We brought lots of warm clothes and heavy coats to prepare for Japan's cold weather, so we were pretty shocked to arrive on a sunny, 70 degree day. It also happened to be the warmest day of our stay. The next day brought the weather we expected.
There is a 19 hour time difference from Hawaii, where we had just come from. Fortunately we slept most of the flight so our early arrival into Japan, pretty much adjusted us right from the start. We dropped our bags at the hotel and headed off to see the city. It was a pleasant surprise to find many of the signs are in English. The city map showed lots of parks nearby, so we set off to find a few.
Sadly, the "children's parks" downtown look like this. This is the entire "park"- 2 wobbly horses. As my friend pointed out, "good thing I only have two kids!"
Then we found Arisugawanomiya Park. This was a typical Japanese park with a lake and bridges and trails, and it was lovely!
This park was just a few blocks from our hotel, so we came here a few different times.
We found two quite large green snakes on this tree.
A few things that we noticed right away, of course they drive on the opposite side of the street in Japan, but many people use bikes to get around. You'll actually see thousands of bikes parked, unlocked, along the streets.
Children barely older than my own kids were walking to school alone or in small groups. Some use the subway completely by themselves. I love seeing them in their uniforms, though they must be cold. I thought it was cute that a couple of them were checking out Asher as they passed each other.
You'll also notice those yellow lines on every single sidewalk and subway station. Under the yellow paint are long bars that aid the blind in getting around town. I'm impressed by their consideration for that segment of their population.
Cemeteries in the downtown area are tucked between a residential area and a wall along a main street.
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