Last weekend Sabina and I decided to spend our long weekend in Tokyo. We had only been there once before when we first arrived in Japan but did not get to explore extensively as most of our time was taken up by seminars.
On the Shinkansen (bullet train) it only takes 2 hours to get to Tokyo Station. It is the more expensive option, but much faster than the overnight bus and in my opinion more convenient. If we were to take the overnight bus we would have arrived at 5am when nothing is open and you can`t even check into your hotel. This way we could arrive in Tokyo around 1030am and explore the entire day without being exhausted from the tedious bus ride. I think the overnight bus is a better option when you have connecting trains or flights from Tokyo Station early in the morning.
Okay, back to Tokyo. I remembered the first time I was on the Shinkansen, I was on my way to Niigata, nervous to start my new life and emotionally exhausted from homesickness. This time around, I was energized by the excitement of exploration and was confident in my ability to navigate through the city. The first time I walked through Tokyo Station it was a blur of people and everything was unfamiliar, but now we had a plan, we knew where we needed to go, and I realized that most things are written in Romaji or English. It was incredibly easy to use Tokyo`s metro and bus system because everything is in English and you can map out your route online with up to date schedules for transport times. I half expected us to get lost at least once but we found our way without any stress at all. Awesome!
As self-proclaimed shopping addicts, our first stop was the retail heaven district of Harajuku. Once we stepped off the platform we were immediately faced with hundreds of young Japanese kids in punk outfits, cosplay get-ups, and girls plastered in doll makeup. We knew we were in the right place. We headed down to Takeshita-Dori which is renowned for its shops and done up Harajuku girls. The stores were small and narrow, packed full of people trying to get a look at the goods. There were many stores we have in Canada like Forever 21 and H&M except these were 6 stories high and absolutely decked out. I was honestly too overwhelmed with all of the people that I didn`t feel like trying stuff on. I just people watched, which sounds creepy but there was just so much to see! I knew that there would be a lot of people but being in the middle of it all was a jolting experience. Personal space diminishes to skin to skin contact and everyone pushes and shoves to get through and politeness goes out the window as well. If someone bumps into you in Niigata, you are met with a thousand profuse apologies, sumimasen`s (excuse me), and gomen-nasai`s (sorry). In Tokyo, if you don`t move out of the way then you deserve to be trampled. There is also a lack of fresh air, it felt like the only air I could breathe was other people`s breath, it was stifling and uncomfortable.
Another thing that caught me by surprise was the presence of so many foreigners. After being in Niigata for so long it was odd to hear English conversations. In Niigata I am a novelty, people are always shocked when they find out I am a foreigner, in Tokyo they expect you to be a foreigner and no one speaks Japanese to you. There were moments when I forgot I was in Japan, I was surrounded by English speakers, shopping in Forever 21, and everything was written in English. I could have been in any big city. After awhile I needed a break from the shopping and the crowds. We decided to visit the Meiji Shrine and Yoyogi Park. In the middle of this bustling city there is a beautiful park filled with dense forests of bamboo and cherry trees and a gigantic shrine. When we turned the corner off of the busy street, we immediately felt calmed by the coolness of the shady trees and the quiet silence reserved for holy places. There were still a lot of people but no one was talking or pushing to get somewhere in a hurry. It was a lovely quiet moment and a serene reminder that we were in Japan. Afterwards, we decided to walk to the Shinjuku area but we found much of the same in terms of shopping and were growing tired of the crowds. We decided to check into our hotel around 5 and take a rejuvenating nap before we explored some more.
Our hotel was in the nightlife district of Roppongi. Once we had recharged our batteries we ventured out to find a place for dinner. Again we found that everyone spoke English and they were all trying to persuade us to eat at their restaurants. It was strange to be approached so much, when at home many people are too shy to talk to foreigners and most people don`t bother to compete for our business. We decided to follow our noises because that method has never failed us before. We stumbled upon a Vietnamese restaurant that was not only authentic but some of the most scrumptious Vietnamese fare that I have had in Japan. We delightfully filled our bellies, we were so hungry that when the food came we immediately ceased all conversation to eat. Can`t talk, must eat everything!
We walked around Roppongi but it was too early for the night clubs to start up so we decided to retire back to our hotel room after a long walk around our area. We felt like grannies going to bed at 1030pm on a Saturday night but we were absolutely pooped and we wanted to get an early start so we could have another full day of exploring.
