Wednesday we went out to explore another part of Tokyo, Odaiba, which is known for being the home of Fuji television. We took several trains to get there, and then walked around the area while I took pictures and took in the sights. The place wasn’t so crowded, and we explored the Fuji Television building, with very strange architecture and many equally strange characters inhabiting it.
In the distance we could see a ferris wheel, so we went out to the wheel and gave it a ride so I could take some more pictures. Along the way we were very impressed with a big building sponsored by Toyota. Inside you could see many of their cars, and even drive some of the minute cars they use for commuting around here. The test drive let you go around a miniature track, both inside and outside the building, with automatic doors that opened and closed after you pass. Reservations were required, otherwise we were game for the experience.
After the ferris wheel we went inside a big shopping center designed similarly to many of the shopping centers in Las Vegas. The place was called Venus Fort, and it had lots of restaurants to choose from. We picked one out mainly from the lighting and interior design, and enjoyed an all you can eat (called “Viking” in Japan) meal. There were some things that I haven’t had in a long time, some meat that unintentionally was similar to carnitas, smoked chicken, and pretty good pizza. We both ate big, and then we made the long journey back to the Tokyo train station.
This time around we spent an extra $20 and got reserved seats for the Bullet Train. What a difference those made – we had tons of leg room, the seats reclined way back and we were in the back of the train so there was nobody to bother when we reclined. After the grueling three hour standing trip on the way here, it made the $20 seem like the best investment I’ve ever made.
Kuniko and I shared my headphones on the way back and the trip went by in a flash. We had thought to bring drinks and snacks, which helped a lot. We pulled into Shin-Osaka station, and together we walked over to Kuniko’s apartment to grab my stuff. She walked me back to the station, and I was home around six o’clock – tired and exhausted.
Now I feel like I’ve done Tokyo justice, and covered at least the major sights. There are a lot more things to see and do there, but I think I can give that town a rest for a while. I’m looking forward to some small town comforts here in Futami-cho for a little while.
