Housekeeping

Just a quick update with some pictures.

Something I forgot to mention was the address system here in Japan. While my apartment is on a relatively large and busy street, my home address actually doesn't include the street. In fact, only the largest of streets in Tokyo have any names at all. That's correct, most streets don't have names. They're just "street."

So, you might ask, how in the world are you supposed to find anything if the streets have no names? In general, any unfamiliar location one might be tempted to go to comes with a map from those who live there. That, or you go by monuments such as "the 7-11" (they're everywhere), or a school, or something.

So what IS my address?

Tokyo-to, Mitaka-shi, Jindaiji 3-10-3 Angelique 205

I realize this may as well be in hieroglyphics. It kind of still seems like that to me.

In actuality, while Western world addresses generally go from the most specific location to the least (Street address, street name, city, state, country), Japanese addresses go the other direction (the address starts with the most general address [in this case, Tokyo] and ends with the most specific location).


Further, because there are no street names, cities are cut up into blocks. For example, its as if Manhattan's streets did not have their convenient numbered grid, but was officially split up into Upper West, Columbus Circle, Lower East Side, etc, and each of those divisions had subdivisions by location, which would then be divided once more into blocks.


If you need a break, go ahead and take it.

SO

My address (Tokyo-to, Mitaka-shi, Jindaiji 3-10-3 Angelique 205), translated, means:

I live the third building of the 10th block of the third section of Jindaiji, which is in Mitaka city, which is in Tokyo prefecture. My building's name, as previously reported, is Angelique, and I live in room number 205.



Exhale.

So, in conclusion, the only thing more difficult than acquiring this apartment is actually finding it. I think I'll just meet visitors at the train station.

I spent last Saturday in Ueno Park, which is where many of Tokyo's finest museums are, along with a plethora of shrines and temples and where the largest cherry blossom viewing parties are (more on that this spring), and also Asakusa, a famous Tokyo shrine that's a favorite of tourists and locals alike. Yesterday afternoon I went to nearby Inokashira Park, one of the loveliest natural enclaves in Tokyo.


Ueno:



Asakusa:


Inokashira Park: