110122 Sightseeing Guide in Tokyo (観光案内・東京)

Date: Jan. 17 (Mon) Clear and sunny Guiding

Place: Tokyo

Course: Parkside Hotel in Ueno – JR Tokyo Station – Imperial Palace – Akihabara – Asakusa (Sensoji Temple) – Ryogoku – Edo Museum – Kokugikan - Akihabara

Guests: 4 Australians (Liz, Chrisy, Mark and Hana)

One of my sons’ friend, Liz visited Japan with her son, Mark and her sister, Chrisy and Chrisy’s daughter, Hana in January.

Since I saw Liz at my son’s home in Sydney, I volunteered to guide Tokyo a day. I went to pick them up at their hotel in Ueno in the mornig of January 17th.

Liz and Mark came to Japan on Saturday (1/15) and they already started sightseeing on Sunday. Chrisy and Hana came to Japan just previous day (1/16) and it was their first day in Japan.

We went to Tokyo station from Ueno by JR. JR was reconstructing the original Marunouchi Station Building, so it was a bit inconvenient to access Tokyo Imperial Palace.

[Their hotel was in front of Shinobazu Pond, 彼らのホテルは上野不忍池の前、호텔은 우에노 시노바즈노이케 앞]

We went to East Palace from the right side moat. East Palace is open for public, but we need reservation by apllying to Imperial Household Agency. The security guard told us that if we apllied then, we could get the permission in the afternoon. We simply gave up the idea and moved on.

[At Imperial Palace,皇居のお堀の前で、천황궁 해자(성을 둘러싼 물길) 앞에서]

We walked across the big square in front of the main gate and went to Nijubashi (literally “double bridge”) which was the popular place to take pictures for sightseers.

[In front of Nijubashi, 二重橋の前で、이중 다리 앞에서]

There were a big group of Chinese visitors when we arrived there. After visiting Imperial Palace, we went back to Tokyo station and we went to Akihabara by JR.

It seemed an attractive place for Hana because she was interested in Japanese games. We just did window-shopping and hurried to the next place; Asakusa by subway.

[At Akihabara, 秋葉原にて、아키하바라에서]

Asakusa seemed more intriguing for most of foreingers. The approach from the big gate called Kaminarimon or “The gate of thunder,” to the Sensoji Temple, there were many suvenior shopps on both sides. I bought a bag of sweet cakes, and gave them to my guests. They liked the Japanese cakes very much.

[In front of Kaminarimon, 雷門の前で、가미나리몬 앞에서][Tokyo Skytree under the construction, 建設中の東京スカイツリー、건설중인 도쿄 스카이 트리]

It was almost noon at the temple, and we had good appitite. But restaurants near the temple seemed a bit too expensive. On the way to the subway station, I found “Matsuya” one of franchized restaurants for “gyudon” or “beef bowl.” It happened to be the last day of “sale” and each bowl costed only 240 yen, except for Mark (I bought a “big” bowl for him paying 100 yen more.)

After having “gyudon” lunch at Matsuya, we went to Ryogoku and visited the Edo Tokyo Museum first. The museum is a huge building next to Kokugikan and I had never visited before. It was a good chance for me to know about Edo, its history and culture.

A volunteer worker, named Mr. Yamamoto, kindly explained the exibitions as a whole and one by one in English. Liz, Chrisy and I enjoyed his explanations very much. It was about 3 p.m. when we finished the guided tour of the museum.

[At Edo Tokyo Museum, 江戸博物館にて、에도박물관에서]

Then we headed for Kokugigan, the main attraction of the day. They bought good tickets in Sydney. I had to buy mine on the spot. The best seats for the C tichets were all sold out, so I got a side seat ticket.

[After the museum, we headed for Kokugikan, 江戸博物館から国技館へ向かう、에도 박물관에서 국기관으로 향했다.]

Yet, I sat on the step near my guests, and explained what were going on, and told them about wrestlers. The most exiting match as the last much between the grandchamp Hakuho and Homasho. It was really a close game, and Homasho was almost winning. But at the last second, Hakuho picked up his victory at the edge of the ring.

[Grandchamp, Hakuho's "dohyoiri", 横綱白鵬の土俵入り、요코즈나　하쿠호우의 「도효이리(씨름판 입장 의식)」]

(Below is the most exiting match of the day, please click it.)

[Tha match between Hakuho and Homasho, 白鵬対豊真将戦(左が白鵬),하쿠호우대 호우마쇼전 (왼쪽이 하쿠호우)]

All matches were over before 6 p.m. and they went back to the hotel after I said goodbye to them at Akihabara.

[Epilogue]

Next day (1/18), they went sightseeing differently. Liz and Mark went to Jaxa Space Tour in Tsukuba, while Chrisy and Hana went to Odaiba in Tokyo according to their own interests.

They invited me for dinner that evening. I asked my 2nd son, Ryo, for a good restaurant in Ueno. He recommended “Natural Food Buffei, Daichino Okurimono (Litterally, “Present from Earth”)” in Ueno-Hirokoji.

They told me how nice their trips were, accordingly. Liz and Mark were very much excited by their experience of “space tour” while Chrisy showed their picture in rikisha in Odaiba.

The buffei style foods were wonderful and their favorite food seemed icecream as their dessert.

(The cost of the dinner including 100 kind-ume wine was 2980 yen per person, if you tell them that they saw the ad on net.)

