Waking up rather late, because I was so tired from all the walking from the previous day, I decided I would take it easy and just head to Shinjuku for the day.  Honestly looking back, I’m rather disappointed that I didn’t have the energy to do more, oh well.  Oh, and it was my first day alone.  Ayaka had to go into to work and so I was left to begin exploring Tokyo without a guide.  Getting to Shinjuku was not hard at all, after all, I’d been getting used to making all the necessary metro connections.  But obviously, the big difference is that upon getting out of the Shinjuku metro station (the busiest in the world), I didn’t have Ayaka to show me around.  What was funny was that I could still hear her saying to me, “well, this is it…there isn’t much to do here huh?”  Throughout our trip, Ayaka made this excuse for each locale we visited.  I suppose, when you live in Tokyo, you’ve seen a lot of the different areas – multiple times.  And I could understand that, I think most people might say the same thing about the places that they have lived.  Of course, there are cities that have more to do than others (uh…Tokyo), so I was still a bit surprised when hearing Ayaka say this.

Regardless, the station was full of people walking and running around.  Few people seemed to be in my predicament (not knowing where they were going).  Being as busy as it was, and as lost as I was, I didn’t really want to pull out the camera to take shots, since I was trying to get my bearings of the overall situation, hahaha.  Finally, seeing an exit and stepping out of Shinjuku metro station, I see a multitude of signs, buses, taxis, cars, and of course, people.  The station is connected with a large scale department store with about 9 levels (only 2 of which are for men).  I spent a good 20 minutes going up and down the escalators and looking at all the products.  Why is it that department stores in Japan always put the men’s clothing & accessories either in the basement or all the way at the top?  Well not at the absolute top…sometimes they put furniture or home décor on the top floor(s)…sometimes.  I finally decided to leave the department store and walk around Shinjuku a bit.

As I stepped out, I looked up to see the Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower (モード学園コクーンタワー,), which measures 50-floors.  I later learned that this building is home to a Fashion school, a Technology & Design College, and a Medical College.  The biggest thing that struck me about the building was not only the shape, but the white criss-cross pattern that enveloped the entire skyscraper – it looked like a nest.  Like many things in Tokyo, this design element has an intended meaning behind it.  Apparently my initial reaction to the building’s resemblance to a nest was not entirely off basis.  The pattern and shape of the building is to resemble a cocoon.  Like a cocoon in nature, it is suppose to nurture and safeguard those inside.

Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower (モード学園コクーンタワー)

Odakyu Halc - this one focuses on interiors

I took a right and began walking down the sidewalk.  I was met by hundreds of people walking in the opposite direction, NICE!  I zigzagged and found small pockets of open space with no people to continue walking…only to then be met by rouge business men on their cell phones walking in the opposite direction, close call!  I saw a UNIQLO, a very well known specialty chain store in Japan; also operating in a few other countries around the world.  The name comes from “Unique Clothing”, they produce and sell their own clothing (unlike department stores).  When you step inside, the walls are bright white and the clothing colors are very vivid and bright.  You will see purple, cyan, yellow, fuchsia, orange, and many other exotic colors.  Of course I had to ride the escalator up to the men’s floor(s).  I looked around, tried a few things on, and bought some of what I tried.  I really like the selection, but more than anything, I liked the fit.  But surprisingly, although I fit into most medium sized outfits in the U.S., I am a Large or even and extra-large in shirts in Japan.  That happened to me in Spain too.  I suppose the U.S. has a different standard on measuring people?

The following is a set of screen-captures from UNIQLO’s Tokyo Fashion Map website.  I did not take these photos, however, I did make this presentation (to fit into the blog’s size requirements) in Adobe Photoshop.  I really like the staging of the people in the scenes – shows a lot of Tokyo’s culture and it’s young people.

