On my second day in Tokyo I got to experience the mandatory Shibuya crossing. It was on a Friday evening so there was a lot of people (probably average for Tokyo standards but massive for a Helsinkian). I think that’s when it really sank in, “I’m really here!” I felt like such a globetrotter in this cool capital city that never sleeps. Did the kiwi cider I had just had have something to do with this sensation? Maybe a little. What really happened was that we were home by midnight because we didn’t want to miss the last metro. Luckily you don’t have to pull an all nighter to see the city in this different light.
A few days later I found myself at the Shibuya crossing again. This time I took a few minutes to observe the stream of people walking by.
Walking through a crowd like this and not panic was a big deal for me.
I walked by so many of these small cozy restaurants. I really like the clean yet inviting design of their facades.
Cartoon billboards, me like!
It’s interesting how lanterns immediately make space seem more cozy.
I spent a lot of my time in Tokyo in parks, gardens and quieter neighbourhoods. It was on evenings like this, during the after work rush hour that I was reminded how fast paced this city can be.
I’m surprised I didn’t get lost while wandering these narrow neon lit streets.
These buildings in Odaiba immediately made me think of The Two Towers!
Taking monorail to Odaiba is an easy way to see parts of the city from a different angle. It made Tokyo feel even more futuristic to me.
The lights and signs! I could go on another trip just to photograph them. I wonder if I would be as fascinated if I understood Japanese.
