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Published: November 27th 2017
Mt Fuji & Tokyo
I did eventually manage to see Mt Fuji - over the bright lights of Tokyo with a stunning sunset, no less.Tokyo. One of the world's great cities.
I have been to my fair share of mega cities on this trip;
São Paulo,
New Delhi and
Shanghai, to name a few. But still, I was in awe as I rolled in on the
shinkansen and saw all the glass office towers clustered around Tokyo Station. I had an excited travel moment.
"Wow, I'm in Tokyo!" I thought.
It's good to know I can still have moments like these.
For some reason though, I always seem to arrive in places at rush hour and Tokyo's rush hour squeeze is notorious.
But before diving into the city headfirst, I took a day to visit one of Japan's most iconic sights - perhaps
the iconic sight of Japan - Mt. Fuji.
It takes about two hours to get out there from Tokyo so I had to do it before my Japan Rail Pass expired. The weather wasn't looking great as it was rainy and overcast in Tokyo and as I saw the low clouds gently cloaking the hills as we came into the countryside, I
Akihabara
The world capital of geekdom. thought that if you can't even see the hills, then there would little chance of seeing the mountain.
My thinking was to unfortunately prove correct - all you could see were clouds and one wouldn't have known that the famous mountain was even here. It was just like my visit to
the Blue Mountains in Australia - all I could see was a wall of fog.
So gutting and disappointing. And to add insult to injury, my JR pass didn't even cover me all the way there meaning I had to fork out an extra ¥2,280 to come and see some fucking fog. That is one and a half times my budget allowance for the day, before I'd even eaten anything. The philosophical way to look at it is that I would've spent the money anyway, had it been a clear day - and that I would have been more than happy paying the extra. But because it was a big, unexpected expense, it was understandably a kick in the guts given I didn't even see what I came here for. At least I knew I now didn't have to fork out ¥1,500 more for the sightseeing bus - there was nothing to see!
Shibuya Crossing
This iconic pedestrian crossing is apparently the world's busiest. As a consolation, I got to walk around the beautiful lake of Kawaguchi-ko, resplendent in its autumn colours and providing scenery that you may well see in New Zealand,
Scotland, Canada or
Switzerland. Imagine if I had Fuji in the background! The pleasant stroll allowed me to get over my disappointment. Sort of. A short hike up to a Fuji viewpoint afterwards also bore no fruit. I knew already that I'd need to come back to Japan one day to make a better fist of it - now I had an excuse that will definitely see me return.
In every place that I had visited in Japan so far, the locals speak to you in Japanese and will continue to do so even when it is quite clear you don't understand anything they are saying. Most of this is from shop workers giving you their trained service spiel - they probably say the same thing to customers hundreds of times a week and probably don't have an English version - but to foreign ears it is nice to get this level of attention and service.
While definitely more than China and definitely more than enough for a foreigner to
Kabukicho
The bright lights of Tokyo's most famous red light and entertainment district. get by, I haven't found the level and amount of English here super-great. It is mandatory to learn it in school but it is definitely not practiced to the same level as say Northern Europe. I also suspect that many locals don't try and use the English they know if they aren't confident or fluent enough, so that they can save face.
In terms of Tokyo's public transport system, I hate how there are different networks of trains and subways. London has several private train operators too but at least the transport passes there let you go on everything. And while describing the Tokyo public transport map as a tangled web is kind-of accurate - with the circular JR Yamanote line surrounding the city centre - it would ultimately be praising spiders for their simplicity of design. Even though I am a seasoned metro-taker, I may have finally met my match! Shanghai's and
Beijing's lines were pretty complicated too, but Tokyo's is another level.
As a result, I had to carefully plan my last day with my rail pass so that I could maximise its use.
Which was what brought me to Akihabara, perhaps the worldwide mecca of
Kawaguchi-ko
Beautiful cobalt lake where you can normally get a fantastic view of Mt Fuji. geekdom. Among the brightly lit buildings here are gaming parlours and shops for computers, cosplay, collectables, manga and anime. Among the weirder establishments in the area are maid cafes, where you are served by young girls dressed up in cosplay maid/schoolgirl outfits, and a shop selling pornographic anime games.
I was into computer games as a kid but the ones out these days go completely over my head. Watching people of all ages in an entertainment arcade playing arcade games involving teams of flying robots, I hadn't a clue what was going on. What happened to the good ol' days of Street Fighter huh? As for anime, it has to be said that the creators have really let their imaginations loose, with the creations of the craziest characters in the craziest worlds, often marrying medieval concepts with futuristic ones. There seems to be no limit as to what these cartoon characters can look like and where they can go; while most people would find this all rather weird, there is something wonderful about it too and you can see why they capture people's imaginations. Female characters are also given prominence too, although on a slightly disturbing note, there seems to
Omote-sando
High end shopping street in Harajuku. be an open Japanese fetish with schoolgirls.
