Robot Claw

Mt Takao is about 90 minutes away from my hotel by train, and is a very popular destination for Tokyoites. Apparently it is the most climbed mountain in the world, and today (for at least the 3rd time) I climbed it. My last time doing so was over 10 years ago, and the memories have faded a bit.

Since I’m waking up knackered every day, I didn’t do the entire hike from base to top but instead took the ropeway which take you halfway up. It was a wonderfully peaceful 12-minute ride with a nice cool breeze and views – and birdsong – that were delightful. Since I got to the mountain early and since most hikers prefer the cable car I seemed to have the entire ropeway to myself! It was a wonderful experience and very uncharacteristically for me I even bought the photo they snapped as I was going up:

There are several paths to the summit and I took the most popular one. This paved route takes you through a temple complex with a wonderful variety of statuary:

Tengu are often described as ‘crow demons’ but have aspects of monkeys and humans as well. They are said to be dangerous but not hostile, and some believe they watch over those that travel across mountains.

Inari is a shinto fox deity and is said to watch over everyone, bringing us all food, shelter and prosperity. Inari is venerated all over Japan and shrines are common.

This is a jizo statue, which is symbolic of a diety that protects travelers. These little statues are common on trails, and the knitted red cape on this one was possibly put there by someone seeking protection for a loved one.

It was very hot today – over 90F – and I was sweating like a monkey long before I reached the top. The walk from the ropeway took me about an hour, and aside from the heat wasn’t particularly difficult except for the few flights of steps. On a normal day this would be no problem, but my body rebelled with every step. But I made it to the top without event, and some salty chips and a frosty beverage were very welcome!

I took a different route down the mountain, and this was unpaved and a lot more in touch with nature. Some areas were still muddy from the rain, and there were so many stairs on the route it was slightly slow going. Towards the end a surprise presented itself:

A suspension bridge! I was the only person heading down the mountain on this path (that I saw) but a few brave souls were heading up. Apparently it’s a tradition to photograph yourself on this bridge and there was a frankly absurd line backed up since everyone had to make sure the bridge was empty before the took a photo! I hope I didn’t inadvertently photobomb anyone as I strolled across 🙂

Before I left the mountain I stopped at the monkey park. My timing was lucky because it was feeding time, and most of the monkeys were crazed with excitement.

However the park was a bit depressing overall since they have loads of monkeys (over 50) but as you can see the enclosure is bereft of greenery and seems like a prison that exceeds capacity. I hope the monkeys are healthy and well taken care of, but my wish would be for them to live on the mountain itself and not in a cage.

I took the ropeway down again and it was even better than riding it up! Some of the route is very steep and the carriages have no lap bar, so there’s a thrill when you look down and contemplate how far you’d fall! I sat back, enjoyed the breeze and planned my afternoon. The round trip on the mountain had been about 2.5 hours, and stairs and exhaustion aside, it had been exactly what I needed today.

After an early dinner, I had most of the afternoon free. Of course I went back to the arcades and game centers of Akiba, which were just crammed with people. But once again, I’ll leave my purpose in Akiba for a future post. I’ve been completing a goal you see, and now I’m almost done…

Today I went to the Gundam Factory in Yokohama to see the life-sized Gundam.

It was brutally hot even at 9 am when I got to Yokohama, and standing in line in direct sun outside the factory almost made me pass out. Quite a change from the rain this past week!

There’s not much to this attraction truth be told: it’s just a life-sized Gundam, which gives an impression of what these things may be like if we actually could build them. As you can see (from the people in the pic) this guy is massive, and he looks fantastic.

But the big draw of course is that he moves!

He does a few routines every hour, and I got to see the full 11.5 minute one which includes a simulated startup as well as recreations of scenes from the original tv series. While his movement is slow, I felt it was fitting for such a giant object. It was like watching a building move!

The ‘trick’ is that this isn’t an actual robot at all; more a puppet. His feet don’t even touch the ground, but hover a few centimeters above it (but you have to look closely to notice this; they hid it well). He’s got a lot of articulation and fine details, and while you’re watching him you can almost believe he’s real!

This being Japan there’s a rather lengthy apology mounted on a wall near the exit, in which one of the creators explains why the giant Gundam can’t actually walk or move quickly (short version; it’s too difficult). He suggests the next generation learn to overcome these obstacles so that one day we may build a real Gundam.

After his routine he strikes a pose, and then eventually returns to the scaffolding awaiting the next performance. There’s not much else to do at the factory (it has a shop and a restaurant), so this can be as brief as a 15 minute stop if you time things perfectly. If you like Gundams or even the idea of Gundams, this is great, but if you don’t you may want to simply wait outside while someone else goes in and takes photos/video for you to enjoy.

After a gourmet lunch, I explored a nearby mall before shopping and ‘preliminary packing’. The Sun had drained my life and I actually fell asleep on the train before I got back to Akihabara station. Of course after a quick dinner I then headed back out to Akiba… but that can wait till another upcoming post 🙂