Dr. Jones visits Japan!

This past summer (2012), I had the wonderful opportunity to spend about a month in Japan.  I visited some current friends and met new friends.  Here are a couple of my adventures:

There was a lot of bike traffic on the sidewalks.  Many parents had child seats in the front of the bike and the rear.

I took a night train from Tokyo to Kagoshima.  This was the bed.  You received a comforter and a pillowcase - no pillow and the bed was just a carpet, no mattress. 

Corridor for the train.

 

Most of the food was delicious like these Chinese dumplings; some of it was, well, let's just say different.

These delicious Chinese dumplings cooked right in front of me at a lunch counter in Tokyo.  My friend Clare enjoyed this beautiful lunch.

Below is Kobe beef.  What looks like potato chips are actually garlic chips.

 

Sometimes I couldn't identify the food, like the picture below. 

 

The picture above was in front of a foot massage machine in a Japanese onsen in Kobe.  It tells you what parts of the body are connected to what areas of the feet.  The picture below is of a special foot treatment called Dr. Fish.  The little fish eat the dead skin off of your feet.  It feels really strange, but your feet feel great afterwards.

These ladies were in Kyoto.  The gentlemen below were participating in a big festival near Tokyo with lots of drums, flutes, and other instruments.  The musicians took turns playing and pulling the float.

 

I'm a fan of the tv program Ninja Warrior.  I got to meet 3 famous Ninja Warrior contestants while in Japan.  This is Yuuji Urushihara - the reigning champion.

This is Shingo Yamamoto who has participated in every Sasuke (the original Japanese name for the show; Ninja Warrior is the American title.)

Below is Makoto Nagano - the 2nd champion (there have only been 3).

We went to an amazing theatre production in Miyazaki area.  Everywhere we went, Makoto Nagano ran into his fans.

My first jet ski ride!

Above is the view from a mountain in Kobe.  Notice the amazing architecture.
Below is the Golden Palace in Kyoto.  I am pictured with one of our exchange students from Japan who showed me around Kyoto while I was there.

 

Chinese palace in Yokohama.

Some train cars were designated for women only because the trains would get so crowded and women didn't like being crowded by men.

 

No tattoos are allowed in Japanese baths/spas because they are associated with gangs in Japan.

 

Water taxi in Tokyo

 

Can you guess what this sculpture is?  Answer below if you scroll down.

 

Answer: this is supposed to represent beer foam.  It is on top of the Asahi building in Tokyo.