Day Two

It was a lot easier getting up this morning than I thought it would be. I ended up getting out of bed around 7am and drank some tea, (our hotel supplies hot tea, robes and slippers free of charge), before I showered and planned my day's itinerary. As I headed to the train station I got breakfast at a local AM/PM convenient store, lol!

Next I jumped on the Tokyu Ikigawi Line and made my way to inner city tokyo. I wasn't really sure what I was going to do once I got there but my Tokyo guidebook gave me a few ideas. I ended up walking to the Imperial Palace Gardens from the Tokyo rail station. The gardens are adjacent to the "actual" Imperial Palace and are surrounded by a hundred foot wall and moat. The gardens were beautifil, filled with indeginous flowers and trees, as well as creeks and fish ponds. After visiting the gardens I walked around for a good hour just getting a sense of direction and soaking in the atmosphere. As I did this I came across the Tokyo Theatre House and the Japanese Supreme Court.

Around 11:30am I jumped on another train to go to Shibuya, known for it's abundance of shops and restaurants. It was in Shibuya that it started raining. I didn't buy anything, but I did develop a new respect for the Japanese culture. I window shopped and took some cool pictures of all the buildings and street shops. I also grabbed a little lunch before heading up to Harajuku, aka Fashion District. Harajuku is know for it's Takeshita St. where there a lot of small clothing stores, each unique its own way. Unfortunately, because it was raining there weren't that many people out. Supposedly, Harajuku is usually filled with outrageously dressed teenagers. I only saw a handful.

After leaving Harajuku I headed up north to Shinjuku, the district known for its numerous skyscrapers. The rain put a damper on the visit but I was still able to see most of the district and buildings. The district even has its own little Times Square with elegant shops and restaurants. By the time I left Shinjuku, I was exhausted so I just came straight back to the hotel...but not before getting lost for the first time!

The train system here is pretty easy to get around on after your first couple trips. Unfortunately I was a little careless and didn't notice that the sign for the train line was opposite to the electronic display beneath it. Anyways, it didn't take me too far out of the way but I'm pretty exhausted again. I'll probably go get some dinner now and read a little tonight. Tomorrow I plan on going to the Technology district and the infamous Tokyo fish market.

Day One

I couldn't sleep last night．　I don't know if it was the Fresno heat keeping me up or my anxiety．This morning my mom and sister drove down with me to Los Angeles to see me off．As soon as I sat at my gate I made quick friends with a Japanese student from UNLV, We talked for awhile before the flight and exchanged contact information after we grabbed our luggage. As soon as I had my belonging I jumped on the train for an interesting navigating adventure.

The countryside between the Narita airport and Tokyo was beautiful. Rice patties and sparses of forest filled the space between community developments. I finally found my hostel, (Ryokan Kangetsu), after a good hour of travels and laid down with a hot cup of tea. The economic and cultural differences here are amazing. After I settled in I went out to grab some food. The district I'm in is very quiet compared to the inner city but the restaurants still stay open late. During dinner I met an Australian man named Ian and we discussed our travels for a good hour. I now plan on catching up on some sleep so that I can have a good day tomorrow. Night!