Day 6 of 100: Wait...Am I in the US or Japan?

I saw the Statue of Liberty and visited a mall that looks like the one in Ceasar Palace in Vegas...Was i in the US or Japan????  I was confused for a moment.....Yes, Ms. Liberty is in Tokyo too....she stands near the harbour in Odaiba which is just a short ride of transit from Tokyo Conrad. It is a very nice area and you can see the famous Rainbow Bridge...lots of futuristic buildings, theme parks as well as shopping malls. You can easily spend the whole afternoon here without feeling bored..:-)

Before we meet Ms. Liberty, let me take you for a ride of the transit first. So buckle up and enjoy the ride!

Look like Ceasar Palace in Las Vegas, huh?

Day 5 of 100: Shrines and Temples of Nikko (World's Heritage site)

Today is a perfect day to get out of the cosmopolitan city to go to nature. Nikko is about 2 hours away from Tokyo by train but it is really worth a trip...Having visited over 150 cities in 40 countries, I have to say Nikko has some amamzing architecture which is nicely incorporated into the nature...After reading how the UNESCO described Nikko, how can you not pay a visit?

"The Nikko shrines and temples are a reflection of architectural and artistic genius; this aspect is reinforced by the harmonious integration of the buildings in a forest and a natural site laid out by man. Nikko is a perfect illustration of the architectural style of the Edo period as applied to Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. The Gongen-zukuri style of the two mausoleums, the Tôshôgu and the Taiyû-in Reibyô, reached the peak of its expression in Nikko, and was later to exert a decisive influence. The ingenuity and creativity of its architects and decorators are revealed in an outstanding and distinguished manner."

Day 4 of 100: Funny/silly/interesting Tokyo moment



Heat wave attacked the whole Japan and they have a new record high temp almost everyday for the last 100 years....so today is just a relaxing day: swimming in the pool @ Tokyo Conrad and walking & shopping around.....so just wanna share with you all some funny / silly and interesting pics and video..so enjoy!

SPAM Sushi????

Do you want to see World's busiest intersection?



Old Toy Stores



 



What do they use the washroom for????



I can try to use the washroom BEAUTIFULLY
but I am sure it is not going to be pretty... !!



Day 3: Iconic Statute in Japan: Kamakura Buddha

The Great Buddha of Kamakura is a bronze statue of Amida Buddha and is the second tallest bronze Buddha statue in Japan, surpassed only by the statue in Nara's Todaiji Temple. The statue was cast in 1252 and originally located inside a large temple hall. However, the temple buildings were destroyed multiple times by typhoons and a tidal wave in the 14th and 15th centuries. So, since 1495, the Buddha has been standing in the open air.

The big buddha statue in Kamakura is probably the most iconic statue you will see in any picture books or postcards about Japan. Having been to Tokyo so many times, I never had a chance to go there. Therefore, i am more than determined to play a visit this time. Kamakura is not that far from Tokyo. It is about 45 mins by train and a short walk (20 mins) from the train station. It was very hot the day when I visited but when I finally got there in front of the giant bronze statue, I can feel a zen moment & coolness in my mind....

It is a bird on top of the statue, not a UFO :-)

Can you feel the calmness and coolness?
It was actually 36c that day!



Inside the bronze statue so
it was probably 40c....



Day 2 of 100: Largest Fish Market in the World !!! TSUKIJI FISH MARKET

If you are tired of all the drama in Wall Street, come here...world's largest trading floor for fish...We got up at 4am to walk from the hotel to the fish market. Just like the trading floor at the NYSE (New York Stock Exchange), traders are definitely very busy here except they are buying and selling tuna...i didnt know tuna is  THAT BIG....

 

   

So what's next? Of course to go to one of the nearby local japanese restaurant to witiness the transformation from fish to sushi....You cannot get anything fresher than the fish just coming out from the trading floor.....

It was all started here...........Day 1 of 100 : Tokyo

Day 1 of 100: Arriving in Tokyo

I started planning this 100-day, once-in-a-life-time travel extravanganza since the beginning of 2010. How can I not be excited with the beginning of this amazing journey.  My friend, WILL and I took Air Canada Biz class from Vancouver. It was only a 9-hour jouney and we finally arrived in Narita airport. I have actually been to Tokyo for many than 20 times. However, there is something about Japan, or Tokyo in particular that attract me to go back again and again.....The pace is so fast here so everytime I come back to Japan, there is always something new to attract my attention. So Tokyo is like a place that you will never finish exploring because new stuff, new technology, new gagets always pop up every time.

We checked into Tokyo Conrad which is a very luxury hotel (See Hotel section below!). After freshened up, we wasted no time to start our adventure: to get up to Tokyo tower. Everyone is saying that Tokyo tower was a copy-cat of the Effiel Tower in Paris. I tend to disagree with that. If you see the Tokyo tower during day time, it is actually orange in color and at night, it just sparkles......how can you take your eyes off it???? Also, unlike Effiel tower which is located in a park, tokyo tower is located in the middle of skyscappers. Therefore, it doesnt matter you go up the observation deck during day or nite, you can expect amazing veiw of Tokyo, one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world.

You can customize your own souvernir @ Tokyo Tower. I did mine!

Check out the Day & Nite View from Tokyo Tower...its a very cool video..

HOTEL RAIDER: Tokyo Conrad

Gorgeous hotel and very modern without being impersonal. The lobby was very tastefully done and the service was like no other. Every single staff member we met was extremely nice and helpful, everyone! And they go above and beyond to ensure you have a pleasant stay. I loved loved loved my room -- floor to ceiling windows with a great view. It had a sitting area right along the windows. The bathroom had automated blinds that separated it from the rest of the room, practically everything in the room was automated. Turn down service every night without fail. The hotel is in close proximity to the train station, which translates to convenient to anywhere, but there's not much of night time activities in the immediate area, good for those who want to get a peaceful, quiet, sleep. In fact I couldn't even hear noises from the lobby or adjacent room.