6 posts tagged “tokyo”
GAH!
I've been wanting to go to this Kanye West concert on May 10th, here in Washington D.C. but I'm scheduled to show up to work and have thus been off the idea... That is, until I found out that on the day I arrive in Tokyo, there'll be a concert featuring Kanye West.
Springroove 2008 is featuring a concert with some of the hottest names in R&B/Hip-hop... one of them, my beloved Kanye West. Kanye's not playing until 8pm, but I arrive at the airpot at 3pm with a two-hour train ride to central Tokyo... That's not even taking into account the time I need to pick up my cell phone and JR Pass at the airport... not to mention the shower I'll have to take after my grody 13 hour flight from D.C..
Oh well! We shall meet some other time in the future Kanye!
This is what April has so far shaped up to look like:
- April 5 - 8: Tokyo
- April 8 - 9: Niigata
- April 9 - 11: Morioka
- April 11 - 14: Yokohama
- April 14 - 16: Mt. Fuji
- April 16 - 18: Nikko
- April 18 - 20: Nagoya
- April 20 - 22: Kyoto
- April 22 - 23: Himeji
- April 23 - 24: Osaka
- April 24 - 28/30: Tokyo
I'm excited. :)
I didn't start packing for my trip to Japan until the night before my flight. My schedule the week before was kind of crazy and I was trying to count on getting some sleep on the flight to Tokyo (which I did, thankfully enough).
My arrival at Narita however was like waking up on the wrong side of the bed. As soon as I went to pick up my luggage from the carousel I noticed that it had been ripped down one entire side and my garments were exposed to the free world. I had to take it to the claims counter where they offered to replace it free of charge and taped it up enough for me to make it through the two hour train ride to Tokyo. On top of having wrecked luggage, I had forgotten my Japanese cell phone in Virginia and had to end up renting a phone while in the airport (all the while lugging my broken luggage and thousand pounds of handcarried items). I finally made it down to the train station on the bottom floor of the airport and managed, in broken Japanese, to buy myself a ticket to Kuramae (in Asakusa) and began the long train ride with all my things. On the train ride itself I was lucky enough to meet a girl and her friend that had just gotten back from visiting her aunt in San Francisco. Even better was the fact she spoke fluent English and was helping me find the station I needed to get off at.
It's crazy the amount of times I've been to Tokyo in my life and never once remembered riding the metro there. I got lost at least three times before reaching my final destination that day -- and when I finally made it out of the station it started raining! Tired and hungry, I made it to the hostel, ate some onigiri and went straight to sleep.
I got up early the next day to head to Senso-ji nearby and enjoyed a scenic stroll through quiet Asakusa. Being a million miles from home and by myself didn't faze me at all somehow. Maybe it's the feeling of 10 million other people within spitting distance of you, but I never feel alone in Tokyo. Once I arrived at the temple, the feeling was reconfirmed by the bustling crowd and handful of other gaijin snapping photographs. After buying a ton of souvenirs and taking pictures left and right, I headed back to the hostel and tried to grab some rest along with a bite to eat and headed off to Akihabara. After being frighteningly overwhelmed by dozens of girls wearing maid outfits attempting to pass me tissues and cards outside of the JR station, I headed off to Laox and bought a nice Nikon brand camera case for about $2.50USD. For all the talk about Japan being uber expensive -- it isn't. Sometimes I think it's a more expensive living here in the U.S. than it is over there... The cost of food is about the same (whether you're at a nice restaurant, or a crappy one) and the electronics are much nicer and cost much less than what I'd get it for over here in the U.S.. If cost is what's stopping you from going to Tokyo -- think again.
I felt a little tired after the whole Akihabara thing and went back to the hostel again (by this time it was about 6pm) and went to see if someone wanted to grab something to eat. I met another backpacker there named Emily (from Wales) and went out for a bite of (terrible) sushi and ended up having to get something more 'normal' to eat afterwards. We decided the next day to go around the city in one go. Since it was Emily's last night there, and she wanted to eat something completely Japanese, we headed for an okonomiyaki place near our hostel where we had to do the "point-and-nod" just to order our food. I feel like a cripple sometimes because I can't read a lot of kanji yet. I made a promise to myself that when I go back to Japan in April, that I'll know enough kanji to make sure I can read a menu and order something that's not going to make me hurl.
Anyway, that's the end of the first part of my trip to Japan. More to come later on.
My arrival at Narita however was like waking up on the wrong side of the bed. As soon as I went to pick up my luggage from the carousel I noticed that it had been ripped down one entire side and my garments were exposed to the free world. I had to take it to the claims counter where they offered to replace it free of charge and taped it up enough for me to make it through the two hour train ride to Tokyo. On top of having wrecked luggage, I had forgotten my Japanese cell phone in Virginia and had to end up renting a phone while in the airport (all the while lugging my broken luggage and thousand pounds of handcarried items). I finally made it down to the train station on the bottom floor of the airport and managed, in broken Japanese, to buy myself a ticket to Kuramae (in Asakusa) and began the long train ride with all my things. On the train ride itself I was lucky enough to meet a girl and her friend that had just gotten back from visiting her aunt in San Francisco. Even better was the fact she spoke fluent English and was helping me find the station I needed to get off at.
