No trip is complete without a visit to the local amusement park – at least for my husband and daughter.  They go off and get turn upside-down, dropped from heights, eat sweets, and experience the other side of town while I do something “boring” like go to a historic house museum or temple garden.  Tokyo was no different except for the fact that the amusement park was like something out of Spirited Away.   Hanayashiki amusement park, originally opened as a flower park, has a history of more than 150 years. Located just a few steps from Sensoji Temple in the Asakusa district, the miniature amusement park offers a small Ferris wheel, roller coaster, carousel, a ride that is powered by you pedaling, Space Shot and great crepes.

The two-day drive was easy enough but long and boring (no offense to my husband and daughter who are great company).  Just as we were reaching the Georgia / North Carolina border, we made “1 wrong turn.”  As we tried to figure out which way to go, we sped past it – too quickly to make the sudden turn but slowly enough to read the sign – SPRING RIDGE CREAMERY.  It had me at “CREAM.”   My husband asked, “Do you want to stop?”  I gave him that look of “After almost 20 years of marriage, do you really need to ask?”

So, we made the U-turn back to SPRING RIDGE CREAMERY.

After subduing the store dog that tried to attack our little poodle, I entered this little dairy heaven.  Made fresh from local cows, there was homemade cheeses, butters, ice cream of all flavors, milk and because it was November, eggnog.  I filled my basket with cheddar, havarti and mozzarella cheeses, a gallon of eggnog and a pound of butter.  My arteries are closing as I write this post.  For my sweet, loving daughter who did not complain once on the trip (NOT), I purchased a scoop of raspberry chocolate chunk ice cream that tasted of fresh raspberries and lingered on your tongue because of the high fat content.

Needless to say, our North Carolina hosts were most grateful for the creamy bounty that we brought.  The eggnog was a particular hit, even for those who do not normally like eggnog.

Needless to say, we stopped on our way back home.  This was “1 wrong turn” that turned out (or churned out) so right!

SPRING RIDGE CREAMERY is located just 1.5 miles north of the Georgia border on hwy. 441 (11856 Georgia Rd.) in Otto, North Carolina, 2 miles north of Dillard, Georgia (See Map)

Phone: 828-369-2958

If you can’t make it to North Carolina, try making ice cream at home.  I have a Cuisinart and I love it.  Homemade ice creams and sorbets are easy and always delicious.  Make sure the check out your local farmers markets for milk, cream and fresh fruits.

Since my last jaunt to beach, Perdido Key and the nearby communities have welcomed several new businesses. I am also very pleased to report that the beaches were pristine and the water clear – not a tarball in sight!

As I have mentioned in earlier posts, my beach vacations are VERY SIMPLE. They include:

• Wake up and eat breakfast
• Go to the beach
• Come up for lunch followed by a nap
• Go back to the beach
• Come up for the evening, shower, go to the grocery, drink wine and eat dinner on the balcony
• Go to sleep early

REPEAT THE NEXT DAY

I was pleased to see that a new Publix has opened up right over the Intercoastal Waterway. It has a nice selection of cheeses, seafood, etc. What I really liked were the plastic bags filled with ready-to-roll and bake pizza dough. How clever and a great way to get everyone involved in making dinner!  Click here for a map to the Publix.

This past time, I was forced into straying from my beach routine. My friend has a very different idea of a beach vacation. For her, a beach vacation must involve putt putt golf and a trip to the local ice cream parlor. Ice cream – yes; putt putt – no! We found a great ice cream parlor just 10 minutes from the condominium and right down the road from the new Publix. It is the Hershey Ice Cream Parlor and they have a large selection of yummy ice creams, homemade fudge as well as savory items (if you want to make a meal out of the excursion).  Click here for a map to the Hershey Ice Cream Parlor.

The address and phone number are:

10427 Sorrento Rd, Pensacola, FL 32507

(850) 456-0585

Call before you go because the weekday and weekend hours are different.

