27 October 2019
Killing time in familiar places
Wandering around Ueno and Akihabara on a Sunday afternoon
As mentioned above, my flight and train and other things all added up to get me to Ueno at about 9AM, for a 3PM check in at the hotel. Oh well. Despite having near record levels of tired, time to push on.
I decided the best thing to do was stagger like a drunk down to Akihabara and fit in with all the English Rugby supporters who really were drunk before lunch and were harassing 15 year old girls dressed as whores who were trying to get their attention but did not actually want any attention.
I walked very slowly, had lunch, walked slowly some more, sat and drank various carbonated sugar free beverages, staggered to find a public facilities until eventually it was time to stagger back to my hotel, check in and type this, so here we are.
The photos are all things I have taken photos of on previous trips, but at least they are not planes, airports and airline lounge food.
My hotel is right near Ueno station, so first up, I took a tour of the area around Ueno station. I am very familiar with this area.
Here is a look down a street. In Ueno. Quite a heavy crop, my camera has no zoom!
I still dont know what this means. There was Van Gough paintings, a turtle, photos of Mount Fuji.
Heres a photo I took last time I was too early to check into a hotel in Ueno.
I was a bit early for the actual main street to be closed off in Akihabara, but there were lots of people even before lunch time, including lots of people here for the rugby world cup. I am a little disappointed I did not receive an SMS advising me that public urination is not acceptable. Before rugby games the government has been sending various messages to foreign SIM cards connected to a Japanese mobile network reminding rugby fans that punching random old people is not an acceptable fun time activity in Japan.
My lunch consisted of vegetables and a pastry. It was very nice, but not a lot of food. I am starving right now, typing this as fast as I can so I can go get some dinner.
DO AS THE SIGN SAYS.
Even the back streets of Akihabara were busy before lunch today. Look at all those uber nerds.
I normally save the photos of the reeds / lilies / weeds here in Ueno park until my last day, when they are dead.
Because today they are not dead yet, here have a second photo of them.
Nearby the temple is having a Halloween festival with a girl band and middle age men who are way too into it and sing all the words and know the dance moves. It felt uncomfortable.
In Japan, religious festivals at temples involve girl bands, potato twister on a stick thing and Halloween.
And then, after way way too long, I got to check into my hotel. It is simply called the Ueno hotel. It is cheap and my room has an amazing shower. I like it a lot, I think its my third time staying here.