Tokyo: Day 4

On Sunday, we headed out to Kamakura. About 1 hour by densha (train), is a gorgeous country suburb outside of Tokyo. I would have to say that this was my favorite place to visit in the whole trip. Although I'm a city girl at heart (i love tall buildings, vast freeways and hustle & bustle), I was drawn to the rusticity of Kamakura. It was the first time we saw an actual house in Japan. I wanted so badly to be invited into someone's house just so I could see how traditional family households lived and decorated their homes. I imagine that everything has it's neat little place and that there's a purpose for every knick knack that I would find. Clothes would be accurately folded like origami and obaasan (grandma) would be tinkering away in the kitchen making musubis and salted mackerel. I would have leapt over the perfectly manicured bonsai gardens to get more photos of these houses to go along with my portrayal but I'm not sure what they consider stalking Japan. Anyway, here's day 4...

10:30 am : A hearty meal of ramen and salmon rice in Ginza

In Ginza, we saw quite a few of these, amongst other exotic Euro and Japanese cars.

Plus, another stop into Don K. and Sunkus for the day's snacks. Green Tea Kit Kat is superb.

12:00 pm : We arrive in Kamakura. BTW, this bag was a life saver the whole trip. I stuffed my Uggs, 3 musubis, other snacks, a camcorder, a second camera, a scarf and gloves in there everyday.



1:00 pm : We catch another train to get to the famously large Daibutsu


Scary little men & a halfway gorgeous view of Kamakura below


Now, a perfect view of Kamakura and the ocean!!!!!!

My beautiful friend, linh

My other beautiful and hungry friend, keani

They learn to catch the subways and train system so young!

6:00 pm : Back to Omotesando and Shibuya for more shopping!

They put caramel on everything here! There was even caramel topped pizza.

9:30 pm : Another trek through the back alleys of Shibuya on our way to Kaikaya. It's funny because as sketchy as alleys typically are, I found alleys in Japan enticing and beautiful. Bums have it good in Japan!

Basically the BEST meal ever!!!!!!!!! EVER!!!!

sashimi schmorgesborg (so shoot me it i spelled it wrong) & maguro kama

So wasabi comes from this? I thought it grew in little plastic tubes!



11:30 pm : we "lose" keani.......

Tokyo: Day 3

Day 3 itinerary? . . . . . . mad shopping! It's amazing what a little "motivation" can do to help you pop out of bed at 8am despite the previous nights' mischief. We were actually very lucky this day, to be greeted by warm sunshine and a 15 degree increase overnight! It was a tolerable 65 degrees!

9:30 am: Hotel lounge. Impromptu photoshoot.



10:30 am: Before the shopping, we enrich ourselves with a cultural trip to the historic Meiji Shrine. Everything about the Meiji grounds was breath taking, magnificent and peaceful. My amateur photog skills do not do it justice.

Emperor Meiji wrote over 100,000 poems in his "spare time". This was mine. It's a keeper.

A traditional Japanese wedding. So regal and elegant.


11:30 am : Off to HARAJUKU! Hmmm, I wonder if she knows that her purse doesn't match her other purse?

Chanel in Omotesando. I dare not enter. A picture of it in the back ground will do just fine.

2:00 pm : 1 trek down Omotesando and 3 turns through Aoyama later, we find the famous Maisen!

Now, I don't eat pork chops (I do eat bacon minus the fat strips, it's a texture thing), so TONkatsu is definitely out of the question. However, this place was world famous! What was I gonna do? Order a side salad? It was simply delicious to say the least. The pork cut in half with a little pressure from my hashi. Not texturally displeasing at all.

3:30 pm : Shibuya!!!! The world's busiest pedestrian crossing. It's kind of itchy to watch.

"shibuya 109" aka "ichi maru kyu" aka "heaven"

4 hours and 1 warm beer later, we stagger the world's busiest cross walk. Oh and BTW, please watch the movie Hachiko. It will explain this famous akita landmark right outside of the Shibuya Station. heart.

9:45 pm : Back to Tsukiji in search of the seediest hole in the wall for otoro

I know, it's almost as if you were there right?

We feasted like kings


11:00 pm : Bar 300 in Ginza


1:00 pm : Someother club in Ginza that Choji san promotes.