I had wonderful photos of both places but they were lost in my recent phone upgrade. So, just picture in your mind a scoop of wonderful mint chocolate chip ice cream after a hot, summer day on the beach.

May 2010 – SPECIAL NOTE: I am saddened, angry and disgusted by the BP oil spill.  Our beautiful beaches and wildlife all foresaken for oil profits.

Visit my friend’s Blog Coast of Living and read her poignant insights into the lives of those affected by this horror.    Through her blog, you can make a donation to Gulf Aid, a 501(c3) nonprofit corporation, has been established in response to what has been called one of the biggest oil spills in history just 50 miles off of the Louisiana Coast.

Written in happier times …when the waters were blue & clear.

White sand, blue water, splashing dolphins and beautiful sunsets.   These words might conjure up beaches in Mexico, Greece, and other exotic locales.  However, when I let my mind wander to beautiful beaches and lazy days, I don’t have to travel any further than the Gulf Coast of Florida.  Known as the Emerald Coast, or the Redneck Riviera, there is a lovely strip of beaches that rival the most famous beaches of the world.

These beaches start with Orange Beach, at the Florida/Alabama border, and run all the way to St. Joe, Florida on the east.  The most popular beaches include Perdido Key, Pensacola Beach, Santa Rosa, Navarre Beach, Fort Walton Beach, Destin, Grayton Beach, Water Color, Seaside, a charming community made famous in the Jim Carrey movie The Truman Show, Rosemary Beach and Panama City Beach.

My family has gone to Perdido Beach for the past 20 years.  Our routine for the past 20 years has been as follows:

Perdido Key Beach Umbrellas

• Rent a condo on the beach, with a balcony overlooking the Gulf.
• Drive to Florida and stop at the Burris Farm Stand to buy fresh veggies & fruit.
• Arrive at condo, lather up & go to the beach (Don’t even unpack).
• First evening, go to grocery and stock up on cheese, bread, fresh fish, lots of wine & pina colada ingredients.
• Make a nice dinner & eat on the balcony.

• Watch a movie and go to sleep.
• Next day, wake up, have breakfast on the balcony and watch for dolphins.
• Lather up, go to beach, come in for lunch (on the balcony) and nap.
• Go back to beach in afternoon until 6 p.m.
• Come in to the condo, bathe, lotion up, make dinner, which is eaten on the balcony.
• Go to sleep, wake up the next morning and REPEAT THE PREVIOUS DAY.

What I love about the beach is that you can do as much or as little as you want.  Most condos have pools and gyms or you can walk on the beach and play in the surf. For those who are more energetically inclined, you can do the following:

The Track - In the evening, head on over for go-karts, water rides, bumper cars and family. There are several different go-kart tracks, including one for adults only.

Foley Outlet Mall - If it’s raining and you want to get out of the condo or hotel, go shopping at this giant discount outlet mall.   You can get some really good deals here!  While you are there, eat at Lambert’s in Foley, Alabama where you can, and are expected to, throw your rolls.  Great southern cooking and good portions.  At the call of “Hot, fresh rolls” hands go up and a guy wearing oven mitts starts tossing them out. Diners close by get an underhand lob; those across the room get more of a baseball pitch.

Dauphin Island is a barrier island located 3 miles south of the mouth of Mobile Bay in the Gulf of Mexico. You get to the island by crossing a high-rise bridge or by the automobile ferry from the eastern shore.   The entire island has been designated as a bird sanctuary and thousands of visitors come to experience the annual migration.  While on the island, you can sit on the beach, explore Fort Gaines, or visit the Dauphin Island Sea Lab.  Hotels, motels, condos and private homes are available for rent to both summer and winter visitors.

Where to stay:

There are hotels, motels, condos and private homes available for rent across the Emerald Coast.  As I mentioned, we always stay in Perdido Key.  However, a great resource for lodging rentals is Resort Quest. I always have great luck finding places when we have not been able to stay at our regular condo.  If you don’t find what you want online, give them a call.  The staff if very helpful.

