Day 12

 . . . . .  Just taking it easy!


So, after getting back to the Bunker late last night (eventually), and after having three very hectic days, we decided to have an easy day today.  No alarm this morning and a nice lie in.  We are going to go out about lunchtime today - and there was only one thing on the itinerary today . . . .  Yokohama.


Why Yokohama I hear you all shout (!), well, I'll tell you . . . . . . 


Yokohama is the new home of Nissan Head Office.  Nissan moved from Tokyo to Yokohama in 2009, which is a move back to their roots - the first Datsun was built in the Yokohama plant in April 1935.


Awww - leave me alone . . . I wanted to see Head Office!!!


All in all, it would take about an hour to get to Yokohama via two trains.  Of course, as we left the Bunker it was bouncing down with rain AGAIN!!!  This is getting a bit boring now!  The other problem is that it is still very very warm . . .  so it's like a steam room under your brolly.


Onwards and upwards . . . .  we left for Yokohama.


Nissan is right outside the station . . .  in fact the walkway to the building is covered in, so we didn't get wet.

We are able to go into the Nissan Gallery to see the display of cars.  Now I had a plan . . . .  I LOVE the Pivo.  The Pivo is a concept car that was first introduced at the 2005 Tokyo Motorshow.  The car has a 360 degree rotating 3 seater cabin on 4 wheels.  This means there is no reverse gear and makes parking easier!  The perfect women's car (shhh women - I'm only kidding!!!).


Back to the plan . . . .  the plan was to nick the Pivo and bring it home - not overally sure how we were going to get this full sized vehicle in our suitcase and on the plane - but we could figure that one out later!!!


The Gallery has loads of Nissan's and Infiniti's on display . .  including a GT-R.  Had to get a photo of that . . . 

Now - what you can't see too well from these pictures, is that the interior is completely leather . . . . .  baby pink and dark red leather . . . oh yes, baby pink and dark red!!!  Not too sure about that combination, but if I was told I could take it home today . . .  I wouldn't have grumbled about the colour haha!!!

OLD Nissan (or should I say Datsun)


OK, so where is it .  . .  we went all round the gallery, read the history of Nissan (being a good girl - looking for promotion here guys!!), even stopped for a cup of Nissan coffee, but we couldn't find my Pivo . . . .  Its not here!!!  This was what I was looking for:

Maybe they had heard about the Big Pivo plan and decided to hide it today - just in case!!!!!

So, enough of the cars and the bus-man's holiday - I was worried in case I ended up doing some work!!!  Time to move on.

Oh - it's still raining . . . . . .   heavily!

So we went round to China Town.

It was full of school kids again . . . .  are they ever in school???  Most of China Town is restaurants and stalls selling steamed buns with different fillings . . .  couldn't get Scott to try one of them!!!

We passed a Shrine . . 

Very ornate . . . 

There were quite a few shops around filled with Panda stuff.  Guess who we found . . .  'Hello Kitty' as a Panda!!!

The problem was, the rain was getting heavier.  I don't know if I have mentioned this before . . .  but brollies are a big thing in Japan.  They are used when it rains (everyone has a brolly) and the ladies use them in the sun.  However, when it rains, to stop shop floors getting wet and slippy, there is a brolly station at the front of each shop.  There are long plastic bags to wrap your brolly up so it doesn't drip.  Very sophisticated.

We had a walked around for a while as there was other stuff to see in Yokohama, but it was quite chilly (we just can't win) and absolutely pouring down and we were both soaked, so we decided to make our way back to the Bunker.

Yokohama station is very very clean with pictures of maritime stuff on the walls.  This is also something else we have noticed - all of the train and metro stations are very clean - no graffiti or litter. 

This was in the station to advertise the Childrens Museum . . . 

Not a very big day today, but this was a planned easy day and I got to see Head Office which was the plan.  Bigger day tomorrow, so early to bed to prepare ourselves.