Tokyo - 1

After nearly 15 hours flight, I finally arrived in Tokyo Narita airport. Bought the airport express train to Shinjuku where the hotel is but is not allowed to checked in before 2pm. Shinjuku station is a huge huge huge station with 3 train lines and 5 metro lines intersecting, taking the wrong exit could result in having to walk a big round to find your way again.

Me and my travel companion (who's having a bad stomach) , both tired, sleepy (it's midnight Copenhagen time) after attempting several times (east exit, south exit & new south exit) and several argument about directions, we finally manage to find our hotel which is only 320 meters away from the nearest entry point to the Shinjuku station (if you know the way, of course).

Despite our desperate need for a refreshing shower and a couple hours of power nap, we were rejected to check in because we arrive 2hours prior to check in time. Without any choice, leaving out luggage in the hotel, we set off to Takashimaya Time Square which is 300m away from the hotel for lunch and time killing.

Took a quick stroll in Takashimaya's basement food center and I was absolutely overwhelmed. Seafood, fruits, cooking ingredients, western, eastern, you name it, they've got it. There're so many food stalls selling different things: sushi, bento, sashimi, don, pasta, cakes, rice, noodles, mochi... Being greeted by a bow from the sales persons in Japanese when you walk from stall to stall made me even more confused. How do I pay? by cash over the counter or by coupon? Anyway, having a real hard time to choose, we decided to go up to the restaurant floors.

Spreading across 3 floors (12F- 14F), Takashimaya's 30+ garden restaurants (named garden because most of them have outdoor garden, from 12th to 14th floor) is not making my decision making process easier either. Considering my travel companion Mr.T's stomach condition, I finally gave up and settled for a food that is known to his stomach - egg wrapped tomato chicken fried rice and fruit juice. The rice turned out to be nicer that I thought but the bill is not cheap for lunch as well (~5000Yen for both of us).

Dragged ourselves through the neighbouring Tokyo Hands shopping mall and killed the 2 hours, we finally get to check in. The room is a tiny one (guess Tokyo's space is precious) but the toilet is nevertheless still impressive :). Toiletries provided are also very extensive, they even provide shower sponge ;) found a funny 'Japlish' (my term for Japanese English) too: 'Please finish up a roll of toilet paper to prevent wasting resources'. Well, it was really hard for me to finish a roll of toilet paper, hmm...

After a nice shower & 2hrs of power nap, feeling fresh again, we set off to the Yodobashi electronic shop 200m away from the hotel, opposite Lumine1 shopping mall. Apparently there're 8 Yodobashi's scattered around every corner of Shinjuku East, varied from 3 to 6 floors height, each specialized in a field: camera; audio & visual; home electronics; time pieces etc. I was stunned to see the amount of gadgets display. Just the camera shop (building#5, the red neon lighted building in picture below) is already almost like an essence of Malaysia's PC fair.

Mr.T and I made an agreement to forfeit our original plan of dining out but instead buy something from Takashimaya basement and eat at the hotel instead (due to his stomach circumstances, he needs a portable toilet to feel comfortable, poor guy). Unfortunately when we made it back to Takashimaya, the basement is already closed by 8.30pm, only the garden restaurants are open. All because we took a lot of picture on our way there, else we might have made it.

Anyway, failing to eat what I planned and worse, don't even get to buy anything from the basement food section got me into a grumpy depressed mood. I was 'nagging' Mr.T along the way until we went to AM-PM. I like Japan, if there's anything that can be made into can / pre-packed / cup noodle type, they'll do it. Found clam miso soup in a cup noodle form, clams vacuum sealed, amazing. Bought a lot of convenient items and ate some as dinner instead, the convenient shopkeeper was slightly shocked :)