Day 22: Asakusa and Shinjuku

A 'must-see' for any tourist to Tokyo is a visit to Asakusa, the old-town area where the famous Senso-ji buddhist temple from the 7th century stands, guarded by the large Kaminari-mon (gate)with a very, very large lantern hanging from the center. A 'few' centuries later, Asakusa became the entertainment district during the Edo period, but never regained its significance after the area was destroyed during World War II. What remains is the temple area full of shops selling traditional Japanese items, food, and souvenirs. We were greeted by a steady rainfall, making any outdoor sightseeing a challenge, but we prevailed!

Mike and Akiko in front of the Kaminari-mon (gate).

Shopping in Asakusa! Nakamise-dori.

Streets of Asakusa. Amy getting a fortune at the temple.

Meditating Monk, Asakusa.

To get out of the rain, we headed to Shinjuku (新宿)- a MAJOR commercial and administrative center of Tokyo with the busiest train station in the world. There's enough underground walkways, retail, and restaurants to keep us out of the rain and busy for the next 100 years!

Our first stop? Conveyor belt sushi! Conveyor belt sushi is a popular lunch destination because it's usually relatively inexpensive and fast. It's good for foreigners as well because you can see all of the options moving past you, only selecting what you want. This particular restaurant in Shinjuku called Numazukou, ranked high on lunch conveyor belt sushi places in Tokyo. They did not disappoint!

Numazukou (conveyor-belt) sushi restaurant, Shinjuku. [from left] Mike, Kris, Rachel, Amy, Lisa, Noriko.

Numazukou (conveyor-belt) sushi restaurant, Shinjuku. [from left] Chef preparing a live halibut, flapping around. Various nigiri and rolls.

After a full stomach, it was time for...retail therapy! Akiko's favorite store in Shinjuku is Tokyu Hands, an 8-level store packed full of amazing Japanese ingenuity, gadgetry, design, and products. We never left the Shinjuku train station surroundings, but that was enough to keep us window shopping for HOURS. Every space, nook and cranny is dedicated to retail.

We finally sat down for some cocktails at Mike's favorite little Spanish tapas bar in Shinjuku. It's a great spot for people-watching and commenting on Tokyo fashion. We've sat here many times in the past, always trying to predict the future fashion in the States, based on what we see walking by, and we've usually been correct! So, looks like the 80s theme continues...stirrups and scrunchies are making a come back. Above the knee socks with ultra-minis....

Another favorite Shinjuku spot is the New York Bar on the 54th floor of the Park Hyatt - hotel made famous by Sofia Coppola's movie, Lost In Translation, with Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson. We like to order some (budget-breaking) cocktails and watch the sunset. For non-hotel guests, there is a steep cover charge after 8pm.

View from the 54th floor of the Park Hyatt. Late afternoon versus after sunset.

Well, that's it for today! Headed to Kamakura to see the big Buddha tomorrow.