Solo Tokyo

There's no other way to say it but with a cliche: Tokyo is a world unto itself.

There is also no better way to explore it than diving head first, without a map and without a set plan. I always go about with a basic idea of where I want to go and what I want to accomplish but exploring with the mindset of letting a city reveal itself naturally rather than aggressively penetrating it has always been my approach. In this case, Tokyo, showed me a side of itself that I have craved ever since coming to Japan. 

Of course I have been to Tokyo numerous times (around 5) since coming to Japan, as my placement location is still in the Kanto region and therefore still part of the Greater Tokyo Area. A day trip is doable since it only takes around two hours commuting by train to get into central Tokyo. However, the difference between this trip and the ones before it was that I did this one just the way I like exploring - by myself. 

In this way, I can take as long or as short a time as I like and go wherever I want, soaking up all the minute details of places that intrigue and inspire me and quickly darting off to a new area if it bores me. Call me anti-social but this tendency of mine actually makes me a much better travel companion when I am with others, as I passively let others decide where they want to go because I've already done what I want to do or I can suggest great places if everyone draws a blank. 

As an aside, the majority of JETs/ALTs in my prefecture aren't really people I'd willingly choose to spend time with anyways (there are a rare few that I do love deeply and thank God I have met them though). My philosophy towards friendship/companionship has always been about finding people I feel completely comfortable and at ease with in my original state of nature. If I don't get that feeling from people, I could care less whether or not I grace them with my presence. I'm not dependent on anyone, I can actually "blend in" in this country. I'm not here to get into friendships/relationships that are forced or based on the two polar extremes of "We're all foreign, so let's be foreign together!" or "I'm in Japan, so I REALLY want Japanese friends (and Lovers) even if that means we don't understand each other at all!". "Foreign" typically involves a great level of public drunkenness and the unnecessary continuation of "Gaijin" stereotypes while Japanophilia usually involves a lot of awkward silence followed by chaos as a result of a great level of public drunkenness. 

To make things clear, I'm not an anti-social hermit. I think I'm actually hanging out a bit too much with people and might have to cut back. I have also made a great deal of close friends, but most are all spread out in different prefectures, far far away. But, that just gives me all the more reason to travel across this strange and beautiful land. 

Now back to your regularly scheduled Tokyo-programming... 

So today I set off at 8am in the morning from my quaint, sleepy little city with the intention of getting to Tokyo earlier as the weather forecast said it would pour at night. My commute would start off in a one-car train but build up to a 16-car long train:

 Moka Railway - My town's pride and joy

  
My intended destinations were Harajuku and Shinjuku. I checked the train schedules the night before and staked out a route with only 4 train transfer and got me into Harajuku by 10:30am. I ended up missing my second transfer but ended up catching an express train and got into Tokyo at 10:15 (only in Japan could you get to your destination earlier if you missed your train). Most stores don't open till 11 in Japan so while waiting for Harajuku to come alive I decided to wonder. In my wondering I stumbled upon a building that I've always wanted to see in person: the Audi Forum Tokyo building.

A real "Crystal"

Catching a glimpse of this building in the near distance I nearly jumped for joy as I didn't know it would be in range of today's exploration.

The closest I'll get to owning one, for now
...

Hot.

By the time I stopped drooling/staring (I'm sure the uniformed doorman to the Audi building was getting suspicious) it was almost 11 so I headed off to find what I would later realize is one of my "Happiest Places on Earth" - Snoopy Town.

(not) Aptly named, as you will find mainly adults finding their inner child

I somewhat underestimated the amount of time and money I would spend here but I also underestimated how much of an effect it had on me. I was SO happy here! 

Photographic evidence - Scary. I can't stop smiling

Snoopy Town is located inside Kiddy Land, on the 3rd level where half the floor is dedicated to him (the other half being Hello Kitty/Monchichi). Snoopy Town Harajuku used to have its own building but I guess the 20yr recession in this country has forced even Snoopy to cut back.  For your information, Kiddy Land also has sections dedicated to Star Wars, One Piece and other Japanese characters:

Kiddy Land: Fulfilling all Adult childhood fetishes

Like a kid in a candy store

I will not divulge how much I spent here, but let's just say I opted out of dinner in Tokyo to budget myself more cash. Here's a picture of my haul... 

I swear I only bought the essentials!

You have no idea how hard it was for me to cut down on the stuff I had in my basket to this amount. I basically eliminated something from my purchases if 1) I could find it in Canada 2) I couldn't use it right away for day-to-day Japanese Life and 3) It wasn't unique. I must say, I am too hard on myself sometimes *sarcasm*... I ONLY BOUGHT ONE STUFFED ANIMAL! Fear not inner child Matthew, we will return to Snoopy Town someday. I have no idea why, but Snoopy goods seemed to be a bit more expensive than most other similar goods with different characters on it in the store... its a conspiracy.

After Snoopy Town I walked around on a high in the Aoyama area waiting for my next visual/consumerist fix, which Tokyo more than aptly provided with Omotesando Hills, which I will cover in my next blog entry. 

P.S. I apologise for the randomness in regards to the spacing of paragraphs/photos... Blogger is not letting me format my entry properl #^$@%$#