Tokyo: a fast paced, bustling, futuristic metropolis. On paper it is a place I should hate, so I decided to stay in the city for 2 days at the end of my trip before making the long journey back to the UK. I still agree with my initial description but it made me love the city even more. My guide book had told me of the sheer size of Japan’s capital but it wasn’t until the shinkansen took me from Odawara to Tokyo that I realised that mismatched buildings spanned out so far they seemed to go on forever.
Tokyo station was an experience I simply was not ready for. The sounds, smells, crowds and stifling heat hit me with the realisation I was no longer in the peaceful Japanese countryside. My good friend Travel Anxiety had found me and this time, they had brought friends. To say I remember my trip through Tokyo station whilst trying to avoid my travel anxiety would be a lie. However, I imagine it to resemble Godzilla on a rampage (just a little less graceful). My adrenaline fuelled need to escape the crowd calmed as I sat on the green JR train to Shinjuku, sometimes you just have to weather the storm and accept that busy places aren’t always as scary as they first seem. There are a lot of humans in Tokyo but everything is pretty ordered and calm, unlike the chaotic train stations in the UK. I made it through Shinjuku station without a problem, I love the coloured lines on the floor which take you exactly where you need to be. It sounds ridiculous but mastering Shinjuku station is possibly one of my biggest achievements to date because it is the world’s busiest train station with over 2 million visitors per year.
Shinjuku is one of Tokyo’s most famous districts, located on the western side of the city. A bustling hub of cyberpunk signs, izakaya’s and home to Japan’s rather unique nightlife; I couldn’t wait to experience the city for myself. I chose to base myself here and fully embrace the lifestyle. Dropping off my bags, I headed straight out to get lost amongst the skyscrapers, buildings seemed to touch the sky and I felt tiny walking among them. Although the streets were busy, I was amazed at how quiet they were. However, I didn’t like seeing all of the homeless and beggars around Shinjuku Station, though they weren’t annoying anyone.
As I headed away from the station, towards the main area surrounding Hotel Gracery the buildings became less modern and more like the Japan I had imagined. The train line divided Shinjuku into old and new, with a really small street of restaurants resting against the railway line.
The neon signs lined both sides of the streets and shops filled with electronics were squashed between small, delicious smelling restaurants. I was sad because it wasn’t raining because it would have made the neon signs stand out even more. I’d love to tell everyone about the route I took to explore Shinjuku but I simply let myself get lost, all of the streets are in squares so you can always get back to the train station.
My furry blue eyes were opened with some of the advertising for themed cafes, and I politely declined 4 invites to go in a maid café. After this I decided to stick to the main roads and I found one of the famous 3D billboards, it had a rather naughty cat inside and I really loved seeing this. The main roads of Shinjuku are just like any other city in Japan but a whole lot extra, I love the music lorries which drive around to advertise new anime or J-pop songs.
I followed a crowd who were heading to the next street down and I found Godzilla Road, apparently there are two in Tokyo but the Kabukichō, Shinjuku one is the best. He stands on top of the Shinjuku Toho Building and you can book a table at the hotel’s café to get up close and personal with Godzilla (I didn’t have enough time). The view is better from further away because he looks like he is climbing over the buildings. As I was walking closer to the Toho building, Godzilla started to breathe fire and this scared a lot of the humans but not me because breathing fire is a common dinosaur greeting.
I headed to an izakaya for dinner with some humans I had met during my trip and it was a unique experience that I enjoyed but probably wouldn’t do again in the future. Various small dishes were brought to the table with lots of drinks, including sake. Hot sake is the strongest alcohol I have ever had and one small glass was more than enough. I really enjoyed the food and finally tried sushi (the vegetarian kind) and found it to taste a lot nicer than it looks. However, my photographer tried the wasabi paste and is still breathing fire to this day, a bit like Godzilla. Delicious food and one too many drinks made for a great night out, but I was still hungry when I left.
The night was still young and the city lights were gleaming so I headed off to explore more of Shinjuku and experience the nightlife here. But first I decided to see Tokyo from above as I had heard rumours of a free observation deck. Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building doesn’t really look like anything special from the outside but I decided to try the observation deck out because it was free and there was no queue. I zoomed up to the 45th floor via a lift and was greeted with 360 degree views of Tokyo’s city lights. Dinosaurs are not often speechless but I was overwhelmed with the beauty of the city lit up at night.
I had walked past so many skyscrapers during the day and didn’t think much of them, but from above they looked extremely futuristic. My favourite was the NTT DoCoMo building because it looks like the Empire State Building and it is in some of my favourite anime movies. I spent an hour on the observation deck exploring Tokyo from above, everywhere is unique yet it all beautifully merges as one. My photographer likened the city lights to Gotham, but with better behaved citizens. The best part of the building was the fact that it was lit dinosaur blue, they must have known I was coming to visit!
Back on ground level I headed through a few more streets to immerse myself in the cyberpunk scenes, a must do in Japan. However, my photographer took a wrong turn and before we knew it we were on the street with all of the host bars (and King Kong’s statue hanging from the side of a building). The guide book doesn’t tell you that Kabukichō turns into a red light district after dark. It isn’t dangerous but not advisable to go alone because there are a lot of people trying to hustle you into the bars and there are a few scams involved in these bars.
My evening ended with a trip to Golden Gai, a charmingly run down area filled with small bars. 200 bars fill the six alleys and the best way to experience the area is to simply wander until you find a bar with a tiny bit of space or a really unique look. Many buildings have more than one bar inside and are only separated by a staircase or a doorway. Some bars have rules such as “no foreigners”, “no tourists,” or “regulars only” but I found the ones with an English sign or English menu were generally rather welcoming. Even if you don’t have a drink, it is well worth coming to wander around and just experience the real side of Tokyo instead of the Instagram-worthy expensive bars.
As it was getting late I decided to head back to my hotel on foot, then it dawned on me, I’ve never felt so safe in a city at night. Yes, I had my wits about me and stuck to well lit busy roads but no-one on the streets was causing any issues or giving me any reasons to feel afraid.
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