1wrongturn finds:

Greek Food in Perdido Key

Greek Food on Perdido Key Drive close to the Winn Dixie. I don’t have a name and there are no regular hours.  This is basically a trailer hitch that turns into a Greek restaurant.  The food is yummy and the ambiance, well, check it out for yourself!

Spear Hunting Museum

Spear Hunting Museum - a family outing in Summerdale, Alabama!

While we were there, we ate a great hole-in-the-wall called Taqueria Leon.  We ate great enchiladas, pupusa, and munched on delicious pastries, all washed down with tamarind soda.  YUUUUUUM!  There is no website but here are a few comments on Chowhound.  If you want to see the city, take a look at these Rosenberg videos.

Partly because it is a neat little town and partly because it is where my family settled in Texas, I recommend that you take 1wrongturn and visit Rosenberg.

A little over two years ago, my family had the opportunity to visit Japan. The definates included Tokyo and a wonderful coastal town, Kochi. The rest was up to us. After weeks of exploring travel options, including trains schedules and accommodations, our trip looked as follows: 4 days in Tokyo, 2 days in Kochi, 3 days in Kyoto and back to Tokyo for 3 additional days. This required some serious planning and advanced details. If we had more time in each city, we could have allowed more to chance. However, with such brief stays in each place, we had to have certain things in place and be well versed in our travel cities to make the most of our time. So the research began.

Although I have written specific posts about Tokyo and Kyoto, I am writing four posts that will provide some important background information (and some cost savings). The four posts are: (1) transportation; (2) accommodations; (3) language; and, (4) food. There are just a few tips that will help you organize your travels, create a unique experience and enable you to take MANY 1wrongturns.

The following three links are to sites that I found really helpful in understanding and navigating Japan, as a whole.

Japan National Tourism Organization was my first stop. It provides a very thoughtful understanding of Japan culture, food/dining, transportation and accommodations. I highly recommend that you download the brochure Your Guide to Japan.

Japan-guide.com is rather commercial but has a tremendous amount of information.

Wikitravel: Japan – I like Wikitravel – get over it!

Useful tips:

• Dialing Code – the international dialling code for Japan is +81.
• Time – Japan is +9 hours GMT.
• Capital: Tokyo
• Religions: observe both Shinto and Buddhist 84%, other 16% (including Christian 0.7%)

There are a few tips that I would like to give you when booking your lodging so that you can avoid the same mistakes:

1. Make sure that you are clear about the room cost – is it per room or per person?
2. Get a written confirmation.
3. Make sure that you are clear about the toilet and shower situation.  If you want/need a toilet and shower in your room, you will have to stick with a traditional hotel or ryokan (although not all ryokans have private baths).

With those few things in mind, here is a basic run-down of your choices:

Hotel Remm Akhibara: Really cool bathrooms and massage chair in each room.

Hotels:

Hotels range from super luxurious to the love hotel, which charges by the hour. Most hotels have western style beds and bathrooms, as well as restaurants and all the mod cons.  Business hotels offer reasonable prices for shorter stays.  Theses hotels are usually close to train stations. Rooms are small, but clean and provide all the necessities.

Love Hotels:

If only we had not been with our daughter and my step-mother, my husband and I would have definitely checked into a Love Hotel – just for the experience. Love Hotel Hill in the Shibuya district of Tokyo is perhaps the country’s most famous area for these houses of fun. Given the close living quarters in Japan, Love Hotels make sense for couples who require some privacy.

Capsule Hotels:

Definitely not for me – where is the air?  However, many others find these quite acceptable if not a curiosity. Usually used by commuters and business men, these generally consist of six to eight capsules built into a wall, just big enough for a person to lay down. I am hyperventilating just writing about them!

Youth Hostels:

There are plenty of youth hostels dotted throughout Japan. Most hostels require a membership, which can be purchased at the first hostel. Japanese Youth Hostels are safe, friendly and clean and are used to accommodating international travelers. Japan Hostels commonly apply a pre-midnight curfew, so these are not for the “all-night” partiers.

