Tokyo? Hai! Hai!

Firstly, apologies this post is so long in coming.  It's version two.  I was so discouraged when I lost my entire post just before I could publish that it's taken me this long to come back to it.

Tokyo Part 2

My real Tokyo experience occurred over the weekend - work commitments no longer dictate my timetable and I'm free to explore what the city has to offer (in three days) - wander, watch, taste, smell and snap away to my heart's content.

Tokyo has well and truly stolen my heart.  If Singapore was my steady boyfriend, Tokyo is the exotic stranger whom I met in a crowded bar, thinking it would be a weekend fling but deciding to elope when the time came to part.

No, no, fear not, I haven't up sticks and moved there... but I'm keen!

If you have a chance to go to Tokyo, take it and run with it.

My favourite Tokyo image - Shinjuku Crossing

Tokyo has enough to keep you occupied for ever.  Our experience barely scratched the surface, but in case you're looking for some inspiration, read on.

EAT

As you would expect from a nation that boasts more Michelin Stars than France, Tokyo is a culinary pilgrimage worth taking.  From the dizzying heights of fine dining to the more accessible street food, there is so much to sample - dust off those chopstick skills at and going.

Mini baked doughnut balls for when a perk up is required mid afternoon

Garishly iced bananas

Sumibi Yakitori

(A block from the entrance of Shinjuku Station on the Kabukicho side...hmmm... good luck)

Finding a top notch place for dinner can definitely involve an element of luck, especially if you can't read Japanese. When you layer basement and upstairs options on top of street level, dinner becomes a game of ramen roulette. Wandering around Shinjuku we paused at countless door menus, but never settled. Pausing outside Sumibi Yakitori, I decided that I'd poke my head through the door downstairs, just in case. Bingo! A tiny restaurant buzzing with conversation from closely packed tables. Double bingo! Two seats vacant at the bar.

We practiced our Japanese ordering yakitori (including chicken liver!), tuna and avocado salad and lots of Asahi draft.  Feeling energised, we dove back into the Tokyo evening to explore Shinjuku and unravel a few of its secrets.

Embracing chicken liver yakitori

Golden Gai

(North-east of Shinjuku Station)

One of those secrets was Golden Gai and the tiny bar Dansen. It's impossible to do justice to how much fun we had here in a few paragraphs - it deserves its own post (here).

Kyusyu Jangara

(Just outside Harajuku Station entrance, 1-13-21 Jingumae, Shibuya-ka, above a clothing shop)

After a long day of walking off our hangovers (gallantly earned in Golden Gai) along the streets of Harajuku, Aoyama and Rappongi our weary bodies were in need of a hot bowl of nourishment. The ramen here came highly recommended, and after a bit of a search we sank gratefully onto the bar stools (watch out for your knees if you are long of leg!). The menu is straight forward - five different ramen broth bases, then build up your dish from the list of add ons. Despite originating from China, ramen has been whole-heartedly adopted by the Japanese and by me in turn.

Comfort in a bowl

Maisen 

(4-8-5 Jingumae, Shibuya-ka)

To celebrate (or mourn) our last evening in Tokyo we decided to treat ourselves to some tonkatsu from the legendary Maisen.  The pork is single breed and carefully selected from one farm only.  The result is a katsu cutlet that is so tender you can part it with a chopstick.  It’s a little on the pricey side, but a wonderful way to wrap up a long Tokyo weekend.

The Last Supper

DO

Get Lost!

Get lost and wander the streets.  We spent hours wandering around Harajuku/Aoyama/Shinjuku gazing at amazing architecture, peering down alley ways and just generally soaking up Tokyo’s vibe.  It lead us to a baseball batting cage (yes, I beat Sander, yes I was jubilant, yes he was gutted), brought us to Golden Gai, made us giggle at the love hotels with their hourly rates featured prominently alongside the nightly ones... the list goes on and on.

Dancing Elvises - I'm still trying to figure out why...

  

Genius!  Umbrella lockers!

Park Hyatt

It’s cheesy, but head up to the Park Hyatt bar and have a drink Lost-In-Translation-style.  It’s an incredible view of Tokyo and the hotel is beautiful (especially compared to our rather more modest *ah hem* digs).

We were really disappointed to miss the Harajuku Girls on Sunday afternoon - oh well, next time perhaps.

SEE

Meiji-jingu (Meiji Shrine)

Dedicated to the Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken, who were responsible for opening up Japan to the western world as well as countless philanthropic causes, the shrine is worth a visit on any day of the year.  The grounds and buildings demonstrate how well-loved they are by the Japanese and provide a green break from neon Tokyo.  We got incredibly lucky the day we visited.  As we wandered up the tree-lined paths to the shrine we wondered why there were so many exquisitely dressed Japanese children in full traditional kimono.  Little did we know we'd picked the best day of the year to visit Meiji-jingu - the Shichi-Go-San (Seven-Five-Three) Festival.  The festival exists because Japanese believe that children are more vulnerable to misfortune at the ages of three, five and seven, thus each year any children of that age visit the shrine for good luck.  Initially I had to content myself with gazing at these adorable immaculate children and snapping photos from afar, but eventually I mustered my courage and approached a family asking if I could take a photo of their beautiful little girl. Other photographers appeared to have no qualms, snapping away up close. I think this is something I have to work on.

Make a wish

Tsukiji Fish Market

If I had to pick one single activity to be the highlight of my Tokyo weekend, it would be the Tsukiji Fish Market. Bustling, brimming with more seafood species I'd ever seen before, and we weren't even there for the busiest period. The auctions are from 5.30am to 6.30am, so you have to be very keen if you want to see them. We were there around 8am and the activity was frantic. You need your wits about you to avoid the electric carts flying down narrow alleyways between stalls designated only by collections of white-polystyrene bins displaying the daily wares. Wander through the stalls to the back of the market to grasp how enormous this market is and after you've worked up an appetite, breakfast on the freshest sashimi you will ever taste in the outer markets, standing at the pavement stalls with the locals.

No way through!

Asakusa

We'd heard that the back streets and alleys of Asakusa give a glimpse into 'old Tokyo' but either we were on the wrong streets, or looking in the wrong direction because the highlight of Asakusa for us was taking a wee nap on a sun-lit patch of grass behind the temple. Give it a second chance though, everyone told us to go there. We may have just been unlucky.

Tokyo Tower 

Tokyo's Eiffel Tower (Tokyo Tower) is quite a shameless tourist trap, but provides great views around dusk to see Tokyo's neon glow brighten.

Shibuya Crossing

Brought to the western world by Lost in Translation, the Shibuya Crossing is supposedly one of the busiest pedestrian crossings in the world. The best vantage point is the Starbucks second level directly opposite the metro entrance.  Apparently it's also one of the busiest Starbucks in the world as well, but that's not the reason you'd head there. Rest your weary feet after a day of sightseeing around dusk when the crossing becomes neon-lit and the people watching fascinating.