You caught me. The dreaded dissertation has not been the only distraction from posting, my third year of study has also involved a rather short, but sweet, trip to the distant land of Tokyo, Japan. A welcome treat after a stressful deadline, Tokyo was wonderfully insane. A trip defined by culture and, undeniably, laughter. We packed so much into those whirlwind five days that my mind fails me at where to even begin.
So I'll start with some pictures. Although fancying myself as a novice photographer, I'd be lying if I told you that my site-seeing photos are anymore artistic than your average snap-happy tourist. That besides, in this day and age I'm pretty sure if I told you to Google the Meji Temple you'd get flooded with images taken by a much more dab hand than my own. So instead I thought I'd share with you my 'Week in Instagram' - or should I say 5 days. From the Shibuya skyline, to the first ever Japanese Starbucks we really did see a lot.
Below you'll find (in no particular order):
The view from the Tokyo Tower
The best Cinnabons EVER
A Harajuku photobooth print-out
Various purchases, including a kimono
The biggest gaming fanatic I've ever set sights on
A bad fortune
A mask case
Some futuristic 'cyclops' sunnies
Harajuku street style
One AMAZING Alice in Wonderland restaurant
And finally, our experience of the Tokyo nightlife scene - a night spent temporarily stealing hats and bouncing around to various pop and hip-hop.
The cleanest city that I have ever seen - with not a bin in site - Tokyo was like nothing else imaginable. Skyscrapers to rival New York City with the addition of blaring, neon signs meant walking down the street was an activity in itself. The innovation that was seen whilst taking an evening stroll however, was completely contrasted with the beautiful temples that we visited during the day. One of which was shrouded by tiny market stalls selling tourist junk, traditional kimonos and everything in-between, the other hidden by a serene woodland and winding pathway.
Staying true to the city's opposing nature, the presence of the most beautiful Prada flagship I have ever witnessed sat alongside the crazy wares that shops such as Kiddyland were selling in their towering blocks. This particular store, where several 20 year olds spent a mere 40 minutes, was filled to the brim of every toy, gimmick and cartoon character that you can think of, and much more than any child could ever dream to play with. I came away with a a Miffy mug and Hello Kitty phone case - reflecting my age and maturity of course.
Finally, let's talk about the food.
Now, I am potentially the least fussy person you could imagine when it comes to food. Someone regularly referred to by their own mother as a 'dustbin', I will eat pretty much anything that someone puts in front of me. Tokyo however, was another story. Finding somewhere where the menu was in English was a challenge to say the least and the one piece advice I would give to any veggies out there is 'be prepared'. I hope you like rice and Edamame beans folks.
Basically, go to Tokyo. It's amazing.
