Back in Tokyo: Shinjuku, Shibuya & Asakusa

First published: 17th July 2013

Back in Tokyo with Richard Kinsella!
In front of the Tokyo Government Building, Shinjuku.

With the end of the JET year fast approaching - and as we were heading into the height of Summer - I convinced fellow JET, Scotsman and Naoshima resident Richard Kinsella to travel with me before the end of his JET year to climb Mt. Fuji. I had always wanted to climb it myself, and Richard agreed it would be a great way to end his three years on the JET programme. Within only days of leaving his home in Japan, we traveled via shinkansen to Tokyo. We decided to make the most of the visit, and spend a little bit of time exploring the city, too.

Also: while transferring trains in Okayama, we stumbled upon this guy.

This was my first trip back to Tokyo since April, when I'd been in Akihabara with Rainer, and I was excited to have another look around.

Fun with graphics tablets.

We arrived on the first day fairly late into the afternoon, and after checking our bags into our hotel in Shinjuku, we made our way out in the early evening to explore the huge Yodabashi-Camera store and see what else was in the area. Richard was pleased to pick up an expensive head-lamp for his trip to Mt. Fuji, whereas I was content to make do with a 100円 torch I'd picked up locally at Daiso (time would prove that his was the wiser purchase).

We spent a fair bit of time messing around with graphics tablets and MacBooks before we decided it was time for dinner.

Supporting my local Raith Rovers in Shinjuku.

This picture makes me look a little older!

Merriment.

We stopped into a small underground izakaya to enjoy a pre-climbing feast, and indulged maybe a bit too heavily as the bill approached 10,000円. That said, it was a good laugh.

Shishamo: small cripsy fish with a strong fishy flavour.

Yum.

After dinner, we made our way further into and around Shinjuku. Despite having explored Shinjuku previously on two different trips, yet suddenly I was discovering a whole host of areas I had never seen before, which really hit home the scale of Tokyo and just how much there is to see.

Shinjuku by night.

Shinjuku station: the world's busiest train station.

We made our way towards Shibuya, and that's when I saw some incredible scenes - including the biggest Starbucks I've ever seen in my life (apparently one of the biggest / busiest in existence). This was much more like the sort of neo-Tokyo I'd expected when I first arrived in Japan, with dazzling lights and hundreds of people in view. Richard and I stopped for a coffee in Starbucks, where I witnessed the world's busiest road crossing: Shibuya Crossing.

Shibuya.

The iconic Shibuya Crossing: recognisable from several movies.

Shibuya Banter!

We stayed out doing some night tourism for quite some time before deciding to make our way back home. There was lots of climbing ahead of us the next evening, so we decided to rest up while we could.

Travelling back to our hotel, we discovered a stunning contrast to what we had seen: countless homeless people sleeping under an open roof in Shinjuku. The area wasn't hidden away at all; it was just off some of the main streets that we happened to be walking down. It was heartbreaking to see such a contrast, and it occurred to me the wealth gap that must be in place in this city. We walking by as inconspicuously as we could, but I turned around to get at least one shot.

Contrast.

We made our way back to the hotel, and proceeded to watch YouTube clips on our iPads before bed.

The next day, we kicked off with a trip to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku, which Richard hadn't seen before. I was keen to show him the observatory floors that I'd witnessed myself back in March with Rainer, and it was only a short walk from our hotel. We made a small detour back towards the shops so Richard could pick up some boots for his climb up Mt. Fuji, while I managed to find myself some nifty One Piece shoes.

Capsule toy machines in Shinjuku.

One Piece shoes! I picked up a Zoro design.

As I've already spoken at length about my previous trip to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in my blog post about Shinjuku from March, I wont discuss it much here. Suffice to say; the views were equally breathtaking a second time round. We made a point of sitting and enjoying mid-morning tea with some nice cakes from the menu on offer, myself personally indulging in a chocolate delight.

Looks good, but trust me: it cost it.

Our next port of call was Sensoji Temple in Asakusa. Making our way over towards the temple, we stopped at a Hard Rock Cafe in Uyeno station for lunch. This was my first time visiting a Hard Rock Cafe since the one in Edinburgh, and I'm pleased to report that the franchise is - once again - proven to be near-identical worldwide (though this one did have menus written in Japanese). I picked up a nice shirt, here.

