The first day in Tokyo - Japan at Cherry Blossom 2023 - 2
17.03.2023 - The first day in Tokyo
Weather: gray-in-drab, but contrary to the announcement dry
Walking distance: 18 km
The two days in Tokyo are the only ones I planned ahead. But after the first announcements of our guide yesterday evening it was clear that I have to change the planning. We have to go as a group to the nearby Ikebukuro station because we have to exchange the voucher for the Japan Rail Pass for the pass itself.
Before that, for those who do not have one yet, there is the possibility to buy the Suica card. The Suica is a contactless, rechargeable chip card with which you can not only pay the tickets for public transport but also buy small items in some stores. There are similar things in other major cities from Hong Kong to Santiago. I already bought mine via the internet [↗] and they sent it to my home in advance. Had I known the schedule, I could have saved some money, but with my original plans, this seemed like the better choice.
We are in front of the office for the Rail Pass just before it opens, but again the process is quite bureaucratic and takes time.
With the whole group, we are now going to Asakusa to buy tickets for those who want to join the trip to Nikko on Sunday. The rest will go on their own.
I start with the nearby Sensō-ji Temple [↗] and the neighboring Asakusa Shrine.
I know it will take some time for me to get into the flow. But even though the chances of taking really good photos are slim (the weather isn't helping either), I start taking pictures. The temple is nice, but it sure looks a lot better in the evening when it's lit up. The cherry blossom season is just around the corner and the first trees are already showing blossoms or at least buds. Some women have dressed up and take photos of themselves in front of the temple or one of the flowering trees. In total, I spend an hour or more here.
I now walk through the neighborhood to Ueno station and take the metro to Akihabara. Public transportation here in Tokyo (aside from buses) is a mix of elevated and subway trains, both of which often use the same stations (mostly above ground) and go up or down depending on their location. For simplicity, I will refer to them all as metro.
Akihabara is a shopping district for electronics, manga stuff, and the like. I just take a look around today but do not go into the stores. Instead, I head for the Kanda Myojin Shrine [↗] on a hill in the middle of skyscrapers. Interestingly, there are a lot of smaller shrines around a bigger one. Like at all those shrines you can buy wish boards (called Ema [↗]), inscribe them, and then hang them on special racks. The interesting thing here is that most of them are in manga style, partly painted by hand.
I return to the station and take the metro for a short ride to the Tokyo International Forum [↗] to take some architectural photos. Entering the building, I see a posting for the lifts on the right-hand side. So, let's see if it's possible to go up. I get off first on a middle level where there is a row of meeting rooms. I don't see any signs indicating that access is restricted, except in one area at the very end. I take some photos and now want to see if it's different on the top floor. And indeed, here access is blocked on the right side, but if you turn left, there is a restaurant at the end of the hallway. Since it is now closed, I can enter the area with the tables outside and take a few photos.
The last neighborhood to visit today is Shibuya with its famous crossing. I've picked out a few viewpoints at home, but the rooftop terrace of a shopping mall is closed to the public and the spot in a hotel would be from a (probably expensive) Japanese restaurant. So, I go where everyone goes: Starbucks. You can't miss it, as it's right at the Shibuya crossing.
After taking some pictures from the second floor, I stroll a bit through the streets of Shibuya, but I'm not as impressed as some others I talk to. The last destination for today is Miyashita Park [↗], a mix of shopping mall and public space including a climbing wall and tennis courts. I struggle to find it, even though I’ve seen it on the way to Shibuya crossing. The reason is that Google Maps sends me to the back entrance and the signs here are not really obvious. Also, the view from this side is quite different.
I find a shop selling Poke Bowls and decide to have dinner here before returning to Shibuya station and taking the metro to Ikebukuro and the hotel.
