Electric Town, ponds and a bit of history.

By-passing the only stand-offish station employee we've encountered to date (I'd like to think his bitterness stemmed from not being allowed to wear those white gloves the other train guards were sporting), we made it to the Yamanote Line (which does a huge loop around Central Tokyo). 

We got off the train at Akihabara, otherwise known as Electric Town (known for its many electronics outlets). Hamish was more than a little keen to take a peek in one of the multi-storey gaming arcades. We obliged, and to our delight - found that the placed reeked of cigarettes and single males.

Note the complimentary ash-trays at each gaming station  - cute.

We thought we'd wash down the smoke with a healthy dosage of KFC. Joshie was quite enjoying his swivel stool, when a young employee (whose sole function was to take peoples trays and navigate the multi-garbage receptacle mine-field) offered a high-chair. Naturally, we accepted the offer - but Josh was not impressed. After a few minutes, a frown appeared, closely followed by an impressively protruding bottom lip. The wail that followed shook the nigh-on silent diners, and woke one poor lass who had been dozing face down on her table. The clearly distressed Tray-technician rushed over and enquired after Joshies well-being, obviously expecting him to have ruptured something to have led to a cry that hearty. We assured the poor young man that everything was fine, and took our leave shortly after. I'm fairly certain we passed some local shopkeepers asking each other the equivalent of, "Did you hear that?". Lily, meanwhile, was announcing to all within ear-shot the details of the fully-automatic toilet she had visited during our short stay in KFC.

Akihabara - home of the smoke-filled arcade,

and normally silent fast food restaurant.

Our next stop was Ueno - known for its Park and Museum. Somewhat embarrassingly, we circled the entire Station complex before finally locating the way across the train line (we did however locate two Cafe Latte Grandes - a fair trade really) to the Park.

Gojo Shrine Torii

Gojo Shrine

The Martin children lit some incense at Benten Hall, not really getting the concept of 'smoulder', and going more for 'leaping flames'. Still - sufficient incense smoke wafted our way to ensure good fortune.

Benten Hall - site of the Great Incense Fire of 2012

Josh and his steed of choice.

Tosho-Gu Shrine

Somewhat ambitiously, we ventured into the Ueno Museum with our silence-shattering children. They were in fact remarkably well-behaved, and enjoyed the statues, Noh masks and Katana swords. They grew a little weary of the rooms dedicated to lacquer-ware boxes housing documents of some 18th Century official of dubious importance (which is fair enough).

As we were leaving, we were pleased the Museum folk advised us of the inherent dangers of the 30 cm deep pond at the front of the main building. It positively oozed danger - I'm pretty sure I saw a dorsal fin.

The happie....erm most surreal place on Earth.

With a plan of reaching Tokyo Disneyland just as it opened, we rose early, got ready with clockwork efficiency, and braved the Tokyo Metro System during peak hour...

...and took the wrong Line.

Fortunately, we were politely informed of this error while conversing with yet another Japanese commuter - with sufficient time to change trains (riding along with the surge of humanity at some points) and edge our way towards Maihama Station (closest stop to Disneyland).

The folks queuing up with us at the entrance would have been right at home at a Cosplay convention - fuzzy knee-high boots and mittens, gothic school girls, fully-grown men wearing Goofy heads - the lot. My desire not to offend / be arrested overrode my want of recording some of the more bizarre outfits on camera. Once through the queue, we came across - another queue. This one was apparently for the perfect spot to take a photo of the welcoming garden-bed in the shape of Mickey's noggin. I have never seen so many people, so blissfully happy to queue in my life. These people were forming queues of 20 or more for some caramel popcorn, more of which was able to be purchased in another Popcorn Cart an epic 150 metres away.

We started our adventure in Toon Town, which was aimed at the younger attendees. I joined the bigger two Martin kiddies on what turned out to be a deceptively fast children's roller-coaster. I was not looking forward to experiencing something aimed at people over  three.

It was turning out to be quite a warm day - so we purchased some drinks from some ridiculously happy cashiers, and then learned that even bins in Japan are more complicated - my soft-drink container ending up in three separate receptacles. I thought I saw a chip almost hit the pavement, before several attendants sprang from nowhere to banish that crumb from the public glare within seconds.

