The conference

The conference is being held in the hotel ballroom. Nice chandelier.

Hotel Lobby

Here's a snap of the lobby while waiting for registration

Room with a view

Great view of Hong Kong from the room though.

My hotel room

This is my room in Hong Kong. Took just over two hours from landing to get into my room. Most of that time was either waiting for my bag at the airport or waiting to check-in at the hotel.  Hong Kong is very different to Japan...

Mount Fuji

This is what Mount Fuji looks like from above.

Central Tokyo

This is the view of central Tokyo. Almost in the bottom centre of the photo is a bridge informally known as the dinosaur bridge because it is said to look like two dinosaurs facing each other.  To the left of that is the central breakwater, which is land being reclaimed from the sea by rubbish that can't be recycled or burnt.

Disney Resort

On the shore of Tokyo Bay slightly to the right of the bottom centre is Tokyo Disneyland and Disney Sea.  Incidentally the rivers just to the right is where the Tone river came out in the 17th century.

Tone River

Flying over the Tone river in Chiba on the way to Hong Kong. The Tone (pronounced like Tony) is Japan's second longest river these days because in the 17th century they changed the course of the river - it used to flow into Tokyo Bay but now flows into the Pacific ocean.

Plane to Hong Kong

My plane waiting at Narita airport

Goshuin

Goshuin are books for collecting stamps from shrines and temples in Japan. At a shrine or temple a priest will write the name of the establishment and the date using calligraphy and then stamp it in red ink.

Christmas lights

The Christmas lights at my hotel in Narita,  Chiba.

Narita-san

This is the entrance to Narita's famous temple Narita-san.

The main hall

Pagoda

Vending Machine

This drink vending machine at Kita-kogane Station could display the current weather including temperature as well as vending hot and cold drinks. You can pay for the drinks by coins, cash or by train smartcard.

Hondoji

A temple in Kogane, Chiba that is renowned for its autumn foliage.

Great little Cafe and gallery

This place is in Kogane, in Chiba. Had curry with konoki mushrooms and it was delicious. Coffee is fantastic as well.

Hamamatsucho Manneken Pis

Hamamatsucho Station has its very own version of Manneken Pis - the Brussels landmark fountain on the shape of a little boy urinating into a basin. Here he is currently dressed in a Santa outfit.

Zojoji, take 2

Left my jacket at the Shiba Park Hotel,  Os I went back this morning to retrieve it. Stopped by Zojoji, much quieter today.  Although there was a film crew videoing Japanese traditional musicians playing modern songs with their traditional instruments at the time.

Yakitori Restaurant

 An Izakaya worth good Yakitori (gilled chicken skewers).

Narita Street

 This is the street that leads from Narita station to Narita's famous temple, which I visited in 2010. Quite a few old style buildings.

Rice Paddies

Passed some rice paddies on the way to Narita. Looks like they are trying to get a final crop in for the year. Glad to see that it looks like they survived last week's snow. 

Meerkats or maybe weasels

For their Christmas display, Louis Vuitton has meerkats popping up in their Ginza store window.

Shiseido Parlour

Shiseido Parlour is a restaurant that has been run by the Japanese cosmetics company, Shiseido, since 1902. It has been a pioneer of the introduction of Western food in Japan since the opening of the first soda fountain in Japan that very year.

Mont Blanc building

The Mont Blanc building in Ginza has a glassed in elevator shaft in the shape of one of their pens.

Strolling through Ginza

Every Sunday the main street of Ginza is closed to vehicles and it has become one of Tokyo institution to walk through the street. They have even set up tables and chairs in the middle of the road.

Ginza crossing

The view of the intersection from the second floor (first floor in Australia) of the Nissan Building. The large grey building is the Wako department store, which has a famous clock.

Nissan electric vehicle

Interesting colour scheme.

New Nissan Building in Ginza

Nissan used to leave a building here on the corner n Ginza but has being undergoing reconstruction the last couple of years. It's now open and is also home to the Sony display rooms while the Sony building is being rebuilt.

Shiba Park Lobby

The original 1940s Shiba Park Hotel has been replaced by a new building although the annex building still remain. This is the lobby of the new building which has  kimono cloth feature walls.

Christmas lights at Roppongi Mid Town

Mid Town in Roppongi is a shopping complex, and like many have Christmas decorations up.

Mario Carts

For my friends who are fans of Nintendo's Super Mario games, I witnessed several go-carts with the occupants dressed up as characters from that game pass by me!

Zojoji and Tokyo Tower

Tokyo Tower sits on a hill just behind Zojoji. Built as a TV tower with observation facilities,  the Tower has been replaced by Tokyo Sky Tree in that function but is still a popular place to go.

Temple Gate

Zojoji used to cover a lot more ground that it does today. Parts that were once part of the temple have been converted to park land but buildings like this gate remain.

Zojoji Temple

Normally a quiet temple, today there was a event for people of Myanmar.

Autumn Leaves in Tokyo

Just around the corner from my hotel

Rikugien

Rikuguen is one of Tokyo's major old gardens. The gardens are open at night for autumn. The colours of the leaves reflected in the pond at night is particularly beautiful.