.::* Living and Dreaming *::.

December 6-8 - Yokohama and Tokyo

I know, three weeks in Japan and I've already been to 5 cities outside of Nagoya. And it doesn't stop, I think more trips are being planned as I write this. But here's the story to my visit to Japan's two biggest cities...

December 6 - Yokohama and Tokyo
On the Shinkensen (bullet train) ride from Nagoya to Yokohama, we saw Mount Fuji. My boss told me that you can only see Mt. Fuji 20% of the time because it is usually covered by clouds. He said I was very lucky that I was able to see it.

I was in Yokohama to accompany my boss on a photonics exhibition. There were some really neat things being displayed. I didn't recognise what the smaller components were, a lot of lights and laser type devices. But then there were the vitual reality stuff that was really cool. I saw a cartoon in 3D but that gave me a headache that lingered for the rest of the day. I wish there were more English or that I could miraculously understand Japanese, I would have liked to learn more about what I was seeing.

After the exhibition, we walked around the bay area where the Clock Ferris Wheel and Landmark Tower are. We also saw the Nippon Maru Sailing Ship which was developed for the marines but was used in World War II as a transport ship. It's a really beautiful ship that has found home in Yokohama for people to visit.

We went to Tokyo in the evening and visited the Asakusa Temple. I got my fortune there and it turned out to be the best fortune that you can get. That made my day and I'm dieing to tell my mom. Basically, it says it's a good time for travel, a sick person will be healed, marriage and moving will be good and all that good stuff. Along the road to the temple, there were yet again street vendors and we got to try out some Japanese treats. I had some sweet Sake and it was so yummy. It was warm and tasted a lot better than the strong sake you get at resaurants.

Then I checked into the youth hostel nearby and I started my solo journey in Tokyo.


December 7 - Tokyo
Akihabara is famous in Tokyo as the "Electric Town" and it was close to where I was staying so I decided to start my journey there. There were many electronic stores and a lot of duty free shops. Also, in a few shops, I found a lot of salespeople who spoke English and Chinese so I guess this is the place for foreign tourists to go!

Next, I headed over to Ikebukuro because my guidebook said that there was an HMV store there. I bought 3 cds and then found out that Tokyo has a few other HMV stores and that my stop in Ikebukuro wasn't even necessary. Oh well, at least I can say that I've been there.

I decided to go to Shinjuku next since there was still daylight and I was warned that this area is known for its red light district. I stayed till it got a bit dark but never found the red light district. Maybe that is a good thing but I was kind of curious at the same time. I did see the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office, really tall building!

Harajuku was my next stop and it ended up being my favorite part of the trip. I walked down a street that had all the designer shops and well... I can't afford designer anything so I only walked down the street and took pictures of the shops. Then I found the street where the bold fashion of Harajuku were and that's were my interest was sparked. I didn't see many people dressed in funky fashions but I think those people mostly come out on the week-ends. I did see a few punky people and even saw a tourist stop a couple of them to take pictures. Anyways, the things being sold here were much more unique than the Louis Vitton purses that everyone in the streets already had. Also, the prices were more reasonable too! I only ended up buying a pair of shoes for less than $20 and they're so comfortable!

I heard Shibuya was also a great place for shopping so I quickly made a stop there before calling it a night. I didn't find it as interesting as Harajuku but there were definatly a lot more people! I came out of the metro station onto this giant intersection and when the pedestrian light turns green, the intersection just gets filled with people. It was a pretty cool sight to see. Not only that but Shinjuku and Shibuya have these really tall skyscrapers and there are so many of them! Looking up, it felt like I was falling downwards.

I must add that the Tokyo transit system is kind of complicated. There are actually two types of subways and then there is the JR line that runs within the city. I got a day pass for the two subways only and thank goodness because I was switching between the two systems like crazy and would have had my pockets emptied without it. I should have gotten the pass to include the JR line too, travelling would have been much more convenient but I didn't know where to buy this pass. I survived though and am quite proud of my logisitical skills!


December 8 - Tokyo
So my last day in Tokyo. I decided to buy my overnight ticket first and lucky for me, some officer at the bus station offered to help me buy the ticket from the machine that was only in Japanese and even show me where I had to board my bus.

Then it was off to the Imperial Palace Garden. I would have loved to see the Palace itself but it is only open to public twice a year. On the Emperor's birthday and the 2nd day of New Years. I saw the Tokyo Tower and decided to walk to it. It was a good idea because I walked by all the government buildings and I saw important people getting into black, expensive, chauffeured cars and there were guards at the entrance of every building. Something I've never seen before except in movies.

Tokyo Tower wasn't a big wow for me. It was more like, that's it? I think the business buildings were more impressive and taller so I was expecting more. On my way to Tokyo Tower I saw a set of stairs that reminded me of Hong Kong. I've never been to Hong Kong but I've seen lots of movies. I decided to climb those stairs and I ended up at a really nice shrine. It's interesting how there are all these shrines everywhere. I guess back at home, there are lots of churches and places of worships too, but I never notice them.

After Tokyo Tower, I went to Roppongi Hills. It turns out to be a really posh area. Really nice, and I definately didn't fit in with my backpack and runners. I took some nice pictures, then went to Ginza since I had lots of time to kill. Again, there were lots of expensive shops and cafes and I was getting tired of walking around so I decided to go back to Tokyo Train station to wait for my bus.

What really annoyed me was that there were no seats at the station, nor at the underground mall. I ended up walking for 2 hours looking for a place to rest and my legs were all wobbly. Another annoyance that I found while in Tokyo is the lack of garbage cans. I ended up walking around with garbage in my hands for long periods of time. At the same time, there is no litter anywhere. I don't understand how it all works!

The overnight bus was not comfy but it was cheap. Like $50. I actually ended up falling off my seat when the bus driver braked really hard. I guess I should have been using my seatbelt instead of lying down!

Overall, great trip and I can't wait to go back. I have an idea of what I want to do next time!

posted by ~diana~ @ 9:13 PM