Japan Day 1 - Tokyo : Arrival, East Shinjuku, Kabuki-cho

Our 4 hour Cathay Pacific flight from Hong Kong brought us into Japan's Narita International Airport, located some 65 km away from Tokyo. After the painless immigration and baggage claim, we headed a level below to find the Japan Railways (JR) office. The first order of business was to validate our Japan Railways 14 day Pass bought in Hong Kong as it is meant only for use by tourists and hence sold only outside of Japan. We had also decided that since our luggage was pretty manageable going in, we would take the Narita Express (NEX) train from the Airport to Shinjuku station. The best deal for this is the NEX + Suica option, whereby for Y 3000, you get a NEX ticket effectively for Y 1500 which otherwise costs Y 3000, coupled with a Suica card which is used on all local forms of transport within Tokyo city. The card package of Y 1500 comprises a refundable deposit of Y 500 and a pre loaded value of Y 1000. All in all a good deal, and we bought this as well from the JR office. We had to be sure to mention that we were getting off at Shinjuku because not all NEX trains stop at Shinjuku.

This was also our first brush with the legendary Japanese politeness and service, with several bows and "arigato Gozaimaaas" repeated ad infinitum.

Thus loaded we found our way to the NEX platform and awaited our train, which of course, arrived bang on time, and of course the carriage we had to board stopped exactly where it said it would on the platform. There is enough space near the doors to store large luggage and overhead racks for smaller suitcases and backpacks. The train took about 50 minutes to get into Shinjuku station. We found the elevator to get to the concourse level quite easily and came face to face with the madness called Shinjuku for the first time.

With an average throughput of 2-3 million passengers a day, most of which I am sure were swirling around us that early evening, Shinjuku station is a mini city. There are a plethora of signs, labels, kiosks, shops, counters, vending machines, gates, escalators, steps, you get the idea. The key thing, as we discovered, is not to get fazed by everything the eye sees, and to know what you are looking for and focus on that. The Japanese, in trying to be helpful, have gone overboard with their signage, posting 5 signs where perhaps one would suffice. For example, you will see a sign saying " Marounochi Line 200 metres". After a few steps, there will be another sign saying " Marounochi Line 160 metres", very helpfully telling you that you have covered 40 metres and that you have another 160 metres to go in the same direction. A very worthy cause, but multiply that with signs for other lines, for the gates, for the ticket offices, for the elevators and escalators and everything else, and things descend quickly into an organised chaos. Hence the advice - know what you are looking for and focus on that, ignoring the rest and you will have no problem. If all else fails, resort to that final certain solution - ask someone, anyone, and step back and prepare to be amazed at the helpfulness and friendliness of complete strangers.

We made our way towards the South Gate as had been advised to by friendly travellers on the travel forums, and found a taxi rank. We had on hand the address of our hotel in Japanese, which is something we did for all of the hotels we stayed at, a very good idea, and for Y 800 the cab traversed the 1 km distance to our hotel - The Citadines Shinjuku Apart Hotel.

We had come across this property while doing our research for accomodation on this trip. They opened just a month before and hence there were no reviews on the place, but the parent company operates many such properties around the globe. Besides, we were getting a great introductory offer of around Y 8300 all inclusive for a studio double room, which, lets face it, is pretty unbeatable in Tokyo. More details on the Japan Accomodations page but the photos below perhaps will indicate why this is an absolute find.

After checking in and dumping our stuff, we set out to explore the neighborhood of East Shinjuku. We walked down the street towards the Shinjuku San Chome area (Citadines is situated very close to the Shinjuku Gyoemmae park).

We decided not to do anything really heavy that night and so browsed around some of the shops and stores. This arrangement of "geta" or wooden clogs was very interesting, in that the clogs can be fitted with the cloth straps of your choice and colour. Customised footwear Japanese style. Another delightful assortment was that of blended teas, formulated to suit any mood and solve any problem from migraine, stress, aches and pains to "dreams of good job", "happy marriage" and "luxury house".

Our first meal in Japan was at the Agio restaurant, one of many in the Isetan department store building. Given my vegetarian proclivities, Gordon kindly eschewed Japanese food, with the argument being that he would get more than his fill in the ryokans and other traditional places we would be staying at throughout the trip. Agio had good Italian food, and was our first exposure to some common customs such as - the sanitised wet wipes served before the meal, the waitress always kneeling on the floor at the time they take the order and the practice of collecting the tab which is left on the table and paying at the till.

