1) Tokio

Back from Florida I got to know that I would have to leave my flat by the end of the week before I flew to Japan because new people would move in mid April. Luckily I organized a backup apartment just before we went to Florida. Franzi and I spent two more great days together before she had to fly back to Germany on Saturday (11.04.). The goodbye was not as terrible as the first one in Frankfurt, but still painful. At the late evening I brought most of my belongings to Christian for storage. We then went to a nearby bar and Christian showed me that there are truly places with cheap beer (3$ a pint) in Boston. Sleepy and drunk I entered the Metro Green Line to go home... I fall asleep but luckily woke up when the Metro passed my stop again on retour^^
The next morning (12.04.) I left the apartment with the rest of my belongings cramped in my suitcase and flew with Air Canada via Toronto to Tokio. After flying for 12h with afternoon sun from Toronto, I arrived in Tokio at monday (13.04.) evening local time. I took the train and metro from Haneda International Airport to Yoyogi station. My Airbnb was located in walking distance. I had the apartment all to myself and it was really nice. However, it lacked internet access which made life quite complicated... it was raining and I was terribly tired, but I wanted to stay awake as long as possible to fight the jet lag and went to see Shinjuku station - one of the busiest metro/train stations in the world with more than a million people passing it every day! Although it was indeed crowded, it didn't appear too bad. Japanese people are well organized and you get easier through the thousands of people at Shinjuku station than through a hundred disorganized people at stations in most European cities. I got myself a Ramen soup for dinner and went to sleep.
The next day (14.04.) it was still rainy. I decided to go to the Tsukiji fish market and started my day with an egg roll, followed by coffee and croissant, a japanese oyster and a mango ice. My tummy slightly disagreed with my choices or its sequence, but it was a great experience anyways^^ I then paid a short visit to the nearby Namiyoke Inari Shrine and Tsukiji Hongan-Ji (yes yes, all these crazy names :P). Then I wanted to visit the Sony Center in the famous shopping district Ginza. However, it was to open just at 11am (yes I was up my feet pretty early due to the jetlag^^). Thus, I took a detour via the Tokio International Forum and the Tokio Central Station and saw the first cherry trees in blossom on my way back to the Sony center. The Sony center was not really interesting... neither was the Leica galery I visited afterwards.

Roasted Japanese oyster for breakfast :D

Namiyoke Inari Shrine

Next, I hopped on the metro to Shibuya to visit the young shopping district with the busiest crossing in Tokio. I saw the Hashiko statue that memorates the dog that waited at Shibuya station for several years for his owner although he was dead. And the famous Shibuya crossing was indeed funny to watch :) After a coffee I went from the vibrant streets of Shibuya to Yoyogi park and the Menji Shingu temple. On the way three mormons tried to have me join their church^^ Yoyogi park was quiet and due to the rain a bit muddy. Menji Shingu temple was like a different world in this city. The long ways through the little forest that surrounds the temple were mystic - maybe because of the slight rain. The gates were massive and it was a very relaxing place :)

at least the kids liked the rain at Shibuya crossing :P

Shibuya crossing

streets of Shibuya

From Menji Shingu into the forrest

Back at my apartment, I took a nap (4h^^) and then went through Shinjuku to Kabukichu to take some night photos. Due to the rain all the neon ads were reflected on the streets... a spectacle of light! Kabukicho is Tokio's mafia and (former?) red light district. When walking through Kabukicho you can see how people that might be involved in mafia truly hold their territory and keep distance to neighbouring territories. This is especially nice to watch as the territories tend to be rather small :) Very cozy was the Golden Gai district with plenty tiny bars along narrow ways. I surely remembered such scenery from old Japanese movies.