[Natural Food Buffei, 自然食ビュッフェ、上は梅酒コーナー、자연식 뷔페, 위는 매실주 코너]

年月日：2011年1月17日(月）快晴

観光地：東京

コース：上野パークサイドホテル～JR東京駅～皇居～JR秋葉原～地下鉄浅草～浅草寺～両国～江戸博物館～両国国技館～JR秋葉原

訪問客：オーストラリア親子2組

シドニーから訪日した息子の友人、リズたち4人を東京案内した。客人たちは、昨年、シドニーを訪問した時に会ったリズとその息子で長身のマーク、およびリズの妹のChrisyとその娘、Hana。

彼らが泊まっている上野不忍池前のパークサイドホテルへ9時10分に到着。ちょうど朝食のために外出したリズたちが15分に戻ってきたところに会った。

[Their hotel was in front of Shinobazu Pond, 彼らのホテルは上野不忍池の前、호텔은 우에노 시노바즈노이케 앞]

ホテルを9時半に出発、まず東京駅へ。東京駅はあいにく、オリジナルの丸の内駅舎を復元するための工事中で、出口が不便だったが、丸の内中央口から出て皇居へ向かった。

皇居は正面右側のお堀から東御苑へ向かったが、入場するにはあらかじめ予約が必要と言われた。外国人が見学を希望する場合、午前中に申し込めば、午後入場できると言われたが、午後ふたたび訪問する気はなく、正面の広場を回って二重橋まで見学した。ここは観光スポットで中国人の団体客が大勢いた。我々も記念撮影してから東京駅へ戻った。

[In front of Nijubashi, 二重橋の前で、이중 다리 앞에서]

次にJRで秋葉原へ。秋葉原は簡単にウィンドーショッピングのみ。秋葉原のお目当てはHanaが希望したゲームセンター。ここは若者の場所で、我々年配者には騒々しいだけ。

[We headed for Akihabara by JR, JRに乗って秋葉原へ向かう、JR을 타서 아키하바라를 향한다][At Akihabara, 秋葉原にて、아키하바라에서]

次に地下鉄で浅草へ向かった。浅草の仲見世通りを過ぎて浅草寺の境内に入ると、500mを超したというスカイツリーが良く見えた。浅草寺参拝の様子は彼らにとって物珍しいようだった。

[In front of Kaminarimon, 雷門の前で、가미나리몬 앞에서]

浅草寺を見学しているうちに昼になったが、この界隈は適切な食堂がなく、両国へ向かおうとした大通りで「松屋」を発見。牛丼チェーンはちょうど17日午後3時までのキャンペーン中で、なかでも松屋は最も安いデフレ価格240円。ただカウンター席が満席で少々待たねばならなかった。

その後、地下鉄で浅草→蔵前のりかえ→両国と両国へ向かったが蔵前での乗り換えが大変で半端ではなかった。 両国ではすぐに江戸博物館へ向かった。入場料は大人600円、子供300円、学生400円だった。入場に際してマークが入場券を失くしたが、係員がすぐに入場させてくれたのには感心した。

[At Edo Tokyo Museum, 江戸博物館にて、에도박물관에서]

博物館内では「山本さん」という法被を着た年配のボランティアが流暢な英語で江戸の歴史から解説してくれた。当初、他のオーストラリア人も3人いたが、あまりにていねいな説明にしびれをきらしたのか、最後まで説明を聞いたのはリズ姉妹と私の3人だけだった。

[At Edo Tokyo Museum, 江戸博物館にて、에도박물관에서]

江戸博物館の見学を3時に終え、いよいよ国技館へ向かった。リズたちの席は正面イスCの12列45番～48番で、3600円の席としては考えられる最高の場所だった。私は15分ほど並んで当日券を買ったが、正面は売り切れ、西の12列78番でろくでもない。これなら2100円の自由席にすべきだが、当日自由席はすべて売り切れだった。 また、パナソニックの10倍ズームカメラを持参すればよかったが、これは惜しかった。

[After the museum, we headed for Kokugikan, 江戸博物館から国技館へ向かう、에도박물관에서 국기관으로 향했다.]

次回また機会があれば双眼鏡も必要かもしれない。 私はリズたちの席の隣の通路の階段に座って取り組みや登場する力士たちの解説をした。 印象に残る取り組みは、春日王、高見盛、豊ノ島、把瑠都、魁皇、琴欧洲などだが、結びの白鵬―豊真将戦は非常にスリリングだった。白鵬が紙一重、足一本で残して勝った。

[Grandchamp, Hakuho's "dohyoiri", 横綱白鵬の土俵入り、요코즈나　하쿠호우의 「도효이리(씨름판 입장 의식)」]

この相撲は動画で撮った。(下の動画をクリックしてください。) 取り組みは予定通り6時には終わり、一行とは秋葉原で別れ、大船へ戻った。


[Tha match between Hakuho and Homasho, 白鵬対豊真将戦(左が白鵬),하쿠호우대 호우마쇼전 (왼쪽이 하쿠호우)]

[エピローグ]

翌日(1/18)、リズとマークは筑波へ行きJAXAスペースツアーに参加し、ChrisyとHanaは御台場見学をしたという。スペースツアーは素晴らしかったとリズは目を輝かせて言った。同じく、Chrisyも御台場でHanaと人力車に乗った写真を見せてくれ、満足そうだった。

この日の夕食、彼らは有機農業のNGOに勤めている次男が推薦した上野の自然食ビュッフェ「大地の贈り物」に私を招待してくれた。

ここは健康志向の有機農産物のビュッフェで、お酒は100種類の梅酒が飲み放題。だが、梅酒はそんなに飲めるものではない。

彼らのお気に入りはデザートのアイスクリームだったかも知れない。ちなみに一人あたりの予算はネットで広告を見たと言えば2980円だった。

一行の次の訪問地は関西で、翌日、新幹線で京都・奈良、そして広島へ向かうと言う。

[Natural Food Buffei, 自然食ビュッフェ、上は梅酒とアイスクリーム、자연식 뷔페, 위는 매실주와 아이스크림]