Tokyo, Winter 2008 – Day 7

(1 January 2009)

A quick meal before heading out. Purchased this from a supermarket several days but haven’t had the chance to consume. The container on the left is plain congee, the middle container contained some pudding like substance with a peanuty taste and the one on the right is some sort of soy beans. The 2 packets are a sweet sauce and a japanese sour plum.

It was New Years. Almost everything is closed for business. And this is perhaps the only one day in a year that it is quieter in Shinjuku. There are still people around but not as crowded and busy as usual.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building

walking towards the Love Sculpture

It is still standing there, as it was 2 years ago

Not far from the Shinjuku Station West exit, heading towards the direction of Nishi-Shinjuku Hotel

a cigarette vending machine

Looking for somewhere and something to eat. There are quite a lot of Indian eateries in Tokyo.

The soba shop wasn’t trading

Mos Burger across the road

Settled for Pepper Lunch

Walked around Shinjuku

a Japanese New Year decor

another one

Drink vending machines. There is one complaint that I have of Tokyo and that is the lack of public rubbish bins. I had to carry my garbage with me until I come across a bin somewhere and empty out my pockets. I was delighted each time I discover a bin on the street. Most of the time, there is one or two next to a vending machine. Not all the time though. And it is only really meant for cans and bottles. I guess it is one of the things I take for granted in Melbourne.

It is normal for garbage to be left out on the streets like this. It will be collected by the garbage collection department.

a ramen eatery

another pile of garbage left out to be collected

a little bear doing its rounds outside an amusement centre

looking into a pachinko parlour

Mos Burger with a different storefront header

Che – coming soon to a cinema near you

a Japanese New Year decor

a lady donning Kimono

a tank of fugu (otherwise known as pufferfish or blowfish)

another form of Japanese New Year decor

It says ‘Smoking on the streets is prohibited’ but I did still see some ‘non-abiders’

Even though I don’t normally waste funds on entertainment machines, I have to say that most of the products in the machines are very appealing. Somehow the things in Japan seems more appealing in looks, quality, packaging and presentation.

Replica of the food served in a restaurant

Beyonce and Takuya Kimura for Samantha Thavasa

the moon on top of Takashimaya Times Square

bikes parked near the Takashimaya Times Square building, just outside Uniqlo

Uniqlo

walking towards Studio Alta

Store assistants yelling at the top of their voices to inform potential customers of their products is a common thing. It is somewhat funny when it is a young female store assistant yelling “Irashaimase……” as they use a strange little girl-like voice that sounds like it’s coming from the nose. A bit like a female form of Mini-me’s voice.

Yakiniku for dinner. It was our first attempt at a Japanese restaurant. With my very limited survival phrases

Manager : Irashaimase. Nan mei sama des ka. (Welcome. How many persons)
Me : Futari des. Kin-en des. (Two. Non smoking)
Manager : Hai. Kochira dojo. (Yes. This way please)

Thank you JapanesePod101

We were lead upstairs. There was some confusion at first when we had to remove our shoes and place them into these wooden lockers and slip into slippers provided. And my boots wouldn’t fit and had to be fold into half. Some of the waitresses turned out to be Chinese. I think they could tell that we were not locals from our clumsy-ness with the shoe changing process and asked if we understood Mandarin. We did and it made things easier.