More photos from Kinugasayama

   Yesterday, we found out what the yama means in Kinugasayama. It means mount - as in Mount Kinugasa. The top of the park is over 1400 feet - which is quite an increase in elevation since we live at sea level only two or three miles from the park. The view allowed us to look down on Yokosuka and see the town from a completely different perspective. From the base, Yokosuka doesn't look that big but the pictures toward the bottom show why the city actually has a population over 400,000.

Kinugasayama Park Cherry Blossoms

   This is Cherry Blossom season is Japan. We are planning to visit several cherry blossom sites - trying to find the best places to go. Lots of places to choose from. Another thing we are going to be looking for is the right time to go - when the trees are in full bloom.
   On Wednesday, we went to Kinugasayama Park - a very pretty park with lots of trails and a view that overlooks the city of Yokosuka and Tokyo Bay. The cherry blossoms were very pretty although I don't think they were in full bloom yet.
   There is going to be a parade on April 17 with samurai dressed in armor to commemorate the Miura clan supporting the first shogun of Japan - Minamoto Yoritomo. Hopefully, we will get some good pictures for the blog.

Entrance to the park

The Kinugasa Shrine

There were wooden animal sculptures
 throughout the park. 

Mona is steppin' out

Mona made her first solo trip driving in Japan this past week. She was a little stressed (maybe a lot) as the big day approached. But she did well despite running into heavy traffic both going to Yokota and on her way back to Yokosuka. It was definitely a red letter day in our time here in Japan.

Here is a screen shot of Mona's trip. Notice how the suggested trip weaves and winds its way from Yokosuka to Yokota. The reason for this is a combination of the hilly terrain and the toll roads that crisscross Japan. When you travel from one city to the next, the only way to get there is by using the toll roads.

Mona's stressing as she
starts her trip.

We don't usually encounter heavy traffic. 
This was as she approached a toll booth.

Mona got into heavy traffic again as she was
going from one toll road to another.

Mona arrives at Yokota. She was very relieved.

On her way home, she knew she was going
the right direction when she saw the Coke sign.

Heavy traffic on the way home. Mona actually 
didn't mind the traffic - she enjoyed going slow.
That way she had time to make sure she was
going in the right direction.

Week of March 14

There are so many things to put on the blog that I end up suffering paralysis by analysis. So, I have decided to at least try to post pictures from each week if not writing an actual blog entry. This week, Andrea had a friend from her former job in Dallas visit her. They spent time in Tokyo, Yokohama and Kamakura.

Tokyo Tower

300 Year Old Pine Tree at
Hanarikyu Gardens

Tokyo Sky Tree

Tokyo Tower  - A window in
the floor that allows you look to
straight down onto the streets below.

Hanarikyu Gardens - The Flower Field

Views from Tokyo Sky Tree

Cherry Blossom Tree -
Hanarikyu Gardens

Interactive view from the
Tokyo Sky Tree

Downtown Tokyo as seen from
the Hanariku Gardens

View of Tokyo skyline from
the Tokyo Tower

You Have No Idea

Macie girl came up with the title for this blog. Mona asked me how it went getting the paperwork done for the car that was due by March 21 and I kept telling her that 'you have no idea'. I told her I would wait to tell the story of my day when I put it on the blog. And Macie said "let me guess, your title is going to be You Have No Idea". Pretty funny, Macie girl.
In Texas, the paperwork for cars include things like inspection stickers, registration and insurance. In Japan, it is a little more complicated. After getting the van inspected and going to the VRO (vehicle registration office) on the base yesterday, today I had to make the trip to Yokohama to get the Japanese paperwork done.

Here is the complex in Yokohama. The picture does not do the place justice. There are several buildings and a huge parking lot. I ended up going to 4 different buildings - not because I went to the wrong place but there are several steps in getting the paperwork done. I started off in this small office with two workers. She sent me next door to pay a registration fee. Then I came back and paid her a toll tax fee. She showed me my next three places to go and the window number that I needed to go to at each place.

All the buildings looked like something from the 1970s - you could tell that it was probably built in the 70s and not much had been updated since then. As a matter of fact, at my last stop, I had to put my paperwork in a cardboard box held together by duct tape. It felt like I was on the set of Barney Miller.

Here is the stack of papers that I had to take to 4 different buildings. At the small office that I started at, the lady showed me a map of the complex and told me the places I needed to go:
                       1) Go next door and pay the weight tax
                       2) Come back here to pay the toll tax
                       3) Go to building 3, window 7
                       4) Then to building 0, window 6
                       5) Finally, go to building 4, window 14

Here is a look at all the
different papers.

At some windows, they
would just put stamps on
one of the papers.

At building 0, this was window 6. There must have been over
a hundred cars, vans and even semi-trucks.

After reading this, I was a little nervous
about the next step. 

The next step -
an almost fully automated inspection station.
 You drive your car onto the platform and robotic
machines spin the wheels and perform a variety
of tests while you sit in the car.

The reward at the end of the line. Stickers to take back to the base so I can go back to the VRO to get the base decal and road tax sticker - if you get caught with these out of date, you have your license suspended for a year.


By the way, I had heard that most people on base hire Japanese to take their car to get all the paperwork done. After today, it doesn't sound as ridiculous to me as it once did.