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2006 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix

My dad had a bunch of Asia Miles rewards points that were expiring in October 2006, and he offered them to me if I wanted to make a trip to the Far East. While my brother and I had just visited Japan in April, I thought this would be a great opportunity to attend the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix, which just happens to be one of my favourite F1 circuits. Not only was this going to be the last chance to watch an F1 race at the Suzuka circuit, since the Japanese Grand Prix would move to Toyota’s Fuji Speedway in 2007, but after we booked our tickets, Michael Schumacher — the most accomplished driver in Formula 1 history — announced that he was going to retire at the end of 2006, and we just happened to have tickets to one of the last chances anyone would get to see Schumacher race in Formula 1!

The highlight of the trip was obviously the F1 Grand Prix, but I also wanted to explore more of Japan than we did last time. I built an itinerary around the race weekend that had us staying two days in each of the cities I wanted to visit: Hiroshima, Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo. It worked out wonderfully! We bought a Japan Rail Pass which allowed us to travel by train anywhere in Japan for a one-time fee, and the hotels we stayed at were very accommodating and conveniently located, so it was fairly easy to hop from city to city. We spent a total of 11 days in Japan and it was really a fantastic trip. Japan has become such a comfortable place for me to visit that I’m sure I’ll be going again!

Table of Contents

HiroshimaSept. 30 - Oct. 2, 2006

I wanted to visit Hiroshima for two reasons: firstly, a Japanese travel agent here in Canada told me it was a beautiful and scenic city; and secondly, I wanted to visit the historic site where the atomic bomb had been dropped. The city was very charming and we found lots to do. There was lots of great shopping, and I even bought a Tag Heuer for a great price and the hard-to-find Nikon 18-200mm lens on my first day. The A-bomb memorial site was very moving and I learned a lot, so I’m very glad I went. I would definitely visit Hiroshima again.

A City View of Hiroshima

A City View of Hiroshima

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Starbucks Was Our Home Base

Starbucks Was Our Home Base

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The A-Bomb Dome

The A-Bomb Dome

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Cenotaph for A-Bomb Victims

Cenotaph for A-Bomb Victims

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Memorial for A-Bomb Victims

Memorial for A-Bomb Victims

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The Sublime O-Torii Gate

The Sublime O-Torii Gate

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Itsukushima Shrine

Itsukushima Shrine

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Walking Towards the Shrine

Walking Towards the Shrine

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A Temple at Itsukushima

A Temple at Itsukushima

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Another View of Itsukushima

Another View of Itsukushima

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A Five-Story Pagoda

A Five-Story Pagoda

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Hello Kitty is Adorable!

Hello Kitty is Adorable!

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OsakaOct. 2 - 4, 2006

I wanted to visited Osaka because it’s a big urban centre, plus it’s mentioned in the Cowboy Bebop song, “Mushroom Hunting.” We visited the majestic Osaka Castle and walked around the shopping district in the evening, but I got the feeling that we weren’t quite finding the best that Osaka had to offer. I enjoyed my time in Osaka, but I’d like to learn more about what there is to do before I try visiting again.

Admiring Osaka Castle

Admiring Osaka Castle

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Inner Walls of Osaka Castle

Inner Walls of Osaka Castle

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“Is that your <em>minkey</em>?”

“Is that your minkey?”

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Approaching Shiten'no-ji Temple

Approaching Shiten'no-ji Temple

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Shiten'no-ji Temple

Shiten'no-ji Temple

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Statues at Shiten'no-ji

Statues at Shiten'no-ji

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Night Shopping in Osaka

Night Shopping in Osaka

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Anybody need a bike?

Anybody need a bike?

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Ah! Margherita Pizza!

Ah! Margherita Pizza!

