Tag Archives: travel

Growing In Tokyo – Day Three

Vitality Stories

Growing In Tokyo Day Three

Growing In Tokyo – Day Three

All aboard

Steps Taken: 10,834
Day Three (Day OneDay Two)

Today was the day. The day to brave the Tokyo Metro, or subway, comprised of 9 lines, 184 stops, and with an annual ridership of ~3.217 billion in 2014.

3.217 billion! For the sake of comparison, New York City’s subway had a ridership of 1.751 billion in 2014. ~GULP~

Yet, after two full days of walking, our back and feet weren’t up to taking 20k steps on Day 3, so we found the nearest entrance to the Ginza Line which has been running beneath the streets of Tokyo since 1927. Our destination was the Senso-Ji Temple and Nakamise-dori shopping street in Asakusa, northeast Tokyo. Continue reading

Growing in Tokyo – Day Two

Vitality Stories

Growing in Tokyo Day Two Teri Case

Growing in Tokyo – Day Two

Wake and walk

Steps taken: 20,865

The time difference between Seattle, Washington, and Tokyo, Japan, is 16 to 17 hours depending on daylight savings. Exercise seems to help us with jet lag, so after a good night’s rest, Ted and I strolled westward. Our destination was the world famous and busiest intersection in Tokyo—Shibuya Crossing.

Multiple subway lines and trains intersect underground and there is an endless flow of people onto the streets. Shibuya Crossing is also known as Shibuya Scramble. When the pedestrian light turns green, an average of 1,000 people swarm the intersection, scrambling and weaving towards one of the four corners. After forty-six seconds, most everyone has cooperated and reached their destination. And just like that, the traffic zooms by once more and by the time the walk sign flashes green again, there is another 1,000 people waiting to cross.

Continue reading

Growing In Tokyo – Day One

Vitality Stories

Growing in Tokyo

Growing In Tokyo – Day One

First Impression

Steps taken: 19,654

Not knowing much about Tokyo, we were hesitant to book traditional Japanese accommodations and instead opted for a western hotel between the Akasaka and Roppongi neighborhoods. As is typical when staying at a western-influenced hotel, our fellow lodgers were a mix of business travellers and tourists.

Ted and I are walkers. I wear a pedometer on our travels to track our daily adventure (and to figure out how much dessert I will eat) one step at a time. We have struck a fashion sense inclined towards practicality and comfort, avoiding aching feet and backs without feeling underdressed, or barring ourselves entrance to nice restaurants or establishments due to tennis shoes, t-shirts and jeans. Our packing philosophy has always worked—until Tokyo. Continue reading

Vitality Stories ~ Artist Michael Michaud

Vitality Stories
an interview with

Artist Michael Michaud

MIchael Michaud, photo provided by Michael Michaud Jewelry

 

The Reason

To learn from someone else, we need only to ask them about their experiences, and that’s the purpose of the Vitality Stories Interviews. I’m not writing the memoirs for artist, Michael Michaud, but I discovered his work while I was on a four-month road trip and, unbeknownst to him, he inspired me to change. Continue reading