Japan Photos 2008

Japan Photos 2008

Maebashi is where Glen Grinage and Asamisan live.

Bill and Heromi, we are most grateful to you for providing Roy and I Bed and Breakfast while in Tokyo. "Mi casa es tu casa" anytime you wish to visit Texas. Do it before I croak ! aishite imasu !

Dr.and Mrs.Miyawaki (Pharmacist) and their two children, both of them are MDs. They hosted us at their home and also at a traditional Japanese restaurant in Maebashi, Gunma Japan their home town. Thank you, Dōmo arigatō, from the bottom of our hearts.

Thank you Glen for having us stay at your house and being our Taxi for nearly two weeks. May God give you back double what you spent on us during our stay. You cooking is only superseded by your good looks!

Lt. to Rt. Roy Dean Matthews, Mrs Tomoko Miyawaki, Willem "Windmill Bill" DeVries, and Erasmo "Doc" Riojas, Glen Grinage (missing).

Roy Dean learned to say: "Nihongo [yoku] hanasemasen." meaning: "I do not speak Japanese."

Title: Tokyo Tower

Description: At 1,093 feet, Tokyo Tower is 43 feet taller than its model, the Eiffel Tower of Paris, and the world's tallest self-supporting steel tower. It was completed in the year 1958 as a symbol for Japan 's rebirth as a major economic power, and serves as a television and radio broadcast antenna and tourist attraction.

Looking straight down from the Tokyo Tower Mid level station.

The "panoramic view of Tokyo at the 45th floor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office" was a view of low clouds. On a clear day, we were told you could see Mt Fuji (actually only 100 km, 60 miles, way - probably a real treat in the winter when capped with snow. We did not go to Mt. Fuji due to heavy overcast there.

This is the Emperor's Palace converted in about 1860 from the palace/fort of the last (incompetent) Shogun which, when faced with a revolutionary army and irritated Emperor, just walked away. The Emperor moved from Kyoto to Edo renamed to the city of Tokyo , and had new buildings made to replace the Shogun's buildings. The fortifications were apparently left basically untouched - as they had been in the 1600s.

The guards are at the 1st of two bridges, to a small fortified area

The second bridge leads from the fortified island to the palace grounds.
This is as close as visitors get to the private residence of the Emperor - The Emperor comes out to wave to gathered crowds on Japanese New Year - for 8 hours

Roy, Glen, Rio

Rio clowning around at Starbucks, Glen Grinnage thinks it is funny?

Mrs Miyawaki took us to the city of Karuizawa where we met Bill at the train station. He came down from Tokyo.

We visited the Mercian Museum . We then moved on to the location of the French restaurant named Hermitage de Tamura.

We chowed down on what was some fine French food. I , Glen Grinage, paid the $600.00+ USA bucks for it.

It is RUDE to give a TIP in Japan !

This is one of the many mirrors place on the many curved roads in Maebashi; Glen's home town.

This is Local Train.

Correction: Chako not Choko.

Hiromi

Hiromi,

correction: Heromi,

He is drawing the Horse.

Roy, your Mammie told you to stay away from dynamite !

President & CEO Yasuhiro Kashima was our Tour Guide

click to enlarge: Mt. Fuji 12/28/08

It says (four big characters in middle) Bebe Kannon - BeBe means child's clothes but could also be interpreted as 'vulva'.

The three charcters below are 'Chin Pou Kan': 'Chin' is the character for rare or unusual', Pou (or Hou) is treasure and 'Kan' is structure or building.

However this could be a pun because Chin Pou is the vulgar rendering of penis.

The characters at the bottom are the address and tel number of the museum ./s/ Riojasan

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Spectacular region for observing nature. A crater lake near the mountaintop adds to the outdoor recreational choices.

Part of the Jomo Three Mountains, Mt. Akagi-yama is located in the center of Gunma; it is the generic name for the mountain range that includes Mt. Kurobi-san and Mt. Jizo-dake. The inside area of the outer rim of the mountain is designated as Akagi Prefectural Park. Near the mountaintop, between the central crater and outer rim, is a crater lake called Lake O-numa.

At Lake O-numa, visitors can enjoy camping, fishing and boating during the summer, and in winter they can bore holes in the frozen surface of the lake and fish for pond smelts through the ice. Around the month of May, you can marvel at the blossoming of the flowers of 'mizubasho,' skunk cabbage, a rare plant that grows in swamps, irises, and 'Nikko-kisuge,' a yellow alpine lily. Visitors can enjoy a 4-kilometer hiking course around Lake O-numa, where they can experience the many wonders of nature to their heart's content.

Besides Akagi Nature Park, Mt. Akagi-yama includes leisure facilities such as Gunma Flower Park and Akagi-kogen Highland Pasture "Kronenberg," which reproduces the sceneries of German villages. The area also boasts several spectacular waterfalls such as the 50-meter-high Fudo-Otaki, Otome-no-taki, and Asahi-no-taki, all with nearby hot springs where bathers can relax on one-day trips.