Tokyo Part 3 (or maybe its 4)

Quick note: Also in that week or so of work prior to my second holiday. That was when the disaster that was MT. Fuji occurred. Unfortunately reading back on these "Holiday blogs" hasn't been a very consistent (or even comprehensible) affair. I will try and sort that out at the end but for now please bear with me.



August 10th





Tokyo, like a lot of things in Japan, gradually grows on you (or me at least). I was looking forward to going back see a few of my pals again and more importantly unearth something in Tokyo that was beyond the scope of the other Japanese towns I had visited.



Luckily I wasn't dissapointed. I began to see some of the more modern architecture and stray away from the "main" routes in favour of side alleys and found it a much more interesting place. The beauty of Tokyo is that you feel safe wherever you go. Japan has one of the lowest crime rates in the world and I haven't felt in danger (or even anxious) once. Because of this even at night you could turn off down an interesting side road and discover more of the real Tokyo.




Another thing to mention is when I said I was just setting off with a backpack that was true. I hadn't booked anywhere to stay for the whole week, so for 6 nights I relied on the few friends I have made here or found some kind of 'establishment' (club, internet cafe, etc) to spend the whole night in. Only two nights were spent on the "mean" streets of Tokyo, Thankfully the other nights were spent on floors or sofas.



I am eternally grateful to:










Hiro san, The forever busy Graphic designer by day, super R+B producer by night!




















Aymeric, The suave, sophisticated French accountant with an excellent handle on Japanese, English and French








and of course Noritaka san, teacher, gentleman, friend...





Partying with these guys was fantabulous and I really couldn't have asked for more, so thanks guys I hope one day I can return the favour!!!

Knowing these people also gave me a much better insight into Japan than the average tourist because they could take me to some of the lesser known local places that were more authentic and thus more interesting.

So here is a quick rundown of some of the most memorable districts of Tokyo:

Shibuya - The most hip and happening part of town, Shibuya is full (almost to bursting point) of young people wining,dining shopping and clubbing. I came back time and time again just because the atmosphere was so fresh and electric and there were so many interesting sights to be seen just from sitting in a coffee shop and watching the world go by....

Harajuku - Harajuku lies next to Shibuya like some crazy, far out cousin. It has more hippy/alternative type shops than Shibuyas big sparkly malls and most of the young people (to be honest) are those freaky types. Harajuku also plays host to yoyogi park, a place where there is always some kind of performance art going on. Be warned this can be very, very strange. We stood and watched one man with nothing but a steel pipe (in a kind of spring arrangement) around his head and luminous pink y fronts, roll around and wail and wave his arms in a very unsettling motion. I was hoping to experience some of the more surreal elements of Tokyo but this was a little too over the top. Other highlights include people singing like they are in another world (with their backs to the audience or a very distant look in their eye, leather clad rock and roll dancers who take them selves so seriously even though they dance very erratically (sometimes spinning so much that they stumble and fall, but just brush themselves off an start off again with a very grim expression and the phenomenon that is"the Idols", (wannabe girl popstars) View this at your own risk!

Akihabra - Geek capital of (maybe) the world. Akihabara must hold the most amount of electrical goods for sale in one place, including a 13 story behemoth of a store which must cover an area at least the size of half a football pitch if not more. The only problem with Akihabra was that I didn't see any robots like I was promised.

Ropongi - Advertised as Tokyos gateway to the world, Ropongi hills is a wonderfully modern complex, with fantastic sculptures, beautiful architecture, and a city view aquarium! However at night the the surrounding area becomes infested with foreigners and (weirdly) big Kenyan men trying to coerce you into one of their grotty little sex clubs. Luckily I was with my pal Aymeric who showed me a really traditional Japanese style restaurant which would fit perfectly into Japans older times except for the fact that was on the 5th floor of a 10+ storey building.

Odaiba - The most exciting way to reach this part of Tokyo is by the newly developed monorail line. This is the closest I came to feeling like I was in a really modern city. As the train weaved through the glass skyscrapers I half expected to see flying cars and floating electric signs and whatnot.... Anyway Odaiba seemed a little more relaxed and open than the hustle and bustle of central Tokyo. It was also where the modern science museum was situated and some cool conceptual car showrooms!

Central Tokyo: A lot of business buildings, but the station is very scenic and it is fairly close to the imperial palace however you cannot get into the grounds. There is also an absolutley huge network of tunnels, mostly filled with shops and restaurants, underneath Tokyo station, I got lost a couple of times just trying to get out of the station!!!

Ginza - This was like an upmarket version of shibuya except instead of lots of young people there are lots of drunken Japanese business men. It also has a pretty (depending on which way you look at it) neon filled street that is fairly impressive to walk down.

Ueno - A scenic park and giant water lily pond. There were also about 5 different museums in close proximity of each other. I visited the Natural History museum (I found where that whale landed in 'The Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy') and the science museum which had a highly titillating 360 degree cinema/ride/thing, so good I went on twice!

Asakusa - Just a big old temple and a lot of Gaijin (foreigners)

So there we have it a beginners guide to Tokyo... sort of. If I have time I will put up a few leftover pictures tomorrow

Cheerio