Tokyo Tourists

August 23, 2014: Street Walkers 

Like I said before, with only two weeks for Summer vacation and a visit from home, I wanted to fit in as much stuff as possible. So along with Thailand and the other things we had already done, I also packed in a trip to Tokyo. I hadn’t been to Tokyo to explore yet because it is a bit far from where I live in Japan. I figured with a visit from a Japan-first-timer, it would be perfect to explore the big city together. So Saturday morning, we hopped on an early flight to Tokyo. Luckily, on a plane it only takes about an hour to get to Tokyo, but another hour by train to actually get into the city!

We stayed in the area of Shinjuku. Shinjuku is a busy area full of salary men and many things to see and do. I’ve always heard that this area is a bit noisy but I didn’t mind the noise being that this would be our first time, a busy area may be a good area to be around. In addition, Shinjuku station was huge so it should be easy to get any where from that station.

When we first arrived to our hotel, it was a bit early to check in so we dropped off our bags and decided to take a walk around the area. Being the crazy planner that I am, I wrote down a whole list of things and places to go while in Tokyo. But with the rush and hassle from the night before, I had forgotten my list back at my apartment!! I think all the hiccups and frustrations from the previous travels just made me not care about my forgotten list. I just put in my mind that I would just go with the flow on this place. So I pulled out my trusty I-phone and simply Googled, “Things To Do In Shinjuku.” Luckily, the internet is pretty resourceful in pulling up things to do in big cities. So with a list found through my search, I quickly read through the options and decided on a place for lunch, 2-Chome Tsukemen Gachi Ramen. It had a unique description and was within walking distance of where we were. Perfect!

After a ten-minute stroll, we came to the place we were looking for. It wasn’t too crowded just yet but the décor was already funky and inviting. This place had a machine in which you place your order and hand it to the cooks. I actually prefer places with machines because then you don’t have to talk to anyone to place your order and everything is very clear-cut. I honestly can’t tell you what I ordered because the menu was in Japanese but I just went with pictures and chose a bowl that had the noodles and broth separate. Bao had selected a ramen that seemed good too (don’t ask me what it was…Japanese is very hard to remember). After grabbing a seat at the bar and handing over our order slips, we poured ourselves a glass of water and patiently waited for our bowls of goodness. I had read on the review that this place had a really hearty broth that was really flavorful. When our food came, I was so excited to dig in. I had never really made noise or expressions while eating until I moved to Japan. This ramen deserved all the yummy noises though. It was delicious! The noodles were fresh and brother super savory and flavorful! I was surprised when I nearly finished all of it! It was a lot and more than my stomach could handle but I did my best with leaving only a few noodles in the bowl. Bao said he had enjoyed his bowl as well but also couldn’t finish the large amount.

After lunch, we decided to walk off the noodles in Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden near by. There are a few big parks in Tokyo, surprisingly, and this was one of them. We didn’t walk the whole park but more so just through it to the other side. The park was green with lots of trees and nice trails as well as teahouses and lakes. When exiting the park, I saw that Harajuku Station was not too far off. Harajuku maybe familiar to some of you because of Gwen Stefani’s “Harajuku Girls” or the word may be completely unfamiliar to you all together. Well my previous knowledge of Harajuku was an area full of funky fashions, shops, and young people so I was interested to check it out. It was also on my list of places to see so was glad it was not too far of a walk. When we got near the station I could already notice many shops and people in different outfits. If anything, Harajuku area is just great for people watching, as there are many different looks and types of people. Along with the small boutiques, there are also many big malls and familiar stores such as H&M, Forever 21 or Zara in the area. We walked around the many of them but mainly people watched and gazed at the different architecture around the area. I wasn’t too much in the shopping mode and especially not up to fight the crowds or look through racks and racks of clothing. Again using my trusty phone, I looked up things to do in the area and found that there was a large toy store that was a must see. Kiddy Land was the name and it certainly was huge. The toy store was 4 or 5 stories of toys and character memorabilia. There was a whole floor dedicated to Snoopy and another to Hello Kitty and Rilakuma. It was really fun to see all the different toys and things that had for children or even big kids like myself. There were many cute things I wanted for myself in that toy store but the big kid I really had in mind was my older brother. With Bao’s help, I decided on a Pikachu puzzle toy. Andrews loves Pokemon and loves to build things so this toy was pretty perfect for him. After making the purchase, we decided to walk to a neighboring area, Shibuya.