You could spend hours being fascinated by all the different stores in the area but I decided to take a break from it to check out some modern art at 3331 Arts Chiyoga, an old high school where classrooms have been converted into galleries, studios and offices. The offices of Japan's branch of the Huffington Post are perhaps typically, based here. One interesting gallery had architectural models made completely from cardboard. And speaking of amazing Japanese artwork, I dropped by an
origami studio to see some amazing pieces, which were all made from folded paper. I did some origami at school but this was obviously next-level shit - it was quite amazing to see the just how detailed a work of art you can create just from folding paper. I also saw an artist creating amazingly refined paintings on thin paper that are then 'plastered' onto thick pieces of cardboard acting as frames.
From quirky Akihabara, I then made my way to mainstream Harajuku. Omote-sando is a wide boulevard where all the luxury brands live and there are some striking buildings here too including the Dior and Tod's stores. Cat Street
Shibuya
The bright lights of Shibuya above its famous crossing. is where more the affordable (but still expensive) brands live and is a much more laid back stroll. Further down the shopping food chain, independent boutiques selling both the tacky and the edgy reside on Takeshita-dori, a busy and popular pedestrianised shopping street with teenagers and the odd hipster. Then you have the trendsetters hanging out in and around Design Festa, a modern art gallery featuring photography, clothes and paintings inside a suitably crazy-looking but cramped building.
Rain has been constant and persistent throughout my stay in Tokyo, meaning that I had to wait around for hours for the shit dryer at my hostel to not dry my clothes. I was luckily refunded my money after the third hour and eventually got them dry at the laundromat next door but it meant I didn't get going until 6.30pm that day, which rather rushed my exploration of the famous neighbourhood of Shibuya.
Most people crossing the road at the iconic Shibuya Crossing, supposedly the world's busiest, were also in a rush; I was holding them up a bit trying to get the perfect picture. The d47 Museum displays products and wares from different prefectures in Japan - when I visited
Myth Of Tomorrow
Massive mural inside Shibuya Station by Okamoto Taro. it was showcasing the prefecture of Gunma. Luckily, all of Shibuya's sights are clustered around the station, including the bright lights of Shibuya Center-gai which is similar to the shopping street of Takeshita-dori, the ultimately disappointing "Mediterranean" - supposedly atmospheric but not really - alleyway of Spain-zaka, and inside the station itself is the massive mural Myth Of Tomorrow, painted by Okamoto Taro. Outside the station is a statue of a dog called Hachiko who came to the station everyday to greet his master everyday when he returned from work - even for ten years after his master's death. The dog deservedly became a legend.
Just before setting off on this mammoth journey, I remember telling my friend Matt, who I met in London and who lives in Tokyo, to prepare for a visit in two years - I'm about 4-5 months out, but I have more or less kept my word. I was meeting him that night after exploring Shibuya, which was why I was in such a rush there.
In Japan, a typical pub is known as an
izakaya, where food is given equal standing with along with drinks and is ordered along with your tipple, should
Tuna Inspections
Bidders inspect the huge hunks of fish to decide which ones they want to bid for. it be beer, cocktails,
sake or
shochu. These are often lively, social places and I had been keen to experience one and so Matt took me out to one for the night along with his colleague Sayaka. I have always liked Japanese beer and at this particular izakaya in Yaesu, I could drink as much as I could of it for just ¥300 (£2!)! Among the delicious food ordered were
gyoza, Japanese fried chicken (
kaarage) and raw horse meat, which was rather nice! I have had cooked horse before in
Slovenia but I do have a thing for raw meat - although the recent Japanese trend of eating raw chicken is perhaps a tad too far.
It was great catching up with Matt, reminiscing about parties and football back in London, as well as learning about the many quirks of living in Japan. Sayaka was lovely too and outgoing for a Japanese girl, but still shy by Western standards.
As Matt and Sayaka caught the last train home I then had to kill three hours before joining the queue to participate in arguably Tokyo's most famous experience - the renown tuna auction. I was pretty hammered but sleepy -
Tuna Auction
This early morning auction is supposed to be a special to witness but I didn't think it was worth staying up all night for. No regrets though. so I slept in a hotel lobby, then a bank ATM lobby, then the same hotel's toilet before making my way to the Fish Information Centre which was already packed with foreigners at 3am. Waiting with everyone else on the floor of a room at the Fish Information Centre, I felt sick and sleepy as lay prostate on the lino but managed to pull myself together for the auction, which started around 5am.