The next morning we decided to check out the Shibuya area because we had read that it has many vintage shops and good tourist sites. It was raining so it was a bit cooler and less crowded than we expected. We visited the scramble crossing which is one of the top 10 things to see when you are in Japan. It was cool to see so many people converge onto a street at once and it was especially beautiful with all of the umbrellas. We visited a ton of vintage shops that were hidden on side streets and small upper floors of shady looking buildings. There are some amazing stores filled with truly vintage items, everything was super expensive because they were more antiques than typical vintage finds. I didn`t buy anything but it was so neat to check out what they had. The highlight of the day was when we went to a Cat Cafe. This one was so much nicer than the one in Niigata and the cats seemed so happy and energetic. We instantly felt calm and relaxed in the presence of our new furry friends and it was the perfect way to end the day. One thing that I found a bit irritating was that it was so busy in Tokyo that finding a place to eat lunch quickly is nearly impossible. Everywhere that looked interesting or even decent was lined up around the block. The only place we could go was McDonald`s and although neither of us wanted to eat it, that was our only option besides waiting over an hour for Japanese fare.
We boarded the Shinkansen back to Niigata and got back home around 10pm. The moment we got back we both noticed how fresh the air was, how much space there was, how wonderful the breeze felt, and how delicious the Japanese food was. We were so thankful to be home and were instantly energized by our new found appreciation for Niigata. We spent our holiday Monday having lunch with a bunch of friends, walking along the river and lazily enjoying the last days of the summer warmth. It was a perfect reminder of why we are lucky to call Niigata home.
Although Tokyo is an incredible metropolitan city filled with so many amazing sights, I am glad that I wasn`t placed there. I think it would be consuming and exhausting having to exist anonymously alone among masses of people. Part of why I love living in Niigata is that people know who I am or want to know who I am, and I can become part of a community and feel like I belong. I will always be fascinated by Tokyo and will frequently visit for concerts and big city events that I can`t get here, but I will always be grateful to come home to Niigata where life is slower and more peaceful.
I plan to visit Tokyo again for an amazing weekend indie rock show at the beginning of November. I am beyond excited to see some of my favourite bands perform. My next big trip after that will be to Kyoto at the end of November. We are planning to see the fantastic autumn foliage and go geisha sighting. This Tokyo trip was just the beginning of our Japan adventures!
On the Shinkansen (bullet train) it only takes 2 hours to get to Tokyo Station. It is the more expensive option, but much faster than the overnight bus and in my opinion more convenient. If we were to take the overnight bus we would have arrived at 5am when nothing is open and you can`t even check into your hotel. This way we could arrive in Tokyo around 1030am and explore the entire day without being exhausted from the tedious bus ride. I think the overnight bus is a better option when you have connecting trains or flights from Tokyo Station early in the morning.
Okay, back to Tokyo. I remembered the first time I was on the Shinkansen, I was on my way to Niigata, nervous to start my new life and emotionally exhausted from homesickness. This time around, I was energized by the excitement of exploration and was confident in my ability to navigate through the city. The first time I walked through Tokyo Station it was a blur of people and everything was unfamiliar, but now we had a plan, we knew where we needed to go, and I realized that most things are written in Romaji or English. It was incredibly easy to use Tokyo`s metro and bus system because everything is in English and you can map out your route online with up to date schedules for transport times. I half expected us to get lost at least once but we found our way without any stress at all. Awesome!
As self-proclaimed shopping addicts, our first stop was the retail heaven district of Harajuku. Once we stepped off the platform we were immediately faced with hundreds of young Japanese kids in punk outfits, cosplay get-ups, and girls plastered in doll makeup. We knew we were in the right place. We headed down to Takeshita-Dori which is renowned for its shops and done up Harajuku girls. The stores were small and narrow, packed full of people trying to get a look at the goods. There were many stores we have in Canada like Forever 21 and H&M except these were 6 stories high and absolutely decked out. I was honestly too overwhelmed with all of the people that I didn`t feel like trying stuff on. I just people watched, which sounds creepy but there was just so much to see! I knew that there would be a lot of people but being in the middle of it all was a jolting experience. Personal space diminishes to skin to skin contact and everyone pushes and shoves to get through and politeness goes out the window as well. If someone bumps into you in Niigata, you are met with a thousand profuse apologies, sumimasen`s (excuse me), and gomen-nasai`s (sorry). In Tokyo, if you don`t move out of the way then you deserve to be trampled. There is also a lack of fresh air, it felt like the only air I could breathe was other people`s breath, it was stifling and uncomfortable.
