Knowing the schedule was going to be pretty hectic, we kept humane (some might say "slothly") hours. On this, our first day in Kawasaki, I think we left the house at like noon or something. As we'd come to her apartment by taxi, Hiro drew us a detailed map showing the foot AND bus route to the train station, to get back into Tokyo.
Checking to see we had all our stuff...
...shoeing the feets.
And we were off! As it was a nice day - and feeling great for not having to drag luggage - we opted for the walk.
It was pretty sunny and humid. It really felt like Hawaii, except the signage was consistently waaay cuter...
...and the gas stations were a bit...different.
We all went crazy snappity snapping.
Look, the neighborhood snake pit!
I think it took us twice as long as Hiro's estimate to walk to the station because of all the photographing (and the side trip to check out a grocery store).
And then it was time to eat again. The guys' first foray into dining via vending machine ticket, and we didn't let the language barrier get between us and some ramen!
Mwaahahahahaha!
From there, we got onto the Den En Toshi line, bound for Shibuya.
At the station, we reserved our JR tickets for Tokyo->Sendai->Kyoto, then took pictures by
Hachiko - the famously loyal dog/popular meeting point.
Brian wanted to go to the post office not too far up the street to change some money.
After getting itty-bitty denominations, we aimlessly wandered. We saw signs proving Tokyoites cared: about plant rights...
...organic and locally grown food...
...and how you treat your cigarettes.
We turned the corner onto the leafy and posh Omotesando.
There was the requisite LV store festooned with all things Murakami...
...and a few doors down, a cafe to break for a Lavazza, study maps, and to figure out where to head next.
This mob-scene? Groupies for the grand opening of Forever 21.
We checked out
Beams - the t-shirts, the department store-like area, the Abercrombie-ish bit, and the American Eagle part. They owned, like, the whole block!
And then we were in Harajuku.
We passed through Togo shrine - apparently home to a good twice-a-month Sunday flea market.
And then we popped out onto a busy street full of shops and crepe stands. We pushed our way through and passed by the Harajuku station and Yoyogi park.
What??? You think this is impressive?
There were bits of information along the path to
Meiji-Jingu, plaques and signs here and there recounting some bit of history, etc., and this stand of sake casks facing a stack of wine barrels across the path - it had something to do with demonstrating the Meiji emperor's embracing of Western culture while still holding onto tradition.
We washed our hands. I think the suits in the background were business guys from the middle east? on a cultural field trip with Japanese hosts - there was a lot of documentation going on in that corner.
Brian's technique was better than mine - you're supposed to hold the ladle like this to clean it after you're done with your hands and mouth.
Evan gave in to the peer pressure and did the thing too.
All purified, we walked into the outer shrine, past the ladies in the hot red pants and up toward the inner shrine.
Photography was prohibited in the inner shrine, but you can kinda see what it's like. The things that look like wooden benches are actually offering boxes, and the two people in the background were doing the bow-bow-clap-clap-bow procedure.
Back out in the courtyard of the outer shrine, there was a tree ringed by a fence covered in wooden votive plaques. People had written on them wishes like "hope to be here next time with you", "wishing for love, inner peace, and a sound economy" and "I wish for you all the health and happiness - Daddy" and others in pretty much every language that has a writing system.
The sun was setting. We bought some ofuda (Shinto charms) from the hot red pants ladies manning the shrine store counter, then crunched our way down the path through the darkening tree tunnel out of the park towards Shinjuku.
It was pretty happening around the Shinjuku station.
We met Rin infront of the jumbo ALTAvision screen facing the Shinjuku station. It seemed like it was as popular a meeting place as Hachiko at the Shibuya station. He hustled us along to make the reservation he'd made at a restaurant he wanted to share with us.
We ate and ate, and then Hiro got finished teaching and came to meet us and eat!
It was hard work.
Well pleased with ourselves, we got back on the Den En Toshi line train to Kawasaki, got back to their apartment and pretty much immediately passed out.
Checking to see we had all our stuff...
...shoeing the feets.
And we were off! As it was a nice day - and feeling great for not having to drag luggage - we opted for the walk.
It was pretty sunny and humid. It really felt like Hawaii, except the signage was consistently waaay cuter...
...and the gas stations were a bit...different.
We all went crazy snappity snapping.
Look, the neighborhood snake pit!
I think it took us twice as long as Hiro's estimate to walk to the station because of all the photographing (and the side trip to check out a grocery store).
And then it was time to eat again. The guys' first foray into dining via vending machine ticket, and we didn't let the language barrier get between us and some ramen!
Mwaahahahahaha!
From there, we got onto the Den En Toshi line, bound for Shibuya.
At the station, we reserved our JR tickets for Tokyo->Sendai->Kyoto, then took pictures by Hachiko - the famously loyal dog/popular meeting point.
Brian wanted to go to the post office not too far up the street to change some money.
After getting itty-bitty denominations, we aimlessly wandered. We saw signs proving Tokyoites cared: about plant rights...
...organic and locally grown food...
...and how you treat your cigarettes.
We turned the corner onto the leafy and posh Omotesando.
There was the requisite LV store festooned with all things Murakami...
...and a few doors down, a cafe to break for a Lavazza, study maps, and to figure out where to head next.
This mob-scene? Groupies for the grand opening of Forever 21.
We checked out Beams - the t-shirts, the department store-like area, the Abercrombie-ish bit, and the American Eagle part. They owned, like, the whole block!
And then we were in Harajuku.
We passed through Togo shrine - apparently home to a good twice-a-month Sunday flea market.
And then we popped out onto a busy street full of shops and crepe stands. We pushed our way through and passed by the Harajuku station and Yoyogi park.
What??? You think this is impressive?
There were bits of information along the path to Meiji-Jingu, plaques and signs here and there recounting some bit of history, etc., and this stand of sake casks facing a stack of wine barrels across the path - it had something to do with demonstrating the Meiji emperor's embracing of Western culture while still holding onto tradition.
We washed our hands. I think the suits in the background were business guys from the middle east? on a cultural field trip with Japanese hosts - there was a lot of documentation going on in that corner.
Brian's technique was better than mine - you're supposed to hold the ladle like this to clean it after you're done with your hands and mouth.
Evan gave in to the peer pressure and did the thing too.
All purified, we walked into the outer shrine, past the ladies in the hot red pants and up toward the inner shrine.
Photography was prohibited in the inner shrine, but you can kinda see what it's like. The things that look like wooden benches are actually offering boxes, and the two people in the background were doing the bow-bow-clap-clap-bow procedure.
Back out in the courtyard of the outer shrine, there was a tree ringed by a fence covered in wooden votive plaques. People had written on them wishes like "hope to be here next time with you", "wishing for love, inner peace, and a sound economy" and "I wish for you all the health and happiness - Daddy" and others in pretty much every language that has a writing system.
The sun was setting. We bought some ofuda (Shinto charms) from the hot red pants ladies manning the shrine store counter, then crunched our way down the path through the darkening tree tunnel out of the park towards Shinjuku.
It was pretty happening around the Shinjuku station.
We met Rin infront of the jumbo ALTAvision screen facing the Shinjuku station. It seemed like it was as popular a meeting place as Hachiko at the Shibuya station. He hustled us along to make the reservation he'd made at a restaurant he wanted to share with us.
We ate and ate, and then Hiro got finished teaching and came to meet us and eat!
It was hard work.
Well pleased with ourselves, we got back on the Den En Toshi line train to Kawasaki, got back to their apartment and pretty much immediately passed out.
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