Japan: Wednesday Night Lights

For Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Tokyo

The drinking from the night before had overwhelmed me, so I spent most of the morning waking up, cleaning up, and getting stabilized. I needed more cash (a common problem in Tokyo, I was to learn) and something to put in my stomach, so I walked to the nearest 7-11 (all 7-11s have ATMs that accept foreign cards and are open 24 hours per day), withdrew some cash, and bought a sandwich for the road. The sandwich was surprisingly good. (Competition between convenience stores is fierce in Tokyo, so the food quality tends to be good.) I rode the subway to see the Imperial Palace. Much of the original palace compound was destroyed in the past, so there are only a few guardhouses and walls to see, aside from the contemporary palace. From there, I walked toward the Ginza district and entered the Tokyo International Forum to see its interesting architecture. By then it had turned dark. I walked to the nearby streets of Ginza to see the amazing streets lit up like daylight and filled with high-end shops and restaurants. Some buildings have interesting light animations on their walls and windows. Then I rode the subway to Shibuya, a young and hip part of the city where the lights and sounds and crowds again astound the senses. According to a guidebook I read, this intersection crossing was made famous to the western world by the film Lost in Translation (of which I’m a big fan). I ate nigiri standing up in Shibuya. It turns out that the roll sushi Americans are used to is an invention by Japanese chefs to adapt real sushi to American palates. I still haven’t seen a roll in a restaurant. I returned to the hostel and asked if I could stay longer, since I liked the place, but had only booked for a couple nights initially. They didn’t have room, so I booked a couple nights at a cheaper hostel. I went to bed at midnight, my feet feeling tired. I had seen a lot that day.