Tokyo - "probably the best city in the world"

After an overnight flight and very little sleep, we arrived in Tokyo from Bangkok. We got on a train to the city centre, and the first thing we noticed was how clean everyone's shoes were! Professionals, children, skater boys - it didn't matter, they all had meticulously clean shoes. The second thing we noticed was how familiar the outskirts of Tokyo looked - just like a Scandinavian city.

Our hotel was in the trendy nightlife area of Shinjuku. As we walked to our hotel, a real excited feeling came across us. Tokyo was like nowhere we'd been before - the people, fashions, language, signs, roads, buildings, food - it was all different. The hotel was newly renovated, and really modern - even having an electronic toilet - which knows to lift the lid as you walk through the door, warm the seat and even shower you afterwards! After a much needed sleep, we hit the town. Shinjuku was buzzing - alive with people, restaurants, bars, girl lounges (where men pay to just talk to women (allegedly)!!), and lots and lots of neon lights. Wow, what a city! We had a great noodle soup meal - the portions were huge, and the price not too bad either - 10 pounds for the both of us. We spent the evening walking around Shinjuku and into the business district. We didn't want to go to bed and could have walked for miles, it was so interesting.

We spent the next day exploring the city - first by doing a recommended walk of the temples near Shinjuku, then of the park nearby. The city park was beautifully manicured, with traditional Japanese, English and French gardens. From the park, we walked through a residential area, where all the houses looked quite Dutch. We had lunch in a restaurant, where you choose and pay for your lunch from a panel of buttons with pictures. It gives you a ticket, which you give to the chef, and it's cooked for you!

After lunch, we got on the underground train and headed to Shibuya. The underground is a huge network, with some lines owned by the government and some privately owned. Until 2002, there were no English signs on the underground or around town, which would have been a nightmare, as a lot of locals don't speak English. Shibuya is very urban with lots of tall buildings and traffic. The famous pedestrian crossing is here - at a major crossroad, spanning 4 lanes of traffic. There are 5 crossings on this one crossroad - one across each road and 1 diagonally through the centre. Traffic lights go red simultaneously and hundreds of people cross at once. Fascinating. We then visited the Electric City, and then Harajuku - known for girls dressed up in doll-like street fashions (and made famous by Gwen Stefani's backing singers).

Dinner was sushi in Shinjuku (that's got a nice ring to it!). As we people watched, we were stunned by the fashion sense in Tokyo - everyone takes great care in what they wear. Girls dress up a lot - either in clubbing gear (at all times of the day) or in school girl type outfits with short skirts and pulled up socks. Their hair is often long and full of curls, and they wear quite a bit of make-up. The young guys take just as much care in their clothes, often opting for a groomed (slightly gay looking) punk look. We were told that as youngsters, Japanese children have lots of responsibility, and need to behave respectfully at all times. So in their late teenage years, and into their 20's, they revert back to dressing as school kids again, having the fun they always wanted to. You see them playing on video games, or going to fairground type stores and winning teddy bears from a grabbing claw machine.

On our walk back to our hotel, we went into what we thought was a video game shop, but turned out to be porn shop! We were stunned and shocked with the huge array of DVD's dedicated to young children. Young girls wearing swimming costumes or ballerina outfits, posing innocently -most younger than 10!! We soon realised that there seems to be quite a big paedophile undercurrent.

That evening we had our first karaoke experience! At the back of our hotel was a maze of little roads, with tiny bars in them - most seating between 3 and 6 people only. It was very cute. We happened upon a karaoke bar with a really homely feel to it, everyone was singing away. Dave took to the microphone and sung True (Spandau Ballet) and Champagne Supernova (Oasis) - he was fantastic and got lots of applause!

The next day we headed up to the top of the Tokyo Tower - an Eiffel tower copy, overlooking the whole of Tokyo. Our next stop was Ginza - the Sloane Street of Tokyo, and so much more. It's home to the most exclusive and expensive shops in Japan - with streets filled with the likes of Gucci, Chanel, Dior, Cartier, Hermes and many more. Every woman you walk past is elegantly dressed, and has a designer handbag (and definitely a real one!). We walked from there to the Imperial Palace park, past lots of lovely hotels and we even saw the bullet train go past. We ate Sukiyaki in the evening (food you barbeque yourself at the table). The food in Tokyo is fantastic - full of flavour, and so much choice!! You could spend weeks / months eating your way around the city.

We got up early the next day to go to Mount Fuji. Our train was similar looking to the bullet train, but 1/2 the price. It was called the 'Romancecar VSE 5000'. After 80 minutes, during which the ticket inspector bowed his way around the carriage, we reached our destination at the foot of Mount Fuji. The scenery was beautiful, mountainous and green. There's a big lake at the foot of the mountains, which we sailed across on a pirate ship shaped boat. After lunch, we took a gondola up to the steaming natural baths, where steam comes out of the side of a volcano. It's a tradition to buy and eat boiled eggs cooked in the steam of the volcano. Each egg is supposed to add 7 years onto your life! We could see Mount Fuji towering across the landscape, although most of it was covered by cloud as it was so high. We sat there admiring it for a while, and thinking how lucky we were to be there.

We had a great time in Tokyo - it's a buzzing, fun city, full of modern architecture and traditional customs. The people are really friendly, polite and couteous. The city was spotlessly clean, yet full of character. Probably the best city we've ever been to - we WILL be back!!

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