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Published: March 18th 2007
Outside the Hyatt
Jeff and Paul ready for another day of sightseeingTokyo. How should I describe it? Busy, crowded or expensive. I will say busy, and crowded, but definitely not al that expensive.
We arrived in Narita Airport and breezed through customs (so much easier than Hong Kong) and the airport is so clean, as we found was the rest of the city. The next thing we had to do was find an ATM, however we found this to be a problem because there is lots of them about but very few that will take foreign cards with the Cirrus or Maestro symbols, and the same for downtown Tokyo!
We bought our tickets for the Limousine bus and in true Japanese procedure queued for the bus, every bus was arriving on time so much noise but exciting. The trip took 2 hours to Shinjuku, a lot of it caught in traffic, but it was time to look out the windows and soak up my (Paul) first time in Japan.
Arrived at Century Hyatt Hotel checked in the Regency Club and room on the seventh floor. Despite what we had heard about tiny rooms ours is really quite spacious. We went to the Regency Club for a few drinks and
Vending machines
Almost every corner there is vending machines where you can get cigarettes, drinks, noodles and sweets ventured out. After a Sydney summer we felt the 8c, but it was quite invigorating to just walk around and be amazed by the sights and sounds.
We tried searching for an ATM again, they were everywhere but no luck for a foreign card, so we just strolled around the streets and side streets it was fabulous just taking it all in. We went into a Pachinko Parlour and although we had no idea what they did but it was loud and vibrant and lots of patrons with trays of ball bearings, smoking and concentrating on the machine they we playing. And the noise was amazing!
After a couple of hours we made it back to the hotel and our very hard bed and pillows, but sleep wasn’t far off for us tired travellers. Tomorrow will be another adventure!
Saturday March 16,
Our first full day in Tokyo. Breakfast in the Regency Club Lounge to start the day. Our first priority was to find an ATM that would accept our card. Lucky for Citibank! Money in our pockets we hit the busy streets of Shinjuku. Our first visit was Tokyu Hands Dept Store which had a
Jeff next to a tree
They sell almost everthing at Tokyu Hands mind blowing display of anything and everything you could ever imagine. Paul loved the plumbing and hardware department and Jeff picked up some great retro Airlines cards.
We then went to Takashimaya Department Store and then out onto the streets lined with cafes restaurants and speciality shops. We came across Isetan Department Store and which had the most mind-blowing Food Hall one could ever see. The fruit displays were magnificent and was like gazing at precious jewels, and any type of food you wanted they had, and more! (See photos!)
After gazing after so much food, we decided it was time for lunch, and we found a great restaurant in the maze of alleyways specialising in Tempura, called TNT. It was a cosy place, and full of locals enjoying lunch, and the menu has pictures so ordering is easy and the menu even showed the calorie count for each meal.
Back on to the streets and more exploring and some shopping. Exhausted we made our way back to the hotel to relax in the room.
This evening we came across a character in the Regency Club Lounge, somebody for whom the term “all you can eat”
Strawberries
A showcase display, not lke Harris Farm was not so much a slogan but a challenge. Boy! Not only his stomach, but his pockets and bag were full when he left, and it was the first time we saw someone drink 4 different drinks at once! It amused us and the staff greatly, but in true Japanese style they remained polite to him and just turned the other cheek.
Off to have dinner and checkout the gay bars! There was many small bars in side streets, and once we knew the location of the ones we were interested in, we searched for a restaurant nearby. We found a quaint place, but the menu was in Japanese. Jeffrey’s broken Japanese got us through. Smoking is allowed in their restaurants and next to us a local had 10 cigarettes while he had his meal. Yuck!
Afterwards, the bars were loud and crowded but had a friendly atmosphere. We had a few drinks and met a Irish expat who told us about the St Patrick’s Day Parade at Harajuku tomorrow. Enough for tonight, that will be tomorrow’s adventure!
Sunday March 17, St Patrick’s Day
After breakfast we went to the Shinjuku Chuo-Koen Park right across from
They never stop
People constantly on the move the Hyatt, where there is a flea market selling clothing and trinkets. After checking it out it was off to the railway station and we were told to buy the cheapest tickets since nothing was in English, and we could adjust the fare at our destination if necessary. Luckily it was all OK though.
We arrived at Harajuku Station, and outside the station the Lolita’s were gathering. These are High school girls who dress up to attract attention, they typically wear frilly dresses and Bo-Peep bonnets offset by Gothic make-up. Really outrageous!
We then entered Meiji-Jingu Park which contains Tokyo’s grandest Shinto Shrine dedicated to Emperor Meiji. This shrine was destroyed in WW2 but was authentically rebuilt. Many Shinto weddings are performed and luckily we saw two of them, which were really elaborate affairs.
Later, lunch again in a small restaurant, and feeling refreshed we went to find the St Patricks Day Parade. We felt sure that most Japanese had no idea of
St Patrick but all stopped to watch this event, they love any spectacle! We were surprised to see so many westerners, but I guess its any excuse for a celebration for them too.
Too good to eat
Just keep them for best, I would be too scared to eat them Afterwards, we took the train back to Shinjuku, and made our way back to the hotel. Relaxing and working on his blog, then a few drinks and dinner ended our day. Wow! Tomorrow more Tokyo to look forward to……
Monday 19 March
Our last full day in Tokyo, and after breakfast we went to the skyscraper adjacent to our Hotel, the Tokyo Metropolitan Office Building and its observatory 45 floors up. The views were amazing. Mt Fuji was visible but it was hazy unfortunately, and we could not get a perfect view. We did take photos of surrounding areas, which was clear.
Afterwards, we went to the Tourist office in the building to find information about the Imperial Palace. They told us that the palace gardens were closed on Mondays, but we decided to go anyway, and at least see the famous bridge at the Palace. We caught the subway to Ginza, which is famous for its department stores, galleries and the Sony Building. We went to the Mitsokoshi Store, which was very upmarket, and full of designer brands. Down to the basement level to check the food hall, but it didn’t come close to Isetan.
Our Room
Spacious room, hard bed and not so good pillows On towards the Sony building, where the technology is so far ahead of what we have ever seen. The detail the handy cams and the screens could pickup - fingerprints!! We felt a little shattered at this point, so had a rest outside to collect ourselves. Boy, being a tourist is hard work!!!
We walked to the Imperial Palace, and we saw the stone bridge, and lots of tour groups were having photos taking nearby. After the obligatory snaps, it was time to move on. I must say the Japanese are very helpful and always offer to take a photo of the two of us. Of course we return the favour!
We caught a cab to Akihabara, the electrical, comic and DVD area of Tokyo. The place is amazing, and is virtually divided down the main St. One side is all the DVD’s and comics, and the other electrical & computers. The Casio camera Paul bought last year is now less than $200. But that is the way new technology is these days.
Lunch today was at a typical Japanese Curry restaurant where you pre-pay at a machine, then hand the receipt to the staff and sit
the flea market
2nd hand clothing and Knic Knacks, see pic taken from above this down one of the many stools at the counter. Great food, and a bargain for $6.00 each!
Paul needed a new pair of headphones for his MP3 player and a flash stick for our friend Jim, so we hit the shops for those. Feeling that was enough for today, we went to the subway and made our way back to the hotel for some relaxing and TV with a beer or two.
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Tracy
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Love Your Blog
Hi there, I'm really enjoying your Tokyo travel blog. Keep up the great work! :)