Observations of an American Dropped Into Japan (Part 5)

On the day that we spent resting up from the Ueno Zoo, we discussed what we might do next. I had travelled a long way from the United States and they wanted to make sure that I had the opportunty to see and do anything that might strike my fancy. Megan (the best daughter-in-law in the world...and remember I'm not biased) had arranged for Adam and I to take the Shinkansen Bullet Train to Hiroshima in a few days, but what should we do next? Baseball! How about seeing the Yomiuri Giants play in the Tokyo Dome? Great idea! Megan contacted the ticket agent on base and was told that it was no problem. Just show up at the Dome and purchase the tickets there...they always have tickets available. Super! So the next day we hopped the JR train at the Fussa Station and road an hour and a half to Tokyo. We got off of the train along with the rest of Tokyo it seemed, and walked several blocks towards the Tokyo Dome. We walked through a tunnel, and was greeted by a large poster of the "Power Rangers". I had forgotten all about them until I walked straight into this. I wasn't aware that they were still a big deal, but apparently they are in Japan. We passed large man-made ponds and fountains, shops and rides. Hmmm. I wonder if that Ferris Wheel over there was one of the lighted Ferris Wheels that we kept passing during my first evening in Tokyo? Finally we found the ticket area and waited in a fairly long line. Finally it was Adam's turn. Four tickets? No. No tickets. Sold out. Okay. time to huddle for a discussion. We travelled an hour and a half, and no ball game tickets. What to do...buy tickets for the next available game when we wouldn't be in Hiroshima and just sightsee. We still couldn't get four tickets! We could get three tickets several weeks down the road, and that was the best we could do. So that was what we did. Abigail would probably be with a sitter and it would just be Adam, Megan and I.

So we wandered around and looked at the Tokyo Dome Hotel, the rides at Tokyo Dome City and the pond. One of the rides at Tokyo Dome City, looked fairly old. You would get into a seat and it would slowly rotate clockwise around the pole. That was all well and good, but if you wanted to reach the top of the pole, you had to crank the wheel at the your seat to go up the cable to get to the top. Too much work for a 97 F degree day! There were roller coasters and the typical spinning rides, but I am not much for rides, so I just watched and took pictures. Adam rode some rides with Abigail, and then Megan and Abigail wandered over to an area with a spraying mist and fountains, which looked very inviting in the sweltering heat of Tokyo. Actually August is probably not the greatest time to go to Japan if you have an aversion to sweltering heat. I wasn't quite sure what sweltering heat was, or how to get any, but I am pretty sure we were in it. It didn't help that Japan broke all kinds of High Temperature records that month. After Megan and Abigail got drenched and cooled off, we wandered some more, and finally decided that we would stop at the Tokyo Dome Hotel Restaurant for dinner. The Hotel is very nice, and included a suspended loft, where a wedding was going to be performed, for all appearances floating above everyone down below. We found the restaurant on the ground floor, which turned out to be a high-end buffet. I sat with Abigail while Adam & Megan did the serving for us all. I did not recognize most of what came back, but I will say that the flavors of most of the meals that I had in Japan had a very subdued flavor, and were very good. The difference with cuisine in the states, is that everything is over seasoned, and tend to attack your taste buds. Even Asian food that is made in the states is like that for the most part. I only discovered this after I returned to the US after spending a month in Japan. I also noticed that in Japan you end up with so much food that it can be difficult to find room to finish it.

I worked with using chopsticks, as that is what is at your table for meals; the wooden variety that you must snap apart in order to use them. It actually was easier than I suspected. I learned that you need to hold them near the top, and it is not correct to jab at your food or leave them sticking out of your rice. I believe in some instances they are easier to use than a fork, as with a fork you poke or balance the food, with the chopsticks they are merely an extension of your fingers, and you just pick up the food as if you were eating with just your fingers as a young child might.

With the main course finished, it was time for dessert. They brought back a wide assortment of mildly flavored, delicious desserts. I was stuffed. I was tempted to spend an hour or two sitting at our table, but since the restaurant was fairly busy, thought better of that.

It was now Tokyo Dome City after dark, and the whole area was lit up with various colors of undulating, flashing lights. Absolutely beautiful. We also discovered a roller coaster that travels inside and outside of a shopping mall. It was fascinating, and I wished that I had spotted it earlier in the day so that I could get a better view of it.

We were beat, and decided that we should head to the train for the long ride back home. Many others appeared to have the same idea. We walked several blocks towards the Train Station, Adam and Abigail in the lead, followed by me, with Megan trailing behind me I presume to make sure that they didn't leave me behind. We crossed the darkened street, when Adam stopped abruptly. I looked in front of him and saw a young mother struggling with her baby carriage directly in front of him.  The next thing I saw was the pavement. I am now laying in the middle of the street pondering what in the world happened, and noticed a car to my left patiently waiting for us to get out of the street. I figured out that there was a curb in the middle of the street that I didn't see, and attempted to get up. I stress the word "attempted". For the life of me, I couldn't get up by myself. Once Adam and Megan figured out what had just happened, they reached down and helped me to my feet and off of the street. My knees stung like crazy, but I wasn't going to say anything, as I was embarrassed enough as it was. "You should have taken a picture of me face down in the middle of the street, and tell people that I couldn't hold my Sake!" I laughed, trying to mask my embarrassment. "Dad, they revere their parents, here in Japan, they would have thought what a terrible son if I was taking a picture of my Dad lying in the street!" The situation became really silly at that point...the embarrassment was gone.

As I sat on the train back to Fussa, I played over the events of the evening, in particular my visit with the asphalt. I rubbed my knees that still stung a bit and realized that I now had holes ripped in my jeans. Good thing I packed another pair...Hmmm...might require another trip to Mister Donut...