Even though I’d been to Akihabara already when I went with Ayaka, there was a lot going on in this area, that I told myself that I’d return if I had time. Well I did, and the fact that I came back at night was even better: more lights, sounds, and people. Oh, and trying takoyaki (たこ焼き) for the first time on my trip was a great addition too! I’d never had takoyaki with so many ingredients on top…not to mention the shocker of the night…Katsuobushi! hahaha

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Featuring a cedar tree planted by General Ulysses S. Grant (the 18th President of the United States) and surrounded by modern Tokyo, the Zojoji Temple is a pretty cool scene to take in. The fact that it is right by Tokyo Tower makes it a nice tranquil spot to get away from city life…although you quickly remember where you are once you step right outside the temple complex. After seeing the Zojoji Temple, I headed out to Ryōgoku, an area in Sumida known for Sumo Wrestling. In fact, I was able to go into the Ryōgoku Kokugikan (indoor sumo arena) to watch a few matches of the 2009 September Grand Sumo Tournament.

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Starting my morning by stopping by a konbini (Seven & i Holdings), and buying a Georgia (ジョージア) coffee drink and a small sandwich with tonkatsu. A real breakfast of champions! I spent a few hours at Tokyo Tower, taking in the entire cityscape as well as exploring the stores at the Tower’s base.

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A rather easygoing day. I was pretty tired after a full day around Tokyo, so I decided to do a little shopping in Shinjuku. Where did I go? Well if you ever go to Japan, you know about UNIQLO and their style. The one thing that most stores have in common in Japan is that the men’s floor is often either at the top or at the bottom of building…very convenient! Regardless, bought a bit of stuff, and had fun in another one of Tokyo’s large cities/districts.

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So I’m sure you’ve all seen photos of the Daibutsu…but maybe you didn’t know that it was located in Kamakura. For a small fee, you can enter the complex and enjoy the scenery and environment. But the fun part was making walking through the town of Kamakura and trying both rice pancakes and dango!

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Being on of the first Japanese ports to allow foreign trade, Yokohama is the location of Chinatown within Tokyo. There are numerous small stands selling foods and shops selling souvenirs and general day-to-day products. After Chinatown, Ayaka and I headed towards Yokohama Harbor to see the Hikawa-Maru liner and then onto the Red Brick Warehouse and Yokohama World Porters for shopping.

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If you love sushi/sashimi and fresh fish in general, you MUST visit Tsukiji Fish Market if you are ever in Tokyo. It opens very early in the morning, and restaurants nearby serve fresh fish caught during the night and mornings of the prior day…SO FRESH!! After a wonderful bowl of Sashimi and rice, Ayaka and I headed out to Odaiba to visit Mega Web Toyota Showcase and Venus Fort. For a look into the digital electronics culture of Tokyo, we headed out to Akihabara at night to scope out the deals on all the newest games, consoles, televisions, cell phones, computers, etc.

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My first day of exploration in Tokyo begins with heading out to Ikebukuro to visit Sunshine City. The complex houses NamjaTown, a theme park with rides and plenty of food themed areas, on the second and third floors. Ayaka and I tried the gyoza with habanero chili sauce on top and even beef (ox) tongue ice cream! Later we headed to Amlux Toyota Showcase to try the Gran Turismo Lexus Simulator. Next, Ameyoko for some general shopping and then to Asakusa to see the Kaminarimon and eat Okonomiyaki. Lastly, can’t forget the first time you see Shibuya at night. So many lights, sounds, and people!!

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My first ever trip to Japan! I traveled out to Tokyo, taking a flight from Charlotte, NC to Atlanta, GA, and then onto Tokyo, Japan. But on my flight to from Atlanta to Tokyo, I had a complete row to myself. I stretched out and was even able to go to sleep comfortably…on an airplane! Arriving in Tokyo was certainly nerve racking as I soon realized how hard getting around would be with no real knowledge of the language. I picked up the rental phone I’d reserved and then proceeded to buy a ticket for the Narita Express and JR lines to head into Tokyo from Narita International Airport. Wow, a lot of people use the subway system in Tokyo, that sure was intense to see so many people rushing from one metro line to another. Luckily I made it to the hotel so that I could rest of for the next day’s adventure!

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With time aside, decided to make a iPhone/iPod Touch wallpaper pack for most of the teams in the first division of La Liga de Fútbol Profesional (LFP), the professional soccer league of Spain. Go to my deviantART page and download the .zip file from the left side where it says “Download”. If you use them, please leave a comment! Thanks!!

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