Another thing that caught me by surprise was the presence of so many foreigners. After being in Niigata for so long it was odd to hear English conversations. In Niigata I am a novelty, people are always shocked when they find out I am a foreigner, in Tokyo they expect you to be a foreigner and no one speaks Japanese to you. There were moments when I forgot I was in Japan, I was surrounded by English speakers, shopping in Forever 21, and everything was written in English. I could have been in any big city. After awhile I needed a break from the shopping and the crowds. We decided to visit the Meiji Shrine and Yoyogi Park. In the middle of this bustling city there is a beautiful park filled with dense forests of bamboo and cherry trees and a gigantic shrine. When we turned the corner off of the busy street, we immediately felt calmed by the coolness of the shady trees and the quiet silence reserved for holy places. There were still a lot of people but no one was talking or pushing to get somewhere in a hurry. It was a lovely quiet moment and a serene reminder that we were in Japan. Afterwards, we decided to walk to the Shinjuku area but we found much of the same in terms of shopping and were growing tired of the crowds. We decided to check into our hotel around 5 and take a rejuvenating nap before we explored some more.
Our hotel was in the nightlife district of Roppongi. Once we had recharged our batteries we ventured out to find a place for dinner. Again we found that everyone spoke English and they were all trying to persuade us to eat at their restaurants. It was strange to be approached so much, when at home many people are too shy to talk to foreigners and most people don`t bother to compete for our business. We decided to follow our noises because that method has never failed us before. We stumbled upon a Vietnamese restaurant that was not only authentic but some of the most scrumptious Vietnamese fare that I have had in Japan. We delightfully filled our bellies, we were so hungry that when the food came we immediately ceased all conversation to eat. Can`t talk, must eat everything!
We walked around Roppongi but it was too early for the night clubs to start up so we decided to retire back to our hotel room after a long walk around our area. We felt like grannies going to bed at 1030pm on a Saturday night but we were absolutely pooped and we wanted to get an early start so we could have another full day of exploring.
The next morning we decided to check out the Shibuya area because we had read that it has many vintage shops and good tourist sites. It was raining so it was a bit cooler and less crowded than we expected. We visited the scramble crossing which is one of the top 10 things to see when you are in Japan. It was cool to see so many people converge onto a street at once and it was especially beautiful with all of the umbrellas. We visited a ton of vintage shops that were hidden on side streets and small upper floors of shady looking buildings. There are some amazing stores filled with truly vintage items, everything was super expensive because they were more antiques than typical vintage finds. I didn`t buy anything but it was so neat to check out what they had. The highlight of the day was when we went to a Cat Cafe. This one was so much nicer than the one in Niigata and the cats seemed so happy and energetic. We instantly felt calm and relaxed in the presence of our new furry friends and it was the perfect way to end the day. One thing that I found a bit irritating was that it was so busy in Tokyo that finding a place to eat lunch quickly is nearly impossible. Everywhere that looked interesting or even decent was lined up around the block. The only place we could go was McDonald`s and although neither of us wanted to eat it, that was our only option besides waiting over an hour for Japanese fare.
We boarded the Shinkansen back to Niigata and got back home around 10pm. The moment we got back we both noticed how fresh the air was, how much space there was, how wonderful the breeze felt, and how delicious the Japanese food was. We were so thankful to be home and were instantly energized by our new found appreciation for Niigata. We spent our holiday Monday having lunch with a bunch of friends, walking along the river and lazily enjoying the last days of the summer warmth. It was a perfect reminder of why we are lucky to call Niigata home.
Although Tokyo is an incredible metropolitan city filled with so many amazing sights, I am glad that I wasn`t placed there. I think it would be consuming and exhausting having to exist anonymously alone among masses of people. Part of why I love living in Niigata is that people know who I am or want to know who I am, and I can become part of a community and feel like I belong. I will always be fascinated by Tokyo and will frequently visit for concerts and big city events that I can`t get here, but I will always be grateful to come home to Niigata where life is slower and more peaceful.
I plan to visit Tokyo again for an amazing weekend indie rock show at the beginning of November. I am beyond excited to see some of my favourite bands perform. My next big trip after that will be to Kyoto at the end of November. We are planning to see the fantastic autumn foliage and go geisha sighting. This Tokyo trip was just the beginning of our Japan adventures!
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