UNIQLO - Tokyo Fashion Map (website screenshot + Adobe Photoshop editing)

UNIQLO - Tokyo Fashion Map (website screenshot + Adobe Photoshop editing)

UNIQLO - Tokyo Fashion Map (website screenshot + Adobe Photoshop editing)

UNIQLO - Tokyo Fashion Map (website screenshot + Adobe Photoshop editing)

After shopping a bit, I walked around some – without a map for reference.  I realized there were a lot of arcades and restaurants.  I later noticed that as I kept walking, there were fewer people, so I turned around.  I was happy just walking around and taking everything in.  There were so many department stores that sold: clothing, furniture, music, comics, and video games.  Going into one, I saw a black Nintendo Wii on sale.  Apparently it had been released near the first of August and so it was pretty cool to see it since it is a Japan exclusive.  That is something I never understood, why is it that Japan can have so many exclusives (say different colored video game consoles) and then not offer it to anyone else?  Sometimes they share with Europe, but not the United States.  Oh well, the Nintendo Wii in black looked very sharp, very Playstation 3-esque.

A lot of arcades, restaurants, but few people...hmmm

A movie theatre in Shinjuku

A black Nintendo Wii game console!!

Reminds me of a black and gloss SONY Playstation 3...

As I walked around, I found a few stalls selling fruit-on-a-stick.  It reminded me of the markets in Spain that sold fresh fruit as snacks.  You don’t see that in U.S. where people would much rather eat something off of the dollar menu then buy a healthy snack.  I was slightly hungry, so I bought a slice of pineapple on a stick.  The pineapple was very good and helped give me some energy since I didn’t eat breakfast.  Shopping around some more, I decided that I needed to sit down and eat lunch.  For some reason, I was in the mood for Japanese curry.  I found a restaurant nearby.  Something that is pretty cool abut many restaurants in Japan is that they have glass cases that have plastic food inside; the plastic food represents their menu items.  It is always nice to see a photo of the food you are thinking of ordering, but seeing a model adds more realism, so you can see a better idea of the size and contents of the plate.  I saw a Japanese tonkatsu (fried pork cutlet) & curry dish, costing ¥830.  I took a photo for two reasons: one was to capture how real the food looks, and the second was to use it to show to the waitress.  I did not want to embarrass myself, so I took the photo for back-up.  Walking in, I was greeted and told to sit anywhere I wanted (I picked up on the hand motions).  I sat down in the “non-smoking” section, alone.  There were a few people in the restaurant, but none in the non-smoking section.  Honestly, it didn’t matter where I sat, it isn’t like there was an invisible wall protecting my lungs from the cigarette smoke, but it wasn’t that bad either.  After being served water and asked what I would like, I ordered in Japanese and at the same time, showed her the photo of the tonkatsu dish stored on my camera.  She probably didn’t understand me but the photo helped bridge the language barrier.  She left, and so I began looking at the rest of the menu since it is left at the table.  A little while later, my food arrived and boy did it smell good.  I was given miso soup, a very simple cabbage salad, and the tonkatsu dish with curry and almonds.  The lunch was very simple, but it was very good and filling too.  I didn’t expect the pork to be as tender as it was.  The whole meal was great!

A picture is a thousand words...so what about a plastic model of what you are about to eat...

Not too busy, but no one else is in the non-smoking section...

When I got my food, people began coming in. I may have arrived a bit early.

Tonkatsu & Japanese curry - this simple meal was exactly what I wanted

SO GOOD If you have never tried Japanese Curry, please do so!

After eating, I was hit by a strong feeling to take a nap.  So after paying for my meal, I decided to go back to the hotel.  I again faced the daunting task of fighting through the crowds of people, but this time, the crowds were much smaller and much easier to walk through.  Once I got back to the station, I did get a bit lost looking for the correct train, but finally found a map and a sign that pointed me in the right direction.  I swiped my Suica Metro Card to get into the station and then went in the direction of my train.  I left Shinjuku tired but I know I missed out on a lot more to see.  It’s ok, I’ll return to Shinjuku one day to explore more – let’s hope I’m not as tired, hahaha.

Filed under: Travel by Giancarlo Deleon