Tokyo Day 2: Shibuya, Ginza, Harajuku, Tokyo Tower and Roppongi
Day two of my trip in Tokyo was another day that wasn’t wasted as I went to Shibuya, Ginza, Harajuku, Tokyo Tower and Roppongi.
Shibuya
Shibuya is an entertainment and shopping district that is famous for its crossing in front of Shibuya Station.
Shibuya's crossing
It doesn’t matter what time of the day you arrive because it’s constantly crowded with people. It’s a bombardment of information with video screens and advertisements covering every bit of white space on the buildings.
Shibuya lights up in the evening
I went to Starbucks to get a nice shot of the intersection. It was fun to watch the crowds line up and then disperse to all directions when the traffic lights turned green.
The view from Starbucks
Shopaholics will feel right at home in Shibuya with its many, many department stores.
Ginza
Ginza is where the rich go for all their shopping needs. All the famous and big brand labels like Gucci, Chanel and Dior have stores here.
A famous landmark is Ginza Wako, a store that sells watches, clocks, jewellery, men’s and women’s items, interior furniture and food. I went inside to have a look around and the prices were unbelievably expensive.
Ginza Wako
If you’re looking for any cheap buys, this is not the place as low budget stores are very few. My highlight from Ginza was eating at Iron Chef Rokusaburo Michiba’s restaurant, which I dedicated an entire post to.
Harajuku
Between Shinjuku and Shibuya is Harajuki, which is most famous for being the focal point of teenage culture and seeing eccentric and extreme fashion trends.
Unfortunately, when I went, I didn’t get to see anything crazy; probably because I went on a weekday and according to the Japan Guide, the best time to see people dressed up (at their most extreme) is on a Sunday.
The two main shopping districts in Harajuku are Takeshita Dori and Omotesando. Takeshita Dori caters to the youth and is considered to be the birthplace of many Japanese fashion trends as well as the symbol of the area. Along the 400 metre long street are various stores selling hip hop, gothic, visual kei and punk outfits.
Omotesando is completely different as it is targeted towards older and more affluent people. Just like Ginza, big brand stores can be found along the one kilometre avenue.
Tokyo Tower
A trip to Tokyo is not complete without seeing Tokyo Tower. Modelled on the Eiffel Tower, the 333 metres structure is the world’s tallest self-supporting steel tower.
Its construction was completed in 1958 to symbolise Japan’s reemergence as a world power. As well as being a tourist attraction, the tower serves as a television and a radio antennae.
I visited the tower’s main observation deck in the evening and at 145 metres, I was able to enjoy amazing night views of the city. There was a special observation deck that reached up to 250 metres high but it was unfortunately closed by the time I arrived.
As it was the Christmas period, there were Christmas lights outside the tower as well as stalls selling food.
Roppongi
My last stop for the day was Roppongi, a part of Japan that is well known for its nightlife, especially amongst foreigners.
This area is home to many night clubs and bars, strip clubs, gentleman bars (like in my photo below), and hostess clubs.
I saw so many African men hanging around the streets trying to get people to come to their clubs. They’re literally everywhere you go! Recently, there were cases of drink-spiking incidents related to Nigerian-run bars where people reported getting drugged and robbed.
African men on a street corner
I can’t say I liked this place very much. It just felt like a seedy underbelly of corruption.
But the night in Roppongi wasn’t all bad because I got to watch a fantastical Christmas light show. It was amazing and because I enjoyed it so much, I watched it three times.
No comments:
Post a Comment