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Tokyo
Entry 14 of 19 | show all | print this entry |
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Welcome to Tokyo
Tokyo is overwhelming. I consider myself a pretty experienced traveler, but the sheer size and scope of Tokyo makes it daunting for anyone. With flashing neon lights and billboards everywhere, this megopolis of more than 12 million people looms as something more to be conquered than to be seen. Still, Tokyo ranks up there with the world's Great Cities, like London or New York, and I was really excited to finally get here.
Overview
We were staying right near Tokyo Tower, so after checking in, I took the opportunity to head up there. It was nighttime, and the observatory showed views of Tokyo all lit up for miles in every direction. The overview of the city is really impressive, as it gives an idea of the sheer size and scope of it. Unlike Kyoto or Hiroshima, Tokyo isn't built on a grid system; it's just sort of a hodgepodge that grew organically in all directions. From the top, I was able to see all the different neighbourhoods.
Outside Tokyo Tower, they'd set up a sort of Christmas exhibit with lights and displays. I'm still pretty surprised at how big a deal they make about Christmas here, though I guess retail holidays are good for business.
Shibuya
Next, we headed to Shibuya. This famous neighbourhood of Japan is where the young, hip and trendy hang out. Full of shops, restaurants and neon, it's a must-see area especially after dark. The main square outside the train station was really something; it felt even more impressive than Times Square. And people, people everywhere. One of the most amazing things is to watch what happens when they all cross the street at once on a "walk" symbol. The triangular intersection means that people are crossing in three different directions, and it's really cool to see, especially from the aerial vantage point of the train station.
Warning: this fish may kill you
For dinner, we decided to try fugu. This fish, known as pufferfish in English, has to be prepared just so, or else it can be deadly poisonous. Sounds like the perfect meal, right?
The restaurant served it in a bunch of different ways, including grilled, fried, boiled in broth, and raw as sashimi, which is most traditional way and also the most dangerous way to eat it. I personally liked it fried the best, but I dutifully tried all of them. All that was topped off with a generous helping of sake, ostensibly to make everyone feel better about eating potentially poisonous fish. Actually, it was quite good, and nobody got so much as an allergy attack, so I guess it was prepared all right.
The karaoke that wasn't
By the time we got through with dinner, it was past 11, and we were all exhausted. We'd planned to head to a karaoke bar, but we decided to forego those plans to sleep instead. Karaoke's no fun when you're exhausted, anyway. Just as a note: There are 24-hour karaoke places everywhere, and apparently, people who get caught out after the trains and subways stop running sometimes rent a karaoke booth just to sleep, since it's cheaper than taking a cab. Ditto with internet cafes. You have to wonder about a city that never sleeps where the public transit doesn't run all night, no? But if you're an internet cafe or a karaoke chain, it's good for business, I suppose.
Up next: More Tokyo.
Latest Comments (2)
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Tokyo nights (reply)
Nov 15, 2008 10:53 EST by perleval
@namaste8
Just for the record, there are plenty of very clean karaoke places too! I can't remember if they were open all night, but they were way fancier than any I'd ever seen...
I spent a night out in Tokyo also and there are just so many better thigns to do than sleeping in a sleazy karaoke place! We hung out in a bar then went out for a middle of the night snack. Then it was already s... show all
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Karaoke Bars (reply)
Nov 14, 2008 08:55 EST by namaste8
So, I was one of those people who missed a train and had to stay at a Karaoke Bar all night one night. I had just gotten back from a side trip to Hong Kong, and we missed the last train and didn't want to pay loads of $$ for a taxi, so we decided to camp out at a nearby karaoke place. Lemme tell you, you DO NOT want to do that. The rooms are disgusting, we saw men wandering around the halls wit... show all
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