A quiet day at Tokyo Disneyland - no, really.

We strolled/negotiated our way past scores of strollers lined up in ordered rows out the front of various attractions, and found some likely rides for the bigger kids. It turns out that the average wait time for a Tokyo Disney ride is a little over 1.5 hours. We made Splash Mountain in a blistering 1 hour 15 minutes. Fortunately, I looked ever so suave and nonchalant in the photo taken on the final plummet.

Hamish managed to stay dry, yet I copped a bucket of water to the face.

We'll have no talk of my cranial dimensions thank you.

As the day cooled in the afternoon - we managed to jump onto many more rides - even the old Tea Cup ride. We picked up a little Mickey plush-toy for Joshie, who had not stopped talking about the red-panted rodent since we arrived. He managed to see two parades with Mickey and Co. cavorting about in some sort of homage to 'completely non-scary /Japanese-styled Halloween'. Joshie has still not put that Mickey down, curled up asleep.

Mickey was a hit.

A lazy Sunday in the Garden

Our itinerary for today underwent a hasty revision after crawling out of bed part-way through the day. We leapt upon the now-familiar Tozai line into Tokyo. In an attempt to distract Joshie from his aversion to sitting and doing little on public transport, we offered our railway map for him to hold. Working a little too well, he denied his siblings access to said map in imperious tones, his grave frown dissuading them from any further attempts.

Not only are the trains devoid of any form of graffiti, they are also (apparently) choice locations for a bit of a kip. Locals get on board, take a seat - and within minutes their heads are lolling forwards in slumber, swaying left and right in time with the acceleration and deceleration of the train. One poor young girls head would make a soft bonging sound as it gently collided with one of the metal carriage posts. Lily was fascinated.

Our destination today was the East Garden of the Imperial Palace - right in the centre of Tokyo. The older two kids had a camera each - and went a little snap-happy. Joshie delighted in the opportunity to run - at length. We fortunately avoided any inadvertent dips in the Imperial Moat or breaches of Palace security.

Martin kiddies in front of a ye olde Guard House.

East Garden.

We were approached by a Japanese gentleman in a white floppy hat, whose internal struggle with burning curiosity and extreme politeness was something to behold. After establishing that we were from Australia - he earnestly sought confirmation whether kangaroos and koalas wandered the streets. While I could not confirm city malls festooned with marsupials, I did advise that should he find himself driving in the Australian countryside of an evening - he may well be plagued with kangaroos leaping across the road. He was rapt.

Kimono-clad lady with parasol

 - moments later started taking snaps with  her iPhone.

Team Martin

Really big wall

 - I heard the Emperor reeeally dislikes his neighbours.

We made our way along to Nijubashi Bridge, the security so tight that I wondered how the Emperor gets pizza home-delivered. Poor man.

How to use traffic bollards as play equipment.

Nijubashi Bridge

It was getting late as we returned home, and we are now growing used to the overly-confident cyclists who careen along footpaths and major motorways with equal abandon (how they manage to do this whilst remaining unceasingly polite is beyond me). I picked up some Shochu (a form of Japanese spirit) to have with dinner this evening. We practised moderation as we are heading to Disneyland in the morning - and would not like to be visiting the Happiest Place on Earth (tm) with a hangover.

Kawai comas and commuter bugs from Hades.

We first twigged something was up while in the customs queue - when approximately 300 Japanese school kids materialised. Our flight was apparently the return leg of an overseas jaunt for a seething throng of.... pretty well-behaved teens, all things considered. Josh was repeatedly labelled 'kawai' by a host of giggling girls. While this attention would normally bring out the showman in our 2 year old, he instead preoccupied himself with draping over the nearest parental figure available (a promising sign for our over-night flight).

The flight was so uneventful (apart from neither Jen or I sleeping for more than 30 mins for the duration of the 9 hour flight) that the pilot had to slow down so as not to get to Narita too early.

