More of Nagoya

Here's a few more pics to make you feel as though you are in Nagoya with me: Walking to work. Check out all of the parked bikes. Just beyond the bikes is an underground walkway entrance. The "basement" as the Japanese refer to it. More pics from that later, but it connects much of the town, including 100's of shops, subways and train lines, as well as keeps people dry during the 6-week summer rainy season :) I'm told it's packed in the mornings, so best to stay "above ground" if the weather permits. Cool steel sculpture in front of Nagoya station.

I guess this is where the swanky people shop: Cartier, Dior, Louis Vuitton, to name a few stores!

Spiral tower with more shopping inside. Makes a great identifier. My directions to work are: straight to the Spiral Tower, then left. Hard to miss!

Here's the "basement" I referred to earlier. This part is closest to my building, and obviously, there are no shops. It kind of reminds me of the tunnel at Detroit airport. Constantly changing colors, and random animals all over the walls. (No music though, so DTW is still cooler!)

Feels like I'm visiting the zoo with every "basement" trip to and from work!

I pass "Sexy World" every day, and it just makes me giggle :) Hahaha. Also makes me wonder what all of the Japanese characters are spelling out as well ;)

Cigarette vending machine in my apartment lobby. Please notice the "Under 20 Prohibited" sign on the bottom right. I'm sure that's really effective at scaring kids off...

Another one of my favorite vending machines!! Tommy Lee Jones is the BOSS!! (BOSS=brand of coffee drink.)

I want a diamond ring like this!! Probably one of the biggest things I've seen in Japan! Pop Art at it's best. It's gotta be at least 12 feet tall.

Christmas comes early to Nagoya!! Yes, that really is a cute Asian girl driving a sled with reindeer! There are Christmas light up every where around here and many holiday displays. All of the stores are packed with signs for Christmas already, and oddly Japanese are not even Christian! I will admit that Nagoya Station has their lights designed and ready to go but hasn't turned them on yet. People talk about them every day and walk by when it's dark to to see if it's lit. It's got the hype of the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center in NYC, so hopefully it's worth the wait!