Ryokan:

Ryokan are Japanese style inns that provide the culture and traditions of historic Japan. Ryokan range from small wooden traditional buildings, where you bump your head every time you stand up, to the large concrete structures that are common-place in Japanese cities.  Although they can be as luxurious as hotels, ryokan will not provide all the mod-cons but focus on quality and traditional service, atmosphere and relaxation.  Ryokan rooms are usually furnished with tatami flooring, a low table and cushions (zabuton) for sitting.  Most ryokan rooms contain a tea set to enjoy some Japanese tea. Guests sleep on a futon which is rolled out and put away in an ‘oshiire’ (a closet for futons) each day by the Ryokan staff.

Most ryokan offer breakfast and dinner,  which is included in the room rate.  In many instances, meals are served in the guest’s room or taken in a large communal dining area. Ryokan pride themselves on their food and many Japanese choose a ryokan for its meals. The meals served are traditionally Japanese, consisting of fish, rice and sweets fresh from the local area.  Some ryokan will give you the option of not taking the meal, which will reduce the price.

Most ryokan have an onsen (Japanese spa, which may be either natural hot springs or man made.  They often have communal hours and gender separated hours.  Some ryokan offer private baths.  See my post Japan: Customs and etiquette to learn how to use the onsen properly and not embarrass yourself.

Minshuku:

I like the minshuku option as it provides a true “Japanese experience.”  They are more like Japanese style b&bs or budget ryokan.  In most cases, minshuku are simply a room, section or floor of a family’s home with a shared bathroom and common room. Like ryokan, rooms are simply furnished and guests are provided with a futon to sleep on which they may be required to put away and roll out themselves.  In some cases, meals are included in the price or available for a small cost.

Temple Lodging:

I did not get to stay in a temple but I really wanted to – especially since we are vegetarians and could experience the Buddhist vegetarian meal – shojin ryori.  Temple lodging, which are called shukubo, are similar to traditional Japanese inns, and anyone can stay regardless of his or her religion. If you are so inclined, you can join in their Zen meditation.  The prices are not necessarily cheap but the experience seems worth it.  When researching the shukubo, I found that most don’t have English speaking staff or take credit cards.  It appears that the best place to partake in the temple lodging is is Mt. Koya. There are over 100 temples in Mt. Koya, and about 50 temples offer lodgings.   I will definitely do this on my next visit to Japan.

Here are a few websites with information about and lists of lodging options:

General listings:

• Japan Accomodations has a great listing of many different style lodgings.
• Japan Travel Online lets you find lodging by neighborhoods and close to sites.
• Rakuten Travel offers good discounts and has complete listings
• Japanican.com is another great source for lodging.
• Japan Economy Hotel Group provides a good listing of less expensive lodging.

High End:

• Exquisite Ryokan The name says it all.
• IKYU lists the top hotels.  Check out Claska in Tokyo.  I really want to stay there!

Hostels:

• Japan Youth Hostels
• Hostel World’s Japan listings

Temple Lodging:

• Temple Lodging in Japan provides a good listing of the various temple lodging and travel instructions
• Article about Vegetarian Cuisine and Mt. Koya

Hot Springs and Nature Experiences:

• National Park Resort Villages of Japan contains a list of lodging, all of which are located in national parks.
• Hot springs onsen throughout Japan.

