Tokyo-in-a-day

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OMG! Well, we did it. That is, we managed to go from top-to-bottom and east-to-west in Tokyo in just a single day. Needless to say, we were both quite exhausted and passed out as soon as we got back to the hotel.

Our day started by taking the Tokyo Subway system to the Imperial Palace. We got there a bit early, but we actually met some really nice Japanese people (one of whom is some famous motivational speaker here in Tokyo). After hanging out with them for about a half hour, we made our way into the Palace Compound. We walked through the large gardens and through the only accessible building (now a museum) and managed to get through it all before 11.

We then hopped on the subway to the Asakusa prefecture (kinda like Scarborough in the megacity), where we visited 3 Ancient Shrines. Amy and I decided to buy this "candy on a stick" thing that the locals were eating... Well, let's just say the locals in Canada wouldn't be too fond of uncooked dough covered in caramel on a stick. Ugh! Anyhow... we then boarded a Water Bus that took us from Asakusa to central Tokyo, down the main river that runs through Tokyo.

Though the water bus was a bit disappointing (wow - a view of the side of a building...), we did eventually make it to the Hama Rikyu Teien Detached Palace Garden. We walked through the gardens and then headed down to the Tsukiji Fish Market. The Lonely Planet book we bought suggested that we eat at this "Edogin" place, which was tucked into a back alley by the market. It took us a while to find, but I'm glad we did - even I liked some of the sushi I ordered and Amy said it was the best Tuna she's had. 😊

After lunch, we boarded another subway line that took us to the "famed" Roppongi Hills district. It was kinda cool to see, but it's really just a tall and spread-out version of Yorkdale. Amy liked a simple spring jacket ($480 US) and a purse ($140 US) but, for some odd reason, didn't buy either. Yeah, stuff's not cheap here in Japan, so I think shopping is out of the question for us.

Anyhow, after grabbing a latte at the Starbucks in Roppongi Hills building, we hit the subway system once again and made our way out to Shibuya. This was that crazy-busy place on The Amazing Race where they had to find Hachiko. So yeah, it was definitely busy and I could certainly see it being the busiest intersection in the world. Throngs of people are absolutely everywhere and all trying to get somewhere at once. It was probably the highlight of my day - just standing there and looking up at the myriad of television screens and advertisements, each broadcasting something completely different (and many in English!).

We went into the Starbucks (yeah, they're all over) so that we could take a good shot of the crowds from above, which we did. We recorded it on the camera, so you'll see the thousands of people walking every which way when we get back. The intersection is almost a hexagon, so traffic and crowds are always moving in opposite directions. Of course, we had to look for Hachiko but, luckily for us, we ran into a Japanese girl who lives in Toronto and helped us find the dog.

Another subway train (what an amazing system!) took us from Shibuya (far to the west - Mississauga'ish) to our hotel near the Shiodome (kinda like the Rogers Center), where we finally passed out. We really did head through just about all of Tokyo in just a single day, which means we'll probably head out of the city today.

Wish us luck!!
Amy & Rudi

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Photos

Imperial Palace
Waiting outside the gates to the Imperial Palace East Gardens. The palace itself is off-limits, but the large garden area is accessible to the public from 9am onwards

Imperial Palace
We met some really nice Japanese people while waiting to get into the Palace. One was apparently a famous Japanese Motivational Speaker, so I guess we kinda sort met a celebrity!

Shrine
One of the many shrines in Northeast Tokyo. We took the subway to get there, then made our way through the throngs of people to visit this sacred shrine.

Boat Trip
Down the river through the heart of Tokyo on a glass boat.

Sushi
Yeah, even Rudi ate Sushi here (when in Rome...).

Fork
You should've seen the knife!

Shibuya
Crazy. Busiest intersection in the world? Believable.