Welcome to Tokyo*東京

Cultural shock?

Not really, but this view above is well known as Japan's "Trade Mark@TM". I can't help by pressing my shutter buttons. Everyone else on the train*densha*電車 can't help by staring at me and think: What is this 外人 doing? Except for this uncle, he is deeply immerse into his reading.

Next stop, Oizumigakuen station*大泉学園駅.



Oizumigakuen station is about 25 minutes from Tokyo. By staying close to the cities, 聰明さん pay the price: 50,000¥ a month, for a room. According to him, this is a studuent's price, so expect to pay more if you are not a student!

After some rest, we are ready to take some walk around Imperial Palace, Tokyo.


This is not the Edo Palace, of course. It might be guard house or something. Note that the basic design concept of any palace at all: Using water barrier, a simple but good defensive approach. But with the high speed jets flying around nowadays, you might want to consider basement floors!


Entrance to the palace. Open to public on certain time of the year, like Emperor's birthday, etc.


Wonders if there is any fish below those calm water! Strange colour for me, beautiful, though.


Open ground just outside the palace. Do you notice the Tokyo Tower in the background, that's our next destination!