Before the auction started, buyers would inspect these huge headless and tailless hunks of fish, often by hacking small chunks out of them, most of which looked frozen. Every auctioneer has their own style and the fact these ones were Japanese made them unique - but if you have seen an auction before then then perhaps you might not be impressed. But despite pulling an all-nighter and camping out like a hobo for a few hours to see it, I don't regret seeing it as it really is an experience you won't have anywhere else in the world.
The vegetable and fruit auctions at the Tsukiji Market were just as lively and the outer market was also interesting, selling everything from
sashimi to kitchen knives. I tried
Fruit & Vege Auction
The fruit and vege auction at Tsuikiji was just as lively as the tuna auction - minus the queuing and the horrifically early start. some tuna sashimi on rice for breakfast, which was delicious - you could tell the fish was fresh. Perhaps it was even bought at the auction that morning! I love Japanese rice too, my favourite type of rice. It is all about the slight stickiness and the tang of the vinegar used in cooking it. It is relatively expensive, still costing about ¥300 a bowl at any eating establishment, but it is really good.
Otherwise the Tsukiji Market was a really busy place with forklifts and pallet carts zooming around in all directions, with little regard for tourists getting in the way - here is where
my experience with Vietnamese traffic came in handy. It's a no-nonsense place and ain't no-one stopping for no-one!
After visiting the market, I was exhausted; I really didn't need that all-nighter but public transport doesn't go at 3am to take me to the fish market so I had to do it. I've had to go through Japan pretty quick and have walked so much that getting myself up and motivated to go and see the many places that there are to see here in Tokyo - in this massive city - was proving a real struggle. I
Senso-ji
Tokyo's most visited temple. really just wanted to stay in bed all day.
Nevertheless I got myself to Senso-ji in Asakusa, which was packed. It is Tokyo's most-visited temple so perhaps this isn't too surprising. Senso-ji supposedly houses a golden image of the deity Kannon which was supposedly pulled out of a nearby river by two fishermen. The image is never on display leading to speculation over its actual existence; also not on display was the Tokyo Sky Tree, Japan's tallest structure, hidden by the incessant rain and low clouds. The unusual bout of rain that has poured down during my stay in Tokyo has put a literal dampener on my Tokyo experience. Do you know how hard it is to take photos with a DSLR, with all the different adjustments that you need to make, while trying to keep the camera dry, whilst holding an umbrella? First world problem, but very frustrating nonetheless.
That night I met up with Matt again along with his former English student Sayama and American expat Alex in Shinjuku, where Tokyo's largest entertainment district is. We started out at a small but cool speakeasy-style bar on the delightfully-named "Piss Alley". We were on the first floor
Golden-gai
Awesome little maze of tiny bars made out of shipping containers in Shinjuku. directly above the bar and it's chandelier and had our drinks passed to us through a small trapdoor!
We then moved on to an awesome 50s style izakaya, themed on post-war Japan, right down to the swingin' soundtrack. There was good food here too where I finally got my hands on some
kushikatsu (which I missed out on in Osaka) and tried some Nagoya-style
okonomiyaki! It is a bit wetter than the
Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki but a bit tastier.
We then walked around the cool bars of Golden-gai, a warren of tiny bars - some that can only fit two or three people - that were built after the war out of shipping containers. Most have cover charges unfortunately but we managed to find one free, family-run operation which had a really friendly atmosphere.
As Tokyo's largest entertainment district, Shinjuku and red light district of Kabukicho are a riot of bright lights comparable to
Osaka's Dotombori. As we walked around it with the heavy rain coming down, it all felt rather Blade Runner. No classic night out in Japan however, is complete without a karaoke session, so powered by all the beers and the strong cider roadies we bought from Family Mart, that
Cool Kids In A Cool Izakaya
Some cool kids hanging out at a post-WWII themed izakaya. is exactly what we did. Singing my voice coarse, I blew the budget a bit but it had to be done.
The first trains home are conveniently early/late so I only had to wait an hour or so at Shinjuku station post-karaoke and post an-amazing-bowl-of-pork-ramen, which is what the Japanese have instead of a post-boozing kebab.
Joining all the cool kids on the first train home, it struck me how stylish the Japanese are. Tokyo is a home of edgy, high-end fashion so like London or New York, you could wear anything you want and no-one would bat an eyelid.