I managed to snag a bottle-shaped can (you Crazy Japanese folk) of Pocari Sweat - which despite the name actually tastes kind of lemony. I managed to steer Hamish and Josh away from the more traditional toilets (imagine a ceramic hole in the ground if you will), and both boys were tickled-pink by the automated soap dispenser, tap and hand dryer. Josh continued to drape himself, only had now progressed to the airport floor, backpacks, and slow moving elderly folk. After some angst with both International ATMs and baffled ticket sellers - we eventually walked away with some tickets. It turns out that we somehow agreed to get a ticket for a train by-passing Narita proper (where we had wanted to go) and were now heading along an express line to somewhere in Tokyo.

Our increasingly over-acted looks of concern caught the attention of one Tokyoite who had been busy playing the role of a Silent Commuter Man. Unfortunately for him, he made eye contact with us - so he was all ours. It turns out this particular gentleman lived for a time in Gosford (approximately 70 minutes from our house), and engaged enthusiastically once we overcame what he called a racial tendency towards shyness. We spoke about a range of topics (we kept steering him towards what station we should get off at), until a Wasp-like thing the size of a Budgie entered the carriage at one of the stops along the way. Normally inscrutable commuters were flapping their hands and fleeing towards each end of the carriage. I was about to break into a bit of, "You call that a wasp....", when I was advised by our new acquaintance that this particular insect/demon was infamous for the toxic payload it carried. Eventually, one of the brave train stewards came in, brandishing his snow-white gloves, and heroically......rolled down a window - crisis averted.

We eventually and reluctantly said goodbye to our impromptu tour guide, and found ourselves in Nishi-ogikubo - where we shall be crashing for the next several nights. Firmly entrenched in suburbia, I was surprised by the range and quaintness of various restaurants, cafes, bakeries as well as what must be one of the longest (I needed a little rest part way along) supermarkets I've seen. We've been unabashedly/embarrassingly enthusiastic in pointing out all the quirky items in the aisles, and stunned by the reliance on the honesty of shoppers in the shops layout (I had to walk back into the shop at one point to pay for a purchase).

Nishi-ogikubo - I think the shop on the corner sells sweet bun-things. 

Will investigate further tomorrow!

Somehow I've managed to stave off collapse with a liberal dosage of Boss - which appears to be cold, overly-sweet coffee in a can. Tomorrow shall see us 'head into town', taking a peek at Tokyo city centre itself.

Super-happy-fun bites of flaky corn!

Hurry up and wait.

The Martin crew is currently digesting a lovely (and hopefully turbulence-friendly) meal at one of the Sydney Airport Bistros while waiting for our 10:30pm flight (a mere 3.5 hours away). We are sporting an assortment of gadgetry: Hamish (nearly 8) on the iPod, Joshie (2) on the DS, Jenny (more than 21) on the Kindle, and Lily (10) forging her own Luddite path with a Journal and pencil. I've managed to score free wi-fi, so am a happy camper.

I am mildly surprised that the entrances to the Terminal had not been boarded up with the progressively escalating weather warnings over the last 24 hours. It went from rain, wind, gale-force winds, hail, to ultimately a plague of mutant locusts. Certainly, the car trip down the free-way was invigorating (in one of those, 'wow - that truck nearly hit us whilst we were blinded by torrential rain' kind of ways), but it appears that the much-touted front has stormed its way north from here.

What we will be living out of for the next month.

All things going well (ie pilot having the right destination plugged into his GPS), we should be touching down in Narita Airport at around 6:30am their time. Until then - sayonara!

The best laid plans

With Jen’s 21^st celebrated for at least the third time and Hamish’s 8^th a few weeks early – we are now in the final stages of preparation for our Japanese adventure.

Having forgone even a rudimentary course in the language, we are placing our faith in a teeny Japanese/English dictionary, a chirpy-sounding translator App, as well as the general good-will of the Japanese populace.

We’ve limited our luggage to 3 sets of clothing each (super-ultra-quick-dry travelling gear if you please), one pair of shoes, and a small department of electronic goods. Jen will be sporting a 65L backpack, whereas mine is an embarrassingly masculine 75L. The ensuing days will see us pack, assess, review, re-pack more times than I care to imagine right now, but will pay off in reduced orthopaedic specialist fees later on.