Great Buddha of Kamakura (Daibutsu)

We went to a small town outside of Tokyo called Kamakura. In Kamakura there are a lot of temples. There is also a very famous statue of a Buddha.

The great Buddha of Kamakura called Daibutsu is 44 feet tall. It was built in 1252, before Columbus discovered America. Buddha means "awakened one." Buddism is one of the major religions in Japan.

Ueno Park and Zoo

We went to see Ueno park which has Tokyos oldest zoo. The park itself is very big and has a lake, where you can rent a boat if it is summer. It took us a while to find the entrance to the zoo. At the entrance was a cool little amusement park. I went on 5 rides. 


In the zoo we saw lots of animals that are similar to the Los Angeles zoo, like elephants. We also saw things I had never seen before in person. We saw penguins, 5 different types of lemurs, aye-ayes and Japanese macaque (snow monkeys). The snow monkeys loved playing with each other and climbing the rocks. In the winter when it is snowing they like to hang out in hot-springs, which are ponds of very warm water.

Class Questions Answered II

> I like the big ferris wheel. -Elexus
Me too.

> Have you been on the ferris wheel yet? -Boston
yes.

> I like what you said about the ferris wheel. -Zachary
Thanks

> What do the Toyota cars look like? -James
We have lots of Toyota cars in Santa Monica, but in Japan they have some we don't have. Like this one:

> When am I going to be able to meet you? I am new. -Naomi
Hi Naomi, can't wait to meet you, I will see you Monday!

> I hope you have a wonderful weekend. -Jessi
Thanks, I will be getting used to Santa Monica time again.

> I like the huge ferris wheel. It looks really tall. -Danielle
It was.

> Did you taste the octopus? -Sawyer
No way.

> Are there any new animals there? -Ava
We saw some very cool Monkeys that only live in Japan

> Does eel taste good? -Micah
To me it does.

> Did you eat anything else that tastes good? -Chloe
Gyoza, they are like potstickers.

> Do you know any words in Japanese? -Ameli
yes, I know how to say goodbye and thank you very much

> What does your hotel room look like? -Liam
There is a pretty view of Mt. Fuji

> What is the name of your hotel? -Kiara
Ritz Carlton Tokyo

> How do the kids dress? -Mia
The kids dress just like us, except when they go to school. They have to wear uniforms to school.

> Are you having fun? -Summer
Yes.

> Can you understand Japanese? -Cosimo
Once in a while.

Hanayashiki Amusement Park

We went to an amusement park that was built in 1853. It reminded me of the pier. My favorite ride was the helicopter. We had to pedal our way around in the sky.

In the park just outside of the park, we saw a very funny thing. There was a chihuahua wearing sunglasses and an party shirt with a tiny monkey on its back.  It was very funny, but I felt sorry for the monkey, but at least he was safe from large predators.

Asakusa Park

There was a cool climbing structure that was different than what we have at our school.  It required a lot of balance.

I saw a class of children playing there. They all had matching pink hats. The children were having recess in the park.

Sensoji Temple in Asakusa

We went to see a famous temple called the Sensoji temple in an area of Tokyo called Asakusa. The temple was built in the year 645. It is the oldest temple in Tokyo.

The temple also has a large area that is a market for Japanese things. It is a long row of lots of stores.

Toyota Driving Fun

Also on the island is a huge building that has all the cars that Toyota makes. Also inside are some simulators that allow you to pretend that you are driving. There is also a track where you can drive a hybrid car around. A hybrid car uses both the power from your legs and from a battery. Toyota makes several hybrid cars that use gas and electricity.

Ferris Wheel

After playing lots of video games, I walked with my family across the island to a giant ferris wheel. It is 377ft tall. When it was built, it was the tallest Ferris wheel in the world. 4 santa monica ferris wheels stacked on top of each other would not even be the same size as this one. It does not stop for you to get on, you have to hop in, but it moves slowly.

We could see a lot of the city from the top!

Fun and Games at Deck Mall

On Odaiba, the "Deck Mall" is like a big mall with small shops selling candies and toys. It also had many places to play games too.

Deck Mall also has lots of video games. It has a special place called Sega Joyopolis. At Joyopolis you can race virtual cars, be on a snowboard roller-coaster and play lots of different video games.

One section was like Chuck E. Cheese but serve battered octopus instead of pizza. No thank you!

Odaiba Ferry

After the garden, we took a ferry to Odaiba. Odaiba is a man made island. They put a bunch of dirt into the water until it made an island. On the island are a bunch of fun things including a big ferris wheel.

The ferry trip was about 15 minutes. We crossed a part of Tokyo bay. From the boat we could see the rainbow bridge, which is in the picture.

Kyu-Shiba-rikyu Garden

Today I went to Kyu-Shiba-rikyu garden. It had stepping stones around a pond. It had traditional Japanese trees. One tree was a cherry blossom tree in bloom, which usually does not happen in the winter. The garden is over 200 years old.

I liked running around the pond on the rocks and climbing the hills.