We are used to neon in Hong Kong, but Tokyo is bigger and brighter by far. The lights and crowds provided just the energy we needed after a fairly long travelling day.

We were fascinated by the range and depth of items available at vending machines. By the end of our trip, we were completely in love with the flexibility, ease and convenience they provide.

We made our way to the Golden Gai, a network of narrow alleys in East Shinjuku which have many small bars and eateries. These are sometimes just hole in the wall places with a counter and a few bar stools but they have a fiercely loyal clientele, so much so, that most do not patronise newcomers. Very atmospheric, especially on a cold night like this.

The Japanese are big smokers so cigarette vending machines are a very common and very colourful sight.

After visiting the Golden Gai, we made our way to Kabuki-cho. Once the red light district, it is now a glitzy, in your face neighborhood with shops, restaurants, bars, pachinko parlours, peep shows, nightclubs, etc. The energy is electric, the pace, relentless. The arch in the photograph below marks the entrance from the main street into Kabuki-cho.

On the main street. If one walks straight down in the direction of the "Epson" sign, one reaches Shinjuku station. Go the other way about 5-8 minutes for the hotel.

As we made our way back to hotel, hordes of the "Japanese office army" was getting ready to blow off the day's stress. Our army of two was ready to hit the sack and awaken to our first Tokyo morning.

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Japan Day 2 - Tokyo : Admin at Shinjuku station, Imperial Palace and Marounochi area, Ginza

While I polished off some croissants I had carried from home, Gordon ventured down to try the in house brekker which was quite decent. We were ready to go.

Our first order of business of the day was to get to Shinjuku station in order to visit the JR office to book our seat reservations for the first few train journeys we would be undertaking. For the most part thereafter, we pretty much winged it, and jumped onto the most convenient trains, armed with our pass, without reservations, making sure to sit in the unreserved carriages that are always indicated on the electronic displays near the station. We never had a problem finding seats.

Thereafter, we made our way to Tokyo station by the Marounochi subway line, and exited to find our way to the Imperial Palace and gardens. It was a chilly but clear day and the moat surrounding the castle was calm and serene, with a lovely reflection of a guard house.

We made our way across the huge promenade and pavilion towards the bridge for the picture perfect view of the castle peeking out from amongst the foliage.

After a short respite, we headed for the Imperial Palace gardens.

The promenade along the way is lined with cherry trees which had just started to blossom. Our first encounter with sakura, even if not in full blown splendour, was memorable and whetted our appetite for more.

The gate leading to the gardens is about a 10 minute walk from the view point of the castle. On the whole, this entire area involves a fair bit of walking as the grounds are spread out.

It is after all spring and so what if the sakura are taking their time, other trees and shrubs are already beginning to celebrate.

The first fairly full cherry blossom. We would miss the peak of Tokyo's sakura which was scheduled for this week, but delayed due to the sudden onset of a cold front. The rest of Japan however more than made up.

Although the pale pink sakura are the most common, they also come in white, lilac, and an almost magenta shade. All are spectacular, with white blossoms being the most difficult to photograph due to contrast issues.

A weeping sakura in half bloom.

We made our way back through this underground passageway that links Tokyo station with the Imperial Palace area.

This is most definitely not a board meeting Japanese style, rather the smoker's corner in Tokyo station. Most Japanese are inveterate smokers and this rooms allow them to indulge their addiction without bothering the general public. Just before we left Japan, smoking was totally banned from train stations, and we got used to seeing armies of attendants working late into the night uprooting ashtrays and similar receptacles from stations all over the country.

The next order of business was lunch, so we made our way out of Tokyo station to a place that had come highly recommended by guidebooks and a couple of our friends called Dhaba India. Gordon had the South Indian thali while I gorged on a Masala Dosa. Enroute, we caught a glimpse of the architecture of the Tokyo International Forum but did not have the time to visit its vast atrium.

Thereafter, we made our way by metro to Ginza. We walked down Chuo Dori, the main street in Ginza. They say if you take a Y 10000 note and fold it into as small a speck as possible and then drop it on the ground, the area covered by the note will be worth several times more. Welcome to some of the most expensive real estate in the world. Any wonder then that the worlds' biggest brands vie to have their store fronts here. Most of Japan's department stores or depachikas have either a flagship store or a major branch here.

