No change in my sleep pattern, still awake at 3:00 this morning but found it easier to just lie there today. After having breakfast at the hotel yesterday, we didn’t really consider it good value for money so had a look to see if there was any vegan establishments near and we found something that might be a good and at a fraction of the price of the hotel. It was a 15 minutes walk in light rain but nice to get out in the fresh air. Nicole thoroughly enjoyed her breakfast while for me, a couple of rashers of bacon and an egg would have been more than welcome. After walking back to the hotel and then prepping ourselves for the day out we set off for Tokyo. Our mode of transport today was the train and we have a station right next to the hotel which is accessed via a walkway at the rear of the hotel that leads into a large shopping centre. Underneath this shopping centre is a local railway that goes to Yokohama Station which is a network hub for lots of different lines. We boarded a train for Tokyo on the JY line which is classed as a commuter train that doesn’t stop at every station so the journey only took 40 minutes. Payment for tickets is by the use of something known as an IC card that you just tap in and out of every journey, a bit like an Oyster card. We loaded each one up with ¥3000 (about £14) this morning and after at least 10 rides, we’ve barely spent a half of it. The public transport system here is incredible and so well organised and run. When we arrived at Tokyo it was pouring with rain with the forecast predicting it would stop after midday so to kill a bit of time we explored Tokyo station which is absolutely massive.
The front part is the existing old building and almost everything behind has been added over the years. Once it was dry enough to venture out we walked to the nearby Tokyo Imperial Palace but were only able to view it from the outside.
A bit disappointing but it was a nice walk and what we could see, looked interesting even if we couldn’t go in. Back on the train and this time a place you have probably heard of that is commonly known as Shibuya Scramble Crossing which is a serious of zebra crossings that all come into action at the same time, its famous primarily because it is known as the world’s busiest pedestrian intersection, with up to 1,000 to 3,000 people crossing at the same time during a single green light cycle.
We managed to find a reasonable free viewing area but I have to say, the crossing was no where near as big as I was expecting so I came away disappointed. There were businesses selling prime viewing space and I am extremely pleased I never gave them any of my cash. From there it was back on the train to take us two stations down the line to another crossing which is famous for it’s 3D cat billboard. It’s located on the rooftop of the Cross Shinjuku Building opposite the station so we didn’t have far to go once there. When it was being the cat it was quite clever but for the most part it was loads of adverts on a loop.
There were plenty of people watching it but I was again a bit disappointed. To cheer ourselves up, we went for a late lunch/early tea at a vegan bistro we used last time we were in Tokyo and this more than lived up to expectations. Two train journeys back to Yokohama Station where there is a massive shopping mall linked to the station. Here we managed a bit of Christmas shopping for the grandsons in the form of a couple of Pokémon items from the official store. One last train trip of 2 stations and we were back on home territory and to the hotel where we could take the opportunity to shower and put our feet up for the rest of the evening.
Fitbit Steps 21,472.