Konnichiwa, Japan! Taking it Slow in Tokyo

Tokyo moves like digital clockwork.

Precision it seems, for these 13 million plus souls, is the way of life.

Case in point is the city’s legendary Metro System. Which considering the immense area it covers and the number of people it moves, has earned a reputation for never being late. For the rare times it was late, the metro issued a card that said it was indeed late should the employer wouldn’t believe it.

the hachiko entrance of the JR line at shibuya

I, on the other hand, couldn’t believe my audacity for choosing to arrive in Tokyo on a Monday at lunchtime. With luggage in tow, I was hardly the epitome of accuracy as I floundered in the sea of salary men and women. They moved rather quickly, pretty sure of where to go and what to do next. I, on the other hand, was left staring at the station map, which was as much of a use to me as the schematics of the International Space Station.

I eventually found the way to the platform with the help of Google Maps and managed to get to my friend Jenie – a recent transplant from Singapore - almost two hours after lunchtime. She was hungry – though not hAngry – and very keen for us to get going.  

I had a rather short list to tick in Tokyo in the four days that I was there and it looked a little something like this: 

1.Try the artificially orange chicken at Lawson’s.

finally got my hands on some lawson's chicken nuggets. 

2. Walk from one end to another of Shibuya Crossing at night.

tokyo duo: coni and jenie

when we got to the other side, we found this guy who was singing at the top of his lungs. 

3. Gaze up at the Tokyo Sky Tree. 

it looks like a microphone to me. 

4. Look out to Mt. Fuji from the observation floor of the Metropolitan Building.

mt. fuji is supposed to be out there, somewhere. 

5. Get on the Tokyo Metro DURING rush hour and hopefully get pushed into one of the cars.

when they push you, they do so in white gloves. 

6. Find Gundam in Odaiba.

it was pouring when i got to odaiba but who cares?! it's all lit up!

7. Get up close to Hachiko in Shibuya.

strike a pose, hachiko!

8. Spot a Harajuku fashionista.

i wonder what her inspiration must be. 

this guy, all in white and even his bike

a harajuku summer outfit

9. Get my geek on at Akihabara.

akihabara was everything i imagined it to be and more. 

this one actually managed to reach our shores.

girls of maid cafes at your service. 

10. Enjoy some grub from the Tsukiji Fish Market. 

a number of NOs at tsukiji fish market

got myself a bowl of salmon and some other kind of fish at the nearby food hall. 

for a 1,000 yen, i ate some freshly-made sushi from this guy.

11. Eat as much Japanese rice as I can.

But as life would have it, this city of order has managed to pull several surprises for me.  A couple of which were my birthday dinner with my friend Stephen who was in Tokyo on my birthday, a sumo wrestler sighting in the middle of the night, and witnessing a wedding procession at the Meiji Shrine.

hamming it with some graduates at asakusa

at the meiji shrine, the happy bride and the rather serious groom make their way to the ceremony.

I guess, Parents also bring their kids to the shrine to offer them or ask for some blessing. Look at that proud papa.

birthday dinner with my lovely friend stephen

now, we know what sumo wrestlers have for their midnight snack.