Fitting oor bodies into capsules...

The closest you'll come to feeling like you're in a vending machine
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Can`t believe we actually managed it, but we really DID wake up early to make sure we could get to Asakusa before dark!  Although we were still in Tokyo, the area had a completely different feel to it than any other part of Tokyo we`d visited up to that point.  Not quite as squeaky clean as the other areas; a little bit dirtier, and the presence of homeless people gave it quite a different atmostphere.  Despite the fact that they`re homeless, they`re still very proud of the few belongings they have.  For example, before entering their makeshift shelters, they`ll remove their shoes.  Seemingly, lost of the homeless people you see in Japan are the result of some economic slump several years ago...to be honest we don`t know too much about it though so we`ll leave it at that!

KEEP OUT, MAN!
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Anyhooo...the main reason we were heading to Asakusa was our reservation at a friggin` Capsule Hotel!  Hahahahah!  One of those things we`ve always wanted to see/experience, even before we knew we were coming to Japan!  We`d booked in to the Asakusa Riverside Capsule Hotel as it was only ï¿¥3000 per night, and they accepted woman - most capsule hotels are men only.  And we`re so glad we picked that hotel...the folk were so friendly, and you get heaps for your dosh!  We were given towels, toothbrushes, soap, slippers, yukata, and we could use the hotels Japanese style baths.  The hotel was also placed really well...right across from the main train station, and right next to the Asakusa river.

LEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAVES
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So...on your floor there are a few toilets, lockers for your personal items and a washing area with sinks, soaps, lotions, etc.  In the sleeping area the walls are lined with capsules...one at floor height and the other directly above, with wee ladders to get ye up there.  In the capsule you get a tv, radio and alarm clock, as well as a mirror and dimmer light...very saucy!  And the capsules are much bigger than we expected them to be; Jodie could easily lie out flat, and sit up without touching the sides/top!  To go to sleep, there`s a bamboo blind at the end o` your bed...pull it down and you`re all done!

Senso-Ji...for all your lantern-y needs
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When we`d finished fannying around with our respective capsules, we met up downstairs (we couldn`t sleep on the same floor y`see) and headed out for some din dins!  We finally got the balls to try out one of the vending machine restaurants, which are AMAZING!  Most of these places have images in the window of the food, next to the Kanji name and price...pick what you want, put your dosh in the machine and you`ll be given a ticket...hand your ticket to the cheffy man and he`ll make your tea - minimum fuss!!!  And it`s extremely cheap to eat at these wee joints...cost us about 5 quid for some rice & curry, and some Kitsune Udon (guess who had what?).

See...my lantern-y needs were satisfied here.
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So that`s two typically Japanese things we tried out in the space of a couple o` hours...we felt goooooooood!  Next up, we had a wander around the area as we hadn`t researched it, and we came across one of the most spectacular things we`ve ever seen!  We stumbled upon Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate), which leads on to Senso-Ji, the most amazing shrine complex!  Thunder Gate looks amazing, with it`s two gods Raijin and FÅ«jin making sure no dodgy business happens in the area.  Walking through Kaminarimon takes you to Nakamise-Dori...what appears to be an endless street lined with souvenir shops and food stalls!  Takes a good 15 minutes to walk down the street, and you`re then greeted by the sight of the impressive Senso-Ji Temple dead ahead, and the beautiful Five-Storeyed Pagoda on the left.  Senso-Ji is one of the most photogenic things we`ve ever seen, and it had plenty of lanterns to quench my lantern-photo-taking-fetish for the next wee while.  Had a wander around the alleyways surrounding the temple, checked out the Dembo-in garden area...at this point it was dark, so everything was lit by eerie green lanterns which catered perfectly to our love of all things eerie, and my love of all things green.

It's a pagoda with five stories. Imaginatively named the Five Storeyed Pagoda. Second highest in Jarparn.
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Once we`d finished being completely overwhelmed by the amazing temples, we headed to a wee cafe for some beer and Donna Summer loving, then we returned to ze hotel for our first public bath experience!  Jodie`s was much funnier than mine...I shall explain!

What ye do is you get completely naked!  When you enter the bathroom, there`s a roasting hot bath at one end, and showers with little tubs and seats at the other.  The process is you wash your body at the shower area first, then you jump in the SCALDING bath once you`re completely clean!  Luckily for me, the bath was empty, but Jodie had to get his ghoulies out in front of 3 other men.  He was very mature about it and got on the with cleansing of the body...to be honest I think the only reason he wasn`t too bothered was because Mr German guy, who`d paid him a little bit too much attention earlier in the day, wasn`t in the bathroom at the same time as him!

Jodie reviewing his conquered territory.
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After our bath we sat on the balcony bit overlooking the river, and made the most of the free green tea...unfortunately at that point we hadn`t noticed the beer vending machine!  Headed off to bed (seperately) and had a surprisingly comfortable night`s sleep in the capsule...another thing ticked off our list of `things we`ve always wanted to do`!

Oooh, ps Jodie felt a tremor just before we left for Asakusa...I thought it was the neighbours banging about, but apparently there really was a wee earthquake!  Seemingly tremors happen all the time, and more significant earthquakes occur every few weeks!!!  Most buildings in Tokyo (the big `uns are seismically isolated so it`s not too scary.