Tokyo: The Ghostown.....
My wife and I travel to Tokyo/Japan at least once year for vacation and to visit friends. This year we had been planning our big trip around my 30th birthday, and the cherry blossom season.
Two weeks before our big trip, the earthquake hit, and of course the doubt of our trip even happening hit instantly. After lots of research, constant communication with our friends in Tokyo, and a bit of back and forth we modified the trip slightly. Instead of spending the entire 10 days in Tokyo, we spent the first 5 days in Hong Kong and the last 5 in Tokyo.
This allowed things to get to back to normal a bit, and for my wife to see Hong Kong a place she had never been. It also gave us the time to judge if there was going to be any type of safety concern, which in Tokyo there was not.
As noted by Danny in an earlier post the media and news coverage of the situation in Japan and specifically Tokyo was absolutely terrible. Wide sweeping generalizations, mismatched facts, and reporting that was entirely wrong caused fear mongering in the states like never before. Tokyo was a massive ghost town apparently, and we all were going to start glowing green from extreme amounts of radiation blowing all over the globe. This led to most of our friends and family stateside constantly asking us if we were even going, and why on earth we would even consider it.
This couldn't have been more far from the truth having been in Tokyo for the past 5 days (just returned home this morning) as you will see in my photos below. Akihabara was still there, our favorite places still open and functioning, our food did not glow green. Everyone we passed and interacted with seemed to be relieved and even happy to see foreigners visiting their country. We had random people, especially in Ueno park, come up to us and ask us how we were enjoying our trip.
My point in all of this is go support Japan. We all are here because of our love of the country, culture, food, people, toys, gadgets, etc. Tokyo is there, it's alive, its functioning just as it has before. Yes, there is massive tragedy and destruction to the north. But the northern region is not the entire country. Get out there and support the country that made this website possible!
Yodobashi Camera open for business!
Very busy Saturday in Akiba.
The maids are still out!
Lunch at CoCo-Ichi! Notice the lack of glow from my food..
Small crepe van outside of JR Akiba station.
Super busy Sunday in Harajuku!
Busy in the Ginza!
Busy day in Ueno park. Lots of Sakura blooming
Sakura in the Shinjuku Gyoen National Park.
Tons of Sakura along the Meguro River
Gorgeous! Tokyo looks alive and kicking to me. I wonder what planet those reporters were on :P.
Tokyo is a ghost town! This people is a mirage! Hahaha xDDDDDD
No, They're just a lot of "ghosts"... ^_- XD
Tokyo. Beautiful and full of life ^^
Thanks for sharing your information! Gorgeous photos, people who changed their plans missed out ^^;
We're not heading back to Japan until next year, and my Mother is already fretting about it. I'm not worried in the slightest, of course ^_^
I was supposed to be going around this time as well, but I cancelled for unrelated reasons a few months ago. (Mostly because I found out I'm a few months of points from a 1st class upgrade.)
I'm still hoping to make it later this year or early next year, though. I feel like it's wrong if I go less than every two years!
Gee that looks delish
Love the photos!!!
I want to go to Japan again this summer!!!
The main problem my family believes the news too much!!!
I know the news sometimes is overrated and I barely listen to them.
You definitely need to go Rin. Gotta see if you can top last years Mega-Loot. LOL
Planning to go Mid July... Will start doing the main planning later this month for the trip, and getting the final details set in May.
Told my sister I would go unless Godzilla showed up... Then again, that would be awesome too. ^_^
That settles it. I WILL go see the cherry blossoms bloom at least once before I die.
Going to all the different places to see the Sakura blooming is one of the best things we have ever done. Absolutely beautiful! I have tons of pictures from Ueno Park, Imperial Palace, Meguro River, and Shinjuku Park
*drools*
Kare-pan??? I <3 Kare-pan.
Yea! This place called them curry-donuts.
There's nothing like a good curry!
Exactly! CoCo-Ichi has the best curry/katsu-curry around. I get it every time I go to Japan.
fantastic
Curry Katsu...om nom nom...
The Gourmet Food Truck trend apparently has hopped the Pacific! We have trucks just like this in LA, "Crepin' Around." And we also have restaurants like the Four Leaf Tea House which make crepes to die for.
Weenie pan?
Yup! Hot Dog with a mayonnaise/cheese type filling.:)
Top of my Bucket List: visiting Japan.
same!
but people want to hear bad news from you - fleeing the country and stuff
only bad stuff sells
If it bleeds, it leads.
One of my fave shopping places.
And one of my fave cafes.
Like I said, this place is awesome!
I'm 2 1/2 weeks from going to Tokyo and everybody at work is still asking if I'm going. Tried to explain how the media was sensationalizing the situation but the fear from anything nuclear is so strong in the US that folks don't want to believe it. Only sad thing is how the lights all over Tokyo are being kept turned off in order to conserve power. I like my Tokyo blazing bright!
nearly 3 weeks after I booked my flight for my Hliday in Tokyo this comin sept, the Earthquate struck. Like everyone else here who are going after the quake, I too was asked thousand of questions about is it safe. I too had thoughts about not going, but I have decided to proceed, because the news is never acurate, just like the weather. Watch the news/weather on one channel and then later on the next, and the news will be slightly different, but the weather forecast is totally different. I am looking forward to the trip, so much so, I am putting plans into place to return to Japan in Nov 2012 to see how they celebrate x-mas.
lovely pictures~ thanks for sharing!
Wow such lovely pictures the cheery blossom are beautiful ;)
Hmmm, Medias in my local area never said anything about "Ghost town" or anything like that. In fact, after talking about supply shortage and power outrage, as well as water issues in Tokyo, they just move their focus point away. Now they are talking about nuclear power plant, Radioactive pollution in air, soil and water.
It's these sort of pictures that make you wonder why so many people listen to the media in general. According to the press in the UK the world is ending in Japan, but this all looks the polar opposite. Everyone just seems to be getting on with life as much as they can which is pretty inspiring more than anything. Tokyo is one of my favourite places on the planet and I am going back next year.
A beautiful place. Too bad i'm not there at this time.
Hey! you takin my picture?!?!? Hmph!
What a mesmerizing photo! It feels so surreal~
tokyo is really amazing city. really amazing. wish i can work there.
love this! I made it my desktop background.
Planning to go this August? Currently investigating what airline company to fly with.
:) I just arrived home from sightseeing trip to Japan too. 1,5 weeks in Japan wasn't enough so I'm hoping to go back in next few years. Next time need to plan the trip better so I wouldn't miss visiting interesting places and wait for less earhtquaky time. The 7M aftershock was bit too much for me even tough I was in Tokyo at the time...
Oh, and Happy birthday! :D It's good to be 30
too cute! lol I wonder how many people noticed this!