My birthday trip. Day 1, part 4

19.35, SkyTree Cafe

Happy birthday to me! I am alone here, but it feels so warm

My birthday trip. Day 1, part 1

18.30, Oshiage station Skytree south exit
This awkward moment when you exit the station and suddenly a shop like this greets you...

Osaka and Tokyo in December, chapter 2. Day 10, the last one

song of the day - paniyolo 'green and cloud'.

Truly fits a sunny December day in Tokyo suburbs seen from a rapid train window.

 

8.30 in the morning

After coming back at 1 AM, I just couldn't make myself get up as early as I should have.

9.59

No matter how I try to pack my stuff quickly, I always end up being exactly on time or 2-3 minutes late for check-out... >___< 

11.30

If last year I was leaving with one bag, then this time I'll have two. And I'm so glad I took this one with me...

13.45

I'm so glad we're on time. We still have half an hour to shop for the last time.

14.00

Why is it taking so long to check in two passengers? There was no one but those two Japanese guys before us in the queue, and what?

14.05

And why is there only one woman at the check in counter?

14.10

Oh finally.

14.15

Since when did it become prohibited to carry more than 1 bag as your luggage? Oh, since this October. Nice.

You say, we're allowed to take more because there's enough space and it's not overweight? Oh thank you. Thank you, kind woman.

14.20

I guess we have to move to the plane already. Why does it always happen that our gate is in some farthest neck of the woods possible?

14.55

Goodbye, Japan. Oh... I'm coming back to Russia. To the cold winter winds and -16 that feels like -30, traffic jams in the evening and roads covered with ice. No... No...... NOOOOOO!

Osaka and Tokyo in December, chapter 2. Day 9

song of the day - 'Omotesandou 26ji' by sakanaction

11.00
Finally we're here! Omotesando! Oh, how I wanted to see it and to have a walk here. This part of the street is narrow and does not look like a big boulevard, but the famous brands have their shops here just one after another.

11.30
This is finally the 'boulevard'. And here is Norihiko Dan's work! Wow.

I guess we can create a collection of Christmas-tree-resembling-weird-things already

I'm so glad the weather is fine. The boulevard is even better than I expected.

First 'kukuruza' ('corn'), then what... Ryabina ('rowan')?

15.30
I'd say that I liked 'Night on the Galactic Railroad' by Kagaya better than this Fuji-san fantasy, but it was still very beautiful

We're from here!

A long-awaited lunch. The Japanese do love Italian cuisine, even at a planetarium.

16.20
No to boring selfies!

Yes to huge yellow half-eggs!

16.30
Even though if I could choose I'd say I want to live in a noisy busy big city, visiting Osaka and Tokyo neighbourhood made me think those small towns are really cute. It's not that I changed my opinion, but look at this...

Native Russian language speakers will understand.

Again, NO to boring selfies.

There was an apartment house called 'haide-ru be-ru'. I am pretty sure it was 'Hider Bell'. Why not? It's a name easy to sing.....

20.15

Let's go to the Ikebukuro West Gate Park! Oh, where is it? Where did it hide? Erm... So, we're standing in the middle of it right now, right?

20.20

Let me take a photo with you. Now stand here. To the left. Ok. SYMMETRYYYY!

You think so, too?

Music~

20.00
Ok, so I'll jusy buy that dress for my mom and we'll get going. 8 o'clock? Oh no... Don't tell me... The shop is closed already!

21.00
Thank you Google for creating Street View. I'm not sure I'd find the bar without your help.

23.30
Goodbye, small cute bar. Goodbye, cute bartenders and staff. I love you~

No comment to the last one

Osaka and Tokyo in December, chapter 2. Day 7

song of the day - 'Last Christmas'. 'cause it was everywhere

9.30, hotel
A usual twin room in Hotel Juyoh. Good morning

16.35

Catching a moment when no one is around, let me make a photo with the anniversary stand. Thank you for 100 years.

17.40
Tokyo Tower sure looks good, no matter how you loot at it.

18.00
Well, well. I guess Japan knows how to celebrate Xmas in a unique way.

19.00
An hour in a queue. I guess I'll die here. Standing. Yes, I'll be a standing mummy.

19.10

Is it only me or all men here are already occupied by the opposite sex? If anything, Christmas in Japan is a sad holiday for a lonely girl.

