the view from our balcony
The weather cleared up overnight. It was bright and sunny, great for a day out. We left our apartment early to make the most of it. Anyway we had a long agenda - a little culture, a little shopping and a whole lot of gawking was in store, so an early start was essential.
On the way out, we saw a little more of the apartment complex.
the lounge downstairs - not bad at all
We made a pit stop at the Tully's Coffee across the road, for breakfast. We needed the coffee. Too bad the meal was forgettable and expensive, 1410Y ($21.15) inclusive of two lattes.
keema focaccia, yuck, and bagel with cream cheese
After breakfast, we made our maiden foray into the bowels of Shinjuku station. It was a tad confusing at first. There were so many train lines and so many people, despite it being a Sunday. Eventually we sorted ourselves out and found the platform for the train to Harajuku, yay!
The train ride was a short one but Harajuku (literally "meadow lodging" according to Wikipedia) was a world apart. Compared to the skyscraper madness of Shinjuku, it seemed almost rustic. The train station was certainly quaint.
Harujuku train station
Since we were a little early - Harujuku's Sunday scene wasn't in full swing for the day yet - we made our way first to the revered Shinto shrine, the Meiji Jingu, where the spirits of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken are enshrined and venerated.
the outer torii or gate
the long walk in
HRH's favourite spot
It was a little early in the season, not much would be in bloom, but we visited the iris garden anyway. There were a few irises...
purple ones
close up
blue ones too
The garden was beautiful, if somewhat austere, the epitome of zen.
We eventually meandered to the shrine proper.
the inner torii, like all torii, made of cypress wood
cleansing ritual
Tradition! Tradition!
wishful thinking
emas (wish tablets) as works of art
For locals, this may have been a place of worship and tradition. For tourists like us, the main preoccupation was spotting the brides!
rush rush hurry hurry
cheese-z!
Shinto priests - the men of the hour
friends and family, looking smart
family portrait
serious business
The whole spectacle was amazing. What we admired most was the effort to look spiffy for the occasion. Who knew kimonos and morning suits could look so right together?
The sun was out, the air was cool. We were loathe to leave the leafy environs of the shrine, so we continued on to the Treasure Museum, which housed a collection of imperial artefacts and portraits, and the Shiseikan, a martial arts school.
timeless beauty
the old and the new
My only complaint was the lack of noteworthy birds...
Eurasian tree sparrow
raven or crow?
Before we left altogether, we stopped by the cafeteria for a light lunch. Surprisingly, the food was quite tasty.
tempura soba (550Y/$8.25) and coke light (200Y/$3.00)
Finally it was time to leave. The minute we stepped out, we were left in no doubt that we were right smack in the 21st century. Outside the Meiji Jingu was a favourite cosplay hangout and the players had arrived.
Adding to the spectacle was the presence of chi chi frou frou dogs which even the most hardcore cosplayers could not resist.
one, two, three... kawaii!
From there, it was only a hop, skip and jump to the heart of Tokyo's trend-setting youth culture.
Takeshita-dori - gateway to Harajuku
The narrow lane which was closed off to traffic was a kaleidoscope of riotous colour. Shops selling everything a fashion-conscious teenager would want - Gothic Lolita, anyone? - lined the two sides. The lane itself was filled with people of all shapes, sizes and colours, far too crowded for much photograph-taking.
cosplayers in their time?
Amidst the youth-oriented shops, there was one which was a little different.
Takenoko
Takenoko literally means "bamboo shoot". It was what the Harajuku kids used to be called in the 1980s, but what was sold in this shop hardly seemed like youth culture.
OTT costumes
even history wasn't spared
aiyoyo...
It was all highly entertaining indeed, right down to the very last piercing. And to prove that Harajuku was nothing if not eclectic, look what else we came across...
omg a Daiso!
Of course we couldn't pass up the chance to have a Harajuku crepe. When in Rome...
a mindboggling array of choices
our crepe (500Y/$7.50) - berries and fresh cream, yum
Emerging from the melee, we chanced upon a shrine and a flea market.
the Togo Shrine, in honour of the hero of the Russo-Japanese war
By this time, it was already mid-afternoon and the flea market was on the verge of closing for the day. Still we caught sight of some interesting wares.
