Day 4 - Shinkansen
May 11th, 2008After getting home late last night after our little debarkel, and then researching how to get to our shinkansen, we didn’t get much sleep. Our 6am rise was unwelcomed, however we wanted to get to Yokohama to meet out tour guide Jo (Tara’s friend, not actually a tour guide) so we could get in a full day of exploring the Tokyo area.
After checking out and walking to the Tanamichi 4-chome Station we travelled to Umeda subway station, this time we didn’t have our all day pass and had to buy a one way ticked, which is a lote skinnier, and I didn’t think it would go through the same stamping gate machine. I just walked through hold my ticket up expecting things would be ok, but no the gates closed on me and I ploughe through almosting falling flat on my face. Then it was on to Shink Osaka (shin meaning ‘new’) to catch the Shinkansen. Wow, this train can move! and they say it doesn’t even running at full speed. It made a few stops in major cities before reaching Shin Yokohama. An interesting ride, I didn’t expect there to be so much development alongside the track, 95% of the trip there were houses or industrial areas. Mt Fuji didn’t make an appearence for us as the visibility was poor, maybe on the way back to Osaka I might get a decent shot of it. I had an iced coffee on the train, and in Japan iced coffee is water based, which is a bit odd but still packs a punch.
Arriving in Shin Yokohama we needed to find out which train to catch in order to get to Jo’s station to meet her. We After finding out we were again lost, we had some difficutly getting found. I spoke (only a few Japanese words, but enough to get my question across) to an older man whilst on the train, asking him where we were on the train map. He grunted and kind of snubbed me, even did the “Oh my phone is ringing” trick. So we got off the train and tried calling Jo, finally some luck.
Next it was back to Jo’s place which (is up a billion stairs from the station) to dump our gear, take a breather for 10 mins then out the door again. Jo lives 1 stop from Yokohama, near the Hodogaya station. We travelled back to Yokohama for lunch. A cosy yet full on sushi train (the real kind). Most of the train was raw fish with the occasional raw beef or raw prawn dishes. I had salmon on rice, prawns on rice, boiled octopus and some wite fish which was flame torched lightly. The green tea doesn’t get served to you, instead you take a cup from the 2nd train (more like a conveyor system, but I’ll call it a train) which is directly under the top train, put some green tea powder in a cup and fill it up with hot water from a tap at your table.
Next up was a visit to Harajuku, which is located near Shabuya.
Before I write any more, I’ll try to explain Tokyo as much as I’ve been told. If you’re in the area of Tokyo and you ask someone for directions to Tokyo, they can’t tell you, basicalkly because Tokyo is so huge, it’s broken up into little areas, which all blend into each other. You can go up a tall building and see another CBD in the distance.
So anyway, Harajuku seems to be the place for fashion. Jo was showing Tara all the cool vintage shops (the first time I heared the term vintage shop, was in Sydney, and it’s NOTHING like an op shop) and naturally I was being the tag along. I did however manage to get a wicked shirt that has the design of a full dinner suit on the front. Takeshite Dori, the main street we walked down wasva was a real eye opener. Girls dressed up to look like dolls, goths etc. Everyone is trying to be cool in their own special way. Tara and Jo stopped may times and tried on sunnies and had me take their photo.
Next we took a walk down a side street to visit this little cafe/art gallery which was pretty grungey and gritty, but had some cool artwork there. The front of the building was covered in scaffolding and painted red. I wish I had taken a photo. Might try to when we come back to Tokyo after Nikko.
Back to the main street, and down some stairs to this very very large and well organsed vintage shop. They had plenty of stuff there all neatly sorted into styles and colours. Mostly womens stuff, however I did try on some jeans which were way too small for me. Tara got herself a nice red top which I’m sure she would bang on about if it was her writing this, and because she’s not I’m moving on.
Around the corner, the shops seemed to get very up market. On the way to look for this mall Jo wanted to show us, we ended up going down some stairs we thought might have been the entrance, but it was the entry to a very cool and slick shop with trendy modern homewares and gifts. Such as a wooden bedside table alarm clock radio where the LCD time readout shown through the timber grain (hard to explain, and yes I should have taken a pic, but oh well), calculaters made in the style of the number pad from a keyboard, an electronic candle you lit with an electronic match. The girls were fascinated with this robotic dinosaur which was touch sensitive and responded to chin rubs and back tickles. Leaving the store we made out way to this mall which was a little eerier, the calming music didn’t seem right. We didn’t stay long.
Walking down the yuppie street again (Omotesando), we walked past Ellen Paige! That was pretty darn cool. Jo had her celeb spotting eyes on. I should have stopped to be that annoying tourist and ask to have my pic taken with her. I’m bummbed I didn’t. She was dressed in similar style clothes as she was in the movie Juno. We later noticed that the movie is being released in Japan, hence why she was probably here.
Tired and in need of something to eat and drink, Jo took us to this cafe called Cafe 360º where I had another water based iced coffee (it’s really odd) and some wedges. Tara had green tea cake with traditional red bean sweet paste thing (her words) and cream and a latte. Jo had Japanese style pasta. The cafe was indeed 360 degrees round and pretty trendy, think west end meets newfarm. Smoking still exists in restaurants here and did give me the shits.
After the cafe we visited Meiji Jingu, a temple close by, washed our hands with water from special pond thing,flicked a coin or two (some aussie silver) into the prayer box, clapped twice, made a wish, and took photos.
Back to the train and getting off at Shinjuku, we visited a government building which had a free lift to the top. Did the usual thing of taking pics and goshing at how big this place is.
We had to visit the bar where Bill Murries character sits to sip on his Suntory, so off to the Park Hyatt Hotel, up a few lifts and there we were, in the middle of yutz central. Dressed in my cons and looking so far out off place I stood on soft spotless carpet surrounded by decedant features and very pollite Japanese hotel workers. Even the lifts lights would dim between floors to match the brightness level when the doors opened.
I’m sorry this post is so long, but it was a very full day.
Back to Shabuya to see the crowds crossing at the famous intersection. Took some pics and filmed it, from both Starbucks’ 2nd floor and as a foot soldier on the ground.
Caught a train to Sangengaya to have dinner at Watami Isezaki. It’s pretty cool, you do the whole, take your shoes off before going in. We sat up at the bar to eat, which had a bit of a gulley for your feet so you sit level with the floor. The place was pretty stereo typical Japanese (go figure) with the rice paper walls, dim lighting and wooden floors. Lucky for us there was HUGE point and choose menu. Jo picked us some of her favourites using the phrase “kore” and pointing, kore meaning “this here”. The first drink I had was a kiwi sour, Tara had a ume highglass (shit) and then the next drink I had was a jasmine tea with shochu (also very shit, reminded me of chaturse). All in all the food was fantastic, best meal so far.
A few trains to get home, a massive walk up the bitch of a hill Jo lives on top of and finally it’s over….for now.
Our highlights for the day:
1. Dinner
2. Seeing Jo
2. Seeing Ellen Paige
4. Sneaking up the Hyatt to find that bar (still not sure which one it was)
5. Shinkansen