Ginza also boasts of interesting architecture such as the Cartier Building, buttressed by the sensuous curves of the Diamond Shiraishi Building.

The store facade of one of the two Mikimoto flagship stores in Ginza.

The Ginza strip at dusk comes alive with neon and glittering lights as giant screens flicker on, store displays bask in halogen warmth and streetlamps come aglow.

Our top pick for the best view in Ginza - a balcony table at the Laduree cafe overlooking the Ginza crossing. Enjoy hot coffee, decadent macaroons and delicious ice cream while watching the madness below.

Sakura fever manifests itself in all things, such as this arrangement of sweets outside a confectionery shop. The sweets themselves are fashioned so as to look as the ubiquitous blossoms.

Unloading goods Japanese style. Why open up the back of the truck if the entire side can be opened instead ? Load the boxes onto flat trolleys and off we go.

We walked up the street to take a look at the Kabuki Za theatre. We had planned to catch at least a single act of a kabuki play but ran short of time and hence it is on our list of things to do the next time we visit Tokyo.

The Ginza crossing at night before we make our way back to the hotel.

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Japan Day 3 - Tokyo : West Shinjuku, Shibuya

We headed off early to Shinjuku station and made our way to the West side of the station, passing this holographic image along the way. I was reminded of the "all seeing eye" from Lord of the Rings.

We emerged into Tokyo's skyscraper district, as West Shinjuku is otherwise known. It is the financial hub with most large banks and companies having offices, if not whole buildings here.

We were headed for the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office building whose architecture instantly recalls Notre Dame in Paris, on which it is modelled. Both the towers have observation decks on their top floors which can be visited for that bird's eye view of the city. There are many other viewpoints in the city, such as Tokyo Tower, but this has consistently been voted the best. One can visit one, or both towers, and best of all, its free !

We had decided to go up just one tower and it was pretty much the luck of the draw as the elevator to the North Tower opened first. Its a quick ride up and then the largest city in the world unfolds before you.

Tokyo is large, and also very dense. Houses and residences are very small and packed together with almost no space in between.

After our visit, we made our way to the Takashimaya Department Store, where I was meeting my cousin Ajay and his girlfriend Hina for lunch. Ajay has been in Tokyo for over 10 years and it was great fun catching up with him and getting an unique insight into life in Tokyo and Japan. Lunch was long and leisurely at an Italian cafe in the Takashimaya department store building.

A view of Yoyogi Park from the restaurant shows how close it is, and also how the sakura is yet to manifest itself in all its glory. We were never in Tokyo on a Sunday and hence missed the chance to watch cozplay - the crazy happenings every Sunday at Yoyogi where Tokyo teens dress in their wierdest costumes and hair dos and hang out.

Late afternoon, we made our way to Shibuya to while away the evening. One of the most popular neighbourhoods in Tokyo for its shopping, food and nightlife. We emerged at the Hachinko exit, named for the statue of the faithful dog who waited for his dead master to come home. It is now the most popular meeting point in Shibuya and hence almost always crowded. The street leading to the right has many malls and department stores as well as the largest Tower Records showroom in the world.

The first thing we wanted to do however, was to head across the street from the station to the Starbucks in the building seen below, on the first floor. This is our pick as the best vantage point to see....

...this ! The Shibuya crossing is the most crowded crossing in the world, and is great fun to watch. Starbucks has a great location, and if it happens to be raining, warm your innards with a hot latte while watching the sea of umbrellas below.

So here are the before and after shots. Before the traffic light turns red as the masses swell at the crossing, and after the signal turns red and all hell breaks loose.

Sushi is available in so many different ways - a proper sit down meal at a restaurant, as part of an elaborate kaiseki meal, in the obento box, take away from the food halls at the depachikas, off conveyor belts and as below - standing sushi.

The alleys and streets around Shibuya are filled with interesting shops, game parlours, restaurants and cafes. Heading further up is "Love Hotel Hill" where one can rent theme based rooms for short durations. Most have unmanned receptions with the entire transaction done electronically. There are also several capsule hotels, but women are generally not allowed anywhere near them.

One of the many malls in Shibuya, this one is very popular with the young crowd of Tokyo for its trendy designs and edgy collections.

We had an enjoyable dinner at a local restaurant called Miami Garden before ending up at the Tower Records store just to browse around. We bought a couple of books from their book section before making our way back to the hotel.

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