19.20

So this is all there is on the top observing deck? Huh? more than one hour in a queue, and 700 yen of additional cost for this?

While waiting, we've watched a trailer for the upcoming puppet movie based on Nutcracker. Even here former Takarazuka actresses take part. No, they just can't do without Takarazuka! haha...

There where we were just yesterday

19.50
What Christmas in Japan can do without a cake with cream and strawberry?

20.31
This evening the special illumination on Tokyo Tower is romantic. Well of course.

21.10
4 times in Juyoh Hotel, and 4 times I have captured this wall. This year's composition is very nice.

23.00

As if one cake wasn't enough, the second one in the hotel room. In fact, we were going to eat it yesterday but didn't have time and strength to, 'cause came at midnight. Well, Merry Christmas to you!

Osaka and Tokyo in December, chapter 2. Day 6

song of the day - sakanaction, 'music'
It was playing at the 'Miraikan' museum and was the perfect choice to fit the atmosphere.

9.25

Since I've noticed a poster saying that there is a museum of Mucha in the Sakai city neighbouring Osaka, I couldn't miss it. That's why we had to get up at 8 and start packing to manage to get to the museum and back by the time we need to get to Shin-Osaka station for our Shinkansen. Now that everything's packed we're ready to leave. I guess for a hostel, this was an extremely good, convenient and cosy hotel.

10.05
When I see Mucha's works I lose my mind...

12.20

About to board the Shinkansen. Finally my dream has come true. Shinkansen-bento, wait for me!!!

13.30
They have a special bento celebrating half-a-century to Shinkansen trains. Have a nice meal, +U-tan

And me, too

14.00

I know it's always like this - scenery that you see from aboard a train or a plane looks much more attractive than if you saw it real. It's because the inability to touch it makes it more mysterious. However, I's still say I'd like to visit Nagoya some day and probably several other smaller cities situated on the shore.

15.30

We're finally on Odaiba. For some reason, it has never been an attractive place to me, but now I guess it's my favourite place in all Tokyo. The sea, the sunset and the beautiful blue glass that many buildings are made from.

17.45
I never imagined there would be something like this inside the building...
KIETA! KIETA! kawa wa nagareru...

17.40

By the time we got to the Team Lab exhibition the talk-show with its leader, mr. Inoko, whose interview impressed me so much, had already ended. I doubt, though, we could've enjoyed it very much. Instead, we're enjoying their works. It did look great in the programme, but I couldn't imagine it feels this wonderful to be within the flower stream yourself.

The works created on the basis of traditional Japanese paintings do look good, too

and +U-tan sure liked the room for children very much. I'm feeling like her mom =)

However, this is what I consider the greatest work by Team Lab ever

upd.:

The official website of Team Lab says that this video is a kind of a contribution to a prominent Japanese animator whose swiftly moving mecha in 'Ideon' earned him a fame of a master who is able to create a 3d-like experience in 2d, and gave birth to a special name to a phenomenon when objects that fly inside some space create an impression of a trapeze show: Itano circus

To gen an impression of what it's like just type 'Itano circus' or 板野サーカス in YT and watch a few vids

19.38
Just were passing by this wonderful stand...

19.45
U-tan wants to get on the Ferris wheel. There's no helping it, though it's really cold.

19.50

Goodness gracious! They did it! There is a heater under the seats! Why didn't they think of it in Osaka???

20.00

We're finally at Venus Fort. It does not look like a very attractive or special shopping mall from outside, nor it does impress you as soon as you enter from the side of the Ferris wheel situated next to it. However, finally getting to the main part of it... Christmas market,

illumination,

fountain,

halls made to resemble European streets with blue sky

21.30

Going to the hotel. I hope we won't be late for check-in. The Ferris wheel we were just in is visible in the window of the automatic self-moving train of the Yurikamome line.

23.50

We got lost when we went to a combini. Streets and intersections looks so alike in Japan. Especially at night.

It's Christmas Eve tomorrow. Everybody tries to decorate the streets as possible.

Good night.