Shibuya is popular place for young people as well with many places to shop and eat. Another famous spot in Shibuya was the Shibuya Crossing. You may not think you know where this is first off but this area is actually featured in many movies or short films. It is that very famous street crossing that doesn’t cross just the regular four sides but also diagonally in the center. Because of its popularity, I knew that I wanted to see at least this place in Shibuya. I didn’t care too much for more shopping so I mapped out the crossing and headed that way. My friend had mentioned to me that I should get a spot at the neighboring Starbucks that had a second floor sitting area and just sit and watch the crossing. I had found the Starbucks but man was it crowded! I think many people had the same idea I had in going there. So with no way around the crowd, we got in line to get a drink and then stood waiting for a decent place to sit. Luckily for us a place did open up! Taking photos and video, we stay near the window for a few minutes to watch the cluttered crossing. It was pretty cool to see that on green, the crossing just floods with people. I’m sure the view is different from ground level, but seeing it from the second floor up above was pretty rad as well. As we finished our drinks and took a few last views from the window, we decided to head back to our hotel to check in and rest before meeting my friends up for dinner that evening.

I actually had been in Tokyo two weeks prior but it was only to catch a bus to Mt. Fuji and not explore the city. On my trip to Mt. Fuji, though, I had met a couple girls who actually lived in Tokyo. We had exchange numbers at the time and made plans to see each other on my return trip. So I had returned and was looking forward to meeting up with my new found friends. Unfortunately, only one out of the two could make it that evening but I wasn’t too bothered because I understood that its normal things could easily come up. Susan, the Vietnamese-Australian, would be meeting us up that evening with a co-worker of hers. Even though I had only known Susan for a few weeks, I felt like I clicked with her really easily and she felt like someone I knew for years instead of just weeks. After getting cleaned up and in new clothes, we went to Shinjuku Station to met Susan and her co-worker Linna up for dinner at a near by izakaya, or Japanese bar.  Along with Susan and Linna was Linna’s friend, Kaho. So it was one boy and us four girls. How lucky Bao must have been!

Being that it was Saturday night and we had no reservation, we had to wait a while for a table. After what seemed like forever, we finally got seated and immediately starting ordering. I had been to this particular chain of izakaya before so knew what they had on the menu. All of us just pointed at different things on the menu and selected a massive array of food to share. Along with food, we had to have drinks of course! Each of us ordered a beer, sake or cocktail. The evening was filled with laughter, eating, drinking, and peer pressure to make it a long night. Linna and Kaho didn’t give in because they had work early the next morning, but being the Bao and I were on vacation and Susan was free the following day, the three of us decided to walk around and see what other bar we could get into.

Not even walking around for five minutes after we parted with Linna and Kaho, we ended up in a karaoke place that had all you can drink beer for an hour. It seemed like a steal to us so we hoped on that chance to sing terribly and continue drinking. Karaoke is different in Japan from Houston because here, when you come to karaoke, you get your own private room. There is no singing in front of everyone there so it is much easier for me to agree to it. I’m a pretty horrible singer and shy in front of strangers so being that we would have our own room, I was much more at ease. The three of us spent the next hour quickly downing drinks and singing old pop and RnB tracks. It was really nice that the three of us were into the same songs so could sing almost all the songs together. The evening was really fun and it was really great to see a familiar face again. After our time was up at the karaoke room, we paid and made plans to see each other the following day.

Tokyo Day 1: success!!

August 24, 2014: The 3 Explorers

Our first official morning in Tokyo was spent sleeping in till 10:30 am. That may still seem early to you but with out hectic schedule and having to wake up super early for flights or trains, it was a treat to sleep in till at least ten! The previous night we had made plans to meet back up with Susan so as soon as we woke, I had messaged her and where we should meet. Susan wanted to show us her favorite spot for Japanese curry so we got dressed and met her out at the said station.