Yoyogi to Shinjuku

around Shinjuku

from Shinjuku to Kabukichu (Yamada Denki center on the right)

entering Kabukichu

Streets of Kabukichu

more Kabukichu

back in Shinjuku

near Shinjuku station

The next morning (15.04.) greeted me with sun and I went straight by metro to Asakusa station to visit the Senso-Ji temple. It was early in the morning and most shops were still closed - unpleasant for my empty stomach^^  After the two rainy days before, I enjoyed the great weather around the calm temple. It was no exciting but still a charming place.

around Senso-Ji temple

I took the metro to Nihonbashi station and walked towards the Imperial Palace Garden. First, I visited the East Gardens. A very relaxing morning with temple and gardens in the sunshine compared to the major city impressions from the day before. I exited the East Gardens towards north and thought I would be able to enter the main Palace Garden from there. I walked all around the Imperial Palace Garden past the National Theatre, the Supreme Court of Japan and the National Library to the south entrance to find out that one cannot enter to the Imperial Palace at all. You can only catch a glimpse of the palace from the south entrance :( However, I saw lots of blooming cherry trees on the way and it is still nice to see the skyline of Tokio Downtown rising behind the parks around the Imperial Palace Gardens. I walked past Hibiya-Koen park where an elder Japanese chatted with me and then I continued to Shinbashi station. There I watched quite an impressive clock-play at noon (yes, it was just noon after all that morning :P).

Cherry Blossom!

a glimpse of the Imperial Palace from the south entrance

parts of Tokio Downtown skyling seen from Hibiya-Koen

around Shinbashi station

high walks around Shinbashi station

funny hightech clock that plays at noon

skyscrapers at Shinbashi station

From Shinbashi station I went to Funenokagakukan station on one of the harbour islands. This area consists of huge shopping mall complexes. First I visited the DiverCity Tokyo Plaza. It has a huge Transformers-like robot standing at its entrance. Too bad the battery of my camera was empty. Outside kids were waiting for some tv live show to take place. I went for lunch^^ Then I walked around the wide area and payed Obaida Decks mall a short visit. The view on Tokio Downtown is not too bad from there.

a bridge connecting the harbour islands

From Odaibakaihinkoen station I went back to my apartment to reload my camera battery and to take a jetlag nap^^ With new energy for me and my camera, I went to Roppongi for dinner. Lonely planet suggested it as a perfect area for dinner and bars. It turned out that it is Tokio's new red light district. Kabukichu was a charming place compared to Roppongi. Disappointed I walked to Tokio Tower without dinner. Tokio Tower is a copy of Paris' Eifel Tower. It is funny that I saw quite copies of major world attractions without having seen the original ones. The Golden Gate Bridge copy in Lisbon, the White House copy in Havana, and now the Eifel Tower copy in Tokio :D Interestingly, the two latter are even bigger than the original ones. I also found it very funny that the Tokio Tower observation platform is named for my favorite anime: One Piece^^ The observation deck was closed at this late time, I will go up there on my next visit! I walked down to Daimon station to go back to my apartment and found some nice dinner place on the way.

Roppongi

Our Minion is happy to see the Eifel äh Tokio Tower :)

Tokio Tower :)

On Thursday (16.04.) I went to the Ookayama station to attend the EMBO Symposium at the Tokio Institute of Technology. The symposium lasted from morning to evening. Afterwards I visited a barber shop near my apartment and got my hair cut... quite an experience when you and the barber have no common language to communicate in^^
I find it funny that often you pay at a vending machine when entering small restaurants or this barber shop. Afterwards you are served. I absolutely enjoy that Japan has no tipping culture but includes everything in their prices!
I pointed out at the beginning of this post that people in Tokio are well dressed (suits, coats) especially compared to Bostonians (jogging pants or smart shirt with jogging shoes). However, it astonished me the most to see homeless people in Tokio. As anywhere in the world they lack proper cleaning and have most of their belongings by their side where they sleep. However, the big difference to anywhere else I visited so far was that the homeless in Tokio wear a suit! too - even if it is worn out and dirty - and read newspapers - instead of begging.