Tokyo - October 15-19

Friday we arrived in Tokyo late and still had about an hour and a half trip to the hotel.  When we got on the bus to the hotel there was an announcement not to use cell phones because it might annoy the people around you, then a man sat down with the beer he bought in a vending machine and drank it while he rode the bus.  There was no “no food or drinks” sign (which meant I was able to snack) and everyone was so quiet and considerate.  We knew at that time that we would LOVE Japan.  I do have to say the quiet did get old especially since Adam and I aren’t loud people but at times I felt like we were being too loud if we whispered or had a conversation on the train.

Saturday we went to a couple shrines and a temple before strolling though the high end shopping district. This was the Tokyo I picture when I think about it, the high (but a little crazy) fashion. We ate dinner at a wonderful little restaurant that our book told us about. It was tucked away in an alleyway and only had a few tables. Adam and I ate food on sticks (grilled veggies and meats).

Sunday was not our most successful day.  I wasn’t able to find a restaurant to eat lunch near the Imperial palace. I figure worst case scenario we would eat pastries at Starbucks or find a McDonalds.  We found a ton of restaurants and a few Starbucks, however since we were in the business district all the restaurants were in the office building and closed.  Not only that but there was a race so all the streets were closed so after walking in the wrong direction for 25 min we weren’t even able to catch a cab and tell him to take us to food.  Thank goodness I had snacks and had eaten too much for breakfast.  We walked another 20 min before we found an open building with restaurants.  At this point we thought this was hilarious, and were really excited that I did a better job planning the rest of our trip.  However after walking back in the right direction and walking through a park to get to the palace, and trying 4 out of the 5 gates (which happened to be closed)…I was a little annoyed and hungry and tired.  The last gate was on the other side of the palace, meaning we would have to walk who knows how far to get there.  At this point we had done nothing but eat lunch in a little French sandwich shop and it was 3:00.  We decided to throw our plan out the window and go to a science museum in the bay area.  The museum was…well Adam loved it!  We had dinner at a Japanese restaurant in a mall and enjoyed the view of Tokyo.  When it was time to go home, we had no cash so we looked for an ATM.  We stopped at the 2 ATM’s in the mall but they don’t accept foreign credit cards.  We went to two 5 star hotels near the mall and well they didn’t have ATM’s but we tried all of the ATM’s they suggested…which didn’t accept foreign cards.  We walked to the next mall and asked the information desk where we could find a 7/11 (the only ATM’s that accepted foreign cards)…they had no idea what we were talking about.  Thankfully a German girl who spoke English and Japanese helped us and we were able to get cash.  It was crazy.  I would not have guessed that such an international city would be so closed off to foreign cards.  It was getting late and I thought we were going to have to book a hotel and spend the night only 20 min. from our actual hotel…apparently Visa isn’t everywhere you want to be (I have to say Huizhou has a ton of ATM’s and all of them accept my bank card).

Monday was my favorite day in Tokyo, we went to the local beer office building (which looked like a beer mug).  Then we went to sushi for lunch and spent the day at a market and a temple.  After our wonderful day we had an even better dinner at a small noodle place (suggested by the book).  It had 5 things on the menu.  We knew it was going to be good when a lot of the local old men came for dinner and to read their paper.  I thought of my Grandpa and how he gets his paper and goes for coffee…he wouldn’t put up with a subpar place to enjoy his paper.

Picture Tokyo: In fashion anything goes…and on them it seems to work.  I would totally look like a fool if I wore anything I saw on a person in Tokyo.  We even saw a man wearing a “Little Bo Peep” outfit and looked surprisingly appropriate in it.  Imagine a city full of Japanese Ken and Barbie’s that you are afraid to get too close to for fear of wrinkling them.  People say it’s similar to NY, but Adam and I don’t agree, the buildings aren’t as tall and it is more spread out and less organized into districts.