Exploring the City 😎

07/09/2019 - The first weekend in Tokyo

On Saturday, the time had finally come: out of my neighborhood and sightseeing!

Through Harajuku and Shibuya

From my apartment, I walked through Yoyogi Park to the trendy district of Harajuku in just 20 minutes. According to the travel guide, the neighborhood is especially popular among teenagers and known for its eccentric trends. Since Harajuku is mentioned in every travel guide, it probably wasn't the smartest decision to go there on a Saturday afternoon... once in the narrow Takeshita Street, where different music blasts from every store and people in manga outfits advertise additional actions through megaphones, I had no choice but to clutch my bag and go with the flow. However, I did manage to visit some shops ;) In addition to regular fashionable clothes and cute jewelry, there were also all sorts of crazy things, such as panda socks for chair legs, band-aids shaped like donuts, pineapples, and carrots, plastic finger nail protectors, gothic stores, and lots of interesting food and drinks. In the end, I decided to get a 'Flamingo' crepe with strawberries, strawberry ice cream, and whipped cream - unlike many of the crepes on display, it didn't have an additional piece of cake inside. But next time, I'll definitely try the teddy bear ice cream (or maybe two piglets?)... or I'll make a stop at Zakuzaku (the crispy cream puffs are said to resemble churros and be filled with pudding/ice cream - definitely delicious)... or maybe I'll try the bubble green tea with pudding in it (who came up with the idea to put pudding in tea?!).

For the time being, I continued on, away from Takeshita Dori, through the upscale shopping street, through less crowded side streets and past boutiques, outdoor and sports stores towards Shibuya.

Shibuya is known for the Shibuya Crossing, which is often referred to as the Times Square of Tokyo. Actually, the New York Times Square seemed even bigger, busier, and more colorful to me, but that could also be because I was younger at the time and we were there at night... ;) In the evening, up to 10,000 people cross the Shibuya Crossing at the same time - a spectacle that can be observed from the roof of the Magnet Building. There weren't that many people on a Saturday afternoon, but it was still impressive.

At the crossing, I took a photo in front of the Hachiko Statue (short version: loyal dog that always brought his master to the train station and picked him up after work, never stopped doing so even after his sudden death), and then I got the Suica card for public transportation at the train station.

It's super convenient, as it's valid for all lines (there are different line operators in Japan, each with their own tickets and separate entrances at the stations... important lesson: remember the lines you need! otherwise you'll wander through the station forever until you find WiFi and can look online to see which line operates your destination station. By the way, you won't find a route map with all the stops of the lines hanging around... at least I couldn't find one) Anyway, you simply load money onto the card, hold it against the sensor when entering the station, and then again when leaving, and depending on the distance between the two, money is deducted. In addition, you can also use the card to pay at some convenience stores and vending machines - almost a sensation in cash-focused Japan! (in comparison, Germany is already quite progressive in this respect)

And there's a penguin on the card. It's cute 🐧

Around the city center with the Yamanote Line

Equipped with the Suica card, I escaped the heat and took a round trip on the Yamanote Line around the city center. It takes about an hour in total, but I made a stop at Tokyo Station and checked out the entrance to the Imperial Palace area. These contrasts between Tokyo Station in the classic Western style of the early 20th century surrounded by ultra-modern skyscrapers and the traditionally Japanese park and palace grounds right next door are quite fascinating.

Enjoying the view from the Metropolitan Government Building

Right at dusk, I got off the train in Shinjuku and stood in the long line for the observation deck of the Metropolitan Government Building. Maybe I was a bit 'hangry' at the time, but for the first time in the whole trip, the two Japanese people behind me annoyed me with their chattering. Such noise (apart from music, traffic, and chirping) was something I wasn't used to anymore 😅 Fortunately, the observation deck was very spacious and a cola from the vending machine calmed the diva in me. So I was able to enjoy the breathtaking view over Tokyo from the 45th floor: houses as far as the eye can see! Unfortunately, Mount Fuji was hiding in the clouds, but I could even see (approximately) my house and the adjacent park area... and how the lights came on everywhere as night fell... wonderful! It's only about 15 minutes from Shinjuku to the apartment, so I'll definitely go there again (especially since there's no admission fee 😉)