Phrases:
* Hello/Good afternoon – Konnichiwa (kon-nee-chee-WAH)
* Nice to meet you – Hajimemashite (hah-jee-meh-MOSH-teh)
* Please – (request) Onegai shimasu. (oh-neh-gigh shee-moss)
Please – (offer) Dōzo. (DOH-zo)
* Thank you – (normal) Arigatō. (ah-ree-GAH-toh)
Thank you – (less formal) Arigatō gozaimasu. (ah-ree-GAH-toh go-ZAh-ee-mahs)
* Thanks – (informal) Dōmo. (doh-moh)
Thank you very much – (formal) Dōmo arigatō gozaimasu. (doh-moh ah-ree-GAH-toh go-ZAh-ee-mah-ss)
You’re welcome – Dō itashi mashite. (doh EE-tah-shee mosh-teh)
Yes – Hai. (HIGH)
No – Iie. (EE-eh)
* Excuse me – Sumimasen. (soo-mee-mah-sen)
I’m sorry – Gomen-nasai. (goh-men-nah-sigh)
I can’t speak Japanese – Nihongo hanasemasen. (nee-hohn-goh hah-nah-seh-mah-sen)
Do you speak English? Eigo o hanasemasuka? (AY-goh oh hah-nah-seh-moss-KAH?)
Help! Tasukete! (tah-soo-keh-teh!)
Look out! Abunai! (ah-boo-NIGH!)
Good morning – Ohayō gozaimasu. (oh-hah-YOH go-zigh-moss)
Good evening – Konbanwa. (kohm-bahn-wah)
Good night – (to sleep) Oyasuminasai. (oh-yah-soo-mee-nah-sigh)
* Goodbye – Sayōnara. (sa-YOH-nah-rah)
Where is the toilet? Toire wa doko desu ka? (toy-reh wah DOH-koh dess kah?)
How much? Ikura? (ee-koo-rah)

Street sign in Harajuku: I hate smorking!

Eating:

• It is impolite to eat or drink something while walking down the street, with the exception of standing at a food counter or eating ice cream.
• It’s customary to say “Itadakimasu” (“I humbly receive”) before eating and “Gochisosama” (“Thank you for the feast”) after eating, if you’re being treated.
• In restaurants or when visiting it’s customary to get a small, moist rolled-up towel called an “oshibori” to wipe your hands. It’s impolite to wipe the face and neck with it though some do in less formal places.
• To remove the splinters from chopsticks, gently rub one chopstick against the other. Do NOT place both chopsticks between the palms and vigorously rub together. This signals the waiter that one thinks his utensils are cheap.
• When sharing a dish, put what you take on your own plate before eating it.
• Do not use your chopsticks to skewer food, move dishes around, and
NEVER dish out food to another using the same ends you just ate
from–use the top ends.
• Don’t use your chopsticks to point at somebody.
• Don’t leave your chopsticks standing up out of your food.
• It is normal in Japan to pick up your rice or soup bowl and hold it under your chin to keep stuff from falling.
• Traditional Japanese food is served on several small plates, and it’s normal to alternate between dishes instead of fully eating one dish after another.
• Do not put soy sauce on your rice–it isn’t meant for that.
• Do not put sugar or cream in Japanese tea.
• It is okay to eat sushi with your fingers. When dipping sushi in the soy sauce, dip the fish side in the soy sauce.
• It is normal to make slurping sounds when you’re eating noodles.
• It is normal to pay a restaurant or bar bill at the register instead of giving money to the waiter/waitress.
• It’s considered rude to count your change after paying the bill in a store or restaurant, but the Japanese themselves do give it a cursory lookover.

Drinking:

• It is polite to say “Kanpai” for “Cheers” before you drink.
• It is impolite to pour your own drink when eating with others–you pour your companion’s drink and your companion pours yours.
• When someone goes to pour you a drink, lift your glass with both hands.
• If you don’t want any more to drink, leave your glass full.

Personal interaction & behavior:

• Avoid excessive physical and eye contact.
• The Japanese gesture for no is fanning your hand sideways a few times in front of your face.
• Don’t talk loudly in public places, including the subway.
• Exchanging business cards is common in formal introductions. You should extend your card to the other person with both hands, right side up to them (upside down to you). You receive cards with both hands also. Be sure to look at the card and not just pocket it. Never put it in your pants pocket and sit on it in front of them.
• It is polite to put “-san” after anothers name, or “-chan” after a young girls name, or “-kun” after a boy’s name, but NEVER use these after your own.
• If you have to blow your nose, leave the room, or at the very least try to face away
from other people–and use a tissue–not a handkerchief!

