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Published: April 13th 2010
Tokyo with the Shinkansen
On monday it was time for me to visit the capital of Japan, Tokyo. I had prior to my arrival in Japan purchased a Japan rail pass so I was able to catch the Shinkansen bullet train from Osaka. The day started of early as I had a train to catch from the huge new Osaka train station. Before boarding the train I bought the obligatory bento lunch box and a cold green tea drink to indulge during the trip. The train departed from the station on the exact minute. The approx 510 km between Osaka and Tokyo takes a little under 3 hours including 6 stop along the way. The train reaches the speed of around 300 km/h. The funny thing was that you couldn’t feel a thing while on board.
The Japanese train crew take their job very seriously. Before checking the tickets they greet the car by saying good morning and excusing the passengers for disturbing them. After the check is done they thank the car and everybody in it by bowing respectfully before moving on to the next car. In addition to this I can mention that every time someone
Caught on camera
A man on a passing Shinkansen bullet train got caught on my camerafrom the train crew just passed the car on their way they executed the same kind of respectful bow before leaving on to the next car. This is Japan in a nut shell.
I arrived in a very rainy Tokyo around lunch time. I managed to find the way to the Ryokan I had booked for the night. A Ryokan is a traditional styled Japanese inn. The people at the inn were very helpful and showed all around the facilities and how to use the different features of the “hostel”. I got myself a nice little room with a Japanese styled bed and with a “yukata” ready to be put on. The reception lady gave me an umbrella to borrow because of the heavy rain.
The afternoon and evening was spent at the electric district of Akihabara. Ever since I was little I’ve had a special interest in video games and the culture around it. To be honest there is no better place in the world for a video game enthusiast than Akihabara. Video game stores are scattered in every corner containing everything from video games (really?) and tons of video games related merchandise. To stop me from
Bento
My bento lunch box spending my whole travel budget I had to ask myself all the time if I really couldn’t continue to live on without a Super Mario-shaped ashtray or a Zelda-themed chop sticks. When it was time to head back to the Ryokan I had 5 Japanese Nintendo DS games in my bag.
The evening was spent on the Ryokan in the well deserved massage chair. A couple of Kirin beer and Onigiri rice balls served as dinner.
the next day was spent walking around in Tokyo visiting the main attractions. The Tokyo Tower was an impressive sight, especially from the top observatory of the Tokyo World Trade Center. The observatory deck also gave a nice areal view over the city. I had a wish to be able to se Mt Fuji from the top but unfortunately it was too gloomy.
After walking and walking for the whole day I ended up at the funky part of town called Shibuya. This is the main shopping area and is know for it's huge pedestrian crossing which actually is the busiest in the world. The Starbucks located right at the crossing is also the busiest in the world. By the time
Ryokan
The lobby of the ryokan. Harmony. I had walked around Shibuya for a while I started to become a bit tired after all the impressions. I decided to head back to the Shinagawa station and the train back to Osaka.
Take care,
//Kristian
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Vic
non-member comment
Låter helt fantastiskt Kristian! Visst är deras kalla gröna te så himla gott?! Kul att följa vad du hittar på därborta, ha en fortsatt bra resa!