It's crazy the amount of times I've been to Tokyo in my life and never once remembered riding the metro there. I got lost at least three times before reaching my final destination that day -- and when I finally made it out of the station it started raining! Tired and hungry, I made it to the hostel, ate some onigiri and went straight to sleep.
I got up early the next day to head to Senso-ji nearby and enjoyed a scenic stroll through quiet Asakusa. Being a million miles from home and by myself didn't faze me at all somehow. Maybe it's the feeling of 10 million other people within spitting distance of you, but I never feel alone in Tokyo. Once I arrived at the temple, the feeling was reconfirmed by the bustling crowd and handful of other gaijin snapping photographs. After buying a ton of souvenirs and taking pictures left and right, I headed back to the hostel and tried to grab some rest along with a bite to eat and headed off to Akihabara. After being frighteningly overwhelmed by dozens of girls wearing maid outfits attempting to pass me tissues and cards outside of the JR station, I headed off to Laox and bought a nice Nikon brand camera case for about $2.50USD. For all the talk about Japan being uber expensive -- it isn't. Sometimes I think it's a more expensive living here in the U.S. than it is over there... The cost of food is about the same (whether you're at a nice restaurant, or a crappy one) and the electronics are much nicer and cost much less than what I'd get it for over here in the U.S.. If cost is what's stopping you from going to Tokyo -- think again.
I felt a little tired after the whole Akihabara thing and went back to the hostel again (by this time it was about 6pm) and went to see if someone wanted to grab something to eat. I met another backpacker there named Emily (from Wales) and went out for a bite of (terrible) sushi and ended up having to get something more 'normal' to eat afterwards. We decided the next day to go around the city in one go. Since it was Emily's last night there, and she wanted to eat something completely Japanese, we headed for an okonomiyaki place near our hostel where we had to do the "point-and-nod" just to order our food. I feel like a cripple sometimes because I can't read a lot of kanji yet. I made a promise to myself that when I go back to Japan in April, that I'll know enough kanji to make sure I can read a menu and order something that's not going to make me hurl.
Anyway, that's the end of the first part of my trip to Japan. More to come later on.
I want to do this in November, haha:
It's been decided. I nixed the idea of going to California and decided to head out of the country instead.
I've booked a flight to Japan on November 9th. So far I've made plans to stay and backpack around the Tokyo area for the first few nights, but I wanted to get around to seeing Yokohama this time around too. I'm planning on staying until the 18th, but might delay coming back to America if work allows it.
I'm looking forward to being stress-free and halfway around the world!
In no particular order:
- Center Gai (Shibuya Crossing) in Shibuya-ku - Probably one of the busiest intersections in the world and right at the south exit of the metro. If you've ever want to feel small, stand in it for a split second; it's the most amazing thing to witness at rush hour (it's probably neatest at night).
- Shiodome in Minato-ku - This is the place you only see in your dreams (or nightmares if you're a country person at heart). It's probably the most futuristic-looking part of the Tokyo skyline and is home to luxury apartments and business offices. One of my favorite pastry shoppes (named "Pastry Boutique") in Tokyo is located inside of the Royal Park Shiodome Tower that resides there.
- Tokyo Midtown in Minato-ku - There's plenty in the way of shopping and upscale living, but my favorite place is the Suntory Museum of Art just to the west. Even if you aren't a fan of art, you'll feel a deep appreciation for what's featured there.
- Happo-en in Minato-ku - The most picturesque gardens in Tokyo (next to the Imperial Gardens). I've only been here for weddings. If you've ever seen Memoirs of a Geisha and enjoyed the scenery in the Japanese gardens, you'll likely enjoy a stroll through here. Spring is the best time to see this place.
- Palette Town in Odaiba (I think this is also part of Minato-ku) - I haven't really been there since I was a kid but I enjoyed it very much back then. I was told once by someone that if I ever rode the ferris wheel there that I should do it with someone special to me. I have yet to do this.
- Milk in Shibuya-ku - I think the art of watching live bands where you aren't getting crushed in a crowd is lost in the United States. Milk has an array of different music playing on any given night and one of my friends and I's favorite places to grab a drink and listen. Not too far off is another place called "Crocodile" that we also frequent.
- Almond Bakery in Roppongi, Minato-ku - The perfect place for a mid-afternoon break from losing your money in Tokyo.
- First Bar in Roppongi, Minato-ku - A little sketchy for Roppongi standards, but this was always the best place for a girls night out in Tokyo. Cheap drinks with good company make for a good time at this bar. Beware of the gold diggers though.
- 300 in Ginza, Chuo-ku - Ginza's notorious for being home to danger and gaijin, but for a good (mostly) safe time you can head to 300 where everything from drinks to food on the menu are around 300 yen. It's a good place to mix and mingle. There's another branch on 8-Chome (appropriately named the 300 8-Chome branch...) that has DJs on Fridays.
