As I mentioned at the end of my last post, I spent this Halloween sight seeing in Tokyo with a fellow W&J student (as well as a former W&J exchange student). The three of us met up at Shinjuku station early Saturday morning and spent a very long day seeing as much as they could think to show me. Both of these friends have experience being in Tokyo and being that it was my first time there, had plenty to show me.
Tyler, me and Mizuki reunited founders/members of W&J's Japanese Language Club!
After exploring Shinjuku's popular shopping areas for a while, we moved to Akihabara, a district known for it's anime and pop-culture shopping locations. We only spent a little time in Akihabara since our one friend isn't a big fan of anime like we are, we walked to Ueno next. Ueno is a district popular for it's art museums, public park, and shopping spots. We went to the famous Ueno park to enjoy a little bit of nature right in the middle of the city, we also stopped to see the temple there.
Akihabara and me being silly at an anime photo spot in one of the shops we visited.
A beautiful little garden right in between two large buildings in Tokyo on our way to Ueno.
Visiting Ueno temple. Dragon fountain, Dog fortune teller, sculpted tree, etc.
One thing that really surprised me was just how much greenery and nature you can find in Tokyo. Every depiction I've seen of Tokyo only focuses on the skyscrapers and the giant advertising screens, but we saw several gardens, parks, etc. tied seamlessly between the typical city features.
Plant pandas!
I asked Mizuki for advice about finding souvenirs and she suggested we check out Asakusa. We probably spent more time here than any other district, the atmosphere was great. We enjoyed seeing the little shops, trying the snacks from local vendors, seeing the temple, etc.
Asakusa. Handmade goods, snacks, etc. Various souvenir shops and other vendors leading to the temple.
People burning incense outside the temple and the three of us at the door of the temple.
More from Asakusa temple.
After seeing the temple we decided on finding lunch. There were many vendors in Asakusa making and selling tradition Japanese foods. For example, Mizuki treated us to fried red bean buns, and I suggested stopping at a stand that smelled good, menchi katsu, it was almost like a hamburger crossed with a pierogi and deep fried. It was something that none of us had ever tried and it was delicious. Don't be afraid to try new foods while you're abroad, it's part of the adventure!
Japanese apricot red bean bun and menchi katsu in Asakusa.
After leaving Asakusa, we headed for Harajuku (with a few unexpected stops in between). It was really great seeing so many popular areas and shopping places throughout Tokyo. On the way to Harajuku, we saw a Rilakuma (popular Japanese character) mascot and I couldn't resist waiting in line for a picture!
Possibly the highlight of my day in Tokyo!
We found a store for the popular social networking/messaging app Line as well, it had several photo spots and Halloween decorations, so we had to stop by and check it out. I think one of the best things about this trip is that we didn't really have an agenda to keep, we planned it out as we went along and we got to see and do so much at little places we came across along the way.
Shortly after the Line store visit, we arrived in Harajuku, which was full of people in Halloween costumes. Harajuku was definitely one of the more lively places we visited! We spent our time here exploring the shops and (as a recommendation from a friend who had studied abroad in Japan last semester) got crepes while we here, a recommendation I want to pass on to any readers that may plan on studying abroad in Japan. They were incredibly delicious! :)
Harajuku was crowded, but the atmosphere was great and the crepe was delicious!
After we made it through the shopping district in Harajuku we moved to a park on the path to the Meiji-jingu temple. This was around sunset, but luckily we made it in time to see the temple before it closed for the day. On the walk we decided that our trip would converge in Shibuya come nightfall since it's a very popular spot for celebrating Halloween.
Barrels of sake on the path and a huge lantern with the Meiji family crest on it (outside the main temple.)
We also happened upon a traditional Japanese wedding being held on the temple grounds, it was really amazing to witness something like that, especially since ceremonies like that are becoming less and less common in Japan today, only prominent and wealthy families can afford them.
The bride (in red) being escorted across the temple grounds. The kimono were intricate and indescribably beautiful, I was lucky to get a quick picture due to the crowd, but it really doesn't do it justice.
By the time we got back down the path from the temple, the sun was beginning to set, so Mizuki got us to Shibuya and helped me purchase my ticket for the ride home before she had to bid farewell. Even so, it was wonderful getting to catch up with her! There was also one big thing I wanted to see in Shibuya, the statue of the Japanese legend Hachiko, a loyal dog that waited outside the train station for years after his master died and never returned. There's a movie about it too that I would really recommend.
The huge advertising screens Japan is known for (outside the incredibly crowded Shibuya Station).
Another bucket list goal achieved when at least I got to visit Hachi!
Shibuya is an incredibly popular district to visit on Halloween (I'm not entirely sure why that is, but the place was packed with a sea of people). For the most part, everyone was very lively and just generally having a good time celebrating Halloween in costume, however, where there are crowds, there are problems. The biggest problem was moving around near the station, Shibuya has a famous crosswalk called "The Scramble" which is known for being crowded. That was especially true on Halloween, there were police officers with crossing tape guiding people across the streets and keeping them back when traffic was moving. The first couple time we had to cross sections of the scramble were easy and went smoothly, however, the last time (when we had had more than enough of the crowd) we were being shoved and tossed around. I felt so bad because I was being shoved into a mother and her little daughter while simultaneously trying to protect the little girl from having her head pushed into the poles and railings. So, if you happen to find yourself in a crowded section of a city on a crazy celebration night, make sure you keep close attention to your possessions and your surroundings. I'm not trying to make this sound like a bad experience, it's just the nature of people, nobody wants to wait for the next crossing so shoving happens. Overall, my time in Shibuya was incredibly fun. Everyone was just trying to enjoy the holiday, taking pictures with people, chatting, showing off costumes, etc. It was honestly a lot of fun, but the crowd was just too much, so Tyler and I headed back to Shinjuku to hang out for the remaining time before my train ride home.
The famously infamous scramble was extra crowded due to the Halloween crowd, but for the most part everyone was having fun together, taking photos with the crowd, etc.
I bought a kigurumi that I'd been wanting when we got back to Shinjuku, it fit the Halloween mood! I also got a picture of some costumes in Shinjuku (the girl on the left is dressed as my favorite character from an anime called Tokyo Ghoul).
After that, we sat down and enjoyed some pizza and I bought a doughnut before I had to head back to quiet little Yamanashi. My day out in Tokyo was incredibly fun and it was definitely a Halloween to remember! If you find yourself abroad during a holiday, try to get out to your host country's bigger cities and enjoy the atmosphere with some locals, it was so much fun! Just make sure you're smart, safe and cautious when in crowds. Have fun and stay safe!
Next week I'll be writing about a trip I'm going on this Saturday, to the Studio Ghibli Museum!
Until then,
Julia.
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