Come Away with Me

Crash Course Tokyo

Don't say I never forewarn you. As the title suggests, a crash course entails plenty of cramming in a short session and this is precisely it. A page filled to the brim with pictures of places we went to. We took so many that it was quite a difficult task just choosing the ones to put on here but what I've selected pretty much tell the story on their own.



Window shopping along the fashionable stretch of Aoyamadori. A lovely tree-lined and upscale area in town except that the rain sort of dampened the spirit a little that day...



At the end of Aoyamadori is Harajuku, the hangout place of choice for the capital's youngsters. Whether it is to see or be seen, a visit to Harajuku will certainly intrigue any first time visitors whether it is the tacky and somewhat disastrous Japanese teenage fashion scene or the eye-opening display of cosplay. Due to the heavy rain, the number of cosplayers prowling the street seemed to be lesser than usual but still that didn't stop Rob and Jac from asking for a picture together. It also seemed like the scarier and more mean looking a cosplayer are the more unwilling they seem to have their picture taken which perhaps explain why everyone in this photo looked a tad too cutesy if you ask me.


Just couldn't resist taking one at the numerous machines around this young people's area. Can you believe it cost only ￥200?! That's like a quarter of what we pay for the ones back home.


A shot at what could possibly be one of the biggest and busiest pedestrain crossing in the country. Shibuya by night, another fashionable and young people place in Tokyo city center. And when i say young people place, I really mean it. Try walking around and see if you can spot any elderly folks and kids and chances are you can count them with the number of fingers on your hand!


While the west side of Shinjuku boasts of tall and shiny office buildings, the east side is where the country's sleaziest joints all come together, the infamous red light district in Tokyo, Kabuki-cho in east Shinjuku. Where we are from, of course this place was a huge eye-opener for my sibs, I could tell by just looking at their reaction to the outlandish signs and suggestive shops abound.


The closest we got to Tokyo Tower is this shot taken on the street in Roppongi. The Tower and its attractions are rather disappointing if you ask my frank opinion. 7 years ago, ever the wide-eyed and curious student/tourist that I was, I paid good money to ascend this piece of metal structure just so to catch the skyline of the sprawling metropolis. Now I prefer to view if from afar where it looks significantly more charming, especially when it is illuminated in a brilliant orange color from dusk to midnight.



We also dropped by spacey and futuristic Odaiba one fine evening. It is essentially a man-made island off the Tokyo Bay area and boasts of numerous shopping malls, impressive office buildings, an amusement park and Fuji TV's headquarter. Though there are many ways to get to Odaiba, my favorite is to hop on to Yurikamome which cruises along a very scenic route from the city center to the bay area, allowing passengers a view of the many significant landmarks of Tokyo, including the much filmed Rainbow Bridge. Call it cheap thrill but the most fun bit of the ride would have to be when the self-automated train actually passes through the bridge, underneath all the vehicles above.





Posing in Venut Fort, a European-themed mall with Roman-style interior and architecture. Need more convincing of this country's infatuation with the West? Look what we've found outside the mall...


There's even a 'Statue of Liberty' at the bay area and mind you this is not the only one around. I've seen one some where in Fukuoka city and another one at Osaka, how increduluous! What's with this obsession with 自由の女神像 anyway? Hmm...


One day was specifically dedicated as simply window-shopping day. The aim was just to check out the various high-end retail centers, catering to mainly the ultra rich or the ultra willing to spend Tokyoites. The first stop was Roppongi Hills, a mega-complex incorporating office space, apartments, shops, restaurants, movie theaters, a museum, a hotel, a major TV studio, an outdoor amphitheater, and a few parks. Doesn't the whole concept sans the casino remind you a lot of the upcoming Integrated Resort at Marina Bay area?




Tokyo Midtown, the latest addition to the city's shopping scene, opened earlier this March. An epitome of the highest form of luxurious living, a real extravaganza of the most expensive and lavish international brands you can imagine can all be found at this place. An eye-opener of sort but nothing that fancy us too much. An hour is all about you need if you're like us.





I missed out these pictures from the previous entry on food eaten during the trip. Though not much relation, I can't help but to include them here simply because the thought of those wonderfully delicious dessert, the relaxed ambience of this Japanese-style cafe, KOOTS, and all the beaming faces just make me very happy whenver I look at them!


We were supposed to just go in and 'have a look'. Being a newfound maccha fan, I am just so into maccha anything and the exciting selection of green tea related dessert and drinks offered here was simply irresistible! I have to say the maccha lattes were really very good, with the slightest tinge of bitterness, unlike the ones at Starbucks that are just way to sweet. I promised myself a second visit this August.


New and spanking complexes like Roppongi Hills and Tokyo Midtown are the new kids on the block. The grand old dame of high-end consumerism has still got to be the upscale shopping area in Ginza.


When in Rome, do as the Roman do. My sibs understood this idiom well. After a few days in town, it wasn't difficult for anyone to realize that it's really difficult to spot a shabbily dressed person miles around. When told that we were going to fashion capital, they spared no effort in blending in. Runway models eh? :P





This stretch of Ginza reminds me a lot of the streets and avenues in New York City. The buildings, the long stretch of roads flanked by shops on both sides and perhpas the endearing Citi's blue logo in the background. Somehow it strikes me as really fascinating how our mind associate certain things with others.


Unlike the newer upscale shopping and entertainment complexes, you do get to shop while walking around Ginza for there are many other local and mid-ranged affordable brands who opened their flagship stores in this area. And so we found ourselves lost in this 4-storey Uniqlo stores...



And the total damage done!


We love Uniqlo!

posted by テレサ @ 12:58 PM