If we thought our few days in Tokyo were going to be a rest from skiing we were sadly mistaken. Yesterday, we walked 18,500 steps, many of which were stairs into and out of metro stations. Our thighs and butts are still burning!!
For this trip we have tried to visit different areas to our previous trip. Between the two, I feel we have a good feel of the city and its workings. Essentially, Tokyo is a city of cities. Each city or area is unique.
We started with some skin care shopping in Akihabara, not far from our hotel. This area was busy but reasonably calm. Miss E had done her research and led us straight to a discount store where we purchased rice masks, nail oil and various other essentials (wink wink).
From there we were off to the ski/snowboard shopping area, where Master 18 made his big purchase (yes we are now lugging skis around the world! Eye roll). With our interest in shopping twindling, Mr Travel Bee, Mrs Travel Bee and Miss 15 headed for some cultural sightseeing.
The Imperial Palace is located in the centre of Tokyo and the east gardens are a wonderful respite from the city rat race. You can wander the gardens for free (but be aware they close at 4pm and the last admission is 3.30pm). We had to rush but it was enjoyable nonetheless. I imagine in spring this area is beautiful and awash with cherry blossoms (we saw one early bloomer).
The contrast between the gardens and surrounding high rise city was striking and a beautiful illustration of how old meets new.
Our next stop was a wander around Harajuku, famous for youth fashion. This had a different feel altogether from the other areas we have visited. We loved the quirky little lanes and second hand shops. We considered visiting an animal cafe and were excited to find an otter cafe nearby. However on arrival, it was packed to the door and after watching two distressed otters trying to escape their tiny tanks, we decided it wasn’t for us. Small animals seem okay in these places but larger animals…. I’m not so sure.
In the evening, we met up with Master 18 and Miss E in Shinjuku. This area is classic Tokyo. Bright lights, millions of people, dart bars, karaoke bars, bar bars, adult bars, and many many restaurants. This is the only area that felt slightly dodgy, in a sleazy, target the tourist way.
We enjoyed a sushi meal before wandering out onto the street in search of Godzilla. Amazingly, as we walked out of the restaurant we bumped into Master 18’s friend from Busselton! With 3.6 million people passing through the nearby train station every day, how do you run into someone you know??! The world freaks me out sometimes!
As Master 18 and Miss E partied into the night (with Miss E’s family and friends), the Travel Bees retired, unable to get up with the pace of youth!!
TTB
The Travel Bee 