From the Takeshita-dori side of Meiji Jingumae, the main street of the Harajuku area, we crossed over to the Ura-hara ("back streets of Harajuku") but not before checking out our very first Graniph store in Tokyo!
some t-shirts left this shop...
a green building!
From this corner, we plunged into the maze of backlanes. This side of Harajuku was a little saner and a little more upmarket, but no less visually stimulating.
A short while later, we popped out onto Omotesando. Now we were in the land of high-end brands, presumably where former Harajuku kids shop later in life!
There was certainly no subtlety involved in the competition for the yen, each marque trumpteting its presence with its own imposing building. In fact, every other building was a landmark in this architects' playground.
With cash to spare, Tokyo's women pound the pavements of Omotesando, looking for the newest, the hippest, and the flashiest!
queuing for the latest in skin care
Down one side of the road we went and waltzed into Omotesando's biggest shopping centre, Omotesando Hills...
inside Omotesando Hills
even here, it's a dog-eat-dog world
is there still a place for them?
... and waltzed out the other end. It was such a lovely day we were itching to be outside where there was so much more to see.
wall mural (top)
wall mural (bottom)
At the end of Omotesando, we veered right and upwards into the even more rarefied air of Aoyama.
world famous - guess which brand?
the answer to the question above
Prada underground
Folli Follie
Attic
Kate Spade
Miu Miu
Commes de Garcon - can you tell?
no, you can't
While HM shopped, I explored the architecturally diverse neighbourhood.
Judging from the cars, it certainly wasn't a low-income area.
mercedes jeep
Still, amidst the glam and the manmade edifices, there was the traditional and natural.
even here, a deity
man tou on sale
we had some!
frowers
more pretty frowers
We checked out the other side of Omotesando.
even piano companies have to step up their game
Tod's
Louis Vuitton
At the other end, we popped into two Tokyo must-stops (for tourists, that is), the Oriental Bazaar and Kiddyland, THE places for that perfect souvenir or gift, depending on whether one's inclination runs towards the traditional or the modern. With all kinds of Japanese crafts under one roof, Singapore residents will recognise Oriental Bazaar as a Japanese Lim's. As for Kiddyland, "KIDDY LAND helps keep your mind, body and soul youthful, now & forever." Well said.
Our intention was to check out possibilities and prices, particularly for Studio Ghibli merchandise. We were scheduled to visit Museum Ghibli the next day and wanted to know for sure what was available elsewhere so that we would not miss the opportunity to buy stuff that was exclusive to the museum's gift shop. We take anything and everything Ghibli most seriously.
After that, we had just enough energy to turn round the corner, onto the other half of Meiji Jingumae where, lo and behold, a Burberry Blue came into view. HM perked up immediately and then disappeared into the confines of the boutique for half an hour. She finally emerged half an hour later later, with a bag and a big grin.
It was time for dinner. We dragged ourselves back up Omotesando to where we had spotted this earlier:
Sugino Ko
Pork shabu shabu was apparently its specialty. We couldn't be hundred percent sure, not being able to read Japanese, but one thing was certain: the menu outside said "black pork". We were sold. Anyway, we were too tired to seek out an alternative and hadn't had pork shabu shabu before, just beef.
The set for two came with hors d'ouvres (parma ham with melon, arrowroot wrapped in pork belly, some butter thing with raisins), sashimi, a rice bowl with fish and fish roe, macha (green tea) ice cream for two, and of course, the raison d'etre:
you take the pork
put it into this stock
HM had shochu (Japanese vodka) and I had iced oolong. The bill came up to 9145Y ($137) which we thought was great value for money. Of course we had no idea if we had stumbled into the equivalent of Jack's Place, in which case we would have been outraged at the bill, but ignorance has its merits.
After dinner, we strolled back up Omotesando, all the way to the Harajuku Station, convinced that we should put this area at the top of our list for a return visit. It had been a beautiful day.
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