For lunch, Susan’s house-mate Tyler also met us out. Tyler had been living in Japan for three years and coincidentally was also from Texas. The four of us enjoyed a nice lunch with a yummy plate of Japanese curry. I am a big curry lover so even the simplest curries could please me. This one was pretty good and really filling. After lunch we didn’t have any real plans and was just going with the flow. I really just depended on Susan to think of something clever or fun being that she lived in Tokyo. Again, I wasn’t trying to sweat a real plan to much and just tried to enjoy what would come up.

Susan is actually an installation artist and recently got a residency at an art house in Tokyo. This place was an old high school that got renovated and turned into an art space where artist live, work and display their pieces. On that weekend they were having an open house showcase and Susan thought it would be cool to show us around to a place she would eventually move into. Anything art related I’m usually down for. It’s always nice to see what other people are coming up with or just to be surrounded in that energy. Being away from my tools and workspace, I don’t create as much as I want to but going to art spaces like these really inspires me and reminds me of the things I can do and should continue to do.

So we hopped on the train and headed toward the space. Before heading to the school, we walked through Akihabara area. This area is popular for technology things and gadgets. But what it was also popular for was maid cafes. I had not been to a maid café before and only had heard of them. Susan asked us if we wanted to check out one. For novelties sake, we agreed. As we waited for the elevator, there were posters and advertisements for these maid cafes everywhere. If you are wondering what a maid café actually is, it seems to be a café in which all the women who work there wear maid outfits. Sometimes they will wear other things depending on the theme or café. It seems to be a place geared mostly for men with odd fantasies. When we got to a floor that actually didn’t have a terrible wait, a man greeted us and showed us the menu. None of us had been to a maid café before and didn’t realize how expensive they were! Not only did you have to pay an entrance fee but also what you could order from were only package deals that were not cheap. We made a group decision to skip out on the expensive, cheesy experience and took a quick look around at the maids and their guests and quickly left.

After leaving the maid café, we had a short walk and then found ourselves at the art space. I only teach in junior high school and elementary school so I had never seen a high school building before. Going inside, I can tell it was once a school. The exhibit they had showing was pretty interesting. There were a few pieces that really stuck out to me and were very beautiful. The building had many different floors for many different artists. We spent a good amount of time paroozing the art spaces and checking out all the different mediums from photography and videography to paints and sculptures. By the time we finished at the art space, it was almost 5 pm. We decided to temporarily part ways and meet back up later that evening for a promising night aquarium.

After saying bye to Susan, Bao and I headed back to our hotel. But before going back to the room to rest, we wanted to stop by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building to get a free view of the city. I had found in on my research that the government building was a better alternative to the Tokyo Sky Tree or Tokyo Tower for a view because it was free! The other two options are icons of Tokyo but also much more expensive. We were all about free things so luckily when we went there this afternoon, there was no line and we quickly got to go up to the 45^th floor. The view of the city was pretty cool. There were many people also at the top as well as a gift shop and restaurant. We stayed up there for a little while taking photos and finding different buildings in view. The view was nice but I honestly expected a little better from Tokyo. There were only a few really cool looking buildings that I could see but nothing-super spectacular.

That evening, after rest and a change of clothes, we hopped back on the train to meet out Susan and her friends for another evening out in the city. Like I said before, she had told us about a night aquarium that seemed really interesting even though many of us didn’t know what to expect. After meeting up with Susan, we were also joined by her other friends Matthew and Hiroki. The five of us found the building and appropriate floor of the aquarium. When approaching the aquarium, we wondered if it was really an aquarium at all or was it some sort of gold fish show. The entrance fee was 1000 yen and not knowing what to expect, the five of us just paid and walked in hoping it wasn’t a waste of money.

