I spent the last few days of my winter vacation in Tokyo, the perfect place to celebrate New Years Eve with a good group of people. I met up with my friend, Nozomi, in the early evening on the 31st and together we headed over to Yokohama to join everyone else for the night. For those unfamiliar with Japanese geography, Yokohama and Tokyo are separate, but neighboring cities (the two most populated in Japan). Together they compose the densest part of the Greater Tokyo Area.Once we arrived, we walked to a lively British-style pub called, “HUB”, where we met up with my friend Ken and a big gathering of other friends.
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| My good friend Ken and I |
Nozomi and I quickly became friends with everyone there, a cool, diverse mix of people, including Japanese, Chilean, Peruvian, German, Swiss, and American, for example—many whom share multiple ethnicities (especially Japanese and Latin).
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| A few shots from the great night |
I always find that being with a group like this is so much fun. For instance, one of the fond memories of the night was humorously trying to learn a bunch of Spanish songs. There’s not really too much I can write about the party that would be interesting to read, but it was a definitely a good time. We did what anyone would expect at a fun party; chatting, laughing, drinking, eating, and even a little dancing. For the New Year’s Eve countdown, we all walked a short distance to an area called Minato Mirai 21. Once there, we found a spot with a great view of a dazzling ferris wheel called Cosmo Clock 21, one of the largest in the world. It’s a fitting place to countdown the seconds till the new year because some consider the ferris wheel to also be the world’s largest clock.
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| View of Minato Mirai with Cosmo Clock 21 on the right |
The claim as largest clock is based on a measurement of the entire diameter of the wheel, which indeed has 60 seats (like 60 seconds) and a large digital clock display in the center. It's worth noting, however, that the claim is not widely acknowledged. For example, it lacks physical hour/minute hands. Nonetheless, it was a great place to celebrate. The crowd was energetic and a nice fireworks show rang in the new year. Afterwards, we went back to the pub for a few more drinks. What a memorable night!
After New Years...
Highlights from next couple days included a visit to the planetarium in Ikebukuro, checking out the Christmas light-up displays at Tokyo Sky Tree, and some leisurely sightseeing around Odaiba.
Konica Minolta Planetarium "Manten"
I had wanted to check out one of Tokyo's planetariums for a very long time, and finally got the chance during this trip! Nozomi and I chose to visit one located in Ikebukuro Sunshine City, a large commercial complex featuring shopping, restaurants, aquarium, observatory, office space, and more. There, we went to the Konica Minolta Planetarium "Manten". It features some really cool technology, consisting of a special full-dome high resolution projector (used for CG motion imaging and video), and a special star projector (capable of projecting over 360,000 stars). The show we saw was called, "Norman the Snowman" (ノーマン・ザ・スノーマン), a stop-motion/CG-animated film about the a boy and his friend snowman's snowy outdoor adventure under a starry sky. It was fun, I enjoyed it!
It's worth noting that Konica Minolta also operates a second planetarium, "Tenku," located at Tokyo Sky Tree. It seems to be extremely popular based on my experience though; tickets have been sold out every time I try to go. The Ikebukuro location was much less busy.
Tokyo Sky Tee Christmas Light-up
We weren't specifically planning to go to Tokyo Sky Tree (it feels like I've been there a thousand times already), but we had to change our original plan slightly and Sky Tree was nearby. Still, we did get to see something new; the popular landmark was filled with Christmas lightening and some nice decorations. Although relatively modest in scale, it was pretty to see and gave us something interesting to do that night.
Odaiba
On our last day in Tokyo, the weather was fantastic so we decided to take a ferry from Asakusa to Odaiba along the Sumida River. Odaiba, which is also accessable via car, bus, and train, is a large artificial island in Tokyo Bay. It was originally built for military purposes, later developed as a showcase for futuristic living, and now has become a popular commercial, residential, and leisure area.
One of the landmarks to see upon arriving is the Rainbow Bridge, which connects the island to central Tokyo. The bridge is particularly worth seeing at night when its beautifully in various colors that change throughout the seasons.
Near the ferry landing is a stretch of sandy seashore and short walking path, where we enjoyed the sun for a little while. We then proceeded to Palette Town, an area consisting of all sorts of entertainment, shopping, and restaurants. One of the main attractions here is Daikanransha, another large ferris wheel in Tokyo. When it opened in 1999, it was the world's largest (currently the 12th largest ever constructed).
Apparently Japanese people love huge ferris wheels! Anyway, we enjoyed a ride on it too; the views from the top were great. We spent the rest of our time meandering around the shops and buildings. The evening came quickly and before long we had to head back to the city then return home to Aomori.
My winter vacation had finished. It was another excellent trip I've taken in the past few years. Even though it was relatively close to home, I saw plenty of new things and gained more experiences. I wonder where I'll go to explore next time?
Konica Minolta Planetarium "Manten"
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| Planetarium "Manten"; photo by Konica Minolta |
It's worth noting that Konica Minolta also operates a second planetarium, "Tenku," located at Tokyo Sky Tree. It seems to be extremely popular based on my experience though; tickets have been sold out every time I try to go. The Ikebukuro location was much less busy.
Tokyo Sky Tee Christmas Light-up
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| Walkway around Tokyo Sky Tree Town |
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| The Tokyo Sky Tree Town illumination runs until January 31 this year |
On our last day in Tokyo, the weather was fantastic so we decided to take a ferry from Asakusa to Odaiba along the Sumida River. Odaiba, which is also accessable via car, bus, and train, is a large artificial island in Tokyo Bay. It was originally built for military purposes, later developed as a showcase for futuristic living, and now has become a popular commercial, residential, and leisure area.
One of the landmarks to see upon arriving is the Rainbow Bridge, which connects the island to central Tokyo. The bridge is particularly worth seeing at night when its beautifully in various colors that change throughout the seasons.
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| Looking out towards Rainbow Bridge |
Near the ferry landing is a stretch of sandy seashore and short walking path, where we enjoyed the sun for a little while. We then proceeded to Palette Town, an area consisting of all sorts of entertainment, shopping, and restaurants. One of the main attractions here is Daikanransha, another large ferris wheel in Tokyo. When it opened in 1999, it was the world's largest (currently the 12th largest ever constructed).
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| Diakanransha, the giant ferris wheel in Odaiba |
My winter vacation had finished. It was another excellent trip I've taken in the past few years. Even though it was relatively close to home, I saw plenty of new things and gained more experiences. I wonder where I'll go to explore next time?
