Hi Everyone - Happy Holidays!
We were fortunate enough to be able to make another hop across the Pacific Ocean this year ...
... to Japan!
Most days me and my father-in-law (Teruya) went for a four or five mile walk.
The Tamagawa River is just a few blocks from their house.
When the weather is clear you can see Mt. Fuji.
Interesting foliage.
We went to the bullet-train station...
...hopped on the bullet-train.
And went to Kobe (near Osaka).
This was our hotel (Okura).
Next to the hotel was the Kobe Tower - this is a few from there.
Got Bags?
We found an Italian restaurant for lunch.
We took the bus to the foothills where there is a historical foreign presence area. There are buildings and houses built by Americans and Europeans in the 1800's for diplomats, embassies, etc.
One of the buildings is now a history museum.
Another is an art museum.
Taking a break.
The view from our hotel.
Kobe Tower.
We rode the cable car (funicular) up to Rokko Mountain where there is quite a view of the whole Kobe area.
Interesting antennae at the mountain peak.
A tourist area with views in all directions... and souvenirs!
Riding the cable car back down the hill.
Then back to the train station for the ride back to Tokyo.
Back home, we watched the election news from the TV in the car.
The next day we rode the bullet train north to Utsunomiya.
Where we met Haruko's friend Jessica. Jessica just moved to Japan from Stockton one month ago.
Jessica came back to Kawasaki with us - where we went to Kawasaki Daishi - a local temple.
We met some of Haruko's friends for dinner one night - all of these friends (including Haruko) lived and worked in Canada some 20 years ago.
My father-in-law drove us to Yokohama one night - another beautiful port city (about 20 miles from Kawasaki).
We did a lot of shopping - this is a coffee shop at the shopping center at the Kawasaki train station.
We rode the local train to Sensouji - a huge temple in Tokyo.
Then back to the bullet-train station.
Where we said our goodbyes to Jessica.
I went for walk by myself one morning - and found this high-speed electric vehicle charging station.
Also the local utility company has a fleet of electric vehicles. During our two weeks in Japan I saw about ten EVs driving around (Leafs, iMievs, Subarus).
On our last walk together.
The Chinese Gardens at Dai Shi Park
Back home in California - my co-workers surprised me with birthday cupcakes :-)
Every November is the International Motorcycle Show in San Mateo - Bob and I went in the Leaf - we stopped to charge in San Ramon on the way.
We also charged in San Mateo for the drive back.
Jerod and Hayley came to have Thanksgiving Dinner with us!
Haruko cooked up a delicious feast (as usual) :-)
Until next month!
Videos
Japan 2012
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