Tuesday, October 07, 2003

Wednesday, October 8 Have to attend a meeting at the conference in Tsukuba.  Getting back to Tsukuba Center means taking the Yamanote line from Ikebukuro to Tokyo Station then transferring to the Tsukuba Center highway bus for the 1.5 hour ride back to the conference. View from train going toward Tokyo Station. Tokyo Station. Tokyo Station main concourse. 9:20:03 PM    comment []

Tuesday, October 7 My first full day in Tokyo, I decided to take the train to see Shinkjuku, the Imperial Palace grounds, Ginza District and Akibahara.   Shinjuku crosswalk   Shinjuku pedestrian traffic   Shinjuku station Shinkuku pedestrians   Walking out of Shinkuku station Modified Yamaha SR500 Tokyo Station, south entrance. Imperial Palace grounds, moat and rampart. At night Tokyo transforms from a city of drab buildings into a neon circus of lights.  It is like Times Square, but extends for block after block.  Every major intersection in the busiest districts have enormous video billboards inviting you to try the latest soft drink or beer, you feel like you are in a life size commercial as you walk down the street.  Ginza district Nissan, 350Z roadster debut, Ginza showroom. Ginza district Heading back to the hotel, Yamanote line Tokyo station.   7:45:01 PM    comment []

Monday, October 6 The drive into Tokyo from Tsukuba took an hour and a half.  My Japan Rail pass lets me board any JR bus or train, so I looked around the bus station for a bus with the Kanji characters for Tokyo, asked in broken Japanese if this was "JR basu, Tsukuba kara Tokyo made" and got on, hoping that the driver understood what I was saying.   Highway traffic in to Tokyo The bus travelled on the main highway straight into Tokyo.  I was unprepared for just how sprawling and spread out the city is.  I expected to see suburbs, and mini-malls on the outskirts of the city, but the urban extent is dense from the edge to center.  Tokyo has roughly 30 million people in the metro area, in comparison New York City contains 17 million. This city is huge.   Tokyo Metropolis Once in Tokyo, I had to transfer at Ueno Station to catch the the Yamanote rail line.  The JR Yamanote line runs in a big ring around the greater Tokyo area and is the best way to access many of the sights around the city.   As I looked out from the train as it made its way on the loop, I found out that there is no distinct "downtown" to Tokyo.  Instead there are multiple city centers, each with its own character, Ginza, Roppongi, Shinjuku, Ikebukuro.     Taxi line at Ueno Station I got off the train at Ikebukuro station, one of Tokyo's largest.  The major rail stations are like mini cities.  In addition to catching the train or bus, you can shop, eat and sleep there.  Tunnels and underground floors lead to bookstores, restaraunt plazas, hotels and enormous department stores.  I took a wrong turn coming out of Ikebukuro station, and ended up in one of the largest department stores in the city - Seibu.  There are 12 floors to this store, and I was so amazed I visited each floor just to see what was up there.  I particularly liked the sporting goods floor (with its own driving range), the bookstore (as big as a regular Borders), and the food market.   I think I spent three hours in the store, before realizing that I had to go and check in to my hotel. The Sunshine Prince Hotel was a 10 minute walk from the station, through the neon lit streets filled with shopping plazas and food vendors.  The hotel is part of the Sunshine City complex, which includes office towers, public open space, a hotel tower and shopping area that covers several city blocks.  I'm up on the 29th floor with a view that looks south toward Shinjuku.    View from Sunshine Prince Hotel 5:08:18 PM    comment []

Saturday, October 04, 2003

Sunday, October 5 Getting from Narita to Tsukuba was surprisingly easy.  There is a direct bus from the airport to Tsukuba center, for 2300 yen about $23.  I could have used my rail pass to take a bus then, a rail transfer, for free but on my first day I think I might have become lost.  Now that I'm a little more confident, I'll use my pass to get back to Narita on my way home. Money conversion at the going exchange rate (100yen to the dollar) is simple, just move the decimal place over two places.  Prices are really quite reasonable, my hotel in Tokyo runs $100 per night, and my place in Tsukuba which is quite nice is about $110 per night.  I like going to the train station vendors for food and rarely pay more than $6-$8 for a meal.  Though I did spend $30 when we went out with some of the conference delegates for a nice restaraunt meal.  I am actually here to attend a technical workshop sponsored by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) http://www.gbif.org .  GBIF is a multinational organization of scientists and information professionals working toward the creation of a biodiversity information exchange framework to allow data access and analysis with the intent of effecting conservation policy.  The workshop will provide the tools and a review of the interchange standards and protocols used by participant groups.  Tsukuba is a University town and science center.  We are meeting at the International Congress Center, a spacious and modern conference center in the middle of town next to the big department stores and restaraunts.   Bicycles parked at Tsukuba Center, most are unlocked. Bus attendant at International Congress Center Tsuchiura Gakuen Ave from overpass leading to Central Park.   Entryway to Tsukuba Conference Center. Interior of Conference Center, GB7 workshop and training that I am attending is on the second floor. View from Conference Center. Outside of the conference center on a walk after lunch.  View from the second floor balcony of the conference center. 8:15:16 PM    comment []

Saturday, October 4 The flight from Honolulu to Japan was great, just a little longer than a West Coast to Hawaii flight.  The flight seemed shorter because of the great in-flight entertainment, each seat has its own LCD flat panel display and your choice of 10 video channels and 15 audio channels.  I watched two different movies, caught up on news with CNN and listen to some Japanese pop tunes.  Before I knew it we were landing in Narita.  Crossing the dateline does some strange things to your time, lost a whole day (which I hope to get back on the return trip) and found myself having to adjust my watch by 19hours.  Can't quite figure out what time it is Hawaii, much less the East Coast, I just call and see if the voice on the other end sounds sleepy.  I think that if it is 12noon here in Japan, it is 5pm the previous day in Hawaii, and people are picking up the phone, so I guess I'm not too far off.  United Flight 827, Honolulu to Narita Exit from customs to baggage claim. Narita Terminal. 7:18:10 PM    comment []