Odaiba

On wednesday we made a journey out to Odaiba, an island of reclaimed land in Tokyo bay. You can get there by subway, but we decided to take the scenic route on the monorail. It is quite dramatic as it snakes around the bay and spirals up to meet the Rainbow Bridge, before making stops at several shopping malls and amusement arcades en route. We enjoyed the ride and then stopped off at "Venus Fort" a gargantuan shopping mall. From the outside it looks like an aircraft hangar, but you step inside and are immediately transported to an "Italian Village", complete with piazza, fountains and Roman-style statues. Even the ceiling is painted to resemble a perfect Mediterranean sky. Apparently the lighting changes depending on whether it's dusk or dawn...

We then got the monorail a few more stops and got off at the beach..... Yes, there is a man-made beach in the centre of Tokyo and there are even volleyball games going on to complete the scene. The only give away that we are in the city is the Rainbow Bridge looming in the background, oh, and a few tower blocks too!