Sushi, Onsen and people-watching in Yoyogi Park

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After dancing all night we slept until lunchtime. I decided I couldn't leave Japan without ticking "Eat sushi in Tokyo" off my bucket list, so we had lunch at a sushi train restaurant. I decided to be brave and tried a few kinds that were new to me. I was lucky I hadn't drunk much at the club because the big fish eggs that burst fishy oil into your mouth when you bit them were a challenge. I only embarrassed myself once in a minor chopstick-related incident that left my favourite tempura prawn sushi skidding across the floor.

It was about 3pm by the time we took the metro to Harajuku. I hoped to see lots of teenagers in their crazy get-ups, and we saw a few lolita's and cosplayers on Jingu Bridge. There was a group of Rockabilly dancers dancing hard-out, posing and combing their hair. The Japanese just seem to exist on a higher energy level - everything there is more extreme. They work extremely hard, so they play harder than any other culture I've witnessed.

Yoyogi Park was not very pretty, but watching how Tokyoites spent their Sunday afternoon was interesting. There were people throwing frisbee and double-dutch skipping, practising umbrella-dancing and playing instruments. The fenced dog run was popular, with a separate area for the kind of tiny dogs that always seem to be begging to be drop-kicked.

We didn't go to see the Meiji Shrine, I think because Kim said it was too far to walk. So after wandering around the park for a while she showed me where she worked.

I was very lucky to have Kim as my guide in Japan. Although many Japanese speak English and always seem to be happy to help, it was much easier getting around with a local guide. Half the time I had no idea where I was. The busy metro stations and trains were a novelty for someone from lil-old-New-Zillund, and I compliment Kimberly for her people-dodging skills.

We took the Metro to Odaiba, a man-made island in Tokyo Bay. The last part of the trip was on an overground line, so we got to see some interesting architecture, including the Fuji TV headquarters and the Telecom Centre Building.

The Conference Tower at Tokyo Big Sight is one of the craziest buildings I've ever seen. Standing beneath it with the inverted pyramids towering over you, you hope the architects have done their job properly. Pretty daring, creating a structure like that in such an earthquake-prone country.

Odaiba seemed like a nice area to me. In big cities with tall buildings towering over you sometimes you forget what the sky looks like, so it was nice to be able to look across the bay and watch the planes heading towards Tokyo International Airport. Although the Tokyo skyline was pretty hazy, I was surprised by how pretty the city was. Although crowded, the city planners seem to understand the human need for trees and open spaces.

I had been a little reluctant to go to the onsen. Kiwi girls are traditionally fairly prudish when it comes to public nudity (with the occasional exception of boob-flashing when very inebriated). Teenage girls quickly become adept at getting changed for PE (physical education = gym class) without ever actually being undressed. It was surprising how quickly I got over my embarrassment.

The onsen we went to was a nice introduction to some of the Japanese traditions and etiquette surrounding bathing. When we entered, we were given a choice of yukata (casual summer kimono), which we put on in the first set of changing rooms. They also gave us a handy plastic barcode thing to wear on our wrists so we could charge food and services to an account and not have to carry money around.

From there we wandered outside to a garden with numerous paddling pools lined with spiky stones that hurt my feet. I assume they were supposed to have some sort of reflexology effect. For an extra fee there was the opportunity to have "Doctor Fish" nibble dead skin from our feet, an experience too weird to pass up. There were a number of Japanese already dangling their feet into the pool, a few fish delicately pecking at their toes. When Kim and I hesitantly dipped our feet, little black fish swarmed in a feeding frenzy, causing me to emit embarrassing girly shrieks. Blushing at the apparent abundance of skin to be sloughed, I put my feet back in the water and eventually got used to the buzzy, slightly tickly feeling.

When our time was up we undressed in the second changing room and entered the women-only bath area. Cubicles were set up with shampoo, conditioner, body wash, shower heads and little wooden stools to sit on. Obsessive-compulsive germophobia has been raised to the height of cultural tradition in Japan. Bathing in an onsen without a thorough scrubbing is a big no-no.

There were a variety of indoor and outdoor hot-pools with different minerals added. It was very relaxing soaking til we had wrinkled raisin fingers. When we'd had enough we dried and put our yukata back on. Pretty much anything you needed was supplied in the changing room, including moisturiser, hairbrushes and driers. Hot pools in New Zealand could learn a thing or two from the Japanese about changing rooms (usually they're dark, dank and draughty).

The foodcourt area of the onsen was set up like a traditional Japanese courtyard. It was gimmicky but kinda cute. Spa and massage treatments were available from different shops, and there was a range of food available. Okonomiyaki and beer went down very well indeed.

When we finally left we had spent about five hours at the onsen. I highly recommend the experience to anyone visiting Japan.

Dozy from the late hour and long bath, we headed for the Metro. The machines to recharge travel cards sat along the wall of the station. When I attempted to recharge my card the machine ate it. It had been too long since I'd been with Kim, I should have seen the mischievous glint in her eye when she told me to press the button next to a speaker-like grill and ask for assistance. Suddenly the grill opened and a man's head popped out of the wall. I jumped back and let out a shriek of surprise. Kimberly cackled with glee before explaining the problem to the man. I'll get you back for that someday Kimberly!

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