All That Jazz

Trip Start Oct 03, 2008

Trip End Oct 19, 2008

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Where I stayed

Sakura Hostel Asakusa Taito

(Taito hotels)

Flag of Japan Tokyo, Kanto, Japan
Monday, October 13, 2008

We went to Shinjuku last night - it's the part of Tokyo with the huge TV screens on the even huger office blocks. It's also home to Kibukicho the "pleasure" district. Don't worry though, we only walked through. In our defence we also wanted to see the Yakuza who apparently hang around there, but we didn't see anything. At least that's what they told us to say. Amit told someone and he woke up with a Panda's head in his bed.

We also visited a corner pet shop with Labradoodle puppies and the cutest kitten that ever lived. Again though - it was all a bit upsetting because they were in tiny glass cages and looked like they wanted to get out. Plus there may be a chance they eat them if no-one buys them before they get too big.

After wandering the depressing streets of Kibukicho, we walked down the, apparently, affectionately titled Piss Alley, where all the cool little bars were. Then Rough Guide redeemed itself somewhat by leading us into an awesomely cosy jazz bar (literal jazz, like Miles Davis, not Kibukicho "jazz") called Vagabond where the cocktails were only 600 yen each (believe me, that's cheap round here) and there was a live jazz band playing. I got to be the Dude Lebowski and James Bond in one night by drinking White Russians and Vodka Martinis (actually shaken, not stirred).

After a morning spent wrestling with the local cash machines, and Natwest in particular, Kirill and I decided we would take Natwest head on when we returned to England and, for now, set off back to Shinjuku to see the huge office blocks during the day and do some all-important souvenir, and Mum birthday present, buying.

The buildings in Shinjuku are often referred to as being a bit like Gotham City and that's not a bad description. Some of them are curved and contorted into some pretty impressive shapes and the centre piece is the Metropolitan Government Building with its two spires - kind of like a Two Towers joined up at the bottom - that really did look like Batman's home town. We then visited the "cheese cake cafe" but had noodles and not cheese cake (in their face), the only Manga shop in town that seems to sell English language books and also managed to get some insane clothing from one of the back street stores.

We then returned to the hostel via the market place for some slightly cheaper souvenir, and Mum birthday present, buying.