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KyotoOct. 4 - 6, 2006

Kyoto is a great city that blends the very old with the very new. There are lots of ancient and historic shrines, palaces and castles, plus there’s lots of shopping, food, and other things to do in the evening. It was raining on our first day in Kyoto, but we still managed to visit some of the major sites, like Kyoto Tower, the Kyoto Imperial Palace, Nijo Castle, and Ginkakuji Temple. Our hotel, the Westin Miyako, was nicely situated in a scenic part of the city and it was next to the subway station so it was really easy to get around. Kyoto is a charming city and will probably always be on my itinerary whenever I go to Japan.

Outside Kyoto Station

Outside Kyoto Station

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Overlooking Kyoto

Overlooking Kyoto

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Night Life on Shijo St.

Night Life on Shijo St.

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Teramachi Street Shops

Teramachi Street Shops

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Back at Termachi St.

Back at Termachi St.

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Fortune Telling on Shijo St.

Fortune Telling on Shijo St.

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A Kyoto Subway Station

A Kyoto Subway Station

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The Westin Miyako Hotel

The Westin Miyako Hotel

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Kyoto Palace Tour Guide

Kyoto Palace Tour Guide

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Kyoto Imperial Palace Garden

Kyoto Imperial Palace Garden

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Raindrops Falling on a Pond

Raindrops Falling on a Pond

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Overlooking Ginkaku-ji Temple

Overlooking Ginkaku-ji Temple

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The Ginkaku-ji Trail

The Ginkaku-ji Trail

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Bird-Watching in Kyoto

Bird-Watching in Kyoto

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Nagoya and SuzukaOct. 6 - 8, 2006

Nagoya is the closest major city near the Suzuka Circuit and that’s where most out-of-towners attending the race were staying. Hotels were fully booked but we were fortunate enough to find rooms in the Hotel Nagoya Associa Terminal, which was a nice place to stay and conveniently located next to Nagoya Station. We didn’t explore Nagoya too much and stayed close to our hotel, venturing just far enough to find a McDonald’s, since most of our weekend was spent at the Suzuka Circuit.

Getting to Suzuka from Nagoya was a pain. On a good day, it would probably take about an hour, but on race weekend, you needed about three hours! Transportation was well organised but the sheer volume of people meant we had to wait in very long lines before we could get on a bus to the circuit. We missed a couple of events, like the first practice session on Saturday and the drivers parade on Sunday because we underestimated how much time we’d need to get there, but the important thing is that we were there for qualifying and the race. We also had lots of time to explore the grounds of the circuit which was very busy with neat shops and manufacturer booths, and we even took a ride on the iconic Suzuka ferris wheel — a definite highlight of the trip! But most of all, being at Suzuka was an experience in itself. My brother and I would look at each other and say to ourselves, “we’re actually here!“ so it was a lot of fun.

In Front of Nagoya Station

In Front of Nagoya Station

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Saved by the Golden Arches

Saved by the Golden Arches

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Transfer at Shiroko

Transfer at Shiroko

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Finally Made it to Suzuka!

Finally Made it to Suzuka!

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Suzuka Billboards

Suzuka Billboards

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Go-Karts at Suzuka

Go-Karts at Suzuka

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The Exalted MR2 Spyder

The Exalted MR2 Spyder

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The Suzuka Ferris Wheel

The Suzuka Ferris Wheel

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The Suzuka Starting Grid

The Suzuka Starting Grid

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Walking Around the Track

Walking Around the Track

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Photo-Op with a Teddy Bear

Photo-Op with a Teddy Bear

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Look at All the People!

Look at All the People!

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Protecting Baby Ears

Protecting Baby Ears

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Getting the Kids Involved

Getting the Kids Involved

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Trulli Makes an Appearance

Trulli Makes an Appearance

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25% Off Renault Gear

25% Off Renault Gear

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Conflicting Allegiances

Conflicting Allegiances

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Ferrari Fans Stake Their Claim

Ferrari Fans Stake Their Claim

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Our View on the Left

Our View on the Left

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Our View on the Right

Our View on the Right

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Opening Lap of the Race!