Visiting someone’s home:

• Don’t wear tattered clothes outside, nor socks with holes when visiting someone.
• Don’t wear your slippers into the genkan (at the entrance to a home, where the shoes are kept), nor outside.
• It’s customary to sit on the floor in a tatami room (called “washitsu”); don’t wear your slippers into a tatami (straw) mat room.
• It’s polite to bring some food (gift-wrapped in more formal situations) or drinks when you visit someone. Avoid giving pricey gifts.

Toilets:

• In public places that don’t permit shoes, slippers are provided. When you go to the bathroom, there will be another pair of toilet slippers. When you leave the toilet, don’t wear the toilet room slippers outside the toilet room.
• There are Japanese-style and Western-style toilets.  The Japanese-style toilet is flush with the ground and you do not sit on it. Stand over the toilet stool facing the side with the hood. Then squat over it and conveniently place yourself close but not to the point of contact with the stool. It is rather awkward but you have to try it.
• Always carry a little container of tissue with you.

Bathing:
Bathing is a large part of the Japanese culture and it applies to private homes, ryokans, onsens, and sentos (public baths). You should not miss the opportunity to visit a public bath as it is an amazing experience and you will NEVER feel cleaner. Regardless of the location of the bath, there is a definite routine and a few rules that MUST be followed. This is because the bath is communal and used for soaking, not cleaning. The 3 most important are:
1. Clean yourself BEFORE getting in the tub.
2. No soap or cleaning in the tub.
3. Do NOT empty the tub.

Following is the procedure for using a public bath:

• Take off your clothes in the changing room.
• Put clothes in the shelf or basket.
• Enter the bathroom with a small towel and your amenities.
• There will be a place for you to shower that will contain a bucket, stool and showers.
• Wash and rinse thoroughly before getting in the bathtub.
• Soak in the bathtub. Remember not to bring anything into the tub, not even a towel.
• Get out of the tub rinse your body with clean warm water in front of faucet.
• Dry your body with your small towel before you go to the changing room.
• Dry your body with your bath towel and dress in the changing room.

JNTO provides a great visual diagram of using a public bath.

Paying:

• Place the money onto a small tray that is placed specifically for the purpose near the cashier machine. Do not hand the money directly to the cashier.
• Convenience stores, or “kombini”, normally do not stick strictly to this rule.

Tipping:

• Individual tipping is not common in Japan, not even to waitresses, taxi drivers, or bellboys. Rather, in lieu of tipping, a 10 to 15 percent service charge is added to bills at higher-priced hotels and restaurants.
• At higher-end Japanese inns with individualized maid service, a 10 to 20 percent service charge is added. No service charge is added to bills at business hotels, pensions, minshuku, youth hostels, and other inexpensive lodgings.
• Travelers can, however, tip tour guides and the head maid at a Japanese inn if special requests were made (guests should present the head maid with an envelope containing the tip at the beginning of their stay).

Bowing:

• For foreigners, a nod and slight bow are adequate.

A perfect gift for the bride and groom who don’t need another bowl!
My husband and I received a beautiful set of chopsticks, many years ago, which we use all the time.

We spent 7 incredible days in Tokyo. Despite the hustle & bustle of a crowded, vertical city, Tokyo is extremely manageable and easy to navigate. Street signs and public transportation are easily identifiable and restaurants always have pictures/plastic models of the food they serve.  Ultimately, Tokyo set a new standard upon which I judge all other cities.  This is what Tokyo offers that I want: clean, well-maintained public spaces, easy-to-use public transportation, great street food, extremely helpful people and public baths.  Tokyo has all of this, plus magnificent ancient structures that co-exist with uber-modern architecture.

Tokyo is a city of neighborhoods, each with its unique character and personality.  If you are the meandering type, visit the Yanaka district where you can wind through the streets, enjoy lovely little gardens, explore the shops and stumble onto amazing temples and/or shrines every few blocks.  On the other hand, if neon, technology and cute girls in maid costumes are your thing, Akihabara is the place for you.  Like shopping???? Try Ginza for the high end and Harajuku for the funky – do one in the morning and one in the afternoon to experience the contrast of cultures and generations in modern day Tokyo.

