07/13 - Sport Tourism

Oh the places you'll go

all over massive Tokyo 

with your pops in tow


Parks posts pilgrimages

pushy palace promenades

past pretty packed



Today my dad and I headed out to check out some cool tourist spots in Tokyo. We have a habit, when we are in a new city together, of jamming lots into our days, in order to see as much as possible. It's kind of tourism as a sport. It's not that we don't appreciate each place and rush through, it's just that we figure we can rest and relax when we're done and we should make the most of the days in a cool locale. We have jammed tons into short trips to Paris and Prague in the past. Today, even this weekend in whole, we did tons of Tokyo.

First up, we went to Ueno Park. I hadn't been there before and it was a fantastic place. The large park is full of different museums on all sides, some sports fields, a huge fountain area, and a zoo! We went to the very old and beautiful shrine in the park, walked around, and enjoyed some pizza and an ice cream.

Next it was off to Asakusa, to add to our list of temples and shrines. My dad must be trying to make up for lost time as he just went to Rome and the Vatican, went to mass with the Pope and now has visited several temples in just his first few days in Tokyo. Not bad for an atheist. Luckily for him, after the huge temple we headed to Don Quixote, because they have a very cool looking location in Asakusa.

When we were finished we headed to Tokyo Station so I could show my dad the older style station and the Kitte building next to it. We had a much needed cup of tea and a sandwich in our dear friend Cathal's favourite spot, Maranouchi Reading Style, then did a little shopping.

To finish off the day we walked around the Imperial Palace, and found the massive spirit festival that was on. Tasuku and Yoshi had told us about it the night before, informing us that it was very neat but so full of people. They were not joking. In the wide lane way that leads up to a statue it seemed there was about as many people as physically possible smushed between the rows of lit-up lanterns. Still, people continued to stream in. The place was kind of like a beautiful version of the Richmond Night Market, with less space and about ten times the people. It was very nice to see but so hot, cramped and difficult to move amongst all the people, so we didn't stay too long. We fought our way out, grabbing a snack just before the end of the row, and headed home. It was a jam-packed day but we saw some fantastic things and covered a lot of ground, walking and on trains.

Today's first haiku references the Dr. Suess classic "Oh the Places You'll Go". It seems to fit considering the type of day, the craziness of being in Tokyo with my dad and the fact I loved Dr. Suess as a kid. Fittingly, I made today's first haiku rhyme and for the second I went with the alliteration route, starting every word with my favourite letter. P.