Japan with Joanna, Part 2

As promised, here's a rundown of the neighborhoods / areas in Tokyo we explored:

Roppongi

Our apartment was actually in Akasaka, but only a 15 minute walk to central Roppongi, an area known as a nightlife hotspot and expat hangout. It has a bit of a seedy reputation, but also is becoming a trendy spot for young Tokyoites(?). Roppongi reminds me of Itaewon in Seoul, with a unique mix of hole in the wall bars, upscale shopping, and late night clubs. The neighborhood nearby is also home to many embassies and expensive apartments. Interesting mix indeed!

Joanna and I went out to a shot bar in Roppongi called Geronimo, where an inebriated man bought the whole bar shots of Jager--not once, but twice. Luckily it was a small place, cause each shot cost 1,000 yen ($9). In a matter of an hour he managed to spend over 200 bucks. I hope he could afford it. Well, at the time, I was just excited to get a free drink!

We also went to Tokyo Tower, which is within walking distance of Roppongi station. The top observation deck was closed for repairs, but the main lookout still gave us a great view of Tokyo light up at night (the first image of this post is Tokyo Tower).

Harujuku
Harajuku is known for unique fashion trends. Did I saw unique? I meant weird. From fully grown women dressed as dolls, to something out of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, Harajuku is the spot to go. Unfortunately the place is mostly full of curious visitors, not the fashion icons themselves. But a walk down the main drag for some window shopping is still entertaining. When Joanna and I went we also saw the Meiji Jingu shrine and surrounding Yoyogi Park.

The weird fashion isn't all cute and cuddly

Shibuya
Ever seen Fast and Furious Tokyo Drift? If you remember the montage of a huge pedestrian crossing in Tokyo, where hundreds or even thousands of people cross the street in all directions, that's Shibuya. Even if you haven't seen the movie, Shibuya is a cool place to check out. I have never seen so many people crossing the street at one time, and it happens every 90 seconds! It's best to go at rush our, especially in the evening when the lights are bright. Shibuya also has numerous quality restaurants, bars, and clubs.

Shinjuku

Shinjuku at night

This is the place for the stereotypical Tokyo experience: hundreds of bright shop lights on every block, the latest electronics and international fashion brands, and plenty of drinking spots (some seedier than others). Shinjuku was once a late night mecca, but these days the younger crowds are drawn more to Roppongi and Shibuya. In Shinjuku you'll see more of the infamous Japanese salarymen drinking into the morning, still rocking their business suits.

The place is also crawling with tourists, but still, Shinjuku is worth a visit. Joanna and I went twice: once to the Metropolitan Government Building, which has free views of the sprawling city, and again the next night for drinks. At a bar we met three other tourists and ended up singing Karaoke dressed in Halloween costumes.

There's also a great park near Shinjuku, although it closes by 5 pm

Joanna's super cool karaoke outfit

Ginza
If you're a shopper--well, a shopper with deep pockets--this is the place for you. Ginza is the center of high-end fashion and upscale shops. Sony, Nissan, and Canon all have showrooms in Gina, so even if you can't afford to buy, you can still take a look. I was disappointed in the showrooms though, because I was expecting interactive or hands-on gadgets, but they were mostly just stores with items on display.

Next to Gina is the Imperial Palace grounds, which are still home to the Japanese royal family. You can't see the palace itself, but you can take a walk around the gardens and outer courtyards. Well, visitors typically can. Joanna and I happened to visit on a Friday, when everything is closed to the public. We only realized this after nearly walking around the entire perimeter. Hey, at least we saw the moat!

The national parliament building, which we passed on our walk to Ginza

Tokyo central station, near Ginza

Asakusa
This is one of the few traditional areas left in Tokyo. Well, most of the buildings were destroyed during WW2, but that was true of almost everything in the city. In Asakusa you can visit several temples, including Senso-ji, a large Buddhist complex. In the narrow streets around Senso-ji there are hundreds of small touristy shops and restaurants where you can try traditional Japanese food. The street leading to the temple also has street food, which isn't nearly as common in Tokyo as other Asian cities.

Senso-ji temple

Odaiba
Odaiba is a large island in Tokyo Bay, accessible by metro from central Tokyo. Joanna and I spent an afternoon there, visiting the beach (a rare sight so close to the city), a replica statue of liberty, the Toyota exhibition hall, Tokyo Leisure Land (a huge arcade), and a 115 meter / 377 ft Ferris wheel. Joanna was a bit anxious at the top of the wheel, but I enjoyed the views!

View of Rainbow Bridge from the only beach I know of in Tokyo

Daikanransha Ferris Wheel

Akihabara

If you like anime, or Japanese cartoons, Akihabara--aki for short--is the place to go. If you're into electronics, video games, or comics, aki has you covered too. These pursuits are summed up in the Japanese word otaku, which refers to social outcasts or people with obsessive interests (particularly in the aforementioned areas). Basically it means geek culture. And the geeks flock to Aki for the comic book stores, figurines, arcade and video game shops, and computer goods.

Joanna and I spent an afternoon strolling around Akihabara window shopping. We poked around at a comic book and superhero figurine shop and checked out an arcade. Neither of us are into anime or manga, but it was a fun diversion nonetheless. We also explored the five floors of Don Quijote, a huge discount store selling everything from mustard to vibrators. And speaking of vibrators, we stumbled upon a sex shop; I won't go into too much detail!

Don Quijote store

You'll also see lots of women like this standing on the street
in Akihabara, advertising maid cafes, where women treat customers
like masters. Not really my cup of tea, so I passed.

Aside from exploring the city, Joanna and I also took a day trip to Enoshima Island, a bit over an hour by train from central Tokyo. Enoshima was a nice getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city, although since we went on the weekend, there were plenty of local tourists.

The walkway to Enoshima Island

The opposite side of the island, near the Enoshima caves

Beach on the mainland

The day after Joanna left I also visited Yokohama, another city within the Tokyo area. On Semester at Sea the ship docked at Yokohama, and I enjoyed reminiscing about the trip as I walked around the harbor area. I didn't do a whole lot that day, just got my steps in along the water front, in China town, and around Yokohama station.

A temple in Yokohama Chinatown

The Yokohama BayStars stadium

I'm not sure how many steps I clocked in for the week. I don't keep track, but Joanna does. I do know that we surpassed 30,000 on each of the first two days in Tokyo. By the day Joanna left we had trotted around a solid chuck of the city, no small feat.

Saying goodbye to Joanna was hard; I'm typically not an emotional guy (I'm as tough as rocks actually, wink wink), but I even shed a few tears as she left for the airport. I'm hoping to see her again soon...we'll be pretty far from each other, but hopefully she can visit me or I can go to England again.

After one day to myself, I woke up early to lug my heavy suitcase through the metro to the airport. I had a 13 hour flight to JFK, New York, where I arrived at exactly the same time (EST is 13 hours behind Tokyo time). The immigration que and customs check at JFK took an hour and a half, so it was noon when I finished. My flight to Columbus wasn't until 7 pm though, so I had enough time to take the subway to Manhattan, where I met my friend Justin. We ate a late lunch and caught up before I made my way to Penn Station and on to Newark airport. Then it was only a short flight and I was back home in Ohio with the family!