Exploring Odaiba / お台場探検

After the wife was finished shopping in Odaiba, we decided to do a little more exploring.  We thought we would check out where the Takoyaki Museum which is on the 2nd or 3rd floor of one of the many buildings.  But it wasn't the takoyaki that was so cool, it was the place itself - called Odaiba Icchome Shotengai.  Damn, if only I knew a little bit more about this place when my family came to visit.  My parents would find it nostalgic while my sister and her husband would just find it really cool!

お台場で買い物が終了したら、ちょっとたこ焼きミュージアムがあるビルに行ってまた。ランチはもう食べたけど気になってからとりあえず。行ったらたこ焼きミュジアムより周りのでき場合に驚いた。お台場一丁目商店街で名付けられてる場所だった。これがもっと知ってたら家族が日本に遊びに来た時連れてあげたかったな。両親なら懐かしむは。妹夫妻なら絶対楽しめたな。ま、みんながまた今度日本に来たら必ず連れてあげる。

But before we went to Icchome playland, we saw a street performer with his cute little ape.

お台場一丁目商店街に入る前に外で大道芸の人と遭遇。芸は猿と一緒。

This reminded me of the summer I spent in Tokyo back in 1980.  In Japan, these game table cafes were the fad and I got hooked on one of them.  I wasn't a Pacman fan but it sure does bring back memories of my vacation.

これ見た時、高校時代で夏休みは東京に行ってこういうゲームテーブルのカフェは結構流行ってた覚えがある。自分もその夏、こういうゲーム機で結構お金使ったな。超懐かしい。

This looks like something my brother would want for his house.

僕のお兄さんがこういうのも欲しがるな。

おーう！鉄人２８号！

Americans know this character as Gigantor but I grew up knowing it as Tetsujin 28go!

Yep, we have timeslipped back to Showa Era Japan.

はい、私たちが昭和の日本にタイムスリップしました。

There was a huge dagashiya in this building as well.  Dagashiya is a candy store for kids.  Kiddy heaven.  Ooh, bet my sister wants those Doraemon cans!

大きな駄菓子屋もあった。妹はドラえもんの缶欲しがるな。

The bullet train (which is what me and my bro and everybody else called it).  Most people now use the Japanese word - shinkansen.  In my elementary school days, it was a treat for my brother and I to ride on the bullet train from Tokyo to Osaka.  Back then, there was still a buffet car.  We would sit in the buffet car, eat some curry rice while checking out the speedometer to see how fast the train was going.

超特急ひかり号。 や、これも小学校時代思い出すな。子供の頃夏は東京からおばあちゃんの家まで行く時は新幹線に乗って凄い良い思い出がある。当時はまだブッフェ車もあり、お父さんが僕と兄貴をその車両に連れてて、僕たちがカレーライスを食べながら、速度標識みて、電車はどのくらい早いのも良く見てたな。

Showa Station / 昭和ステーション

 

 

Tokyo 1958?  The world of "Always : Sunset on Third Street"!

 

東京昭和３３年？「Always : 三丁目の夕日」の世界だ！

 

 

Yes, we're stil in the past.

 

はい、まだ昭和の日本にいる。

 

 



 



If you search hard enough, you can still find some of these old post boxes.

 

探せが今でもこういうポストが見つかりますよ。

 

 

 

School mascot? / 学校のマスコット？

 

 

Showa style home / 昭和の家

 

 

We were having so much fun that we didn't really bother checking out the takoyaki museum (that, and we already ate lunch!)

 

お台場一丁目商店街が楽しすぎて、完全にたこ焼きミュジアムは行かなかった（それと、もう昼食も食べた終わってたし。）

 

 

 

Big cat holding up a building / でっかい猫発見

 

 

Odaiba at night / 夜のお台場

 

 

So, as my sister would say, "Add it to the list" for the next time they come to visit.

 

多分自分の妹が言うと思うが、「その場所リストに追加！」 また日本に来たら、行きたがるんじゃないかな。