough to Tokyo...it's cold and raining. I'm looking forward to the cherry blossoms around May.
Sunrise over Tokyo!
The sunrise looked amazing this morning. Actually this was the first sunrise I've seen for a while. Usually I'm sound asleep and our apartment faces west so we only get partial sunsets.
A bigger size pic is here.
The following photos are of meals we had at Mt Mee, about an hour from Brisbane.
The service and food were excellent, unlike some other
places we visited in Brisbane.
Calimari
The service and food were excellent, unlike some other
places we visited in Brisbane.
Calimari
Eagle St Pier Complex
Dad's wedding reception will be around here somewhere...hmmm Nice.
This blurry purple mess is what my photos look like since I dropped my camera on Christmas day :(
I borrowed a camera, so I have photos of Australia and Sydney, but until I get it fixed posting might be more difficult.
Update!! I have dropped off my camera to Konica Minolta at the Ochanomizu head office. Hopefully fixed in a couple of weeks.
I'm off to Australia for two weeks! If you need to contact me regarding anything, send email to the address at the top of this website.
I'll try and post some photos of Brisbane and Sydney over the next two weeks.
Surprise...It's a package!!
This week, I received a surprise package!! It was from the hotel we stayed at in Okinawa.
'Sorry' Letter
The letter thanks us for our stay and for the positive comments regarding the hotel. (While in the hotel, I wrote a letter detailing my experience of finding a cockroach in my napkin at one of the restaurants. The food was great though.) They also apologise for the cockroach and offer a gift of tea and cookies as compensation.
Cookies
The cookies weren't too bad and tasted like shortbread. I'll review the tea in good time.
Thanks Busena Terrace, I appreciate the customer survey response gift.
DoCoMo Transmitter
This close-up photo clearly shows the DoCoMo logo.
New Suica Vending Machine
I spotted this new vending machine on the way to work on Sunday. It's designed to accept regular 'Suica' train passes. Convenience guaranteed!
Hi Tech Vending
Notice the 'antenna' like device in the corner. I believe it serves two purposes. One is to communicate needed supplies for the machine in order to replenish it efficiently. The other is to provide a cashless payment option for DoCoMo phone uses, similar to EDY. See here for more info.
Nago, Okinawa
Recently I went to Okinawa for 3 days relaxation and was hoping to get some much needed sun.
Unfortunately the weather was overcast, but it was pretty warm though. Okinawa has city, suburbs and country areas and we stayed at Nago about 90 mins north of the capital, Naha.
Many of the buildings around Naha look really rundown and dilapidated and the salty air ensures any metal gets a rusty burnt look.
Early morning flight
We took a morning flight from Haneda, and the new terminal is great. Easy to navigate and very modern looking.
Pokemon Plane
We flew Air Pokemon. Captain Pikachu landed the aircraft with precision. ANA don't actually serve food on the flight which sucks. Water, juice and soup are free, but other drinks you have to pay for. Similar to Virgin Blue in Australia.
Busena Terrace - Nago, Okinawa
We stayed here - Busena Terrace
It was awesome. Over 300 rooms and I saw only 10 people the entire 3 days.
Shisa
This is common sight in Okinawa, the Shisa. They're everywhere and apparently bring good luck.
Prime Minister Obuchi
Our hotel was the site for the 2001 G8 summit for many top political leaders. Obuchi died before the summit and PM Mori took his place. They made a bronze statue in respect of Obuchi, who was the main force in organising the summit.
18 Hole Mini Golf
Busena Terraces have a sweet 18 hole mini golf course. We decieded to have a few rounds before lunch. Even the palm trees are mini here. Of course being Japan, my putter was 15 sizes too small and would be more suitable for 7 year old girl, nonetheless I persisted and developed a confident stroke!
Sweet Greens
The greens were pretty well maintained, with only a couple of divots impeding ball progress.
The course was deserted except for a couple of old, toothless gardening wenches having a smoke and chin-wag behind the golf clubhouse.
View
This view from the hotel shows the potential gorgeousness of the beach. Unfortunately it was cloudy the whole time during our stay and I absorbed no sunlight. The trip was very relaxing though.
CLOSED!
Both the beach and pool were closed. I don't know why, can anyone read the Japanese?
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