Out of the Country

There is nothing like being out of the country to derail my attempts at a consistent blog, but here it is, a blog from Japan. I have been visiting friends and relatives for the past week, and will start travelling to different cities as a tourist starting tomorrow.

So far it has been a very enjoyable trip. Japan in November is like Vancouver in October, not too hot (average 15-20 degrees Celsius) with about 70% humidity. So if it does get around or above 20 degrees, it does feel warm, but not unbareably warm. Not like September or summer in Japan which can reach 35 degrees with 80% humidity, making it feel like 40+ degrees.

A few places we went to include Shinanomachi, the SGI headquarters, Shinjuku station and Tokyo City Hall with its scenic view towers, Shibuya, a 20-something area with a number of high-end stores and building called Roppongi Hills (aka Beverly Hills). The entire building is like 15 stories high, not including the hotel and condo complex which is a skyscraper. It is hard to explain, so when I have the pictures ready, I can show you.

We also went to the Meiji Shrine on Nov. 14, which happens to be the day where kids 3, 5, and 7 years of age come to celebrate their birthday. They dress up in kimonos and traditional dress and go to the shrine. Many kids were very cute in their outfits, and many allowed their kids to be photographed by tourists like us.

So much to say, so little time, but suffice it to say, it's been a very eye-openning experience so far.

Next is Osaka for a few days, Kyoto and Hiroshima.