2 July--Today we decided we had to get away from the immediate area of Yokota AB. So after breakfast we headed off base to the train station. Along the way we stopped at a department store so the kids could use the restroom. Remember the reference to Cars II? Just like Mater, Jacob was introduced to Japanese toilets. So many buttons, so many options. How did it work out for the young lad? Do you need to ask?
The trains in Japan are, well, different than in Korea. When you buy your ticket in Korea, you simply select your destination on the screen and the machine tells you how much it costs. In Japan, you have to know how much it cost to get where you are going because all you can do on the machine is choose a monetary amount. Kind of a pain when you can't read the language. Also, in Korea you get issued a credit card sized, reusable plastic card. In Japan you get a little paper ticket. They do, however, provide these great little envelopes for you to put your tiny ticket into.
Anyway, we made to to Mt. Takeo and once we overcame the initial shock of arrival we realized that we needed to eat.
So, off to a real soba restaurant we went. Everything around Mt Takeo was very traditional, to include this restaurant. We had to take off our shoes and sit on the floor around our little rice table.
After lunch we walked 100 yards to a ticket booth and bought roundtrip tickets to the top of Mt Takeo and back. Owen was not a fan of this.
On the top of the mountain there were all kinds of attractions and things to do. From sampling traditional Japanese foods to viewing Japanese macaques to walking through a lovely garden.
After we got back to the base of the mountain, it was time to cool off with a traditional Japanese scoop of ice cream. Now we know why Buddha has a belly.
Ice creams complete, we were off to the Trick Art Museum, a place dedicated to optical illusions. Pretty interesting place.
Once we made it through the museum, we fought our way back to Fussa on the train system. We decided to spoil ourselves with a little Americana and ate at a McDonalds at the grocery store next to the train station. How very Japanese of us.
The trains in Japan are, well, different than in Korea. When you buy your ticket in Korea, you simply select your destination on the screen and the machine tells you how much it costs. In Japan, you have to know how much it cost to get where you are going because all you can do on the machine is choose a monetary amount. Kind of a pain when you can't read the language. Also, in Korea you get issued a credit card sized, reusable plastic card. In Japan you get a little paper ticket. They do, however, provide these great little envelopes for you to put your tiny ticket into.
Anyway, we made to to Mt. Takeo and once we overcame the initial shock of arrival we realized that we needed to eat.
So, off to a real soba restaurant we went. Everything around Mt Takeo was very traditional, to include this restaurant. We had to take off our shoes and sit on the floor around our little rice table.
After lunch we walked 100 yards to a ticket booth and bought roundtrip tickets to the top of Mt Takeo and back. Owen was not a fan of this.
On the top of the mountain there were all kinds of attractions and things to do. From sampling traditional Japanese foods to viewing Japanese macaques to walking through a lovely garden.
After we got back to the base of the mountain, it was time to cool off with a traditional Japanese scoop of ice cream. Now we know why Buddha has a belly.
Ice creams complete, we were off to the Trick Art Museum, a place dedicated to optical illusions. Pretty interesting place.
Once we made it through the museum, we fought our way back to Fussa on the train system. We decided to spoil ourselves with a little Americana and ate at a McDonalds at the grocery store next to the train station. How very Japanese of us.
What a fun day!
ReplyDeleteI am jealous! I loved eating all that yummy food! And yes we are sad you are not here but glad you are seeing so much and having fun.
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