Tokyo!

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We caught the Nozomi Shinkansen bullet train from Kyoto to Tokyo which goes at about 300kph and only takes 2 and half hours. The train went past Mount Fuji but as it was quite cloudy we could only see the tip!

Our first night in Tokyo was spent in a capsule hotel. Separated according to gender, I was on the 5th floor and Laura was on the 8th. They had separate communal bath rooms, PJs are supplied and no shoes are allowed. The capsules are pretty cozy with a TV, Radio and reading light to keep you entertained. You can just about sit up in them but that is about it. Once we had sorted our stuff out and put them into our lockers we went for a walk around Asakusa. We saw the Senso-ji Temple (biggest and oldest Buddhist temple in Tokyo). We tried some sweets from the stalls that led up to the temple, before we caught the metro to Shibuya to see the busiest pedestrian crossing. From here we walked to Yoyogei-koen and had a walk around the park, stumbling upon some random street party with DJ and speakers!

The following morning Laura managed to sneak into her public bathroom when no one was about so was able to have a wash that day!! I still didnt fancy the communal bath tub so just went for the communal sit down shower. You can also buy clean shirts and socks, as well as combs and hair gel if thats what you needed. We checked out and caught the metro to our last hostel.

Later that afternoon we headed to Shinjuku where we did a walking tour around East Shinjuku incorporating the red-light district and many of the shopping areas. We had a tempura lunch before heading over to West Shinjuku to the Government Buildings, where we went to the 45th floor for some brilliant views over Tokyo. From here we went to the Park Hyatt Hotel to the New York Bar on the 52nd Floor, which was used in the film Lost in Translation. We had some very expensive drinks but excellent views and music!!

On our last full day of travelling we got up at 5am in search of tuna fish and a Sushi breakfast. We went to the Tsukiji Fish Market and wandered round the stalls looking at the catch of the day and trying not to get run over by the motorised trucks whizzing in every direction. We saw some massive tuna and all kinds of fish, before heading outside to sample some for breakfast. It was raining so got very wet and as it was still only 8am we headed back to the hostel to dry off and plan our last day!

We headed back out into the rain at around 2pm and went to the grounds of the Imperial Palace. You aren[t allowed to go into the Palace as the emporor and Imperial family live there but we wandered around the park and saw the entrance! We then went to Roppongi to see the massive shopping complexes of Tokyo Midtown and Roppongi Hills. Our last dinner was in the Tokyo Hard Rock Cafe! Then back to the hostel to pack for the last time!!!!

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