The Hard Rock Cafe in ---- Station.

Lunch! Just what you need prior to climbing a mountain.

We made our way to Asakusa district to visit Sensoji Temple (also known as 'Asakusa Kannon Temple'), only a small walk from the train station. It is one of the most famous and popular Buddhist temples in Tokyo, as well as the oldest (dating back to 645AD). The temple is known for it's huge paper lanterns that hang from the gates to the temple. We passed through the Kaminarimon; AKA. the "Thunder Gate". This entrance is known as the symbol for both Asakusa and all of Tokyo.

The Kaminarimon: the "Thunder Gate".

The walk to Asakusa Temple.

Stepping through the gate, we were greeted with over 200 metres of shopping street to contend with; the famous Nakamise Shopping Street. The street was filled with tourists and visitors, with stalls selling all manner of iconic Japanese products (from fans to paper lanterns), and some not-so Japanese products (including, er, a baby doll). It took a long time just to wander down this street.

Wares for sale in the Nakamise Shopping Street.

Checking out goods on the walk to the temple.

Arriving at the main temple, we stopped for a good five minutes just to try and get some iconic "postcard" style photographs. The area was staggeringly busy, but also very picturesque.

Posing for a "postcard" shot.

That's a big lantern.

The temple itself was very similar to other Buddhist temples across Japan that I've seen, but it was the scale of this particular temple that set it apart. It really was on a colossal scale, and was far busier and more vibrant that many other temples I've seen. I'd thoroughly recommend this as a destination for anyone visiting Tokyo, as one of Japan's premier Buddhism spots.

Only a stone's throw away (or so it seemed) was the Tokyo Sky Tree. Sadly, we were running out of time before we would need to begin our quest towards Mt. Fuji if we were going to make it in time. We decided it best to head back to Shinjuku and prepare for the journey ahead.

Tokyo Sky Tree!

Sadly, no time to visit it up close.

Something I've noticed about these trips to Tokyo is that you can do so much in just a single day, but at the same time, there's almost still so much more to do. Visiting Tokyo can be frustrating as there's simply so many places worth visiting that it's impossible to see them all in one go. On the plus side, I managed to tick off several items from the list, and did so in good company. This would be Richard's last trip into Tokyo as a resident in Japan, and I was glad to be able to share that time with him.

Richard and I left our things in a locker by Shinjuku station, and stepped onto the first of two buses that would take us to Mt. Fuji...

Visiting Michael in Mishima, Shizuoka

First published: 15 May 2013

Michael by the rice-paddies near his home in Mishima.

So much rice!

One weekend in June, I finally made my way to see Michael in Mishima, Shizouka.

Michael Upsher is one of my travel companions and good friends from the JET orientation in London, who I had travelled to Osaka with in December the previous year (along with another good friend, Alasdair Adams). An Englishman and literary enthusiast, he is always an interesting man to talk to for his vast knowledge of British history and literature. I had previously missed a meeting with him and Alasdair a few weeks prior due to a scheduling conflict, so we agreed to meet in June to make up for lost time.

Interestingly, the word for a water-filled rice paddy in Japanese is 水田 (Suiden)

(pronounced almost like 'Sweden').

As for Mishima itself, it is famously close to Mt. Fuji and is said to provide stunning views of the mountain on clear days. I have read that it is known as the "city of water", though Michael has said he hasn't often heard it referred to as such by the local residents. The tap water flows from Mt. Fuji, which is obviously quite an attraction in of itself, though supposedly the water is not as abundant as it used to due to man-made infrastructure using much of it for various purposes. Our plan was to have a relaxing day in the area near Michael's home on the Saturday, followed by an exploration in town on the Sunday.

On the streets of Mishima.

Unfortunately, travel was delayed somewhat! I was unable to leave Takamatsu until much later than I had initially hoped, and did not manage to arrive in Mishima until around four in the afternoon. Furthermore, the weather was not particularly kind to us, as rain sporadically came and went frequently under an overcast sky. 

Meeting Michael in the station, I felt that the water city was certainly living up to it's name! Regardless, we sat and enjoyed coffee and chocolate cake for a good hour while we caught up the time since we'd last seen one another. Taking the bus to Michael's part of town, the weather settled somewhat, but remained overcast. As we walked to Michael's house, I learned that the path we were walking offered a perfectly clear view of Mt. Fuji... except that the clouds were in the way. Oh well.

