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TRAVEL BLOG ENTRY
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After awaking at the now standard 3am from jet-lag (and I foolishly thought I had it beat this time!), I decided to squeeze in my day's work before 10am so I could head out and explore the city (that's one way to get jet-lag working for you!) A beautiful day around 15 degrees C with lots of sunshine awaited....
With 2 destinations planned (Asakusa and Harajuku), I started with a free shuttle bus to the Shinjuku Station. This is the station made famous in the Sofia Copella movie - Lost in Translation. Appropriately so, as this transit station is one of the busiest in the world, with over 60 station exits and mostly listed in Japanese kanji (though if you look close enough, you will find the English translations mixed in with the characters). There are 3 main lines, all with their own ticketing systems, the JR, the Metro and the Toei. I needed to find the JR Yamanote line to my first stop in Harajuku. Once found, I then needed to try and figure out how much fare to put in to cover my trip. I has a laugh with a couple other Westerner men on what the heck to enter, and we decided to put in the least amount, then go to the fare adjustment booth at the other end if necessary. This worked!
When I stepped out at Harajuku, I just had to smile...I had found my first street market in Tokyo! Though with a twist. It was full of teenagers, looking for the latest fashions. They are called Harajuku-girls or Cos-girls, and they love to dress in costumes. Very festish based, from Goth-syled punk to garish nurse uniforms with thigh-high boots. Major sensory overload. The only smell wafting through the area was the cloying aroma of sweet crepes - there were crepe stands on almost every corner. It's also interesting that everywhere there is street commerce, there are people employed to stand outside the shops to entice you inside. After a long walk down Takesita Dori (and a much battered credit card), I headed down Omotesando Dori, the Yorkville/Bloor St/5th Avenue of Tokyo. No damage done here, but lots of window shopping. There were a pair Jimmy Choos that were calling me, but I moved on.
I then headed back into the Metro to find the Ginza line which would take me to my next stop in Asakasu. I actually was able to make sense of the fare and paid approx. $2.30 CAD to get me to the end of the Ginza line.
Asakasu is remeniscent of the old Tokyo, with narrow streets and people in traditional dress. When you leave the station, you come to a large latern and small shrine marking the entrance to Nakamise Dori. This pedestrian thoroughfare holds what they call the Temple Market, so named because at the end of this street is the Sensoji Temple, founded in the 7th century. It is dedicated to Kannon, the Buddhist godess of mercy. Before you enter the temple, you have to wash your hands using a ladle in a large fountain. You are also supposed to wash your mouth with this same water as part of the cleansing ritual, though I passed on this step. Once inside, you can put 100 Yen into a slot, shake a steel container full of sticks, then you pick a stick at random, then match the kanji on the stick to a set of drawers. Inside your matching drawer, you withdraw a fortune. If you do not like the fortune, you wrap it around a small pillar to take away the bad luck (which I did with my first one). My second one was better (I think :-) You help me decide:
"There are various kinds of stones but you still can't distunguish jewels from stones. If you want to succeed in life. You'll come across lots of difficulties and decome sad. What you hope will be complicated just like flowers bloom on old branches. Your wishes will be realized in the end. A sick person has to be in bed for a long time but will not lose life. The lost article will be found. The person you are waiting for will come but late. Building a new house and removal are half fortunate. Marriage is not so good now, but will be good later."
A bit more shopping for traditional Japanese trinkets in the market, then it was back to the metro through 2 transfers to return to my hotel in Shinjuku. It was all very easy by this point, and I highly recommend this mode of travel through Tokyo! I had a wonderful Japanese dinner, then a long soak in the tub. Off now to prepare for my meetings tomorrow. Sayonora all!
previous travel blog entry
chickadee says:
Wow! Some experiences for your first day in Tokyo! Your fortune covers just about everything! What did you eat for dinner? I'm not very adventuresome re. meals and don't know if I could savour the local cuisine!