I Think I Have Trench Foot

Today was very rainy but Isabel and I walked all the way from Yotsuya to Akihabara in it anyway. We had meant to walk to Shinjuku, but ended up a little askew in our directions. Anyway, we probably walked from about 11:30AM to 7:30PM with a half hourish break in the middle to get coffee so we wouldn't perish of the cold. Seriously, I got completely soaked.

Currently, my clothing of today hangs dripping onto a towel from the bar in my room. Everything from my jacket to my undies was murdered by rain- gr. I even had an umbrella but alas! My toes were all white and wrinkly when I finally got back. I think I will never be warm again.

Anyway, we went to a shrine today called Yasukuni-Jinja (Jinja is Japanese for Shrine). According to my Knopf Mapguide:

This Shinto sanctuary, founded in 1869, pays homage to the kami (spirits) of 2.5 million Japanese who sacrificed their lives for this country. It also generates great controversy, due to the tributes paid to General Tojo (had of the government from 1941-1944) and 13 other war criminals. The visits to this nationalist stronghold by a recent Prime Minister caused outrage in both Japan and other parts of Asia.

End quote? Wow, I didn't know this at the time. There's also a museum inside, which apparently is dedicated to the military history- though I think that one was a little more obvious. The first floor of the museum is free, so we went into the shop and got many souvenirs.

http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2046903&l=fdf1a&id=32404300
Photos!

Also, we kept walking and walking and walking, and hit the corner of the Imperial Palace, the Kitanomaru-koen (garden), but you can't get through this way (I think...). There was a cat hiding inside one of the little statue things- so cute! Can you see him?



We didn't get very far though, it seemed like an impasse but maybe we were just insane from the cold and wetness? Anywho, we stopped at about the Nippon Budokan, which didn't SEEM impressive at the time, but is apparently where the Beatles made their Japanese debut (oops). Oh, and a statue of someone, but who?:



Edit: The two men looked nothing alike, so it wasn't the guy I guessed it was. I don't think anyone read that note before I deleted it though. O.o Who is that fellow?!

Anyway, pictures of the park:

http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2046905&l=84406&id=32404300

We finally made it to Akihabara, which I did take pictures of, but I'll post them later, after I've gotten back there to take better pictures. I was kinda tired to put any sort of effort into it, so they're crap.

<3s!