The day we saw some heavy artillery
Trip Start
Jul 23, 2010
1
16
43
Trip End
Aug 31, 2010
Tokyo, Kanto, Japan
Friday, August 6, 2010
After being there for a few hours, we decided to call it quits and go to the Yasukuni shrine-- a shrine dedicated to those killed in all of Japan's wars. This also means that war criminals from WWII and other wars are commemorated here-- a fact that really stirred up the rest of Asia.
It's a very large and beautiful shrine-- I couldn't make pictures of the inside, but there are several rooms inside the temple with names on commemorative tablets. Behind the Yasukuni shrine was the war museum, where we looked at a very old locomotive, and some heavily damaged artillery.
We got on the Yamanote line once more and stopped at Ebisu. The old beer factory is located here, as well as several shops and an outside theater. Thinking that we had to see that, we got out on that stop and followed the signs. And more signs. And then there were no more signs. So we had to rely on good old asking the way, which got us into the right direction.
We stopped at a supermarket to get some sushi and we ate it in a park, where we were subsequently attacked by giant ants!
After walking some more and being dead tired, we make our way up a hill and there it is, Ebisu Garden Place. There was a movie showing, but seeing as it was completely Japanese and Kimberley and Jorr don't speak it well enough to understand it (Kim is limited to "arigatou gozaimasu") we decided to check out the mall... which was already closed.
The three of us decided to come back another day to see the rest of the place. Tired and a bit cranky, we tried to find our way back to the station, thinking that it would be another ridiculously long journey. Not.
When we check out the map, we see that the station's entrance is RIGHT NEXT TO THE PLACE. We cussed, we laughed, we were relieved when we made our way to the station (in 5 minutes, rather than 55) and went home. :)
Comments
Yup, the only words I know and they've gotten me quitte some compliments!! :3
And the Japanese loved me! :3
And may I add that I think that it's a beautiful thing that the Japanese honour every death 'caused by war, despite the controverse.
Every death in war, whether it's a human or an animal, is a sorry loss.