Opening Lap of the Race!

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Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari

Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari

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Felipe Massa’s Ferrari

Felipe Massa’s Ferrari

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Alonso in the Renault

Alonso in the Renault

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Nico Rosberg in the Williams

Nico Rosberg in the Williams

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Ralf Schumacher’s Toyota

Ralf Schumacher’s Toyota

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Button in the Honda

Button in the Honda

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Let Schumacher Through!

Let Schumacher Through!

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Schumacher enters the S-Curves

Schumacher enters the S-Curves

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TokyoOct. 8 - 10, 2006

I love being in Tokyo. It’s such a modern city and it’s huge! This time we stayed in Ginza, which is the heart of the Tokyo shopping district and just one stop away from Tokyo Station, so the location was perfect. We arrived on the Sunday night just after the race. With my brother and I still wearing our red Ferrari shirts, we were stopped several times by people on the train and in the city asking us about the outcome of the race. That was pretty funny.

On our first day, we went to some of our favourite spots, like Akihabara to shop for electronics stuff, Ueno so we could look for something at Yodobashi Camera, and Shibuya to enjoy a decadent sundae at Nishimura Fruits & Parlour. On the second day, we squeezed in a quick trip to Tokyo Tower before coming back to our hotel and getting ready for the flight back to Canada in the evening.

Something funny happened though when we were in Akihabara. Out of nowhere, these five girls in cute yellow outfits came up to us with cameras and started taking our photos. And we took photos of them. This went on for about five minutes. Then they walked down the street and a crowd started to gather around them as people became curious. They kept taking photos of anyone who approached them. It looked like some sort of promotional stunt because they were giving out something (not sure what) and there was a TV Asahi crew following them, along with a photographer. We followed them for about 20 minutes before deciding to go ahead and do our own thing, but we never really found out what that was all about. It was very, very funny! I love the sense of humour they have in Japan. That entertaining little experience was definitely a highlight of our Tokyo trip.

Ginza at Night

Ginza at Night

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Outside Ginza Station

Outside Ginza Station

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Louis Vuitton @ Ginza

Louis Vuitton @ Ginza

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The Chanel Store

The Chanel Store

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Ginza Photogramm 2006

Ginza Photogramm 2006

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The JR Yamanote Line

The JR Yamanote Line

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Not Sure What’s Going On

Not Sure What’s Going On

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The Centre of Attention

The Centre of Attention

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They’re Always Taking Photos

They’re Always Taking Photos

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Those Pandas Are Great!

Those Pandas Are Great!

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They’re Having Fun

They’re Having Fun

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What It’s All About

What It’s All About

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Smiling for the Audience

Smiling for the Audience

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Love Those Orange Batons

Love Those Orange Batons

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Lotus Plants in Shinobazu Pond

Lotus Plants in Shinobazu Pond

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Daddy Checks on the Little Guy

Daddy Checks on the Little Guy

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Posing in Front of Tokyo U

Posing in Front of Tokyo U

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A Modified Toyota Supra Turbo

A Modified Toyota Supra Turbo

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A Mid-90’s MR2 Turbo

A Mid-90’s MR2 Turbo

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After Sunset at Ueno Park

After Sunset at Ueno Park

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Shrine to the Goddess Benten

Shrine to the Goddess Benten

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Outside Ueno Station

Outside Ueno Station

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The Shibuya Crosswalk

The Shibuya Crosswalk

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Traffic in Ginza

Traffic in Ginza

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I Love New Tokyo

I Love New Tokyo

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A Convenient Purse Holder

A Convenient Purse Holder

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Tokyo Tower

Tokyo Tower

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Bird’s-Eye View of Tokyo

Bird’s-Eye View of Tokyo

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Something by Tokyo Tower

Something by Tokyo Tower

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More Stuff By Tokyo Tower

More Stuff By Tokyo Tower

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