Hachiko Shibuya

These days have been all about meeting up with old and new friends, enjoying their company, and letting them guide us through this huge metropolis! We've enjoyed seeing all the famous spots that come up when we think of Tokyo, eaten what Sumo wrestlers eat, sang in karaoke like the Japanese do, and generally had a really great time catching up with …

The wintry weather and Christmasy mood mean I indulge in a rare treat - heading out bedecked in silly Christmas clothes. This has a grand effect on people around us, smiles and shouts of "ooh santa!" follow us everywhere.



We start the day with surprise awesomeness, stopping in at a generic looking coffee place on Kaminarimon …

Wednesday 19^th
September 2012

It's our last day in Tokyo so we headed off for a mixture of
old and new. Starting off in Asakusa, we
went to the Senso-ji Shrine – a beautiful complex of traditional buildings and
gracefully landscaped gardens. The
street leading to the temple was rammed full of …

Went to Shibuya today to buy some clothes, and also to see some more sights such as the famous Shibuya Crossing, which is always busy. one of the busiest intersections in the world for pedestrians. I then went to have a look at some of the most popular clothes shops in Japan. Some weird and wacky fashions here. I finally found a shop that had …

... it tastes more like coffee than rice. In the evening, after our nap, we take the subway down to the Shibuya district.  This is the Tokyo that you know from TV, with the outrageously large neon signs.  It is packed to the gills with frantic ...

Tokyo, Japan - It was very exciting waiting for and boarding the bullet train to Tokyo. The bus was almost as expensive and four times longer. The trains are always on time, if not, the conductor will continue to apologize throughout the journey! ...

... circle of the Yamanote line.  We got off at a few stations along the way, stopping to admire the  Hachiko statue at Shibuya station, trying to visit the Pokemon store (closed), and have dinner at an okonomiyaki place near Tokyo station.  ...

... singen gegangen. Sabine und ich natürlich dabei, obwohl ich eigentlich am nächsten Tag arbeiten müsste...egal, ich war noch nie in Japan Karaoke, und es war grad sehr lustig und ich muss eh erst um 10 anfangen. Wir sind also los und haben auch recht ...

... mon camarade commence à être crevé. Bon, on va au Starbuck comme ça il pourra prendre de pures photos du carrefour face à Shibuya Station. Arrivé là bas, on s'installe et à coté de nous, une japonaise d'environ 40 ans qui nous entends parler ...

... bachi. Very cool. Seeing where taiko has fit into the history/culture elsewhere has also been intriguing.  -Visited Hachiko in Shibuya, a Noh play, the Imperial Gardens, Odaiba, Harajuku, Meiji Jingu shrine and the Geigeki (future site of MASAFESTA!) ...

... schönen Blick auf die Straße hat. Da stehen natürlich viele Leute um Fotos zu machen. Offenbar zu viele. Die Stadt Tokyo, oder der Bezirk Shibuya, was weiß ich, leistet sich sogar 2 Angestellte, die nix anderes zu tun haben, als ständig über diese ...

... country is clean, but even the subway!? It looks like someone goes at it with a toothbrush everyday. Our first stop was Shibuya in the west. Known for its trendiness and very popular among the younger crowd. One of Tokyo's biggest shopping areas ...

... . With accommodation booked, our plans were falling into place we could now book our trains, so we set off to Tokyo station to get our Japan Rail Passes and reserve some train seats. With all of the organizational stuff checked off, we were free to enjoy ...

... ! Because I barely know Tokyo Station, we told them to get off at Shinjuku... only, quite last minute, Jor and I realized that Shibuya would be more convenient. So I sent everyone an email a few hours before their flight and got no reaction. "So what do ...