Smiling in the rain.

We spent a fair bit of time at Michael's home, simply chatting away with a cup of  tea (whilst checking out Michael's enviable de-humidifier). Despite the inability to see Mt. Fuji, the truth was that I was here for the company more than anything else, and it was great just to be able to catch up again. We actually spent most of our time talking about classic British literature and the history of the British monarchy.

After almost losing track of time completely, we made our way back into town to try dinner at a recommended little restaurant of his to have a traditional Japanese meal - centered around a Japanese delicacy which had previously escaped me; eel (unagi).

Eel (unagi) for dinner.

Surprisingly tender and a personal recommendation.

I'm not going to lie; I was initially apprehensive (particularly about the the texture), but all it took was one bite to make me a convert. It's absolutely delicious - and tastes quite like a very smooth chicken! If you happen to be in Japan, make sure eel is on the menu.

Not much to look at from the outside...

...but on the inside, quite the setting.

We spent the rest of the evening in a quiet bar hidden away in a small building in the city. From the outside, it appeared to be an old and empty relic, yet despite this deceptive exterior the interior was sublime. Stacked with spirits and cocktails, Michael and I enjoyed our drinks with a plate of assorted chocolates and nuts. The classy, quiet atmosphere was the perfect way to end a day of enduring the rain.

Chilling in the bar.

Michael made pancakes for breakfast!

A very welcome gesture.

The following day was our opportunity to explore a little more of Mishima. With the weather finally on our side (as we enjoyed a warm, sunny day), I was determined to make the most of the sight-seeing, I whipped out my Canon 60D and began snapping almost everything that came my way - much to the chagrin of Michael, mind you! Michael isn't particularly fond of having his photograph taken, so I have to give him much credit for having so much patience to put up with my need to photograph almost everything that I see.

A moment's pause to take a photo of a peculiar building.

Good news for anyone.

We made our way to the famous Mishima Taisha shrine. A common complaint I've heard about both Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines in Japan is often that "if you've seen one, you've seen them all". This particular shrine, however, was quite something.

At Mishima Taisha shrine.

I like turtles.

Walking through the Toori gate, I was led through the courtyard into a narrow path above a pool of water filled with turtles gently swimming on either side. Aesthetically, this shrine was particularly pleasant, especially with a row of lanterns and two big structures in the park. There were also plenty of statues of horses, which I believe to be connected to an annual event where riders shoot arrows on horseback at the shrine - though there may be another connection which I have been unable to discover.

 With two grand structures and a spectacular array of buildings filled with artifacts (which, sadly, we didn't have time to explore), I'd recommend this as a particularly good shrine worth visiting for those interested in Japan's Shinto beliefs.

We made our way to Mishima Station, picking up ice cream at the vending machine inside (we met one of Michael's high school students on the way in, who greeted us with a smile and a loud "Going shopping!"). It was our plan to head into the city of Shizuoka around Shizuoka Station, as it was conveniently located on the way home for me.

Shizouka City.

The train took an hour or so, during which time I inadvertently loudly discussed the correlation between sex  and sport with Michael - without realising the presence of two American ALTs sitting directly opposite us. Upon noticing them, I whispered to Michael; "I wonder if they heard any of that?", which was met with a firm; "Yes, we did." Whoops. Friendly folk, though, and we had a nice chat with them anyway,

By the time we got to Shizuoka, the day had started to get away from us. I'd have to leave very soon, and so we opted simply to spend our time in in Starbucks drinking coffee.

Scary eyes and latte.

Naturally, our time together came to an end. I had to leave very early in the afternoon in order to make it home in time, and while I would have liked to have spent a little bit more time with Michael, it had been a good weekend despite the weather. Luckily, Michael was already planning to visit me in Takamatsu, anyway, so I was sure I would be seeing him before too long!

Once again, this was another example of a trip in Japan where the company was more important than the sight-seeing. I'm certain that there was plenty I missed in Mishima and Shizuoka - and the weather certainly didn't help - but that really wasn't what this weekend was about. It was a trip about spending time catching up with a good friend, and accordingly, it was a good one.