Day 8 - Shinkansen to Tokyo

Today we leave Kyoto. Taxi to Kyoto station then another trip on the coolest form of transport on the planet





Quite a long way from one end.....





To the other!





We were waiting at the designated stop for carriage 7 - right in the middle.

Course it's always good to make sure you have your Bento box so you don't get too hungry during the entertainment of watching the Japanese countryside flash past at 300 km/hr

Watch the Shinkansen - This is a Nozomi (fast) Service



Once we arrived in Tokyo we spent some time looking and finally found the Maranouchi Line station and caught the subway to Nishi Shinjuku where our apartment is located. The real estate agency was right outside the station exit. The handover of keys and explanation of the various things that we needed to know went smoothly enough considering that none of the agency staff spoke any English. They did supply us with a map and we found it easily - more details about our neighbourhood later.

Our apartment in Nishi-Shinjuku

What a cosy little place. At about $100 per night in a quiet little street just 15 minutes walk from the busiest railway station in the world (Shinjuku) - the place is perfect. Thanks again Rumi - three perfect affordable choices for our accommodation.

This is a view of Laura's room which is also the TV room. As you can see Laura is being a bit slack - she hasn't made up her futon











The shot below is of Diane and Geoff's room - they have been busy setting up their room.











This is the kitchen dining area. The fridge has a clever door that opens either side











Now we come to the important stuff - the ablutions area- we are looking through the laundry into the bathroom and toilet. Just out of sight is the correct footware for toilet visits. Notice also the lack of digital accessories - back to the old days with number 2's.













Geoff has become rather partial to Japanese sweets. This is se sort of Jelly covered in soybean flour.











-- Post From Geoff's iPhone

Day 9 in Tokyo - walk to Shinjuku

Today we have decided to check out the neighbourhood so come with is as we walk....in the rain!

We have just stepped outside the front of our apartment block into the 'street'






Through some narrow, winding streets as we head up to the main road which will take us to Shinjuku










We are now on the edge of the commercial area of West Shinjuku





Almost at Shinjuku station



-- Post From Geoff's iPhone

Day 9 in Tokyo - Takashimaya

All this walking has a purpose. We want to visit Takashimaya department store, which is an upmarket DJs or Meyer. At Shinjuku station we head underground. There are walkways going off in all directions linking the JR lines, the various metro lines, with stores and areas of Shinjuku above.












We arrive at our destination - sixteen floors of fashion, cosmetics, restaurants, etc. The girls check out the clothes, Geoff finds a huge English language section in the attached Kinokoniya bookshop.







As we leave we purchase some essential supplies from the food area in the basement - a bit different from Coles or Woolies!!!





We walk back 'home' but fortunately it's starting to fine up





-- Post From Geoff's iPhone

Day 9 in Tokyo - big night out

Paul has been in contact. The plan is for us to meet him and Joss at Oimachi station at 7.30 pm and then we will have dinner together. Geoff checks out the maps and suggests walking to Shinjuku, then the JR Yamanote line to Osaki, then change to the Rinkai line then one stop to Oimachi. Too easy!!

Only problem was finding the access to the Yamonote line platform at the busiest station in the world at rush hour. Wherever we stop to try and get our bearings and look for signs it seems that thousands of people are rushing past every second. We wander around dodging commuters and eventually find signs pointing out our platform.

The rest of our journey on a crowded train works fine and we meet Paul and Joss at Oimachi. From here we take another train on the Tokyu line out to Jiyugaoka. There is an excellent Shabu Shabu restaurant Paul and Joss are familiar with.

Shabu Shabu is a sort of Japanese hotpot. Very communal and tasty. Just the thing for a chilly damp night. Here are some shots from inside 'Nabezo'. The decor was really unique. The service our very personable waitress was excellent - although she spoke no English, Joss is pretty fluent in Japanese and Paul is not bad either.
























We left the restaurant about 11.00 pm. We returned via the Tokyu Tokyo line to Shibuya, then the Yamamote line to Shinjuku. The platforms and carriages were jam packed - at 11.30 at night!!!!


















Despite or maybe because of this it's a safe easy place to walk around even late at night.







-- Post From Geoff's iPhone

Day 10 in Tokyo - Shibuya

This is the destination Laura has been keen to visit, with the emphasis on fashion. We catch the metro on the Maranouchi Line and change to the Fukutoshin Line to bring us to Shibuya. There would be a shop to make every girl happy in Shibuya! Laura has some shopping success, Geoff also does well with some shoes







Lunch provides an opportunity to try a new approach to ordering. In this case the menu is displayed in something resembling a vending machine. There is a photo and description of the dishes along with the prices, slots for the cash and buttons to make the selection.






When you've made your choice you pay the machine, make you selection and head inside with the ticket you get from the machine. The waitress takes your ticket and shows you to a table and fairly soon lunch appears. We ended up with three tasty bowls of noodles in a cute little restaurant







Shibuya is a seriously busy place, having a whole range of stores from small boutiques to major upmarket department stores such as Seibu and OIOICity. If Shinjuku is the busiest station in the world (and I don't doubt it for a moment) then the main intersection outside Shibuya station is the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world.
Fortunately the lights give you plenty of time to cross from one side to the other!!! Check out our photos.




















-- Post From Geoff's iPhone

Day 10 in Tokyo

The day itself was fairly quiet - exploring Shinjuku and browsing shops and department stores. Laura has been doing some reconnaissance for when Sarah and Daniel arrive (actually, mostly for Sarah, but the OIOI for men also looks promising)

Tonight we met Paul and Joss for dinner at Ebisu. This suburd is a convenient couple of stops away from Shinjuku on the Yamanote Line. Ebisu has lots of small bars and restaurants close to the station, and Paul and Joss soon identfy a Ramen restaurant which is the agreed cuisine for tonight. Like many small restaurants of this sort it is very small with space for about 15 people along a bar with the kitchen on the other side. Fortunatley some patrons are leaving and it's not long before we are sitting together enjoying a feast of ramen







Our group tried miso based ramens with side servings of gyoza. Perfect!

We moved on to a cozy little bar a few doors away - the Hinoki Bearhall (sic)! We stayed here until about minight. Members of our group enjoyed beer, wine, oolong hai, cassis and soda and cassis and grapefruit.

It was an easy journey home - only a few train stops for us to Shinjuku and Paul and Joss didn't have far to Oimachi. There weren't many on their train but ours was packed!






-- Post From Geoff's iPhone