Journal
The Journey Begins
Well, we’d booked our flight, made all the arrangements for the hotel, knew what we needed to do once we got there…. and the big day arrived!
We left Tulsa “International” Airport for Detroit, arrived about two hours later, and after one final western meal of cheeseburgers and fries, made our way to the plane.
Thirteen hours [...]
Arriving in Japan!
Wow, I could hardly believe I was finally here! It only took 20 years to get this far! But not just yet…
Once we got off the plane we had to get to immigration, passport control, customs, etc. To do this we were treated to a preview of things to come. Namely, walking.
From the jetway we [...]
The Narita Express
Having made it through passport control and customs, we found ourselves actually in Narita Airport finally. We followed the signs to the floor we thought we needed. I approached the JR counter there, and tried in my best simple Japanese to say we needed our NEX/Suica passes. It didn’t go so well. I thought I [...]
Shinjuku Station (新宿駅) and Checking In
The doors on the Narita Express open, we collect our baggage and emerge onto the platform. The wind from the other trains and the noise of it all assaults our senses as we try and get out of everyone’s way to find a sign to point our way out.
We do, and quickly realize we need [...]
Morning In Tokyo | 東京の朝
We woke up quite reasonably, and at a decent hour actually. Well, if you consider 5am to be a decent hour, that is. Not to worry, we need to unpack a few things, contact the kids via Skype, and figure out what we were going to do first. Breakfast.
The hotel has a buffet-style breakfast which [...]
Hanazono Shrine | 花園神社
When planning this trip, I wanted the first “sight” we saw to be something fairly quiet, and I was not disappointed.
Hanazono Jinja is a Shinto Shrine, not to be confused with a Buddhist Temple. I guess you’re just supposed to know. The names give it away I guess. A “Jinja” (神社) is a Shinto shrine, [...]
Golden Gai | 新宿ゴールデン街
After leaving Hanazono Shrine, it was just a quick jump down a short flight of stairs and there it was, staring us in the face. The “Golden Gai” neighborhood.
“Golden Gai” is a small block of tiny bars and galleries tucked away behind the hustle of the rest of Tokyo. Yeah, OK, I’m sure it picks [...]
East Shinjuku | 東新宿
After leaving Golden Gai, we made our way back to Yasukuni dori in East Shinjuku. The far east side of this street is pretty tame, a lot of stores and nondescript buildings…. (well except for that one…)
But the closer you get to the station, the more interesting things get. The signs become brighter, the noises [...]
The Shinjuku Subnade
Descending the flight of stairs from Yasukuni dori, which looked like it could be a subway entrance, was instead the entrance to a vast underground shopping complex, the Shinjuku Subnade.
Down here in the Subnade, it was a different world. The bustle and garishness above gave way to a quiet, almost western-style shopping mall experience. Mainly [...]
Omoide Yokocho | 思い出横丁
So if you’ve read any of the websites and guide books you know that one of the recommended stops in Shinjuku is Omoide Yokocho, or “piss alley.” I can see now why it might be called that….
It’s located just north of the main station, beyond the Keio and Odakyu plaza and on up a bit, [...]
