Day 5: Earthquake??????????

I am guessing most of you may have heard about the earthquake that rippled through northeastern Japan. After the fish market there were around 15 of us that took a trip to Mt. Fuji. We were on the bus driving by our hotel when the earthquake hit. We didn't have an idea that it happened until we returned and saw it on the news. The other JMFers that were around felt the hotel shake, but that was it. It made some of them nervous, but there was no damage to this area and everyone on the program is fine. Thank goodness we were not heading in this direction, but instead we were heading to Mt. Fuji. We were in the bus for quite a long day, but our adventure was well worth it. We took a motor coach drive along the Chuo Expressway. We were able see the views (when the clouds weren't covering it) of the sacred Mt. Fuju, the highest mountain in Japan at over 12,000 feet above sea level. We drove to the fifth station which is halfway up Mt. Fuji and were able to take pictures of the scenic area. After a short visit, we continued on our journey to Hakone. Here, we took a cruise on Lake Ashi and then rode an aerial cableway up and down Mt. Komagatake for a view of Hakone National Park. It was gorgeous and we loved it. We then rode the bus to a train station where we bordered the Shinkansen (Japanese Bullet Train). The bullet train was extremely fast (180 mph), but you couldn't tell because it was so smooth. The guide told us that the next train they are working on they are saying it may travel at around 360 miles per hour. 142,000 Japanese people have already volunteered and signed up for the test drives. The train, along with the expressway, were all created the same year of the 1964 Olympics held in Tokyo.

After the long day some of us still felt like going out and seeing the night life in Shibuya. This area is similar to Times Square in New York. It is very lively with people from around the world playing music, huddled in groups, walking around, shopping, singing Karaoke, and more. We walked the area and mostly people watched. It was really fun to see everyone out and enjoying Tokyo. I felt safe for the most part, but there was a lot going on and it was incredibly over-stimulating. We ate at a small dive in which you ordered at a vending machine, picked up your ticket, and then brought it to the front to the cooks. I had chicken and rice with egg poured over it. I also had a bowl of noodles. It was very filling, but I was craving ice cream so I splurged and found a banana and chocolate parfait in a small grocery store. We headed back after all of the excitement and I crashed. It is now morning and I am getting ready for my trip to Tama, Tokyo. If you haven't noticed, you can get a lot of beverages and food (hot or cold) from vending machines--pretty amazing. Oh, no we didn't get to ride the roller coaster close to Mt. Fuji--it would have been a two hour wait. Hopefully, I will have continued access to the Internet so I can keep you updated. Enjoy the pictures.