Having pretty much done another all-nighter, I slept for most of the day before getting out into the rain again to have a walk around Dogenzaka, near Shibuya; an area full of infamous love hotels. Love hotels are basically mostly luxurious places where you can rent a room by the hour, mostly for the act of lovemaking. A real Japanese phenomenon, they allow for discreet encounters and I was surprised to learn from Matt that the Japanese are - or were - quite generally promiscuous. As well as being very convenient for extra-marital affairs and for taking prostitutes, they
Love Hotels
The biggest concentration of them lie in the neighbourhood of Dogenzaka. are also convenient for many youngsters who often live at home. They are also conveniently located near nightclubs - Dogenzaka has some big ones.
I thought that I'd get a good view of Tokyo's skyline by night at the free observatory in the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. Thanks to rain, cloud and reflections from the stalls and the cafe inside however, it presented the same photo opportunities as my ill-fated visit to Mt Fuji. It just about summed up my sightseeing experience in Tokyo. It was nice to see the modern, skyscraper part of Tokyo though.
A typhoon went through overnight but the sun finally came out on my last day in Japan although it was still windy. I walked through the older neighbourhoods of Ueno and Yanesen which had a lot of peaceful temples and cemeteries including Nezu-jinja, which was beautifully set in its own park and even had its own vermillion
torii tunnel.
Ueno Tosha-gu was nice too, a Shinto shrine resplendent with its gold leaf finish. It was free to see from the outside, of which you could see quite a bit, so I didn't pay to go in. In any case, it was closed,
just like the Tokyo National Museum was, along with almost every other museum and gallery that day because it was a Monday. Of course they were.
Yanaka Ginza is a nostalgic street apparently and it has a couple of characterful things such as people drinking wine on crates on the footpath and some cheap street food. It was mostly fried liver products on sale however, so it wasn't amazing but it had been a while since I was that full!
On my last night, I met up with Matt again, this time with his wife Missy and their adorably cute son Tomoki! Missy was around back in the London days too, so it was lovely to see her again. And perhaps there is a God as we went up the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building again and lo and behold, the sky was clear enough to be able to see Mt Fuji! With a wonderful sunset to boot! It was beautiful. And as the sun went down, I got to photograph the night view I was looking for the previous night too. It's funny how things work out sometimes.
I had one final Japanese meal of tempura, a suitably delicious
Matt, Me, Missy & Tomoki
I got to meet my friends Matt & Missy and their cute little son Tomoki just before I left Japan. way to sign off Japan. Big up to Matt for taking me out and showing me around - hopefully we'll see each other again soon!
Tokyo isn't really a city of blockbuster sights but one where you have to spend a lot of time to be able to delve into its quirks to really experience the place and get under its skin. I felt the same way about London - a city you really have to live in to truly appreciate. I had got into a routine in terms of sightseeing big cities, but some cities aren't really meant to be experienced like that and I think that Tokyo is a case in point. Many of the best and most recommended experiences are ones that you'd do on a night out after work or on the weekend; There was so much I didn't see and experience that I originally wanted to; Meiji-jinja, the Tokyo National Museum, the modern Odaiba and Tokyo Bay area, the Kawaii Monster Cafe, the Robot Restaurant, a Mario Kart tour through the city - the list goes on. This has been disappointing but expected on such a tight budget. In this respect is has been
Shitamachi Museum Annex
This is one of very few preserved traditionatl shitamachi buildings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. a shame that I had left Japan until near the end of my trip. I will have to come back; I didn't feel like I had the complete experience and it pained me so much that I couldn't indulge myself more. The money I had was enough for survival only.
Once I had figured the place out and worked out how to get around it though, I found that I really did like Tokyo. You can get anything you want here, there are many things completely unique to the city and the place has so much to offer.
As does the entire country - there were so many things that weren't accessible to me budget-wise which was really disappointing;
wagyu beef, sumo-wrestling, a
kabuki show,
kaiseki and perhaps most shamefully, I didn't even visit an
onsen! But this has only made me more determined to return; more than any other country I have been to. I already know what is on my to-do list for next time!
With all the rain I got here and the fact that I really only a mere taste of the city and the country. my appetite for Tokyo and Japan has only been
Tokyo By Night
Looking eastward from the observatory in the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. whet - or
wet, in this case!
I still felt I had a decent if incomplete experience of Tokyo and Japan however. While I loved all the country's conveniences, I couldn't wait to get out of there so I could go somewhere more affordable; which is exactly what I did as I hopped on my plane to Bali!
じゃあまたね (ja matane)!
Derek
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