Wednesday 6th July 2016

Today, was a nice relaxing day...after Mount Fuji, we were both exhausted! However, we didn't have an overly hard time getting up which was a surprise. I was excited to get up and explore more of Tokyo and just mosey around looking at the never ending cute stuff Japan has to offer. 

I had a particular place in mind to take Simon for breakfast/lunch because it was all you can eat for an unbelievable price and it wasn't a Japanese dish we had yet whilst in Japan. It was Okonomiyaki at Sakura Tei, in Harajuku.

We set off in a new path to get to Harajuku street, taking the back roads and taking in the new sights and atmosphere. You wouldn't really know until you go but the backstreets of Tokyo really give off a small city vibe when you walk down. There aren't as many pedestrians so it really feels like you're in a totally different city. Also the interesting buildings you come by is also a plus, with their architecture and decor.

After about 20-30mins of walking, we got to Harajuku Street. Which is a haven, one thing about Japan, is that no matter how little the nook or cranny is, you will find a whole new set of stores, or cafes. Which adds to the wonder of Tokyo. It's not all just ground floor too, there are stores underground, in multifloors. There is no end. It was a little bit of a walk to Sakura Tei, which took us down narrow paths. 

Thanks to google maps though it wasn't too hard to find. If you were winging it that would be a different story, we would probably still be looking for it. 

So after arriving we were seated and given menus. Of course, we decided to get the Lunch special which is all you can eat okonomiyaki with 1 drink for 1060 Yen. This gives you 90 mins to order as much as you want (as long as you eat it. Wasting food will enforce a surcharge). With the grill turned on in front of us, and the ordering of our first flavours we were set! If you've never made it before, that's all good as there are clear instructions in English to make sure you perfect your skills. 

There was a Chinese couple on the table next to us and boy they were going H.A.M! They were eating 2 meals, and had 6 different things cooking on the grill at the same time. They were tiny as well. I have no clue how they could have kept eating because, I only had 2.5 and I was stuffed. Same with Simon, he even had to finish my other half and he was gone as well. We had to tap out. 

One hilarious thing though is that at the side of the restaurant is another narrow pathway and we heard booming American accented voices. And low and behold, it was the same Americans on our Mt Fuji trip...what are the odds?? more than 40 million people in Tokyo and we are to run into them again the very next day of the tour. That blew our minds, our very full of okonomiyaki minds. 

After we were full we left Sakura Tei and went out to take in more of Harajuku's awesomeness. There was a lot to see. And we ended up finding this amazing Crystal shop. So much want was had in that store...too many amazing pieces, and the biggest crystal I've ever seen!

Afterwards, we went and looked at Meiji Jingue shrine where Simon wrote on a votive for his wishes. Then walked high and low through Harajuku and Shibuya. Today was a really chill time as it was nice to not be on a schedule. We ended up looking around in Parco in Shibuya 

And for dinner we stuck with what we knew best and wanted most which was....Gyoza! So it was back to Gyozarou in Harajuku for dumplings, lemon sours and great atmosphere. This is where we ended the night before walking back home and ready for the next day.

Thursday 7th July 2016

Today was our last day in Tokyo before we come back for the flights in about a week. and there was one place I had on my mind to go before we left. And that was Saizeriya. Which is an italian chain restaurant where everything is insanely cheap. It of course isn't 5 star authentic Italian but it was tasty and for about $4 for pasta...why not?? I especially loved the Drinks bar, where you pay 190 yen for all you can drink. I definitely wish there was a place in Australia like this where it's cheap, yummy and just insanely cheap. Alas, I will only have the memories of Japan. Thankfully one of the stores was very close to our apartment, which on this day it was BOILING! I mean like you felt like you were frying and in a pot of boiling water at the same time due to the humidity. Fun times.

Taking refuge in Saizeriya was nice and it was a comfortable experience. The only thing is that when you arrive you put your name down, number of people and smoking and nonsmoking...With that issue...it's all written in Japanese and I didn't know what the character for smoking and non smoking were. But there wasn't really a line so we kind of bluffed our way through that process. Today was the day of Shibuya anime stores, tokyu hands and just general Shibuya wanderings. We had an awesome time in the basement of Mandarake, which is heaven for any Manga, character goods collector (from many different years/fandoms) and books, CDs, DVDs...everything. Going down the stairs is very trippy...like a cave rave so anyone who is epileptic or sensitive to flashing lights and blinking coloured lights...I recommend taking the elevator instead. After a browse through there, we went up to the 3rd floor where Animate is housed. It's not the biggest Animate by any means but again, if you like Manga, magazines, and other character goods, it's a nice stop to check out. 

Another must go to is Loft...it's basically like a department store but more of the little things (stationary, craft, makeup, nails, accessories, gifts, homewares, kitchen stuff etc). It was definitely one of my fave stores, along with Tokyu Hands...This store...it's crazy. It's set out in 8 or so floors but their set out in mid floors, so there is floor 5a, 5b or 5c. Meaning that if you take the stairs on the left down it takes you from 5a to 5c, but if you go right, it can take you down to 5b. A bit confusing right? It's not too hard to get a hang of, especially because they have a handy map on every subfloor.

Anyway...talk about shopping because this place has EVERYTHING! Wood works, leather crafting, jewellery making, stationary, framing, science stuff, clothes, tech, accessories, pets, decor...everything!

We definitely spent a huge chunk of time here, and I did a bit of damage getting some crafting supplies. At this point it was getting dark and we had only had that pasta all day. So again it was time to scour the streets looking for a place to eat. After a lot of searching we decided to give this place a go that was down some stairs near the Pet shop in Shibuya. And boy, it was pretty inexpensive, the food looked amazing and we ordered a lot! Karaage, pizza, dumplings, katsu curry...many many foods. The only sort of downside is that the whole place is smoking. So there is no designated non-smoking dining area. It didn't really bother us or the family with kids sitting next to us. I don't know if Japanese cigarettes are less strong smelling, or the place just had really good ventilation exhausts, but soon you could barely acknowledge it was a smoking establishment. If you're sensitive to smoke and such though, I probably wouldn't recommend it just in case. 

But the food arrived and it was delicious, there was literally none of our dishes we could fault. And we did get a fair few dishes. It was a great time and we were just full enough...which means DESSERT TIME!!!! We weren't really in the mood for the convenience store ice creams, so I decided to take us to the L'Occitane Cafe where we had some coffee and creme brulee while we watched the Shibuya scramble crossing. It was pretty interesting to people watch from up there as you see the Promo men trying to get good looking women hooked so they can do their spiel. Then we saw a line of Go Karts, and people driving dressed as Mario, bowzer and Luigi, which was funny.

 With that sight still imprinted in our brains, the Creme Brulee arrived. And boy it looked delish!

It was as good as I had hoped...and for the fact that the two desserts and coffee was more expensive than all that dinner...it had better be. We shoveled down our desserts and sipped the coffee and not before long, it was getting a bit late. Even though just looking out the window, you'd think it was only 7pm with the amount of people still out and about. So we bid the fantastic staff goodbye and began that familiar walk back to the apartment. But before taking a photo of Japan's famous Square and unique shaped watermelon. 

 Until the next post

xxT

Total steps walked this day : 13, 667