To, To, Tokyo, Japan

Hello Kitty anyone?

Our arrival into Tokyo wasn't exactly stylish but, more or less classy. Ten hours on a bus from Osaka, we stumbled off with our bags into Tokyo's biggest suburb: Shinjuku.

Not worried that we had no idea where we were, we managed to locate an undeceiverable Japanese map (English maps are very notoriously hard to come by) and on a whim Kara decided we should head Eastward. Yip, That was the way to go! So... we went East.
We found Shinjuku train station, hahaha! left our bags in a locker and ventured out into the Tokyo night to burn off some of the energy we had accumulated on the bus. It didn`t take much; the bright lights, the noise, the everything, until we were famished. Looking for somewhere to eat we went into a small restaurant and were quickly led to the basement where many tables had been set up for the hungry Japanese clientele.  
  

Exploring Shinjuku

Learning Shinto prayers with the salary men

There we were immediately befriended by two 'salary men' who were very amused at being placed on the table next to our. Thus seating arrangement began our adventure to several watering holes in the city with our two new found comrades. The night changed to morning and we continued to venture around Shinjuku, with thousands of others, making their way through the establishments in Tokyo's entertainment area.

By 3am we were pooped and our long day was quickly catching up with us! We had spent at least an hour trying to find how we had come out of the underground train station with our useless Japanese map (visualize little meerkat holes) before realising that it closes at midnight!! The entry doors literally disappear behind unremarkable shutters. 

Mega- man!

Manga cafe cubicle

So like all over-tired, sensible people who shouldn't really have gotten themselves into that situation BUT are stranded without bags in a city that never sleeps, we crashed for the night at a 24hr Manga-cafe (strange Japanese style internet cafe) complete with your own 2-person lying down flat cubicle (and all you can drink tea, coffee, soda and ice-cream). In Japan, Manga is the form of anime comic. Perfect a surprise cultural experience!

Our couchsurfer's home in Nishi-Ojima

After an early morning tour of the government observatory the following day we have found our way to Nishi-Ojima and to our couch surfer's house in suburban Tokyo. The suburbs are a dangerous mix of tiny apartment housing, young families on three person bicycles and fast talking, slow walking people. 

Shibuya- world's busiest intersection

Went spent 3 nights with our very quiet host in a Japanese style house- full on tatami room with Japanese futon. It wasn't the most comfortable sleep, your body just molds into the futon so if you move around a lot it's quite difficult to get comfy. During our time at Nishi-Ojima we explored more of Tokyo, spending a day in Shibuya; Tokyos trendy suburb and home to the worlds busiest road crossing (see if you can spot Kara in blue above) and also in Ginza; Tokyos suburb for the rich and elite.

Toyko skytree (background) and typhoon (foreground)

One scary looking building

After a few days with severe typhoon warnings in place (we later found out a typhoon is a hurricane, unbeknownst to us kiwis) for the city we attended a couchsurfing party in probably Tokyo's most dangerous building... but to our defence it was dark and the storm was lashing when we arrived so we didn't see the cracks and we assumed that the neighbour was doing some washing rather than acknowledging the earthquakes shaking the building all night. From our Japanese home-party experience we recommend that Sake should be consumed in small quantities .. although you can get 2L for only AUS$5 it leads to the actual worst sake hangover ever!

Morning view of Tokyo from the government observatory

Crab time!

We really enjoyed our trip to Tokyo, its such an action packed city and certainly for us the cleanliness and hospitality of the people is a real drawing card in want to move here!

Tot siens,
John and Kara