When we got inside, the aquarium was more like an art exhibit with gold fish tanks as the pieces of art. When quickly reading the information board, it had informed us that gold fish were a man made breed of fish, that they don’t naturally occur in the wild. What?! Did this mean that gold fish were mutant fish and that they were created?? I was a bit confused about that but after seeing the type of fish they had on display, I felt more confident that these fish could be purposely mutated. The room was dark, tanks creatively constructed, and lights bright and neon. Some of the fish looked abnormally huge, and then some of the fish just looked completely abnormal! There were fish with brainy looking faces, eyes bulging on the top of their heads, and sacks of air or water around their eyes. It was almost sad to see and a little stomach churning. The display of fish was interesting even though I felt kind of sad for the fish in there.

When the five of us were finished at the goldfish exhibit, we were joined by Linna and Kaho for dinner. It was already really late and all of us were starving so we headed to Rippongi and found the first place that would take seven people and were still open. I had not been to the Rippongi area before but had heard there were many clubs and bars there. In my mind, I thought the area would be a little grungy with its description of “club filled” but it was actually an area that was expensive! After a quick dinner and beer, we wanted to go out for another drink but with seven heads trying to make a decision, it was much more difficult then we though. Hiroki decided to take the lead and took as to The Hub, a popular foreign chain bar that I also had in Osaka. I wasn’t too excited about going to a foreigner’s bar but figured that if we were all together that it would be ok. You may be wondering, why the rush? In Japan there is this thing called last train. The trains stop running in the hour of midnight so if you aren’t home or at your station by then, you have to stay at the station and sleep until the trains start running again at 5 a.m. or stay out and party all night, or find refuge in a karaoke bar or internet café. We weren’t trying to do any of those other options so we all wanted to be sure we caught our last train. So the evening was short but nice. It was fun to meet new people and share stories and experiences over drinks. I wished it had been a Friday or Saturday so we could experience Tokyo clubs but I guess more reason to come back! As the clock ticked closer to midnight, we all said our farewells and headed to our hotel.

Tokyo Day 2: success!

August 25, 2014: Solitude and Sugar

On the third day in Tokyo, I wasn’t exactly sure how we should spend our day. We started off with a slow morning, checking out and leaving our baggage at the front while we explored the city a little bit more before having to head to the airport. We attempted to go to the sword museum but to our surprise, Monday was the official museums-are-closed-day. So any and all of the museums that I wanted to see that day we couldn’t. Frustrated but not defeated, we walked to the near by park to check out Meiji Shrine. Meiji Shrine was a popular tourist spot as well. Getting to the shrine was nice because the walk in the park had many trees and green space. When we got to the shrine, there were many people and even a wedding or ceremony happening. Often at shrines, there are these prayer or wishing plates you can purchase to write your prayer/wish on. Feeling wishful, Bao purchased a plate and added his wish onto the many other wishes hanging under the tree. Of course I didn’t read his but I read many of the other ones hanging around. The plates are often written in Japanese so I can’t read them but many of these, being at a popular tourist shrine, were written in English. I found that many of the wishes or prayers were for the same things, “for my loved ones,” “world peace,” and “for a happy and lasting marriage.” Reading these plates actually made me feel a bit home sick because I am away from my family. But it was interesting to see what people’s deepest hopes are and how they were similar to each other.

After the shrine, we walked around the park some more, exiting around Harajuku Station. Harajuku was a fun area to people watch so we figured we kill some time walking around and looking for gifts for our friends. After some light shopping, I wanted something sweet so we took a rest in a near by café that over looked the street. Each of us had ordered dessert. Bao got a waffle with ice cream while I ordered a towering sundae. I love ice cream but this thing was huge! It had whip cream, ice cream, cereal, and pudding in it and was so tall at times I needed two utensils to eat it! After the sugar over load, we decided to head back to our hotel to get our things and make the trip to Narita Airport.

Before coming to Tokyo, many people had told me Tokyo people are rude or cold and that they aren’t welcoming as Kansai folks. It may be that I didn’t have to talk to experience much real Tokyo people but I didn’t have too much of an issue being there. I was lucky to see my friends and was happy Bao and I got to see many of the famous places in Tokyo. After being there a couple days, I’ve concluded that Tokyo doesn’t have too many sites and mainly many places to shop and eat. But with being only there for a few days, I do look forward to making a return and hopefully seeing more of what I missed. So until next time Tokyo!!

xx

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