The Yanaka area is not as well known as some of the other neighborhoods but definitely worth a visit as it has retained its historical ambiance and character.  Yanaka was developed as a temple town in the Edo period (1603-1867) and prominent temples like the Tenouji and the Kaneiji still exist in the area.   Yanaka is next to two neighborhoods, Sendagi and Nezu are collectively they are called Yanesen: Ya (Yanaka) Ne (Nezu) Sen (Sendagi).  In addition to the temples, there are beautiful cemeteries, little stores with exquisite crafts, and amazing shrines.

Taito Culture is a wonderful website that contains all kinds of information on this area.  Don’t miss the walking tour page!  Here is a Yanaka Map.

Here are a few places that I missed but want to see next time:

Asakura Choso Museum was the Fumio (1883-1964), famous for his statues of statesmen, women, and cats, many of which are on display here.  I have read that the house combines modern and traditional architecture and, wraps around an inner courtyard pond fed by a natural spring, and contains some furniture and antiques in its many tatami rooms, including a beautiful library, a tearoom, a room for enjoying the morning sun and a rooftop garden.  The museum was closed when I was there due to renovations and is scheduled to re-open in 2013.

Meguro Parasite Museum.  Really, the name says it all.  In addition, I read that the Parasite Museum is a popular spot for lunch dates!  I don’t know about you, but parasites always put me in the mood for love.

The Ghibli Museum was designed by Hayao Miyazaki, the incredibly creative, Oscar award-winning director of My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, and Ponyo. The Ghibli Museum, which opened in 2001, was designed to present the studio’s works and is built as both a fantasyland and an art museum.

The following links are to sites that I found really helpful in understanding and navigating Tokyo and Japan, as a whole.

• Tokyo Tourism Info is a great source of information and very easy to navigate.  You can sort by neighborhood, interest, videos, etc.  This site has great Self-Guided Walking Tours and suggested tours.
• Tokyo Essentials is GREAT.  It has everything from how to get from Narita airport into the city to “Quirky Tokyo.”
• Tokyo Metro also offers a GREAT feature that provides 6 Sightseeing plans, each with several attractions, mapped out station to station.
• Wikitravels is also a terrific resource.
• Narita Express: Gets you from the Narita airport into Tokyo city.  It is included with the JR Rail Pass.
• Tokyo Metro map can seem daunting.  But, most of the neighborhoods and “major” sites are on the circular JR Yamamote line.

You can’t go to Tokyo without checking out a depachika, the lavish department store food basements that sell everything from dainty wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets) and bento to$500 melons and European pastries.  Depachika is a combination of  ‘depa’ (department store in short) and (‘chika’) and they are truly a food lover’s paradise.  In addition to buying wonderful meals and gifts, you can also sample your way through and end up quite full.  Some of the highlights included:

• Handmade inari sushi made by nuns
• Refreshing fava bean and parsley smoothies from a smoothie bar called Vegetaria
• Fresh soy milk
• I also can say that I ate them most disgusting thing in the world but I am not sure what it was. The experience is seared into my gastrobrain.

You can find depachikas at:

• Takashimaya and Isetan in Shinjuku
• Matsuya, Mitsukoshi and Matsuzakaya Department stores in the Ginza

Desert Comes First is a great website that features some helpful information about Japan and beautiful photos of the depachika.

Convenience Store delights

Does the thought of convenience stores conjure up images of icees and melted cheese sauce?  Well, in Japan, konbini (convenience stores) are Tokyo’s corner one-stop-shop where you can pay bills, buy baseball tickets, and send mail and buy bowls of udon, onigiri and fancy desserts.  My favorite was the extensive choice of limited-edition Kit Kats in crazy flavors.   Late night eating has never been so easy and tasty.