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15:03:40
Here we are havinga late lunch (as always seems to be the way at the weekends) at Lorenzo's favourite pasta place in Tokyo - Al Dente in Shinjuku.
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15:24:28
Next stop, the Tokyo Metropolitan Goverment Building, to enjoy the view from the top of these towers.
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15:25:24
Another picture of the building before going in, with an odd bar thing in the way this time.
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15:36:18
At the top of the North observatory now, looking out over the sprawl of Tokyo. Unfortunately some reflections in the glass here.
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15:36:39
We were hoping we might be able to see Mt. Fuji today as there was a nice blue sky - but unfortunately there were still some clouds off in the distance.
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15:36:57
That's the Parc Hyatt on the left hand side there, and on the right is the "Opera City" building. Unfortunately quite a lot of reflection in the glass as well though.
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15:37:51
The bright sun was making it a bit difficult to get reasonable shots in some directions.
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15:39:18
Still, nice sky though!
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15:39:27
This is probably one of the clearest pictures - good light level for all the buildings and no reflections in the glass.
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15:40:49
I think I was trying to get more sky in on this one.
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15:41:01
That's Shinjuku Central Park down below I think - it looks much nicer from above than it does from the ground!
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15:42:44
Some of the antenna things attched to the other tower of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (or simply "Tocho" in Japanese).
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15:42:52
The Opera City building again, and unfortunately a fair bit of glare/reflection from the window.
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15:44:39
More buildings generally - this is looking over in the direction of Roppongi.
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15:44:49
Zoomed in a bit here - the pointy (almost pyramid like) one on the left hand side is the DoCoMo tower (HQ of a mobile phone company, and thus covered in transmitters which apparently give people headaches). In the middle you ought to just about be able to see Tokyo tower - the red and white Eiffel tower like structure. On the right hand side is the Mori building in Roppongi - next door to where Chie works.
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15:45:00
One last picture of nothing much in particular before getting back in the elevator, and going back down to ground level.
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16:28:15
This is outside the Geihin-kan ("State Guesthouse") - a grand building used for entertaining foreign dignitaries. I couldn't resist getting a picture of Chie in this unoccupied guard hut.
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16:28:48
Unfortunately you couldn't really see much of the Geihin-kan itself, it was all fenced off, and the building was set quite far back in these grounds.
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16:28:56
With a bit of zoom, this was about the best I could manage for a picture poking through the fence.
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16:32:28
I think this is a gateway to the grounds of the Geihin-kan. It's interesting to me because this is a very Japanese style gateway, whereas the main building of the Geihin-kan is decidedly European looking.
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16:32:33
Not sure why the second picture was warranted here.
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16:35:46
A little further along on our walk, I just randomly thought this view of nothing in particular might make a nice photo.
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16:36:02
Zoomed in on the skyline a bit - I think I just like the sky here mainly.
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16:42:46
Next on our agenda was to visit the gardens of the New Otani hotel, which were very pleasant.
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16:46:12
Japanese gardens are always good on water features - there were some nice ponds and streams here. I think Chie is pointing out this plant by the water's edge which the Japanese see as a sign of winter approaching.
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16:46:57
Me on the bridge - you can see a bit of one of the buildings of the New Otani behind me, which in contrast with the gardens is not all that attractive.
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16:47:07
Another picture of me on the bridge.
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16:47:14
....I think Chie wanted to get this rather snazzily dressed little boy (on the right hand side) in shot too.
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16:47:20
One last shot of me on the bridge.
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16:48:21
Chie on the same bridge, but with the camera facing in the other direction, so you can see more of the garden and less of the buildings. Much nicer this way round!
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16:48:31
Classic digital camera problem of bright sky causing under exposed ground detail. Quite irritating.
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16:48:40
Some carp swimming about, oblivious to the problems of contrasting light levels in digital photography.
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16:48:48
More carp.
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16:50:11
I have to resist the temptation to use some cliched throw away photographic metphor here like "the contrast of old and new". These sorts of shots are hard to avoid in Tokyo though.
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16:51:57
More fish. One appears to be trying to eat another's tail here.
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16:52:27
A nice little statue.
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17:00:43
Rather nice carving of Mt. Fuji.
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17:02:15
The waterfall in the gardens. I won't go quite as far as to say it's easy to forget you're in central Tokyo, but still this was comparatively a very pleasant spot.
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17:02:45
Already the sun was thinking about starting to set, and so the clouds were taking on slightly orangey hues (and the same problem yet again with under exposed ground detail).
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17:02:56
Chie pond-ering.
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17:03:35
One final picture of carp before heading off.
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20:19:33
Back at home, and we had okonimiyaki for dinner.
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20:20:01
Here's an okonomikyai plus two oyaki (a speciality of Nagano) and some noodles.
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20:30:12
Fittingly to accompany the oyaki we drank this very stylish sake we'd bought in Nagano.
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20:37:39
Last couple of okonomiyaki pictures...
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20:37:46
.....yum!
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