Tokyo

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Jac in Japan

I arrived in Tokyo at around 8am, and from the airport caught the a few subway trains to the area why the hostel I booked was in. I was feeling pretty chuffed with myself for successfully navigating the complexities of the Tokyo rail system, until I got lost on foot trying to find the hostel from the train station.

After a bit of backtracking and studying of the map (something I should have done before I started walking, I now realise) I stumbled into the hostel lobby with much relief.

The hostel was very simple and clean, but nice because it was in Japanese style. Tatami mats on the floor, and rolled up futon in the corner which you roll out when its time to sleep.

After I dumped my bags, I went to downstairs to have a shower. Whilst I was washing my hair, the walls and floor started to move a bit, and then a bit more, and a bit more. My initial thought was that maybe I had some jetlag and was over-tired, but I later received confirmation that it was indeed an earthquake - on my first day in Tokyo!

After showering I threw myself back into the maze of the train system, this time on the Tokyo underground. I got lost a few times, but made it into Tokyo central where I explored for a few hours.

I stumbled upon the Tokyo International Forum, a fairly new concert hall/convention centre building. It was amazing - the biggest building of its sort I've ever seen, with multiple concert halls and theatres and exhibition spaces and conference halls. In the central hall, the roof is higher than Cologne cathedral and the sound effects are amazing, much like the inside of a cathedral actually.

After exploring the Forum I headed off to Ginza, the high-end shopping area of Tokyo, to see some of the Tokyo crowds and get a feel for the city.

I ended up in the basement of the Mitsukoshi department store, where they have an amazing food hall called the Ginza Food Garden, selling fresh and ready to eat meals from local produce. The colours and textures looked amazing, and while I couldn't identify most of the things I saw, I successfully purchased some nice salads to have for dinner later.

My last stop for the day was back to the Forum, where they are having the Tokyo Jazz Festival, part of which featured Australian Jazz groups giving free live shows in the open courtyard. I stayed there to listen for the first hour, then journeyed back to the hotel for a well deserved sleep.

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