It's only 8.15pm and I am om the hotel room getting ready for bed after a jam packed day in Tokyo and it is such a surreal feeling to think that I am back here again. Unfortunately we did not get to stay at the same hotel as last time (the Tokyo Plaza as it was booked out, and we are staying at the Otsuka City Hotel which seems comfortable enough, looks like it has some decent restaurants around and is conveniently on the Yamanote line so I feel like I know where I am going)
Lets start at the beginning, we flew Jetstar which was okay (not as good as my last flight over) but it was cheap and direct and because it was a night flight we didn't have to worry about paying extras, we ate before the flight and I listened to music on my i-pod before I slept (yes I slept!!!!) so I didn't need to pay for the entertainment package, although I think I would have if it was a day flight. Samara didn't travel well (we were unable to choose seats so had the middle row which is not really easy for sleeping and to top it off she was in the middle and uncomfortable most of the flight. I did ask her if she wanted to swap seats but she didn't want to sit on the aisle either so it was a pretty miserable flight for her and probably had a bit to do with how she was feeling the rest of the day.
After landing the first thing we did (apart from collecting baggage) was to eat at the food court at Terminal 3 Narita Airport which has some great food choices and we both settled for tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlets with a Japanese curry sauce which was absolutely delicious (I can't remember the price but I do know that it wasn't overpriced like a lot of airport food and probably on par with other meals that we ate last time around)
We did the same as last time, exchanging vouchers for JR Pass and buying and loading a Suica card to use around Tokyo, before boarding the Narita express and heading into Tokyo Station. It's funny how this time around it didn't seem as daunting, (yes it is still huge and could be overwhelming )but because it is so clean and ordered and efficient it doesn't seem so intimidating and my wheelie bag has four wheels instead of two so it is easier to push it through the station (I learnt that from last time) We arrived at the hotel, for a quick freshen up and explore. Samara wasn't feeling the best so I told her I would have a wander around the area and let her have a nap and then come back and see how she was. Otsuka seems quite nice
and I think staying a stop up from the more touristy areas (last time Shinjuku this time Ikebukuro) makes it more affordable and also I think more relatable because when I wandered past the restaurants and shops I saw more locals than tourists and I like that, it makes me feel part of things rather than someone just looking in. I wandered around for about an hour, stopping for my fav hot chocolate in a can, taking photos and just enjoying the fact that I was back in Japan, before heading back to the hotel to find Samara snuggled up in bed with no intention of budging as she still wasn't feeling well.
Part of me wanted to jump in the other bed and do the same, the other part that won, said "hell no I'm back and I'm going to explore", so rail pass, Suica and camera in hand I set off, deciding to reacquaint myself with places I had been before, like the Asakusa Kannon area and Sensoji temple, and the area around Harajuku with Takeshita St and the Meiji Shrine. My plan was to let my memory do the walking and just enjoy the experience of being back in Japan again and on such a beautiful day.
First stop Harajuku and the bustle of Takeshita St which is just fun, although busier than usual because there was someone famous at the radio station on the corner and there were a lot of people around trying to get glimpses of whoever was there so after a little while of pushing my way through crowds I decided to head into Yoyogi park where I was once again amazed by the beauty and serenity of this park and the shrine.
Next stop was Asaskusa and Sensoji, the last time we were here we were on a tour, which was great as we got to see lots of the city, but it was nice to find my own way there on the train and just wander through the many stores in the market area leading up to the temple.
I was a little worried that once I got out of the station I would get lost (and feeling a little tired I wasn't sure I could handle that) but there were no issues as there were signs and areas sending me in the right direction. I wasn't disappointed this time around, in fact I preferred it as I was in no hurry to quickly look around so I wouldn't miss the bus. I took time to just sit and take it all in and I have to say that even with all the hustle and bustle of tourists and locals alike I felt completely serene and at peace.
Today there were a lot of women in kimonos wandering around the area too and they looked stunning and I have to say I enjoyed the people watching immensely.
I decided to take a wander down towards the Sumida River, and no I didn't take a boat ride down it (and probably won't find the time this time around, but there's always next time) There is an interesting piece of sculpture on view and it's not hard to miss, and has been causing controversy since it's installation in 1989.
The sculpture "Asashi Flame" by French designer Phillipe Starcke is more commonly called the Golden Poo and is not well loved by the locals even though it was created by Asashi to represent “Asahi Beer’s burning heart as it leaps into the new century.” The building itself is also impressive as it is supposed to represent a giant beer mug with frothy foam on top, and maybe in the right light it does but I was too transfixed by the Poo to take real notice of the buildings behind it.
By that point I had had enough, lack of sleep was catching up with me and with approximately a 40 minute sardine ride awaited so I thought it was time to head back to the hotel, so I didn't fall asleep on the train.
Thankfully Samara was up and in need of some food so we popped into one of the restaurants that
was open near the hotel and I had a great dinner with noodles and soup, tofu, veg and meat before heading back here to make a quick daily entry onto FB and here . As I write I laugh at the background noise, one of those silly Japanese game shows that I have no idea what is going on and I have to pinch myself making sure that yes I am once again in Japan.
After today's adventures my bed awaits and so do new experiences , hopefully Samara will be up for some exploring tomorrow as we find some new sites abd U get to knock some items off my Japan to-do list.