Get me out of here/let me stay
Trip Start
Sep 10, 2008
1
31
71
Trip End
Sep 03, 2009
Tokyo,
Kanto,
Japan
Thursday, January 8, 2009
And so into Tokyo, where common sense and street planning have never been used in the same sentence. Where else in the world, would they build the world's busiest train station, which presumably only wins this title due to the fact it has over 200 exits, meaning that half the people that enter, never find their way out again. Sure, they have signs in English as well as Japanese, which are really useful as they point you round in circles, so you find yourself back where you started half an hour later, without ever having to leave the station. It is at this point where you really wish the travel gods would reach out with their giant hands and pluck you out to place you somewhere a whole lot less complicated.
Arriving on a cramped bullet train, navigating round the colour-coded subway system which when placed on a map, looks like a colourful bowl of spaghetti (and thats only the subway system, wait till you add the train lines on there!). Each train that arrives plays its own little tune.
My bed/cupboard!
Sometimes two or three trains arrive at the same time and all play their own little tunes at the same time, causing their own sound clash.So where do you start? I headed to Shibuya, the worlds largest/busiest/something like that crossing, where hundreds of people cross the road without fail, every few minutes. If you ever see shots of Tokyo in a film, this is probably where it was filmed, with the sky high billboards. A range of shops surround the area, ranging from the trendiest, where you can buy a T-Shirt declaring "Out of Date" across the front for 70 quid, to the trendy but cheaper which presumably declare "Reduced for quick sale"! If you want to buy clothing with Japanese writing on, forget it, English rules here, no matter how little sense it actually makes.
Despite its general expense, the best things in Tokyo are definitely free. For instance, you can get a lift up to the observation platform in the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building for free and watch the sun set over Tokyo, with the peak of Mount Fuji in the background. You can grab a drink in Starbucks and sit and watch the organized chaos of the hundreds of people crossing the road at Shibuya. You can wonder round the electronic/entertainment district of Akihabara, wondering through the endless electronics shops and amusement arcades whilst dodging the girls dressed up as maids on the streets, advertising their maid cafes. You can look at the infamous Harajuku girls who dress up as anime characters every Sunday.
Shibuya 1
Of course, you actually have to be there on a Sunday, which is a bit of a problem when your flight leaves Saturday night.I took a day out of the busy city to visit Kamakura, a busy little village, famed for its temples. I wasn't disappointed, the wooden temples were very peaceful. In fact, I spent so long sat in the grounds of one that I nearly missed out on seeing the giant Buddha, having to run over when I realised the time. The Buddha, lovely as it was, wasn't particularly as impressive as its made out to be, although it was great that you could pay a little extra to climb inside it, and was fairly interesting to me as it had information as to how it had been made. After the other temples I have seen in Japan, I wasn't that impressed with the biggest one in Tokyo, even if it did have a huge red lantern hanging in the entrance, which seems to grace every other postcard picture.
I found time to make my way down to the annual emergency services display whilst I was here. I saw it advertised in the hostels, and was drawn in by the words "free" and "acrobatics". I had no idea what to expect, but I was at a loose end and thought I might as well. I headed down on the new monorail line which afforded great views of the city front, with a clear blue sky for a background. I think the fair was aimed more at families, but lets face it, when did that ever stop me? Wondering around, a man saw me looking at the earthquake simulation van and urged me on. It was a small set up, simulating a hefty earthquake and we were shown the correct position to assume.
View over Tokyo at Sunset
A lady and a child got on to share the experience with me, and the woman jovialy stuck her tongue out at me and smiled kindly. Sometimes we all speak the same language. It was soon time for the parade, I was in fact a bit late, but managed to squeeze my way into a decent position somehow. Sometimes being a geijin, really gives you advantages! After lines of shiny engines drove past, and boats sprayed plumes of water in the background, it was time for what I had been waiting for. The fireman moved onto the road with their bamboo ladders, and they took it in turns to perform various acrobatics on the long row of ladders. It did look impressive, but it was over so quickly I was slightly disappointed. I was really glad I came however, it was nice to see a different side to the culture.I managed to make time to visit the Park Hyatt hotel towards the end of my stay. This 5 star hotel, is more famous perhaps, for being the location of where Lost in Translation was filmed. Sitting in the New York bar, where a lot of the filming was done, it certainly had a great atmosphere, overlooking the lights of Tokyo, even if the drinks were ridiculously expensive. In fact, the hotel in general was really nice, as I guess, you would expect. One day when I'm a millionaire, maybe I'll even be able to afford to stay there!
Until that day, I'll walk back to my hostel, through possibly one of the only capital cities in the world where it's actually safe for a girl to walk around at night alone without even having to worry. Japan certainly is an amazing country, and is very unique. It may not be the easiest place to come backpacking, and is probably one of the most expensive, but definitely worth it. If you have money to burn, this is definitely the place to do it. Just make sure you bring a friend, and preferably one who can speak the language.
Onwards to Australia!
