Steve was not home from work till quite late on Friday so we began our weekend with a quite walk around the Shinagawa Station area and soup and noodles in one of the many Noodle Bars off the sidewalk. As seems to be the norm these days we fell into bed and slept like the dead (it must be all the pavement pounding and the struggle to understand and be understood). The scales are certainly showing that we have both lost a couple of kilos somewhere!
On Saturday we had to hang around the apartment awaiting the delivery of our new bank cards. Once delivered we headed off armed with our yen, Suica card and map of the Tokyo railway system. This complicated piece of artwork is aimed at simplifying an amazingly complex railway system which runs in multiple lines above and below the ground. Astoundingly this complex system appears to run like clockwork. Trains run on time (to the minute), ticketing is effortless unless you confuse the machines by clocking in then clocking out straight away because you have forgotten something. A problem soon solved by a visit to the ticketing office adjacent to the turnstiles. When you consider how many people pass through each station every day it makes you wonder why Melbourne can't get it right. Whilst travelling on a train phones must be on silent and announcements ask you not to speak on your phones, so even though trains are often very squishy they are relatively peaceful!
We decided our first stop would be the Tokyo Government Building located in Shinjuku. We caught the correct train and arrived safely in yet another railway station. This one was big and almost required a packed lunch for the journey to the chosen exit. Departing this massive station saw us walking long distances under ground through tunnels that left us dumbfounded. By the time we reached daylight we felt that maybe we had turned into rabbits!!
The Tokyo Government Building houses the headquarters of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government which governs not only the 23 wards, but also the cities, towns and villages that make up Tokyo as a whole. The building consists of a complex of three structures, each taking up a city block. The tallest and most prominent of the three is Tokyo Metropolitan Main building No.1, a tower 48 stories tall that splits into two sections at the 33rd floor. It was this building which we went to the top of to get a glimpse of the skyscrapered sprawl called Tokyo. Entrance to the Observation Deck is free and is renowned for offering an excellent spectacle. As it was a clear day the view was impressive as the pictures show.
Our day was spent getting on and off trains, walking amongst the crowds and enjoying all the new sights and sounds. Many of the buildings are quite impressive and some of the architectural features beautiful. Roppongi, Shinjuku and Shibuya certainly have their fair share of tall buildings, flashing billboards and crowds.
The scene below is typical of the many streets that make up the maze of the city. Streets are rarely labelled and it is very easy to end up walking in circles.
Sadly the level of homelessness is increasing and it is quite common to see boxes like these set up on the sides of busy freeways and sidewalks in all areas. As you travel on the trains you see makeshift shelters on the edges of parks and along the railway lines.
Just above these makeshift homes was this beautiful piece of architecture.
I am thinking of getting an outfit like this. I think I could get away with it, don't you? Steve fancied if I was dressed like that, then maybe, the most suitable car would be the Fiat X19 that he was drooling over. Dressing like a Harajuku could be more me!
We finished the day off having tea at an Indian Restaurant in Ebisu and then headed off home. We decided to get off in Gotanda as we had seen a place where you could buy a really cheap, but nice, Californian wine for 498 yen (about $6.35). It does me until I can source something better. Steve bought large cans of Suntory Rich Malt beer for about $1.80 each. Too good to pass up. From Gotanda back to Shinagawa is was about 20-30 minutes, a walk we have done a few times now. For the rest of the evening we were entertained by the apparent rigmarole associated with a very simple traffic incident. It required 4-5 police cars, an ambulance and many others with torches, flags and witches hats.
On Sunday having been woken by the alarm, an earth tremor which shook our beds, (did the earth shake for you?) we decided to borrow some bikes from Apartment 33, where we live, and take another look around Tokyo. We headed out of Shinagawa towards Tokyo and made our convoluted way to Roppongi Hills. At first it was a little daunting on the roads without helmets but we soon fell into the rhythm. Once there we realised we could have cut off a significant amount of miles taking a more direct route. Never mind it just meant we saw more! The first point of interest on our journey was Japan's answer to the Eiffel Tower, the Tokyo Tower. Built in 1958 this broadcasting tower is 333 metres high. Views of the entire city from the 150 metre high and 250 metre high observatories can be enjoyed. On this occasion we did not stop and do this. We had some serious pedalling to do.
We arrived in Roppongi quite hot and just cruised around all the streets investigating. Roppongi is renowned for its exciting nightspots and having some of the largest building complexes in Japan. It is quite a popular area for expatriates to live.
The scene below is typical of the many intersections we had to negotiate on our bikes. I didn't take this photo but have added it because it was a scene Erica and I had been intrigued with. This particular location is Shibuya, famous as a fashionable shopping district of Tokyo, with department stores and shopping malls filled with boutiques. It is the trendy area for Tokyo's youth and is where fashions and trends get started for all of Japan. It gets particularly crowded on the weekends. It was such fun riding our bikes amongst the crowds and we got quite proficient at maintaining a consistent and constant speed. By swapping between the sidewalk and the road we could avoid many red lights.
Whilst in Shibuya we visited an Environmental Expo and rode around Yoyogi Park. Yoyogi Park was very beautiful and obviously a very popular place for a variety of groups to meet. There were enclaves of artists, musicians, photographers, families, entertainers, cyclists, vocalists.... you name it they were there.
Check out the hairdos on the Elvis look alikes who were performing with their ghetto blaster directly next to a Rock'n'Roll group with their own music going.
These girls were practising their dance moves in front of big mirrors. They are known as Kawaiis, innocent girls aged between about 16 and 20 years old. Kawaii is an adjective in Japanese meaning " pretty; cute; lovely; charming; dear; darling; pet". They spend an awful amount of time preparing! I really wanted to see where all the Harajuku meet but today that spot was not to be found......something for another trip!
Our day continued in pretty much the same vein and we eventually returned home hot, exhilarated, exhausted and glowing!! It had been fantastic fun!! We had spent a total of seven hours on the bikes and the day had passed without drama, except for two hours when we were lost. I actually question whether you are really lost when you know where you are but can't get home! Using maps on the IPhone was not much as we both seem to have lost our sense of direction since arriving here. I am sure it must have something to do with living in the Northern Hemisphere. Sounds a reasonable excuse to me!
Our evening was spent with an assortment of Apartment 33 residents at the monthly party hosted by Saito San, the manager. The focus of this get together was to sample a variety of sakes from the Northern Honshu area. I do quite like sake!! Can't drink too much though, it might become a habit. Food was also provided, so no cooking that night! Damn...
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