Another very hot one on Wednesday 14 August

Unlike yesterday, could have been out of bed at 2, 3, 4, 5am but held off until 7am for breakfast etc and our Guest Lounge coffee before heading out to Ueno (although delayed by 15" due to a burst of rain). First to the student guides tour desk at the Green Salon - and guess what??? Three strikes for the students, with the third of our three planned student led tours all cancelled due to the "extreme and dangerous heat". It was "do our own thing" again!!
Into Ueno Park and a wander across the small bridge through Shinobazu Pond, which is quite a large lake covered in lotus plants. It is the end of the season and so there are just a few flowers left - but a number in full bloom are about 70cm across. The Pond would look spectacular in full bloom.
On then to the adjacent Shitamachi Museum which focusses on the local life of the ordinary people and the serious impacts of the 1923 earthquake and associated fires which saw the loss of 100,000 lives in the area. We spent some time with one of the guides, who, during his working life with NEC, spent 3 years in Melbourne.
Then a wander to, and through, part of the Ameyokocho market area (built under and adjacent to the elevated tracks at Okachimachi Station) before a cooling drink. The temperature continues to be in "feels like" high 30C territory, very humid, with the continuing threat of thunderstorms.
Train to Komagome Station, where a misread sign by me and some Google Maps inexperience, resulted in extra walking in a very local area before getting to a gate of Rikugi-en-gardens (closed) and another 500M to the main (open) gate. The rain arrived as we did, but we were soon able to wander the gardens, over the bridges, and around the ponds. Very pleasant and relaxing gardens and surely the least populated space in Tokyo.
With one if us tiring, we cut the day a little short and headed back to the Oakwood Premier - but not before an incident of spilt drink and broken glass in a local cafe. Lots of apologies!!!
This evening I headed to the baseball at Meiji Jingu Stadium (the risk being thunderstorms at an open air venue). Negotiated the trains and walk to the Stadium and found my great seat (adjacent and directly above first base) in time for 6pm hit off. Open air stadium with capacity for 35,000 spectators and numbers ran to about 28,000 with supporters of each team essentially in different areas.
Each cycle of games see the two competing teams play 3 matches over 3 days and the Swallows had won 8/7 and 6/5 in two close games in the previous two days. Last night was a very big, and unusually high scoring, win to the Swallows and pretty spectacular to see. A 15/2 win with the Swallows scoring 7 home runs in the first innings (4 of them from an out of the field hit with 3 bases loaded.
Equal to the entertainment of the game is the "entertainmen" around it. Dancing girls after every few innings, fireworks after the fifth, team mascots, beer girls and the non-stop noise from supporters - trumpets, clicking of miniature bats, singing, chanting, and for Swallows supporters, the raising and twirling of miniature team umbrellas, whenever there is a positive for their team. I loved the night, and found my way back to the Oakwood Premier - a great night, and so glad I went.