Tuned into Tokyo

I love the city. I feel more at home with 10 kinds of ramen restaurants simmering soy sauce and the chefs shouting Japanese welcome messages while you walk by. I love the escalators, metal structures, elevators, and even the throngs of black wool coats warming the white collars. I love flashing green stick people that let me know when it's safe to cross, and dodging bicylists. I love convenience stores every 25 steps and 10 stories of mysterious flashing Kanji messages, with some English thrown in here and there in the neon madness. Tokyo is more like home than a small town shrine, that's for sure. Don't get me wrong, I loved the temples. But you can easily over-do it, while the same subway station seems different everytime I'm there. New people. New conversations, even new fashion tips walking the underground runways. Yep, I love the city.

I think I'm just a sucker for convenience and Tokyo IS convenient for checking out the fanny-pack clad tourist attractions along with the high end shopping and quirky small shops tucked into the alleys. The subways system is quicker and further-reaching than the trains in Seoul. One suggestion, though. Tokyo's subway lines need to merge into one company, because you constantly have to pay for new tickets when you change lines. Annoying, but I guess it does allow you to compare all three.

1st night: the first night I hung out in Asakusa, close to where I'm staying. I'm staying at K's House Hostel, and it's very clean. So, I went out with the idea to have "train sushi" and sure enough, I did. I talked to a couple from Japan for an hour. They were fun, and they ate everything. They loved the roe, and the fried shrimp heads...Ewww.

1st day: The next day I headed to Shinjuku, and took a visit to the Metropolitian Government Building to have a look from 45 stories above Tokyo. I couldn't get any good shots because I brought the wrong lens. But I went to the tourism office to get a complete booklet on seeing the sights. It has helped quite a bit (although I forgot it today, and got a bit lost!) Later I headed to the Tokyo Tower and DID get some amazing shots of the city.

2nd night: Found a bar called "Bar Plastic Barbie" to sing karaoke and listen to 80s music. Stayed there all night. :) In the morning, me and two new friends (two friendly Japanese fellows, who spoke English with a slight irish accent...) to the Tskuiji Fish Market. Had the famously fresh sushi, which was pretty yum. Except for sea urchin. Don't even bother. Yucky.

Next: Adventures in Shubuya!